Old 99 Farm, week of Oct 29 2019

We havested our squashes this weekend: have a good variety to choose from. Greens as usual: kale, chard, collards; rootcrops: carrots, potatoes, celeriac, beets, onions.
Herbs: thyme, basil, oregano, lovage, spearmint
Meats: beef, pork and stewing hens
Fruit: apples, cherry tomatoes.

I’m putting hay and straw in the barn on wednesday and could really use a few hands. If you can come for a couple hours in the morning or afternoon, I’d really appreciate it. (Barring rain of course)

Cider Day: this sunday we’ll be doing our traditional cider pressing with on farm apples or your own if you wish. Start 2pm, to 5pm. Also making lard and serving hot squash soup.

Healthy eating
Ian and Cami

OLd 99 Farm,week of Oct 20 Election week

We havested our squashes this weekend: have a good variety to choose from. Greens as usual: kale, chard, collards; rootcrops: carrots, potatoes, celeriac, beets, onions.
Herbs: thyme, basil, oregano, lovage, spearmint
Meats: beef, pork and stewing hens
Fruit: apples, cherry tomatoes.

I’m putting hay and straw in the barn on wednesday and could really use a few hands. If you can come for a couple hours in the morning or afternoon, I’d really appreciate it. (Barring rain of course)

Cider Day: this sunday we’ll be doing our traditional cider pressing with on farm apples or your own if you wish. Start 2pm, to 5pm. Also making lard and serving hot squash soup.

Healthy eating
Ian and Cami

Friday Oct 18 why vote

On Monday, Canadians will be able to vote for what we want. Every single citizen even in our outdated and corrupted system, that counts for something; it is a right won by struggle.

So between now and then – please talk to everyone. Ask the server in the coffee shop, the barber – or hair dresser – the bus driver – the taxi driver – “Do you usually vote?

Talk to your best friend – the friend you have kept all these years because you never talk about politics. Now – talk about politics.

The only vote for meaningful climate action is a Green vote. IF you are looking for reasons, just consider these few news headlines of where we are going on Business As Usual basis.

Despite Their Promises, Giant Energy Companies Burn Away Vast Amounts of Natural Gas
SOURCE: New York Times
DATE: October 16, 2019

SNIP: When leaders from fossil-fuel executives met last week to declare they were serious about climate change, they cited progress in curbing an energy-wasting practice called flaring — the intentional burning of natural gas as companies drill faster than pipelines can move the energy away.
The practice has consequence for climate change because natural gas is a potent contributor to global warming. It also wastes vast amounts of energy: Last year in Texas, venting and flaring in the Permian Basin oil field alone consumed more natural gas than states like Arizona and South Carolina use in a year.

More stories and pictures like this at FasterThanExpected

Thousands of ships fitted with ‘cheat devices’ to divert poisonous pollution into sea
SOURCE: Independent DATE: September 29, 2019

SNIP: Global shipping companies have spent millions rigging vessels with “cheat devices” that circumvent new environmental legislation by dumping pollution into the sea instead of the air, devices, known as open-loop scrubbers, which extract sulphur from the exhaust fumes of ships that run on heavy fuel oil.

However, the sulphur emitted by the ships is simply re-routed from the exhaust and expelled into the water around the ships, which not only greatly increases the volume of pollutants being pumped into the sea, but also increases carbon dioxide emissions.

The change could have a devastating effect on wildlife in British waters and around the world, experts have warned.

The ICCT has estimated that just cruise ships with scrubbers will consume around 4 million tons of heavy fuel oil in 2020 and will discharge 180 million tons of contaminated scrubber washwater overboard.

Aviation climate targets may drive 3 million hectares of deforestation
SOURCE: Rainforest Foundation Norway
DATE: October 1, 2019
The report concludes that this increased demand for palm oil and soy could drive 3.2 million hectares of tropical forest loss (an area larger than the size of Belgium) and 5 gigatons of land use change CO2 emissions (close to the current annual greenhouse gas emissions of the USA) in 2030,

Using the cheapest and most readily available technology would lead to an additional demand in 2030 of 35 million tons of palm oil, 3.5 million tons of palm oil by-products (PFAD), and 35 million tons of soy oil. For comparison, the current global annual production of palm oil globally is around 70 million tons.

The report reviews the status of the targets the aviation industry has set for alternative fuels and shows how high the risk is that expanding biofuel use in aviation will cause the last thing the world wants or needs right now: increased deforestation.

The aviation industry has set an aspirational goal to reduce its CO2 emissions by 50 percent in 2050 (compared to 2005), without limiting growth. Central to this vision is a near complete shift from conventional jet fuel to alternative aviation fuels. Near total replacement of fossil fuel would be needed to meet this target.

River Flows All Across the Globe Are Dropping
SOURCE: Bloomberg
DATE: October 2, 2019

SNIP: Another slow-motion, man-made environmental disaster has been discovered, and it’s underneath your feet.

About 70% of the water pumped out of underground aquifers worldwide is used for agriculture while much of the remainder quenches the thirst of cities. As industrial development spreads at a speedy clip, the rate at which those critical reservoirs are emptied is far outpacing the rate at which they are naturally replenished.

