Walkin' in a Winter Wonderland

Happy Holidays to all! And my most sincere apology for not having blogged in so long!
Unfortunately, it does not look like much of a winter wonderland outside: yesterday it started out snowing, then that changed to ice pellets, and now we're left with a sloppy wet mess. (Oh, and it's supposed to get quite cold tomorrow, so there should be plenty of ice to slip on soon!)
The final market of the season was last Saturday. It will be very nice to have a few Saturdays where we don't have to get up at 5:30am!
We have said a sad farewell to Tony the Blind Calf.

Canned Pears

We have kind of adopted a stray, orange cat...he still won't let us too near, but he loves the cat food we give him! I have been calling him Donald.

CSA, Week 16

We are in the final few weeks of the CSA! Registration for the Fall/Winter CSA begins soon.

It has rained often and heavily for the past month; the plants are falling limp due to too much moisture; some areas of the garden are nearly impassable. Unfortunately, there is more rain in the forecast.  
We are trying to get a majority of the carrots out of the ground, because, due to all of the rain, they have begun to rot in the ground. Most of the winter squash has been harvested, and is curing in the greenhouse. This will be the last week for fresh tomatoes this year. A lot of the peppers in the greenhouse have started turning red, and we have an abundance of hot peppers!

Vegetable list (subject to change):
Kale
Swiss chard
Pole beans
Green beans
Garlic
Potatoes
Tomatoes
Rosemary
Eggplant
Peppers, sweet
Peppers, hot
Carrots
Beets
Beet greens
Lettuce
Broccoli
Cabbage
Onions
Peppermint
Oregano
Thyme
Sage
Basil
Squash, winter

CSA, Week 15

The windy and chili days of autumn have commenced. We have gotten quite a bit of rain in the past week, or so. If only we would have gotten some of it a month-and-a-half ago!
The 10-Week CSA ended last week, and there are only 5 more weeks left in the 20-week CSA!

The chicks and ducklings have grown exponentially in the last few weeks. Some of pastures for the cows and horses have been able to begin growing back after some of the rain.

Vegetable List (subject to change):
Kale, red Russian
Swiss Chard
Beans, green
Beans, French fillet
Beans, pole
Broccoli
Garlic
Onions, red
Onions, yellow
Winter squash
Peppers, sweet
Peppers, hot
Carrots
Beets
Lettuce heads
Mesclun mix
Kale, winter boar
Basil
Thyme
Peppermint
Tomatoes
Potatoes
Parsley

CSA, Week 13

We are getting a whole bunch of rain today -- hopefully it won't rain so much that we won't be able to get into the gardens tomorrow!
We have a bumper crop of tomatoes this year, so we have been making a lot of tomato sauce and salsa. The cabbage is quite pitiful looking, due to the lack of rain in the spring and summer.

We are now cutting the garlic bulbs from the stalks. And we have started harvesting the winter squash! The storage onions will be ready to harvest soon.
The ducklings and chicks have grown so much in the past couple of weeks.
Next week is the final week for the 10 Week CSA share.

Vegetable List (subject to change):
Kale
Swiss chard
Beans, french fillet
Pole beans, garden of eden
Pole beans, scarlet runner
Pole beans, fortex

Lettuce heads
Carrots
Beets
Potatoes
Tomatoes
Peppers, sweet
Peppers, hot
Zucchini
Basil
Thyme
Peppermint
Green onions
Onions, yellow
Onions, red

CSA, Week 12

Another busy week at the farm; filled with haying, harvesting, weeding, and a thunder storm!
Another 101 square bales in the barn, and another section of hay field mowed down and to be baled in a few days.
Everything is growing well. Tons of tomatoes; I get to make a beautiful sauce every week --Yum!-- with only ingredients that we have grown (peppers, parsley, tomatoes, basil, swiss chard, and onions).
Oakmanor Farm is now on Facebook, 'like' us!

