Storage Harvests and Expanding the Pond

 

Storage Harvests and Expanding the Pond
Lots happening in this photo!  To the right is the excavator working on expanding our large irrigation pond.  In the middle are the hoops for a tunnel which is being built over lettuce we recently transplanted.  On the right are our perennial herbs, looking very full!
 
Farm Update
 
The carrot harvester is repaired and we are back into harvesting!  We got the rest of the very large carrots out of the field late last week, so we are all caught up…for now at least!

It’s looking like the first group of our storage carrots will be ready in 2 weeks.  We also have storage winter radishes that are ready to harvest any time.  Though we’re enjoying the warm weather and the extra peppers it’s giving us, at this time of year we would actually like the weather to cool down more.  

Those storage crops were timed to be ready in cold weather (or at least colder nighttime temperatures) but right now it still feels like summer.  The last few weeks of warm weather have meant these crops have sized up a little earlier than expected and the first daikons can definitely be harvested at any time.  We like to wait to harvest storage crops until after they’ve experienced cold (near freezing or light frost) because it can really improve the flavour, texture and how well they store over the winter.  These should still yield good radishes, but they may be a little larger than we normally aim to harvest them. Cold nights later this week are giving us hope, so we’re holding off on bulk harvest a little longer.   

In other news, we are very glad to have an excavating crew here this week helping us to make our ponds larger and deeper.  There is only so much we can do when faced with severe drought like we’ve had this year, but hopefully this investment will allow us more flexibility in dry years.  We did have to cut a really big section of our deer fencing out to get the excavator onto the farm, so fingers crossed that no one sneaks in before the project is finished!
 
Planting of 'brassica greens' on a foggy harvest morning!  Left to right: choi, mustard greens, red russian kale, arugula, radish, and winter radish under insect netting.  You can almost spot the RTV on the other side of the field.
 

FARM STORE NOTES
 
FROM OUR FARM:
 
Herb Bundle: A double-sized bunch with a combination of parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme (just like the song!).  This is sometimes referred to as the "roasted chicken bundle" and has a some of everything you need for a turkey dinner!
 
Greens:  Lots of spinach, arugula and salad mix available!
 
Collards: These are here for the fall.  Collards taste like kale, but milder and sweeter. The leaves look like really big, flat cabbage leaves (and could totally be used for cabbage rolls!). Often eaten cooked, the leaves can also be eaten raw.  Some folks use them in place of tortillas when making wraps.
 
Roma tomatoes:  Our plants pulled through and we have LOTS of canning tomatoes!  Half bushels will be available for purchase directly in our store this week.  Look in the Bulk Vegetables section!
 
 
From the field:​ Carrots, beets, beans (possibly the last week), tomatillos, eggplant, hot peppers, potatoes, herbs (dill, cilantro, parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano, marjoram, lovage), salad mix, spinach, mustard greens, arugula, cabbages, broccoli, cauliflower, head lettuces, green onion, kale, collards and chard.
 
From the Greenhouse and hoophouses: Basil
FROM OUR SUPPLIERS:
 
PRODUCE
 
HOPE Eco-Farms (Aylmer):​ Last week for sweet corn!  Kabocha/buttercup, spaghetti, butternut, honeynut​ and delicata squash.  Sweet potatoes.
Great Lakes Farms (Port Stanley): MacIntosh, mutsu, courtland, gala, honeycrisp, ginger gold apples.
Forest City Microgreens (London): Fresh microgreens
Daryl Myny (Aylmer): Spanish onions
Through Pfenning's: Ontario lucious or Asian pears, liberity or gala apples, shallots, mushrooms.  From further away; Paula red apples, lemons, limes, ginger, turmeric.
 
DAIRY and EGGS
Mistyglen Creamery (Belmont): ​Non-homogenized and vat pasteurized milk, yogurt, and cheese curds.
HOPE Eco-Farms (Aylmer): Eggs.
Through Pfenning's: L'Ancetre butter and grass-fed cheese
Gunn's Hill (Woodstock): Brie, Handeck and Five Brother's cheeses
 
 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, organic 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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