Talking Garlic at Burt's Greenhouses

Well another weekend...and another event about GARLIC!

This time I traveled to Wilton, ON to Burt's Greenhouses

to see Mr Brian Burt talk all about how they grow garlic.

Brian and Ruth have been growing garlic for sale for 5 years now.

Held in the greenhouse itself, it was a super informative talk.

It was interesting to learn from the growers perspective.

Why they grow what they grow and how.

Brian is a very animated speaker...

so it wasn't until I went to get out of my chair that I realized how long I'd been sitting.

He kept the small group hanging on his every word.

Brian spoke about some of the issues in growing garlic...

such as bulb and root nematodes.

They use french marigolds (as shown behind Brian in the above picture)

to help the garlic fight off the bad nematodes.

He also spoke about leek moths and 

how they spray the garlic in May with beneficial nematodes in the evening to combat this issue.

He grows Cutlass oriental mustard to fight off the pathological nematodes.

He overwinters the garlic in his greenhouses in order to 

maintain a consistent level of moisture and temperature.

He also top dresses the garlic rounds with chipped deciduous wood due to the high tannin content.

Brian mentioned that they specifically grow garlic rounds rather 

than bulbs to help keep the stock safe from pests that prefer a more developed bulb.

All in all it was a great talk that I would highly recommend to anyone interested in growing their own garlic.

It stores well (when properly harvested) and can be enjoyed in almost any dish!

I hope that Brian felt the event was a success and will repeat the event next September.

Verona Garlic Festival 2015

Saturday was the annual Verona Garlic Festival.

It has become quite an event for this community!

Thanks to BearRoot Gardens for this beautiful braid!!!

I just love stocking up on garlic.

Although we tried to grow garlic for the first time this year...

It wasn't a huge success.

Thank goodness for events like this!

Its a place where you can stock up,

Meet the grower and 

Learn something new!

 

There were many many vendors.

They came from all over Ontario!

The vendors were mainly garlic producers...

but they offered so much more!

All kinds of garlic...garlic pesto, garlic dips, marinades, sauces.

But not just garlic!

There was a honey vendor, a hot sauce guy from St Lucia, 

a booth offering wine samples...

The Tai Chi Society was out too.

Small farms trying to get the word out.

Garlic is great!

And shopping locally feels good.

(it tastes even better)

If its within reach, you should definitely make a plan to attend next year's event!

PS.  There were so many vendors offering free samples...

my mouth was certainly burning by the time I left!!!

Life on the Farm....

Not sure if you all remember, but last summer I lost my job.

(Well, I didn't lose it...it just wasn't mine anymore)

I blogged about what a blessing in disguise it was...

I spent the summer hanging out at the beach, playing with my son...

And asking the universe to give me my dream job.

I asked for a job where I was outside.

I wanted exposure, bug bites and sunburns.

I wanted to work in the food production industry.

I wanted to learn more about growing food organically.

I wanted to be happy about going to work and feel like 

I'm making a difference in the way people see food.

And to get paid...that too.

This year...I'm thankful to say I FOUND IT!

As of May 4th, I am now a full time employee at The Kitchen Garden!!!

(If you want to know more about these local guys...and where you can find them...click here)

I'll say this in advance...I won't be sharing any trade secrets.

I won't be talking about their farming practices.

And they do not require me to promote their business.

They DO pay me for my work.

Hard work.

Brutally hard work.

At the end of the first 4 days, I have some thoughts about working at a commercial vegetable farm.

I find farming to be experiential...if you are open to it.

Its transcendental.

Each day my senses were heightened.

I drove home every day exhausted and deliriously happy.

The shower when I got home...BEST SHOWER EVER.

When I finally sat down to eat....BEST MEAL EVER.

When the rain started to drop on my burning arms...BEST RAIN SHOWER EVER.

I learned so much my head was spinning.

I giddily looked forward to my polysporin/bandaid regimen at the end of each day.

