The Janice Simmonds Award is given annually by the Friends of the Farm to an individual or group in recognition of significant contribution to the creation, protection, preservation, or management of public green spaces on Prince Edward Island.
The Award was named for Janice Simmonds who was chair of the Friends of the Farm and who led with passion to keep the Experimental Farm in Charlottetown as a green space for all to enjoy.
The Award was first given in 2013 to Dr Lloyd MacLeod. Other recipients were Gary Schneider, Jackie Waddell, Bert Christie, Shirley MacNaughton, Bruce MacNaughton, PEI Women’s Institute, Catherine Hennessey, Dan MacAskill, Island Trails.
The Award will be presented in 2023 at the Friends of the Farm Annual Meeting on November 27 at the Haviland Club. Everyone is welcome to attend.
The Janice Simmonds Award may be viewed in a display case in the foyer of the Farm Centre.
It was designed by Henry Purdy and crafted by McAskill Woodworking.
The Experimental Farm is back in the news. Page 3 of today’s Guardian, in an article entitled Back and Forth on Options, Mayor Philip Brown suggests working with the Federal Government and First Nations to develop a planned neighborhood at the former experimental farm property in the centre of the city.
Kate MacQuarrie, our guest speaker and the Janice Simmonds Award recipient, will be speaking next month on the importance of green space in an urban setting. Given that the Experimental Farm is such an important green space in a densifying Charlottetown, Kate’s presentation is timely indeed.
We invite you to read the Guardian article, and come to hear Kate MacQuarrie on November 27 at 7pmat the Haviland Club. We encourage you, as well, to stay for the Annual General Meeting. Your input is important
Memberships and donations are necessary for the Friends of the Farm to continue and to do projects.
Donations may be mailed to: Friends of the Farm, PO Box 265, Stn Central, Charlottetown, C1A 7K4
New Friend and Renewal Memberships are welcome and appreiciated. These funds go directly to supporting the Farm!
$10 – Single $15 – Family
Mail a cheque made out to “Friends of the Farm(PEI)” to
Friends of the Farm PEI c/o LL Howard 16 Barrymore Court Charlottetown, PEI C1A 8C6
Please include your mailing address, phone number and email address:
OR
Use Interact E-transfer to: Recipient: friendsofthefarmpei@gmail.com
Should you choose e-transfer, please contact Laura Lee Howard, Chair Membership, with your mailing address, telephone number and email address at lauralee@welcomehomepei.com
Thanks to Agriculture Canada for their help and support with planting the Garden, and the City of Charlottetown for the Grant that assisted with obtaining with the plants for the Garden.
The Friends of the Farm recently held a special evening with guest speaker Dan McAskill.
Dan’s presentation was titled “Building Partnerships: Exploring Nature On PEI.” He began his talk by giving thanks to his many mentors, including Diane Griffin, Kathy Martin, Dr. Ian MacQuarrie, Professor Darryl Guignon, Rev Charlie Cheverie, Dr. Ed Johnson, Dr. Louis Hanic, Dr. Lawson Drake, JP Arsenault, Dr. Stephen Manley, Dr. Doug Sobey and Bill Glen, Geoff Hogan, Scott Makepeace, Dwayne Sabine, David Seeler, Dwaine, Oakley, Ray Cooke, Rosemary Curley, Joy and Cam Finlay and Harry Baglole.
He further outlined several decades of cooperative projects undertaken with Nature PEI, Island Nature Trust, Nature Canada, Hillsborough River Association, Hunters for Conservation, Bald Eagle Festival, Birds Canada and the PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation.
Following his presentation, Dan was presented with the Janice Simmonds Award. This award is given annually by the Friends of the Farm, in memory of Janice Simmonds, to an individual or group who have made a significant contribution to the creation, protection, preservation or management of public green spaces. Dan was thanked for his many years of outstanding work.
Nora Jenkins, President, gave the annual report.
The Friends of the Farm continue to be advocates to keep the land known as the Experimental Farm green. This land is owned by Agriculture Canada and is used for crop experimental purposes. The Board communicates with the local Agriculture Canada Manager who is responsible for the Farm. Permissions for requests however, come from Ottawa.
Projects that have been established are :
The Premier’s Grove, Clean Up the Farm Day, The Royal Crown Garden, Public education and, The Janice Simmonds Award.
The Friends of the Farm ( www.friendsofthefarm.ca ) is a group of volunteers who work on behalf of a large membership who wish to see the lands known as “The Experimental Farm” kept green in perpetuity
The members of the Board for 2020-2021
Nora Jenkins, Co-Chair, Sharon Larter Co-Chair, Libby Martin, Secretary, Connie MacKay Carr, Treasurer, Lane MacLaren, Laura Lee Howard, Catherine Hennessey, Sylvia Poirier, Linda Thomas, Valerie Beer, Lily Gillespie, Frank Morrison and, Steve Knechtel.
The Board of the Friends of the Farm continues to meet and to advocate for the lands of the Experimental Farm to remain green and for all to enjoy. The Board has met this winter with the manager of the Farm and with the Mayor of the City of Charlottetown, Philip Brown.
It was the wish of the membership at the annual meeting in November that the Friends of the Farm continue to plant and maintain the Crown Garden on the Farm property. This is with the agreement of Ag Canada and with the assistance of the staff of the Research Station on the Farm.
The Friends of the Farm supply the plants which the Board works hard to find the best possible price. It is costly with the bill amounting to $900.00 for the plants. The plants are selected according to the pattern for the crown. The planting is done by staff and the maintenance during the summer by Board members.
In order to continue with this project the Friends of the Farm requires donations. Some members at the meeting offered to make a donation as they feel strongly that this tradition of the Crown garden should continue.
The Board would appreciate donations from the membership and others at this time so that we can plan to plant this spring. Thank you.
Donations may be mailed to Friends of the Farm, PO Box 265, Stn Central, Charlottetown, C1A 7K4 or please contact any Board member. Thank you!
The Board 2019:
Nora Jenkins, Chair; Libby Martin, Secretary, Connie MacKay-Carr, Treasurer, Sharon Larter, Valerie Beer, Linda Thomas, Catherine Hennesse, Laura Lee Howard, Sylvia Poirier, Gertie Purdy, Lane MacLaren.
