June 8 - 15, 2011: Weeding and Planting

This past week was filled with emergency weeding sessions and lots of planting. We started the week weeding the carrots and beets that we did not finish at the end of the previous week. Over the weekend when I was in Vancouver for the markets, there was a hot spell here in Cawston, so the weeds shot up very quickly in our absence!

I have learned that one of the good sides of weeding and thinning, is that most of what we weed and thin is edible. In fact, sometimes we bring lamb's quarters to market, which is a eaten most often as a salad green, but on the farm it is primarily a weed between our crops. Similarly, in order to grow full beets, the plants must be thinned when they are young. The baby beets are also edible as greens, so after one morning of thinning I came home at lunch time with a stuffed bag and armful stuffed with baby beet greens. Our fridge was very full for a good many days until I pureed the greens to make a delicious coconut curry beet green soup!
We also started last week planting squash. It was the first time I have planted something directly from seed. I learned that you generally want to plant the seed at a depth of three times the seed size. It doesn't matter what direction the seed is facing, but it was important to give it ample space within the mulch so that the seeds germinate and grow. I was fascinated that I didn't know a good number of the varieties of squash we planted and look forward to learning more about them when they grow.

In order to seed one of our fields that is pestered with bindweed, a weed that would tangle itself around our plants, we had to lay out huge rolls of black nylon sheets to mitigate the weed growth. Also, the reason that it has been so important to get the squash seeds into the ground is because we must make sure that the squash can reach their maturity before the first frost. At this point, we are supposedly close to that deadline based on the weather patterns from previous years.

On Wednesday we harvested for the market at Main Street in Vancouver. We had red and gold beets, green onions, kale, salad mix and eggs available for sale. We also harvested collards, which I didn't realize were the leaves of any plant from the collard family - collard is short for colewart which means 'cabbage plant'. The collard family includes broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabi, cabbage, kale and brussel sprouts. This is just proof again that one can use everything a plant has to offer in some way.

Planting continued throughout the week. We have planted eggplants, melons, zucchini, lettuce, celery, celeriac, fennel, tomatoes, basil, parsley, tomatillos and peppers. Obviously, or maybe not so obviously, we have planted a plethora of varieties of each of these food types. The reason I say maybe not so obviously, is because though I again consider myself a foodie, I have been completely ignorant of so many of the cultivars of these plants, and I can see how this fact might be overlooked by readers.

We finally returned to the wind-swept tomato field to mitigate the damage done by the heavy windstorm in early May. Though the surviving plants are thriving, I would say that farmer Annamarie's 50% loss estimate was fairly accurate. Some rows were more than 50% lost while others maybe only 10% loss. Hopefully our later transplants are able to catch up and start producing.

The weeds also shot up in the chicken fields, so we got in there to mow down the brush to keep it under control. One of the added benefits is that you can also find hidden nests then too! Here you can see that a few chickens found a deep patch of grass to make their nest, but it was only revealed after the weeds were mowed.


The last bit of exciting news is that the field of garlic at the front of the house has just started to scape. This means we will have garlic scapes at the market soon!

Farm Folk City Folk Magazine

I have been a member of Farm Folk City Folk for about three years now. The non-for-profit organization works to connect rural 'folk' and urban 'folk' through a number of different projects, events and communication networks. The ultimate goal is to support local and organic agriculture systems and ensure their longevity in our province.

FFCF have recently released the first issue of their quarterly magazine with the goal of better connecting with their members about contemporary and long-discussed ideas and concerns about food. I have found the articles to be quite interesting and relevant to the issues I discuss in my blog. I encourage you to check them out.

Happy reading!

Farm Folk City Folk Magazine

First Market Weekend

Finally a free moment to catch up. Today is the first 'free day' I have allowed myself in over three weeks and boy is it nice to wake up without the sound of your alarm chiming in your ear...even if it still is at 6.00 am.

