CSA #8

July 23rd

Before my life as a farmer, I worked with some very special children, children who needed extra intervention or guidance during the school day.  One common situation that I often faced was helping them deal with an activity that was ending and then transitioning to a new activity.  Asking anyone to stop in the middle of something can be difficult especially without proper warning but for these kids it often meant a violent outburst.  My family sometimes suggests that I also share this trait, not the violent outburst of course, but I do feel a momentary turmoil if you ask me to drop what i am doing and do something else. I also set goals which are difficult for me to let go of, if i said i am doing 3 rows I just can't stop at 2 1/2 or even worse 2 3/4 arghhh! Aren't we all like that? Apparently not! Hahaha!  However, sometimes it's at the expense of my own health and safety and it's caused the odd mild heatstroke and back pain.

It was the case yesterday afternoon as my husband and I divided the jobs he took the zucchini patch and I the tomatoes...  I had a row and half left and was pushing to get through when I hear I still have a row left but I think i need to stop. He was right, and so we did, had he not been there I may have gotten myself in trouble again. A dip in the pool was heaven.

The farm is doing great. All the garlic is harvested and the summer crops are starting to really produce.  We are seeding and plant our Fall Crops and keeping everything watered.

In your baskets this week:

Chez Nous Salad Mix
Tomatoes (hoping to move on to the bigger tomatoes next week?)
Eggplant
Music Garlic
Baby Swiss Chard
Persian Basil with the odd regular basil stem

X-tra Greens: Kale and Beets

Jaune Flame is blowing me away so far!

 Some of the first field tomatoes....

Rick harvesting his "babies" Doe Hill Peppers

Cherry Tomatoes have been in such high demand this year!

Persian Basil... great in just about anything, salad, rice, soup...

These are what I call Heatstroke tomatoes...hahaha! Yesterdays after CSA harvest.  Not a whole lot but it's not a mad dash to grab tomatoes quickly.  I like to remove any bad leaves, prune if necessary and just access each plant on 7 - 50 foot rows.

And then when i find a beauty like this...whoa it was perfect! C-tex an often overlooked black tomato at the plant sale. Boring name i guess.  It is my first large black to be ready.  I just couldn't stop freakin out about it. Guess i still love what i do!

CSA #7

CSA #7

July 16th 2016

Good morning members

My opening today has nothing to do with farming or food.
Last Wednesday,  my son was hurt in a pool accident and on Thursday we took him to the hospital to be certain he was indeed in good enough shape to leave for a camping trip on Friday with some of his friends.  Deemed a very close call, he was cleared and given the green light, my concerns for minor concussion or neck injury were not confirmed.  The next day, a few minutes before leaving for his trip we noticed a phone call from the hospital asking him to come back, let me tell you this was one very unhappy boy and one very worried mother.  At this point he was feeling fine but i needed to see what the problem was and so we would drive him to the campground when he was done.

This time, more x-rays were ordered and also an MRI and a few hours later I found myself hearing my son say i wish this was all a bad dream and i could wake up tomorrow and be fine.  We were quite shaken up by the doctors finding some damage in his neck, he was sent home with the good news being no surgery was needed but the bad news meant he would be in a neck brace for up to 3 months.   Neither of us expected this and for an active boy about the start high school it was very bad news.

I spent a lot of time reading about these types of injuries and accidents and realized how lucky we had been even though we were unhappy with what was happening.  I was grateful they caught it before my son left for his trip.  The next day, another doctor called me and really explained how critical this was even though my son felt no pain he needed to keep that brace on!  He would meet with a surgeon at McMaster hospital this week.  His case was deemed urgent and we got in right away.

My life was temporarily on hold as i anxiously waited to find out what was really going on.  I was optimistic since he had no pain but couldn't help but worry that they may catch me off guard again with something crazy.  Well they did, there was nothing wrong with my son. No torn ligament, no swelling and no bone that was "slightly off". Neck brace was off and green light to return to all activities given, even basketball!  My sons wish of waking up from this bad dream came true!

I am telling you this story because it was so intense for me and it feel good to talk about it but mostly because I realize how lucky he really was.  90% of pool accidents don't end like this.  These accidents are from diving, doing flips like my son, pushing each other in, throwing someone in etc...  Also, the importance of immobilizing the person if you suspect any head or neck injury as you may make it worse. I have recently read many devastating stories of people whose lives were changed forever so I figure the least I can do is let people know.