The sea is running out of fish, despite nations’ pledges to stop it
SOURCE: National Geographic
DATE: October 8, 2019

SNIP: As global fish stocks that feed hundreds of millions of people dwindle, nations are scrambling to finalize by year’s end an international agreement to ban government subsidies that fuel overfishing.

Yet as negotiations at the World Trade Organization resume this week in Geneva, Switzerland, new research shows that governments have actually increased financial support for fishing practices that decimate marine life, despite public pledges to curtail such handouts.

Oil firms to pour extra 7m barrels per day into markets, data shows
SOURCE: The Guardian
DATE: October 10, 2019

SNIP: The world’s 50 biggest oil companies are poised to flood markets with an additional 7m barrels per day over the next decade, despite warnings from scientists that this will push global heating towards catastrophic levels. the Guardian forecasts Shell and ExxonMobil will be among the leaders with a projected production increase of more than 35% between 2018 and 2030 – a sharper rise than over the previous 12 years.

Billions face food, water shortages over next 30 years as nature fails
SOURCE: National Geographic
DATE: October 10, 2019

SNIP: As many as five billion people, particularly in Africa and South Asia, are likely to face shortages of food and clean water in the coming decades as nature declines. Hundreds of millions more could be vulnerable to increased risks of severe coastal storms, according to the first-ever model examining how nature and humans can survive together.

No choice but to invest in oil, Shell CEO says
SOURCE: Reuters
DATE: October 14, 2019

SNIP: Royal Dutch Shell still sees abundant opportunity to make money from oil and gas in coming decades even as investors and governments increase pressure on energy companies over climate change, its chief executive said.

Shell supplies around 3% of the world’s energy, “Despite what a lot of activists say, it is entirely legitimate to invest in oil and gas because the world demands it,” van Beurden said.

See you on market day next week, in a brand new world!
Healthy eating
Ian and Cami Graham

Old 99 farm week of Oct 6, 2019

We have a new crop of swiss chard, marvelous large succulent leaves. Seems when you grow plants with larger spacing or they selfseed where they want to be, they grow better. Try and see.

Other greens: collards, kale, chicory, parsley.
Herbs: thyme, dill, basil, oregano, sage, tarragon, cicely, lovage. all fresh, piced to order.
Eggs: still three for two, or $5/doz.

Meats: beef steaks on special, 15% off. 20lb mixed pack best buy.
Pork: chops and roasts, bones and lard
Chicken: stewing hens.

Is anyone ready to place order for half or quarter beef? when I have two, I’ll take the animal to butcher.

The big week for Extinction Rebellion has started. Over sixty cities including in Canada have mass citizen action to demand governments tell the truth about climate emergency and act accordingly. See www.extinctionrebellion.ca and the international website here

Healthy eating
Ian and Cami Graham

OLd99 farm, week of Oct1 2019

Late reminder, we have veggies, greens and roots, apples and asian pears. Eggs and meats: beef, pork and chicken.
Please check the website for specials.

Healthy eating
Ian and Cami

Climate Emergency update (clck on for easy graphic comparison)
Where would our federal parties take us? These results paint a stark picture. Despite lofty claims and aspirational goals, there is no Canadian plan consistent with avoiding 1.5°C or 2°C warming. Wherever you are on the political spectrum, the rhetoric of your party on climate change does not match the numbers.

The New Democratic Party’s proposed targets for 2030 (38 percent reduction below 2005 levels) and those of the Green Party (60 percent reduction below 2005 levels) are more stringent than the current federal target.

The Green Party’s target is closest to being consistent with a 2°C trajectory. However, no party platform includes modelling that shows how these targets would be achieved.

Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer has said his party would stick to the existing federal target. But the Conservative Party’s climate plan document, which contains neither carbon pricing nor regulations, would place Canada in the range of a 4°C (or more) greenhouse gas emissions trajectory.

Canada’s current and proposed (Liberal) federal policies lie within the range of what’s necessary to avoid 3°C of global warming, using modelling from Environment and Climate Change Canada submitted to the United Nations. These policies are not sufficient to meet the federal target of a 30 percent reduction below 2005 levels.

IG: remember, IPCC projections are biased to the conservative side because the peer review process is slow, so current research cannot be used, scientists are trained to be reticent about drawing conclusions, and policy makers use a summary that is negotiated by many parties. Actual climate observations are all worse than projections; there is no good news.
(Full article at Policy Options, published by Institute for Research on Public Policy)

Old 99 Farm, Wedding week

Yes the store is open this week, place your orders, come after 4 friday or on Saturday/Sunday.

I’m pretty well booked with Climate events this week, as you know it’s the international movement of Fridays4theFuture. Come to Gore Park tomorrow friday noon onwards with all your friends to be in solidarity with students who know their future is jeopardized by carbon fueled growth economics. See more below. Watch the news and online for Extinction Rebellion mass mobilizations of everyday people protesting government duplicity and inaction.
Climate Emergency has begun.

healthy eating,
Ian and Camelia Graham

From Hamilton 350:
Last Friday over four million people in over 150 countries marched for climate action, including a contingent in Hamilton. But the big Canadian push is for this coming Friday including a noon rally at Gore Park. Even McMaster University is formally promoting it and local employers like Mountain Equipment Coop, Coffee Ecology and Green Venture will close their doors so their staff can attend.

