Wonderful Field to Fork Event

Its been a while since we posted on this blog and that is because we simply have not had the time!!! Sooooo busy!! The raspberries have come and gone as have the peas, snaps and snows. We are into corn and the first of the winter squash. Summer is almost done already and fall is around the corner! But today's post is something we just had to do....Sunday, August the 15Th...the first of the seasons, Savour Muskoka Field to Fork Event was held at Brooklands. We also inaugurated our "culinary destination" in the old log house! The whole event was a grand success! Everybody loved it and had a wonderful time. Delicious food, wine, beer, fabulous music and tonnes of fun. A big thank you to all who came and made it a very special afternoon (over 250 people that is)! I too spun out of control jiving on the grass and landed me and my partner flat on our backs!! But guess what...you only live once..and we got up and kept on jiving!!!

Strawberry Festivals & Rain!!l

Its been a while since we have posted to this blog and thats because we have been swamped!! In more ways than one. The weeds are trying to take over, the strawberries season kicked in and demanded picking, we became shorthanded for help, the rain kept coming and to top it all we had to prepare for the Strawberry festival! Today is another new day and the sun is out and things are looking brighter indeed! We have new help, the weeds are getting under control, its does'nt seem to be raining and the G8, G20 and the Berry Festival are behind us!! Saturday of the festival was rained out and we had to postpone the main event to Sunday. Lots of folks came out and picked all day. The festival was great...lots of pie, cream, hamburgers and fun. Now the Raspberries need picking!! The summer this year is moving very fast indeed!!

Saving turtle eggs, the zoo and a heap of knowledge!

So,we had the privilege of hosting the TO Zoo's "Adopt a Pond" team on the farm today. We all learnt a lot. Here are a few pictures that say it all! It started by a walk-a-bout with Ken to rece the farm for the actual workshop, looked at some turtle nesting sites and deciding that the Big Mama nest needed to be moved because it was in the driveway! Then Erin & Bob from the zoo made a terrific presentation in the barn about habitat, turtles, frogs and such, with visual and actual modles of these wonderful creatures. This was followed by the delicate task of relocating Big Mama's nest to a safer place. All in all an awesome day! Feel
really sorry for you folks that could'nt make it!!!

Painted Turtles, the Zoo and Strawberries

So we have been frantic and busy and trying to catch up to the way spring is progressing! Sooo fast!! All the summer flowers are almost out in bloom (I mean the ones that usually blossom in early July)and the turtles have come come and gone...meaning have crawled out of the swamp, dug their nests, laid their eggs and returned to where they came from....almost 3 weeks earlier than usual. Or so we thought! Tonight we spent time cleaning up around the farm, mowing the lawns etc, as tomorrow is our first big day of the season....the strawberry patch will be open to pick-your-owners and the most importantly the Toronto Zoo is coming to the farm!!! To educate us about wetlands, ponds and the creatures that live in them. So here I was motoring along on the lawn mower and there on the edge of the road in the short grass I spotted a painted turtle laying her eggs. The lawn mower disturbed her and I think she abandoned the nest..which by the way had eggs in it. So we put a bucket, a cage and a stone over it, to protect it from the skunks, coons and even our dogs overnight and hope the folks from the zoo will know what to do. Will keep you posted.

Rain and Turtles

So the rain dance worked!! It pouring this afternoon ...at least an inch of rain! All the little planties and most of all, the sweetcorn is safe for at least another couple of weeks. It was was sooo hot leading up to today!! Must have been 32C in the shade!! Yikes and this is only May! Yesterday out in the fields planting potatoes and harvesting rhubarb was bearable. There was a cool breeze...today was humid and hot. We logged off work after lunch and some went off to the lake for a dip, Ken fell asleep on the couch and I studied tomato trellises!
Another neat thing happened on the farm yesterday and today and probably for the next few days. The mummy snapping turtles decided that it was time to lay their eggs. We must have seen at least half a dozen beauties here and there..hard at work laying eggs. Emilie called the eggs "gobstoppers"!! I actually kept an eye on a a big Mama from about 5:30AM till she was done at about 9!! Check her out! Its the turn of the painted and spotted turtles next!

Rain Rain we want rain!

Things are growing like crazy! We have the heat and hopefully no more frost. Our transplants

have doubled in size and the asparagus is back on the menu! But...always a but... we have not had any rain for a while and if this goes on, parts of the farm...the fields further away...the ones that do not have access to irrigation....are in trouble! The pumps have been running regularly and most of the gardens are happy. So all you folks out there please do a rain dance for us!

Frost hits the farm!

