Tag Archives: local food
The Lost Art of Food Preservation
As mentioned in an earlier blog, we had a blessed growing season on our little mixed farm in 2019. We did have some sub-par production, i.e. orchard fruit, potatoes, tomatoes, kale. But the advantage of mixed farming is that other produce makes up the difference. No one starves, for sure! Many 21st Century households […]
The 2019 Report Card on the Farm
This is my second full year of living on our 5-acre mixed farm on southern Vancouver Island in British Columbia. As you know, we are primarily a fruit and berry farm, with several varieties of each. The owner, Norrie, is a former schoolteacher and now in his 80’s. He’s still amazingly active on the farm. […]
The Miracle of Rain
It’s always amazed me when weather announcers on TV or radio almost uniformly apologize when forecasting upcoming rain. As if rain is going to irrevocably ruin the next days’ activities or permanently scar kids’ psychics when an outdoor sport is impacted or postponed. Oh, my weekend plans are disrupted. News flash. Without rain, there is […]
The Satisfying Busyness of Farming
Farm life is busy life. Always something to do. As with any activity that becomes consuming, the hours go by quickly. The days seem even more so. But it is a good kind of busy. Here on Rosemeade Farm, a berry and fruit U-Pick, we have 5 acres and is half in ‘production’. A couple […]
The Blessed Alternative to Irrigation
We take a lot of things for granted in this life, especially in our convenient, 21st century society. A society where food somehow miraculously appears before our eyes – whether on the grocery shelf, kitchen counter, drive-thru window, or restaurant table. Many of us, mostly the Gen-Xers and younger, are oblivious to where this amazing […]
Warm Days Return to the Farm
It has taken a while to arrive, but the days are now sunny and warm. A far cry from 16 inches of snow during late winter. It seems like the melt was only a couple of days ago. Where do the days go! As you know, the further north one travels, the longer is […]
Wastefulness and the West
It’s probably not earthshaking news to say that we live in a world full of waste. With food alone, the stats are out there concluding that what we throw away in developed countries could feed the entire world…and more. Look around you at everything we toss. Daily. Sometimes we simply don’t notice, because it is […]
The Quiet Days of a Canadian Winter
It’s winter here on the farm. I suppose it could be categorized as quieter days, more restful days — but this is all relative. The plants are resting, and so I feel justified to relax a bit more also. This is the lull before the spring push of new growth, blossoms, and fruit. Yes, daylight […]
Eating Local – Very Local (Part 2)
Having just come off seven days, of ‘eating only what is grown on our farm’, my appreciation of a true pioneer family is immense. My last blog set the stage, and these are a few nuggets I learned. A vegetable garden is essential for self-sufficiency. It’s probably the most important piece of ground on the […]
Eating Local – Very Local (Part 1)
I recently embarked on a food security exercise. Most of you know that I live on a small (5 acre) farm, with assorted berries, fruit, and a vegetable garden. Last week, I committed to eating foods that were only grown on our farm. With my interest in food and emergency preparedness, I wanted to glimpse […]
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