Update May 11

More computer issues!  Find the farm's contact below...we are working on it.

Two more Baskets remaining for the 2014 season!  If you want to eat with us this season, contact soon...

Two Intern positions open for the 2014 season.  If you want to dig with us this season, contact soon...

This post is already outdated.  Once we have our computer issues resolved, we should be back to weekly posts.  In the meantime, settle down for a good read about what we were up to about two weeks ago.

I have tried to get the layout right, but it is getting late.  Time to pack the lunch and get out there.

Morning at Whitsend...

Frost days are always an early start.  

I place row covers over the plants in the evening.  During the night, the ground releases its heat.  The row covers hold that heat around the plant, preventing the frost from accumulating on the crops.

I also use the row covers to keep bugs off the plants (Flea beetles off of young cabbage family crops, and Leek moths off of the Garlic).


I have also used them for slowing down evaporation of moisture from seed beds, shading crops intolerant of too much heat, and for providing some protection to crops after they have been transplanted.  This year, I am experimenting with using straw for these last two uses.


The biggest drawback about using covers is that they are time consuming to work with, have a working life of about 2 years, and they cut down light transmission by about 15 %.  As well, I think they look ugly.

We'll start in the nursery, where most of the growing action is taking place.  These are Green Onions in cell packs. 

Many of our crops are started in seed trays, and then promoted up to cell packs.  This allows the individual plants to develop in a controlled environment.  Weak plants can be weeded out and the best ones reserved for planting in the field.

Here are lettuces that are a couple of days from sprouting.  Lettuce can also be direct seeded, however, not all seeds will germinate.  This would leave gaps in the bed, which would be a waste of space.

The shiny background is an aluminized bubble wrap insulation.  An added layer of warmth that distributes light more evenly in the nursery.

Here are some Pepper plants and an extra Tomato plant.  When the Peppers have grown their third secondary leaf, they will be ready for their "cold treatment" - a period of time when they are placed where they are subjected to 10 degree temperature at night.  This promotes earlier and more vigorous fruit set.

Ideally, these will be potted up one size to stimulate growth.  Due to the amount of space in the nursery, not all Peppers will get this additional opportunity to develop before transplant.

The earliest round of crops are now being hardened off in an outdoor shelter.  For increasingly longer periods of time, these plants are subjected to direct sunlight, wind, and some chillier conditions.  This reduces the chance that the shock of transplant will not affect the plants for too long, allowing them to start growing into the bed sooner.

The shelter was a shambles at the end of winter, having seen several years of service.  Old boards and plastic were replaced, the door was improved, and the structure made a little more sturdy.


And now out into the field.  Everything has started to thaw out from last nights low (in the field) of minus 2.  I have found that our weather is matched to Ashton (as opposed to Ottawa airport or Gatineau.  Listening to the weather reports requires a bit of a guess as to what the predictions are for our particular area - Environment Canada does not give weather reports for this micro climate.

Ready for landing…these beds are set to receive their transplants and or seeds over  the coming weeks.  Each week, we use a co-linear hoe to disrupt the weeds as they sprout.  This method, repeated once a week for three weeks, remove most weeds that will germinate during the season.  Hoeing a bed takes minutes.  Pulling mature weeds by hands takes considerably longer.

Cultivating incorporates top-dressed compost into the soil.   Pulling mature weeds out removes soil and surface compost from the bed.

Each year, a few of the paths in between the beds are seeded over to Dutch clover.  This suppresses weed growth in the paths, retains moisture in the ground, and provides a bit of nitrogen for the soil.  It also looks attractive and gives the knees of my field jeans an even color.

Here are the earliest of our Snow Peas.  The 

New Zealand Spinach will be ready to  be transplanted here when the Peas are finished.  The Peas provide extra nitrogen for the soil.  Leaf crops such as NZ Spinach grow best in nitrogen rich soil. 

Ideally, crops should be sown in straight lines.  This improves the ease with which the co-linear hoe can be used, and saves a lot of time.   Apparently, I wasn't quite on the mark this time around.

