Monks resurrect lost Oka Melons

SAINT-JEAN-DE-MATHA, Que. — In the foothills of the Laurentian Mountains north of Montreal, a group of Cistercian monks living in a contemporary-style abbey have relearned how to grow a juicy heirloom melon created by one of their forefathers 100 years ago.
The Oka melon’s rebirth in the abbey’s garden was made possible by an organic seed farmer, Jean-Francois Lévêque, who is on a mission to rekindle lost parts of Quebec’s agricultural heritage.
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