SUDBURY -- For many it is just a regular Sunday, but for farmers and food advocates April 19 marks the celebration of a very popular ingredient - garlic.
"I would say 90 per cent of the world cooks [and] eats garlic. It's so good, so tasty," said Ginette Simon-Labine from Triple Star Acre Farm in Sudbury.
"It's such an important spice, an important flavour in a lot of cooking. So [it's] definitely important to make a day out of garlic."
Triple Star Acre Farm harvests about 15 thousand cloves of garlic per year and has been doing so for the past nine years.
The last available jar of locally grown garlic at Triple Star Acre Farm.April 19/2020 (Alana Pickrell/CTV News Northern Ontario)
"It's definitely a challenge. I can't tell you how many times we've wanted to throw in the towel and forget growing garlic."
"Too much water will cause mould. Not enough water will cause it to dry out. You have to weed constantly, garlic doesn't grow well if it's surrounded by weed," explained Simon-Labine.
However, despite the growing challenges, she says it never stays in stock for very long.
"We harvest in August. We hang, you have to hang it, it has to dry for a few weeks. Than we clean it, trim it and prepare it. Than we sell it. And I would say by October or November we're out."
Right now their farm store only has one single jar of garlic left for sale until harvest season this fall.
They aren't the only store that is having a hard time keeping fresh locally grown garlic on the shelves.
Seasons Pharmacy & Culnaria has three or four farms from around the region that supply the produce.
Rachelle Rocha says they are always running out because it is so popular.
"I think garlic is one of the best flavour enhancers that is known to man," said Rocha.
She adds that it is a toss- up between fresh garlic, mushrooms, eggs and local meat right now on which item is the most popular buy.
"Garlic goes good with everything."
Garlic from George Posch in New Liskeard available at Seasons Pharmacy & Culinaria. April 19/2020 (Alana Pickrell/CTV News Northern Ontario)
Local growers say although today is considered National Garlic Day, it's actually a bit early for Sudbury since many farms are waiting for the plants to finish growing.
Garlic bulbs need to be planted in the fall so they can start growing through the winter, making them quite different from the normal spring planting that many fruits and vegetables require.
"For garlic actually, planting season is October," said Rocha.
"It could be as late as January if you want to freeze your fingers to insert some cloves into the soil, which people I know have done... maybe even me. But you have to get garlic in the fall. It needs a cold, really cold kickstart."
But for those who got their bulbs in the ground last year, the plants are already starting to sprout.
"My garden at home, the greens are just coming out and I have to stop myself so that I don't go and cut them all down and use them immediately over grilled fish," said Craig Young, a local chef.
"It's hard to stop myself, but the garden is doing well. I'm already up about eight inches above the ground."
Young says as a chef, he uses garlic almost every single day. He also provided some insight to those who might want to cook with fresh garlic in the future.
"With my training with French cuisine, you typically try to give it gentle cooking methods in advance before doing your finishing method. It tends to soften the harshness of garlic," said Young.
Chef Craig Young and Rachelle Rocha test out a homemade kale chimichurri. April 19/2020 (Alana Pickrell/CTV News Northern Ontario)
"Not everyone likes that almost spiciness that garlic can have. Some are crazy about that. It depends on what you're looking for."
Young says poaching or roasting the garlic ahead of time will soften the flavours for certain recipes.
All three garlic enthusiasts agreed that buying local is more important than buying garlic from the grocery store when it's available.
"I just think in these times, in this climate where we're getting through COVID-19, I think it's ideally to be able to support someone local," said Young.
"And when you can talk to the person that brought it from the farmer, or talk to the farmers themselves, that's going to be worth something to people on a personal level."
