Tuesday, April 13, 2010

our greatest adventure yet



If you have been reading my blog, I am sure that you are already aware of my passion for growing and eating food. Pete and I have been dreaming and talking about owning a farm for years and years.  I recently realized that that was all that we were doing, though - dreaming and talking. There are always so many reasons not to follow your dreams, right? Money, fear, time...
Well, this year we are setting our reservations aside and taking the plunge - and have decided to start urban farming! We are following SPIN (Small Plot INtensive) farming methods and have converted every last foot of our front and backyard into gardens (which, by city standards, is fairly large).
We have been busy, to say the least, and the work is overwhelming and a bit crazy, but breathtaking and rewarding and meaningful all at the same time.
Rather than starting our business and selling at the farmers market right off the bat, I wanted to take some of the pressure off (and see if I could, in fact, do this with two babes), so we have teamed up with another farming couple, Tim and Carla Schultz from The Green Ranch and are growing for them this year. Tim has been an amazing resource and friend throughout this whole process and their passion for local agriculture and sustainable food is completely contagious and I couldn't be more excited about the coming season! They currently sell at the Regina's Farmers Market, have a thriving CSA program, as well as sell local, ethically raised meats, naturally grown produce and a variety of organic flours to a few restaurants in Regina - The Fainting Goat being one of them. The cats who own The Goat are pretty fantastic - they support local farmers, artists and musicians. Plus, the food is amazing. Just sayin'.
I am going to be documenting every step of our adventure on this ol' blog. Any feed back or advice is greatly appreciated - we're novices, after all!
It is our sincerest hope that we will learn and, excuse the pun, grow as farmers and human beings through this experience, and then bring our new knowledge and business back home to Deep River, Ontario when the time is right.


We are so thrilled. Wish us luck!

11 comments:

  1. So cool! Can't wait to watch it all unfold!

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  2. Sounds wonderful Shannon! I adore reading your blog by the way. Best of luck with your garden. I know it will be beautiful.

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  3. Hi Shannon!
    Last year we started a small perennial kitchen garden in the backyard. We learned a number of lessons, but the one that I really regret not knowing before is: isolate your strawberries. Mine took over.

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  4. alright! we havent converted your whole backyard, but we've got a big patch cleared. your dr house is producing this year :)

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  5. Amy thats so great!!! and less work for me when I get home!
    And Jen, I wonder if that would go for raspberry bushes as well? We have a bunch by our back fence and the previous owner said that they produce delicious berries, so I'm leaving them..I just hope they don't take over, too!
    Thanks for sharing your thoughts guys!
    xoxo

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  6. way to go, Shans!! what a great endeavor..good luck!!
    your blog is great. xoxo kirsty

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  7. Good luck with your new garden endeavors..your blog is wonderful!
    Barb

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  8. If you need any help weeding, I've got two little ones here who would love to lend a hand!

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  9. Carla and I are so fortunate to have you and Pete as our friends and partners this year! Your passion and energy has really motivated me!! Were going to have an amazing year!

    Keep up the great work...awesome blog!

    Tim and Carla

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  10. I just found your blog through a link on the SPIN website. My Dad has about a half an acre we've been considering turning into a SPIN farm for about a year now. I'm totally terrified of the commitment, and not sure I can handle the work, but I feel this huge pull to just go for it and see what happens. I've been a big advocate for Farmers Markets and local food for a few years now, running a Go Local challenge through my own blog, and learning to garden in my little backyard. It might be time for something bigger. YIKES!

    I'm adding you to by feed reader so I can see how it goes for you this year. Thank you for sharing your journey.

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  11. I'm glad that you're having fun! Hm, indeed, it's smart to learn and team up with someone instead of starting a business immediately. That way, you get a bit of training and experience that can get you ready once you guys start on your own.

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