I counted up each and every bruise and blister with a sort of pride I hadn't felt before.

As for the actual work...

I tried keeping up with the other full time employee.

The first day or so, I felt woefully slow.

(thinking "these guys are never gonna let me stay")

By the end of day four, I felt like Wonder Woman!!!

I will try to keep track of my experiences throughout the summer.

And don't worry...I'll still be gardening here at home.

So stay tuned for more adventures from this crazy gardening girl.

BIZ SPOTLIGHT: Robert Deroche - Soil Warrior

One overcast morning...I found myself driving to meet someone in Maberly.

It is early spring here and I am not alone when I say I miss the garden.

The earth is shedding its last bits of white.

The soil is waking up everywhere.

Although it wasn't sunny...it was a BEAUTIFUL day for a drive.

I met a man named Robert Deroche.

He had advertised his services in The Frontenac News.

But what caught my eye was the email address 

soilguardians356@gmail.com

(reprinted with Robert's permission)

I had to meet this guy!

I was fortunate enough to get a tour!

He had sprouts all over in his green room.

Wheatgrass, buckwheat, kale...

I was in heaven!

We chatted for hours, like old friends.

I was enthralled listening to his thoughts on "the circle".

Feed the soil, which feeds the food, which in turn feeds us!

Robert shared with me that he had tried unsuccessfully to grow carrots.

It wasn't until he waded into the world of vermicomposting that things turned around.

"I tried three times (to grow carrots) and then every year I do rotating, 

the carrots came back to this garden and last year 400 pounds of carrots 

and beets so this is really amazing stuff to me."

Worm castings

Wikipedia says:  

1. Vermicompost is the product or process of composting using various worms, usually red wigglers, white worms, and other earthworms to create a heterogeneous mixture of decomposing vegetable or food waste, bedding materials, and vermicast (poo).

 By using worms to break down organic material, 

the compost is formed much quicker than traditional composting.

Think of it like you are hiring some labourers to compost for you!

Compost tea contraption

Not only can you use the castings (poo) in your garden around your plants,

 but you can also make compost tea!

Used in a ratio of at least 5:1 water to castings, this brew can be used directly on the plants.

(except stuff like peppers...who don't like getting wet on their leaves anyway)

Way better than hosing your garden with herbicides or steroids!

Speaking about those commercial things you could spray on your garden, he says,

"You set up a situation where you're dependent upon those inputs to maintain your garden."

Robert has a pretty high tech contraption for making compost tea.

He has his reasons.

It's all about the oxygen, baby!

Robert's sifting contraption

We continued the tour in the basement of his home.

I was shown the sifter he uses to separates out the woodier parts of the soil.

Secret worm food

He also has a secret formula to feed the worms.

Don't worry...worm composters don't really require these special amendments.

He just spoils his worms with some of the best stuff going.

I won't ruin his trade secret...you'll have to talk to Robert about that.

Worms hotel

Housed in long crates...his worms are hard at work!

Robert uses red wigglers and African wrigglers.

There is a tiny sliver of silver - that's a worm toddler!

Not sure if you can see it but there is a tiny silver sliver on his finger

(above the dirt clump)

Its a worm larvae!

When you gently move the soil around, you can actually see

many of the forms worms can take.

Worm castings

Not only was Robert welcoming, but a gratious host.

I was able to part with a bucket of castings...complete with worms!

Super juice!

He also served up some of his pressed juice made with vegetables he grew last year.
It was kale, carrot, ginger, apple and I'm sure I'm forgetting something.
It was delicious nonetheless!

He pulled out a Brix meter.

After he explained how it worked...I am now convinced it is the future of food production.

Wikipedia says:

Degrees Brix (symbol °Bx) is the sugar content of an aqueous solution. One degree Brix is 1 gram of sucrose in 100 grams of solution and represents the strength of the solution as percentage by mass

(We tested the juice he made)

Its amazing to think that not all veggies are the same.