Vegetable list (subject to change):
Kale
Swiss chard
Beans, French fillet
Beans, Scarlet Runner
Beans, Fortex
Beans, Garden of Eden
Early cabbage
Lettuce heads
Carrots
Beets
Zucchini
Basil
Tomatoes
Green onions
Onions, yellow
Onions, red
Onions, white
Parsley
Peppers, sweet
Peppers, hot
Broccoli
Garlic
Potatoes
Thyme
Peppermint
Sage
Cilantro

CSA, Week 11

We had a thunder storm on Saturday --which was very nice-- and it looked very beautiful rolling in off of the Avon River: clouds that just swallowed the landscape, and bolts of lightening in the distance; followed by a loud crack of thunder.
We have nine ducklings that hatched yesterday. The chicks are doing well, and are growing so fast!
Everything is growing very well. We are thinning the storage beets. All of the pastures are getting clipped.

Vegetable list (subject to change):
Spring turnips

Red Rocket peppers (hot)

Zucchini
Tomatoes
Potatoes
lettuce
Beans, Fortex
Beans, Garden of Eden
Peppers, sweet
Peppers, hot
Beets
Carrots
Beet greens
Onions, white
Onions, yellow
Onions, red
Bok Choy
Kale
Swiss chard
Basil
Cucumbers
Thyme
Garlic
Sage
Peppermint
Parsley

Forrest del Serrano 

CSA, Week 10

Yes, the CSA is half over.

This morning we were protected from the sun by a blanket of fog while we were harvesting. Then it was off to a nearby town to pick up some chicks from the feed mill! Though fluffy and amazingly soft, they are incredibly loud!
We are still in desperate need of rain, and have spent the last couple of nights watering. This has summer has, probably, been the one of warmest summers in Nova Scotia. Shame that it hasn't rained more; it could have been like living in a tropical rain forest!

The market is going quite well this year, and just last Saturday the market hosted an IncrEDIBLE Picnic.

Vegetable list (subject to change):
Bok choy
Swiss Chard
Broccoli
Kale
Onions
Garlic
Radish
Spring Turnips
Mesclun mix
Pole beans
Tomatoes
Potatoes
Peppers, sweet
Peppers, hot
Beets
Carrots
Basil
Peppermint
Parsley
Zucchini
Cucumbers

Pickling cucumbers

CSA, Week 9

We are bush hogging all the overgrown pastures and paddocks. All of the hedges have been clipped. All of the lilies are in bloom. We weed some of the very long cabbage rows every day. The farm, actually, looks relatively nice!
We could still use some rain! Though we got a few good showers last week.
We are busy getting organized for this weekend's IncrEDIBLE Picnic  that the Windsor Farmers' Market is hosting.
The 10 week CSA is half over.

Vegetable list (subject to change):
Tomatoes
Potatoes
Carrots
Beans
Basil
Broccoli
Green onions
Peppers (green), sweet
Peppers, hot
Early cabbage
Lettuce mix
Zucchini
Kale
Swiss chard

Scarlet Runner bean blooms

CSA, Week 7

The gardens are happy that we received some rain yesterday! Hopefully, rain every Tuesday will become a weekly ritual!
The tomatoes are really starting to produce (tomato and cream cheese on toast; yum!); which is very exciting. Almost all of our bean plants are coming in to full production mode at once. The peppers in the greenhouse look great. Hopefully we will have some in a couple weeks.

Vegetable list (subject to change):
Potatoes (CSA only)
Carrots
Beans
Zucchini
Beets
Dill
Peppermint
Parsley
Kale
Swiss chard
Mesclun mix
Tomatoes (CSA Only)
Onions
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Early cabbage

CSA, Week 6

Another busy week on the farm. Our evenings (and sometimes mornings) were filled with watering; though we finally got some rain yesterday, along with a thunderstorm this morning.
The weeds have been growing like crazy; we need to have a weeding party! Anybody interested?
The beans have all started to come on, and we have been picking and eating the first ripe tomatoes!

