Showing posts with label 2014. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2014. Show all posts

Monday, April 28, 2014

Updates from the Micro-Farmstead: April 2014

Spring seems to be here. Soon, the fresh green and new life will be back! Eggs are coming in more frequently after a long spotty period where I only got a few eggs a day, and they've been able to forage in the yard on the warmer days.

Maple syrup season is coming to a close, strong winds and low sap flow have knocked my sap bucket off the tree in the strong winds and crazy storm weather. Twice I had to run after it, rolling down the sidewalk or stumbling against the tree base. I got about 2 cups of syrup and a cup of maple sugar! Operation Urban-Tap a success!

I hatched my first batch of chicks over at Summer Girl Chicks! The hatching is well underway for the season and I excited to be adding a few breeds here on the micro-farm. I seem to be more drawn in by egg colour verses the breeds rarity or special looks. The new chicken run will be going up soon and the soil is nearly warm enough for the earliest plantings and direct sowing. I hope to be posting more on chicken keeping, it really is one of the easiest and most sensible homesteading acts one can achieve.

Green eggs from my "Greenie" hens. 
Easter Egger chick that will lay a blue egg.
Olive Egger and a "Greenie" chick
Its official, I'm done buying seeds for the season! Aside from maybe a lettuce or a greens mix "re-fill" in the near future, I have what I need for the season, more then I need really, but growing a little bit of everything can be so fun. Yard clean-up and seasonal prep continues, I always have new plans and ideas, I can't wait to share. It's going to be a great season, I can feel it! A busy one, but a great one.

On a sunny day this week, I'll be going around checking out the local "big" stores for those little garden centre gems and edible garden ideas. As much as I hate to perpetuate consumerism, I also understand that we have to make the best of what resources we have, and for many beginner or thrifty gardeners, buying supplies from a Canadian tire or the reduced section of a grocery store chain garden centre is a great way to change spending habits for the better. Companies sell what the people will buy... and as a trend that seems to be more and more edible plants!

So much to see and do, for a second there I thought winter had me.

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

The Great Suburban Tomato Grow-out List 2014

After weeks and hours of searching and finding dozens of tomatoes I'd like to grow, I've narrowed my grow-out list to 50 varieties. 50 may seem like a lot, and well, it is. This will be the true suburban test of space and ingenuity to grow at least one or more of each variety on my property, this should be fun. 50 plants can produce between 10lbs and 30lbs of tomatoes.... for an average of 20lbs per plant, that gives us roughly 1000lbs of tomatoes. Wow. I'll certainly keep taps on the weight, hopefully I'll surpass 1000lbs by a few pounds and seal the deal.

A great display of heirlooms from Martha Stewart Magazine.
Trust me, I'm going to top this.
Right now the property will be producing 70% tomatoes, 5% eggs, 20% other produce. I can't wait to show you the tomato jungle!

I'll be starting my tomato and pepper seeds mid-ish February, depending on the latest frost reports. They'll be started indoors under LED lights and kept warm by a heating mat. I'll post my seed starting methods later-on and give more detail about the specifications and costs. Right now I'm collecting small yogurt cups, which I will recycle into little starter pots. I'll have extra seedlings to sell in April, which should be super fun as well. Limited numbers available from the grow-out list. The only reason I stopped at 50 is because I still have a bit of sanity and I can save for future additions in coming seasons.

Started tomato seedlings will be priced according to seed prices, 
and only available in limited quantities after last frost. See "Market" for price-list.

2014 Official Tomato Grow List

Ananas Noire
Beautiful Dreamer
Beauty King
Big Cheef Striped
Big White Pink Stripe
Bing Cherry
Black & Brown Boar
Black Krim
Blonde Boar
Blue Beauty
Blue Fruit
Chocolate Stripes
Copia
Dancing with Smurfs
Dark Galaxy
First Mate
Green Copia
Gypsy
Hippie Zebra
Indigo Rose
Japanese Black Trifele
Kaleidoscopic Jewel
Lucky Heart
Michael Pollan
Micro Tom
Ozark Sunset
Pastel Sleeves
Pearls of Wisdom
Piedmount Pear
Pineapple Blues
Pink Furry Boar
Potato Leaf Variegated
Primary Colours
Red Boar
Reisetomate
Strawberry Leopard
Stripes of Yore
Super Snow White
TC Jones
Tim's Black Ruffles
Tlacolula
Topaz
Val's Striped Rib
Variegated
Vintage Wine
Violet Jasper
White Queen
Wildcard Blues
Zapotec Pink Pleated
Zebra Rita