February Farm News
Sowing The Seeds of Sustainability.
I hope this newsletter finds you all happy, healthy and planning Spring gardens and Summer adventures! As I begin to compose this newsletter, the cold Winter rain drums on the steel roof as the first glimpse of dawn slowly creeps over the Sayward Valley.
The farm appears dormant at first glance, but behind the scenes, in the grow room and turkey coops, from within the tiniest of seeds, to the largest of turkey eggs, life is starting to develop. Seeds collected under the warm September sun, dried and stored in big brown paper feed bags, then planted in seed trays in mid January, are sprouting. Viola, Pansy, Petunia, Verbina, Dichondra and Lobelia, to adorn hanging baskets, that will be for sale at the farm, when the Suns warmth again, brings us outdoors to celebrate the Spring.
The Turkey hens have been busy constructing cosy nests in their nesting boxes. The first egg was laid January 22nd, by our lovely Beltsville girl, Miranda. The Ridley girls are now laying daily, outlaying the Beltsvilles. In the next week I'll be loading the cabinet incubator for the initial fertility test run hatch for 2023. Exciting times lie ahead for the chronic hatchaholic!
In the first weeks of February, Onion, Hot Pepper, Early Cabbage, Leeks, Parsley, Lemongrass, Thyme and Rosemary seeds will be planted, Early Basil, for Sunny kitchen windowsills, will be available in March. Just in time for our, local to Campbell River, Fiesta Farms, first delicious, natural, hothouse tomatoes of the year, to appear at Healthyway Natural Foods. Bring on those bacon, basil and tomato sandwiches! On the topic of food, lets talk chicken & pork.
I have secured 75 Heritage Mistral Gris meat chicks for early May. I have also got a line on some GMO commercial hatchery, restricted to Government PID holders only, meat chicks. Obtainable only through clandestine operations. LOL
Three baby Heritage pigs will be arriving to the farm mid April. If you ordered a pork side last year, be sure to contact us ASAP if you are wanting to reserve another side of our delicious pasture raised, organic veggie fed, and fruit finished non GMO pork. Fresh eggs from our lovely flock of garden ranging Heritage hens are available daily, at the farm gate, $6.00 a dozen.
I hope you enjoyed receiving this monthly newsletter. We would greatly appreciate the sharing of our newsletter to those interested in sustainable farming and all the goodness this natural, small scale approach to food sovereignty, can produce.
With warm wishes,
Winter Wren Farm