Whitsend Market Garden

Update as of Mar 14:

We have now sold(or have spoken for) half of this season's shares.



Hello Everyone:

We have sold about one third of this season’s shares.  Contact me soon, as past experience suggests that sales come in waves and we can fill our quota quite abruptly.

I am now getting a lot of interest in the internship position.  I had a good interview last week and am in the process of arranging another in the next week or so.  I have also been fielding questions from a few potential candidates.

Internship opportunity

If I do not have an intern for this season, I have a plan B ready.

I'll reduce the amount of field at the new location to prepare for 2020, and use the old Stittsville location for potatoes, squash, and kidney beans in 2020 - three crops that require little supervision and take up a lot of field space.

Meanwhile the work is still on-going here...

With pigs out for the season, we are now starting to prepare for chickens.

We are making inquiries with chick suppliers about two breeds:  Dominique’s and Buckeye:

The Dominique is an American breed that was bred in the 1850’s.  By 1950 it was thought extinct, but a few flocks were discovered being preserved by some small farms and a breeding program to increase the strain started in the 1970’s. 

These are cold tolerant birds suited to free ranging.  The indistinct pattern of their feathers is thought to add camouflage protection from aerial predators.  They have a calm disposition.  They are most suitable for egg production but can serve as a meat bird as well.

Wikipedia Dominique page

The Buckeye is an American breed developed in the 1890’s by Nettie Metcalfe. 

These are very cold tolerant birds – even in winter - and suited to free ranging.  They have a calm disposition and some can become quite friendly.  They are most suitable - exceptional, according to some - for meat production, providing a very dark meat and especially full thighs.  They are also acceptable egg layers.

Wikipedia Buckeye page

(Source:  Storey’s Illustrated Guide to Poultry Breeds – Storey Publishing 2007)

To prepare, we have been pricing fencing and chicken supplies to augment what is already here.  The hutches will need some slight improvement as we will be using them a bit differently than how the previous owners did.

The more that I learn about raising chickens (books, suppliers, neighbours and other farmers in our neighbourhood) the more I wish we could have pigs this season – one less learning curve and a lot less effort.  Pigs are very easy to care for; chickens require a little more effort.  Like so many other things in agriculture, choice is a privilege and not always available.

Another crop I am looking into are yard long beans. 

Johnny Seeds catalogue - Red Noodle Beans

These are also known as asparagus beans and Chinese long beans – I have found a few other names as well that seem to relate to the same subspecies. 

Despite the name, they are usually about a foot and a half in length.  I had a request a few years ago for them – with a little more growing space now, we can start growing a small quantity on a request basis.  Let me know if you are interested.

The next post will be about all of the investments we have to make in 2019 that won't start to show a decent return until 2020...one of the risks any farmer (or entrepreneur) has to make in order to grow.

Talk to you later,

Bob