 In your baskets this week:

Cherry tomatoes
Sweet Peppers
Hot Peppers
Broccoli Greens
Pea Shoots
Zucchini
Cucumber
Mint

X-greens: Kale and Chez Nous Salad Mix

Some of the hots you may find: fireball, jalapeño, serrano, chimayo and hot wax.

Two of my new favourite varieties this year Melrose(Red) and Oda (Purple)

Made my zucchini pickles this week.

Have a great weekend!

Shirley and Rick

Chez Nous Farm

CSA #6

July 10th

Good afternoon

I hope your all having a great weekend.  I apologize for being quite late.  Our son was injured this week and I have been busy dealing with it all.

In your baskets this week:

Cherry Tomatoes
Chez Nous Salad Mix
Fresh Siberian Garlic
Kale
Zuchinni

X-tra Greens:  Chez Nous Mix and Cucumbers

As for the farm, crops are coming along great.  Feels like our best tomato patch ever.  Kale is still being grown under nets and I believe that along with the extreme heat we have been having seems to be causing it to be lighter in color but it's better than insect damage i suppose.
Zucchini plants are beautiful which is surprising considering the cucumber beetle population this year is really high. Peppers and Eggplant are just around the corner.

Cherry tomatoes are so popular.  They sell out very very fast!

Lots of seedlings to be planted for Fall.  Started in the shade then moved to the sun to harden off.

Keeping up with tying the tomatoes is continuous.

Mr Farmer hand weeding the beets and baby chard.

All weeded back on go the nets.  To the left are 4 carrot rows that have been tilled in.  These beds were solarized then flamed twice and carrots still succumbed to weeds.  Never seem to win the Spring carrot game.

Tomatoes

Eggplant 

One of the zucchini beds.  The garden behind is being planted to leeks, celeriac and more beets.  To the right by the random ladder is the beginning stages of our new greenhouse which at the moment has garlic planted. Beside the zucchini is the broccoli and Kale.

Have a good week

Shirley and Rick

CSA #5

July 2nd

Good morning everybody!

Another beautiful weekend!  School is out, vacations are starting and this weekend we celebrate Canada Day. I've gotten pretty used to the Friday schedule, it's a very busy one and once baskets are set in the store, we move on to part two - get ready for the market....   When many people are winding down for the weekend it's the opposite here.  For some reason... maybe Canada Day or maybe the full day of Tragically Hip music on the radio, last night i really wanted to  get out and have some fun.  Thanks to my husband, i was able to stay focused and keep picking tomatoes and i am happy for it today!  I did take my dogs out and they must have sensed my need for a little excitement as they went nuts and put on quite a show that had me laughing like crazy.

In your baskets this week:

Cherry tomatoes
Salad Mix
Kale
Kohlrabi (have you tried it raw? yummy!)
Head of Lettuce
Mint (so good in smoothies)

X-tra Greens: Salad Mix and Sunflower Sprouts

It was nice to be able to offer Cherry tomatoes for our member this week, the plants are doing really well.  Cucumbers not so much and we have planting number two set to go in.

We had lots of lettuce ready this week, it's surprising how nice it was considering the heat...we've been watering like crazy though.

 Such beauties, some cherry tomatoes and Bali on top.

Oda Pepper is new this year.  Seems pretty early too! Can be picked purple but for best flavour red, so i'm taste testing at different stages. Really pretty pepper.

 Tomato picking early in the morning and later in the evening...

 Cucumbers have slowed down significantly and we'll have a second batch in our plant sale greenhouse.

 Awww these two..... Charlie (front) and Donna (back) I am grateful to have the "Chicken Moat/Pasture" this year as it has been very helpful with my rescue dog Donna from Qatar.  She flew to Canada in Dec and i received her January 1rst.  She is a Saluki and like many dogs there was living in the streets with her pups. She's needs a fenced in area and so this has been perfect.  It's been such a rewarding experience.  If you pick up at the house, i'm sure you've seen her in the front window.

Donna living in Al Khor Qatar...with her pups and mate (black dog at back).  Mummy and pups where all lured in with food and found homes. Daddy was a very cautious boy and unfortunately disappeared.

It is obvious the difficult life she had there by all the scars on her body.  She also suffered a huge impact at some point that deformed her pelvis.  The vet doesn't know how she was ever able to deliver pups.  She's one tough lady!

Have a great weekend everyone!