A Message From Growing Alberta

The summer season has arrived and you are planning your family’s warm-weather events. Many families will be travelling Alberta’s scenic highways to campgrounds, the mountains, country getaways or U-pick farms. Whether it’s just a day trip or a camping experience, we will tantalize you with some make-ahead recipes.

Children truly enjoy the outdoors and I have many fond memories of our great Alberta camping experiences when my sons were young. To assist in making your trip a success, try our two-week plan-ahead camping guide. Assign everyone a task; after all, mom deserves a break too!

The best way to spend a summer’s day is to hit one of Alberta’s many farmers’ markets and learn a little about where your food comes from. Your local markets have a variety of produce and homemade products, the freshest available. Alberta producers put their hearts and souls into their operations and summer is a season they relish for marketing their goods. There’s no better way to get answers to your questions than by directing them to our producers.

In this issue, meet three dynamic women working in agriculture in our “Ambassadors of Food” feature. Learn about their passion for the agriculture and food industry, and the secrets of their success.

It’s time to drive by that drive-thru in favour of making a nutritious, tasty meal for your family. But food prices are spiraling upwards. Do you have a great, healthful recipe to share that’s made with some Alberta ingredients, costs just a few dollars and feeds the family? We want to hear from you. Send your best entry to recipes@venturepublishing.ca. Whether you have limited resources or just want

an easy, low cost recipe, the “Cheapskate’s Challenge” is for you. Be sure to send your best estimate of the cost of the meal. Who doesn’t love a (tasty) challenge?

My sincere thanks to the readers who send their comments to our office.  Many of the topics you have expressed an interest in are included in this summer issue.  Read, enjoy and share a copy!

Maureen Osadchuk

Growing Alberta