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Under the Canopy

Outdoor Journal Radio Podcast Network

On Outdoor Journal Radio's Under the Canopy podcast, former Minister of Natural Resources, Jerry Ouellette takes you along on the journey to see the places and meet the people that will help you find your outdoor passion and help you live a life close to nature and Under The Canopy.

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21 episodes
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English

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#159
Monday · 49 min
Episode 159: Green Tea Caffeine Depends On Farming, Processing, And How You Brew It
Tea talk gets weird fast: “orange pekoe has orange,” green tea is always low caffeine, and tea bags are loaded with microplastics. We wanted real answers, so we brought back tea industry veteran John Snell to help us separate myth from chemistry and hype from what’s actually happening in the leaf. From Sri Lanka to India, East Africa, China, and Vietnam, John explains how tea terroir works, why monsoons and elevation change flavour, and what tea “tips” really are when people talk about silver tip and gold tip teas. We dig into caffeine with the nuance it deserves. Caffeine is a natural plant defence, fertiliser choices can influence it, and processing changes how it shows up in your cup. John breaks down why green tea can deliver caffeine differently than black tea, why cold brew tea changes extraction, and how matcha stands apart because you ingest the powdered leaf in suspension, taking in the full spectrum of compounds like polyphenols and antioxidants. Then we get into the questions you keep sending us: chemical sprays, pesticide residue, organic tea, and whether the microplastics teabag scare matches the best available evidence. We also go bigger picture on sustainability and livelihoods, including John’s work helping Pakistan explore domestic tea production to reduce imports and support rural communities. We finish by dreaming about local and Indigenous ingredients like Labrador tea, and what it could take to do it right. If you like practical knowledge with real-world stories, hit subscribe, share this with a tea-curious friend, and leave us a review with your biggest tea question for a future Q&A.
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#158
August 17 · 58 min
Epiosde 158: Cold Brew Under The Canopy
Cold drinks dominate the world, but most people still treat tea like it only belongs in a mug. We go the other direction and get specific: how we make Chaga cold brew that actually tastes good, how long we steep it, and how you can do it at home without turning it into a science project. You’ll hear the two blends we’ve been sampling at events, including a green tea and matcha option, plus Ruby G, a deep ruby mix built around hibiscus, red beet, chicory, lemon extract and Chaga for a refreshing summer pour. Then we head north with Pierre for a real Northern Ontario check-in: wild blueberries going crazy, gardens pushing corn and tomatoes, and the kind of everyday surprises that come with rural living, like hornets dropping from a tree and dogs stepping on them. We also get into the food side of the outdoors, from cleaning pike properly to raising and processing meat chickens at home, including a drill-mounted feather plucker and the water temperature trick that makes it work. Finally, Pierre walks us through what mineral exploration looks like when you’re actually out there: building pads for diamond drills, how drill core is handled, why water and cuttings matter, and what “junior” mining companies do. We round out with winter preparedness, backup power, internet realities in remote towns, and a little bit of gold fever psychology when the gravel in your driveway starts looking suspiciously shiny. If you enjoy practical outdoors talk with humour and zero pretending, subscribe, share this with a friend who lives for the bush, and leave us a review with your favourite part of the conversation.
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#157
August 10 · 33 min
Episode 157: Foraging Finds And Garlic Growing Tips From A Master Gardener
You can grow a great garden and still lose a crop if you miss one invisible detail. We get into that reality with garlic, where a listener question opens the door to the unglamorous stuff that actually decides your harvest: nematodes, leek moth, and what “clean seed” really means when you plant year after year. Bev, our master gardener guest, breaks down what to watch for on garlic scapes, why regular crop walks matter, and how fall cleanup and crop rotation reduce the pests that overwinter in debris. If you’ve ever wondered why your garlic looks fine until it suddenly doesn’t, you’ll leave with a clearer plan. We also zoom out to the wider outdoor table. We talk seasonal foraging and plant ID cues you can use on a drive or a walk, including staghorn sumac, chicory along the roadside, and the difference between interesting health claims and evidence you can trust. You’ll hear how we like to sanity-check natural health and medicinal plant chatter using sources like PubMed and ScienceDirect, so curiosity stays grounded. Then we bring it back to the kitchen, because the point of growing food is eating well. We compare hardneck vs softneck garlic for cold-climate gardens, share how to cure garlic for real shelf life, and swap practical preservation ideas: freezing garlic, dehydrating it into powder, and using hot varieties for next-level dill pickles. We also talk old-school jar favorites like candied jalapenos, beet pickles, relishes, salsa, and chili sauce handed down through family recipes. If this helps you, subscribe, share it with a gardener or forager, and leave a review so more people find the show.
