Prairie Garden: 8000 Years of Growth

Way back when – we're talking 8000 years! – the Tall Grass Prairie started growing. It grew and grew, and eventually, it covered an area that was one and a half times the size of Manitoba, stretching all the way from Winnipeg to Texas. It was big, and it was beautiful!

But, when settlers arrived less than 200 years ago, they flattened the Tall Grass Prairie to make room for crops. Now, less than 1% of that natural grassland is still around. 

We think that the Tall Grass Prairie is too beautiful to let disappear, so we created a Tall Grass Prairie right in the heart of Winnipeg's downtown – we call it the Prairie Garden.

It's filled with 150 native species of plants that grew wild here long before we ever came to The Forks for an evening walk or brought the family down for a weekend visit.

The Canada Goldenrod is one of our favourites. It is a stunning yellow form of aster, and right now, they're at their peak blooms. They really remind us of sunny days on the prairies.

The Cree name for this beauty is chachamos kakew which means "to make one sneeze." We haven't tested this theory, but we dare you, stop and smell the Canada Goldenrod!

The honey bees that live in the hives that the amazing BeeProject Apiaries put on our caboose love the Narrow Leaved Sunflower. The bees need flowers like this one, so they can buzz from bloom to bloom, pollinating each one. And then, they make honey with it, and oh my, is it delicious!

If you've been to Winnipeg Folk Festival, you've probably seen a show or two at the lively Big Bluestem stage. You guessed it – everyone's favourite party stage is named after this grass that dominates the Tall Grass Prairie. It was also the hundreds of buffalo's favourite snack!

The Tall Grass Prairie was a complete ecosystem that included animals like buffalo, elk, deer, and little bunnies like this one!

This weekend, come take a stroll through the Prairie Garden and experience the tranquility of thousands of years ago, when the greenery and critters ruled the land we love so much today.

Other posts that might interest you:

• Getting Cool for School: Back-to-School Shopping at The Forks

• Oodena Celebration Circle: Observing the Stars

• Picking Something Fresh in the Public Orchard

Farewell Farmers' Market

Last Sunday was a beautiful, perfect day to end off our outdoor Farmers’ Market season.

Vendors gathered in a circle around a campfire set-up, and visitors picked up produce, preserves and delicious baking and simply enjoyed the atmosphere.

All in all, The Forks hosted over 50 different vendors since the market began in May, with up to 32 showing up every week – rain or shine – to sell locally grown and raised food and handmade treats and goodies to visitors on our site.

Dorothy Freund from Red Poll Farms and Dean and Sara Wall from Zhoda Family Farms were very pleased at the turn-out each week – even despite many of our Sundays being not so sunny.

They enjoyed the laid-back clientele and noticed lots of tourists – and were eager to share some knowledge about what delicious items grow in Manitoba.

 Sara said she met folks who’d never tried rosehip or Saskatoon berries, and didn’t know those things grow in Manitoba. She says it’s always fun to share what she’s foraged with people and send them home with something new.

Overall, we had some very happy vendors who are ready and raring to come back next year, and make The Forks Farmers’ Market one of the most plentiful in town.

Until then, we will be hosting indoor markets featuring produce, jams, infusions, baking and alpaca wool products (for the chilly days that are surely upon us!) once per month on Oct. 25 and Nov. 25.

Thank you for supporting our inaugural Farmers’ Market!