telling our story

We will be doing a little talk tomorrow at the Mission City Farmers market AGM. The event is open to the public and folks are welcome to come and learn about the Mission City Farmers Market as well as a bit about our farm!

Event Details

Our Deer Friend

Yes, there he is folks, the animal to complete our farm. Or, not. This week I have spent some intimate time out in the field, trying to ressurect our hoophouse. During the bitterly cold winds, and minus degree temperatures, I never saw our little friend. But when the weather is a little warmer, he struts out looking for food.

Amy and I are a little worried about our deer friend messing with or nibbling at our crops, but boy doesn't he look cute? Yes, cute enough... we are looking into the price of deer fencing.

Farm Job Opportunity in East Abbotsford

Our friends from the Arkeysteyn-Vogler Family Farm in Abbotsford are hiring...

Organic farm seeks: Assistant Field Manager

Arkesteyn-Vogler Family Farm

5115 Tolmie Road Abbotsford

Send resume to cfvogler@hotmail.com

Farm/Job description: Arkesteyn-Vogler Family Farm is an organic vegetable farm in east Abbotsford. We produce a wide array of vegetable products for sale at farmers markets and through a weekly harvest box program. The farm is in it’s second year of production therefore there are many building blocks still being put into place. This will give the applicant first hand experience in the creation of a new farm enterprise. The successful candidate will be the lead hand for the farm and will assist the owners in many aspects of the farm operation. The successful candidate will take part in the supervision and instruction of part time employees and volunteers working on the farm. Flexibility as to work hours and the ability to work Saturdays is important as farm tasks are often dictated by the weather.

Responsibilities:

• All manner of field work: planting, weeding, trellising, irrigating etc.
• Harvesting washing and packaging crops
• Supervising and working alongside part-time employees and volunteers
• Vending at a farmers market at least one day a week (possibly Saturdays)
• Constructing farm infrastructure such as greenhouses and tool sheds.

Qualifications/Assets:

• Drivers licence and a car to get to and from the farm
• A background in agronomy or a related biological science
• Experience working on a farm or in a similar physical outdoor environment
• Sales and marketing experience
• Experience in a supervisory or management role
• Excellent communication skills and conflict management
• General construction skills are a big asset.

Remuneration

Contract position: $12.50/hr; 40 hours a week averaged over a month. Plus lots of delicious veggies.

Contract Term April 15^th to October 30^th.

Please submit a cover letter and resume to Andrew Arkesteyn-Vogler at cfvogler@hotmail.com by midnight of March 15^th .

Reading week is...

good for farmwork. Not so much for reading. 

The Seeds of 2011

In a past life I had a bit of a shopping habit (clothes/shoes mostly). This has undoubtedly translated over to seed selection now that I am farming. Seed orders have been arriving over the last 2 weeks and I have been excitedly inventorying, alphabetizing and carefully dating all of our new seeds. We've built up quite a collection over the past few years, and although Amanda was a bit of a stickler when it comes to crops that didn't make much money last year ;) ....we still have an overwhelming variety to plant from.

Off the top of my head the crops that got dropped this year were okra, popcorn, turnips (yes some of you will be happy about that!) and field cucumbers. They just didn't do much for us...

As for new crops, we hope to be serving up sweet potatoes, potatoes, edamame, our own signature salad blend, and some new herbs and flowers. Along with the new stuff, over 100 different varieties of vegetables and herbs that we have come to love will be planted out in the next few months.

It all started this week with the sowing of asparagus, lemongrass, celery, leeks, kale and parsley. Up next, onions and fennel.

The farm has migrated into my apartment for the time being. This, and Amanda's balcony, are the seed starting stations until we get the hoophouse set up (note the pretty, living, valentines flowers!)

Things change as we get older. For one thing...I have an ever increasing amount of grey hair to contend with (maybe or maybe not a bad thing). And in this case an affinity for a closet bursting with fancy clothes has translated into an ever increasing collection of of unique vegetable seeds (all in all, a positive change!) 

CSA Shares Now Available!

2011 CSA shares for new customers are now available! For more information, check out our previous blogpost on program details.

For more information or to sign up, send an email to skeeterfarm (at) gmail.com.

Alright winter, be over already so we can start growing!

A dollar's worth of food

For those of us who have too much reading to do:

A photo documentary of the different foods a dollar will get you.

http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/08/food-for-a-dollar/

Now to find the balance between healthy, appropriate food for all and a fair price to hard working farmers...

So it's winter still... what to eat?

