Did you know that even in the cold of winter, Alberta's local producers are growing greens and herbs in greenhouses. The next time you reach for a package of herbs, why not source out some local ones?
One of my favourite producers is West Country Herbs and Morinville Greenhouses. This business is about 5 miles north of Morinville. It was stated in 1974 by Alissa and Jim Marles. Son Greg Marles and Susan Chinn are also involved in operations. They began by growing and selling bedding plants and in 2002 added fresh greens and herbs to their repertoire.
In the summer you can get bedding plants, container gardens and potted herbs. In the winter months greens such as arugula are available and throughout the year they sell fresh herbs including Italian parsley, cilantro and my favourite, basil. They are also looking into growing micro greens, which has become a hot trend among chefs.
West Country Herbs and Greenhouses have a booth at the Old Strathcona Farmer’s Market, sell at the Italian Centre and also sell on line through the Good Food Box, a local food distribution company.