Farm Apprentice Search Begins, Could It Be You?

We are starting the search for a 2011 farm apprentice.
Our property consist of 165 acres of prime agricultural land in the Annapolis Valley.
We have orchards,meadows,ponds, a brook with trout,pasture,cranberry bogs and approximately 100 wooded acres including old growth forest.

Apprentices will have the opportunity to learn about all aspects of farm life by participating in the daily chores.

Apprentices can learn all aspects of market gardening, including sowing, planting, weed control, harvesting, working with tools and machinery, managing pests and diseases, composting and building soil fertility.

Other opportunities include learning how to raise and care for, heritage and rare breed livestock including, Scottish Highland cattle for beef and stock,Jersey family milk cow,Cotswold sheep for wool and stock, Berkshire market pigs,chickens,turkeys,geese and ducks for meat, egg and stock production.
Horses are also on the farm and along with daily care, opportunities to ride or drive will be offered.
We also have bees that "over winter" on the farm and opportunities to learn bee care may be arranged.
Cheese making and other dairy production along with preserving the harvest are also part of farm life.

Anyone with a serious interest in agriculture and the physical ability to work the long hours of a farming schedule will be considered.
No previous experience is required, although it will be considered an asset.
All applicants must be willing and able to work long, satisfying hours in the outdoors including undesirable weather, 5-6 days a week and be committed to working in a team environment.
All applicants should have good communication skills, be independent workers, be physically fit and most of all have a strong desire to learn by doing.
Couples welcome.

Please email for more details and/or to apply.

Winding down

From the kitchen...Grammy's peppered steak recipe, so good!
A nice dish of cubed steak,celery,green peppers,mushrooms in a secret sauce served over rice. Always wonderful,more so the next day!!
This is one of our favorite suppers.

I am wearing...yoga pants and a t-shirt,lounge wear.

I am remembering...How much I love fall. Everything seems so much better in the fall.
Fresh apples,brussel sprouts,squash,cranberries,the warmth of the wood stove,beautiful colors and crisp smells.

I am going… to plant the green manure of Winter Rye and add lime to the vegetable beds. We removed all the old plant material and tilled the gardens Sunday. Time to put them to bed until spring.

I am reading...all about CSA's.

I am hoping...to have a successful 2011 season.

On my mind…..How time fly's. Friday will put me 1 year older..
I have also been bitten by the seed catalog bug and it's still early.

I am creating...A knitted cowl button up scarf for a Christmas gift

I am hearing...the TV,I have Iron Chef America on in the background

Noticing that…Christmas is 87 days away

Pondering these words…“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”
"Know yourself & Grow yourself"


Around the house...no shortage of things to do.

One of my favorite things...walking in the woods with hubby and the dogs

A few plans for the rest of the week..pick my fall crop of rhubarb and make jam,apple picking,fix the sheep fence,hubby will finish removing the top soil from the horse ring and replace it with sand and enjoy a supper with hubby and friends for my birthday.

Planning the 2011 Season, CSA

My mind has been going 100 mile/hr trying to plan ahead for next season.
So much to do...
Seed catalogs are ready to be ordered, a new greenhouse has to be added this fall as one just cant keep up with the springs demand.

I'm planning a new adventure...Having CSA shares available for the 2011 season.

CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture and is a marketing approach which allows a farm and a community to develop relationships.
This is a relationship of mutual support and commitment between farmers and members- as it implies a willingness to share both the bounty from the land and at least some of the risks involved with production.
Sometimes known as a farm co-op, CSA is a national movement that is connecting people with fresh, seasonal produce, meat,flowers,herbs,eggs etc.
It is also about the share holder learning and being more connected to the process of how their food was raised from start to finish.

The plans are still in the works but will include vegetables,herbs,cut flowers,meat and wool with fruit and berries when available.

So if your interested for example you can buy a:
~Meat share which will include our grass fed Scottish Highland beef, pasture raised Berkshire pork, chicken and a heritage turkey for Christmas or Thanksgiving.
~Flowers shares will include one bouquet a week for 10 weeks of our beautiful organic country garden flowers.
~Egg shares will include one dozen of fresh Heritage eggs in a assortment of colors every week for 16 weeks.
~Vegetables, herbs,fruit/berries and wool shares will have details to come.

If your interested don't hesitate to contact me as spots will fill fast.

