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

Old 99 Farm,week of Sept 4 2016

Roma tomatoes on special for canning by the half bushel.
Lots of choice in greens, root veggies, fruit veggies, time to start thinking about freezing some organic goodness for the winter months. As of Sept 4th , we can offer the following crops: 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.

Day length is now a tad under 13 hrs of daylight we approach the autumn azumith. Chickens know what that is, cuz they start cutting back on laying eggs. We moved the pasture flock to the barn this weekend for that reason.

From Environment Hamilton fb page:
Without bees, we wouldn’t have tomatoes, grapes, blueberries, cranberries, cocoa, vanilla, tamarind, eggplant, sesame, raspberries, rosehips, pears, currants, pomegranates, almonds, peaches, guava, plums, cherries, apricots, avocados, beans, alfalfa, mangos, apples, sunflowers, cotton, soybeans, strawberries, figs, lemons, limes, carrots, squash, cucumbers, melons, hazelnuts, coffee, coconuts, tangerines, turnips, canola, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, canola, cashews, onions, celery, kiwis, and many more, even apart from the fact that we celebrate biodiversity in all its forms and feel every creature has a right to exist even if we weren’t dependant on it. We also know we are far from the only people that feel some urgent attention is needed to support and protect our pollinators.

http://www.earthintransition.org/2013/03/coming-soon-no-more-honeybees/#.UVm2sX472IA.facebook

That’s why we’re creating a “pollinator corridor” of native plants that will provide food and shelter for pollinators across the city of Hamilton, Ontario. We’d like to thank everyone who’s already contributing, and encourage others to learn more about how we can help support local pollinators.

http://www.hamiltonpollinatorparadise.org/

Why not volunteer to help out?

Reminder about natural cheesemaking workshop Nov 12- 13, sat and sunday. Cost will be around $100. Learn from David Asher, Black Sheep Cheesemaking School, how to make many kinds of cheese with no special cultures, just natural fermentation and aging. We’re bringing David to Old 99 so you can learn firsthand. Pls give me a nod if you’re interested, two nods if you’re in for sure. Will take payment now at the store or online.

Healthy Eating
Ian and Cami

Old 99 Farm, week of Aug 28 2016

Posted on sept 2, 12:18am. Better late than never I decided, and put this in the ether before heading to bed! Sorry to you all, about 200 addresses, who wait for my weekly post to remind you of the wonderful foods we offer here at O’99.

We will indeed have a market here later today, from 4 to 6.

Healthy eating
Ian and Cami

Old 99 Farm, week of Aug 21 2016

We have five fresh lambs, honey garlic mutton sausage, soup bones, organ meats in the freezer now. Lambs wrapped weight from 25 to 35lbs, cuts include frenched rack of ribs, deboned leg roasts, shanks, loin and sirloin chops organs bones and ground lamb. We have lamb stew/kabobs, sausage and bones for dogfood.

The advanced orders for roasting chickens have been picked up, there are lots left, whole, halved or quartered. Twelve weeks old, about 6lb avg weight, raised on pasture with organic grain rations. Very flavourful.

The veggie garden is lush with bounty, it’s a long list: cuccumber, young chard, beet root, beet tops, green onions, leek, rhubarb, kale, arugula, tomatoes, string beans (yellow, green and purple varieties), potatoes (cobbler and purple), garlic, and herbs: chives dill, spearmint, bronze fennel and lovage.

I have spared y’all any climate news of late, as I shift my perspective again to stay current with developments. The pace of climate upsets is increasing, as you would expect with any natural system.

But here’s a sample of the main dilemna of our time, being ‘what can one person do?’ to make a difference in the climate crisis that is upon us.

Jane Braaten was traveling in India and was confronted at one village with this graffiti: Protect the earth. Live simply. Act with compassion. Our future depends on it.. Then upon returning to the United States she writes, "I’m wondering what cultural, social or political resources we have, especially at the local level, that can help us to see ourselves as part of a common effort to ensure everyone is taken care of. I’ve seen and heard of towns and small cities that have strong social service networks, engaged congregations, and municipal leaders who pay attention to quality of life and stresses in the community. I still think we could do a better job of spreading the spirit of openness and compassion, of taking more responsibility for the conditions we live in, and of building our stamina for participation and engagement. Only through building some trust and confidence in each other, sharing burdens, and making sure that all our needs are met, will we truly find the motivation to protect the earth.

