This weird winter is wrapping up with a string of sunny, warm days in the forecast over the next week, and our local maple syrup makers are hoping for some colder nights to help this year’s sweet crop along. But even if this year’s syrup is as rare as liquid gold, make plans to take in one of the maple syrup festivals not too far from Meaford Haven.

Saturday, March 24 to Sunday, March 25
Saugeen Conservation Old-Tyme Maple Syrup Festival
Satisfy your sweet tooth and support conservation at this popular festival which features all the tasty treats, great entertainment, expert chainsaw carver Bobbi Switzer, and a step back in time at the Pioneer Encampment featuring a working blacksmith, native re-enactors, frontier popcorn and more. This year, catch the Guinness Book of World Records attempt for the largest sap bucket in the world.

Sunday, March 25
Sweetwater Festival
Along with the usual maple syrup festival fun, Wye Marsh offers a cooking demonstration featuring maple syrup specialties.

Family fun at the Holstein Maplefest

Saturday, April 14 to Sunday, April 15
18th Annual Holstein Maplefest
Visit a 40-acre working sugar bush for an “edutaining” day of demonstrations and displays, including a taffy pull and ice cream making; a free craft sale; Splash’n Boots Interactive kids show; and an all-day pancake and sausage breakfast.

Saturday, April 21
Elmvale Maple Syrup Festival
Tour the sugar bush; admire (and buy) arts, crafts and quilts; enjoy musical entertainment throughout the day; cheer on the log sawing contest and the pancake eating contest; and much more.

“I’d like to suggest that you include a pretty community vegetable garden and permaculture garden to set you apart from all the other retirement lifestyle properties,” writes Shawn Phelps. “As well as it being a great selling point, I think people would love it and enjoy it.”

We’d asked for input, and Shawn’s note gave us some great ideas in developing the perfect three-season retirement community – as well as the opportunity to meet a truly interesting woman.

Two years ago, the Toronto-based writer and author bought a small two-acre farm on the edge of the town of Meaford (a short stroll from Meaford Haven, in fact.) Over the next two years she planted a small grove of fruit and nut trees (sour cherry, plum, pear, hazelnut, and Korean pine trees) as the start to her food-producing permaculture garden. Permaculture takes lessons from nature, positioning complementary plants together so they nuture and support each other, without the need for many traditional practices, such as fertilizing and spraying.

“Permaculture copies forests,” says Shawn. “Forests don’t need anyone to take care of them. So you have food forests, with a base of fruit and nut trees, then in between you have plants and bushes that support those trees. If they need nitrogen, you put in nitrogen-fixing plants; things like that. It takes some time, but once it’s set up, it doesn’t take much work. It takes care of itself. And you get a lot of food in a very small amount of space.”

As a journalist “obsessed with understanding humanity”, Shawn has travelled to more than 20 countries, and her travels introduced her to countries where food shortages and pollution are taken for granted. “It started me thinking about what solutions there might be,” says Shawn. “I saw this real movement toward things like permaculture and organic farming, and eventually it became an obsession.”

She brought these ideas to her Meaford home (“Meaford’s my favourite place on earth,” says Shawn.), and her environmentally friendly, food producing permaculture garden is well on its way.

She says she finds it weird that none of the other retirement communities in the Southern Georgian Bay area seem to be incorporating anything like this. “They might have a couple of trees, but they haven’t gone out of their way to create anything beautiful. “And why else would you move to Meaford unless you wanted to be near beautiful nature and connect with it?” she says.

Shawn Phelps in her Meaford garden

Visit Shawn’s website at www.shawnphelps.com. Some more thoughts on gardening and retirement living soon.

Head down to Meaford Harbour tomorrow afternoon, and you’ll find yourself drawn by the delicious scents, the sounds of music, and the hustle and bustle by the Rotary Pavilion. Meaford’s Farmers’ Market kicks off its fifth season this week, and will be open to welcome you from 3 to 7 p.m. every Friday through Thanksgiving weekend.

You’ll find locally grown seasonal fruit and vegetables, locally raised meat, and freshly baked goods, including treats and beverages you don’t have to wait till you get home to enjoy.

But it’s not only about food. You’ll also find crafts, children’s activities, and music. This year, the opening day musical act is none other than “Bored of Education”, who’ll rock out The Meaford Independent Music Tent. (This group of teachers and students from Meaford’s Georgian Bay Secondary school is a legend in its own lunchtime, a veritable study in musical talent, and in a definite class of its own.)

To learn more about the vendors at the Meaford Farmers’ Market click here.