Summer is here

Summer is here and so our our first veggies. I am always taken back when the radishes are ready for market because we quickly switch from planting and getting the farm ready for the public to harvest time. First it is the radish, second are the garlic scapes and then strait into flowers. It is hard to see but in this picture there is our first garlic scape poking out of it's sheith. This year we will be selling the scapes at Innisfail Growers Farmers Market Booths. You can use scapes just the same a garlic cloves, only earlier....

My girlfriend thought that we needed something red out in the U-pick for this season and I thought that a tool shed would be useful. so we married the two ideas together and came up with this, a red tool shed "Ray's Red Shed" We have most of the siding on, just need to frame a door and it will be ready.


It won't be long until the maze design for this year needs to be cut, but first we have to make sure the weeds are under control. Here we are using our "state of the art" wheel hoes to cut down some chick weed and lambs quarters. I think these pics were taken on Saturday and when we were out again this morning the sunflowers had doubled in size. It is hard to believe but the corn and sunflowers in the maze will grow up to 2-4 inches every day from now until we open the maze in 26 days.

Markets & Mud

It is June and June is the start of Market season. Unfortunately I do not have anything ready for the markets just yet. We should have radishes starting next week, if the sun decides to poke out of the clouds. Even though I don't have produce of my own, I was able to take fresh asparagus, rhubarb, tomatoes, onions, herbs & potted flowers all from the group of neighbours I work with, Innisfail Growers.

You can find an Innisfail Growers Booth at over 15 markets across central Alberta each week, where you can be assured fresh vegetables grown by local Farmers. This is a picture of me at Northlands market which I work every Tuesday from 3:30 - 7:00pm in the Calgary, Northlands Mall Parking lot. One of my customers and I are sampling some of Edgar Farms Fresh Asparagus and Rhubarb (don't worry Elna, I didn't really take a bit out of a bunch of your asparagus, but it did cross my mind...) Find a full list of markets Innisfail Growers attends at www.innisfailgrowers.com

Now for the MUD... We have lots of it at the moment. Anyone want to buy mud? I think this week it rained over 3 inches of rain, which happens to me more than we had all summer last year. But there is no point in complaining about the excess of rain, so I won't, as long as we get a bunch of sun to dry things out.

Excess rain isn't the end of the world. We had plenty of in door jobs for the staff. Our crew took out all the transplants and benches out of our little greenhouse and replaced them with cucumbers, tomatoes and peppers. I think they fit 90 tomatoes, 30 cucumbers and 20 pepper plants. Our CSA members will be enjoying these veggies in about 5 weeks. We will also be selling fresh fresh veggies in our u-pick and farm store this summer starting July 31st when we open our maze & U-pick.

Planting Season

May long is generally our key to start planting and this year was no exception. We did get the carrots, beets, parsnips and onions in last month, but once again our Alberta spring has been full of surprises. The first half of May was far warmer than what we are now experiencing, and that snow storm last weekend was a good reminder that their is no hurry getting those delicate vegetables into the ground too early.

But now it is June and everything, as usual, needs to be in the ground TODAY!!. We two boys from the local high school who work on the farm, planting a bunch of spuds yesterday, and our crew of ladies are busy planting and transplanting hundreds of perennials throughout the gardens.

This year we are growing 200 tomato plants to supply our U-pick, farm store and Community shared Agriculture Vegetable Delivery. Plans are to have the bulk of the plants in our greenhouses, planted directly into the soil. They are starting to bloom in their pots, so I think it is time to get them in the ground.

Finally for this post a note on our Tulips. They are looking fantastic, nice and tall, full of colour and are lasting for ever. Unfortunately we will not have any for sale. These in the picture are right beside my house, protected from Bambi, who ate the 4000 we had growing out in the gardens.. I am sure it would have made for a great picture, but not so great for flower sales. We might have to move all the tulips next to the house, or buy a really big dog next year to keep the deer away.