Last weekend I had the pleasure of attending my first market weekend in Vancouver. At Klippers Organics, they retail all their goods directly through farmers' markets. The benefit of selling directly to the customers, is that you fully benefit the retail prices, you have the opportunity to hear first hand what your customers are looking for and to meet special requests, and you are also able to answer all questions about the production of your products - in other words, the food is transparent.

However, on the same side, Klippers needs to make the four hour trek twice a week to Vancouver in order to service the four markets to which they sell - Main Street (Wednesdays), West End & Trout Lake (Saturdays), and Kitsilano (Sundays). On Friday, after a full day of harvesting, we packed up the truck and trailor once the heat had started to subside and started the drive to the city. Given I was staying at a friend's in the city, and Kevin and Annamarie stay in Chilliwack, it was a long Friday to say the least.

Saturday morning, again up at the break of dawn, we started setting up our goods at 7.00 am at Trout Lake. In the city, Klippers has what I call their 'urban workers' or otherwise known as their market volunteers. These lot help staff the markets in exchange for some delicious organic produce. At Trout Lake I was introduced to long-time helpers Alex (the almost 7' giant you will see at market with us), Marley (the apple chip lady) and Natasha (a former apprentice and the cashier girl).

The team was fun and certainly knowledgeable about the routine. Right away we started unloading the truck and setting out the food for sale and creating our temporary store in Trout Lake park. I was charged with organizing the 50 (unsure of exact number) or so varieties of tomato plants we had for sale. (I have since asked Annamarie for the list of all our tomato varieties so that come harvest time I will be able to better speak to the tomatoes we have for sale. There are a lot to memorize.)

One of the important aspects for me this first weekend, other than to see the setup and the general sale process, was to get better aquainted with the prices of our products. We sell bunches (about 8 stalks) of kale and collards for $2.50, salad mix was $5.00 a bag, kohlrabi was also $5.00, $6.00 for a dozen eggs and apples from last fall were selling for $1.99/lb. You can certainly see that people are willing to pay well for good food and that making the trip to Vancouver does guarantee competative retail prices for the farmers.

That being said, what we can sell all depends on what we could harvest. The saying, the early bird gets the worm, is certainly applicable when it comes to market. Very quickly we sold out of zucchini, cucumber, tarragon, kohlrabi, kale, and chard. When it is so early in an already inconsisten meteoroligical season, there are only so many pieces of these items to go around.

I focused my attention on keeping our shelves stoked, answering peoples questions (which I will get back to) and observing the shoppers. I would describe the Trout Lake crowd as a combination of food enthusiasts, organic activists, well-to-do urbanites and concerned moms. I would like to say that a good number of hte customers going by had their babies or toddlers with them, as they searched for appropriate and healthy food to feed their children.

By attending more markets, you will also be able to tell how 'current events' and the weather affect the turnout at markets. You can't seel to people if they don't show up in the 5 hour window of buying time available. On this particular Saturday, we were selling fast because everyone was out in anticipation of the Canucks second Stanley Cup playoff game at Rogers Arena as well as the fact that is was sunny for the first time in a while. This means sales!

One of the most enjoyable aspects of attending market, was talking to people and answering their questions. Being in the field all week, I was the expert about what was going on at the farm and when certain products could be expected from us. HOWEVER, it also made me realize how uninformed many people are about food, even those who shop at farmers' markets. I had one lady come up and ask when apple season was in the Okanagan as she was looking at our not-perfectly-crispy apples. Now I learned that apples are a fall fruit when I was about 4 years old at school. I don't know how this information has overlooked this woman or how she has not been able to observe the arrival of 'local' apples in stores every fall, but this experience sure did make my eyes open to the level of ignorance that exists around food.

The week prior to going to the market, I was on the fence about my future as a farmer. I am loving my experience here, but I believe being in the Similkameen 'bubble' alloud me to forget how important the work we are doing here is for society. Attending the markets reinvigorated my enthusiasm for farming and organic food. I was able to see again the people with whom I share their food values and those with whom I do not. I was also able to see the appreciation from buyers that someone is doing the hard work required to provide them with safe and nutritious food.

