It has been another rainy day here on the farm. So due to the fact that I have been unable to go work outside I have been doing some reading about sweet potatoes, which we are growing for the first time. We got our sweet potato shoots from Round Plains Plantation and they had this video posted on about a project a young girl did on growing sweet potato shoots. I am going to post it here so that you can take a look if you want.
I am pretty excited to see the potatoes growing a few leaves. Ryan was pretty sure that they had all died after I planted and lovingly watered them. But to my delight my tlc paid off and we are starting to see some new growth. We probably won't have a huge amount this year but I will be excited to put them out in our CSA baskets in the fall.
I am off the enjoy a rainy day lunch, more to come soon.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Photos from around the farm!!
Our first cucumber
A tinny pepper
Taking care of the animals
Chicken nesting some duck eggs
Next generation farmer hoeingIts all in the box
It has been a successful week on the farm so far (although technically it is now a new week), we got a lot of planting done both from transplants and using the seed drill. This weeks planting included but was not limited too, tomatillo's, peppers, cucumbers, summer squash, and corn. This of course takes a good amount of time and in the hot sun of the week we consumed a large a mount of water!
We also had another I believe successful CSA pick up at the house and Brock. This weeks basket included, lettuce, spinach, kale, radishes, peas, and chives. This weeks radishes were mostly easter egg which are wonderful pink, purple and white selection.
Yesterday we also received our sweet potato slips. Growing sweet potatoes will be a new venture for us but exciting. You just place the slips which are long thin green things with leaves in the ground and wait for the potato to form for fall harvest. They are a great storage item so we will save some for our winter CSA.
After the excitement from the slips wore off a little bit Ryan and I went for a jaunt around the farm and were excited to see that our garlic has started to produce scapes. If you have never had scapes they are like the garlic form of green onions. You can use them just like garlic but they look nothing like a traditional garlic clove. You will probably start to see them pop up at your local farmers market or in a CSA box soon.
Our Second CSA Basket
Easter Egg Radishes
Amanda eating a garlic scape
We also had another I believe successful CSA pick up at the house and Brock. This weeks basket included, lettuce, spinach, kale, radishes, peas, and chives. This weeks radishes were mostly easter egg which are wonderful pink, purple and white selection.
Yesterday we also received our sweet potato slips. Growing sweet potatoes will be a new venture for us but exciting. You just place the slips which are long thin green things with leaves in the ground and wait for the potato to form for fall harvest. They are a great storage item so we will save some for our winter CSA.
After the excitement from the slips wore off a little bit Ryan and I went for a jaunt around the farm and were excited to see that our garlic has started to produce scapes. If you have never had scapes they are like the garlic form of green onions. You can use them just like garlic but they look nothing like a traditional garlic clove. You will probably start to see them pop up at your local farmers market or in a CSA box soon.
Our Second CSA Basket
Easter Egg Radishes
Amanda eating a garlic scapeSaturday, June 4, 2011
Its a rain day
Again it seems that mother nature has decided we have not had enough rain! Today was a normal market day to start with not too cool, moderately bright a good amount of customers. Then a little trickle of rain came. This was not really a problem and the morning carried on. The out of no where we were hit with strong winds and heavy rain. After a number of soaked people and some ruined product the market shut down early for the first time since we have been there (this is our second year). What a crazy day.
Despite the rain I did stop and pick up a quart of strawberries on the way home from Whitty Farms. As soon as I got home Ryan and I had a few, which turned into eating the whole basket full. My only regret is that I didn't buy more for us to munch on this evening.
Yesterday was our first CSA pick up and I believe that it went really well. We only had one mix up and only a few people accidentally went to the neighbours house (they share the same last name as us so there is sometimes confusion). The basket was a bit small this week but we were excited offer an herb planter (basil, oregano and thyme for spaghetti sauce later),lettuce (some of them huge),snow peas
These are a few pictures from the week. The first is of some strange fog that we have actually had a couple times over the past couple of week. Its off in the distance not a very good picture.
