This may be a little too morbid for some of you but I am experiencing emotions about death that I feel I should record and remember. After all, in choosing to raise animals in pursuit of a sustainable lifestyle, death is a big and regular part of our existence now.
Last night, we took John, George, Paul and Ringo, our first four heritage pigs, to the slaughter house. I haven't slept all night thinking about them. It's not that they are going off for meat, strangely I've made peace with that, they were always here for that reason. I hate the experience of the slaughter house. I'm going to describe it in some detail, not because I want to turn you all vegetarian but because, in order to be connected with your food, you should be aware of what happens.
Our friend and local farmer, Brian arrived at 4pm yesterday with his truck and trailer. As did our farming neighbours from Glorious Organics, to help us load.
We had eight pigs in our field, the four Beatles for whom it was D-day and four members of Fleetwood Mac who have a little longer for this world. The first challenge was separating them. I'd kept the pigs hungry all day, depriving them of their usual breakfast of granola and brew mash in anticipation that we might have to entice them with food. The separation went quite well, we ended up with Fleetwood Mac and Ringo in a separate section of the field. At this point, Stevie Nicks bit poor Ringo on the snout and made him bleed. Some goodbye!
George and Paul were the first two pigs to follow the granola trail up to the trailer and with a little coaxing, they were loaded without too much trouble. They have always been the most placid and trusting of the Beatles. Then we set John in our sights. John is the most anti-social of the bunch and as a result, led us a merry dance. No amount of granola was working so I had to crack out the big guns...out came the (beef) wieners. Not even wieners convinced him to cooperate and he really was being obnoxious & challenging. Ian found a roll of green netting and six of the guys were able to use it to herd him into the trailer.
Next was Ringo. He's always been a bit of a jerk but after getting his nose bitten he was happy to remove himself from the little pigs and with our new herding net, we got him on without too much hassle.
We've experience the slaughter house before and what I'm about to write is not a reflection on Johnstons' who operate the facility. It is what it is. A concrete barn with metal pens. Depressing but spotlessly clean and well set up for it's purpose. We unloaded each pigs and had to push and shove each pig into his own pen. Yes, they challenged us and barged us about and yes, I hated it. They were far from their lush green field and luxury pig mansion where they sleep cuddled up in one big pig pile. However, there was part of the barn next to us that had hundreds of pigs crammed in from a factory farm. These pigs seemed unconcerned with their predicament, probably because they had lived their entire lives in a similar facility and under the same cramped conditions.
Then we left them. Strangely, this was easier to do than to write about. This is the part though that has kept me awake all night. The point you walk away is the moment you relinquish control. I have known those pigs so well for the last six month. They had a schedule that meant at any time of the day, I knew where they were in the field and what they were doing. Let's say that you had visited the pigs at 2pm during the summer. I knew they would have been under the salmonberry bush, where they had created a labyrinth of 'rooms' and corridors and they would be napping. But now, the last 18 hours of their lives is unknown to me and I don't even want to think about that time before slaughter.
I'm annoyed by the bureaucracy that makes this process essential. The laws are very restrictive around animal slaughter. I get that there has to be measures in place to protect the consumer. However, there are people around the world eating animals they have slaughtered themselves. Surely, it is better for the animals (and apparently me) if the animals experience a quick and respectful death without fear, complete before they even know what is happening.
I was told about a lady who does all her own slaughtering and butchering on site and will come and teach you. I know my limitations and I'm not there yet. I'm not hardened to this lifestyle yet and I don't want to kill my own animals. But would I have someone come here and do it? Yes. Would I watch? Yes. I am willing to accept complete accountability for raising meat animals. Recently, we took some of our roosters to a facility that is licensed to kill poultry, but just for the owners consumption. They charge $2-$3 a bird and for that price, it really isn't worth trying it yourself. It's fairly horrific to be there, it is an open facility and you see everything. But, if my birds felt any fear, it was for no more than four seconds. I know because I watched and I was in control right to the end. I would much rather grapple with a horror that I have watched than this feeling of unknowing.
In the interest of my own sanity, I must tease some positives out of this. Firstly, our community gathered around us again. The guys from Glorious Organics came down to help us load. Maybe because when I told them we were loading the pigs into the trailer, I suggested I could end up face down in the mud. Perhaps the lure of this potential comic moment was too much to resist? Our Pig Farmer friend Brian came to help us transport the pigs and guide us. But mostly, however distressing I'm finding this right now, the Beatles were better off than their factory farmed neighbours. To live for months in a dirty, crammed, concrete barn, where they just get hosed off as a sanitary measure is not, in my opinion, a life worth dying for. Our pigs enjoyed freedom, pasture, organic food, sunshine, mud holes and tummy rubs. That is how we should honour meat animals and it is some consolation to know that every person who buys pork from local farmers, is not supporting the factory farming industry. They are making a decision that is right for animal welfare, local economy, the environment and sustainability. Through my tears, I still believe it is the ethical choice.
