The Weblog

This page contains news, event information, and other items added by Ian and Adam, the resident farmers at Old 99. We send out a message every week, but most are set with a delete date about two weeks later. I archive some of the posts if they have content other than weekly availability of produce and meat.

You can send me questions too, which if they are of a general nature, I can post to this Old99 blog.



 
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Cider Day date change to Sunday 15th


Due to the rain forecast for all day saturday, we are moving the cider fest to Sunday 15th, 2 to 5pm. I’m up at midnight typing this to be as sure as I can of what tomorrow’s weather looks like.
We’ll still have the same program on Sunday; bring your jug to take home some fresh apple cider (and maybe even some Asian pear cider too). Bring some apples if you want to compare the taste of different varieties.

Lots of fun friendly people to meet. Pls send me an RSVP if you intend to join up.

Ian and Cami

Old 99 Farm, week of Oct 8 2023


Veggie production is in good shape, new plantings of greens like arugula and lettuce are now offered. The root crops and fruits like tomatoes peppers and eggplants are plentiful.

Old99 Cider Day Sat Oct 14 2 to 5 pm.
Pls rsvp. Bring a bottle or jug to take home some fresh milled apple cider. BUT, the weather forecast is not good. If it is so that we’ll see 15 to 20 mm of rain that day, we’ll have to cancel. Watch for a notice from me Sat am.

The subscription plan “Let Me Be Your Farmer” is up and running. Pay in advance for 3 months purchases of veg, fruit, eggs, meats and anything you buy from Old99, and get 10% discount plus special surprises. Still order a la carte. The farm benefits from a more secure customer commitment and has cashflow to buy inputs like seed and nutrient. You get the choicest items for your basket, a la carte. Typically I’d expect $1500 to $2000 per quarter.
Sign up with an email to me. old99farm2015@gmail.com

Summer Harvest Baskets: Some of you paid by installment so we’re at the mid-point, next time please plan on paying the second half, 10 weeks at $32. Thank you.

What we have now: arugula, apples, celeriac, frilly kale, Nero kale, Rainbow chard, Tokyo Bekana, beets, bell peppers, sweet bulb onions, fennel, garlic, baby lettuce mix, baby buttercrunch lettuce, potatoes, rhubarb, carrots, collards, cabbage collards, leeks, basil and herbs.

Surf to the online store here to place your order. Store pick up Thurs 4 to 6 or by arrangement. *

Healthy eating,
Ian, Cami and Adams

ps I saw some of you at the Beer and Blooms gathering at the Shed Brewery tonite. A packed house, someone said 150 people showed up to learn about Hamilton’s Biodiversity Action Plan. It set me to thinking how many ways we are contributing and supporting biodiversity here on the farm. My list so far: pollinator strips in gardens, untended fenceslines, crops left to bloom and die in place, asparagus patch a thicket, leaf piles, living mulches, the orchard grasses left long, woody debris piles, pond edges, tree nursery, many garden crops.
We could do more: flower plantings all season blooms, insect pollinator nesting sites, birdhouses, bat houses, planting specific native plants.

Old99 Farm, week of Oct 1 2023


Thank you all who helped move the hay bales into the barn. It went smoothly and fast, and then we sat down to a most convivial discussion of food and healthy nutrition.

Our annual cider day will happen this year on Sat Oct 14 from 3 to 5. It’s kid friendly. Pls RSVP if you intend to come.

The subscription plan “Let Me Be Your Farmer” is up and running. Pay in advance for 3 months purchases of veg, fruit, eggs, meats and anything you buy from Old99, and get 10% discount plus special surprises. Still order a la carte. The farm benefits from a more secure customer commitment and has cashflow to buy inputs like seed and nutrient. You get the choicest items for your basket, a la carte. Typically I’d expect $1500 to $2000 per quarter.
Sign up with an email to me. old99farm2015@gmail.com

Summer Harvest Baskets: Some of you paid by installment so we’re at the mid-point, next time please plan on paying the second half, 10 weeks at $32. Thank you.

What we have now: arugula, apples, celeriac, frilly kale, Nero kale, Rainbow chard, Tokyo Bekana, beets, bell peppers, sweet bulb onions, fennel, garlic, baby lettuce mix, baby buttercrunch lettuce, potatoes, rhubarb, carrots, collards, cabbage collards, leeks, basil and herbs.

Surf to the online store here to place your order. Store pick up Thurs 4 to 6 or by arrangement. *

Healthy eating,
Ian, Cami and Adam

Old 99 farm, week of Sept 24 2023


We’re moving hay indoors this friday and saturday. Can you lend a hand for an hour or two? Friday starting 11am, Saturday depending on progress.

Here’s our display of last week’s harvest; over 20 different veggies and fruits.

So needless to say, Adam and I are quite proud of the bounty. Come get your health boosting organic food here.