Most of our climbing plants, such as Peas and Tomatoes, are grown using the "basket weave method".  Stakes are placed at even intervals around the bed, and then as the plants grow, a new line of twine is tied around the stakes.  This is a very simple method that uses less material and effort than other methods of trellising.

Another advantage of using the hoe to cultivate is that it breaks up the soil surface to allow rain to penetrate the soil more effectively.

A third benefit is that it incorporates the compost that is added to the soil surface.  I prefer to top dress my compost as it allows the compost to remain close the the root zone of the crops.  Most veg crops have relatively shallow roots.  Machine tilling the compost deep into the ground would leave the compost too far down for many crops to take advantage of.  

 Elliot Coleman calls it a "thumbs up" tool.   It is used while standing straight, as opposed to the more common Dutch hoe, which forces one to work with poor posture.

Dutch hoes have there place, I have used them to level out ground for a turkey shelter at Elmtree.

Both of these photos by Scott Costen.

A safety no-no in the back ground - spot the rake set tines up.  A great money maker for dentists.




The Co-linear hoe is my favourite tool – it also hills beans and potatoes, and does a decent job edging beds.

In addition to all of the preparation work, maintaining the crops that are already out there still needs to be done.

Finding little efficiencies is the number one most important factor in the success of a small farm.  Here, I should be using both hands - one pail on each arm to water both rows of peas at the same time.  I am assuming that in this picture, there was just a little bit of extra water  required at the end of the bed.

Here is your Garlic from a couple of weeks ago.   Almost 100% emergence, a slight improvement over last year.  As always, it is a bit of a guessing game as to what is occurring underground. 


Assuming the bulbs develop well, each Snack Basket should receive 5 bulbs minimum, Picnic Basket shares a minimum of 10 bulbs each, and Feast Baskets twenty bulbs.  These will be harvested in mid July, cured for two weeks, and distributed in early August.  All varieties will be initialled so that you can have the opportunity to compare the different types.

In addition to bulbs, customers will receive garlic shoots in your first baskets.  These are chopped into salads, soups, stews, anywhere you want a bit of garlic.  The stem, leaves and miniature bulb are all edible, though the flavour is strong – use moderately!

Then, in early July, you receive the scapes.  These are the “flower” head of the garlic, which are cooked or steamed and added wherever you want some garlic flavour.

As of last week, the garlic has grown considerably.  Five beds with eight varieties, plus another bed with garlic shoots (not to be confused with scapes).

All of the garlic was planted last fall, and covered over with straw to prevent the bulbs from freezing.  

Here, the straw has been pulled back to take inventory and cultivate the beds.  The straw stays on until harvest to continue suppressing weeds and retain moister, two factors that are critical for the success of a garlic crop - they are a thirsty plants that don't like competition.

This is a leaf mold compost.  Unlike the regular compost used for producing vegetables, this compost relies on mold instead of bacteria for breaking down the organic matter.  Apparently, garlic responds to leaf mold very well. 

This compost is positioned near the gate for two reasons.  First, the beds for next year’s garlic are nearby, so it is pre-positioned in anticipation of getting the garlic beds prepared for the fall planting.   As well, they are sitting in the spot reserved for the third perennial bed.  While we finish the second perennial bed, the leaf mold compost  suppresses the weed growth until we are ready to start building the third perennial bed. 

Here is the second of two Perennial Beds.  Here, we will be growing some of our flowers and herbs.  

When I started the leaf mold compost last fall, I placed the pile where the second perennial beds was to be built, to knock back some of the grass turf.  Now that it has been removed, work can begin.

Hardscaping is not a technique that I am very familiar with.   Second hand books, libraries, internet, farm texts all have a few (sometimes contradictory) good practices to follow.  

While working here, I found some leftover compost-rich soil from my first compost pile that was situated here in our first year.  Buried treasure...I can use this elsewhere.

Sometimes common sense and thinking ahead are the best guides.  What will the weed growth from the fence line make this look in two months?