The tomato you bought in the store has very low nutritional content,

compared to one grown in the castings of worms and fed worm compost tea.

The difference is astronomical!

Here is a chart:

Considering much of what we get at the grocery store has traveled very far to get to us,

doesn't it hurt that they would then sell us food listed less than poor on the Brix chart?

I believe that in the future, we won't have foods sporting ORGANIC labels any more.

We'll be checking to see what Brix rating it has!!!

*****************

All in all, Robert is an enthusiastic lover of gardens, worms and the path to overall health.

It was a treat to meet him and share in the information he has gathered.

Get in touch with this guy if you are at all interested in learning more about

-Worm composting (Vermicomposting)

-Juicing

-organic gardening on a whole new level

-Brix meters

Use the above posted email address for more information...

Robert's Recommends:

Charles Eisenstein "Sacred Economics"

http://sacred-economics.com/

Dr Elaine Ingham  "SFI"

http://www.soilfoodweb.com/

PS.  I couldn't resist...I started a worm farm with the worms I was gifted!

Ed Lawrence invades Verona...

At the beginning of April, I had the opportunity to

attend a speaking event

featuring Ed Lawrence.

I have to admit, I have never caught Ed's radio show on CBC.

I was worried it would be all talk about flowers.

Boy was I wrong!

This man was very humble and approachable.

A gardener with a liberal dose of puns.

As his front flap bio goes, Ed just retired from his position of the last 30 years.

He was the Chief Horticultural Specialist to the Canadian Political world.

I bought his book and he was kind enough to sign it for me.

It was 2pm on a Saturday.

All of the winter-worn gardeners gathered at the Trinity United Church in Verona.

Everyone just giddy to be talking about planting.

 

Ed gave a rousing talk about his favorite and, 

as he puts it, a very misunderstood and mishandled tool, 

the hand trimmer.

After his 20 mins, he took questions submitted before the talk

and took over and hour to patiently answer every

single one of them.

From reviving house plants and flowers outside in the garden,

to vegetables and trees, to getting rid of pests like deer and voles.

This guy seemed to know everything!

He had along a friend too.

(But he wasn't nearly as informative)

Ed gave words of wisdom on such a variety of topics.

I understand it played out much like his radio show.

People phoned in with a random question, generally around a topic of the day.

Today we just wanted to talk about anything but snow.

Afterwards there was a immense amount of delectable sweets and confections.

Tickets were $15 and well worth it. 

The whole event was put on as a fundraiser for the Grandmothers by the Lake.

If you want to know more about what this amazing organization does...click here.

Basically, the grandmothers are raising their grandchildren in Africa.

A whole generation is being lost due to HIV and AIDS.

The women of those countries cannot own land, work or get health care benefits.

The grandmothers here and all over Canada, through the Stephen Lewis Foundation,

are constantly fundraising to help these courageous women. 

My seedlings are popping up at home...and the positive gardening vibes continue...

Pickin Punkins...and other Fall things...

Every year we buy pumpkins locally...that is, when we aren't growing them of course!

I try to avoid the big box stores...there is something weird about paying 99 cents for a big pumpkin...

It's mostly to support the local growers, but its also weird to see something so giant be so cheap.

So we drove a short way to Silverbrook's Garden Center at 3071 Rutledge Rd  in Sydenham.

http://www.silverbrookgardencentre.com/

It was the Friday before Hurricane Sandy hit.

They were calling for storms, high winds and of course rain.

For some reason, Friday didn't listen and it was GORGEOUS!

The sun was shining...the air was warm...like spring.

Owen was all over the pumpkins.

Picking out a proper pumpkin is like a scientific process.

And heavy!

We loaded up one of the push carts that Silverbrook offers its customers.

Here's Owen already dreaming about the things we shall carve into them.

Not to mention the pies we'll make and the seeds we'll roast!

