March Madness!!

Making sure we have everything ready for the large greenhouse.

Thumbs up!!

Chris making a batch of potting mix.

Constantly babysitting the transplants.

Andrew trying to find room for more trays.  It is time to start potting up many of the transplants.

The 2013 season has started!!!

Last wednesday we replaced the plastic on our small greenhouse.  It was one of those things that should have been done two or three years ago but never got done.  There just seems to be so much to do!!

 

80 Trays and Counting!!

We are starting out own sweet potato slips this year.  We bought Certified Organic sweet potatoes in Fredericton.  We were going to eat them but thought trying to grow our own slips would be better.   I think I may have started them too early.  They did not sprout at all until we put heat mats under them.  Each potato has an average of 15 slips each.  As the slips get to 4 inches tall I cut them off and root them in water.  When they grow roots I have been putting them in pots.  We are hoping for the best.




Organic Sweet Potato Slips

Organic Sweet Potato Slips

Time to Sign-Up for 2013 CSA Program!!!

Certified Organic CSA vegetable box program for Saint John and surrounding area.   Everything we offer each week is grown by us on our farm on the Kingston Peninsula.  Pick-up for 18 weeks $558.00. 

□ Pickup at the farm in Kingston on Wednesday between 4PM – 8PM
□ Pickup at 40 Ashburn Lake Road in Saint John on Thursdays at 5:00pm
□ Pickup at The Junction in Quispamsis on Thursdays at 5:45pm
□ Delivery to your home Wednesday evenings (Additional $5.00 fee per week)

All additional information on our website. www.chestnutacreslimited.com

CSA Pictures.

Our November tomatoes.

Our root cellar has proved to be invaluable. Humidity and temperature are just right for those hot days of summer. 

Early July CSA share.  White russian kale, carrots, beets, dill, swiss chard, green onions, radish, arugula and lettuce mix.

Even though it was a very dry season the cucumbers and squash grew in abundance.

Still Catching up!!

SNOW!!!!

 

We were very fortunate last year in that we had very little snow.  So for this year we are sure that we have had more snow in the past two weeks than we had all last winter.  Our unheated gutter connected greenhouse had minimal stress from snow load last year but didn't think we would be that lucky for another year.  We didn't want to have to heat this greenhouse so we installed a chain cranked roll-up roof.  It is working great.  We are hoping to be able to unroll the roof in early March and start spring prep. 

 



 

One bay at a time!!

Taking up wire so the plastic can be re-attached to the tubing that will roll up the whole side of the bay roof.

Catching up!!

Well, another season has come and gone and now we are in fully planning mode for 2013.  Every year I say to myself that I will keep the blog up-to-date but then June comes and that is forgotten.  It was a busy year for Andrew and I.  We took on more CSA,  had big blueberry harvest and had a full season at the Kingston Farmers' Market.



The newest member of the family.   He is an Anatolian Shepherd and we love him to bits.  Our existing farm dog may not agree with us on that though.

This is the first time for the puppy being on ice.  He was so confused and frustrated.

 The girls thought it would be fun to jump the leaves that Mommy raked for the garlic.

At the Kingston Farmer's Market May 19th.  Crazy busy week!!

Daddy's little helper!!

Everyone helping in the spring garden.

Seeding potatoes in one of the back fields.