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It’s been a while since the last blog update because the past few weeks have been a frenzy of field prep, tree planting, soil blocking and seedling starting. If you’ve been paying attention to the weather, we’ve been having a very cold and wet spring, especially compared to the unusually hot and dry spring last […]

I’m sitting at my dining table, looking out the window at the snow falling, writing this blog post as procrastination from putting my tax numbers together for last year ;P I’m hoping to measure out my lower field soon with the help of Mark who’s visiting the farm this week. It will be good to

For most organic farmers, having to hand weed your field (as opposed to flame weeding, wheel hoeing, or hand hoeing) is the most inefficient way to weed, and is the result of not managing to stay on top of the weeds. On average this season, I’ve probably hand weeded about 2 hours a day, 4-5

Today I was finally assigned my Farm Business Registration Number (FBRN)! So in the eyes of government, Black Sheep Farm is now an official farm 😀 I had to have my 2009 tax forms completed and send Agricorp my 2009 Statement of Farming Activities showing that the farm had grossed a minimum of $7000 in

I’ve been trying to get my 2009 taxes done since about mid-January because I’m eager to get my Farm Business Registration Number (FBRN). You need to prove to Agricorp a minimum of $7000 gross farm income before they’ll issue an FBRN. So I went online and downloaded every tax form that I thought might apply

‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the houseNot a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. Well, I wish the mice wouldn’t stir in my house, but unfortunately, my walls are warm and cozy for them, and with the cold outside, even I can’t begrudge them shelter. I just don’t want to find

All you home owners out there are of course nodding your heads at the title of this post, and I certainly didn’t become a home owner blind to all the maintenance that a house requires, and a century home at that! Not to mention outbuildings and equipment…people ask me what I’m doing with my spare

This morning, I brought Monty and the lambs to the butcher’s. I feel both sad and relieved that they’re now gone. I’m sad because they were really cute and affectionate with me and I’ll miss them as they were more like pets than was wise for me this season. I’m relieved that they survived on

I’m currently sitting in a Starbucks in Toronto’s financial district, watching the rain come down, and wondering at the slower than expected speed of free wireless internet here. Maybe my frustrations with the speed of my dial-up connection at the farm have made my high-speed wireless expectations unrealistically high, and so anything other than instantaneous

The past weeks have been super busy for me with deliveries of vegetable packages into the GTA. I wasn’t sure how well things would work out at first…would I be ok with driving into Toronto once a week…would drop offs work out well…essentially, would it be worth it to sell my vegetables into Toronto? Now