Vegetable list (subject to change):
Carrots
Beans, green
Beans, yellow
Beets
Zucchini
Mesclun mix
Lettuce
Kale
Swiss chard
Bok choy
Cilantro
Dill
Parsley
Peppermint
Currants

CSA, week 5

Oakmanor Farm is now on Facebook, "Like" us!
Today I picked our first beans! They are so juicy and fresh. The cherries and currants have started ripening. Our little strawberry patch shall soon be retired for the season.
It has been dry and sunny... so watering every evening begins again.

The pigs have been dining on salad greens every morning for breakfast.

CSA 10 week shares began this week.

Vegetable list (subject to change):
Mesclun mix
Lettuce
Beets
Carrots
Beans
Garlic scapes
Peas
Kale
Swiss chard
Early cabbage
Green onions
Cilantro
Dill
Parsley
Peppermint
Purslane
Broccoli (CSA shareholders only)
Zucchini (CSA shareholders only -limited amount)

We just made some hay today.

  

CSA, Week 4

It was another busy week at the farm; all the root vegetables have been seeded (carrots, turnips, and beets), the one-hundred-plus tomato plants have been tied up, we've picked about five flats of strawberries out of our little patch, the peppers in the greenhouse have been tied up, and after all that rain there is A LOT of weeding to be done!

The market was busy on Saturday, I think we have more people in there every week. 

I have been cooking and baking, nearly, non-stop--or at least whenever I'm in the house. 

The cherries on our four trees are ripening up. I pan to get a lot picked...unlike last year. And now that the blueberry bushes have received a sufficient amount of water, the fruit on them is beginning to size up.

 Vegetable list (subject to change):
Mesclun mix
Lettuce heads
Chinese cabbage
Kale
Swiss chard
Peas, sugar
Peas, snow
Green onions
Baby carrots (CSA only)
Strawberries (CSA only)
Broccoli
Cilantro
Oregano
Peppermint

CSA, Week 3

It has been raining on and off for the last few days; mainly Saturday and today (most of the animals look like drowned rats). Finally the gardens will get well watered, and the ponds can get replenished.
The market on Saturday was quite busy.
Between last night and this morning, we picked over a flat of strawberries from our little patch. Strawberry jam time!

Vegetable list (subject to change):
Peas
Broccoli
Strawberries
Lettuce
Mesclun Mix

Striped Roman tomato growing in the greenhouse 

Garlic scapes
Green Onions
Kale
Swiss Chard
Peppermint
Oregano
Cilantro
Spinach
Beet Greens

Looking for recipes that use seasonal ingredients? Visit my other Blog In The Kitchen With Francesca

CSA, Week 2

We are up to over 1,000 page views on the Farming with Francesca blog!
We baled 202 square bales yesterday -- the hay is beautiful and green!   So, of course this means sore arms and scratched up legs.
Most of the things in the garden look pretty good...except for the bone dry soil. I feel like the first couple pages of The Grapes of Wrath will be reenacted on Oakmanor Farm any day. The peas have started forming on the plants, and I ate some and they were very juicy and sweet. We picked our first quart-and-a-half of strawberries yesterday. We  have been setting up our been pole teepees.

Vegetable list (subject to change):
Mesclun mix
Lettuce
Peas
Broccoli
Chard
Kale
Spring turnips
Beet greens
Green onions
Peppermint
Oregano
Thyme
Cilantro
Spinach

Job well done!

Chinese cabbage

CSA, Week 1

Wow, CSA time again! We have had a few busy weeks on the farm, from planting and seeding, to watering. We had a few showers over the past week, but we need so much more water. I wish it would just rain!! So this week it will be lots harvesting, lawn mowing, and watering.
The market started on June 2, we had a pretty successful opening day, and hope the weeks to come will be even better!
We have three new new calves; Zephyrus, Zorro, and Costanza.

CSA Week 1:
Garlic

Beet greens
Swiss chard
Kale
Broccoli
Onions
Spring turnip
Radish
Lettuce
Bok choy
 ~If you are interested in our CSA, shares are still available.

