From Conventional to Organic
Growing government certified potato seed conventionally in Ontario is already a demanding business, requiring the purchase of disease-free seed and several annual farm visits by government inspectors. Why then, would anyone choose to add organic certification, with an additional annual farm visit and extensive record keeping? This month’s article will tell you why Henry Ellenberger took this decision thirty years ago on his Coe Hill farm north of Madoc. It will also explain why Henry is known far and wide for his high quality certified organic potato seed.
Crop Planning
For vegetable farmers, the winter months aren’t all about rest — it’s when the crucial work of crop planning begins.
We’ve got you covered … the how and why of using cover crops
There are many purported benefits of using cover crops: preventing erosion, improving soil organic matter, reducing compaction, managing nutrients, suppressing weeds, controlling pests and disease, all leading to more resilient crops and increased crop yields.
Biodynamic Farming
It’s not uncommon for people to believe that Biodynamic (BD) farming is somewhat ‘voodoo’ or, alternatively, a kind of mystical method that will magically produce food of the highest quality. That is not what drew me to BD. Simply put, looking at plants, soil and animals from a BD perspective gave me the most complete, […]
Magical Mushrooms – Growing this edible fungus outdoors
Note: It’s extremely important to be sure about identification before eating any mushrooms. At the beginning of 2023, while still in a winter-imposed gardening hiatus, I was reading in The Gardener magazine an article about growing edible mushrooms outdoors. The article included basic instructions for how to set up a mushroom bed and I knew […]
Farmers for Climate Solutions
Helping to save the planet one step at a time Climate change is impacting humans everywhere. After 2024, likely to be the hottest year in recorded human history, it becomes increasingly difficult to deny the reality of it. It is estimated that agricultural activities in Canada represent at least 10% of national greenhouse gas emissions. […]
Growing Organic Grain Corn
A Conventional Dairy Farm Accepts the Challenge (Image by Couleur from Pixabay) Our farm is situated in Eastern Ontario along the St. Lawrence River, about 10 km from the Quebec border. My grandfather, who is still farming with us, bought the farm in 1971. Over the years he grew the farm, along with my dad […]
From Farm to Table
A grocery business that puts people and freshness first Goodfood2u is a local, family-run business in Ottawa, owned and operated by me, Jennifer Williams, and Yannick Carrière. We provide a wide selection of certified organic produce, meat, dairy, eggs, and vegan alternatives delivered year-round. Whenever possible, all products are sourced from local farms and […]
Growing Up on an Organic Farm in the 1940s
Old family recipes, traditions and innovations over time I am 80 years old, and I was raised on a small mixed farm on Chelsea Road in western Québec. We had sugar maples, butternuts, wild black raspberries, and wild plums in hedgerows, besides our market gardens, chickens, eggs, goats and goat milk, and pigs. We also had […]
Restoring Wetlands One Farm at a Time
How existing programs can make that easy Our story began in 2010 when we returned home to Cait’s family farm in Smiths Falls, Ontario. Looking for a way to support a rural lifestyle and inspired by other young people returning to agriculture, we started Milkhouse Farm and Dairy. We began with 11 Sheep, 2 llamas, […]