The combination of wanting to be able to have all the answers for our consumers, to provide the best and most diverse crop, and to provide the best shopping experience has renewed my enthusiasm for farming and allowed me to work harder at the tasks we are assigned. I can't wait to be back at market too, and share my knowledge first hand.

No National Park

It seems very apt that the feature story of this month's Explore magazine (to which I have a subscription) "The Best of Our 42 National Parks: A Complete Adventure Guide", given that I have wanted to discuss the issue of national parks for a few weeks now.

One of the first billboards of note you see when you enter the Similkameen Valley is a home-made 'No National Park' sign. Back in February when I came to visit, I thought that these signs were only lcoated on the reserve land around these parts and that the 'No National Park' strugggle was primarily one being had between the First Nations and the federal government for control of local land, but as it turns out, the battle is between completely different parties.

Briefly, because Cawston is located in a unique geo-climatic environment, and the national government has mandated that we have a national park to represent each of our various climates, there has been a long time battle between opposing parties to try and make the area surrounding my current place of residence a national park. It turns out that some of the primary opponents to this land conversion are the cattle ranchers who currently use the land to graze their cows.

For a complete overview of the issue, please read the following article:

"Conservationists Present Urgent Call for Establishment of National Park"

So all of this talk about making a new national park got me thinking about what side I would be on: to establish a new park or to fight against its establishment. I can see valid arguments for both sides. If I were to live elsewhere, I would say definitely make part of this environment a national park. We should have representation of all our climates saved for future generations, plus it will give me additional places to explore this beautiful country.

However, living here, you realize some of the new burdens converting the land into a national park would impose such as new regulations for fishing, hiking, or foraging on land that was previously unregulated and so available to all to use as they pleased.

Harvesting and Planting

New cucumber that we will let grow and a plant head that needs to be removed.

Our new German roomate Vanessa and Manon washing the beets for market.

Learning to harvest the zucchini.

A collection of the greens we have ready to go to market.

Manon teaching me how to harvest the kale.

Pepper plants in the ground.

This week has been filled with many new foods.

Today was harvest day. We started the work day at 6.00 am in an attempt to beat the heat in the greenhouses – in past weeks we have been sweating buckets trying to get the greens and lettuces harvested for market because of the heat.

This morning we first cut all the greens and lettuces in the two back greenhouses and then moved across the street to harvest, kale, collards, cucumbers, zucchini, rainbow chard, and kohlrabi. I have never harvested any of the latter products before, so I was excited to be working with these plants.

For kale and collards I learned that you can harvest all the large leaves from the main stem of the plant leaving about three leaves to regenerate the plant in future weeks. Kale is one of my favourite greens, so I was surprised to see how easily the leaves came off the stem in the greenhouses. I later learned, when we were bunching the kale and collards, that those that were harvested from outside were much hardier and less delicate than those in the greenhouse. I am unsure if it is because of the speed at which they grow inside under much hotter conditions, or just the fact that they are protected from the elements that the leaves do not harden up as much as they do outside. We also learned it is important to harvest both greens with their leaf stem attached otherwise we will have to sell ‘kale balls’ and ‘collard balls’ at market – a product that will be available this weekend actually!

Rainbow chard, chard with stems that are yellow, red and orange, are collected similarly, but the focus is more on the big leaves, so you are leaving many more leaves behind to grow for future weeks.

The zucchini plants are producing lots of zucchini. I learned a few years ago that the way to be successful with zucchini is to keep harvesting so that the plant keeps producing for you. We collected about a crate of 8 – 10 inch long zucchini and there are many more to come. To harvest the zucchini you need to cut it from the plant at the base being careful not to slice any of the flowers or other zucchini. Then, because the vegetable is so delicate, especially the skin, you need to lay down a matt in your crate to protect from scrapes as well as lay the zucchini with their cut ends facing out so that those tougher parts don’t knick the other zucchini. Even if you hold the zucchini too tight, you will start to see the water coming out. Be careful!