I guess this question has been raised a few times, hey? Or, at least, what's for dinner now? Well, if you really did ask yourself that first question, you are more like me-a kink of, local foodist. People joke or laugh at me from time to time when I refer to myself as one, but I do try to every degree to eat local products. Sometimes, I just need a lemon, or an orange, but berries, kale, and local organic free range eggs still manage to be a mainstay on my table.

But really, what can we eat, as the lazy summer, weeding-filled days are over? Kale, brussels sprouts, potatoes, sweet potatoes (connection: Home Grown-In Grocer), beets, kiwis, and more-home grown greens and sprouts. Yup, you can still grow at home! Lettuce greens can be grown on sunny window sills, and this year has been my trial winter for testing sprouting at home. As I picked up my West Coast Seeds catalogue weeks ago, a package of sprouts caught my eye. After reading about mason jar sprouting, I had to give it a try. So, weeks have passed, and I have had a ball sprouting alfalfa, mung beans, and green peas! Yummy in salads and sandwiches, sprouts offer a great crunch in the absence of fresh local lettuce!

So farm friends, what is getting you by this winter? Your homemade pickles? Making your own bread? Can we still eat local in winter? Absolutely!

By the way, check out my mung beans, just beginning their sprouting!

Skeeter Farm 2011 CSA

Hooray for 2011! Things are looking up at Skeeter Farm, with an early completion of our seed order, and many ducks in a row to have a successful season. It's hard to imagine that in just a month we will be starting the first seeds of the season (inside of course...the ground is frozen solid out here!)

We have put together our CSA program details and this is a blog post to tell you all about it...

What is a CSA?

CSA stands for a Community Shared Agriculture Program, Which is a type of socio-economic model for agriculture and food distribution. A CSA consists of a community of individuals who pledge support to a farming operation where the growers and consumers share the risks and benefits of food production (thank you Wikipedia). Customers pledge their support by purchasing a share in the farm's produce for the season and by doing so receive a portion of the farm's bounty.

Duration

The Skeeter Farm CSA will run for 15 weeks from approximately the beginning of July til October. During this time, customers will receive a weekly delivery of farm produce. As we learned last year, the season can be unpredictable and therefore we will not be able to nail down a start date until we see how the spring weather unfolds. We are working on establishing a pilot fall/winter CSA program for 2011, which we will make available to a limited number of customers.

Price

This year we are offering two share levels

• Regular share (15 weeks) for $375

• Small share (8 weeks) for $200

The price of the share is based on $25 per week, which covers the cost of production for the vegetables including our labour as well as delivery costs and allows us to make a profit.

Pickup

Veggies will be delivered to locations strategically selected for their proximity to customers and suitability for pickup. These locations will be established once we have most of our customers signed up for the season. If you would like to offer your house or business as a pick up location, that would be very much appreciated. Please let us know! We will be making midweek and weekend deliveries to most locations. The delivery day during the week will be selected democratically by our customers once we have established the list for 2011. We will likely have pickup locations available in Yarrow (at the farm), in Coquitlam, Vancouver West, Vancouver East and potentially downtown Vancouver if there is enough interest.

What's in a share?

A regular share gives you 15 weeks of produce, whereas a small share gives you 8 weeks. If you select the small share, the beginning of the season you will choose which dates you would like to have a delivery. We aim to put approximately 10 different types of seasonal vegetables, herbs and sometimes fruit in your bag. Depending on how much produce you eat, each bag should provide 1-2 people the bulk of your vegetables for the week (however we know of customers who can eat the entire thing in one delicious meal).

What else do I get?

A CSA isn't just about feeding you! It's about making a connection with the folks who are producing your food and the community around you who share the same goals and vision for our food system. In 2011 we will provide you with opportunities to connect via work parties, farm tours and perhaps a harvest party. We will also keep you informed about the events and success of the farm through a weekly newsletter and via our blog. The newsletter will contain at least a recipe a week to help expand your veggie horizons. Also we are always available to help you out with cooking ideas, to chat about growing or to hear your feedback about the CSA program.

How to sign up

If you are interested in registering for the 2011 CSA, please send an email to skeeterfarm (at) gmail.com. We will be releasing shares to new customers on February 1st, but it is best to contact us early so we can send you information right away. Last year we filled up pretty quickly, so it is important to contact us early to avoid veggie related disappointment! Email us with questions.

With Love, from your farmers.

Holiday Humour

Thanks to CSA customer Will for passing on this little gem...

Happy New Year!