How far is this from our situation in the Hamilton foodshed?

We are taking reservations for the Natural Cheesemaking workshop Nov 11-12. Please tell if you’re interested.

Healthy eating
Ian and Cami

Old 99 Farm, week of Aug 12 2016

Reminder, lots of fresh picked vegetables here now: beans (yellow, green, purple, broad), potatoes, lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, eggplant, chard, beets, garlic, basil, parsley.
Eggs are in good supply.
Roasting and soup chickens crop for 2016 now in the freezer.
Lamb including honey garlic sausage will be here Friday.

Cheesemaking workshop Nov 11 and 12, with David Asher, Black Sheep Cheesemaking. $100 limited to 10 people, get deposits in early.

Enjoy healthy eating,
Ian and Cami

Old 99 Farm, week of Aug 7th 2016

As of Aug 7th , we can offer the following crops: cuccumber, young chard, beet root, beet tops, green onions, leek, rhubarb, kale, arugula, tomatoes, string beans (yellow, green and purple varieties), potatoes (cobbler and purple), garlic, and herbs: chives dill, spearmint, bronze fennel and lovage.

The new roaster chickens are in the freezers, whole halves and quarters. Same price as last year.

Could “we the people” handle a bit more of the truth? One would certainly like to think so. As it is, the US and the rest of the world appear to be sleepwalking into history’s greatest shitstorm of an election. The candidates bode ill for the immediate future. Given the absence of helpful leadership at the national level, our main opportunity for effective preparation and response to the wolf at our doorstep appears to lie in local resilience building. Check out Hamilton 350, Hamilton Permaculture Guild, or Environment Hamilton for local efforts and community building. All have facebook pages.

Surf over to Resilience.org for more on this.

We’d like to go ahead with the natural cheesemaking workship with David Asher, (google Black Sheep Cheesemaking) on Nov 11/12. There will also be a public lecture on the Friday evening. Could you indicate your interest in attending? Cost likely $200 for the weekend.

Healthy Eating
Ian and Cami.

Old 99 Farm, week of Aug 1st 2016

Each more fresh picked crops to offer. As of Aug 4th , we can offer the following crops: pickling cuccumber, young chard, beet root, beet tops, green onions, leek, rhubarb, kale, arugula, tomatoes, string beans (yellow, green and purple varieties), potatoes, garlic, and herbs: chives dill, spearmint, bronze fennel and lovage.

I will have the new harvest of roasting chickens this Friday as well as stewing hens.

I’m offering honey again, from Shawn McCarty’s Chickabee Farm.

Old 99 Farm, week of July 24 2016

We’ll have new potatoes string beans, zukes and garlic this week. Potatoes are Irish cobbler variety, good to boil and eat lots of butter. Tomatoes are coming in more plentifully, yellow cherries, red cherries and red slicing tomatoes, with lots of basil to garnish them.
Regular supply of chard, kale, beet tops, arugula, eggplant, currants, raspberries, leeks, parsley and herbs. Harvesting a lush crop of purslane for the first time. It’s companioning the carrots and keeping the ground cool around them.

Who’s interested in an artisanal cheesemaking workshop? We’re lining up with David Asher of Cortes Is, BC who has started the Black Sheep School of Cheesemaking. Cami went for a weekend, and we’re hooked. Much to learn and do with simple methods. Don’t need raw milk but it helps. Kefir is the foundation for everything he teaches. Let us know if you’d spend a weekend or a day learning cheesemaking the natural way.

Taking orders for lamb again: please speak up if you are interested. Roasting chickens are going to butcher Aug 4th, be ready Aug 6th.

Healthy eating,
Ian and Cami

Old99 farm week of July 17 2016

More heat and no rain in sight. thankfully I got a head start on irrigation on the berry hill so the fruit is in good shape. This week I’ve installed drip lines in the front garden bringing water from the pond by gravity. That’s pretty cool I ’d say!

Can offer kale, chard, beet tops, onions, zuchinni, herbs, parsley, tomatoes, eggplant, arugula raspberries, gooseberries (order in the comments section) and currants. The garlic crop is harvested and will be available for sale starting this week

Eggs are plentiful.

Healthy eating
Ian and Cami

Raspberries and Currants

Great crop this year, picking is at its easiest, canes are loaded.
Upick and Prepick
Come on by…