I had worked in the greenhouse earlier in May de-suckering the tomato plants, and didn’t even realize that we also had cucumber plants in there. The cucumbers plants are growing vertically and not on the ground as I have most often seen them. As we harvested the cucumbers, long English and baby ……, we had to go through and de-sucker the plants as well. Basically at every leaf join, a cucumber grows out as well as a new plant head that would allow the plant to spread all over the ground. But, because we are more interested in the vegetables, we remove these heads to force the plant to pouring all it’s energy into growing the cucumbers instead of spreading its reach.

The afternoons this week have been filled with planting. Yesterday we planted a number of varieties of peppers, and today we planted kohlrabi (green and pink), green cabbage, red cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli in the field directly outside the house. We were filling four rows where corn had been planted but then only sporadically germinated because of a cold spell. Once mature, these rows will be like shopping in a produce aisle. I can’t wait.

Last bit of information is with regards to weeding. Yesterday we spent a good number of hours weeding carrots, parsnips, turnip and green onions. The section in which these were planted has not been covered with black plastic mulch as have our other sections. As a result, I have changed my mind about my least favourite weeding activity, and it is now weeding green onions without plastic mulch. It is so difficult to see the tiny onions in the jungle of weeds that are able to grow because of their access to light, that the job becomes very very slow and tedious. The carrots, parsnips and turnip were not bad because they are distinctive as seedlings, but the onions were difficult. When we asked farmer Annamarie why the mulch had not been used on this field, she said it was to test the differences and show the benefit of using the mulch. Point taken!

Sasquatch! Music Festival 2011

Karly, Brody and I doing the North Star sign - our group sign for the weekend.

The audience for Foster the People.

The view directly behind the mainstage. We had beautiful sunsets at night. The Gorge is seriously a spectacular venue.

I have recently returned from an epic four day weekend celebrating music and the great outdoors with a group of genuinely fabulous people. From May 26 - May 30, 2011 I was camping at the Gorge in the state of Washington to participate in the 10th annual Sasquatch! Music Festival.

This was my second year attending the festival, though this year's experience far exceeded the one of last year. Though I am all one for encouraging people to go to concerts by themselves, a music festival is definitely an event where you need to be surrounded by a group of similar minded people with good energy and a positive outlook on every situation in order for you to have non-stop fun.

I was lucky enough to tag along with two of my cousins that I have until now not been able to hang out with extensively, so the weekend was a much appreciated time to reconnect with family and meet some new friends.

Though I have a number of stories and memories that I will keep with me for years to come, the important part of the weekend was the music. In four days I saw an impressive 41 different acts (which may be about a third of the total acts that were present at the festival).

Here are the highlights (with band descriptions from the Sasquatch program):

Foo Fighters: American alternative rock band. Dave Grohl is a fantastic frontman as is drummer Taylor Hawkins. The Foo Fighters were certainly the most popular headliner present and their performance did not dissapoint. "Foo Fighters' recently released seventh album, Wasting Light, was recorded entirely on analog tape in the garage of Dave Grohl's home in California's San Fernando Valley. Nirvana co-founder Krist Novoselic makes a cameo, while lontime extended Foo Fighters family member Pat Smear now joins the permanent core of Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, Nate Mendel and Chris Shiflett."

The Head and The Heart: This 2009-formed indie folk-pop group from Seattle, Washington was a pleasant surprise. We happened to be hanging out at the main stage when they came on and everyone was blown away by their melodies, vocals and instrumentals. "The Head and the Heart write and play songs that recall a folksy Beatles or Crosby Stills Nash & Young with more instrumental force. Catchy piano melodies stand side-by-side with a tight trio of harmonies, and solid minimalist drums, groovin' bass and plenty of hand percussion and foot stomps to make the live show inspiring and really goddamn fun."

