Old 99 FArm, week of Nov 20 2016

Low on eggs, will likely be that way for at least a month unless I get more hens.
Taking turkeys, ducks and geese to butcher on Dec 6, that’s two weeks from now. Would love to take your order for one.

Greens are back in the greenhouse, along with the hardy ones we’ve grown all summer: chard, kale, beet top.

Pigs went to butcher today, will be back by next friday I expect.

Healthy eating
Ian and Cami

Old 99 Farm, week of Nov 13, 2016

We had a delightful weekend with 18 guests learning about natural cheesemaking taught by David Asher of Cortes Is, BC. I hope we can invite him again next year. In the meantime if you want to learn, you can buy his book or contact me for a contact near you who took the course. I have my first rounds of Emmental style alpine cheese in the ripening stage already! Wait six months that’s the hard part.

We have greens, tomatoes, peppers and eggplants in the greenhouse and roots in the garden. Some crops are in storage now: onions, potatoes, garlic, carrots. Please scroll down the attached list to see the full offering.

The beeve went to the butcher this monday and will be ready for you in about two weeks. The pigs are going next monday and should be back a week after that. If you ordered either of these and are reading this, please sent me a note saying so. I have a list but now need confirmation. There are 5 pigs of which 2 are spoken for (Calin, Rachel C, Anne P). I will have a dozen turkeys, 15 geese and 6 ducks ready for the Xmas season, so plan now for yours!

Healthy eating,
Ian Graham and Cami Stoica

Old 99 Farm, week of Nov 6th 2016

This is the week leading up to our special cheesemaking workshop starting with a friday evening lecture by David Asher. So this means friday will be very congested and I’d like to have the weekly market pickup on Thursday. If friday or the weekend works for you, please let me know and we’ll make it happen. I will be picking fresh on thursday so I need all orders in by Thurs 10am.

I put bulk carrots on this week, 4kg for $11. There are also those sweet young new crop carrots from the greenhouse.

As of Nov 6th , we can offer the following crops: swiss chard, beet root, beet tops, green onions, bulb onions, celery and celeriac, leek, rhubarb, kale, arugula, tomatoes, carrots, potatoes (redskin, dakota and purple), sweet potatoes, garlic, and herbs: chives, dill, spearmint, bronze fennel and lovage.

There is still room in the Natural Cheesemaking workshop, $100, 9am to 4pm Sat and Sunday.

Healthy eating,
Ian and Cami

Old 99 Farm, week of Oct 30 2016

We had a wonderful dinner yesterday, all raised here: rack of lamb, baked Potato, sour cream and chives, carrots, chard and fresh apple cider. I should have taken a picture! In fact we were talking about how to encourage more of the 200 of you who subscribe to this blog to try sourcing some of your food here. A gallery of sumptuous meals, nutritious too, raised here, might be a start!

This week, we continue to offer a long list of fresh vegetables, meats, eggs: swiss chard, eggplant, beet root, beet tops, green onions, leek, rhubarb, kale, arugula, tomatoes including cherry and beefsteak, carrots, sweet potato, potatoes (russet, dakota and purple), garlic, and herbs: chives, dill, spearmint, bronze fennel and lovage… and lamb, chicken, and eggs.

Still some seats available for the Natural Cheesemaking workshop Nov 12-13 and lecture by cheesemaker David Asher Fri Nov 11 pm.

Healthy eating,
Ian and Cami

Old 99 farm, week of Oct 23, 2016

We had a delightful cider making event here on the last two Saturdays. Locally we had four families participating, and processed about 6 bushels (35L) of apples. Then daughter Kelly brought 16 friends from Toronto for the fun last weekend. We could compare the flavour of different apple varieties and indeed, some are better than others. My favourite was Spartan. All told about 100 L of cider of which I’ll try to make batches of hard cider and save some sweet cider for sale.

There is the same excellent choice of 62 items this week as last, including three varieties of potatoes. The envelope puleeze: swiss chard, beet root, beet tops, green onions, leek, rhubarb, kale, arugula, tomatoes including cherry and roma, carrots, sweet potato, potatoes (russet, dakota and purple), garlic, and herbs: chives, dill, spearmint, bronze fennel and lovage.

Inquiries are rolling in for the cheese-making workshop so if you are interested please register soon. To do so go to markets/workshops
This comprehensive course begins with a session on dairy fermentation, covering Kefir, Yogurt, Creme Fraiche, and Cultured Butter. In the afternoon we make lactic cheeses such as Cream Cheese & Chèvre, and then we take the same curd and age it into Crottin, Valencay and Saint Marcellin.

On the second morning we look at rennet cheeses, preparing the basic curd that can become many different styles of cheese, including Camembert, Blue Cheeses, Washed Rind Cheeses, Mozzarella and Feta. On the second afternoon we make an Alpine Cheese. And with its leftover whey we prepare a batch of fresh, warm Ricotta.

Two days of learning allow students to see many cheeses through the beginning stages of their evolution, and provides insight into how all styles of cheeses evolve from the very same milk.

If you aren’t ready to actually MAKE cheese but are interested and like to eat it, come to the friday evening lecture by David Asher here at the farm, 8pm, to learn the history and practice of cheesemaking.