We knew that the warm weather was not going to last. Yesterday, a cold wind came out of the north, bringing snow and over 12 hours of frost . By morning the gardens and fields were looking decidedly chilly! Some crops, like our rhubarb, will soon recover. Our peas, just emerging may re-emerge from nodes beneath the soil . The asparagus will be delayed, but new spears will persist. The raspberry flower buds have not yet extended , and will be somewhat protected. The trays of new seedling in the greenhouse were kept warm by the fire we kept buring during the night in the stove. But we are not able to protect the strawberries. Normally, frosts in May occur during clear, still clouldless nights. when heat from the plants on the ground is sucked up by the black sky above. Damage from such drosts - called radiation frosts - can be controlled by turning on the irrigation sprinklers, until the sun warms the plants in the morning. But last night , we experienced an advection frost (also know as a wind frost), when the high winds made irrigation frost control useless. The newly expanding flower buds have surely been damaged. There are a limited number of buds, not yet developed, which may replace the ones hit by frost. Frosts are predicted for the next two nights. The irrigation system is ready. If frost does come, we hope for a still calm nights so the we can irrigate to protect the remaining flower buds from damage.

Bugs!

The bugs are here.....a definite sign of summer. Blackflies and mosquitoes are out in droves. On Brooklands we are in bug paradise! So outside in Gods country you are never alone. When they first arrive (the bugs that is) they don't bite. They fly around you, get in your eyes, your nose and sometimes you even choke on them. Why aren't they biting you wonder...they are being nice this year! Then all of a sudden the honeymoon is over (literally) and they start biting. Its because the females are getting ready to lay their eggs and need blood to succeed! So here on the farm its bug season and everybody who the bugs find tasty (yes they leave some people alone) has to wear a bug jacket. They work well and also one gets away with not having to slather oneself with nasty bug repellent. Hear say has it that human body odor is the best repellent....none of us have tried that because we are a clean lot! But we are working on a natural concoction...if it works we will let you know. Essential oils that are natural repellents include oils of lemon grass, citronella, lavender, geranium & lemon eucalyptus. These oils also have a reputation to soothe and calm the nerves...so try them out and relax in bug heaven.

A hopefull spring!

The early spring definitely has some advantages. The first planting of corn, potatoes, peas, carrots, turnips and beets are in! We have had a few feeds of asparagus and the first fresh rhubarb crumble of the season today. And its only May the 4th! The wild strawberries are in full bloom and Ken saw the first flowers on the strawberries in the patch. This could mean that we will have early corn, almost 2 weeks early! The raspberries have surprised us too! Remember that 2 meter dump of snow we had back in December? That snow flattened the canes and we though we had lost the crop...but they have bounced back and are actually leafing out. Hopefully we will have a half decent crop of raspberries. Lets not get our hopes up though, cause we may still get no rain or worse...a hard late frost! Those are the negatives!

Final touches to the old barn!

Anthony, Emilie & Ronny hard at it!

So Maple Syrup season has come and gone. It was probably the shortest and most intense season that we ever had. It was also the earliest that spring has ever sprung. Lots of really warm days and opportunities to get some renovations done to the barn. We had saved the cedar shakes that had been taken off the old log house 5 years ago and used them to side the renovated barn foundation that has been waiting for that final touch for almost 25 years. The barn was built by a community barn raising in 1901. Commissioned by Kens great grand father George and masterminded by a Mr.Mason who received a horse in payment. The shakes look really good - like they have been there all the time!

Maple syrup season has begun with a bang! Whats interesting is that we tapped our trees almost a full 10 days earlier than we have ever done! You figure global warming is at play? Today was our first boil and we made our first sweet liquid gold! We are collecting sap now and will not be boiling again till Saturday at the earliest.

Sad...but another milestone

Hello All!

It has been over a week now since Walker (Dad/ Grandpa) passed away. He died in his sleep surrounded by family at the Pines on February 21, 2010. He will be missed by all. He had an amazing life and hung on to the family farm through thick and thin. His legacy lives on through this very farm.

This picture was taken earlier this year. Walker was almost 90 years old.

Update!

Finally, after tearing each others hair out, my Mum and I have managed to add some substantial content to the website.

Enjoy!

Another amazing event!

On January 1, 2010 Joane and Walker Riley ( M & D as we fondly call them) celebrated their 65th Wedding Anniversary! Yes folks as Dad would say... "yes siree 65th"!!! Now that is quite a milestone and we were all there on the farm to celebrate the day with them!

What a day!

Snow Snow and more Snow

Hello there! To give you a jist of whats happening on the farm our blog will continue with pictures. Look, see and believe!

This shot was taken in December when we had almost 2 meters of snow dump on us in just three days. Amazing nature! There was nothing we could do but sit and watch! Now in January we still have piles of the white stuff..but we are getting into working in the maple bush. Guess what! Digging up the lines!!

Look forward to our sweet golden syrup!!