The subscription plan “Let Me Be Your Farmer” is up and running. Pay in advance for 3 months purchases of veg, fruit, eggs, meats and anything you buy from Old99, and get 10% discount plus special surprises. Still order a la carte. The farm benefits from a more secure customer commitment and has cashflow to buy inputs like seed and nutrient. You get the choicest items for your basket, a la carte. Typically I’d expect $1500 to $2000 per quarter.
Sign up with an email to me. old99farm2015@gmail.com

Summer Harvest Baskets: Some of you paid by installment so we’re at the mid-point, next time please plan on paying the second half, 10 weeks at $32. Thank you.

What we have now: sweet corn, arugula, apples, celeriac, frilly kale, Nero kale, Rainbow chard, Tokyo Bekana, beets, bell peppers, sweet bulb onions, fennel, garlic, baby lettuce mix, baby buttercrunch lettuce, potatoes, rhubarb, carrots, collards, cabbage collards, leeks, basil and herbs.

Surf to the online store here to place your order. Store pick up Thurs 4 to 6 or by arrangement. *

Healthy eating,
Ian, Cami and Adam

Old 99 Farm, week of Sep 17 2023


We have more than vegetables going on here, as some of you know.
This week for instance our oldest cow “nellie” delivered a calf overnite.

This is Adam doing the morning milking one day this week.

And as for vegetables, this is our offer list for the CSA Harvest basket last week. We are adding three varieties of potatoes this week: purple, fingerling, and Russet. Also sweet corn.

The subscription plan “Let Me Be Your Farmer” is up and running. Pay in advance for 3 months purchases of veg, fruit, eggs, meats and anything you buy from Old99, and get 10% discount plus special surprises. Still order a la carte. The farm benefits from a more secure customer commitment and has cashflow to buy inputs like seed and nutrient. You get the choicest items for your basket, a la carte. Typically I’d expect $1500 to $2000 per quarter.
Sign up with an email to me. old99farm2015@gmail.com

Summer Harvest Baskets: Some of you paid by installment so we’re at the mid-point, next time please plan on paying the second half, 10 weeks at $32. Thank you.

What we have now: sweet corn, arugula, apples, celery, frilly kale, Nero kale, Rainbow chard, Tokyo Bekana, beets, bell peppers, sweet bulb onions, fennel, garlic, baby lettuce mix, baby buttercrunch lettuce, potatoes, rhubarb, carrots, collards, cabbage collards, leeks, basil and herbs.

Surf to the online store "here:www.old99farm.locallygrown.net to place your order. Store pick up Thurs 4 to 6 or by arrangement. *

Healthy eating,
Ian, Cami and Adam

Old 99 Farm, week of Sept 10 2023


Here’s what the harvest table looked like last week:

Here’s a customer’s CSA basket.

We’ve got some super fennel bulbs this week. Haven’t cooked with fennel? You can slice like an onion and eat it raw. You can steam it whole or sliced as a vegetable. The fronds make a nice garnish or topping on a salad.

The new season crops are going in, some already to the harvestable size, like young kale, lettuce and arugula.

The subscription plan “Let Me Be Your Farmer” is up and running. Pay in advance for 3 months purchases of veg, fruit, eggs, meats and ___, and get 10% off. The farm benefits from a more secure customer commitment and has cashflow to buy inputs like seed and nutrient. You get the choicest items for your basket, a la carte. Typically I’d expect $1500 to $2000 per quarter.
Sign up with an email to me. old99farm2015@gmail.com

Summer Harvest Baskets: Some of you paid by installment so we’re at the mid-point, next time please plan on paying the second half, 10 weeks at $32. Thank you.

What we have now: arugula, apples, blackberries, celery, frilly kale, Nero kale, Rainbow chard, Tokyo Bekana, chinese cabbage, beets, bell peppers, sweet bulb onions, fennel, garlic, baby lettuce mix, baby buttercrunch lettuce, rhubarb, carrots, collards, cabbage collards, leeks, basil and herbs.

Surf to the online store "here:www.old99farm.locallygrown.net to place your order. Store pick up Thurs 4 to 6 or by arrangement. *

Healthy eating,
Ian, Cami and Adam

Old99 Farm, week of Sept 3 2023


It’s going to be a hot week! maybe even hottest of the summer.

This is our weekly reminder of all the farm fresh crops we have available now.

We have garlic which you may wish to purchase in bulk, 5 or 10 lbs. There’s about 8 to 10 bulbs in a pound. Price is $10 per pound.

Let me be your farmer! People are gradually signing up for our new program called Your Farmer for A Year". You commit to a support of fruit, veg, meat, eggs and __ and get first choice of our limited crops. Your family gets a large portion of its nutrition from Old99, clean, fresh, chemical free, organic, animal friendly and soil friendly. What’s not to like about that? You put an amount on deposit in advance per quarter, based on your family’s budget. Might be $1000 to $2000. And you get a 10% discount or 10% more for your money.