This will get easier, won't it?
Friday, October 24, 2014
Sunday, September 14, 2014
Births, deaths and challenges
This post is long overdue and I want to start by concluding the well saga. There will never be enough time, words or blogging opportunities to fully encapsulate the emotional roller coaster of this episode. So I'll be brief in telling you that the well has been drilled, there is a new pump in and it is all working beautifully. I don't really know how to talk about the funding of the project, I'm still in awe and not sure I have fully processed. The well has been made possible by family, friends and the kindness of strangers. We have received donations from $3 to several thousands of dollars; every donation equally meaningful regardless of the dollar amount. Some donations came from family and friends both in Canada and back in the UK. Some from local businesses. Some from the community. Some from those that had benefited from the farm. And all from kind hearted people who see the value of what is happening here, who share our values and who have demonstrated humanity. The experience has been emotional and humbling. I recently read a quote that said "You have never really lived until you have done something for someone who can never repay you". We can never repay you, the people who gave money, time, resources, support and kind words. But we can continue to 'pay it forward' and use the farm to benefit others. The birth of the new well has meant the birth of a new attitude here at the farm. We always wanted to be a farm that did some community work but now we see the land as a community asset that farms. We are in talks with a number of organizations to ensure that we can continue with work that will support and educate.
In other news from the farm, we have experienced our first losses of livestock. One planned and some not. We took our ram to the slaughter house two weeks ago. This felt like a milestone in our farming journey. We've completed a full cycle with some of our animals now. From newborn babies through to taking a meat animal for butchering. I was surprisingly calm about taking the ram. Of course, I felt some sadness, despite my love-hate relationship with that particular sheep. Leaving him at the slaughter house with all the other anonymous animals made me reflect on this entire process. I had to focus on our values being about how an animal lives that is important. Ultimately, they all die the same way. All the sheep, pigs, cows that were being delivered to that place on that night had different experiences of life but they were all herded into their waiting pens in the same manner. I think you have to be fairly 'cold' about it. We fulfilled our objectives by letting the ram live as close to how nature intended as possible. He had the added benefits of fresh vegetables on a daily basis and protection from non-human predators. It might surprise you to learn that the only regret I had was that we had to take him to that slaughter house. I would have preferred to have done the deed here at the farm and spared him any stress and fear he may have experienced that last night. But it's done now and, from an animal welfare view, we feel ok about it.
We've had some unexpected deaths. We had to kill our first chicken yesterday. That was hard. I won't share the grizzly details with you but it saddened all of us. Little Jessica was upset but surprisingly mature about it. She demonstrated an understanding of showing a sick animal mercy. It made me feel like we had done our job as farming parents.
The farm acquired seven new chickens on Friday night. We lost one of those this morning and I feel responsible. The ducks have a temporary paddling pool while the pond is dry. The chicken hopped onto the side for a drink and fell in. Unable to get out, she drown. If I had placed some rocks or something on the bottom of the pool, she may have been able to get out. The two deaths so close together certainly hurt us.
This morning we found Bantam chicks hatching. Surprise! The bantams are just pets for Jessica. There are two hens and a tiny rooster. They've been hiding their eggs under the coop and a broody Ameracauna chicken took charge of them. We found one chick on the floor this morning and one just hatching. Sadly, Momma hen did not show any interest in her new acquisitions. We moved them into the chick nursery with a surrogate Australorp hen and are working hard to keep them alive. They are hanging on to life by a very fragile thread at the moment. Although it's not a good time of the year for chicks to hatch, if we can keep them going it will be a lovely reward to balance out some of the the harder losses.
With the birth of the new well and new chicks, we should be feeling a bit of a high. But just one year of farming has taught me that the punches keep coming and the fight goes on. As I type this, I have flu like symptoms, a rash across my lower back and pain down one side. Please excuse the self-diagnosis but I've experienced these symptoms before...when I had shingles.
Next week, Ian is going away with work for three months. He'll be home at weekends but as autumn approaches, I find myself faced with the prospect of a long farming winter alone. We will, of course, continue to get up and fight back. The farm is worth it. The lifestyle, although sometimes exhausting, is worth it. I've posted some photos below to remind myself of that. So, I'm off to put on my best farm grimace, a plaid shirt and my boots. No time for melancholy here!
