Passing on the trowel for the community garden
{ 11:49, Wednesday, April 9, 2008 }
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We decided to pass on the CSA to a garden member who was interested in becoming the gardener and to a neighbouring farm to free up more of our spring to concentrate on our daughter Rachel's upcoming wedding in June on the farm. Here is Fran with Julie-Anne Lizewski and some little leek seedlings.
We had the cattle out in the pasture for part of the winter but when the snow got deeper and over the fences we kept them in the barn and they got their exercise in the barn yard.
The sheep were also in the barn uddering up in anticipation of lambing.
And outside in the barn yard under the snow the compost piles were warmer than you might expect. Here the temperature was 110 degrees Fahrenheit.
The lambs started coming and we had a wee visitor who wanted to feel their wool. Etahn Philip Sommer came with his grandmother, Pauli Sommer, for a visit with the lambs.
Now the spring peepers are singing in the ponds and the Canada Geese, Redwinged Black Birds and Blue Herons are returning - spring is in the air and we are looking forward to another season at Meeting Place Organic Farm.
We've also done some things on the farm too!
{ 11:15, Wednesday, April 9, 2008 }
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It was a good year for snow - at least if one was looking to replenish the moisture that we didn't get during last years dry summer. So we were delighted to get it but we will admit to having grown a little tired of moving it out of the lane by the end of the winter. The snow melted several times during the winter and most of that moisture went into the ground as it never froze. In fact, in January there were about three nights when it was warm enough that the earthworms were up on the surface of the soil - earth worm tunnels form channels that let the melt water penetrate rapidly into the soil.In this picture we are giving our daughter Rachel and her fiance Robin a lift to their car parked at the end of the lane while Tony uses the snow scoop to clear it.
We also got the blades back on our wind generator. Bob Meddings a friend and customer in Toronto put his carpentry skills to work laminating basswood boards from our woodlot into blanks which he then carved and painted for blades. I decided I was getting too old to pull the blades up while clinging to the pole so got in Pletch Electric's boom truck from Wingham and we got the wind generator back in service.
Couple Enrichment leadership continues
{ 11:11, Wednesday, April 9, 2008 }
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Our original training in Holistic Management back in 1995 also helped us free up time to become Couple Enrichment leaders. We do a couple of weekend retreats a year. In January we went to a gathering and update training in California. The Ben Lomand Centre is located in a stand of regrowth redwoods which are amazing trees. Here is Fran in a cluster of 80 year old regrowth.
Sharing Holistic Management with the Farmers Growing Farmers group
{ 11:06, Wednesday, April 9, 2008 }
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In February we spent two days with a group of beginning farmers sharing Holistic Management Goal Setting and decision testing techniques.
Starting to teach and Share Holistic Management
{ 10:55, Wednesday, April 9, 2008 }
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First we got to practice our teaching with the trainee group.Here is Fran taking a decision through the 7 testing questions.
And here is Tony explaining the energy flow and biological community.
Learning to Teach Holistic Management
{ 10:41, Wednesday, April 9, 2008 }
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We had a busy winter learning how to teach Holistic Management. We took our first courses in 1995 and credit them with making it possible for them to become full time on their farm and also do a better job of managing their lives and time around farm and family committments. We are part of a trainee group including folks from Saskatchewan, Alberta and BC. We made two trips for week long training sessions in Borden, Sask. Here is a photo of the HM Trainees and our instructors Don & Bev Campbell.
Busy Three weeks in May
{ 03:50, Thursday, May 24, 2007 }
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The Farm spring work load is a whirl wind of activities. We held our farm open house the mother's day weekend and had lovely weather and a great turn out. Lots of wagon rides, the white trillium were a carpet in the woods and a great many tomatoes and herbs left the green house for gardens near and far. We also had a number of customers pick up their spring beef order which was a big help and reduced the time we spent later on deliveries. Here are some photos from the past 3 weeks.
Here is Fran in the Green house just before things get busy on May 12.
Wagon ride heading to the woods with Sharlene and Nate pulling the load.
We have our pigs going out to pasture. They are alternating time with the sheep who go out for the day and are locked in at night to keep the lambs safe from coyotes. The pink pigs can get sunburned so it is better for them to be out in the evening and overnight. They like to eat grass and do a little rooting up of twitch roots.
We have our new Saler/Herford cross steers out on pasture. They are currently clipping the grass under the apple trees which are in full bloom. The sheep are in a separate piece behind the cattle. We hope to get them all running together later in the summer but for the time being we are getting them used to being out in their own herd or flock.