Dan Mangan: Vancouver-based indie folk-rock singer-songwriter. "Brimming with subtle images and irreverent wit, Dan Mangan has a knack for making what is quaint seem universal and what is universal, seem quaint. His gravelled voice conveys a rare type of honestly, a gft that seems to transcend demographics. There's no facade; here's a talented, hard-working and unpretentious musician with a poet's way of seeing through absurdity." Listen to 'Robots Need Love Too'.

Wolf Parade: Indie rock band from Montreal, Quebec. Expo 86 is the name of Wolf Parade's most recent album. These boys seriously rocked their set and I don't think I've danced so hard in a long time.

Matt & Kim: Dance punk duo from Brooklyn, New York. This pair were a party. The program says that the band's live shows are legendary, and look more like dance parties than traditional concerts and blur the line between musician and listener. I would have to agree with this statement. I had so much fun watching their set because Matt & Kim were just so hyper and happy! At one point Kim, the drummer, comes out into the crowd (literally steps her foot out into the crowd for spectators can hold her up) to do a booty dance. The music was fabulous as well, though I am interested to see what it sounds like without being mesmerized by the performance of the pair in front of me.

Fitz & the Tantrums: American soul group from Los Angeles, California. "Since their first show at Hollywood's Hotel Cafe in December 2008, Fitz & the Tantrums have toured with Maroon 5 and played to thousands all on the strength of their stellar five-song EP, Spongs for a Breakup, Vol. 1. The recipe for meteoric success has been six killer musicians, five dapper suits, irresistible songs, some serendipity and one vintage organ." You definitely felt like you could be in the south listening to this group belt out gospel soul music.

Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears: Blues band from Austin, Texas. Possessing the kind of gritty attitude and deliciously greasy groove-consciousness that'd pass muster in the toughest juke joint, Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears have drawn attention from their hometown tastemakers - the Austin Chronicle marveled at Lewis' ability to "spit lyricas in short bursts of aggression like bricks at glass windows."

Cold War Kids: American indie rock band from Long Beach, California. "Cold War Kids began with friends, jangly guitar, hand-claps and a Harmony amp in a storage room atop Mulberry Street restaurant in downtown Fullerton, California. The band strives to make honest songs about human experience. They love the songs of Bob Dylan, Nina Simone and the Velvet Underground and make their own, which the band likes to think, are pretty original."

Yeasayer: Experimental rock/psychedellic pop band from Brooklyn, New York. "Last year's Odd Blood found Yeasayer playing at a blistering pace, yet never sacrificing depth or content. It is immediately evident that the Brooklyn band has advanced in songwriting as well as sonic craft. One thing is certain: Yeasayer are accomplished audiologists who are willing to pilfer decades of pop sensibilities and cultural history to create something that is uniquely their own."

Ratatat: New York City electronic duo. "For its latest album, LP4, Ratatat incorporated even more sounds and instruments into the mix, working for the first time with a full string section which they recorded at Glassworks Studios in Manhattan. The band has also watched its hip-hop production develope from a hobby into mainstream commercial success, with two tracks featured on Kid Cudi's debut album." This concert was a late-night performance and could only be described as 'trippy'. The duo both rocked their electronic guitars to unusual beats and electronic sounds that forced you to move along to the rythms. In the background, they showed a number of 'psychedellic' images that had you mesmerized. I don't think they acknowledged the crowd once, but they certainly had everyone captivated and moving.

Chromeo: Montreal-based electrofunk duo. "Chromeo is slick . Chromeo is dripping with reverb. Chromeo is Moog riffs, luxurious harmonies, macho guitar solos and real-deal songcraft. Chromeo is Pee Thug and Dave 1, best friends since adolescence, virtuoso musicians, walking hip-hop encyclopedias and the only successful Arab/Jew partnership since the danw of human culture. The duo's latest, Business Casual, is quite simply the most smoothed-out, hook-heavy, unabashed lovers' funk since...Chromeo's last album, actually." Definitely a festival highlight for me.

