Reflecting on Summer 2019

It’s January now and all the highs and lows of the 2019 summer season are having their sharp edges whittled away by time. We’ve seen snow, a melt, more snow and yet another mild spell in the last six weeks. Our lifestyle orbits around heating with wood, winter chicken chores and keeping the lane snow-free.

It wasn’t that long ago that the meadow was lusciously green and we were harvesting armloads of veggies for the farmers’ market. Looking back through our photos twigs my memory of the past season. Here’s a short and sweet list of three things that stood out.

Best Move: Converting the Market Garden to No-Till

Over the past few years we’ve worked to reduce our tillage in the gardens. Exposure to a series of  books, articles and podcasts convinced us that a no-till/no-dig system would really benefit us and our shallow, heavy clay soil.

So, this spring we bit the bullet and converted all the veggie plots to a no-till system.

This was no small undertaking. Perennial weed roots and twitch grass rhizomes in the beds and paths were removed by hand. Precious spring and early summer hours (and hours) were also devoted to collecting, preparing and distributing the materials we needed: wood chips, mulch, compost and cardboard. Thankfully we have been stockpiling wood chips over the past few years.

We ran out of steam and time in late June so still have two 50 ft. rows yet to prep. However, at this point I am convinced that the extra effort in the spring set us up for an excellent growing season. I look forward to this coming spring to see how early we can get transplants in the ground.

What we observed this season:

• weed pressure was reduce at a minimum by 75%
• rainwater soaked in to the soil rather than pooling on the surface
• there was an unsurprising increase in slug pressure that cost us some crops

We hope to write a more in-depth post about this whole undertaking in the future.

 

Best Memories: Farm Dinner

One of the brightest highlights of this summer was a visit from our dear friends from Vermont. We had the joy of introducing them to several of our local haunts and local friends. With their considerable help, we even hosted an informal farm dinner which was a first!

In summer we typically work from sun up to sundown. We fill our days keeping the animals happy and healthy, keeping the veggies happy and healthy and trying to keep ourselves…healthy. Happy doesn’t always enter into consideration.

This summer, many of our friends and family remedied that happiness situation. They showed us that we could take time for socializing and the farm wouldn’t fall apart. Taking time off recharged us and reminded us why we are doing what we are doing.  And it didn’t hurt that most of our friends and family are excellent at pitching in, whether it’s harvesting veggies, feeding the chickens or making us delicious treats.

I think it’s a lesson we need to turn into a concrete plan for this coming summer. Now to book a few dates for July and August.

 

Worst Memories: Cricket’s Emergency Surgery

The toughest part of this summer was dealing with not one, but two surgeries for our beloved German Shepherd. The first surgery was planned and the result of an injured leg joint. The second surgery was an emergency and the result of her eating something indigestible. With that one, we were told to prepare for the worst.

Having our normally active and sociable dog spend most of her summer confined to a pen to heal was rough. I work from home and Cricket is my shadow. We spend A LOT of time together. She settles herself near my work and companionably naps in the sun or shade given the day. Occasionally she forays into the bush to bark at offensive squirrels and chipmunks. She patrols the property, keeping predators away from the sheep and chickens. She always reminds me when it is 4 o’clock: walk time.

Except this summer, we didn’t have walkies. We missed out on seeing the little daily changes in the forest, missed hearing the changing birdsong as the summer progressed, and didn’t explore the varied trails around our homestead. I really missed getting a mid afternoon break from my oppressive “to do” list.

Thankfully, Cricket mended from both surgeries and by mid-September we were able to resume our daily walks on the Bruce Trail.

Next Steps

Back to the here and now. Winter has returned but it hasn’t dampened our memories. Planning for next year is in full swing. We straddle the decade reflecting on the year’s experiences while applying what we’ve learned to the season ahead.