I have cut through the rest of the turf, removed the quack grass rhizomes (root-like structures), and placed large flat rocks for the foot path around the perimeter.  Then, the loose soil is raked up and the smaller flat rocks and the more decorative rocks are built up around the raised bed.

The rocks will provide a lot of warmth late in the season when the nights get cooler, allowing the plants to enjoy a slightly longer season.  

The plants chosen for this bed are self seeding.  They should continue to produce next year.  the key will be to heap lots of straw around them to prevent the roots from freezing.  Still a little work to do to finish it off.

I have always tried to adhere to the “use what you have” ethic.  When clearing the land for veg production, I found that I had an unlimited supply of rock.  So we use the big flat rocks for landscaping, the small flat rocks for mulching our perennials, and the largest rocks keep the watering  hoses from getting dragged into the beds.

The smooth rocks hold down our row covers (rough rocks would tear the covers).

Occasionally we find something a little more decorative.  Spot the fragment of sodalite...

The archaeology of the farm can make for a bit of fun as well.  I am considering saving all these to make a sign out of.  Bits of chain, lug nuts, part of a very large key, a perfume bottle, 12-penny nails, tractor bits, a decorative copper cat, old glass electrical insulators, shards of crockery, and even a tent peg I lost in my first year here.  The most interesting find was an old hand wrench.  The occasional bone turns up as well.

Not all 'finds' are appreciated.  Some of the field preparation was held up by a big pile of rocks just under the surface of the soil.  The rocks ranged in size from grapefruit to watermelons.  All of them were crumbled and scorched as if from heat.  I assume it is the sight of a very old fire pit.

Still waiting to come across a rare meteorite, lumps of gold, or a buried viking settlement...

Most of the rocks wind up being used as the base for supporting our gravel pad.  Saved me from purchasing a lot of  gravel…Makes me feel a bit better after hoisting all of this out of the ground.

The gravel pad still has a few feet to go before it is complete.  Then, the log (pictured) will be trimmed to size and placed as the border to contain the rock from spreading outward.

Work around the barn is on-going.  During my first year, the "prep station' was little more than a bench top supported by some hay bales.  Each year, the work station improves.  It's starting to look like a farm...

No matter how much work to be done, there is always the "put it all away properly routine" to leave time for.  Clean the tools, pre-position the buckets make coiled hoses  much more user friendly.  

Also makes the field more attractive, and improves the "thinking environment".  Less clutter, less distraction.

For three years running, tree swallows have favoured our birdhouse.   They are amazingly agile, feeding in mid flight on flying insects.   Here, the male is feeding the female during a brief break from brooding, or as part of their courtship.

Update as of June 2 - our Swallows seem to be having difficulty laying viable eggs.  The mating doesn't seem to stop and yet there are no tell-tale activities of feeding or brooding going on at the house.  

Time to quit writing about growing food, and start getting supper ready.

Talk to you soon,

Bob

Post Script:

Mush of the above is has now developed further, and new tasks have begun.  More pictures soon.

Update April 26:

Hello everyone...we are back on-line.  

If you are trying to contact us for purchasing one of the few remaining shares, call us at the house after 7 pm, or send to email (please find below).

Someone tried to call us the other day, but the number and name were too garbled to make out on the answering machine.  I think the first three numbers of the phone number were 407.  If this is you, try calling us again or send an email.  

As for the plants, New Zealand Spinach is finally germinating at a steady rate.  The Lettuces, Chard, and Kale are starting to show their first secondary leaves, and many of our flower sprouts look promising...Calendula, Zinnia, Primrose, Leopard flower, Bachelors Buttons, and more.  Thyme appears to be the most robust herb we have so far, the Rosemary and Lemon Balm being a little finicky.  Basil and squashes to be started in the nursery soon.  

The Garlic is also doing well (at least the visible part above ground).

I'll write more soon, I am in the midst of the pre-season field preparation for the season.  There's not much time for anything else, so my replies and communications may get a bit erratic over the next few weeks.