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#156
August 4 · 23 min
Episode 156: Mushroom Grow Kits Made Simple
Fresh mushrooms don’t have to be a grocery store gamble. We’re talking with Corey from Mushrooms of the Valley, tucked near the Madawaska River in Ontario’s Hastings Highlands, about what it really takes to grow gourmet mushrooms at home and why a simple sawdust block can turn into a legit harvest on your kitchen counter. We get specific about the mushrooms he’s growing and selling: pink oyster mushrooms, white oysters, golden oysters, and the Phoenix oyster that holds its colour in warm weather. Corey explains what a mushroom grow kit is, what “spawn” means, and why consistent hardwood fuel pellets make his substrate more predictable. If you’ve been Googling mushroom grow kits, how to grow oyster mushrooms indoors, or how long mushrooms take to fruit, we lay out the practical timeline and the conditions that matter most. We also touch lion’s mane, including why it’s more seasonal (cooler spring and fall conditions), and how Corey makes lion’s mane powder by dehydrating and processing the mushroom so people can cook with it or use it in homemade tinctures. We talk realistic yields from a five-pound block, what a “flush” is, how many flushes you might get, and what to expect in that first 1 to 2 weeks after you bring a kit home. Finally, we cover mushroom spores, when they’re just a bit of white dust, and when serious growers need to think about respirators and airflow. If you like practical outdoor skills that you can do year-round, this one’s for you. Subscribe, share the episode with a friend who loves food and the woods, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What mushroom would you try growing first?
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#155
July 27 · 1 hr 20 min
Episode 155: Wildfire Smoke And Forest Health
Smoke in the air has a way of snapping our attention back to the natural world. We start with what it feels like when wildfire haze rolls in, then zoom out to the less obvious forces that shape forest health every day, the kind you might notice first as a few “mystery” conifers turning brick red along the road or at the edge of your camp. I’m joined by David Dutkiewicz from the Ontario Invasive Species Centre, and we get practical fast. We sort out common tree ID mix-ups (spruce vs balsam fir), explain how root competition and natural thinning can make trees die off in clusters, and share simple cues for telling fir, spruce, pine, and tamarack apart. From there we move into the bigger prevention story: why the “Don’t Move Firewood” message matters, how Emerald Ash Borer can survive in cut wood for years, and what to watch for with oak wilt, a fast-moving disease that has already triggered rapid response efforts in Ontario. We also hit backyard realities: tar spot on Norway maple, what leaf cleanup actually does, which maples can be tapped for sap, and what Japanese beetles are doing when they “skeletonize” leaves. If you’ve ever wondered how to help beyond worrying, we cover easy reporting tools like invasive species hotlines, EDDMapS, iNaturalist, and CFIA resources so your photos can turn into early detection. If you care about protecting forests, camps, and communities from invasive pests and tree disease, subscribe, share this with a friend who buys firewood, and leave a review so more people find the show.
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#154
July 20 · 40 min
Episode 154: Why Spruce Trees Turn Rusty Red
Your spruce trees look fine one week, then the needles fade to rusty red and the worry sets in. We’ve been seeing the same thing around cottage country, so we called someone who lives in the details of Ontario forest health: David Dutkiewicz, an entomology technician who’s spent years identifying forest insects and supporting monitoring work across the province. Together, we sort out what those colour changes can mean and how to stop guessing when the stakes are your shoreline trees, your trails, and the woods you grew up with. We get specific about spruce budworm, a native insect that cycles through outbreaks and can leave huge areas looking scorched from above. David walks us through the best visual clues to look for, why damage can show up after the feeding is already done, and what “recovery” really means when only parts of a crown are hit versus an entire tree turning red. We also break down BTK (Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki), how this biological spray affects caterpillars, why it’s used in forest management and organic gardening, and when it’s worth considering for your own property. Not all red needles are budworm, so we zoom out to the other stressors that can push conifers over the edge: heavy snow damage, salt exposure near roads, and root compaction from vehicles and repeated traffic. Then we switch gears to those big long-antenna “pine beetles” people fear, explaining why pine sawyer beetles are often a sign of a healthy forest recycling system, especially after blowdowns and microbursts. We finish with two major beech threats, beech bark disease and beech leaf disease, including what we know about the nematode linked to leaf damage and why it matters for regeneration. Subscribe for more conversations about trees, insects, and life under the canopy, and if this helped, share it with a friend who owns a camp or loves the woods and leave us a review. What changes are you seeing in your area right now?
