Garlic Activity Kits Give Away Popular in Andrew

Garlic Activity Kits Give Away Popular in Andrew

Michelle Pinon - News Advertiser

The Kalyna Family Resource Network, (FRN) and Family & Community Support Services, (FCSS) for the Lamont County Region teamed up to provide kids’ garlic activity kits this Thanksgiving weekend.

PCN Program Coordinator Erin Ballance and FCSS Program Assistant Darlene Onushko had a display outside of the Andrew Lions Club Oct. 9.

Initially, they were going to offer the kids’ activity kits during the Garlic Festival, but that had to be cancelled due to new provincial health restrictions that were announced on Sept. 15. Onushko said she and Ballance are always bouncing ideas off each other and came up with the idea to give away the kids’ activity kits during the Thanksgiving weekend in the community.

The kid’s activity kits were a very popular item as Ballance and Onushko waved over vehicles and people walking by on main street. The kits included colouring pages, a few smaller items and a few treats as well as a large clove of Red Russian garlic which is very popular throughout the region.

Ballance said garlic was a staple with Ukrainian and European settlers who originally settled in the area. There are so many ways to infuse everyday meals with garlic. Vanessa Ostashek said she makes a garlic jelly which is a great accompaniment with meat or pair with toast.

Pictured from L-R: Darlene Onushko, Tom Bradley and Erin Balance.

(Michelle Pinon/Photo)

Up until a few years ago Andrew resident Tom Bradley didn’t even eat garlic. “I didn’t like the taste of it.” But with a little persuasion from a friend, he decided to try growing it. Unfortunately, he planted the garlic in spring and they didn’t grow. However, that did not deter him, and he planted some later in the fall.

He has grown accustomed to the taste and now uses it in most everything he makes. “Last year I had my best crop ever.” This year’s crop was good as well and yielded about 75 cloves of garlic. With the hot weather he did water them a lot to keep them healthy and continue to grow.

In addition to being great in cooking, garlic also has a variety of health benefits. It is packed with vitamins and minerals and also holds a variety of medicinal properties.

These properties have been known since ancient times and researchers are now discovering more about them.

Bradley was told years ago how people who ate garlic during the Spanish flu survived because they ate garlic.

Some of the health benefits include: boosting the immune system, reduce risk of several conditions linked to the blood system and heart, lowers the risk of lung, brain, prostate cancer, lowers the level of osteoarthritis in women, lowers blood pressure, serves as a powerful antibiotic, decreases the frequency and duration of colds, works as an anti-inflammatory, and treats athlete’s foot.

Step by step instructions on growing garlic were included in the activity kit. They include:

1.) Create drainage holes in your pot by carefully drilling or using a hammer and nail to punch holes.

2.) Lay a small piece of paper towel inside the pot.

3.) Add potting soil to the pot.

4.) Make a small 1-inch-deep hole in the soil.

5.) Place garlic clove in the hole. Make sure the pointy-side is up.

6.) Cover the garlic clove with soil. There needs to be at least ½ inch soil covering the garlic clove. Pat the soil down gently.

7.) Gently water the clove until water comes out of the bottom of the pot.

8.) Water the clove often enough to keep the soil damp but not wet.