Open Farm Day

Well every year we have been participating in Open Farm Day.
Yesterday was the 2010 farm day.
I did not participate this year but spent it visiting other farms.
We went to two farms in Lunenburg county,here is a one of those farms, www.pollinationproject.org/

the farm is called Watershed Farm.
Another farm we went to was Kevin's Natural Meats.
They have about 70 Belted Galloway cattle, sheep, laying hens and broiler chickens along with a donkey and two horses.
Both farms were nice and it was a great day spent exploring other farms!!

Although it has brought a sad feeling from not having our farm day, it has lit a new fire, we will be bigger and better for the 2011 Open Farm Day so please check back!!

Please take the time to honor your local farmer,they need you and appreciate your support, You'll get exceptional taste and freshness, strengthen your local economy, and support endangered family farms.

Road side stands and Farm Markets

Today my friend came for a visit.
She came bearing gifts, about 20lbs of tomatoes! mostly Roma but some other kinds were chocolate, Caspian pink,Scotia and yellow cherry.
It was a wonderful gift and will be put to good use including sauce, stewed tomates and salsa.
We always have a great time going to all the local off the beaten path markets and road side stands.
Today the finds we exceptional.
We started our journey on the South Mountain in Black River at one of our favorite stops, Freeman Levy's farm, I bought my much sought after Delicata squash, she bought, turnip, Delicata and Buttercup squash and fresh corn.
You cant beat the service and warm welcomes from the Levy's, it is such a pleasure.
Next we stopped at Stirling's Fruit Farm, Wolfville, a more well known farm.
We bought sugar baby watermelon, sweet peppers (buy one bushel get one free!!) and one of my favorite things to drink, Gagetown Cider Company's sparkling cranberry apple cider, sooooo good a must try, also try the cranberry, apple, blueberry cider!!
We then traveled further down the Valley , this was the true find of all the stops..are you ready??
Well a old century home with a little unsuspecting road side stand had me intrigued so I pulled in....
the list of things for sale was overwhelming!
Jams,jelly,chutney,relish,pickles, vegetables, plants,berries, fruit and are you ready???
homemade ice cream, homemade frozen yogurt, FRESH butter, and buttermilk oh my!!!
The milk products were all homemade with their fresh Guernsey milk!
I had frozen yogurt, fuzzy peach, oh my! oh my! so peachy so good!
My friend tried ice cream two different kinds, Peach swirl and Wild Mountain blackberry.
I almost forgot, I also got some pear cider, I have not tried it before so it will be a treat.
We continued our journey to the Peach Pit Farm market, Dempsey Corner Orchards U-Pick and Farm Market,Pierce Farm Market, Apple Valley Pies Plus Outlet and finally the Berwick Farmers Market were I bought a delicious Pasty from Kate's Pantry.
I also discovered a real neat idea and will be ordering custom Christmas gifts, they are digital art tiles done as watercolor paintings.
They will take your pictures and turn them into a painting and then in to a art tile, it was really special.

Fall = happy

I love fall.
It is so fresh and crisp.
Here at the farm we have been very busy as usual.

Today I made another 10 jars of the best mustard pickles ever,the recipe is mother in laws and nothing compares.
This is my second batch of mustard and also I made dill.
Relish,beans and cauliflower are to follow, oh and crab apple jelly as the tree over looking the meadow is looking full.

Our cow Ginny lost her calf Deborah at a week old, as far as we can tell she was in the wrong place at the wrong time, she was run over by some big cows and they broke her neck...it was one of the most heartbreaking things to see, Deborah passed away in the backseat of my car in the parking lot of the vet waiting for him to show up. Why it had to be after hrs!
We went that night and got her two new calves,Jersey's,to nurse her as she was so full of milk and I did not want mastitis or any other terrible thing to set in.
It has been weeks and every night she comes in faithfully,we tie her by her horns and she feeds the two babes, today she decided she was done, no more babes for her!
We are having a hard time getting her to trade her green lush pasture for two pushy calves even if it involves Dairy ration.
The calves will soon move to their new home,where a 15 year old boy will be the proud owner of a young team of Jersey oxen!!!
I cant wait to go see them at a 4H show or exhibition all grown up!

I will leave you with pictures of the dogs playing yesterday,one of the calf's and some of our trails.
ps we got Ginny to come in :)

Earl...go away

Today we are preparing for Hurricane Earl to hit the Nova Scotia coast...he is supposed to be a category 1 when he hits, they are hoping he will be downgraded to a tropical storm.
We are hoping everyone makes out ok.....updates to follow.