Looking to the Future, Reflecting on the Past

The new year is here and it is a white one.  Looks like we'll have a lot more snow than last year.  I don't mind, I mainly hibernate this time of year - cooking, cleaning, book work and just trying to slow down a bit.  Jim grumbles about having to plow it; I think the fresh air is good for him.

Last year was a year of change and challenge.

• Dan and James ventured into new territory with Dan developing a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) enterprise and joining the Markham and Whitby Farmers Markets and James joining the Oshawa Farmers Market.  The connections they made and experience gained has been immense.  Jim grew a larger selection of crops to supply them and both participated in the harvest.  We built a new cooler here in Greenbank to accommodate their produce and ours.
• Our market here in Greenbank is looking great.  Gillian, our long term Greenbank employee, appreciated the protection from the weather.  We were able to remain open daily during strawberry season with fresh picked and weather permitting pick your own berries.  We will continue to experiment with being open after strawberry season and build up our farm market business at this location.
• The warm winter and spring then late freeze in April played havoc with the Ontario apple and tree fruit growers making crop shortages the norm for the season.  We ventured further afield, met a new apple grower in Norfolk county who had apples and having a good experience with him will most likely continue to have him supply our apples next year.
• Our dry, sunny summer didn't affect the pumpkin crop - ours was great - it did make for a lot of weed and insect invasions.  It seemed all summer we were trying to find our crops among the weeds.  The weeds just kept coming.  Rainfall varied throughout the province, our area thankfully had enough.  
• Grain and hay prices shot up because of shortages throughout North America due to the dryness and some areas an extensive drought.  This affected us in the cost of animal feed and you may have noticed it reflected in the cost of our chickens and turkeys.  
• It was the rainy fall that really affected us.  With only 5 days in October with no rain our harvest festival days and school tours were damp.  The sunny days were welcomed by all and activity on the farm was busy then.  
• Hurricane Sandi in late October blew down our roadside sign, time to refresh it.  Otherwise the wind, cold and rain from it just delayed school groups and dampened the last days of October.  We're thankful that was all we experienced with the storm.  Tim, a former employee. was called down to New York to assist in the cleanup.  The devastation from the storm was immense, it seems recovery will take years.  
• December was fun - thanks to the hard work of John and Laura and the participation of our staff we took part in the Stouffville and Unionville Christmas parades.  A new experience for most of us.  Thanks to these communities for accepting and supporting us.
• Our soil's water level has fully recovered from the summer dryness.  The rain in December topped it up.  We know because of our wet basement.  The joys of older homes.

The season can be summed up in an appropriate statement from one of our cohorts who grows apples. " It is a challenge to have a business with Mother Nature as a partner. "

Farming is a next years business.  We're re-energizing, reflecting and reworking things.  Always optimistic about the future, we look back appreciating our customers support for us and the boys, and look forward to a exciting and challenging new season.

We wish you all the best for the new year.  See you in the spring.

Fraser Fir Christmas Trees are here

Time to start celebrating the Coming of Christmas.  The Fraser fir trees are here and the Balsam will be arriving soon. What a great smelling time of year. Oh to reboot the brain with the aroma of the trees.  Even the snow has arrived.  Apple cider is hot in the market so come on in and enjoy a cup.  Right now it is our central heating system, in other words, dress warm for the weather.

Soup is on each weekend.  Naresh is here to offer ideas on great ways to prepare those comfort foods inspired by the weather that get us through the winter.  We still have a great selection of Ontario apples including Honey Crisp and Ambrosia.

Christmas cookie trays start next week featuring gingerbread and shortbread cookies along with a selection of other yummy baked goodies.  They're great as hostess gifts, for office parties and just for nibbling on a nice selection of treats.

Time to get your freezer orders in for winter.  Bacon and sausage will be here soon.  We are currently taking orders for fresh turkeys and pies for Christmas.  Stock up your shelves with our homemade preserves and jams.

Come on in, enjoy all the great smells of Christmas.  We're open this Saturday and Sunday 9 -5 and beginning Thursday Nov 29th we'll be open daily till December 24th.

Time is flying by!

We're past the half way mark of November and time keeps marching on.  Soon our fall season will end; the corn maze will be combined, Jim will finish his plowing, the fall mums fade.  Our farm animals always love visitors though.

The best thing about farming is one season leads to another - for us it will be the Coming of Christmas.

Our Christmas trees will be arriving soon.  Balsam fir, Fraser fir and pine trees change the look of the farm from fall to winter - brrrr.  Hopefully this sunny weather will stay with us.

We are now taking orders for fresh Christmas turkeys and getting organized for our Christmas cookie trays.  Our market will transform after the American Thanksgiving from pumpkins to evergreens, snowflakes and candy canes.

Christmas may seem so far off at this moment but it will arrive quicker than you think.  Our farm is open November Thursdays to Sundays 9-5 then daily in December until December 24th.

November is a time to pause

November gives us the opportunity to catch our breath after the hectic buildup to Halloween and to pause before the busy Christmas season.   The beauty is in the browns of the trees and fields, the call of the geese heading south and the cool, cloudy skies.

It's also a time to cook all those great comfort foods.  Saturdays, Naresh will be taking some of the basics - onions, garlic, squash, sweet potatoes etc and creating hearty delicious soup.  He is passionate about all the delicious food grown in Ontario and is happy to share that passion giving you easy, quick ways to cook them.

We still have a great selection of Ontario apples - Empire, Mutsu, Macintosh, Fugi, Ambrosia, Honey Crisp and Russet.  We are now taking orders for Christmas turkeys and pies.

Our farm and market is open Thursday to Sundays in November from 9-5.  Come and enjoy the peacefulness of the November on the farm.  Its time to stock up for winter.