Hey Everyone…all’s well at Whitsend so far.

Thanks to those of you who are visiting this site for the first time.  We hope you enjoy our farm website as much as the real thing.  Unfortunately, the electronic farm experience is not quite as tasty, though I hope it will whet your appetite for fresh, certified organic produce.

If you have any questions about the farm, feel free to contact me at the email address or phone number below.

Your advance payment will ensure a share of this year’s harvest.  Harvest deliveries start in mid to late June and run through to the end of October.  There are a couple of deliveries anticipated for November (cold hardy leaves and storage produce such as carrots and kidney beans).  It is possible that there may be an early delivery of peas in the spring.

Tomato and Pepper starts

If you are interested in your own tomato or pepper plants, check out this site in the next couple of weeks.  We should have some extra.  These are free for season customers, $5.00 per plant  for everyone else.

The Whitsend Post

The Nursery is holding together.  The old hardening off shelter is rebuilt and easier to use.  Last year’s nursery is getting a new roof before it is moved outside to become a new hardening off shelter.  The workspace is going to be a lot more user friendly this year, allowing me to spend more time in the field.

At least, as soon as the barn has dried out.  Seems that our new gravel pad on the outside of the barn has caused a lot of melt water to drain into the storage area of the barn.  Some of my lumber has frozen into the ground.  We’ll manage, hopefully the new structures outside the barn that are going up this year will reduce the amount of snow against the barn wall next winter.  Farming always require keeping one eye on the horizon.  Some call it “Next year’s country”.

Speaking of the field, the snow receded quickly.  We were out last Tuesday checking on a few things.  The snow was down to its last few inches.  I was out again on Friday, and parts of the field were dry enough to work.  I sowed our first round of snow peas on Saturday.

The Garlic has not yet made its appearance (We spot checked two of the 6 beds), but that is probably good as I expect we will have at least one more cold snap.  Some of the Sage has survived the season under its mulch of straw.  All will depend on whether the roots were insulated enough.  The overwintered carrots have survived the cold.  They are small, Angela will let us know if they are up to kitchen quality soon.

Speaking of Angela, I am pleased to introduce our first intern this season.  Angela has spent her two week trial period helping out in the nursery, seeding and promoting your Chard, Kale,  Peppers, Tomatoes and Eggplants, as well as some of the less glamorous (but important) work such as mixing our custom potting soil.  I am certain she will make a very positive contribution to the growing of your food this season.  Welcome to Whitsend, Angela!

And speaking of the food, we have had our usual blend of successes and failures. 

We have managed to germinate some New Zealand Spinach.  We have improved from last year’s germination rate of zero to this year’s 6 %.  Of all the variables, it seems that soil temperature is the biggest determinant.  I seeded several trays and placed them on different shelves (some higher up in the nursery where the temperature is warmer and some near the bottom where it is cooler).  It turns out that the plant prefers the cooler soil, and the shelf that has germinated the most plants also successfully germinated the Parsley – another cool germinating plant.  I am continuing to try some different techniques, as the number of plants is still too low for our needs.  But I think I am on the right track. 

Whitsend Celery Sprouts (Photo 2013 last year by Randy)

The celery is off to a great start.  Most of the challenges with this plant (for us) is out in the growing field.  However, I always find it amazing that these tiny little sprouts manage to survive their nursery life…they look so frail one can hardly believe that they will grow into such large plants.  The celeriac is a bit late germinating, but we seem to have a good amount now. 

The Tomatoes, Peppers, and Eggplant all got off to a slow start.  I had to seed them three times for some varieties.  The earliest plants seem to have been stressed by the fluctuating temperatures in the nursery and many were lost to damping off.  This is a first for us, we rarely lose any plants to this mold condition.  However, we now have a good compliment of sprouts and seedlings in various stages of development.  We should have a lot of “Lime Green” Cherry Tomato plants available for those of you who want extra this year for your own backyards or containers.  Lime Green Cherries are a relatively compact bush, and are early producers (58 days).  Their flavour ranges between sweet and tart.