Healthy eating
Ian and Cami

Old 99 farm, week of Oct 9 2016

Cool nights are upon us, even some risk of frost, though normal for this time of year is 5 to 15dC.
Lots of freshly harvested vegetables for you here as usual, including newly dug potatoes: Russet, Purple, and Redskin. We have about 10 bushels (35L) in total. Still have some vine ripened tomatoes, slicing and yellow cherry, lots of eggplant too. Try New Zealand spinach this week. We’ll be digging Sweet Potatoes soon, then curing them for sweet flavour. Egg prices are up a bit as supply dwindles.

CIDER MAKING DAY SAT OCT 15 2PM

This weekend is the cider pressing day at Old 99. Starts 2pm till 6, bring your bottles and apples. I’ll have apples here for $10/bushel. A bushel (20Kg) makes about 2 to 3 gal (8 – 12 L) cider. It’s a kid friendly day, so bring your young’uns.
Some people may want to come early to help set up and start picking in our 100 yr old orchard.

I have to put in print: you are here at your own risk, it is a working farm and I can’t be held responsible for accidents, etc.

CHEESEMAKING WORKSHOP

The Art of Natural Cheesemaking: two day workshop Sat Nov 12th and Sun 13th with David Asher, of Cortes Is, BC. Cost is $100 per person. 9am to 4 pm both days. We will have a lecture format presentation on Friday evening, 8pm at cost of $20. Come for one or both. You can register online here at locallygrown and pay a deposit when you come for vegetables and meats. Limited enrollment due to space.

Here is what David says about this workshop.

This comprehensive course begins with a session on dairy fermentation, covering Kefir, Yogurt, Creme Fraiche, and Cultured Butter. In the afternoon we make lactic cheeses such as Cream Cheese & Chèvre, and then we take the same curd and age it into Crottin, Valencay and Saint Marcellin.

On the second morning we look at rennet cheeses, preparing the basic curd that can become many different styles of cheese, including Camembert, Blue Cheeses, Washed Rind Cheeses, Mozzarella and Feta. On the second afternoon we make an Alpine Cheese. And with its leftover whey we prepare a batch of fresh, warm Ricotta.

Two days of learning allow students to see many cheeses through the beginning stages of their evolution, and provides insight into how all styles of cheeses evolve from the very same milk.

Look up David’s bio here.. His book is The Art of Natural Cheesemaking, 2015, 300 pages. He will have some for sale here.

Healthy Eating
Ian and Cami

Old99 farm week of Oct 2 2016

Late reminder, not too late to get your order in for friday market.

We have dswiss chard, beet root, beet tops, green onions, leek, rhubarb, kale, arugula, tomatoes including cherry, beefsteak and roma, carrots, string beans (yellow, green and purple varieties), potatoes (cobbler, dakota and purple), garlic, and herbs: chives dill, spearmint, bronze fennel and lovage.

And lamb, chicken, and goose.

Healthy eating, and have a wonderful Thanksgiving Weekend.

Ian and Cami

Old 99 farm, week of sept 26 2016

Reminder… much produce, chicken, lamb, goose, eggs, 66 items all produced here.
Market day is still Friday, but I’d like to know preferences for Thurs. comment on the order form please.
As always, we’ll try to accommodate pick up times to suit.

Healthy eating
Ian and Cami

Old 99 Farm week of Sept 18 2016

This week something different: Cami is running the farm solo! I’m away for a men’s conference in Minnesota till sunday next.
So please get your orders in by friday 9am so she has time to pick and sort.

The cool weather is helping the vegetables growing outside, but the greenhouses are now needing close up at nighttimes.

We have tomatoes, peppers, sweet and hot, green and yellow, cabbage, sorrel, potatoes, carrots, beans (three colours), kale, arugula, spinach, lettuces, garlic, leek, onion, eggplant, herbs (basil, lovage, sweet cicely, parsley, cilantro) and beets and chard. Hows that for a lot?

The lamb sausage is picking up aficionados, if you’ve never had it time to try. Chicken in halves and quarters, grown here, no wholes left. The pigs are fattening up quickly and very friendly towards humans. We’ll soon be moving them to the orchard to clean up groundfalls.

Lots of eggs, chicken and duck.

Cami is making sauces and preserves, like tomato sauce and juice, so if you want some, give us a note on your order.

We will be having our cider making day in early October. No date finalized yet.

Remember the cheese making workshop, Nov 12-13. $100 registration.

Healthy eating,
Ian and Cami

Old 99 Farm, week of Sept 11, 2016

We had fun putting up the tomatoes last weekend:now have juice, sauce, and a garden cocktail, all recipes from the 1977 Rodale classic, Stocking Up. (You can still find it used online.)

Last nite was first 10dC low temp which means outdoor tomatoes will become scarce. We’ve got lots in the greenhouse but the romas will now get about a week on the vine before we bring the rest in.

Oh, I harvested Asia Pears from our orchard, one of the few fruits that produced this summer. And a bushel of crab apples, for jelly. I can sell some too if you’re interested.

How about trying that honey garlic lamb sausage? Tasty on the bbq or baked.

It’s a long list of available offerings this week: eggplant, spinach, swiss chard, beet root, beet tops, green onions, leek, rhubarb, kale, arugula, tomatoes including cherry, beefsteak and roma, carrots, string beans (yellow, green and purple varieties), potatoes (cobbler, dakota and purple), garlic, and herbs: chives dill, spearmint, bronze fennel and lovage.

Healthy eating
Ian and Cami