Swedish teen Greta Thunberg who launched the Friday student strikes a year ago will join marchers in Montreal on Friday. On Monday she set the tone with a blunt speech (video and transcript) to world leaders at the United Nations that has already been viewed by millions.

“You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words,” declared Thunberg. “And yet I’m one of the lucky ones. People are suffering. People are dying. Entire ecosystems are collapsing. We are in the beginning of a mass extinction, and all you can talk about is money and fairy tales of eternal economic growth. How dare you!”

Old 99 Farm, Week of Sept 15 2019

Hello everyone, (there’s over 250 families on this list!)
We harvested the sweet corn and have lots for pick up this week. Great price! 50c/cob. Also lots of spaghetti squash that you can use instead of pasta or eat right out of the shell.
Liberty apples are now ripe for eating; a crispy tart apple like the Macintosh.

And all the rest: celeriac, basil, carrots, radicchio, onions, beets and tops, beans, kale, collards, cabbage, potatoes, tomatoes, and eggplant and peppers.

Meats: beef: ground, stew, steaks, roasts, soup bones; Pork: chops, roasts, hams, lard.

Various: compost, asian pears, coffee (roasted here by Vintage Coffee.

September is the global awakening of climate emergency! Millions of students, thousands of cities and towns organizing massive demonstrations, walkouts, strikes to drive home the message: we are out of time. It Has Begun.
Hamilton has ClimateScience talk at Unitarian Church Sept 20 noon to 3pm
Students Friday4Future striking assembly at Gore Park Sept 27, noon
See the Hamilton Climate Events calendar at http://bit.ly/ClimateEvents

addendum: Sept 5 Old 99

We have sweet corn, squashes and celeriac. Compost aged from 2019 still available for putting your beds in shape for winter (feeding those soil microbes).
We have coffee roasted on site for next few months. Fair trade organic, roasted by Vintage Coffee Roaster, Hamilton. example Kokowagayo from Sumatra, by Gayo Women’s Coffee Cooperative, dark roast. $15 per 3/4lb. Ask for it on market day or place order here.

Old 99 Farm, week of Sept 8 2019

What’s special here this week, that you can’t get at the supermarket or farm market? hmm, organic peaches, asian pears, aronia berries, New Zealand spinach.

And the garden has basil, carrots, zukes, radicchio, onions, beets and tops, beans, kale, collards, potatoes and tomatoes, and eggplant and peppers.

Eggs, special buy two dozen, get third one free.
Meats: beef steaks, roasts, ground, bones for broth and pork: chops, roasts, hams, lard and more.

September 20 to 27 Student Strike for Climate days, Oct 7: International Extinction Rebellion day of action
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Old 99 Farm, week of Aug 25, 2019

i was out in the orchards this weekend past, the 100 yr orchard and the 2008 orchard I planted. They suffered (enjoyed?) horticultural neglect this season. Not pruned as they should have been, not sprayed with biological nutrients, not mulched raminal wood chips. So there is some insect damage on the peaches, pears, apples mainly. But what a bountiful harvest it will be! Trees just loaded with apples, including my fav in the 100yr orchard on the hill: it was hit by lightning in 2007 just before I came on this land. Really gobsmacked it was, right in two, and the old trunk was already hollowed out to a mere shell. But I let it be, encouraged certain new shoots, pruned away others. Now a whole new trunk is growing up from the base of the old. But wonder of it all, both new and old decimated tree are bearing a bumper crop of beautiful apples. I can hardly wait, well, I haven’t really, I’ve already been tasting them! Pretty tart just yet, but wait till they redden (and I’ve pruned way some of the excess watershoots so the sunlight can stimulate the colour and the flavour). We’ll have a harvest to be grateful for.

New this week: freshly dug potatoes to go along with the onions last week. Tomatoes of various sizes and varieties are now ripened. Aronia berries for the savant connaisseurs of natural immune booster berries are ripe to pick.

The rest is the same as last week. By the way I usually don’t wash our vegetables. Even washing removes nutritional value I believe.

We have basil, carrots, zukes, spinach, radicchio, onions, beets and tops, beans, kale, collards, potatoes and tomatoes, and eggplant and peppers. Limited peaches for those of you eager for organic. (peaches are one of the ‘dirty dozen’ with high pesticide residues)

Climate Quote of the week:
Roger Hallam, co-founder Extinction Rebellion: Roger emphasizes that now is the time for all of us to unite, to put any ideological differences between us into their proper context and to suspend any animosity towards others with different points of view. Or as Roger puts it, “We don’t have time to be snotty”. Solidarity, unity in diversity, compassion and love for all life… these are our antidotes to the massive climate and ecological crisis that confronts us. Watch this youtube for the whole 17 minute talk.

Healthy eating
Ian and Cami