2009 - June15th
Summer is here! The harvest is pouring in, three cheers for farmers!
Clumps of news:
Interested to know more about the farms FGF works with? Check out map of “FGF Farms with a plan” available at www.everdale.org/node/173. This map will be updated as we move forward, will keep you posted.
FGF is blogged about by FoodCycles an innovative urban farm starting up this season in Toronto. You can read all about it at: http://foodcycles.wordpress.com/2009/03/22/how-to-setup-your-farm-business-fgf-style/
There are many CRAFTs in Ontario now and the new website is looking better then ever: http://www.craftontario.ca/
SirSanfordFlemmingCollege is offering an organic farming diploma starting January 2010. More information at:
http://www.flemingcollege.com/index.cfm/go/programs/sub/display/code/SAG.cfm
Want to go visit a farm and hear all about good food from qualified holistic nutritionists? Check out: WWW.FIELDTRIPTORONTO.CA
Links of the week! High Tunnels Webinar: Posted on-line for access any time, a comprehensive overview of high tunnels (hoophouse) for small farms: http://attra.ncat.org/video/ Farm Scaping - yep you heard it, things you can do across the farm to increase productivity and ecological diversity http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/farmscaping.html
Great video from our friends in Vermont: Mobile chicken processing unit tour: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnIwhX3KSII
Postings Summary
Free Apple trees: Volunteer needed
June e-news from the Organic Agriculture Center of Canada
OMAFRA's Monly Organic Newsletter for June - ONorganic
Events Summary
Everdale Small Farm and Gardening Workshop Series: Goats, Bees, Canning, Poultry and more!
Everdale Starting a farm in Erin: Explore the possibilities - July 19th
FarmStart: Introduction to Tillage for Ecological Farmers - Toronto
FarmStart: Pasturing Poultry and Pigs - Neustadt
Farm Tour Grassroots Organics and Saugeen Specialty Grains – Sean McGivern’s Farm in Grey Bruce
Toronto Urban Growers (TUG) Meeting - July 9th 2009
Postings
Free Apple Trees: Interested in Volunteering?
This project needs a volunteer to move forward
Read background information here: http://www.everdale.org/node/267#apple
Time Commitment:
Average of 2 -3 hours a month until the early fall
increasing to 5 - 6 hours per month dealing more with logistics.
Organizational tasks are:
-send standard reply to respond to apple inquiries
-create a list of questions (mainly from the emails people have
already sent in) and any others we can think of to ask the contact or
the farmer directly. This information can be compiled and sent out as
an update to the whole FGF list and certainly the 'apple' list. (I can
do the email outs for FGF easily and the apple list if its needed)
-coordinate with the farmer to set a date for apple tree pick up (be
great if the volunteer could be there on the day to help things along)
-optional: engage in logistics sorting around issues of transportation
so apple tree wanting people can 'applepool' their trees together to
save transportation costs.
Let me know if you have any questions and if you are interested.
Events
From the EFAO e-news If you haven't joined the EFAO yet, see www.efao.ca for more info!
1. WellingtonCounty Local Food - Guelph
June 7th (Sunday) -11:00 am to 5:00 pm at Ignatius Farm, 5420 Hwy 6, just north of Guelph
Come out and experience local prepared food, live entertainment, workshops, children's activities and more! This is a FREE event, with plenty of free parking.
For more information contact Kate Vsetula, Guelph Wellington Local Food Initiative
519-821-6638 Ext 335 or email wellington.buylocal@sympatico.ca.
2. Introduction to Tillage for Ecological Farmers - Toronto
June 27th (Saturday) -10 am to 3 pm at BlackCreekPioneerVillage
Join Ken Laing from Orchard Hill Farm for an introduction to tillage. From spring plowing to weed control, whatever your farm enterprise, there’s a lot to think about and learn on this subject! To register for the workshop, see www.farmstart.ca . Cost is $40 (refreshments & lunch included!)
3. Pasturing Poultry and Pigs - Neustadt
July 25th-10am - 4:30 pm.
