The North Mountain Market

By the end of May we were selling quite a few tomato plants from our greenhouse and it was time to try a farmers market. We heard about a new market in Harbourville on the Bay of Fundy so we scoped it out and it looked like a perfect fit with the lovely church venue and welcoming atmosphere. With much trepidation we got up just before sunrise, harvested bags of salad greens / spinach, bunches of radishes and filled the truck with loads of plant starts. We turned up to the market feeling really nervous about how the morning would pan out but as soon as we got our table set up there was a constant flow of people and our nerves soon dissipated. Success! From that point on we went to every market till the end of the season. The other vendors and the customers were so friendly and fun that we have to decided to go back for the whole of the 2015 season. We even got invited by a couple of customers to their thanksgiving potluck. Over the course of the season there was live musicians performing, special events for adults / kids, and we made lots of new friends. Now we are busy trying to help the market grow and improve so that it become a permanent fixture in the Harbourville community.

Fields of Plenty.....fingers crossed!

We decided to cultivate 3/4 of an acre this year. At first we thought might take on an acre and a half but in the end made the decision to stay small and not go too crazy. First of all we 40 planted hybrid poplars along our north border to protect us from the cold winter winds and drift of any herbicides or pesticides from the field next door. We will probably cut them down in next spring so they bush out to get a decent hedge row. Then we started tilling the soil and have planted onions, leeks, spinach, carrots, beets, parsnips, bush beans, peas, kale, broccoli and assorted lettuces in the northern field (aprox 1/4 acre).

We have Chickens!

A few weeks ago Kris picked up 33 day old chicks of various heritage breeds chosen for laying and meat ability as we don't know their sex yet. We have Barred Rock, Buff Orpingtons, Silver Laced Wyandottes and one unknown, possibly a Rhode Island Red. There was loads to learn: what to feed them, how to house them etc. For the first few weeks we had them in the house as the temperature was consistent and we could keep a close eye on them. Unfortunately, one of the chicks took a nose dive in the water feeder and never made it out so we were down to 32 chicks. A few days later I was cleaning one of their bums, which sometimes get blocked off, and returned to the room only to find Lucy in their brooding box, chasing after the innocent chicks. Two of them got a serious shock but seemed fine until the next day when we found one laying dead. On closer inspection it looked like Lucy could have broken one of its bones. So now we have 31 and they are doing great - they are out of the stinky brooder box and into their new quarters in the stable. Our German helpers Kevin and Dominic have made a Fort Knox so hopefully they will be protected from any critters that might want a meal. Hopefully we'll have some eggs in a few months!

The Slow Life Revolution

Most of us have heard of the slow food movement of wanting to cook with local produce rather than pre-prepared meals from the supermarkets etc., which is great, but I want to take the concept to all areas of life. I feel like the best things in life come from making an effort. In London cycling was the best way to get around. Not only were you connected with your outdoor surroundings, getting fit, riding for free and potentially getting to your destination quicker but you didn't have the stress of traffic, cramped spaces and body odor which you paid for. To me it was a no brainer and to me living in the countryside is much the same. It feels great to do things yourself, which means not having to drive anywhere or buy anything - stuff which I generally don't enjoy. The best travel experiences I've had have been by foot hiking in the mountains or on my bike in the middle of nowhere! Bring back the middle ages, I say! Well, not quite. I do believe modern life has plenty to offer but there is a ton of stuff we could really do without and shouldn't have to work all day to buy. Our friends Devan and Charlotte built a tiny home and are avoiding all the issues of debt etc
http://www.livinglarge180.com/

We have plenty of tools at our disposal to live really comfortably. One of my old work colleagues from the Pedal to Petal bicycle collective in Victoria, BC called Matt used to talk about some Americans whose goal was to retire as early as possible. Matt hardly ever used to pay for travel and took freight trains all over and luckily I got to join him on one such journey. Hopefully we can follow this philosophy all our lives slowly and enjoying it all the way. We'll just have to build up our skills slowly before we buy any woodlots or pack horses!

All Grain Brewing

Now that we finally have settled we thought we should really pursue the self sufficient life. For Kris that means making bread, soap and generally cooking up a storm but for me apart from the fruit and vegetable growing it means getting serious about making beer. Finally it's time to have ultimate control over all the ingredients by brewing from scratch. At its essence beer is about four ingredients: water, malted barley, hops and yeast. Thanks to homebrewing legend Charlie Papazian I have a fairly good idea of the process in theory but as ever the practice isn't always the same.....My first brew involved some back breaking hauling of 9 gallons of water from the upstairs bathtub and some wort chilling in the snow. Thankfully Kris gave me the bright idea of filling the brewpot with a pitcher and our kitchen sink now has an adapter to the copper tubing that cools the beer before adding the yeast. Genius. Anyway I feel like I'm on the road to a lifetime of brewing. Yeehaw! Below is the brew in the bag technique on the go.

1899

This photo was on the kitchen wall when we moved in and remains there today. It's a bit like a horror movie with their expressionless faces, but they had to stand there motionless for a long time, whilst they waited for the exposure to finish, so smiles were out of the question! When we really know what we're doing we may have to get a couple of horses and trade in the tractor. Also gutted that the old upstairs windows are no longer but we're tempted to paint the outside trim like it is below. What colour do you think?

Smashing the sod

On Sunday we had the double fortune of having two experienced farmers come to the farm. I think I could write a blog just on local legends! Brian came from round the corner to plow up an acre of our land with incredible straight lines. Brian has an organic apple orchard and makes vinegar too. His father Keith made an apple juice machine from a photo he saw in a magazine and is still concocting various plans well into his eighties, like an apple concentrate machine - oh and he has a steam engine powered car which I was lucky enough to ride in last Autumn. Dave, another organic farmer, built his own house and lives off grid - need I say more? That was certainly my dream a few years ago, but now I know that building is not my forte!