Sign up with an email to me. old99farm2015@gmail.com

Summer Harvest Baskets: Some of you paid by installment so we’re at the mid-point, next time please plan on paying the second half, 10 weeks at $32. Thank you.

What we have now: arugula, apples, blackberries, celery, frilly kale, Nero kale, Rainbow chard, Tokyo Bekana chinese cabbage, beets, bell peppers, sweet bulb onions, fennel, garlic, baby lettuce mix, baby buttercrunch lettuce, rhubarb, carrots, collards, cabbage collards, leeks, basil and herbs.

Surf to the online store "here:www.old99farm.locallygrown.net to place your order. Store pick up Thurs 4 to 6 or by arrangement. *

Old 99 Farm, week of Aug 27 2023


We’ve still got lovely peaches, eating apples (Snow variety), and now Asian pears.

The bounty is tremendous this season, from tomatoes to onions, it’s a very good crop year.

Are you doing any freezing or canning? Why not start this year?

I’d like you to consider our new program called Your Farmer for A Year". You commit to a support of fruit, veg, meat, eggs and __ and get first choice of our limited crops. Your family gets a large portion of its nutrition from Old99, clean, fresh, chemical free, organic, animal friendly and soil friendly. What’s not to like about that? You put an amount on deposit in advance per quarter, based on your family’s budget. Might be $1000 to $2000. And you get a 10% discount or 10% more for your money.

Sign up with an email to me. old99farm2015@gmail.com

What we have now: apples, blackberries, peaches, celery, brocoli, frilly kale, Nero kale, Rainbow chard, Tiara and Savoy cabbages, Tokyo Bekana chinese cabbage, beets, bell peppers, sweet bulb onions, fennel, garlic, baby lettuce mix, baby buttercrunch lettuce, rhubarb, carrots, collards, cabbage collards, leeks, basil and herbs.

Surf to the online store "here:www.old99farm.locallygrown.net to place your order. Store pick up Thurs 4 to 6 or by arrangement. *

Old 99 Farm, week of Aug 20 2023


I have started a program called Your Farmer for A Year", where you commit to a support of fruit, veg, meat, eggs and __ and get the first choice. Your family gets a large portion of its nutrition from Old99, clean, fresh, chemical free, organic, animal friendly and soil friendly. What’s not to like about that? You put an amount on deposit in advance per quarter, based on your family’s budget. Might be $1000 to $2000. And you get a 10% discount or 10% more for your money. I have one family signed already; the dad said this week “I love coming here even more in fruit season!”

Sign up with an email to me. old99farm2015@gmail.com

What we have now: apples, blackberries, peaches, celery, brocoli, frilly kale, Nero kale, Rainbow chard, Tiara and Savoy cabbages, Tokyo Bekana chinese cabbage, beets, bell peppers, sweet bulb onions, scallions, fennel, green garlic, baby lettuce mix, baby buttercrunch lettuce, radishes, rhubarb, carrots, collards, cabbage collards, leeks, basil and herbs.

Surf to the online store here to place your order. Store pick up Thurs 4 to 6 or by arrangement. *

Old 99 farm week of Aug 13 2023


Fruit harvests are beginning. We’ve had tomatoes, eggplants, peppers and cukes for a few weeks, and berries are almost over. Blackberries, aronias left. But now the pome fruits: apples, pears and stone fruit: peaches, plums. So far one eating apple and Red Haven peaches in limited supply. No spray, tree ripened.

Other news: lots of eggplants the Rosa Biance round variety, lots of cukes both pickling (3 to 4") and slicing (5 to 7"). If you want bulk buy, best to request with lead time of a week.

Brocoli is now in prime season, garlic has been harvested and dried, and root crops are being dug.

The film: Regenerating Life that I told you about on Sunday is about the dynamics by which the water cycle can rapidly balance climate extremes. It is science that has been obscured by all the fuss about CO2e greenhouse gases. Yes we have to stop fossil fuel pollution, but we can also grow our food in ways that stabilize the climate and reduce severe weather events worldwide. Have a watch for the trailer. I’m going to bring the film to Hamilton this fall. And here’s a segment on Bill Gates fav distraction: cow farts.

Our offering: peaches, celery, brocoli, frilly kale, Nero kale, Rainbow chard, Tiara and Savoy cabbages, Tokyo Bekana chinese cabbage, beets, bell peppers, sweet bulb onions, scallions, fennel, green garlic, baby lettuce mix, baby buttercrunch lettuce, radishes, rhubarb, carrots, collards, cabbage collards, leeks, basil and herbs.

Surf to the online store here to place your order. Store pick up Thurs 4 to 6 or by arrangement. *

Healthy eating
Ian, Cami and Adam