It only makes sense that we put in a vineyard of kiwi vines given where we live. To that end, we had a productive long weekend! The cedar supports for our fuzzy kiwis are in. We have Hayward and Saanichton varieties of kiwis and are hoping to see fruit in the next 6-7 years. When …
Category Archives: Farm Updates
How to make a pig water barrel
One random skill I have acquired and become unexpectedly adept at is making barrels into water receptacles for pigs. It is a simple concept but when I first looked into it I found it really hard finding instructions that made sense or worked for me. I love the idea of hooking the nipple right up …
Pork and Lard
This week we received our first batch of pork back that was harvested last month. It was a lot of pork! The hanging weights on our two hogs were 111 and 127lbs. On the hoof they were approximately 155 and 176lbs, so it worked out to exactly 72% which exactly aligned with the accepted industry …
Orchard update
Spring has sprung! This is our first spring on the farm and we have been working hard to get everything set up so we can enjoy some harvests in the next 3-7 years. The sooner we get things in the ground the fewer years we will have to wait to hit full production. In the …
Nettles… for dinner!
This is our first spring on the farm. Pea shoots are starting to rear their heads, the garlic is up, and our first harvest of the season is in. Stinging nettles. This was one of those, “we hope the internet is right” moments. The nutritional benefits of nettles are widely accepted but after you have …
An apple a day…
I think we are all looking to keep the doctor away lately. What an apropos time for our apples to arrive. Saltspring Apple Company delivered twenty beautiful apple trees today. We are so grateful for their knowledge, vision, and dedication to growing heritage varieties as well as modern, naturally disease-resistant varieties of certified organic apple …
Pigs and Figs
Spring is just around the corner and things are starting to pick up here. Everyone is enjoying the longer days. We can get more done and everything around here is becoming more productive. Mike is a pro gardener now. He spent last weekend grafting a patch onto our girdled mulberry tree and time will tell …
Snow Pigs
This is our first official big snow since starting this adventure in the summer. Fortunately for us the fences are holding, the shelters are strong, and the pigs are hardy! These particular piggies have brothers and sisters who scoff at -18 weather so they are no stranger to Canadian winters. We are pretty spoiled here …
Who is who at the zoo!
I wanted to take a second to introduce our two of our lovely gilts (at the time of these photos) and boar, Cedar, Willow, and Forrest. For breeding reference and herd improvements, I find it super useful to visualize each animal as they grow out as well as the phenotypes of their parents. This dynamic …
The herd has arrived
Monday afternoon was an exciting time for us. My whole body was full of adrenaline wondering how we would complete the unloading portion of this journey. Five little piggies travelled from as far as Quinte West, ON and Carstairs, AB to arrive at our farm. These beautifully and mindfully selected pigs have been raised for …