Silverbrooks also had some pretty cool looking squashes and gourds.

(Great for natural decorating for your centerpiece!)

The funniest part of the trip was when Owen spied a huge box of apples.

They had a few kinds to choose from but Owen dove right in to the Empire apples.

(medium sweet apples)

The lady was just about to say that Owen could try one...but he was already munching away...

We grabbed 8 pumpkins in total as well as a basket of apples.

Silverbrook is a wonderful spot...we love to go there on occassion to buy seedlings that we don't start from seed, antiques, candles and other produce as it comes into season.

It really has an old fashioned feel to the place.  Like you've stepped back in time.

No one is wearing costumes, but you'll be pleased with the personable service and friendly folks you'll meet.

The pumpkins we bought went right into our front yard for decorating, but now that Halloween is over, I'll be bringing them in for a future post on how to cook and prepare pumpkin mash for the freezer for baking.

Not to mention a post on roasting seeds!

The apples are already gone...they were good!!!

Where did you get your pumpkins?

Corn Maze!

Owen and I had the opportunity to try out a corn maze recently.

I had never been to a corn maze...but I'd always wanted to.

Corn mazes are a wonderful way to spend an afternoon outside, enjoying nature, supporting local business, supporting your local food producers and after the maze season is over...the farmers harvest the corn!

We were in Brighton visiting my Mom at her cottage in Presqu'ile Park.

She introduced us to Cricklewood Farm...

It was a lot more than just a corn maze!

We showed up on a fairly hot day and we were sure to bring lots of cold drinks.

We went into the farm store to see what we needed to know before starting out on the corn maze trek.

Above, Owen is pictured with the info board inside the farm store.

We were greeted by some very friendly ladies who explained everything we needed to know.

There were a few rules to follow while in the maze:

-no smoking

-no running, no bare feet

-do not pick corn

-no short cuts (it damages the maze)

-an adult must accompany anyone 15 yrs or younger

-dogs must be leashed and scooped

-no drugs or alcohol (its trippy enough in that maze without extras!)

They gave us some take away pamphlets with more information.

Not just about the corn, Cricklewood farm features lots of produce including many, many kinds of apples.

I had no idea there were this many kinds of apples!?!?!

Owen was really getting into the whole experience!

(Pictured here with apple picking carts)

Cricklewood farms has dwarf trees for easy pick your own apples.

They are also introducing some experimental types...ready in the next few years.

There's no stopping Owen...on with the corn maze already!

The corn maze itself was amazing!  (sorry about the pun)

There were 2 mazes to try:  one was a small toddler maze, which took about 15mins max.

The other was the giant 6 acre maze that took an hour and a bit.

The toddler maze featured little sign posts that detailed the life of "Kernie the Kernel"

We read all about how Kernie starts as a seed, gets planted, then grows up to be a big strong corn plant with lots of healthy ears.

The giant maze offered something similar, but way more involved.

We were given a sheet all about this year's corn maze theme.  There were word searches, definitions, wildlife in trouble and a cross word.  All activities were centered around wildlife.

Above is a selection of the mazes of the past. 

Each year they design a new one and an aerial picture is added to the large collection. 

This year, Cricklewood Farms partnered with the CWF (Canadian Wildlife Federation) to produce this year's theme "The American Badger".

Once finished the maze, we were happy to find the rest area for visitors to the farm.

A picnic area...

An apple maze you trace with your finger to help the worm get to the center of the apple and back out again...

A hay mountain (which the brochure states is for kids and adults)...

And those boards your put your head through and take pictures...my pumpkin!

All in all it was a great afternoon!

I urge you to check out some wonderous fall activities, which can include, but are not limited to:

-pumpkin patches

-apple picking

-corn mazes

These activities can be found at your local pick your own farm...

or click on the link below:

http://www.pumpkinpatchesandmore.org/CAONpumpkins.php

Don't forget the apple cider!!!