Week #10 - My Happy Place!

Yesterday I spent several hours in my happy place.... hands in the dirt, sunshine streaming down! 

While its a bit wet and chilly to be out in the fields, we are starting our seeding in earnest and that means preparing trays and getting our hands dirty in the greenhouse. 

It means that our living room with its beautiful south facing window, fills with seed trays. It means time spent counting days to germination... days to maturity, soil temperature, etc. It means creating seeding plans and figuring out crop rotations. 

I read somewhere the other day that dirt can indeed make you happier! While I know that from experience, I now have science on my side. Dirt does make you healthier and happier! 

The winter coop!

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The winter coop is warm and snug and the girls seem to be adjusting well to the move inside. 

While I'm sure like all of us that they would prefer to out in the field and sunshine scrounging for bugs (well I'm good without that last part...), they seem to be happy enough scratching in the leaves and straw that we use for bedding in the coop. 

They sure have lots to say anyway.... #cluckinghens

Making sunshine!

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If you are like me... you are missing sunshine! In our area, we have been under cloud cover for almost 11 days in a row! Everyone is feeling as gloomy as the weather! 

So... sometimes you need to take matters into your own hands and make your own sunshine... sunshine squash that is! Cut up one for supper tonight! 

Catching rays...

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As the last weekend of the summer is upon us, everyone (including the hens) is anxious to catch the last warm rays of sunshine.  

Barrow of Sun!

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Looks like we captured a wheelbarrow of sunshine with our pattypan squash. 

All our squash are really enjoying this weather and we will soon have spaghetti & butternut squash ready to go to! 

What's your favorite squash & how do you cook it? 

Sunshine squash

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This is definitely going to be the year of the squash! Our fields are awash with an avalanche of squash vines that are snaking and sneaking their way into, over, and under everything! 

Tonight we harvested these little bundles of sunshine... technically called scallop or pattypan squash ... but (I think) more aptly named sunshine squash! 

Fields of sunshine...

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We are surrounding by fields of sunshine full of a variety of crops... oats, soybeans, canola, wheat. 

I just love watching them grow and flourish! 

Canning sunshine!

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Anticipating a dreary, cold day we harvested dandelions yesterday before the rain began.

Today we turned them into dandelion jam! Can't wait to try some! 

Plants are in the Penthouse

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In previous posts, I've alluded to our plan to use our new greenhouse addition on the barn as a multi-level space. Chicks on the bottom and seedlings on top!

The birds need warmth which in turn heat the soil and roots of the seedlings speeding germination and growth. 

With our unseasonably warm spring days its taken a bit of adjustment to keep the temperatures even throughout a 24 hour period, however I think we have a system that is working well now and everyone (plants and birds) seem to be doing well in the space. 

Growing strong

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Our seedlings are growing strong, leaning towards the sun and the warmth. They can't wait either! 

Looking ahead..

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The weather is windy and chilly today and everything is brown and wet. 

Today's picture is therapeutic to the soul. 

Looking forward to days of lush pastures and big skies. 

A taste of summer sun

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Tonight I'm making risotto with last year's sun dried tomatoes. It is so nice to still have a little slice of sunshine from last summer. 

So looking forward to warmer days! 

Happy hens

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Temperatures reached near record levels today! By mid-afternoon we were enjoying +14C and sun. Normal temperatures would be more like -1 degrees Celcius. Beautiful! 

We took advantage of the early spring weather to move the hens outside. They've been stuck in the barn all winter and were soooo excited to get on grass again! 

We have several 'chicken tractors' that enable the chickens to get fresh grass and bugs at the same time as being protected from the elements and predators. We move the tractors to fresh ground once a day. 

Chicks in the sun...

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Our hens hang out in the barn during the cold winter months. 

As we move towards warmer weather and the sun is more and more powerful, we leave the door open for them to get sun and wander. 

Today Farmer Phil was hauling water in and out of the barn and the hens were taking advantage to enjoy the warm March sun.

Dreaming of warmer days...

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Its cold out there! I hate to complain but I'm soooo looking forward to spring. To cheer me up I've dived back in my photos to a warmer day a couple of summers ago. 

My daughter and I were hanging out with the kids (goat kids) in the sun. We had quite a few that year and they were playful and curious. I love this shot of her reacting to a over-curious goat nibbling on her shorts! 

I can almost feel the sunshine! 

Last of the Sunshine...

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We finished off last summer's potatoes yesterday. We also only have six wrinkly tomatoes left and two small squash. Whether we like it or not, we are entering that irritating time of having to buy all our vegetables at the store.

It will likely be at least four-five months before we once again can taste real sunshine in our food. :(

Come and sit awhile...

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Got some snow today - much needed moisture and ground cover for the fields. The upcoming season will be too dry if we don't get more. 

This bench sits at the front of our house in the middle of our herb garden. Its a beautiful place to sit awhile - even better with a cup of coffee and your favourite person (or animal) to keep you company. 

The bench faces south and looks down our driveway and onto fields upon fields of various crops - as far as the eye can see. (well at least in the summer it does...) 

Dreaming of summer....

Move forward... and don't look back!

As we get to the end of February...despite the current temperature of -32C and the forecast of -50 C with the windchill this weekend.. there is a ray of hope! Tomorrow it is March 1st and I have faith that with it will bring an (eventual) warming and turn towards what we all seek, yearn, indeed are begging for! The sun is getting warmer (ask any cat who lounges in the sunny window) and the days are getting longer... all signs that we are making progress. This winter has been brutal. But soon we will look back and affectionately and proudly swap stories of the highest snowbank or the coldest day. This hope of spring is what keeps us all moving forward. 

Here at the farm, we are eagerly anticipating the new growing season. We have been busy planning how to make this year even better than last! The winter has been hard on the animals and they too are dreaming of green grass and warm breezes. In January, our nanny goats blessed us with eight new kids. Despite being born during one of the coldest weeks, all survived and are thriving. Two of them... Martie and Arya required some quick intervention from us and as a result they have been hanging out in our basement being bottlefed for the last month! Their mamas unfortunately have no interest in these cutie-pies so we milk them twice a day and feed their babes 4-5 times a day! I'm pretty sure they laugh at us when we leave the barn each day! It is hard though to have a bad day when you get to end it snuggling with these two!

Today I went to get all our passports renewed... not because we have some great warm destination planned but they were expired and it needed to be done. However, should the universe see fit to hand us a tropical vacation.... by golly, we are ready! (Can you win those with Roll up the Rim?)

So I encourage you to not let the terrible weather get you down, to look forward towards the sunshine! (real or imagined!)

If thinking about boxes of yummy produce all summer long would cheer you up... we are now open to applications for our CSA Share. Check out our Products page for this and other offerings. 

Cheers! 

-L