It's Go Time!

After a lengthy, lovely visit in Ontario we have made it back to BC and it’s time for me to hunker down and plan this farm. While in Ontario I came across an article in Mother Earth News, reviewing the top 15 sustainable seed companies: Best Garden Seed Companies. It is worth a peek if you value where your seed comes from. I was excited to see that two of the companies I was looking at made it on the list, Territorial Seeds in Oregon and Seeds of Change in California. So, after a few hours of glancing between 4 or 5 different companies, I have a list of my seeds ready to order for this season. What also makes me happy is the thought of seed saving. Most of the varieties I have chosen are open pollinated and seed saveable. So next year, I will be ordering but not as much.

Tiny Farm Experience (Strawing the Strawberries)

Tiny Farm Experience is a great site that is following several Canadian farms over the course of 52 weeks. This is going to be a fun year of learning and exploration from across Canada. Check out Lynn and the other farms at www.tinyfarmexperience.com.

Strawing the Strawberries - www.tinyfarmexperience.com/strawing-the-strawberries.

Last week, while I was still in Toronto cooing and cuddling my new little niece, Steve and our good friend Maya were finishing up the last of the farm tasks for now: covering the strawberries with a nice layer of straw mulch. The newly transplanted strawberry plants need protecting over the winter, and a 4-inch layer of straw will do the trick.

Maya is eager to learn more about growing food on a market garden and I am eager to have her on board this growing season. She will be around to learn all the different growing techniques and procedures I have learned, and will learn along the way. I am excited to have her around for help.

Tiny Farm Experience (Physical Labour Does a Body Good)

Tiny Farm Experience is a great site that is following several Canadian farms over the course of 52 weeks. This is going to be a fun year of learning and exploration from across Canada. Check out Lynn and the other farms at www.tinyfarmexperience.com.

Physical Labour Does a Body Good - www.tinyfarmexperience.com/physical-labour-does-a-body-good.

Gabriola Island, BC ~ This past week I have been in Toronto helping my sister adjust to her new life as a mother of two. It has been so great to be amongst family. But part of me is going a little batty. Back on Gabriola, physical activity is a big part of my life and for the past week I have done nothing active.

Don’t get me wrong, it is really nice to have some down time. Part of my attraction to farming is the winter down time. The time to sit back and dream about your next growing season. Over the next few weeks while I am in Ontario I have the time to sit back and plan, order seeds and dream big.

Now I think I better take up walking to release all that excess energy I have. Farming is a lot of work, but I wouldn’t change a thing. All that physical labour makes me feel so great: mind, body and soul.

Tiny Farm Experience (Garlic Planted!)

Tiny Farm Experience is a great site that is following several Canadian farms over the course of 52 weeks. This is going to be a fun year of learning and exploration from across Canada. Check out Lynn and the other farms at www.tinyfarmexperience.com.

Garlic Planted! - www.tinyfarmexperience.com/garlic-planted.

Gabriola Island, BC ~ I am quite the delinquent farmer at the moment. I have flown the coop and left all my farm responsibilities to my partner Steve. We had planned a trip to Ontario for Christmas already, but I have come to Toronto early to welcome the arrival of my new beautiful niece.

Steve is still home on Gabriola, and with some help from our friend Maya, our garlic was planted into the raised beds. I was so happy to find garlic grown on Gabriola to use for seed garlic. I have always wanted to try growing softneck garlic, and along with 8 other hardneck varieties, my stock included over 100 cloves of Inchelium Red softneck garlic.

Tiny Farm Experience (Suzuki Aerio: One Mean Hauling Machine!)

Tiny Farm Experience is a great site that is following several Canadian farms over the course of 52 weeks. This is going to be a fun year of learning and exploration from across Canada. Check out Lynn and the other farms at www.tinyfarmexperience.com.

Suzuki Aerio: One Mean Hauling Machine! - www.tinyfarmexperience.com/suzuki-aerio-one-mean-hauling-machine.

Gabriola Island, BC ~ Who needs a pick up truck when you have a hatchback? This past week we moved 5 car loads of soil from our house to my plot at the community garden. We will be moving in the spring to another house so Steve’s brilliant raised beds he built where we are now needed a new home. These two raised beds on my 400 square foot plot will be planted with garlic. A bit late, but sometimes you just have to push the envelope.