Part 1 - 10 am - 12 pm,
Come early for a beginner course in raising birds on pasture. Tarrah raises chickens and turkeys on pasture and will explain her system from day-old chicks and poults to the finished product. Brooder design, feed requirements, bird health and marketing will be covered in addition to demonstration her pasturing processes and calculating sale prices based on the cost production. Cost $20
Part 2
1:00pm - 4:30pm
A first for Ontario! Join Tarrah Young of Green Being Farm as she shares lessons from her own experiences raising heritage pigs on pasture, as well as innovative and valuable information gleaned from research abroad. Tarrah studied pastured pig production in the US this winter and will be sharing with you what she learned from the likes of Joel Salatin and Allan Nation!
Cost $30.
To register see www.farmstart.ca. Cost is $40 is you attend both session.
*The farm is located approximately 20 minutes northwest of MountForest. Detailed directions will be emailed once you have registered.*
Tour Grassroots Organics and Saugeen Specialty Grains – Sean McGivern’s Farm in Grey Bruce.
Check out this amazing farm and get directions online at: http://www.saugeenspecialtygrains.com/
Date: Saturday June 27 2009
Time: 10am to 2pm with Michael Schmidt as the key note speaker at 2pm
On the farm:
-extensive grain processing facility
-large scale pastured egg operation with leased registered quota (you will have to hear it from Sean as to how he’s made it work!)
-great on farm store
Questions you can send to sean@saugeenspecialtygrains.com
Toronto Urban Growers Meeting - July 9th
Toronto Urban Growers - City Wide Gathering When: Thursday July 9th from 9am - 1pm Where: FoodShare 90 Croatia Street (entrance off Brock Avenue) What: to share our growing knowledge, comment on the city's new urban agriculture policies, and report back on activities over the last few months, to hear from all of the TUG working groups, and to plan the next steps for TUG. We would like to invite all of those who grow food in Toronto and nearby areas (urban farmers, balcony growers, backyard gardeners, guerilla gardeners, and community gardeners), as well as those who support them and who dream of becoming urban growers to join us (researchers, advocates, students, funders, and others). We will all be gathering on Thursday July 9th from 9 am-1pm at FoodShare to share our growing knowledge, comment on the city's new urban agriculture policies, and report back on activities over the last few months, to hear from all of the TUG working groups, and to plan the next steps for TUG. We see this event as an opportunity to connect to others with similar interests, and to help move those interests forward. About TUG Toronto Urban Growers is a working group focused on networking, communication, advocacy to support urban growing in Toronto. Please spread the word, and get the urban growers and supporters that you know connected. To sign up to continue to learn about TUG and to participate in the network go to groups.google.com/group/toronto-urban-growers. Instructions on how to join are clearly indicated on the home page.
Everdale Workshops: Click for more information:
| Straw Bale Construction: Hands-On Weekend | Friday, June 19, 2009 6:00pm - Sunday, June 21, 2009 4:00pm |
| Solar Hot Water Systems | Saturday, June 27, 2009 10:00am - 4:00pm |
| The Buzz on Bees | Sunday, July 12, 2009 10:00am - 4:00pm |
| Intro to Cob Construction | Saturday, July 18, 2009 10:00am - 4:00pm |
| Plastering and Finishes (Cement-Lime) | Saturday, July 25, 2009 10:00am - 4:00pm |
| Goats for dairy, meat and fibre | Saturday, August 15, 2009 10:00am - 4:00pm |
| Introduction to Sheep | Sunday, August 16, 2009 10:00am - 4:00pm |
| The Lost Art of Canning and Home Preserving- at Everdale | Saturday, August 29, 2009 10:00am - 4:00pm |
| Grey Water and Water Harvesting Systems | Saturday, September 19, 2009 10:00am - 4:00pm |
| Mushroom Cultivation | Sunday, September 20, 2009 10:00am - 4:00pm |
| Market/Vegetable Garden Crop Rotations | Sunday, September 27, 2009 10:00am - 4:00pm |
| Pastured Poultry- for meat | Saturday, October 17, 2009 10:00am - 4:00pm |