This year the Harvest Festival will offer a rich and varied edition, full of information of an undeniable quality. It's in Sawyerville, part of Cookshire-Eaton. Stimulating activities are planned for all day Saturday, September 26, in three locations - the Sawyerville Hotel, the Community Centre, and the Community Garden.
The activities begin at 8:30 a.m. with a registration period and the opening of the kiosks. At 9 a.m., workshops and presentations on different topics begin. For example, at 9:15 a.m. at the Community Centre, Marie-France Chartrand will present data on the status of the Development Plan for the Agricultural Zone (PDZA) of the Haut-Saint-François, and the results of a survey of farmers, forestry workers, youth and the population in general, all concerned about the future of agriculture. Once completed, the PDZA will paint an "exhaustive portrait and permit us to give a precise diagnosis of the state of our green zone," said Nicole Robert, the MRC's Reeve. A presentation by Lucie Brown, agriculturalist, about berries and nuts will follow that of Chartrand.
At 10:30 a.m. at the Sawyerville Hotel, Gabriel Grenier will offer a look at forestry past, present and future, while Anny Schneider, accredited herbal therapist and author, will share the sum of her long experience with a pharmacy-garden. In the afternoon, she will lead an excursion to collect medicinal wild plants. The art of constructing a bread oven promises to be a very interesting presentation. It is offered by Jean-Claude Ramet, specialist in the field. Other presenters will share their expertise in honey, tonics and syrups, and in the cultivation of mushrooms on logs. Vendors at kiosks will offer their products at all three locations - the Hotel, the Community Centre, and the Community Garden. A public market will be at the Community Garden for the entire day, offering harvest treasures from local producers and those from away.
Yoga and stories for children will take place at the Waterfall Park across the bridge. At the library, Ann Rothfels will tell a story in both English and French. An "intimate" concert by Carole Vincelette, accompanied by Ali Labelle, will close the evening. A very promising harvest festival, premiering a program that is rich in excellent presentations!
