Time to look back on the fun, because that was a seson well done.

Looking through seed catalogues

What on earth will we grow

Rotations and crop planning

We were beginning to know

The season begins

And so much to learn

How to dress ourselves for the rain

Or prevent a sunburn

Days began to get sweaty and long

The sun was strong and high

Terraces were vibrant in colour

From the pollinator garden to the matter’s dye

Buzzing bees, hungry aphids,

And warmth in the soil

Banjos strumming at the farmers’ market

And customers so loyal

The season was abundant

The season was warm

But with the blink of an eye

It takes a new form

Changing ever so slightly

Until suddenly

It’s transformed
~

The sound of geese leaving

Cold cheeks, dry hair

The plants dwindling

And all becoming bare

But the puns keep us going

When the sun is not glowing

And Eric’s music keeps us bopping

When Rebecca says “no stopping!”

And soon the kale stops growing

And cover crops we start sowing

Time to look back on the fun

Because that was a season well done.

Being with the same group of students throughout the last 3 semesters over the farming season has been such a journey. We've laughed, we've complained, we've seen all sorts of weather and felt all of the changes of the seasons. We've raised many crops together, nurtured the soil together and made so many plant puns together. We've enjoyed the fruits of our labors with watermelon slices, juicy strawberries and chewing on sweet stalks of sorghum. What a wonderful feeling, to watch the plants grow, see the earth change, and feel in tune with the rhythms of nature. Why do I feel like eating so much soup in the Fall? Is it a coincidence that everything I am harvesting in October makes for a perfect pot of soup? The earth has so much to teach and so much to share. I will never forget the feeling of going home on the skytrain after a day at the farm: carrot tops and green things exploding out of my backpack, soil under my nails, dirt probably on my face and definitely on my knees; a deep inner joy and a smile on my face, for I am a student of the Earth.

When Sustainable Agriculture students from the 2017 season were asked what there favorite memory was, here is what they had to say:

PIPER

I’d say it was ripping out spots of blackberries for the compost pile. It was one of those moments that’s horrible but cathartic. We were using loppers not the way they are intended to be used, and just hacking away. If there was any aggression you needed to get out it got out. It was a super hot day and the blackberries were scratching us but we made a game out of it all and were laughing so much, it felt like we were part of a football team or something. 

LINDSAY

When we were transplanting brassicas into the orchard last minute. There was lots of rain, we were not prepared for the muckiness and all of the mud got stuck on our boots and it was so miserably horrible that it was hilarious. One part hilarious and one part misery.


KRISTEN
My favourite part was when we were starting out. Putting all the compost down and seeing it start from the ground up.

EMMALEE

For me it was strawberry harvest and tasting all the different varieties. It was one of the first crops to be ready, and we got to eat so many when testing for the sweetness.

STARK
When we had to cut down the rye in the terraces. We had one weed whacker and as Jordan was about to use it he realized there was no gas. Meanwhile, I came in with my sheers and kept cutting, cutting and cutting and it was maybe 30 minutes before the weed whacker was up and running. I felt like manual tools had triumphed that day.

NICK

Going to the different farms to do soil samples. We were out there in the rain and Amy had her head in the dirt making dirt puns. It helped set the class dynamic a bit. It was also cool seeing different work at different farms and how the soil varied. 

MIKE

Something I will remember from this season in particular is the puns. It’s something I’ve never seen before. I will remember 2017 for the puns.

JORDAN

I’d say it was backing up the tractor successfully and easily with the trailer attached because that made me feel like a big man. But the real reason it is my favourite memory is because I thought it was going to be really difficult but then it wasn’t so bad.

HAZEL

The community. The people are really inspirational and passionate and it’s a really supportive community. And the soil puns.

WILL
Those strawberries were really great. I thought it was really cool, not only eating the strawberries but seeing how each variety dealt with pollination issues and how breeding programs can develop fruit because some turned out really great and some turned out really narly.

JESSICA

The farmers’ markets. I loved connecting with customers and sharing stories about food. It was such a treat to buy food from other vendors as well. To establish relationships with the people we buy and sell food feels like the best way to nourish ourselves.

We asked Rebecca and Rebecca said, No more Aggies Jumping on the Bed

November 7^th at the orchard the air was brisk and clean,

Aggies piled out in to the sunlight dressing to keep warm

for any alium lover that day was a garlic dream,

the neighbouring plot was all weeds were previously grew corn

but the garlic beds were ready and the students were keen

so off we went to get muddy, this we’d been warned

Measure twice and dig once, as the old saying goes

plots chosen, we planted, offset and 6 inches apart.

The biggest bulbs are the best as everyone knows

some would grow with Rye, there progress written on a chart

Research in yield, to be written in perfect prose

But for now we dig, giving last years cloves a fresh start

The work went steady with song and much laughter
We planted, point up! and double deep in its height
the little bulbs were tucked in with a good raking after
but with all that space planted, there was extra, what a sight!
so the students descended, what was plenty, soon picked over
one task done, now another to do, this is easy with such aggie might

That corn field i mentioned, what a disastrous place
and who would have crept in but the deadly night shade
but not to fear the aggies are here and we keep a good pace
forking, pulling, racking, there are beds to be made
we are hoping our effort will leave not a trace
but weeding is labour and this class has got that in spades

In the meantime, beyond the bean poles, there are beets for the harvest
the market may be over but we can still make a good sale
there is squash and potatoes, now add beets to the mess
carted through campus, their path leaving a muddy trail
the money will got to SASA to plan adventures that are best
so when each aggie grads they can tell a good tale

when the planting and harvest and clean up is done
we round up the tools and piled back into the van
it was time (we were hungry) to get out of the sun
we felt good with our work, the days labour on the land
our pockets filled with bounty, our packs now weighed a ton
Im making pickled beets! Christmas gifts for the Kenney clan

Can you guess what we are doing? Hint: facilities will be very happy

I'd say Will is done for the day wouldn't you?

Here is the recipe mama Kenney sent me to make pickle beets, Its so easy! 

1. boil beets with the skin on for about 10-15 min depending on the size
2. then cool in cold water, skins should slip off
3. combine equal parts in pot
1. water
2. sugar
3. white or apple cider vinegar
4. 1 tbsp pickling spice in tea pouch or tea bell
5. bring to a boil and add beets
6. boil for 10 minutes and pack into sterilised jars 

The pickling spice is easiest to buy in a premixed blend cause it involves about 14 different spices. I had so many beets of differing colours, so I brewed the spices for 10 minutes and then poured the brew over the beets in the jars and used the final sealing boil to cook em in. I used a whopping 7 cups of water, sugar, and vinegar to pickle all the beets I brought home and now I have 11 1/2 jars of pickled beauty. Yum!

Halloween Harvest ~ October 31

We started off the morning at the Terraces under a fairly overcast sky. 

    

We harvested and processed some of the sorghum sweetgrass stalks to hand out as Halloween candy at the market. The sorghum is full of sugary syrup which makes it a tasty treat.

After the sorghum cutting we went to the orchard to continue the harvest. The sun broke out of the clouds and it warmed up a little (to ~10 degrees C). 

We harvested beets, carrots, brussels, leeks and potatoes. 

We cleaned them up for market and then proceeded to clear away the brassica and corn to make room for a garlic planting. It was a short but sweet Halloween morning.

Heres a fun video of some people making sorghum syrup!