Our table at the market

The long weekend...

Today we harvested the first of our field spinach--if only the market started this week!  The bok choy, lettuce, broccoli, kale, and swiss chard are doing really well. The beans don't really seem to be growing, but we're hesitant to seed out more, in fear that they will all come at once and we'll have, like, 300 pounds of beans to deal with.
We're hoping to get some rain in the near future, the gardens are a bit dry.


All the animals are out on pasture.

All of the fruit trees are blooming.

I feel good!

Apple blossoms

  The Windsor Farmers' Market starts on June 2, the hours are from 9am-1pm.

Cherry blossoms/swiss chard growing in a pot on our porch

The Merry Month of May

Not only has spring sprung, May has begun! April was a busy month; a vacation down south, transplanting, seeding, garden preparation, fencing, et cetera.

Yes, I did "the tourist thing" while in NY

The gardens are starting to come together nicely, we are postponing the planting of some things until it gets a little warmer, also until we get some rain (we have had an unusually dry spring).  So far we have planted peas, beets, beans, lettuce, lettuce mix, kale, Swiss chard, carrots, onions, bok choy, radish, spring turnips and broccoli.

peas

    









The horses are out on pasture. We have one new male calf, Zamaree.

micro greens

Tomatoes, peppers and eggplants in the greenhouse

Yesterday I started mowing the lawn.

Daffodils  

Ver Adest

It has been a long time since I last blogged. Since then six calves have been born; Zoe, Zanzibar, Penelope, Zeus, and Zachary, and another male calf that was a stillborn.

Zanzibar

In March we had a couple days of 80 F (27 C) weather. All of the flowers started popping up; a few days later we had snow! Speaking of snow...that's what's covering the ground right now! It has been a surprisingly dry spring, we have had very little rain and the ground is quite dry.

This is what Gabriel looks like now

Yesterday we seeded out some peas out in the garden. Most of our seedlings have been doing quite well, and as soon as the weather stabilizes we hope to transplant some of them.

Zoe

Zachary

Spring is just around the corner

View out of the front window

With spring just around the bend, we have started seeding. All of the onions have been seeded. Bok choy and lettuce, along with other greens, have been seeded to plant out in April.

Isabelle (the sow) is back from her hiatus with the cows, and is once again residing with Frisco in the pig barn.

Gabriel has grown a considerable amount. He spends most of his time with Tony, the blind calf.
A couple of the cows are expected to calve soon.

It is registration time for the CSA.

All you gardeners out there make a note that this year we will be inviting you to bag up aged manure for your garden. We will keep you posted on this.

Swiss chard, kale and broccoli

Welcome, Gabriel!

Gabriel

We are almost at midwinter.
Most of our seeds have been ordered.
Rachel had her calf on January 16.
I picked three possible names for him; Santiago, Gabriel, or Michael. We chose Gabriel.

The weather has been quite strange; snow, rain, freezing rain, temperature fluctuations.

The winter CSA is almost at it's close. The summer CSA brochures are ready.

We have been busy cutting firewood. Along with trying out some new recipes in the kitchen. For some delicious recipes, check out my other blog: http://inthekitchenwithfrancesca.blogspot.com

Isabelle, our pig, has been spending the winter in the company of the cows.
And, a very exciting fact, the days are getting longer!

Happy New Year!

Looking ahead to another year of farming and unpredictable weather.

This what the farm looked like December 23, 2011

The weather has been crazy; snow, pouring rain, warm and cold.
We covered the strawberries with straw.
The gardens are officially closed down for a little while.
We are mid-way through the Fall/Winter CSA.
We have started planning the CSA for the summer (our brochure will be ready soon) .

Our Jersey/Red Angus cross cow, Rachel, is in a calving pen. She will have her Jersey calf any day now.
We are going through all the seed catalogs, purchasing the seeds we will need for the season.

Beef Products:
ground beef
stew beef
steaks
roasts
beef ribs
beef liver

(from left to right) Chief, Buddy and Roscoe