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#153
July 13 · 33 min
Episode 153: Bees Under The Canopy
A bear can erase an entire beekeeping season overnight. A single plant choice can change how many butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees show up in your yard for months. We follow those two realities into a wide-ranging outdoor conversation that stays grounded in practical detail, real stories, and the kind of “small things” that quietly shape a life outside. We talk with Master Gardener Bev about building a pollinator-friendly garden that actually works across the seasons. We dig into edible trees that feed bees in spring, plus reliable perennials like hostas and daylilies, and why milkweed still matters for monarchs. You’ll also hear how lilacs and wild asters fit into the bigger bloom calendar, and why planting for wildlife doesn’t have to mean sacrificing a beautiful garden. Then we head to Halliburton with Ron, a lifelong bee aficionado and honey producer, to get a clear-eyed look at modern beekeeping. We cover how location changes honey yield, what beeswax colour really means, and the hard parts people don’t always see: predators like bears, electric fence setups, and the ongoing concern around mites and hive health. Ron also shares how honey gets analysed by pollen content, why he sends samples to the Palace, and what to know about fake “honey” and syrup adulteration. We also include a Chaga cream testimonial and a listener discount code for anyone curious about Chaga products. If you care about local honey, backyard beekeeping, pollinator plants, native gardening, and outdoor living in Ontario and beyond, this one gives you plenty to take back to your own yard. Subscribe, share this with a friend who loves the outdoors, and leave a review so more people can find the show.
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#152
July 6 · 1 hr 1 min
Episode 152: New Baby Joy, Tick Safety, And A Fresh Chaga Summer Brew
A tiny newborn can turn the strongest routine into a brand-new adventure, and that’s exactly where we start. I sit down with my son Garrett to celebrate the arrival of baby Gritten, unpack the story behind his one-of-a-kind name, and talk honestly about those early weeks that are equal parts joy, exhaustion, and awe. We also get into the parts new parents don’t always expect, like postpartum emotions, why babies seem to have “favourite people,” and how growth percentiles actually work when the doctor says your kid is in the 90th percentile. From the nursery, we jump straight into the real-world grind of building and maintaining modern life outdoors and in the city. Garrett shares what it’s like working on Toronto LRT construction, why track and tunnel work takes months, and how traffic flow changes the way governments plan roadwork. I also share a couple of practical nuggets, like why road sweepers matter more than most people realise and why summer is such a common season for big construction closures. Then we head back under the canopy for a topic that’s getting harder to ignore: tick prevention in Ontario. We talk through a DIY tick-control experiment using treated nesting material in toilet paper rolls, what to watch for after a tick bite, and why relying on a bullseye rash can be a mistake. We also touch on emerging tick concerns as climates shift. We wrap by catching up on Chaga mushroom wellness and what’s new at Chaga Health and Wellness, including Ruby G and other cold brew Chaga tea blends made for summer, plus a clear explanation of why people chase turmeric, how black pepper affects absorption, and why cortisol and sleep keep showing up in adaptogen conversations. If you like practical outdoors talk with real family stories, subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave us a review so more people can find the show.