The second picture is of some Kohlrabi that is coming up the green house. We have both a green and purple variety. The plants are actually much larger already.
The last picture is of Ryan using the flame weeder. It worked really well and the weeds are all deceased now.
I am off to eat a roast from our selection of Matt cow (this is not the cows name Matt is the farmer and the beef is from him)
~Amanda
Despite the rain I did stop and pick up a quart of strawberries on the way home from Whitty Farms. As soon as I got home Ryan and I had a few, which turned into eating the whole basket full. My only regret is that I didn't buy more for us to munch on this evening.
Yesterday was our first CSA pick up and I believe that it went really well. We only had one mix up and only a few people accidentally went to the neighbours house (they share the same last name as us so there is sometimes confusion). The basket was a bit small this week but we were excited offer an herb planter (basil, oregano and thyme for spaghetti sauce later),lettuce (some of them huge),snow peas
These are a few pictures from the week. The first is of some strange fog that we have actually had a couple times over the past couple of week. Its off in the distance not a very good picture.
The second picture is of some Kohlrabi that is coming up the green house. We have both a green and purple variety. The plants are actually much larger already.
The last picture is of Ryan using the flame weeder. It worked really well and the weeds are all deceased now.
I am off to eat a roast from our selection of Matt cow (this is not the cows name Matt is the farmer and the beef is from him)
~Amanda
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Winner
We are very excited to announce that we were chosen as a winner of the Small Business BIG Impact Challenge in the products and services category. We would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to vote over the past couple of months.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
A beautiful Saturday?
Well needless to say the ugly weather appeared again this Saturday while I was at the market. The day started off with a light drizzle followed by fog and overcast sky's. Not the best day for selling plants. Lets be honest no one feels like being out in there garden in that kind of miserable weather.
Despite the weather we still sold some plants mostly herbs this week and I enjoyed a raisin bran muffin from Willow Creek Bakery.
Upon arriving home around 1:45 (when of course the sun came out) Ryan and I got to work doing a few things around the farm. We did a little bit of sprout starting and also played with Ryan's new toy. What is this new toy you ask well it is a Weed Dragon propane torch. The torch is used to burn up weeds on the driveway or anywhere you have unwanted weeds. It seems to be working well as today you can see the devistation that we caused in the driveway. All the weed are dying or dead and of course it means we keep the driveway clean without chemicals. I will post some pictures tomorrow of it in use!
I have a great selection of pictures for the past week but they are all on my phone which is currently not handy. So tomorrow I'll post a picture blog. Without the phone camera I would never have any pictures to post.
This week looks like it will be a busy one with our first CSA pick up this Friday, finishing the new chicken pen and hopefully a crazy amount of planting. We are definitely looking forward to our first sunny week in ages.
Until tomorrow
A
Despite the weather we still sold some plants mostly herbs this week and I enjoyed a raisin bran muffin from Willow Creek Bakery.
Upon arriving home around 1:45 (when of course the sun came out) Ryan and I got to work doing a few things around the farm. We did a little bit of sprout starting and also played with Ryan's new toy. What is this new toy you ask well it is a Weed Dragon propane torch. The torch is used to burn up weeds on the driveway or anywhere you have unwanted weeds. It seems to be working well as today you can see the devistation that we caused in the driveway. All the weed are dying or dead and of course it means we keep the driveway clean without chemicals. I will post some pictures tomorrow of it in use!
I have a great selection of pictures for the past week but they are all on my phone which is currently not handy. So tomorrow I'll post a picture blog. Without the phone camera I would never have any pictures to post.
This week looks like it will be a busy one with our first CSA pick up this Friday, finishing the new chicken pen and hopefully a crazy amount of planting. We are definitely looking forward to our first sunny week in ages.
Until tomorrow
A
Friday, May 20, 2011
Niagara On the Lake
Just a quick note that tomorrow is the opening of the NOTL farmers market. There are a load of great vendor there to check. We will be carrying our full stock of herb and tomato plants to get your garden started. Stop by just for fun, or to pick something up!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)