Preparing Ground for Next Season

 

Preparing Ground for Next Season
Big storage bin of sunchokes (we estimate about 500lbs) that came out of the field last week.  We guess that there are 1.5-2 more bins left available to harvest.
 
Farm Update
 
With most of the temperature-sensitive field harvest finished, we are continuing to winterize this week.   All our irrigation hoses, sprinklers, and pumps have been drained and put indoors. Now, our focus is on sealing our winter growing spaces, cleaning up materials in the field that we don't want to freeze to the ground, and preparing ground for next year.

Every fall, we try and prepare some ground for planting early next spring, though the method changes each year depending on fall conditions.  Ideally, we would get an area totally ready to plant now, because come springtime, wet conditions will prevent us from working the soil.  This is really important to make sure we have crops (like lettuce) available as early as possible and consistently through our main season.  If we waited until everything is dry enough to prep like we normally would in the summer, we would be set back by up to a month.  

Ideally, we want to use a field section that usually dries out quickly anyway.  Then we want to suppress weeds by laying out landscape fabric, which, because it's black, will also help get the soil a little warmer quicker.  Normally, we have to pick the best-looking section (fewest weeds) to tarp, but since it has been so dry this fall, we will also be able to till and prep the soil before covering.  The extra benefit here is that we will be able to add fertility for the spring greens now, instead of relying on residual fertility from the previous crop.  Our compost has really low solubility (takes a long time to break down), so it will be there waiting to help out our new-year lettuce when the soil warms up.

The rest of the winterization list isn't (truthfully) a lot of fun, but it is very important work.  Cleaning up materials in the field and storing them properly lengthens their lifespan.  Sealing our hoophouses and tunnels maximizes the solar energy we are lucky to receive in the low season.  Though these jobs don't always feel like the farming work we're all drawn to here, but they pay dividends in setting our future selves up for efficiency and success.
 
A salamander found in our greenhouse!  Not only are they cute, but we are proud of what their presence means about the health of our soil and how we foster biodiversity on the farm 
 

FARM STORE NOTES
 
FROM OUR FARM:
 
Root roast pack:  A combination of the root veggies we have on rotation.  Chop it all up and roast, use as a soup/stew base, or use components separately.  This is a great way to get a little bit of everything.  Bags are 2.5-3 lbs and a mix of carrot, potato, beet, sunchoke, turnip, and a little radish or two.  
 
Leeks: A member the onion family, leeks have a mellow, sweet onion flavour.  They are often paired with hearty fall vegetables like potatoes, carrots and squash.  Leek can lean on the savoury side paired with mushrooms and thyme or fresh when paired with lemon and wilted greens, like collards or chard.  A very versatile vegetable.  If you have not tried leeks before, start with the classic: leek and potato soup!
 
From the field:​ Leeks, herbs (rosemary, thyme), spinach, kale, collards.
From storage: Carrots, beets, potatoes, sunchokes, celeriac, rutabaga, kohlrabi, winter radish, cabbage.
From the Greenhouse and hoophouses: hakurei turnips, spinach, arugula, salad mix, green onion, radish, chard, arugula, dill and cilantro.
FROM OUR SUPPLIERS:
 
Mistyglen Creamery's seasonal treats are Eggnog and mint Chocolate milk. Yellow and red potatoes are sourced from Pfenning's.
 
PRODUCE
 
HOPE Eco-Farms (Aylmer):​ Tetsukabuto, stripetti (striped spaghetti), butternut,​ and black futsu squash.  Sweet potatoes.
Great Lakes Farms (Port Stanley): Macintosh, empire, gala, honeycrisp, spy, sunpunch, golden delicious, fuji.
Forest City Microgreens (London): Fresh microgreens
Daryl Myny (Aylmer): Spanish onions
Pfenning's Organics: Red onions, parsnips, red, yellow, and russet potatoes.
Through Pfenning's: Ontario Gala apples, shallots, and mushrooms.  From further away; broccoli, celery, lemons, limes, ginger, turmeric.
 
DAIRY and EGGS
Mistyglen Creamery (Belmont): ​Non-homogenized and vat pasteurized milk, yogurt, and cheese curds.  Seasonal milk: Eggnog and mint chocolate
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
Seth/La Houlette de vie (St. Thomas): Organic sourdough bread made using local grain that Seth mills himself. 
Artisan Bakery (London): Sourdoughs and pastry made with local flour.
J&D Peters Tortillas (Aylmer):​ Corn, spelt, whole wheat and unbleached flour tortillas.
Lewis Baked Goods (St. Thomas): Organic flour ready-to-use pizza crusts.
 
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.

PICKUP / DELIVERY SCHEDULE

Pickup Instore: Farm pickup is Thursday 4pm-8pm. ​Western Fair is Saturday 8-3 pm, Kitchener Market 7-2 pm.

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

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