Moving Full Steam Ahead on Field Planting |
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FARM PICKUP IS BACK TO
THURSDAYS 4PM-8PM!
Have a veggie subscription with us? You are getting this email because you do not have a box scheduled for this week, but can still make a regular order through our store. If so, please complete the checkout process to submit your order.
Order vegetables before Wednesday for pickup and delivery this week.
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View from the back of the waterwheel transplanter. The wheels make a water-filled hole for each plant, but the crew still plants each seedling by hand. |
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Two Weeks Left to Order Plants!
Online seedling orders are for delivery/pickup May 14th-16th
Start your 2026 garden off with healthy, organically grown seedlings from the farm! Seedlings are grown by us, with care, and the varieties are ones we know and love. Order online for Best Variety!
Ordering closes May 13th at 12 pm, and delivery or pickup will be later that week! We will have extras available at our Open House on May 16th and at our farmer's market stands on May 23rd.
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Visit the farm and see exactly how we’re growing this season’s harvest.
Walking tour starts at 1pm!
If you have pre-ordered from our plant sale, this is the perfect time to pick up those seedlings for your home garden. Whether you're picking up or just curious about local farming, everyone is welcome.
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Farm Update
We are going full steam head in the field this week! The waterwheel transplanter is back in the field after it’s winter rest and we have a big group of transplants ready to go out to the field.
On the list are crops in our “salad group” which includes salad mix, head lettuces, endive, escarole, dill and cilantro. We plant these in a group because although they are not all in the same plant family, they all need similar treatment. Their process for seed starting, time spent growing as transplants, planting method, fertility needs, weeding method, pest and disease pressures are all very similar. They also fit together because they need to be planted regularly in order to yield consistent, quality harvests.
Another group we’re planting this week is alliums. From this family our yellow onions, leek, red tropea and first field green onions are really ready to be planted. In past seasons we have pushed to plant them earlier, but really regretted it! It sounds like a great idea to plant earlier and have these crops a little sooner, but it meant that we planted in a field with too many weeds and chunky soil that made it difficult to weed without damaging the tiny plants. This time, we are made sure we prep the field only when it’s ready and the soil will be better off for it!
Also on the transplant list is the second succession of tomatoes and cucumbers. We’re going to start clearing out some of the spring hoophouse crops to make room for the fruit crops, which just means more deliciousness to harvest! Not only are we so glad to have salad greens back in volume- we can’t wait for more of these spring beets!
Have a question or something you would like to hear more about in a future newsletter? Let us know at the market, farm pickup, or send an email!
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Beautiful beets from Hoophouse 3! This planting will be harvested through in the next few weeks to make room for early heat-loving crops |
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FARM STORE NOTES
Some exciting new things available:
Cucumbers! Bunched Beets! Lovage! Sorrel!
Field spinach has regrown with nice thick leaves and great flavour.
FROM OUR FARM:
From the Greenhouse and hoophouses: Cucumber, Salad mix, arugula (limited), basil, dill, cilantro, red radishes, choi, bunched beets, green onions. Living Genovese basil plants (limited)
From storage: Sunchokes, celeriac, kohlrabi, and winter radishes. Dried herbs from the farm!
From the field: Spinach, spring kale, lovage, thyme, sorrel
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FROM OUR SUPPLIERS:
Green garlic, wild leeks, rhubarb and romaine lettuce from HOPE this week.
PRODUCE
HOPE Eco-Farms (Aylmer): Green garlic, wild leeks, rhubarb, romaine,Sweet potatoes.
Great Lakes Farms (Port Stanley): Gala, Summerland Sunset, Golden Delicious, Spy.
Pfenning's Organics (New Hamburg): Carrots, rutabaga, cabbage, yellow onions, red, yellow, and russet potatoes.
Through Pfenning's: Ontario mushrooms and red delicious apples. Canadian tofu. From further away, citrus, ginger, turmeric, broccoli.
DAIRY and EGGS
HOPE Eco-Farms (Aylmer): Eggs.
Through Pfenning's: L'Ancetre butter and grass-fed cheeses
Gunn's Hill (Woodstock): Brie, Handeck and Five Brother's cheese.
FROZEN
3Gen Organics (Wallenstein): Ground pork, sausage, bacon, ham, tenderloin, chops
YU Ranch (Tillsonburg): Pasture-raised ground beef, beef patties, stewing beef
New Leaf Foods (London): Plant-based beet burgers
BAKERY
J&D Peters Tortillas (Aylmer): Spelt, whole wheat and unbleached flour tortillas.
La Houlette de vie (St. Thomas): Sourdough bread and pastry with grain that Seth fresh-mills himself
Artisan Bakery (London): Sourdough bread and pastries made with local flour
PANTRY
Aldred Maple (West Lorne): Amber, dark, or whiskey barrel-aged maple syrup.
Wildflowers Honey (St. Thomas): Unpasteurized honey from hives all over Elgin County, including our farm!
Mat's Fine Oils (Staffordville). Fresh, organic and cold-pressed, hemp and sunflower oil. Store in the refrigerator.
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PICKUP / DELIVERY OPTIONS
Farm pickup: Thursday 4 to 8 pm!
Western Fair Market: Saturday 8 am to 3 pm. If you would like to pick up on Sunday 10 am to 2pm, email us and we'll keep your box in the cooler on Saturday!
Kitchener Farmer's Market: Saturday 7 am to 2 pm
Delivery: Thursday / Friday in London & St.Thomas and area, Saturday in KW / Cambridge (schedule will be sent out Wednesday night)
RETURNING CONTAINERS
We love to re-use wherever possible! We can take our CGF boxes and liner bags, strawberry and blueberry baskets/boxes, milk bottles, and egg cartons.
For delivery, please leave these return items out where you would like your order dropped off. Thank you!
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Middle River Music Fest 2026
Mark your calendars for August 29th, 2026! We are so excited to host the 6th annual Middle River Must Fest here on the farm. Look out for early bird tickets that go on sale in May!
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Why am I on this list? At some point you signed up for our previous "farmstand" list or our newsletter list. Want to get off the list? No problem: . Common Ground Farm 6986 Middle River Road St. Thomas, Ontario N5P 3S9 |
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