Our “New Farm” is growing Great Crops
In the winter of 2006, I made my annual trek to have a cup of coffee with Murray. In the course of our chitchat, I again asked him if he was ready to sell his land adjacent to Cookstown Greens. To my surprise he said, “Yes, I’m tired of losing money.” His soil is much the same as ours and would permit us to have longer rotations and thereby have a more sustainable operation. The sale closed in the fall. The following summer we began the long process of converting the soil life from a bacterial orientation suitable for cash crops to a fungal orientation suitable for vegetables.
Each summer we grew crops of buckwheat; and each winter we grew crops of rye and vetch to provide organic matter that feeds our valuable soil organisms. Four years with no income on this investment certainly does not make the books look great. We also took the opportunity to control perennial weeds and “pick” the rocks. [Accounting regulations do not permit us to record this process as an asset.] But this is what it takes to grow exceptional produce.
In the summer of 2010 we did trials to confirm that everything was ready. There were no problems. So in 2011 we have grown most of our crops on this “New Farm”. Virtually no pests. We even had a few ripe tomatoes in June! After a hot/dry summer such as the one we just experienced, root crops are often not as good as they should be. But frequent munching in the fields only provided great flavours.
I have confirmed the fine flavour by measuring the Brix levels with a refractometer. We have never had such high levels in summer crops. Keep in mind that as the weather cools, the Brix levels naturally rise several more degrees. These high levels not only indicate exceptional sweetness, they also indicate longer shelf-life and therefore a longer availability for you. We also monitor the “diffusion” or blurriness of the readings with a secondary ± number. Higher diffusion indicates more complicated flavour notes. Just as high Brix indicates great wine flavour; it also indicates great vegetable flavour.
Summer harvested beets are already providing exceptional flavour.
The numbers are °Brix and °Diffusion which measure sweetness and flavour.
New additions to the Availability List
Black Carrots now complete our selection of coloured carrots. Pottimoran Squash (Chestnut Squash) is a classic French variety appropriately described by its moniker. Red Cippolini Onions are back. With high solid matter they hold together well when either roasted or sautéed. Red Tropea Onions (sometimes called torpedo shallots) have also made a grand return. As with shallots, these have fine emulsifying characteristics making them a good choice in smooth sauces. In Italy they curiously find their way into ice creams and marmalades. [So pass some on to your pastry chef.] Puntarella Chicory is a very special Roman fall salad ingredient. With the introduction of a variety selected to tolerate our extreme North American climate, we expect a more consistent supply this fall.
Cooler weather also marks a return of radishes and turnips. In Europe, these are considered to be “spring veg”. But in North America our springs are just too short. (By the time they are ready, it is getting too hot.) However, we have wonderfully long autumns for growing superb radishes and turnips. Baby White Turnips and Baby Red Turnips are now ready. Also Red Icicle Radishes (conveniently carrot-shaped) are much easier to slice than the round types.
Unfortunately we must take Chocolate Mint off the list again. It was growing back after our exceptionally hot July; but too many orders require that we take another break. We are now making some new beds so that we can provide a more consistent supply.
The Ontario Election is only a Week Away
Nearly every country and state realizes how important food is to their economy, security and culture. For this reason generous supports are the norm. In recent years the Ontario (and Canadian) governments have seen fit to significantly reduce their support programs. Since few other countries are following suit, our farmers are at a definite disadvantage. The Provincial Liberals have promised to retroactively return the supports for vegetable growers which they took away three years ago. [They are currently encouraging the Feds to do the same.]
Sustain Ontario has put together a terrific website to help those of us who agree that food is an important aspect of life in Ontario. To help you make an intelligent choice in the upcoming election, please spend some time studying Vote ON Food and Farming. We can make a difference.
Slow Food and Evergreen Benefit Picnic is October 2
Slow Food Toronto only has this one fundraising event for all their wonderful programs. If you are not serving at this event, Buy a Ticket and come visit the amazing new Brick Works facility. For Evergreen, proceeds will fund children’s food gardens and cooking workshops. For Slow Food Toronto, the funds support learning gardens, and connect consumers to local, sustainable food producers.
