FARM NEWS

Yup, it’s still cold and rainy 😒

Usually we’d be stoked to have so much rain. However, since its also cold, our plants are growing agonizingly slow. We have so many greens in the ground but none of them have sized up due to the cold temperatures.

This will be yet another week of limited greens but by next weekend we are anticipating an abundance of fresh greens, so stay tuned!

Experiments in sustainable agriculture👩‍🔬

We recently got a copy of The Regenerative Grower’s Guide to Garden Amendments. Using Locally Sourced Materials to Make Mineral and Biological Extracts and Ferments by Nigel Palmer. In it he describes how you can make your own balanced mineral amendments and biological soil stimulants using native plants and Indigenous microorganisms harvested from your very own property.

As a regenerative farm that emphasizes soil health, we’re always looking to incorporate the latest in sustainable agriculture practices and techniques. This week we made a leaf mold biological extract. The leaf mold contain Indigenous microorganisms that when applied to our garden beds, will provide an influx of diverse life into the soil, jump start soil ecology, improve soil structure and accelerate the digestion of organic matter 🦠

When we think of soil it’s important to see it for what it really is - the plants digestive system. And what this leaf mold extract does is it stimulates the digestive process of the soil, making it easier for the plants to absorb nutrients.

For this extract we used decaying leaves gathered from the forest floor on our property, a boiled potato that was grown on the farm, well water and some salt. The potato is meant to feed the microorganisms. We then steeped it in water for 24 hours. Once it’s ready a thin layer of white foam forms on the surface which signifies that the microbes are alive and thriving. We then sprayed it on our garden beds to stimulate the soil. It took us about 20 minutes to make, about 24 hours to ferment and costs us virtually nothing. I’m not sure if you can get anymore sustainable than that!

We have high hopes for this new technique and we will keep you posted on our results!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

The joys of hard work 💪

This might sound odd to some, but putting in a long and physical day of manual labour is surprisingly satisfying.

Being outside all day, using your body, experiencing the passing weather systems, the warm sun on you face, the fresh air in your lungs and the dirt under your finger nails is one aspect of farming that we really appreciate. I don't know why, but it just feels right!

With the rise of cities and technology, many of us have been swept up into jobs that require us to sit still in a chair, indoors, under florescent lights, staring at screens or pieces of paper, for the majority of our day.

I feel like if more people could experience a day of work on a farm, they might be surprised how much better they feel at the end of their day.