Spring, Earth Day and a bit of cool advice

So, it is happening, nights are warmer, days even more so.  It really is all about the weather first, then the food.  We can’t have one without the other.  Well, we can but lighting gets very expensive. 

We’re spending most of our time re-arranging right now, moving shelves from garage to greenhouse in anticipation of indoor trays of pepper plants finally joining the rest of the greenhouse plants.   When you start seeds in January and actively baby them every day, you definitely don’t want to lose them to the cold in April.  The tomatoes we started from seed in the Greenhouse are doing great.  We’ve been up-potting some of them every few days.  We’ve added more tables over the empty boxes to house more seedling trays.  Every day I check the soil in the rows in case it’s ready to get to work – nope, not yet, maybe this weekend – high of 20 degrees! And sunny too!  But make no mistake, the frost blankets are not put away yet, just in case.  I don’t really trust that weatherman, do you? 

these guys really want to grow outside - soon babies, soon

salad greens are happy with the sunny, yet cool days

kale we brought into the greenhouse in December
is looking foward to being back outside this month

nasturtiums - I know they don't need to be started indoors
but I can't resist, they're so pretty

I’m looking forward to the North Grenville Sustainability Fair this weekend – Sunday April 17, 10 to 3 – come visit our booth, we’ll have food J  I’ll be at our booth as well as helping out at the Canadian Organic Growers (COG) booth.  Check out the events to take place – Sustainable North Grenville on facebook or www.sustainablenorthgrenville.ca.  There will be so much to learn.  It’s always nice to see familiar faces from year to year and the eagerness of newcomers to our diverse community. 

wheat grass, peas shoots et al, some of the food we'll
bring to the Fair with us on Sunday
 

Useful Tip of the Week

I like to teach you something each post so here goes.
Heather told me about using honey to stop a cut from bleeding.  I often remove sections of my knuckles or fingers while moving shelves and trays or cutting vegetables with good sharp implements.  So, yesterday I slashed my thumb, not sure how, but there it was bleeding.  I thought this was a perfect opportunity to try Heather's honey tip.  So, I grabbed a tissue, wrapped my finger with it, headed for the kitchen, scooped up a teeny bit of honey and put it on the cut - it stopped bleeding right away AND it stopped hurting.  How have I not known about this up to now?  I knew about honey for bee stings, but not for cuts.
Anyway, there you have it, it works.

Perhaps you might like to be added to our Weekly Delivery List.  I send my email out every Wednesday, collect orders Thursdays and deliver Fridays (or another day convenient to us and you if you're not too close to home).  See Contact information and email or call me.  Thanks.

And remember some of Day Brighteners Farm produce can be found at Heather's Healthy Harvest in Kemptville.  

Until next post, have a great every day.
Jo

I'm still planning on Spring, how about you?

We’re doing that getting-ready-for-the-2016-growing-and-eating-season thing.  We’ve been up-potting hundreds of pepper plants, will be doing the same with the tomato seedlings tomorrow, we are constantly seeding new plants and raised beds in the greenhouse, following up on planted peas, watering which can only be done by bringing warm water from inside the house so we don’t shock the poor little plants and keeping up on sprout and shoot growth.  The perennial herbs are all coming back nicely -  parsley, sage, thymes, oregano, sorrel, mint (which I didn’t plant), winter savory.  The basils we started are doing nicely too. 

up-potted peppers needing more space
-better visit IKEA again

the kale we moved into the Greenhouse
survived over winter - yummy

mostly tomatoes, some eggplant, some
kale, cabbages

 We did well by the Salad Greens last week.  In order to keep this going, we’re going to let them grow another week so we’ll have more for everyone by next week. 

Two weeks ago, most of the girls were laying eggs -
today 7 are broody, we get 2 eggs a day if we're lucky

I’m inside today re-arranging plant shelves and putting the grow lights back up since we had to remove them yesterday when we up-potted the peppers.  The plant room walls are beginning to close in on us.  It’s a darn good thing Tom moved his office to Kemptville or we wouldn’t be able to find him amongst the greenery.  The first year I started growing tomatoes indoors, the hallway was lined with way too tall plants and Tom’s clients had to wind their way around them to get to his office.  I’ve since learned to start the tomatoes much later. 

Being inside has its advantages though.  I’ll make granola for you today as it needs to be timed, I can’t wander too far.  My house might get a light cleaning too, maybe.  We bring in so much gunk on our boots these days, it’s hard to keep up.  We start our days walking on frozen ground back and forth.  By the end of the day we’re slopping through mud everywhere.   You gotta love spring. 

I offer you this week:

Granola, with fruit  $8 500mL jar

Granola, with nuts and fruit  $10 500mL jar

Sprouts:  $3 bag

Ancient Eastern Blend (fenugreek, lentils, kamut & adzuki) 

Crunchy Bean Mix   (peas, lentils and garbanzos)  

Sandwich Booster (clover, alfalfa, radish and mustard) 

Spring Salad Mix  (broccoli, radish, alfalfa & clover)

Daikon Radish   $1 small bag

If you'd like to purchase any of the above items, I'd be happy to provide them if available after our regular customers have ordered.  Perhaps you might like to be added to our Weekly Delivery List.  I send my email out every Wednesday, collect orders Thursdays and deliver Fridays (or another day convenient to us and you if you're not too close to home).  See Contact information and email or call me.  Thanks.

And remember some of Day Brighteners Farm produce can be found at Heather's Healthy Harvest in Kemptville.  

Until next post, have a great every day.
Jo

Pricing for 2016

I've been asked to post my prices. Each week, if I have more product than my regular customers have ordered, I post my prices for those items. Generally, I follow the Organic Price Tracker. If there's a great difference from the lower to the higher ends, I choose one sort of in the middle of those. I believe everyone should be able to afford to eat well to ensure good overall health. 
I start some extra plants in early Spring as some people might not have the means (or inclination) to do this themselves and sell them in late May. Once I've set those prices, I will post them. 
Contact me by phone or email if you're interesting in being added to my Weekly Delivery List. 
Thanks. Jo