Making Plans for this Season

Making Plans for this Season
Erik and Blayne categorizing some discussion points from our Year-End Review last week
Farm Update
 
We had a fantastic team discussion with our winter crew last week!  This is the largest number of full-year returning employees that we have ever had on the farm, so we wanted to take the opportunity to put our heads together and get coordinated before the season takes off.  
 
Our discussion was inspired by the style of year-end review that Taylor Mendell runs on her farm (Footprint Farm, VT), although ours may now be called "The Sticky Note Meeting" instead.  We had coffee, banana bread and an incredibly useful conversation highlighting our shared values as a workplace and solutions for things we want to change.  Surprisingly (or unsurprisingly), it also generated a long To-Do list of things to fix and equipment to update.  Safe to say, there is no shortage of odd jobs right now!  We are really looking forward to seeing how this shapes our workplace and production this season.  
 
On the production side this week, we are setting up our seedling area again so we can start tomatoes.  Most of our seedlings are still very cold-hardy so they don't mind the cooler temperature we keep our greenhouse at, but tomatoes need summer temperatures so we set up a special area heated just for them. Luckily almost all of our seeds arrived last week, so we aren't waiting on anything except a huge seed storage reorganization!
Here is a great recipe that uses beets, cabbage, carrots, onion, parsley, and stewing beef, all of which are in our store this week!  If you think you don't like beets, we challenge you to try this recipe with ours.
From Simply in Season by Mary Beth Lind and Cathleen Hockman-Wert.  Send us your favourite winter recipes! 
 
FARM STORE NOTES
 
Things to note from us:   From the field and storage we have beets, carrots, parsnips, root parsley, cabbages, kale, turnips, kohlrabi, celeriac, radish.   From greenhouses and hoophouses: swiss chard, herbs, greens.
FROM OUR SUPPLIERS:
 
NEW!  We are going to start offering milk, yogurt, and cheese curds from Mistyglen Creamery (Belmont) every week through the winter instead of bi-weekly!  
 
Great Lakes Farms (Port Stanley): Mutsu, Empire, Gala, Macintosh, Honeycrisp, Ambrosia, Summerland Sunset and Fuji apples.
 
HOPE Eco-Farms (Aylmer): Tetsukabuto, acorn and black futsu squash.  Potatoes, sweet potatoes and eggs. 
 
Pfenning's (New Hamburg): Potatoes and onions.
 
Through Pfenning's: Mushrooms, ginger, turmeric and citrus.
 
Bakery: Seth/La Houlette de vie (St. Thomas) and Artisan Bakery (London) are both available this week.
 
Pantry: Maple syrup from Aldred Maple (West Lorne).  Cold-pressed hemp and sunflower oil from Mat's Fine Oils (Staffordville).  Fire Cider from Booch (London).

Weekly pickup / delivery schedule:

Pickup Instore: Farm pickup will be Friday 1-7pm. ​Western Fair is Saturday 8-3 pm 

Delivery: Thursday or  Friday in London / St.Thomas.  We will send out the schedule Wednesday.  

Though its the slower season for the rest of the farm, our root crop washer works overtime in the winter!
link:
Note that if you you will no longer get reminders about your subscription!

Common Ground Farm 6986 Middle River Road St. Thomas, Ontario N5P 3S9
Back to blog