Foster the People: Indie pop/indie rock band from Los Angeles, California. "Almost immediately upon forming last October, Foster the People gained a critical mass among regulars of West Hollywood's notorious Viper Room, National Public Radio subscribers and even Mark Ronson. Blessed with a knack for melody, boogie-time beats and an ornate electronic detail, Foster the People crafts a sound ideal for a fantasy backyard barbecue with the Strokes, Vampire Weekend, MGMT and Daft Punk as guests."

The Decemberists: Indie folk rock band from Portland, Oregon. "With their sixth album, The King is Dead, the Decemberists illustrate the power that comes from this creative call-and response, performing mostly-acoustic arrangements that showcase a bandt hat is just as glorious in simple, concise compositions as it is in teh elaborate structures that have defined it for years." The Decemberists were my festival favourite and who I was most excited to see. Their music is moving and emotional. Plus, one of the musician dressed up as a russian Sasquatch and ended up scatting - it was glorious.

The complete list: Mariachi el Bronx; Bob Mould; The Bronx; Death From Above 1979; Foo Fighters; Seattle Rock Orchestra; Alberta Cross; The Radio Dept.; The Head and The Heart; Aloe Blacc; Dan Mangan; Wolf Parade; Wye Oak; The Antlers; Iron & Wine; Matt & Kim; Robyn; Death Cab for Cutie; Bassnectar; Smith Westerns; Wheedle's Groove; Fitz & The Tantrums; Tokyo Police Club; Sam Roberts Band; Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears; Cold War Kids; Flogging Molly; The Flaming Lips; Yeasayer; MSTRKRFT; Ratatat; Twin Shadow; Old 97's; Chromeo; White Arrows; White Denim; Foster the People; Rodrigo y Gabriela; !!!; The Decemberists; Deerhunter



Living in Cawston, I opted to meet my fellow festival goers at the Gorge - especially since the drive is only about 4 hrs from Cawston including the border wait while it is significantly longer from Vancouver.

On the way, I had the pleasure of seeing beautiful landscapes along a series of backcountry highways in the state of Washington. Included on this travel was a dried out waterfall which has carved out a beautiful canyon valley through which I drove south. Above is a picture of the head of the waterfall which, according to the tourist information, would dwarf Niagara Falls if it were still in commission.

Weeding, Thinning, Planting and Manure

Time is flying by here on the farm. Bonnie, my long-time friend, said to me yesterday that we have already been in Cawston for 28 days. It is amazing how much we have done already in this time, though I wish she could stay so that we could continue to explore the beautiful Okanagan.

Last week on the farm we continued to do the work we had started a few weeks earlier and finished up quite a few jobs. We finished planting the tomato plants finally, then moved on to planting a couple of rows of basil which are currently still looking a little yellow. I learned when we plant the basil to remove the heads of the plant to encourage them to bulk up.

I spent an afternoon mowing one of our peach orchards, because we have moved right away into thinning the peaches which I have been told will grow much more quickly than the apricots have (which is very fast in my opinion). The peaches also need to be given much more space to grow than the apricots were, so we are thinning quite extensively. We are giving them a space from about your thumb tip to your pinkie tip while extended. Seeing how full the apricot trees are now that the apricots have grown, it barely seems like we thinned them at all. I have taken this as a lesson for the peaches - take off more than you think you should.

We spent some time weeding the onions which are also growing fast, though not as quickly as the weeds. I was recently away for five days and I can't believe how much everything grew in my absence.

The last job for this week was cleaning out the chicken coup - great. The birds were all chased out and we started piling the manure into wheel barrels to take over to the compost heap. If you have never been in a chicken coop, when you unsettle the layer upon layer of straw and crap (excuse my language) that has been leveled down, the smell is suffocating. But the job had to be done and it was quite rewarding when we had sorted the spaces out for the birds.