It seems COVID-19 has affected us all in one way or another. And that includes well-known local TV personality Frank Ferragine, better known as ‘Frankie Flowers’ of CITY-TV’s Breakfast Television.
Since the pandemic hit, the morning show has switched to a more virtual model, with Ferragine trading in his daily commute to the Toronto studio for a more relaxed broadcast from his hometown of Bradford.
In these unprecedented times, he says, it’s important to stick to a routine as much as possible. He has been keeping busy at home with exercise, gardening and spending time with his two sons.
Over the past few weeks, Ferragine has also been going live on his Facebook page, in a new ‘Stay Grounded’ series, answering gardening questions from fans and friends.
In one of his latest videos, he compared the current pandemic to war-time.
During the World Wars, people would plant ‘Victory gardens,’ growing fruits, vegetables and herbs to help supplement food rationing. “Their food was rationed. At that time they had a lot of uncertainty, and the one thing they could control was growing their own food,” Ferragine explains.
Not that there are actual issues in Canada with the food supply chain, but in the last few weeks people have been stocking up more than usual, and some shelves have been bare. Growing your own food is just one way of ensuring food security.
Gardening can also help pass the time, for people sticking close to home and self-isolationg. It can bring a sense of pride and accomplishment; as Ferragine says, growing your own food engages the body, mind and heart.
And where better place to grow than in Bradford West Gwillimbury? “We live in Bradford, the heart of Canada’s vegetable industry. There’s examples of your food being grown around you all the time,” he says.
For those new to gardening, Ferragine notes it doesn’t take much to get started: some seeds, soil, sun and water are all that is needed.
Before starting your garden, he recommends sitting down with the family to figure out what vegetables and fruits you like best, and which ones you would actually eat most.
“You might as well grow what you eat, and it’s kind of a family fun activity,” he says.
He suggests planting tomatoes, peppers and herbs - but not carrots. “What I would say to the people living in the Bradford community, don’t grow carrots. We are in the carrot capital of Canada - we might as well support some of our local farmers that are in the area!” he laughs.
Vegetables like carrots, onions, and corn are also readily available at a good price locally.
Whatever you decide, over time growing your own food can save you money, Ferragine notes. In his book, Food to Grow, he references an estimate from The National Gardening Association: a $70 investment in a garden can yield about $600 worth of food.
Once you decide which foods you want to grow, the next step is finding the space in your yard.
It should be a space that allows for at least six hours of direct sunlight, Ferragine says. “And that’s afternoon sun, which is really key.”
Many stores selling seeds and gardening tools are still open to shoppers, including his family’s local business, Bradford Greenhouses Garden Gallery.
The business was started by Ferragine’s grandparents, after they came to Canada in 1956. His father Tony was one of the five children in the family who were ‘Marsh Muckers,’ growing food in the Holland Marsh.
They eventually went on to open Bradford Greenhouses, now one of the province’s largest garden centres, with locations in Bradford and Barrie.
“There are five owners, brothers and sisters, working there, and they are all equal and all work hard,” Ferragine says - including his own father, now 77, who still works at the family greenhouse.
The company was recently recognized with a 2020 Best Managed Company award - an honour recognizing privately-owned Canadian companies with revenues over $25 million. Bradford Greenhouses also won the award in 2018.
As of March 23, Bradford Greenhouses closed its doors to the public for a two week period, in an effort to help flatten the curve of COVID-19 spread. During the closure, the business is offering virtual personal shopping sessions, to help customers with their gardening needs, along with a curbside delivery service.
Ferragine has always been part of the family business, and still helps out, whenever he can.
When he's not on TV or gardening, he enjoys spending time with his sons Gavin and Matheson.
It was his family connections and passion for gardening that led him to his career as a weather broadcaster and gardening expert. Back in 1993, when Bradford Greenhouses opened its first store in Barrie, Ferragine would provide daily gardening tips on the local TV station.
“I was the guy at 22 years of age to go out there and start to promote gardening,” he remembers.
Then one day the weatherman called in sick, and Ferragine was asked to fill in. “And the seed was planted and I grew from there,” he says.
He joined the team at Breakfast Television in 2005, and has been there ever since, reporting on weather and sharing his knowledge and tips on gardening and growing.
“I’ve always been a garden expert, that’s my number one passion,” he says. “But number two, if you’re involved in agriculture and horticulture, weather is our maker. Weather is everything. So I've always been someone who follows the weather.”
Ferragine has written four books, including, Food to Grow - a step-by-step guide to growing your own food, providing tips and tricks along the way, that covers everything from the best types of soil to different prototypes of gardens.
His other three books focus on container gardening, flower gardening and 'power plants.'
Ferragine notes that a lot of Food to Grow was written at the Bradford Public Library.
“I would just go to the study room to write,” he says, getting away from the distractions of every day life, and a busy career, to focus on his writing and gardens.
Ferragine is always happy to answer questions from fellow gardening enthusiasts. Anyone with specific gardening questions can reach him directly by email at [email protected]
You can also check out his website here.
