Page 18 - ECF-LIA-Nov-DEC-2023-F2

LEGACY IN ACTION
18
“CHANGES IN THE
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
ARE CERTAINLY A BIG
THREAT, BUT WITH THAT
IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR
ADAPTATION.”
— DR. HENRY AN
Gardens is one of the restaurant’s oldest and
longest suppliers — Andersen and her team
are responding to that change by being flexible
and creative.
“We’re experimenting with new crops,”
Andersen says, describing her team’s approach to
the region’s warming climate. “This is the second
year we’ve successfully grown watermelon up in
Edmonton, which is kind of unheard of. We’re
also actively looking at other crops and planting
crops in the shoulder seasons, so things that grow
really quickly and have a 35 or 40-day life span.”
When Andersen talks about experimenting
with growing blue pumpkins, dwarf nectarines,
blackberries and Chicago fig trees — the latter is an
especially ambitious project that involves growing
the trees year-round under cover — she says it with
the playful smile of a tinkering scientist. But beyond
all the fun she’s having exploring the region’s
changing growing season, there are also tangible
benefits to her flexible approach.
“Changes in the natural environment
are certainly a big threat, but with that is an
opportunity for adaptation,” says Dr. Henry An,
a professor in the University of Alberta Faculty
of Agriculture studying agricultural technology.
“Some people don’t like the word adaptation
because it feels as if you’re giving up on climate
change as opposed to trying to slow it down or
stop it. But if we can’t slow it down, then we have
to adapt.”
“You can switch out certain crops and grow
other things,” An adds, discussing some of those
potential adaptation strategies. “One angle would
be more drought tolerant crops or crops more
resistant to large variations in temperature.”
At Prairie Gardens, adaptation means
pushing the envelope of what’s typically grown
in the province, while at RGE RD, it means
promoting sustainability inside and outside the
restaurant.“We own a butcher shop, but we still
say you should eat less meat,” Lebsack mentions,
explaining his own approach to valuing quality
ingredients over pure consumption. Ultimately, both are part of a
movement to shrink the distance from the farm to the table and maybe
help save the planet in the process.
“[Our suppliers] definitely don’t just think of this year and how they
can make the best for now,” Lebsack says, speaking about the inspiration
he draws from farmers like Andersen. “When you talk to them, you
understand that you can’t just think of what’s on your plate tomorrow.
You have to think of how things are going to be affected next year and
the year after.”