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#151
June 29 · 36 min
Episode 151: New Chaga Tea Blends Plus Practical Gardening Answers
Boiling water for chaga tea sounds simple, but it sparks a surprisingly big question: are we helping extraction, or hurting the good stuff? We dig into why we put “boiling” on the packaging, what many chaga studies actually do when they prepare extracts, and how to think about the common claim that higher heat might reduce certain properties. If you care about functional mushrooms, chaga benefits, and getting your brewing method right without turning it into a science project, you’ll leave with a clear, usable approach. From there, we get into what’s new on the flavour side. We share updates on our turmeric ginger black pepper blend, then introduce two newer options designed for everyday use, especially in hot weather: a lemon green tea built with help from an international tea expert, and Ruby G, a bold hibiscus drink with red beet, chicory, lemon extract, and chaga that pours an eye-catching pink. We also walk through an easy “one-third hot, two-thirds cold” steeping method that gets you to an iced tea fast without watering everything down. Then we head straight into the garden with Master Gardener Bev Delonardo. We talk heirloom tomatoes and flavour, whether to pinch plants, what garlic scapes look like and why growers remove them, and simple ways to cook, freeze, or pesto them for winter. We also answer a listener question about deer-browsed apple trees and explain how to prune slowly over a couple of years so you improve structure without triggering a mess of suckers. We close with Bev’s take on Tai Chi for balance, core strength, and back-friendly movement, plus a few real-life backyard updates and pet stories. If you enjoy practical outdoor living, gardening advice, and natural wellness without the fluff, subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more listeners can find us.
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#150
June 22 · 1 hr 17 min
Episode 150: How Ontario Manages Forests And Herbicide Use
A spray plane over a cutover can spark instant outrage, but the real story sits in the details: what’s being sprayed, why it’s used, what gets protected, and what trade-offs we’re actually making. We start with a listener-driven question on Chaga tea extraction temperature and how to navigate conflicting claims you’ll see online, including why some articles warn against heat while many studies extract at boiling. Then I’m joined by Asad, a professional forester working in Ontario, for a grounded tour of modern sustainable forest management. We talk about how forest management plans get built, what silviculture really means, and why different regions use different harvesting systems, from clearcutting that imitates natural fire disturbance in the boreal to selection harvesting that mirrors small-gap wind and disease events in the Great Lakes St Lawrence forest. From there, we take on glyphosate and herbicide spraying head-on: why foresters use it for vegetation management, what happens to plants like wild blueberries, how buffers and targeting reduce exposure, and what we still don’t know, including questions listeners raise about wildlife, fungal communities, and even ticks. We also compare Ontario’s approach with Quebec’s herbicide ban on public forests, and we close by clarifying a concept that helps cut through the noise: hazard versus risk, and why different agencies can sound like they’re contradicting each other. If you care about forestry, conservation, climate change, hunting and foraging, or just want clearer thinking around glyphosate in Canadian forests, this one is for you. Subscribe, share it with a friend who loves the outdoors, and leave a review with the biggest question you still have after listening.
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#149
June 15 · 1 hr 11 min
Episode 149: Stone, Sand, And Gravel Explained For Everyday Life
The modern world feels like steel and glass, but it actually starts with something far less glamorous: stone, sand, and gravel. We sit down with Sharon Armstrong, Executive Director of the Ontario Stone, Sand, and Gravel Association, to unpack the “hidden in plain sight” resource that becomes our roads, sidewalks, bridges, hospitals, schools, and homes, and why most of us only notice it when a gravel truck slows us down. We get practical fast. Sharon explains what “aggregate” really means, how road beds are layered and compacted to survive Ontario’s freeze-thaw cycle, and why a Roman road cross-section is not as different from today’s as you might think. We also clear up the terms people mix up constantly: pits versus quarries, sand versus gravel versus crushed stone, and why “recipes” and specifications change depending on whether you’re building a driveway, a basement slab, or a piece of major city infrastructure. Then we zoom out to the hard part: approvals, public perception, and the real trade-offs. Sharon walks us through what it takes to open or expand a site, including hydrogeology studies, air and noise work, natural heritage reviews, public consultation, zoning, and in many areas duty to consult with First Nations. We talk about why the process can stretch to 10 to 12 years, why transport is often the biggest cost and emissions driver, and how rehabilitation can turn former sites into parks, lakes, golf courses, and even aquaculture.
