Way too many tomatoes, again

Every year I have the same battle, choosing tomato varities to plant in the garden. Every year I say this will be the year where I settle down and chose 3-4 good varities and stear clear of the over 20 differnt kinds I usually grow. Well once again I didn't listen to my better judgement and have planted 16 different types of tomatoes. It's like trying to decide which child you like better!!! So for your entertainment I'll list all of the varieties we'll be growing for the CSA this season.

Cherry tomatoes: Golden Cherry, Cherry Grande, Sungold, Sun Sugar, Sweet Chelsea, Sweet Olive

Medium - Large slicing: Scotia, Pilgrim, Duchess, Sweet Cluster, First Lady II Hybrid, Quebec, Tigerella

Plum (sauce tomatoes): Viva Italia, Plum Dandy & Roma V.F.N


Approximately 350 seeds in this one tray. Now that's alot of tomato sandwiches

Once the plants reach their first true leaf stage I will be transplanting to a larger tray where each plant will have its own space. For right now seeding like this saves a lot of valuable space in our growing room.

Progress, slow and steady

The peppers and eggplant seedlings are doing very well. The parsley so far has not germinated but it is a fairly slow germinating crop so not to worry yet. Lettuce, green onions, broccoli and tomatoes have all been recently seeded in their growing trays and I am awaiting germination. Our outside greenhouse shed has been recently insulated which will allow the tiny transplants to grow in a sunnier warmer environment than our front sunny living room.

Derek finishing up insulating the shed

If tiny transplants do not get enough direct overhead sun they will become leggy & spindly from searching for the sun. They will also grow stockier and will be more hardy when they eventually get transplanted to the fields if they have more access to the direct overhead sun.


And seeding begins for the 2010 season, eggplant, peppers and parlsey are the first things planted


Pepper seeds


I can almost taste the sweet crunch of a ripe red pepper, yum


Pepper and Eggplant seedlings - 10 days after planting


Tiny eggplant seedlings - 10 days after seeding


Up and close personal with eggplant and pepper seedlings


Music Garlic popping out of the straw


Rhubarb finally making an appearance

And I thought I could do it all!

As the boys are getting older I am quickly realizing my limitations. This time last year I had lots of seeds planted, all paperwork organized and garden planning finished. This year I have a few seeds planted, some paper work organized and a little bit of garden planning done. People used to say "you think your busy now, wait till you have kids", well I always resented those words and I hate to admit it but people were right. While I know I was busy before I had the boys I'm realizing my expectations of being a great mom/wife, organic vegetable farmer, farmers market board member and doing a good job at all were totally off base. I thought "of course I can do it all" how hard could it be? So far this year I have had to leave my position on the board of the farmers market, give up my booth at the farmers market for this coming season, cutback production and keep the CSA membership numbers the same instead of increasing like I had planned. Some days I get overwhelmed when I think of the coming growing season and wonder, can I manage and get all the work done? Luckily I have many sane influences in my life including a great friend Sally who takes time to reassure me that life with kids and farming can be achieved and it might just take awhile before things get back to "normal". Until "normal" returns I've decided to take one day at a time and enjoy the moments as they arrive. Taking more time to play with the boys, making use of every second of nap time by planting seeds, hanging laundry and taking time to enjoy pretty sunsets. The good news is I've survived the first 9 months of being a Mom of twins and I"m still smiling!!!

Honoured to be honoured

Derek and I were honoured this past week by the Federation of Agriculture for the 2010 agriculture awareness award. We were very surprised to receive the call Tuesday saying we had been nominated and chosen to receive this award. It is our first award and we were very excited. We had a great time at the award ceremony which honoured many well deserving farmers and people involved in the agricultural world. We were served a great meal and I think it was the first time since the babies were born 9 months ago that we were both out together after 5pm. We were nominated for the award for several reasons including our work with the Summerside Farmers Market, our direct marketing efforts with the CSA and for participating in last years summer series on CBC's Island Morning show which highlighted our farming adventures from seeding to harvest. Many people commented to use through the summer that it was a great series which people enjoyed listening to. We loved being involved and were very grateful to Karen Mair and the rest of the Island Morning Gang for all their time and efforts making the series a reality. While we feel rather undeserving of the award it is nice to have your efforts noticed and recognized. Now where to hang the award?

