Here are the details for farm visits.
If you are interested in seeing the place where your food is grown, then you are welcome to make an appointment to visit.
Dates I am offering include August 4th, 19th, and September 1st or 2nd (TBD).
I offer two types of visits by appointment. By knowing ahead of time, I can ensure that you have some food to go home with and ensure that there are not too many folks here at once.
The short visit:
45 minutes to 1 hour. A tour of the farm from seedlings in the nursery to the prep station where deliveries are packaged for distribution. Visitors will find a few goodies to choose from before leaving.
The long visit:
1 to 2 hours or more if you are having fun. A tour of the farm from seedlings to the prep station, and something edible to take home. This is followed by some farm work geared to your interest and ability, such as
- Learning to use a co-linear hoe for weed suppression...no bending or kneeling. Very translatable to a home garden setting.
- Compost turning...how to make high quality compost out of vegetable waste, grass clippings, and weeds. A great way to burn off restless energy after a week of sitting at a desk.
- Tomato pruning...learn some of the finer points of getting the most out of your tomatoes, and introduction to the basket weave method of staking - a most economical way to stake tomato plants.
- Building a garden bed using hand tools - the broad fork, wheel hoe, and bed rake.
Things to know to make your farm visit safe and enjoyable:
This is a working farm and a little rough and ready around the edges. The following tips are important to consider.
Farming is a rain and shine sport so dress appropriately. A brief downpour will simply move the tour into the barn, but lightening will cancel any visits immediately.
There is a limited amount of shade from mid afternoon onward, again, be suitably prepared.
Toilet facilities are very limited so come prepared. I may be able to open up the "rustic facility" for children's emergencies, but that will entail removing a lot of overgrowth - I'll see what can be done.
The ground is uneven, so wear sturdy footwear.
There are ticks and there may be some wild parsnip sprouting in the grass paths, so keep your ankles covered. I have controlled the parsnip in most of the public areas, but these plants do sprout regularly so be vigilant (and point them out to me should you find any). A portion of the field will be marked off limits due to some parsnip that is persisting. Do not cross the barriers I have set.
Children are welcome though it is imperative they are kept close. Everyone's food is in this field and a misstep or tumble could result in someone going short.
There will be opportunity for some carrot pulling for visitors aged somewhat young to growing older.
In September, there will be some radish pulling - ideal for those learning to grasp or slightly older. (good for photographs!)
If you are an avid birder, bring your binoculars, you might be in luck as the usual feathered friends have tamed up somewhat here and its easy to watch their behavior. More unpredictable are visits from a heron and a bird of prey I can't identify (smaller than a red tailed hawk). Most interesting are the sparrows patrolling for the potato beatles and horn worms.
Mosquitoes and deer flies are mostly absent. If there is no breeze, the gnats may be a mild nuisance. Rejoice, this is as good as it gets!
Directions to the farm:
Directions from Stittsville:
Travel south on Stittsville Main (This turns into Huntley
Road as you leave Stittsville).
Pass Fernbank, Flewellen (Stanley Corners),
and Fallowfield Road (Karter’s Corner). The next crossroads is Mansfield Road
(turn right, or due west).
Drive approximately 4 minutes. It is on the
left (or south) side of the road. You will see an old log barn about 200 feet
off the road that has new cedar doors, turn into the lane way just before it.
If you arrive at 7070 Mansfield Road (also
on the left, you have gone a bit too far. Turn around, and drive past the houses on the south side of the road; just past the last house you
will see our lane way.
Directions from points
west, or Hwy 417:
Turn off Hwy 417 at Dwyer Hill Road, travel south.
Pass Golf Club Way, Crawford Road,
Fernbank, and Flewellen. Turn left or east onto Fallowfield Road. Pass
Kolo, and Biltmore Cres., and turn right or south onto Munster Road. Pass
Biltmore Cres. and turn left or east onto Mansfield Rd. Pass Conley Rd.
Watch for 7042 Mansfield Rd and turn into
the next lane way on your right.
Directions from West end of Ottawa:
Drive west down Hunt Club until you get to
the very end, then turn left.
Drive to Fallowfield, then turn right.
Drive to Huntly, then turn left.
Next right is Mansfield.
If you get to a cross road (Mansfield and
Conley), you have gone a little too far, turn around and go to 7070 Mansfield.