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#148
June 8 · 52 min
Episode 148: A Forest Classroom For Curious Kids
A kid points at a tree and says, “What is that?” and suddenly you’re talking about pollination, fungi, water, carbon, and how a forest quietly runs like a living system. We head to Millbrook Elementary School for a hands-on walk with grade three classes, turning a simple outdoor classroom tour into a practical lesson in forest ecology and Ontario nature. We start with trees you can name right away and the surprising details most people miss: why many apple trees need pollen from a different apple variety, how bees and wind move pollen, and why corn is planted the way it is. From there we get into syrup season science, including the real sap-to-syrup ratios for maple and birch, and how those numbers connect to effort, price, and what it means to harvest responsibly. The forest floor opens up bigger conversations. We touch on acid rain and Sudbury’s history, why limestone can help neutralise acidic lakes, and how environmental damage shows up in rocks, water, and wildlife. Then we explore everyday plants with real uses, including dandelion, plantain, stinging nettle, cattails, and sumac. That naturally leads to mushrooms, chaga on birch, what mycelium is, and the “secret language of trees” idea of underground fungal networks connecting plants. We also talk practical outdoor tools and observations, from bird ID apps to why stormwater ponds use fountains to reduce mosquito breeding, plus what woodpeckers are really doing when they hammer on trees and even houses. If you care about outdoor education, nature literacy, conservation, foraging awareness, and the science of forest health, this is a rich listen that stays clear and grounded. Subscribe so you don’t miss the next walk under the canopy, and if this helped you see the woods differently, share it with a friend and leave a review. What’s one “common” plant or tree you want to understand better?
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#147
June 1 · 42 min
Episode 147: How Raised Garden Beds Boost Early Harvests And Save Your Knees
A good garden doesn’t start with a miracle fertilizer. It starts with smarter structure, better soil, and a few hard-earned lessons from people who grow things for real. We’re recording from the Lindsay Thursday Market at Wilson Fields and talking raised garden beds with Master Gardener extraordinaire Bev Delonardo. We dig into the advantages that actually matter: raised beds warming up earlier for early crops, less strain on hips and knees, and easier weeding and harvesting. Bev shares practical sizing guidance (including why four feet wide is a sweet spot), what to consider with bed height, and the real differences between metal beds and wooden beds, especially when you’re growing edible crops. Then we get into the part most gardeners overlook: the raised bed soil mix. We talk about using a light, sterile growing medium with peat moss, perlite, and vermiculite, and how to add nutrients with mushroom compost, manure, or your own compost without turning the bed into a compacted brick. We also touch on drainage, why roots need oxygen, and how small choices like leaving a few inches at the top of the bed can make watering easier. On the market walk, we pivot to plant talk with plenty of herb inspiration, shade-garden picks, hummingbird-friendly perennials, blueberry soil acidity tips, and even the allure of chocolate mint and giant pumpkins. If you like practical Ontario gardening advice, farmers market finds, and a little wild food curiosity like spruce tip tea, this one’s for you.
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#146
May 25 · 41 min
Episode 146: Bring Back The Salmon
Lake Ontario used to hold one of the largest freshwater Atlantic salmon populations anywhere on Earth and then, within a single century, it was gone. That disappearance wasn’t a mystery or “just nature.” It was the predictable outcome of overfishing, dams that blocked spawning runs, pollution, and deforestation that warmed and destabilised the coldwater streams salmon depend on. We’re on location at Kendall Hills with Ben from the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters and the Bring Back the Salmon program (also known as the Lake Ontario Atlantic Salmon Restoration Program). You’ll hear how the restoration strategy works in the real world: habitat restoration alongside education and outreach, including a classroom hatchery program where students raise salmon from eyed eggs at carefully controlled temperatures before a timed spring release. We talk about why oxygen, gravel, stream flow, and riparian tree cover are not small details but the whole game for juvenile survival. Then we step into the best part, release day. Ben walks the students through safety and respect for the site (ticks, poison ivy, staying on trail, keeping rocks out of the water), and then through a simple but unforgettable act: holding a salmon fry, making “eye contact,” and letting it swim into its future. It’s a visceral reminder that conservation is ultimately about people, what we choose to protect, and what we teach the next generation to value. If you care about conservation, fisheries, outdoor education, or the future of Lake Ontario, listen now, then subscribe, share the episode, and leave us a review so more people can find the story and join the work.
