FARM NEWS

Knowing HOW your food is grown is just as important as knowing WHO is growing your food.

There's a myriad of farming practices and techniques - some better than others. And it's important to know how your farmers are working their land.

So what style of farming do we practice? 👨‍🌾👩‍🌾

We are a Regenerative No-Till farm. Our goal is to use farming methods that focus on building soil, sequestering carbon, growing exceptionally healthy plants, and overall leaving the land better than we found it.

We do this by minimally disturbing the soil by mostly using hand tools instead of tractors. We keep the soil covered as much as possible because it protects vital microorganisms in the soil, holds moisture and prevents erosion and weed growth. And lastly, we keep our fields planted and photosynthesizing as much as we can. This keeps the microorganisms well fed and helps to store carbon in the soil 🦠

We believe this is the future of sustainable farming. If we all knew how our food was grown we think our food system would look very different than it does today.

5 Things you didn’t know about your local mushroom farmer 🍄

Meet Nadine! Founder of the brand new Asarum Regenerative Farm. We recently partnered with Nadine and now carry her delicious, freshly grown mushrooms.

She currently operates in Blewett but will soon be transitioning to her new farm in Slocan Park. She is just beginning her journey into sustainable farming and we are so proud to be able to offer her gourmet mushrooms!

Here are 5 things you didn’t know about your local mushroom farmer:

1. Who are you and where are you from originally?

Nadine Hines, I grew up in Toronto.

2 How did you end up in the Kootenays?

I ended up in the Kootenay's because I came to visit in 2019 for a vacation. I was immediately hooked. I decided that when I got the chance I would move to the Nelson area.

3. What inspired you to become a mushroom farmer?

I did a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Ecological Restoration specializing in bioremediation using fungi. Throughout my studies, I became increasingly fascinated by mushrooms as organisms that can clean up the earth, and are also highly nutritious and medicinal. At the same time, I found that the field of ecological restoration failed to recognize that improving farming practices and diversifying farming systems is an integral part of restoring landscapes.

4. What's your favorite part about being a mushroom farmer?

Being my own boss!

5. What are your future dreams?

I dream of developing my farm into a thriving ecosystem that incorporates agroforestry, mushrooms, medicine for the people, and native plants for ecological restoration. I hope my farm can be an inspiration and a model for the future of farming.

NEW PRODUCTS

Hand-Sewn Beeswax-Lined Bread Bags 🍞

Keep your bread fresher for longer, with these Beeswax-Lined Bread Bags!

Made with an outer layer of 100% cotton and an inner layer of 100% muslin cotton. The muslin cotton is coated with a mixture of beeswax and jojoba oil. The ingredients are sourced from retailers/farmers right here in British Columbia.

This mixture acts as a natural barrier to keep your bread fresher for longer. Place your bread into the bag, cinch the drawstrings and you are good to go!

Available in Italian and Sourdough style bags

Hand-made and sewn by our friends and mother/daughter duo Okanagan Stitching 💖

Dark Roast Coffee is here!

We now carry Oso Negro Coffee, an old-school Nelson coffee roaster and café that has become synonymous with the Kootenays.

Velvety, firm and colorful, Meteor has become one of their most popular blends. Meteor carefully balances a deep rich body with subtle tones of chocolate, roasted nuts and earth. A very smooth fusion of Central and South American and Sumatran beans.

100% Organically Grown and Ethically Traded.

We're thinking of new cookie flavours and we need YOUR opinion! 🍪🍪🍪

We're trying to think of two new bake-at-home cookie flavours for our online farm store. We were thinking of oatmeal raisin and classic chocolate chip.

What are your favorite cookie flavours and what would you like us to create next?

Leave your answers in the comments below! 👇