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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Old 99 Farm, week of Jan 15 2018


Quick note to you all. No greens still, but have eggs, meats especially chicken.

Healthy eating,
Ian and Cami

old 99 farm, week of dec 18 2017


We’ve been having a respite from farming the last week or so, that’s why you havent’ heard from us. The greens grow very slowly this time of year due to short day length, cloudiness and of course temperatures, even in the greenhouses. But we’ve got row cover over the planted beds and fired up the wood stove in the Hobbit House most of last week. That kept temperatures inside the structure about 10 dC warmer than outside. Of course when it’s sunny outside it can easily be 25dC inside. Plants love that!

We can offer chard and kale greens this week, with parsley, cilantro and arugulas well. Storage carrots and onions still in supply. Lots of beef, chicken, lamb and pork. Eggs are getting scarce again.

We’ll be open tomorrow Friday inspite of the snow and next friday too. If you can pick up other days, let me know and I’ll get your orders ready.

Healthy eating.
Ian and Cami.

For a great graphic of how average temperatures are changing all over the plant, country by country see this website.

Old 99 Farm, week of Dec 3 2017


Hi out there, we’re still here. Cami did wonderful job running the farm while I was away at the Bionutrient Food Assoc annual conference. Check it out, lots of content for growers/gardeners of highly nutritious food at their website

A cow got in the backdoor of the Greenhouse last week, chomped a lot of greens, so we’re short for a while. Still lots of meats, eggs. Tomatoes over for the season.

Here are some provocative quotations from my reading in the past week.
-Climate science isn’t a set of dominoes or a house of cards; it’s a towering structure built on a strong scientific foundation.

-It’s certain that the increasing energy burden of bitcoin transactions will divert progress from electrifying the world and reducing global carbon emissions. In fact, I’d guess it probably already has.

-Humanity is decades behind schedule on counteracting climate change, and every action in this era should be evaluated on its net impact on the climate. Increasingly, bitcoin is failing the test.

-Republicans have been cast into a growing civil war between mainstream conservatives, Tea Party-inspired libertarians, and the xenophobic and misogynistic groundswell that Trump has proven expert at tapping into. These schisms reflect genuine divisions in the Republicans’ voter base—and the Mercers, the Kochs, and the Adelsons are adept at exploiting them.

Healthy eating
Ian and Cami

Old 99 Farm, week of Nov 26 2017


We have chard, arugula, kale, carrots, onions, squash, parsley, cilantro, cherry tomatoes in the vegetable patch, and beef, chicken, pork and lamb in the meat department. Lots of eggs too.

Healthy eating
Ian and Cami
www.facebook.com/iagraham

Roasting Chicken now available


My last crop of roasting chickens was a great success, got up to weight on time, so I took them to the butcher yesterday, two weeks earlier than I had booked.

Means I have whole, half and quarter chickens now in the freezer, and some will be fresh today, chilled not frozen.

Price is $5/lb ($11/kg) for wholes, 6 to 9 lb size, and $5.50 ($12/kg) for cut pieces.

Old 99 Farm, week of Nov 19 2017


Very brief, just a reminder really. We’re still here! Veg, meats, eggs.

Here’s the best summary of COP 23 Bonn on Climate Change. http://www.eco-business.com/news/cop23-key-outcomes-agreed-at-the-un-climate-talks-in-bonn/

Healthy Eating
Ian and Cami

Old 99 Farm, week of Nov 12 2017


Have you heard… 15000 scientists so far signed petition to heads of state that the climate crisis is urgent and risks extinction for humans. “The scientists around the world are very concerned about the state of the world, the environmental situation and climate change,” Ripple said. “So this allows them to have a collective voice.” Reported on CBC

We have greens, root vegetables, meats, including new beef, two quarters remaining each about 80lb of steaks, roasts and ground beef. Good choice of lamb and pork, and lots of stewing hens for chicken soup.

Healthy eating
Ian and Cami

Old 99 farm, week of Nov 5, 2017


All the same good choices this week for vegetables and meats. I’ll have a whole beef in the freezer, half of which is already sold but will be lots of choice.
The Liberty apples are stored in the rootcellar, but won’t likely last as well this year due to the warm weather. We have carrots, beets and lettuce, to add to the squash, tomatoes (including Beefsteak), garlic, cilantro, parsley, watermelon, chives, Russet potatoes, onions, kale, spinach and arugula. Please
order your roasting chickens for December.

We had an overall successful set of speaking engagements with Guy McPherson and Abrupt Climate Change. Total attendance at 4 events was about 300. Most of the talks and interviews are available on youtube.

I’m continuing my interest in promoting and teaching people about permaculture and how to apply its design framework to one’s whole life. All the more relevant for us all in the face of uncertainty about stable climate, food production, and habitat for all species. If interested, you can contact me, to find out how to participate.

Healthy eating
Ian and Cami

Old 99 farm,week of oct29 2017


This week is going to be crazy busy but we will have a market on Friday. This is the date of the presentation by Guy McPherson on Abrupt Climate Change at West Flamborough Presbyterian Church, 7pm.

Cami will be here to handle your orders from 4 to 5pm. If you come later, the order will be in the fridge.

Still lots of tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, potatoes, herbs,greens and root vegetables. Eggs are in good supply as are stewing hens, beef and pork.

Healthy eating,
Ian and Cami
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Old 99 Farm, week of Oct 21 2017


We had wonderful weather and a great turnout the cider-making day last saturday. I met lots of daughters Kelly and Kendra’s friends from Toronto. We made biochar for soil amendments from cleaned up tree prunings.

All the same good choices this week for vegetables and meats. The Liberty apples are stored in the rootcellar, but won’t likely last as well this year due to the warm weather. We have carrots, beets and lettuce, to add to the squash, tomatoes (including Beefsteak), garlic, cilantro, parsley, watermelon, chives, Russet potatoes, onions, kale, spinach and arugula. Fresh beef quarters available in two weeks, order your roasting chickens for December.

Reminder: Abrupt Climate Change talks coming up. Save a seat at eventbrite.ca
Friday Nov 3, 7pm, West Flamborough Presbyterian Church, 262 Middletown Rd, at Hwy 8.
McPherson is a professor emeritus and conservation biologist from U Arizona who early on collected peer reviewed data about causes, trends and consequences of human caused climate upset. He is controversial because he has named the ‘elephants in the room’, and challenged the politically correct optimism of most reporters and professional caution of most scientists.
McPherson unpacks why the unfounded optimism about the near term consequences of abrupt climate change is so dangerous. See how he arrives at a calculation of human extinction within a decade, certainly in this century.
Other scientists who look at the whole picture like Kevin Anderson, Thomas Goreau, James Hansen and Michael Mann have concluded that it may not be too late. They think there’s an outside chance that humans may possess the collective will and presence of mind to do what must be done, and to do it quickly, even if it means radically altering, even abolishing, industrial in favor of ecological civilisation. Is it likely humans will undertake the exhaustive efforts necessary to ensure our species will survive for another 1,000 years on Earth?

Be fully informed about climate change because only that way, with growing awareness, will the governments take action to reverse global warming due to carbon pollution. Are we too late? Maybe. Should we start trying to make a difference and do whatever it takes? Yes!

You can also hear Dr McPherson speak at McMaster to learn the facts about abrupt climate change and decide for yourself. Q&A open mike.
Psychology Building PC155
Tues. Nov. 7,10:30am

Healthy eating
Ian and Cami