The Rosemary and Thyme have required a second seeding each, as they have been kept a little too warm in the nursery.  The Oregano is doing well.

As for flowers, The Primrose and Zinnia’s 
are coming along nicely.  I saw my first Nasturtium and Calendula sprouts as of today.  More flowers (including Oppopeos and Marigolds) are getting their first seeding in the next week or so.  The marigolds are companion planted in one of the Tomato beds.

Stock photo taken by Randy from same time last year. 

For the next couple of weeks, most of our work will be in the field, I will detail that in our next post.  I'll explain a little more about our Tomato companion planting, and the plastic pictured in the field picture here.

Talk to you soon,

Bob

Update April 10:  We have moved house to a location closer to the farm.  Our new phone number is now located at the bottom of this page.  

We still have room for 6 more customers this season.  

Income generated from the next three sales will purchase our solar panel for heating and lighting the nursery next season.  

In other news, the nursery is very crowded.  The Primrose, Celery, Celeriac, Peppers, and Tomatoes look especially promising.  We have had our first successful germination of New Zealand Spinach.  Much more news to come very soon...  

We still have room for one or two more interns.  If you are interested, please check out the "Volunteer and Interns" Page.


Hey Folks:

Thanks to those of you who are visiting this site for the first time. We hope you enjoy our farm website as much as the real thing. Unfortunately, the electronic farm experience is not quite as tasty, though I hope it will whet your appetite for fresh, certified organic produce.

If you have any questions about the farm, feel free to contact me at the email address or phone number below.

Your advance payment will ensure a share of this year’s harvest. Harvest deliveries start in mid June and run through to the end of October. There are a couple of deliveries anticipated for November (cold hardy leaves and storage produce such as carrots and kidney beans). It is possible that there may be an early delivery of peas and carrots in the spring.

Why I use Flyers to find customers:

To keep our doorstep delivery cost efficient, I restrict my customer base to particular neighbourhoods. This renders print and electronic advertising somewhat ineffective. 

An on-line advert can be found on the website for the Canadian Organic Growers (Ottawa Chapter). Whitsend is a COG member as of 2013.

I use very simple flyers (printed at home on standard print paper) to keep costs down. I realize most flyers will wind up being recycled, so I do not create extra expense with glossy, professionally cut flyers.

I do not leave flyers if I see a “no flyers please” sign on your mailbox. If I did not notice your request to this effect, please accept my apologies.

By far, most of our customers have come to us by word of mouth.

Post March 11 2014 - Hey All:

I have said on several occasions that farming is about 10% vegetable growing and 90% everything else.  These days, I am spending about 110% more time than I originally planned on being a carpenter. 

The “new” nursery is not holding it’s heat, and it is not designed to allow for the addition of more insulation.  To put insulation on the outside would expose the material to the gnawings of rodents, and putting the insulation on the inside would take space away from the seedlings.

I spent several hours “insulating” as best as I could, adjusting the position of the heat source, and blocking off the parts of the nursery that are not required for a couple more weeks.  I used whatever sheet plastic, cardboard, and scrap wood I could find.  Despite this, the heater continues to run near to capacity - costing me more hydro than I care to calculate.

I next took stock of the lumber I still had (for the sheds), and went back to the drawing board.  I finally came to the conclusion that the best solution to the challenge at hand was to build a “newer” nursery. 

Despite all of this, the onions haves started to sprout (albeit somewhat slower and with lower germination rate).  There is still time to plant a make-up round, but I have to move quickly. 

We started half of the Tomatoes, Eggplant, herbs and flowers today, and then I went back to hammering and sawing away.

Bob

Ps:  I have room for eight more customers this season.

If you are considering purchasing a share of this year’s produce, please contact me soon.

Update Feb 23:

The nursery has been built.  After a few final details, the heat was turned on and the lights programmed.

We start planting tomorrow.  The 2014 season has started.

Bob

PS - I have added more to the "Introducing our Crops" Page...