Harvest Moon Society Newsletter
Late Spring 2024

There has been so much going on at the Harvest Moon Learning Centre that we couldn’t wait until summer to send out our next newsletter!

Spring Recap

Work Bee

We had an excellent turnout to this year’s Work Bee. Many hands make light work and we checked off all the major items on our to-do list: garden beds were prepped, eavestroughs were cleaned, wood chips were spread, and some trees were cut. We had lunch at the Clearwater Junction Restaurant, ate supper from the grill and then got to taste some Wooden Gate Cider! Madel Morin played us some tunes and then Kenton Dyck from Pembina Valley Astro Club showed us the stars. A big thank you to everyone involved for making it a great day and getting the Harvest Moon Learning Centre ready for summer.

HMS Scholarship

The second year of our HMS Scholarship saw an increase in applicants, from all over the province, making it that much tougher for our jury to choose winners. After thoughtful debate and much back-and-forth, though, the jury was able to choose three applicants to receive $500 each towards their education.

We’ve invited the recipients and their families out to Clearwater to tour the town and collect their prizes. Stay tuned to our social media channels to catch the announcements of who the successful applicants were.

Mushroom Weekend

In early May, Tom from River City Mushrooms hosted a weekend full of workshops on growing and gardening gourmet and medicinal fungi. The weekend couldn’t have gone any better, with the workshops fuller than full with people from all over the province coming to Clearwater to soak up Tom’s enthusiasm. We’ve now got a few logs inoculated with lion’s mane in the Secret Garden and a perennial bed of wine caps next to the greenhouse.

Everything went so well that ideas are already flying for next year!

Emerging Artists

Artists Leah Gertzen and Adelle Rawluk have been staying in Clearwater as part of our Recent Graduate Residency. These two really took in all that Clearwater has to offer. They toured farms, led workshops, made art, and hosted talks.

We’re working out the details with the University of Manitoba School of Art to host their work in an exhibition later in August, and we’re excited to have them back to lead a workshop at the Harvest Moon Festival in September.

Lauren’s Back!

We are so excited to once again have Lauren Treble back as our Land Based Learning Interpreter. Lauren will plan and lead our slate of summer programming and host field trips to the Harvest Moon Learning Centre for students of all ages. She also helps Jo-Lene in the garden and greenhouse and all over the grounds. There’s a lot of work out there, so we’ve also hired a couple of local Clearwater kids through the Green Team program. We’re looking forward to having Emily Young and Cole Pitchford starting in early July.

Other Visitors to the HMLC

For the second year in a row, Harvest Moon had students from Maples Met School in Winnipeg for an overnight visit; this year we had the Grade 10 classes of Emma Gehrs-Whyte and Luke Taranno. These students toured the community with Jo-Lene, learned from Elder David Scott of Swan Lake First Nation, spent time with Katie from The Dogs Run Farm, and did some stargazing with Kenton when he generously brought his telescope back to Clearwater.

We also had visitors from the University of Winnipeg’s Rupert’s Land Colloquium for the Waziyata Chankag'a (Northern Bridge) conference, where a panel of presenters discussed the conflict along the nearby international border in the mid-1850s, and the peace treaties that brought those conflicts to an end.

Finally, field trip season is underway! A visit from a grade 2 class in Manitou had to be rescheduled, and we’ve had a great time with two classes of kindergartners from Crystal City Early Years school, and are looking forward to hosting the entire student body of Willow Creek Colony School in late June. We’re also looking forward to hosting a group from Petits Choux Daycare in Somerset in August.

Looking Forward

Summer Programming

With Lauren back, our summer programming is rolling out. The New Moon Kids Camp and Outdoor Adventures are full, but stayed tuned for more announcements coming soon!

Garden Luncheon

Wednesday, June 26 will be our third annual Garden Luncheon. This day is aimed at older adults, but open to anyone. We'll do some garden and greenhouse tours, maybe play some lawn games, and eat a lunch made with food from our gardens and other local ingredients. Then we'll enjoy some music from Heather and Gary Gardiner.

Cost is $5 and we ask that you give us a heads up if you're coming so we know how may to expect (info@harvestmoonsociety.org). If you work with a seniors group or a garden club or a care home, you should come out. It's a great day!

Harvest Moon Festival Ticket Date

The 23rd Perennial Harvest Moon Festival is scheduled for September 13-15 in beautiful Clearwater, MB. Mark your calendars: tickets are set to go on sale on the evening of Tuesday, July 16. Be sure to follow the Harvest Moon Festival Instagram account to stay informed. Hope to see you there!

Emergency First Aid

We are running an Emergency First Aid Certification course in early July. We've hit our minimum, and we have 6 more seats we can fill. Do you know of anyone who is interested?

It's excellent knowledge to have, looks good on your resume, and can save a life. If you or anyone you know would like to register for a one-day certification at the Harvest Moon Learning Centre, please reach out and let us know asap.

Accommodations available for anyone looking to come from away.