Blackberries and Raised Beds

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This week was quite busy at the farm. Basically we're picking blackberries every two days. It seems that these have become a hit at the city markets and we just can't pick them fast enough.

The raised beds have also progressed quite well. We've now planted three, including an old bed in the back of the barn. I did not think we could grow much so late in the season, but apparently we may still have time for carrots, beets, lettuce and spinach. The nursery also gave us a head start on some tomatoes, celery, parsley and late strawberries.

We may yet partially feed ourselves...that is if we don't feed the wildlife first. We've discovered that the farm is well inhabited by cotton tail rabbits!

In addition to rabbits, we've also discovered a beaver that is making it's home in our back pond and we've had the chance to see hummingbirds in our backyard. What was most eerie though were the cries of the coyotes this week. A pack was very close to the house one night presumably hunting some poor creature. The sounds they made kept everyone awake.

Our old house would not have character if it also did not have bats. We now see them flying every evening. We had some suspicions since droppings were on our porch. I think however we are actually thankful for them....we have no mosquitoes! (Apparently these things eat 10 times their weight in insects every night).

I know a lot of "guys" simply want a farm in order to get a tractor (I must say this is not the case for me). Tristan however was thrilled when we purchased our first full blown tractor, an ancient (late 60's) Massey Ferguson 135. I'm told that the 3 cylinder Perkins diesel engine still has quite a few years to it....we'll see.

I think on every blog, the house and the barn will need a mention since I expect they will form as much a part of our adventure as the farming. This week, we really started to understand the original lay-out of the homestead. We've decided to try to replicate it as much as possible. It does pose some interesting features not least of which are the front windows, perhaps some of the first large panel glass made in Canada (you can still see the waves and bubbles in the glass).

I mention these because this week the girls were seriously scared. With the hot weather we have been trying to open them with really no luck (they seem painted shut). However, one of them actually flew open ie. raised itself while the girls were in the room.

I'm not much for ghost stories so as an engineer I had to figure this one out. I am really not sure what happened but I suspect the very hot weather must have expanded the frame. And, since this window is one of a few still on poulies (to which I think are attached weights)....it was free it to raise itself (? I think). Problem is....I can't shut it now.

Well, I think I'll finish this blog like we finish every day here at the farm....with one of our backyard BBQ's. Wishing all readers a good week.

Discoveries

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Quite a few people have commented on our blog "wallpaper". Most think it is stock photography of some grape vines. Actually, these are grapes on the property. The ones depicted on the blog backdrop are growing on the walls of our barn.

Aside from a couple of Cabernet Sauvignon vines planted by the previous owner, it turns out that most of the grapes on the property are "wild". Birds seem to feast on the local vineyards and their droppings seed our land with an abundance of "wild" vines. I say an abundance because these vines are virtually everywhere and extremely prolific. I often have to remind people that we actually have grapes growing in trees! The following picture show a vine that has climbed a pine tree on the ridge behind our house. The grapes can be seen some 15 to 20 feet up in the tree,

One of the key objectives of a sustainable lifestyle is simply attempting to feed yourself, ie. grow your own food. Although we are rather late to plant anything, we decided to prepare some raised beds not far from the house and just behind the barn next to an old chicken coop, under three old apple trees.

After sending his first blackberries to the Toronto markets, Tristan has been hard at work using wooden posts as frames. Hopefully by the end of next week we should have some planted beds. The following pictures show the area we've identified and the current status of the beds.

What has been most fascinating this week has been a visit by a famed local "architectural archaeologist": Jon Jouppien. Jon came to see our house to help us establish how we might restore it to its original glory. He provided us with incredible insight on the property. Not only did he get thoroughly excited by the barn, but he went wild over some of our doors. Now I must say these doors really did not "excite" me to say the least. After reviewing them with Jon, I think I have a much greater appreciation for what we might have.

The doors in question are considered "arts and craft". They are pine, painted to replicate different woods. Very few people are able to do this today. The door below replicates ebony and chestnut (Jon's favourite since he had never seen one of these in Ontario).

We actually have quite a few of these doors and although I was ready to get rid of them....now I'm not at all sure. As far as Jon is concerned, the doors alone would qualify the house for a "heritage" designation!

Blackberries Comin' Aplenty

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Well we've pretty much picked all the raspberries we could (now we're storing some for canning) and the current vines are pretty much bare. What is really exciting is the upcoming crop of blackberries. I believe they are called "Titanium" and they are incredibly large and sweet. Oddly enough, with no water, no pesticide, no herbicide, we are now picking the largest berries I have ever seen....makes me believe more and more in the concept of "permaculture".

What I also find amazing is the wild life on the farm, from deer to wild turkeys, heron's to coyotes. As a guy who use to collect bugs as a kid, I get a kick out of the incredible variety of butterflies and insects. As you'll see below, Tristan had an encounter with the "Beast of the Brambles". This incredibly huge spider was fighting for territory over some berries. Needless to say, Tristan pleaded no contest and let her have her way!

The farm is really starting to feel like home. We are now picking fresh corn (from the rented part of our land) and having great evening dinners on our back porch. It certainly does not seem we will grow hungry here....at least in the summer.

I think we'll try to make this a weekly Sunday post. We have lots of plans for the coming week....so check in next Sunday. Until then "Happy Farmin'".

Our First Harvest: Purple Raspberries

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Well, we've just moved to the farm and we're already hard at work harvesting a small plot of purple (Royalty) raspberries. Although we've suffered from some very dry weather conditions, this has not stopped the canes from being fully loaded.

Our farm extends to just under 30 acres of sandy loam soil, much of which has been rented to grow corn. Aside from our small raspberry patch we expect to be able to harvest some blackberries in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, in some very overgrown areas of the farm we still see the remnants of previous activities. These have given us access to a bounty of Cassis or black currents (where we can reach them), and later in the fall should bring us grapes and even some Arctic Kiwis!

We hope to update this blog on a weekly basis, as we attempt to restore this farm to its previous glory. Here we will share the trials and tribulations of a family attempting to lead a sustainable lifestyle while developing a beautiful heritage property.