In like a Lion

Ben & Jake

March officially came in like a Lion here on the Island. Our trees are covered with ice and the winds blew so hard the other night that I thought for sure the house would be blown away. Thankfully in the morning everything was where it should be minus a few tree limbs which is minor. We have been having extremly mild weather compared to other winters in the past and I can't say that I have minded that at all. I am looking forward to spring and hope it will be an early one.

It looks like we will be missing our annual organic conference for the first time in years. I will be working at the ski park and Derek will be taking care of the boys. It is being held on the Island this year so maybe we'll be able to somehow make it down. Maybe it will rain and work will be cancelled.

About half of my seeds have arrived which is always an exciting time of the year. I ordered from a new company in the states called High Mowing Seeds which carries certified organic products and they were a joy to deal with. I ordered a new piece of equipment called a broad fork from Johnny's Seeds and I'm very excited for its arrival. Ordering from the states can be a bit of an added expense but the selection is greater and often the organic seeds are quite a bit cheaper than at our local seed store.

Here are a few pictures of Ben & Jake a 7.5 months. They are such good little boys, we are so lucky.

Ben


Jake

Work finally begins

Getting started


Checking the level


Pushing back the top soil


Jen & Jake by the dozer checking on progress


Working away

The bulldozer arrived this morning to start our pole barn project. Since moving to the farm in 2006 we knew we would need to build a barn for livestock & equipment storage but its taken awhile for us to actually get it all planned out. We finally agreed on a location and a size and so we booked the dozer and it's out there now pushing back top soil to make the pad for the barn. Derek has gotten a quote for the building so hopefully work will begin soon. I believe it will be 60X40 which hopefully will be big enough.


Derek & Ben checking on the progress

Well, brrrr, the chilly weather has returned. This morning Derek brought me a big slab of ice from a bucket that had been left outside last night. I guess its official, summer clothes out, winter parka, long johns and wool socks are in.

This is our last CSA pick-up week of the season, its hard to believe that 16 weeks have come and gone, it was a great season and we are looking forward to expanding the program next season. We will still be going to the Summerside Market for awhile as we still have lots of farm fresh veggies in the fields.

This week at the market we will have lettuce mix, garlic, onions, spinach, tatsoi, mizuna, komatsuna, carrots, radish and parsnips. We started digging a new patch of carrots and they are so yummy. The variety is called Sweetness III and they sure stand up to their name. We will have samples at the market this weekend so make sure you try them out. So Sweet!!! And back this week due to popular demand we will be bringing creamed honey. Our friends Daniel and Beatrice Ficza who own Honeydew Apiary in Canoe Cove are bee keepers and make excellent creamed and liquid honey. Now that the temperatures have lowered they are able to once again make their creamed honey. Yummy.

Coming up at the Summerside Farmers Market on Saturday October 24th is a fall celebration featuring an amateur pumpkin weigh off and pumpkin decorating contest for kids and adults. So if you have a big pumpkin growing in your garden bring it down October 24th for a chance to be crowned king or queen of the pumpkin patch. Also bring your decorated or carved pumpkins for a chance to win prizes in both children and adult categories.

An exciting new beef CSA opportunity is about to start here on the Island. Our friend Tim Dixon from Tryon who raises Angus Beef on his family farm is starting up a beef CSA and I have attached a PDF flyer that gives more information. If you are unable to open the file his phone number is 432-4771 and e-mail is info@dixonfarms.ca

I've attached a few pictures including a giant turnip we found in the onion patch and some new pics of the boys. They were three months this week.

Take care of each other,

Jen