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#145
May 19 · 1 hr 24 min
Episode 145: What Ticks And Parasites Are Doing To Moose
Your dog is your best buddy, so tick season hits differently when the prices jump and the risks feel real. We start with a listener-driven problem: how to protect our dogs from ticks and Lyme disease without getting gouged, including why some owners are ordering the exact same branded tick medication from Australia for far less than local monthly pricing. From there, the conversation widens into the bigger question we all face outdoors: how do you judge risk when nature does not come with labels? Former MNR biologist Bruce Ranta joins us to unpack what hunters are seeing in the field, starting with a moose that showed “sores” and white spots throughout the heart and organs. We talk parasites, what those cysts can be, why the safest move is often to walk away from heavily affected meat, and why organ advisories like cadmium in liver and kidneys matter more as animals age. Bruce also explains moose ticks, how infestations lead to hair loss and winter stress, and why a long cold winter can actually knock tick numbers back. Then we take on Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), the “zombie deer” illness that drives so much debate. We break down what CWD is, how it may spread through contact and contaminated soil, why testing is difficult, and why eradication-style responses leave hunters angry. We round out with brain worm, hydatid cyst precautions, bear-meat safety, rabies management, and how predator control and trapping shape bird and small game survival. If you care about wildlife disease, hunting in Ontario, and safe wild game meat, this one is for you. Subscribe, share this with a hunting partner, and leave a review with your biggest question about ticks or CWD.
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#144
May 11 · 57 min
Episode 144: You Can Help Save Black Ash By Collecting Seeds
We talk with Vince from the Invasive Species Centre about how emerald ash borer is driving black ash toward endangered status in Ontario and what it means for wetlands, forests, and people. We also share practical ways to prevent the spread of invasive species and how listeners can help map and preserve black ash through seed collection and citizen science. • Vince’s path from criminology to environmental field work • Why black ash is especially vulnerable in wetland habitats • How to identify black ash by leaves, buds, and branching • How emerald ash borer spreads and kills ash trees • What epicormic shoots can signal in stressed ash • How to join the Black Ash Community Action Network • How to use iNaturalist and the Ontario Black Ash Inventory • Clean drain dry for boats and watercraft • Why not moving firewood prevents pest spread • What the invasion curve shows about early action • Hammerhead worms, safe handling, and what not to do All you have to do is head over to our website, Chaga Health and Wellness.com, place a few items in the cart, and check out with the code CANOPY, C-A-N-O-P-Y.
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#143
May 4 · 1 hr
Episode 143: Foraging Wild Leeks In Ontario With A Film Set Chef
Spring doesn’t wait, and neither do ramps. When the forest floor finally opens up before the leaves fill in, wild leeks and ramps hit their short Ontario season and they are one of the most flavourful foods you can forage. We talk through where ramps grow, how to harvest them without wiping out the patch, and why a simple “three-shovel rule” can keep these colonies alive for future generations. If you’ve only seen ramps online or at a farmers’ market, this is the practical roadmap that gets you from curiosity to doing it right. From there, I bring in chef Antonio Meleca, an international chef and the force behind a Toronto film industry catering operation that feeds hundreds of people a day. We get into what “kitchens on wheels” really means, how meals are planned around 14 to 18 hour shoot days, and why the hardest part is often the special diets and restrictions for top cast. Along the way, we swap ideas on how chefs use ramps in real menus, plus other short-season favourites like fiddleheads and truly great Ontario asparagus. We also slow down for a clear, plain-language look at antioxidants and free radicals, and why Chaga mushroom tea keeps coming up in wellness conversations, including a listener testimonial about using it after a night of drinks. Finally, Antonio shares what’s next: Belcroft Estates, a new northern Ontario venue where custom menus and seasonal ingredients can take centre stage. If you enjoy foraging, outdoor living, seasonal cooking, and behind-the-scenes stories from the Canadian outdoors and food world, hit subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find the show.
