CINDY DAY: On P.E.I., this little red island is really quite green

Behind the scenes of Cindy Day's Prince Edward Island road trip

You’ll find this lovely barn in Hunter River, P.E.I. Hunter River is in the province's Queens County, southwest of North Rustico. It’s believed that Hunter River is represented in the works of Lucy Maud Montgomery as Bright River in the fictional region of Avonlea. - Cindy Day

The first thing I noticed when I plopped myself down on the bed was a card placed on the bedside table.It read “Rodd Hotels and Resorts believe in reducing our environmental footprint.”

Interesting.

The “go-green program” gives you a chance to opt out of housekeeping during your two or more nights’ stay. In exchange, you receive a $10 food and beverage voucher or 100 EveryStay Rewards points. Very nice option!

I got out my laptop to file a few video clips when I remembered I wanted to learn more about that beautiful bright orange barn I spotted on the hills of Hunter River. Somehow, I don’t think Just Another Farm is just another farm. I was correct.

Just Another Farm was named recipient of the 2013 Soil Conservationist of the Year Award in the Livestock Category. I snooped around and found that it is the proud dairy operation of Jeroen and Velma Vos and their five children.

When it comes to sustainable farming, they lead by example. Their cattle are strip grazed and rotated every one to two days. Each paddock has water tubs, with water supplied by the farmstead well and a gravity-flow system. All the cattle are fenced from the river and spring located on the farm. The focus on the farm is on forage and pasture production; they don’t grow field crops. As a result, their soil erosion rates from wind or water are practically zero. They truly are stewards of the environment.

I had been on Prince Edward Island for less than 12 hours and without even trying, I stumbled upon three wonderful examples of people in very different industries, making sure they do what they can to reduce their environmental footprint.

While I was online I came across a wonderful virtual tour of environmentally sustainable agricultural practices on Prince Edward Island. It’s worth a look.

We know what we have to do; sometimes it’s nice to step back and look at what others are already doing so well.