While we’ve been spared the worst outcomes of the pandemic up to this point, it still feels very myopic to focus on our homestead experience given the state of the world.
Perhaps that’s why I’ve had such a hard time updating the blog this year. That coupled with my general dread of writing has meant a big lag in blog entries. I’d much rather tell a story through photographs. So here we go.
I’ve cobbled together a selection of pictures to get you through the 2020 season and up to date on the farm. It sure is nice to look at all that colourful produce right now.
This growing season saw a lot of learning on my part as I switched from growing for the farmers’ market to growing for a select group of customers getting weekly veggie boxes. The temperatures were all over the place, the rain was abundant and the wind was exceptional.
Most of the summer, we were busy keeping the livestock fed and moving across the meadow to fresh pasture. The pigs did a great job clearing the future fence line and converting excess produce to pork. Windfall apples were a favourite.
Veggie shares came to an early end in September. We had a full week of cutting and wrapping pork, making sausages and juggling freezer space. Boy, did I learn a lot that week. The rest of the month we got the homestead ready for our fabulous house-sitters to move in for five weeks.
On to Quebec!
October saw us camping and eating our way through rural Quebec. Our goal was two-fold; to get to the ocean and to explore as many local foods as possible. This second part of our goal meant we travelled to a number of small farms, cheese shops, bakeries, butchers and fish mongers that decorate the backroads of rural and small town Quebec.
Speaking of back roads, we also learned a lot about where one should and shouldn’t try to drive while pulling an RV. Perhaps more on that later. (Can I just say how I loved having a private washroom wherever we went?)
Home again, home again, jiggity-jigg. Just in time to plant garlic and put the garden to bed. Also the perfect time to get the smokehouse set up to start makin’ bacon from all those bellies we cured. Add a new flock of hens to the mix and we’ve now got the breakfast of champions! Peter has continued to perfect his meat-smithing and we are eating really well.
We had a quiet Christmas, missing the dear family and friends that we would normally see over the holidays.
But apparently we thought we were sleeping too much, and too well. So, enter HoneyBee, our newest family member.
Yes, perusing the seed catalogues with a pup on my lap was lovely. At least while she was sleeping.
That gets you up to speed with what’s happening here.
So how are you doing?
Wherever this finds you, we hope you are weathering the storm well. Take care.