Office volunteer, Betty-Jean, hard at work.

The Friends of the Farm are exploring new hours of operation at Building 72 in the Arboretum of the Central Experimental Farm.  

As a result we will be temporarily changing our office hours during the month of February. 

We will now be open Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9am to 2pm, starting Monday Feb 5 through Friday March 2.

Learn more about the Friends' events,  volunteering and membership opportunities, or check out our assortment of greeting cards and  books by local authors featuring the history of the Farm, Arboretum and Ornamental Gardens.

You can reach us via phone at 613-230-3276, email [email protected] or stop by in person for a visit during our new office hours. 

Join the Friends of the Farm and award-winning Ottawa photographer 

Ramin Izadpanah on Tuesday, March 27 from 7pm to 9pm

for this exclusive  Beauty on the Farm 

photography lecture.  

Mr. Izadpanah's PowerPoint presentation will include many of his stunning images, sure to amaze and delight, which were captured at the Central Experimental Farm.  Specializing in landscape and nature photography, he has won the Canadian Geographic's 2015 Landscape Category prize and the 2016 Flora-and-Fauna Category prize. He has previously provided a guided photographic tour of the Arboretum.

Plant Sale Coordinator Wanted:

The Friends of the Farm requires an event coordinator for their annual  Friends' Plant Sale  which takes place on Sunday, May 13, 2018,  from 9am to 1pm.

The coordinator is responsible for the organizing the plant sale, which includes the oversight of vendor registration (January to May), ongoing communications with both the vendors and other plant sale participants, identifying and determining the number of volunteers required, and identifying/assigning the vendor space for the plant sale.  The Plant Sale coordinator will work closely with the experienced plant sale committee   and the volunteer coordinator in determining team needs for the event and scheduling of volunteers. .

The position requires excellent communication and organizational skills and ability to work well in a group setting. Previous volunteer work would be an asset.

If you are interested, please send your resume to [email protected]

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Used Book Sale Coordinator Wanted:

The Friends of the Farm is seeking an event coordinator for their annual   Used Book Sale which takes place at the Central Experimental Farm on Saturday, June 16th and Sunday, June 17th, 2018, from 10 am to 4 pm.

The coordinator will be the main point of contact in organizing the two-day event which includes set-up and take down of the event, identifying the tasks and number of volunteers required and wrap-up activities following the sale. The coordinator will work with an experienced group of volunteers (book sorters and team leaders) to assist in organizing the event.

The position requires good communication and organizational skills, and the ability to work well in a group setting.  Previous volunteer work would be an asset.

If you are interested, please send your resume to [email protected] 

In December of last year, a House of Commons Standing Committee released a Report on Historical Buildings and Sites, Preserving Canada's Heritage: The Foundation for Tomorrow. It recommends the federal government introduce legislation to ensure the government does not take actions that impact on the integrity of national historic sites of Canada and respects the heritage values of Canada's national historic places.

T he Central Experimental Farm (CEF) was designated a National Historic Site in 1997 by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, Parks Canada. An Advisory Council was established in 1999 to ensure public participation in the CEF's management and to safeguard the historic site. Despite these, the federal, provincial and municipal governments have made decisions that have given parcels of land of the CEF away for other uses.

The Friends of the Farm have once again  written to the Honourable Catherine McKenna , Minister responsible for heritage sites, following the release of the above mentioned report urging her and the government to strengthen the National Historic Site Act so that the remaining acreage of the CEF is protected from further intrusion. 

Help us make a difference! It's time to think about the glorious days of spring and getting out into the garden. What better way to enjoy nature, fresh air, exercise, plant life and contribute to the beauty of the Farm than to join one of the Friends' Garden Teams (such as the Iris Team in the photo). Go to our Volunteer activities page for more info on garden team days, times and tasks. 

For those interested in volunteering for gardens and events, join us for a free Volunteer Recruitment Orientation  on Saturday April 7 at 9:30am in Bldg 72 on the Arboretum. For those who are unable to attend the orientation, our 2018 enrollment and waiver Volunteer form will soon be available to download .

The Friends are also firing up their 2018 Event schedule. If you have the time and are able to help, we would greatly appreciate any assistance you can give with these event activities. W e are specifically looking for Event Coordinators for our Plant and Used Book Sales.  Please contact us at [email protected] for more event information. 

 

This year's Annual General Meeting will be held on Wednesday April 18 from 7pm to 9pm. The AGM will begin with a short business meeting followed by a guest speaker and refreshments. The meeting and presentation will take place in the K.W. Neatby Building at 960 Carling Avenue and Maple Drive on the Central Experimental Farm. Free parking is available in the lot east of the building.
 

Our speaker will be  Dr. Paul Villeneuve, an Associate Professor in the Department of Health Sciences at Carleton University. His topic is "Environmental Impacts of the Farm." Dr. Villeneuve is an environmental epidemiologist, and his research programs include how access to nature and green space impacts human health.

He will describe research activities relevant to the Central Experimental Farm which include a sampling campaign done by his graduate students that mapped concentrations of air pollution, urban noise and temperature both within the CEF and nearby residential neighbourhoods. Other planned projects include impact of Farm vegetation on these concentrations.

To register for this free event, email [email protected] or call 613-230-3276.

	Photo by Judith Cox

Every year the Friends partner with the Master Gardeners of Ottawa Carleton to offer timely and informative presentations. This year's Tuesday night lectures include:

April 10  Gardening With Wildlife

 with Rebecca Last

April 24  Flowers and Vegetables: Beauty and the Eats  

with Judith Cox

May 8  Unusual Edibles: Growing the Uncommon and Unexpected for Your Plate   

with Esther Bryan

May 22  Gardening for the Bees  

with Julianne Labreche

All presentations are from 7pm to 9pm in Building 72 just east of the Prince of Wales roundabout with free parking. Lectures can be purchased individually $12 members and $15 non-members or as a series: $40 Member or $50 Non-Member. 

For more information email  [email protected] or  call 613-230-3276