InishOge Farm

Introducing Pepper, Fig-let, Cashew and Kale – our salad series 2015 piggies. They are amazing!! They came from Lochside Farm in Saanich, and we are blown away by how they have been growing and thriving. Piglets have been very hard to come by on Vancouver Island and are in high demand. Our first set of pigs – Honey, Mustard and Maple – came from a local Sooke farmer who has since had to leave farming. And ever since then, we’ve had to buy them from a big batch of piglets that a local retired vet, who used to work in the big barns in Alberta, brings back to BC in a giant trailer. Pigs hate travelling, and so by the time they’ve arrived at our farm, they’ve been totally upset and siblings are all mixed up and long gone. Pigs are very social animals and miss family, and it takes time to work out pecking order with new and strange pigs, so the upset lasts for quite a while. So this year, we can’t get over how quickly these four brothers settled in, got along, dug in and thrived. This is why we farm: to grow our own happy healthy grass-fed pasture-raised organic meat.

…who showed up this morning right outside our door, tucked away under the table saw on the deck, while Mama foraged for their breakfast.

Garlic Scape Pesto!
from The Garlic Farm

1 cup (or less) freshly grated Parmesan cheese or other sharp Italian cheese
1/4 pound roughly chopped scapes
1/2 cup olive oil
salt to taste

Puree scapes and olive oil in a blender or food processor until nearly smooth. (You can make a smooth paste if you prefer, but most people like a little texture in the pesto.) Gently stir in the cheese or gingerly pulse the cheese into the mixture; take it easy as you mix in the cheese to avoid making the pesto gummy by overblending. Salt to taste. Store in the refrigerator to use within two or three days; freeze for longer storage.

Enbridge isn’t backing down; neither will we.

Our only real chance is to support the First Nations in their brave legal challenges against the big corporation, and follow their lead, finally, in a great-turning full circle way.

The folks at Sweet Digz Farm started the Farmers for Pull Together group, and many other BC farms have since joined them. So, visit a farmstand this summer and support the local farmers who are supporting Pull Together, by donating their hard earned proceeds to the cause. Or donate to Pull Together on their behalf.

Peace out post-industrial gamechangers and placemakers!

The bio bed is working great.  The seeds sprouted and are growing into great little seedlings.  The bed itself did start to cool a little, which is expected as the “fuel” within is consumed.  As such, we added more material in the form of grass cuttings and chicken manure.  This was after a day of cleaning coops and mowing the grass.  It was great to be able to recycle this material.  We also used some Arbutus wood ships that were given to us by a local wood worker – thanks Mike!  You need green (Nitrogen) and brown (Carbon).  (See the original Bio Bed post below.)

The results have been amazing.  Within two days the bio bed was up to 62C. Seriously. We checked twice. We used two different thermometers.  It was 62C.  Great!  Except we did need to move the seedlings off for fear of burning them.  The bed did cool back down after a couple more days and we put the seedlings back.  Nature is amazing!

Pay no mind to his messed up hair
Pay no mind to the clothes he wears
It’s just the hours he’s been keepin’
Ain’t been doing too much sleeping…
– Robbie Robertson, Rattlebone

It’s planting time on the farm and our fingernails are stained from our hands being deep in the dark rich soil all day long. We have closed the gate, and let the seedling pots explode all over the greenhouse. Shoots are pushing through and the hotbed is keeping them nice and warm. We wear our boots in the house these days, not bothering to throw them off at the door, and dirt tracks mark a map of our dailylife pathways through the rooms of our home. At night, we drop into bed grateful for the work, the play, the food, each other, the sleep.

when I slow down,
sit still,
close my eyes,
and listen close,
I can hear the grass growing.

Grocery Store Wars (2005)
Free Range Studios & The Organic Trade Association