Thanksgiving is Turkey Time

Our turkeys are doing well and many have been booked for dinner, but not all.  We'll have fresh turkeys in the market Friday around 3:00, ready for pick up.  Come and take one home, make your dinner a delicious one.
It is best to place an order to be sure we have one for you.  If you are phoning in a order wait till I finish my message and wait for the beep.  We need a phone number to confirm and at least a 4 lb weight range of biggest to smallest size you would like. 
Sorry, no promises on small turkeys.  We'll know sizes for sure Friday when they come in dressed and ready for dinner.

It is Starting to Look Like Fall

You just have to love the colours of fall.  The vibrant reds, yellows and especially orange.  Our pumpkins are looking great this year, there are lots in the field and some are on display.

Our fall mums have just arrived turning our courtyard area into an explosion of colour.  Just what we need on a rainy day.

We'll soon have cornstalks, straw bales, pumpkins, gourds and Indian corn available for sale to help your place look great for the fall season.  The mums are a good start.

THANKSGIVING IS JUST  A MONTH AWAY - IT'S TURKEY TIME!
It's early this year so start your planning now.  Our turkeys are thriving and will be fresh, dressed and ready for Thanksgiving dinner, you just need to invite them.  Our turkey order book is ready and waiting.  We need a 4 pound weight range along with a preferred weight so we can match one of our turkeys to your needs.  The usual guideline is 1 to 1 1/2 lbs/ person depending on age, appetite and how many left overs you want.

Christmas is coming,

the goose is getting fat, please put a penny in the old man's hat. If you haven't got a penny a half penny will do. If you haven't got a half penny then God bless you.

Is the tune running through your head now? I remember my Grandfather telling me of the time when he was a boy that he had to memorize this verse and say it at the front of his class. His family were homesteaders in Saskatchewan and lived initially in a sod house while the wood house was being built and the land was being cleared. Oh how I miss him at Christmas. It can be such a family time, a time to reminisce of years gone by.

We have had a great Christmas season seeing you and catching up with the events in your year. The kids are growing - off to school, finished school, getting married, grandchildren being born. We've been selling Christmas trees for 25 years now and some of you have been coming for that long.

We have exciting news - Heather, our wee petite staffer that you'll see mostly in the bakery when she isn't in school, is now engaged to be married to a wonderful young man Thomas. We're so happy for them. She'll be working the 22nd and 23rd so if you stop in, give her your best.

We'll be busy these next few days baking and organizing turkeys. We still have some beautiful balsam and fraser fir Christmas trees and you can still order a fresh turkey. Our lives can be so busy that for some it seems Christmas has snuck up on them and oh my gosh its only 6 days away.

Thanks for taking this moment to read this blog. As another famous charactor at Christmas says-
Merry Christmas. God bless you one and all.

Christmas is almost here!

Wow, how time has flown - Christmas is in 2 weeks.

We've been busy decorating, baking and making our turkey and chicken pies. The meat pies are now available in our freezer. They're a great quick meal solution for busy times.

Fresh Turkeys

Don't delay in ordering yours. We've got our order book ready and waiting. I don't tend to have extras at Christmas so it is best to place an order. We will also have really large turkeys available this year - great if you're having a big gathering or just love left overs.

Christmas Trees

The Fraser fir and Balsam fir trees are beautiful and we've got a nice selection. On the warmer days it smells like we're in a forest. Both types of trees are good choices at this time - the Fraser fir is recommended if you leave your tree up for a long time and need strong branches for all your ornaments. The balsam fir has an amazing smell but does tend to drop its needles after a few weeks - I like to keep it up for only 3 weeks. We will not have spruce or pine trees this year due to lack of demand.

We've also have wreathes and cedar roping; I love the greenery this time of year.

Christmas Cookie Platters

are brimming over with shortbread, gingerbread, mini tarts and more. Don't you just love an occasion that gives you reason to indulge in some delicious goodies. These cookie trays are great for office parties, as hostess gifts or just as a thank you to those special in your life.

We love Christmas and we enjoy helping make it more special for you. We're open daily till Christmas eve day. We'll then be closing for the winter and reopening the first weekend in May.

Have a very Merry Christmas and may you have many blessings in the days to come.

Christmas Trees are Here!

Oh the excitement of Christmas and the anticipation of enjoying the wonders of the season. We love the tradition of bringing nature into our home with the beauty and smell of a fresh Fraser fir. We choose the Fraser fir because of it's good needle retention for the room we put it in is a warm one and it does have a nice scent but the best scent comes from the Balsam fir tree.

With regular watering we find the Fraser fir is a nice long lasting tree - at least 4 weeks inside and the Balsam fir is good for approximately 3 weeks indoors. We'll give your tree a fresh cut so you can put it up right away.

This will be our 25th year that we have fresh cut Christmas trees at the farm. Fraser fir and balsam fir trees are now available along with wreathes and cedar roping. Hot cider is waiting for you in the market along with other Christmas goodies, shortbread cookies are baking and our Christmas cookie platters will be available early December. I'd also recommend the Kawartha Dairy Eggnog - it is so creamy!!!

Time to Order Your Fresh Christmas Turkey
We've got our order book ready and waiting. I don't get many extra turkeys in for Christmas so it is best to get your order in early. We're taking orders for fresh baked pies as well.

Our Turkey and Chicken Pies will be ready by Dec 3rd.

Our last batch of fresh Chickens will be in the market Friday December 2nd by 1pm.
Let us know if you would like us to set some aside for you. We'll be calling everyone on our Chicken list this week as well.

Tiem to stock up the freezer for winter with our naturally raised pork and beef. Our gluten free pork sausage, naturally smoked hams and bacon are now in the display freezer. Our beef will be ready soon, it's just aging for about another week. Food makes for a nice Christmas gift for those who have everything.