Our Second Anniversary

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We can now officially say that we have lived at the farm for over two years. We feel we have accomplished quite a lot, but there always seems to be another project in our sights.

The past two weeks have been hectic. Everything seems to be ripening at the same time. This means that outside of weeding, all of our focus is on harvesting.

For a while we had harvested Mulberries, but now we needed to harvest our Red Gooseberries, our Black and Red Currants while all varieties of Raspberries were coming on line simultaneously.

Red Gooseberries...most of which have already been transformed into jam.

The Black Currants were bountiful and a lot of it has already been transformed into jams and cordials

We did not have too many Red Currants but enough to process them into a bright red jelly

The Purple Raspberries are huge this year

When it comes to our vegetables, one plant has done surprisingly well after some questionable transplant from the Growing Dome to our beds. This is the Scarlet Runner.

Our Scarlet Runners

This plant is originally from Latin America and although it is a perennial there, we can only grow it as an annual.

The bright red flowers attract pollinators and humming birds. They are also edible and taste like a sweet pea. Once pollinated, the flower will generate a bean which can be eaten like a snow pea early in its development. Later, the bean must be shelled and the pods generate a large bean akin to the Fava Bean. These beans can be also used dried.

Interestingly, in Latin America where this plant is a perennial, the roots are also eaten.

In the Growing Dome, we keep being astonished at the progress of our Cucumbers grown using the Kratky method. The vines are over 6 feet long and are blooming; some blooms already show signs of fruiting. The success of this method is having us completely rethink our Aquaponics setup.

Our monster cucumbers continue to climb while some blooms show signs of fruiting.

We are also using this time in the Dome to begin propagation of certain plants. We've succeeded with our Baco Noir Grape cuttings. After a bit of effort, we've also managed to do the same with Goji berry cuttings.

Successful Goji berry cuttings.

We are now trying to propagate old Black Currants that we found on the property, as well as some of the heirloom Pippin apple trees.

On the foraging front, it was time to harvest some of the wild Black Raspberries. They are not out for long so we did the best we can. We also harvested something new from the wild: the Linden flower.

The Linden flower

Last year we discovered two mature American Linden trees on the property. This year we were careful to note their flowering. The scent of these blooms is amazing. Better yet, it is a great edible. Once dried they make a wonderful soothing tea usually enjoyed in the evenings.

Dried Linden flowers ready to be used as tea

Another use for these blooms is with honey. Honey can be added to a jar of flowers and the result will be a very floral honey infused with the aroma of the Linden.

Finally, our hectic atmosphere can also be attributed to the busy Tea Room. We are  now on the regular stop of an Asian tour group and we are having a great time entertaining them. They are avid to learn about the history of our property as well as all the plants and berries we grow.

We've been giving lessons on making scones, jams, jellies and cordials while a good friend dressed up in period costume provides for a great photo opportunity.

Chef providing lessons on the making of scones

Amber providing for some great photo opps

It turns out we are now getting a great following with the GTA's Chinese community. One couple showed us an article on Ridge Berry Farm completely in Chinese! We had no idea this was being written. Our concept of a site for Agricultural Tourism may actually turn out quite well.

To conclude, we'll share a couple of recent wildlife photos.

A large snapping turtle strolling down the farm lane

A Hairy Woodpecker in the Staghorn Sumac