I woke up this morning to saddening news. Federal scientists confirm that Alberta oilsands tailings ponds are leaking, polluting ground water and seeping into the Athabasca River. This is not new news. This didn’t just happen yesterday. But this news is important because federal scientists are saying it, and not just maligned environmental groups. This […]
Environment under Siege Read More »
Wow, this season has been going by in a hurry. It’s been a great growing season so far…fingers crossed that this continues! I’ve been even more lax than usual updating this blog. Running the farm on my own this year, with part-time help from my neighbour Dave, has been really great, but also super busy.
Field work this year started with a bang in late April when the weather went from very wet and cold to hot and sunny. Today’s actually been the first day of real rain since the beginning of May. Before the weather change, I could barely get on the field (mostly too wet) and only managed
Field and Plantings Read More »
This is the farm’s brochure for this year. I’m very lucky to have a super talented designer for a sister 🙂 I’ve also added a new ‘FAQs’ page (see sidebar). Email info@justblacksheep.com if you’re interested in subscribing for this year. This is the story of my journey into sustainable agriculture. From the streets of downtown
New brochure for 2013 Read More »
Agnes had twin black boy lambs on February 23! One of them looks like he’ll be turning white soon…the black just seems to be on the tips of his fleece. So far, they seem healthy and happy over at my friend Kristine’s farm where they’re being boarded for the winter due to last season’s hay
2013 CSA Vegetable Subscriptions now available! Read More »
I apologize for the extreme gap in blog posting…it’s a testament to the craziness that was 2012. I went from a tough, but ultimately successful, vegetable season, to a 2.5 month dream project that’s just wrapping up now. First, last season. I think I’ve written enough about its difficulties, so I’ll just say that many
It’s starting to feel like I only get a chance to write a blog once in a blue moon…which we’ll actually have for real Friday night! Much has happened since my last, rather downtrodden, blog post. First off, there has been rain 🙂 And the weather cooled down a bit, though the next few days
Once in a Blue Moon… Read More »
Today is a low day for me. Probably not a good time to write a blog post, but if this blog is to be authentic, the lows have to be written about too. And hopefully the writing process will be cathartic. Why is it a low day? Essentially, I’m exhausted. This season has been even
This week, Jeremy and I started our vegetable deliveries into the GTA. We harvested and packaged bok choy, spinach, leeks and salad greens all Monday and most of Tuesday, and then packed up the van to drive in to Toronto. The roads were clear sailing until we reached the 401, where we slowed to a
The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of field preparation (rock picking, compost spreading, rototilling, mowing), seedling starting, direct seeding and sheep pen moving. Last week, the farm suffered the loss of 3 of the 4 chickens I had kept over winter at the farm. Over the winter, the chickens had become completely free
To have or not to have chickens… Read More »