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#142
April 27 · 50 min
Episode 142: Northern Ontario Spring Reality Check
Southern Ontario is cutting grass while northern Ontario is still buried under feet of snow and that isn’t just a fun weather story. It’s a real window into what it costs to live, work, and build a life under the canopy when your “driveway” is an unplowed bush road and spring breakup can decide whether you move equipment, harvest wood, or even worry about flooding. I’m joined by Pierre for a wide-ranging catch-up that stays grounded in practical reality. We talk about record snowfall near Timmins, how mining exploration ramps up when gold prices rise, and why camp jobs and equipment work can make the north feel like its own microeconomy. We also compare housing prices, taxes, and the very different culture around permits and building, including why some people move north for the freedom as much as the affordability. From there we get into the details that matter if you love the outdoors: ice out timing, dams getting opened to prepare for runoff, and what a huge snow year might mean for forest fires. We break down off-grid style heating with an outdoor wood boiler, the firewood math behind heating two homes, and what the forestry sector looks like when big mills dominate the fibre. You’ll also hear our take on small mills, community-based forestry, horse logging in sensitive areas, and keeping an eye on threats like spruce budworm. If you like honest talk about northern Ontario living, mining towns, forestry, winter roads, and staying warm with wood heat, hit play. Subscribe, share the show with a friend who’d actually move north, and leave a review so more people can find us.
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#141
April 20 · 49 min
Episode 141: Chaga Tea Updates From Ontario Cottage Country
The world keeps getting louder, but the outdoors still teaches if you slow down enough to listen. We’re back with a spring check-in that starts on the highway and ends in the bush: I share what it was like driving across Canada with my son Garrett, watching winter tighten its grip the farther east we went, and coming home to the small, funny routines that make a life close to nature feel real (including our chocolate lab Gunner and the legendary “dog chair” at the front window). Garrett joins me to talk work, family, and the kind of big projects that quietly shape Ontario life. We get into bridge builds, rebar timelines, and what slip form concrete actually is, plus why curing time and concrete mix design matter more than most people realize. Then we swing back to cottage country, maple syrup season, and the surprisingly tricky question of when birch sap runs, how birch syrup compares to maple syrup, and why nature rarely follows the schedule you planned. We also share a powerful listener segment from Bev, who explains her experience adding Chaga tea to her routine, including her father’s blood pressure changes and the clarity and strength she felt over time. On the Chaga Health and Wellness side, we reveal a new turmeric ginger black pepper Chaga tea blend, talk about future herbal tea blends, and lay out where we’ll be this season at Ontario farmers markets. Finally, we tackle an outdoors topic every angler should care about: invasive species reporting, when to dispatch, and the simple boat wash habits that help protect fisheries. If you enjoy outdoor podcast conversations that mix real life, natural health, and practical advice, subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find us under the canopy.
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#140
April 13 · 1 hr 9 min
Episode 140: Maple Season Secrets
Yellow sap in your bucket can feel like a panic moment, and it’s exactly the kind of mystery we love digging into. We sit down with Jeff Wagner of Wagner Maple Products, a working Ontario maple syrup producer, to sort out what’s normal, what’s a warning sign, and what’s really happening inside the tree when winter and spring don’t behave the way they used to. We talk through the on-the-ground realities of a tough sugar season: tapping and fixing lines in four feet of snow, chasing leaks, and dealing with sap runs that now stretch overnight. Jeff explains modern maple tubing and high-vacuum systems in plain language, including what “inches of vacuum” means, why sealed systems matter, and how vacuum helps producers keep yields up as seasons get shorter. Then we get into reverse osmosis for maple sap, how RO concentrates sap to save hours of boiling, why it can also concentrate bacteria, and where the flavour tradeoffs start to show up when producers push concentration too far. From there we hit the questions that every backyard tapper and serious sugar maker asks sooner or later: what causes yellow sap and higher invert sugar, why cloudy sap is often still fine, what “stringy sap” looks like when bacteria take over, and how cleaning and timing can save your entire batch. We also cover niter (sugar sand), filtering headaches, how soil pH and limestone can stress trees, and even why maple forests depend on complex fungal relationships under the canopy. We wrap with practical consumer details like syrup grades, label requirements, and a quick look at birch syrup’s unique flavour and higher cost. If you care about maple syrup production, sugar bush management, sap chemistry, or just making better syrup at home, you’ll come away with answers you can use. Subscribe, share this with a fellow syrup nerd, and leave a review with the weirdest sap question you’ve run into.
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