It was a decade ago when Wayne and Colleen Barylski started growing garlic.
After purchasing three hardneck varieties of garlic in 2013, the Barylskis were hooked. Wayne grew up on a mixed farm north of Arborg, and after living in Winnipeg for 26 years, the couple moved back to rural Manitoba, this time to Lockport.
“Having some acreage, I was inspired to start growing our own food,” he said. “Homegrown vegetables were going to be a big part of our lives. We wanted to be self-sustained, where we grew our own vegetables. We have and continue to can and freeze for year-round consumption.”
One day, Wayne looked into which specialty crops were in demand that they could grow and sell, and homegrown natural garlic came out as a result, being the second most sought after vegetable/spice product. That was also when Wayne learned garlic is not classified as a vegetable but as a spice.
“We tried growing the garlic from the local hardware stores and garden centers with little to no success,” said Wayne. “(We) Found out later in my research these were soft neck garlic, grown only in the springtime.”
So, they purchased some hardneck varieties and have since grown 19 varieties of garlic. Over the years, Wayne and Colleen have determined which varieties grow best in which soils and climate conditions — today, they grow nine varieties on their farm.
“I was eager to learn as much information as possible to be the best garlic producer I could be,” said Wayne.
He read countless internet pages and numerous books and even took a workshop in B.C. five years ago to gain more knowledge on the spice.
“This quest for garlic wisdom allowed me to learn a lot of detailed information that helped us grow garlic to the best of our ability,” he said. “Over the years, we gained valuable knowledge and experiences, and we now have the tools and know how to be a successful quality garlic producer.”
One of the tricks the couple has learned in their 10 years of growing garlic is drip irrigation, which they say makes a huge difference in production as it ensures consistent moisture, which is critical to growing healthy garlic. They also use composted organic fertilizer amendments, keeping their gardens pesticide and herbicide free.
The Barylskis process and eat their garlic. Each garlic bulb they produce is organic and all-natural. They hand plant each seed, hand weed each plant, and hand harvest and process them.
“We believe in sustainable agriculture, which includes crop rotation and no harsh chemicals,” said Wayne. “We believe garlic should be given the utmost care and, as a result, a better product free from damage or bruising. This ensures quality seed stock and culinary.”
Where no garlic is planted for three years at Lockport Gardens, the Barylskis will plant green manure or a cover crop as organic fertilization to keep each piece of soil well-balanced even when not in use.
Each year, Lockport Gardens plants its garlic seeds (bulbils) to ensure they have a fresh, clean garlic stock. Wayne said that growing their plants from bulbils is rewarding and yields the cleanest planting stock available. The newly planted bulbils will take anywhere from three to five years to mature, depending on the variety.
The garlic is planted in October and harvested in July or August the following year. Because of the overwintering, Wayne and Colleen have to battle snowfall, extreme cold, spring melt, rain, pests, and animal traffic each year. When their crops grow in the winter, the couple peels garlic cloves in preparation for garlic powder.
Lockport Gardens’ hardneck garlic also produces garlic scapes, which are curly-tipped, extremely tasty green shoots. They remove these from the plants in early summer as it allows the garlic bulbs to grow larger and fuller. Wayne said the scapes can be eaten raw, grilled, fried, or in pesto — either way, they harness the same health benefits as garlic cloves do.
“We chop them up and freeze for later cooking,” he said. “They can be used in any dish you would otherwise use cloves or powder in.”
Garlic is antifungal and antiviral. It’s an immune booster, it reduces blood pressure, lowers bad cholesterol, improves brain function, promotes longevity, improves physical performance, detoxifies heavy metals, keeps your bones strong, fights fungal infections, and it combats allergies. These various health benefits are some of the main reasons Wayne wanted to grow garlic.
Getting to where they are today has been a labour of love for the Barylskis. They’ve had excellent and not-so-good growing years, but each of the past 10 years has shown that growing garlic is a very labour-intensive job with big rewards.
To learn more about Lockport Gardens or to purchase garlic or garlic powder, call or text Wayne at (204) 223-2372. Soon, they will also have a website where people can learn more about their garlic production. Keep checking www.lockportgardens.ca to see when the site goes live.
Tirbune photo by Brett Mitchell
