Harvest Over

We can officially announce that our apple harvest is over for another year.

Brian Boates has transported twenty three bins to his processing facility in Woodville. We are left with the final clean up: a few late apples still on the trees, a fair number of drops to be put into bags and given to local farmers for their animals. Perhaps, a few Nova Spy for pies, and some fresh pressed apple cider. The extra large harvest has taken its toll. Now, I have physiotherapy sessions to straighten out my sore back.

With the end of the harvest, I received notice of a new protest against industrial forestry in the Tobeatic region of Digby County. This area forms part of the habitat for the endangered Mainland moose (hear CBC Information Morning podcast interview).

It is disheartening to hear about these Forestry practices, just a few weeks before the airing of the Striking Balance episode on the Southwest Nova Biosphere Reserve (see previous Blog Post). All the hard work to obtain the UNESCO Man and Biosphere designation obviously carries no weight with the Nova Scotia Department of Lands and Forestry. It seems like a life time ago, when we used to meet at the Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute (MTRI). Surely, we cannot allow these forestry practices and retain our biosphere reserve status?

Under the COVID regime, we see a provincial government, and all its departments fixated on the bottomline. This includes forestry, fisheries and mining. The landscape is solely for exploitation. There is no interest in ‘striking balance’ or investing time and money in new ideas that can engage the skills and resources found in the larger community.

Wearing a mask is essential as the province attempts to keep its citizens healthy. Wearing a mask should not be seen as a symbol for not hearing the voices of its citizens. Or conversely, for not providing full explanations of government departments action or inaction. [contact Nova Scotia Deputy Minister Department of Lands and Forestry]

It seems odd. We delayed our apple harvesting because of the threat of glyphosate spraying. Now, at the other end, we see once again, a threat to our forested landscape and associated habitats. Surely, we can do better.

Acknowledgements

Nina Newington for bringing our attention to Mainland moose habitat issue. Heather Stewart and others who championed the Southwest Nova Biosphere Reserve designation. Edward for his support. In memory of Fred Roots, a strong proponent of the UNESCO MAB program.

References
CBC interview Information Morning October 20th. 2020 with Richard Amero