We had a late lamb born after the sheep were out on pasture. We put the claiming pen in the pasture so that momma and baby could be near the other sheep but kept together by the pen until the lamb is a little more coordinated and able to follow his mother. 
The McIntosh Apples were in full bloom this past week and the Spys are blooming this week. The 6 beehives that were on our farm died out over the winter. The warm weather in December and early January encouraged the bees to start raising brood (new bees) in the honey comb. Once they start that the cluster has to stay with the brood cells to keep them warm. Normally in the winter the cluster of bees just keeps the queen warm and moves around to the honey stored in the hive. Once they started rearing brood they had to bring the honey to the cluster of bees around the brood cells - When the weather got cold in late January and February the bees couldn't move enough honey and starved and froze. Clare Gerber, our bee keeper, brought in two new hives for the apple blossom this spring and hopefully they will multiply as they did last year. Here is a photo of a honey bee pollinating an apple blossom. Today (May 24) is our 32nd wedding anniversary - we were married in the orchard under apple trees in full bloom and that is what the spy trees are doing today.Busy Week - field work, seeding and a walk in the woods
{ 07:54, Tuesday, May 1, 2007 }
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We have had a busy week in which we managed to get the spring field work of planting the mixed grain completed. We used our 4 horses to pull a double disc to get the ground in shape for planting and then used a team of two to pull the seed drill to sow the grain and the underseeding of grass and clover for next years red clover hay. 
Pete, Nate, Sharlene and Peg pulling the double discScott Paterson - a visiting WWOOFer (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farm) visitor helped by cleaning the grain seed and mixing the clover and grass. Scott has also been a big help with farm chores, cutting firewood and helping transplant seedlings in the green house. He has been looking after several bottle baby lambs.
Scott Paterson with the horses while they take a breatherWe also went for a walk in the woods on Sunday afternoon and the wild flowers are beginning to bloom. We saw some trout lilies or dog tooth violets and also some hepatica and colts foot in bloom. Some trilliums were just starting to open. Hopefully things will be in full bloom on our open house weekend.
Dog tooth violets in the woodsThe hay and pasture fields are greening up and the garden has salad greens coming on in the one hoop house and the early peas, spinach, lettuce and onions and leeks have been planted.
Looking north to the house and barn. A hay field in the foreground then the grain field and the garden and hoop houses. We were looking back as we started our walk in the woods.
Greenhouse Growing to be ready for the May open house
{ 11:05, Tuesday, April 24, 2007 }
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A lot of little plants are starting to grow in anticipation of the May 12 and 13 open house when heirloom tomatoes and many other vegetable and herb transplants will be available to customers. Here are pictures of Fran amid the seedlings. 
In 3 weeks it will be a jungle of organic transplants eager to make their way into gardens around the area.
Ewe lamb starting to lamb - nice set of twins for starters
{ 12:02, Saturday, April 21, 2007 }
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Our ewe lambs were bred to a texel ram this fall and our first one came in with a lovely set of 3.5 kg twins who are up and nursing and off to a good start. We also go started on the field work today and the ground is surprisingly dry and friable. We cultivated and area in the community garden for peas, spinach and carrots and then did some discinging the field where we are planning to plant our mixed grain.
Week of April 15, 2007 -WAITING for Spring
{ 11:31, Monday, April 16, 2007 }
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We have 25 lambs in the barn and a few more ewes to lamb. We hear the spring peepers at night in the pond and swamp on the farm but the land and garden are still wet and the weather cold. The grass has made a little growth and the fields are starting to turn green but it won't be an early spring. Last year we had peas planted before the end of March. This year nothing is in the ground yet on the 16th of April. We and the animals wait somewhat impatiently for the weather to turn and the pastures to grow so they can be out and grazing. The migrants have returned and we are seeing eastern bluebirds, geese and ducks, redtailed hawks, turkey vultures, blue herons and robins and killdear - though some of them looked a bit stunned after a recent snow fall.
We have gotten some compost spread on hay fields and have also been doing work in our woodlot cutting firewood. We have a number of tops from some trees we thinned out for saw logs. After 36 years of farming I am fairly secure that spring will eventually arrive to be followed by summer and fall and that having a diversified, ecological farm is one of the best ways to feel somewhat secure in a climate changed world.
Be well,
Tony
Welcome to the MPOF What's New Blog!
{ 10:04, Monday, April 16, 2007 }
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Welcome to the MPOF What's New Blog!
-JC
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Passing on the trowel for the community gardenWe've also done some things on the farm too!
Couple Enrichment leadership continues
Sharing Holistic Management with the Farmers Growing Farmers group
Starting to teach and Share Holistic Management