The fifth annual Hint of Garlic Festival and Trade Show was well attended, according to organizers.
Garlic and garlic products grown and made locally were the main focus of the event held on September 9, the second Sunday of September which organizers have traditionally chosen as the date.
Other featured vendors were: Linda Button of Carleigh鈥檚 Crystals; Yoenne Ewald of Snoetic Farm; Barry and Rashele Wasylenchuk with BR Honey; Kathy Handzuik, an independent Mary Kay sales director; Norma Woodward with Avon; Gerald Kuzma of Combined Insurance; Kevin and Nicola Straub of Border Mountain Ranch, and Verna Larson with Back to Basics, whole food and nutritional products.
There were product samples and displays, with 鈥渁 little bit of something for everyone鈥� according to event organizers.
Kevin and Nicola Straub of Border Mountain Ranch had produce and fermented items as well as soup.
鈥淲e have garlic and garden vegetable soup, scones with garlic and cheese, corn, peppers, onions, sauerkraut and kimchi, which is made with fermented vegetables and spices,鈥� said Talitha Straub. She, along with her friend Serita Coleman, who was visiting from Winnipeg for a few weeks, were helping man a table and handing out samples.
Laura and Larry Dahl of Norquay had their Uff Da line of handmade, plant-based products along with Thieves essential oils. 鈥淲e鈥檝e been involved with Uff Da for 11 years, and we are fanatics in regards to organic products,鈥� said Laura.
Norma Woodward, a long-time Avon associate, had her array of Avon products on display.
鈥淭his has been our best year for quality of garlic,鈥� said Alfredo Converso who grows more than an acre of different varieties where he owns and operates La Campagna Bed and Breakfast near Canora. 鈥淭he size of the cloves is more important than the size of the head when you are looking at garlic, and this year the heads have been most uniform.鈥�
Converso also featured fava or broad bean pesto made with garlic, fresh herbs, parmesan cheese, olive oil and salt and pepper.
John Adamyk featured Russian Red garlic heads which he said were excellent for pickling. 鈥淲hen you pickle the garlic, you get all of the goodness but not the smell,鈥� he said.
Snoetic Farm of Manitoba offers 75 varieties of garlic although had only several varieties at the Legion Hall. Yoenne Ewald has been operating for 10 years and said she makes a weekly delivery to Kamsack, indicating that anyone so wishing can check her online store for more information.
鈥淚t was a fantastic event and we heard a lot of people say they 鈥榣oved鈥� it,鈥� said Jim Woodward, a primary organizer of the garlic festival. 鈥淓veryone was pleased and we are already looking forward to next year.鈥�
The winner of the door prize was Nick Bobyk of Kamsack.