In other news from the farm, we have experienced our first losses of livestock. One planned and some not. We took our ram to the slaughter house two weeks ago. This felt like a milestone in our farming journey. We've completed a full cycle with some of our animals now. From newborn babies through to taking a meat animal for butchering. I was surprisingly calm about taking the ram. Of course, I felt some sadness, despite my love-hate relationship with that particular sheep. Leaving him at the slaughter house with all the other anonymous animals made me reflect on this entire process. I had to focus on our values being about how an animal lives that is important. Ultimately, they all die the same way. All the sheep, pigs, cows that were being delivered to that place on that night had different experiences of life but they were all herded into their waiting pens in the same manner. I think you have to be fairly 'cold' about it. We fulfilled our objectives by letting the ram live as close to how nature intended as possible. He had the added benefits of fresh vegetables on a daily basis and protection from non-human predators. It might surprise you to learn that the only regret I had was that we had to take him to that slaughter house. I would have preferred to have done the deed here at the farm and spared him any stress and fear he may have experienced that last night. But it's done now and, from an animal welfare view, we feel ok about it.
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| Ram-a-lamb |
The farm acquired seven new chickens on Friday night. We lost one of those this morning and I feel responsible. The ducks have a temporary paddling pool while the pond is dry. The chicken hopped onto the side for a drink and fell in. Unable to get out, she drown. If I had placed some rocks or something on the bottom of the pool, she may have been able to get out. The two deaths so close together certainly hurt us.
This morning we found Bantam chicks hatching. Surprise! The bantams are just pets for Jessica. There are two hens and a tiny rooster. They've been hiding their eggs under the coop and a broody Ameracauna chicken took charge of them. We found one chick on the floor this morning and one just hatching. Sadly, Momma hen did not show any interest in her new acquisitions. We moved them into the chick nursery with a surrogate Australorp hen and are working hard to keep them alive. They are hanging on to life by a very fragile thread at the moment. Although it's not a good time of the year for chicks to hatch, if we can keep them going it will be a lovely reward to balance out some of the the harder losses.
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| The first Bantam chick, just a few minutes old and hanging on to life in our living room! |
Next week, Ian is going away with work for three months. He'll be home at weekends but as autumn approaches, I find myself faced with the prospect of a long farming winter alone. We will, of course, continue to get up and fight back. The farm is worth it. The lifestyle, although sometimes exhausting, is worth it. I've posted some photos below to remind myself of that. So, I'm off to put on my best farm grimace, a plaid shirt and my boots. No time for melancholy here!
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| Kids enjoying hands-on experiences of farm animals |
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| Relaxing by the fire after a hard day |
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| Pig Selfies! |
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| Free range animals! |
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| Pig snuggles |
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| Driving a tractor is always awesome! |
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| Oh yeah! |
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| Good looking neighbours |
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| Sunrise |
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| Playing rounders with friends and family |
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| Barn dinners |
Thursday, August 14, 2014
Addressing your concerns
Our campaign is live and I've been blown away by the support. It is extremely humbling to expose yourself in this way and your generosity is breathtaking. Not just on the campaign site but by the local farmers who have delivered tanks of water for us. Our neighbour who is helping us to temporarily hook into one of his wells to water the back field. To the elderly lady who drove to our farm from Abbotsford to hand me $3 which is what she could afford. I didn't want to accept her money but she insisted and my heart broke.
On the flip side of that is the hate mail following the aricle in The Province newspaper. Yes, that's right, people have taken the time from their day to both comment on the article and send e-mails to my personal inbox. Being a kind of "live and let live" type of girl, I was surprised. I had thought that not everyone would want to support the campaign but I hadn't considered this would happen. To be honest, I didn't care until my friend texted me to say she was upset by what she was reading, and upsetting my friends evoked a reaction.
However, I'm not angry or upset by these comments but it has made me think about peoples legitimate concerns about donating to this kind of campaign. Some of the comments, although not eloquent and presented with a degree of vitriol, raise valid points which I feel I need to speak to. Not because I think I can convert the haters or enter into a game of oneupmanship, that's not my bag. I'm writing this to my customers, the genuine supporters and most of all, my family and friends who are upset by the comments.
So here goes:
Now for my personal favourite, received by e-mail:
Look, here's the thing, let's wrap it up. Even the best piece of journalism in the world can't encapsulate every angle of every story. We are a farm, we're not making money from farming, that's not our agenda. We make quality, organic food accessible. It's hugely under priced. We don't take a wage. We think in terms of acres not hours or money. We love this lifestyle and we work harder than we ever have before. We not claiming we're any worse off or harder working than anyone else and we're not asking for sympathy. This farm is our dream but it's also a valuable community hub working with schools and non profits and sometimes just people who have no where else to go during holidays. I extend a warm invitation to anyone who has an opinion, positive or negative, come and visit us and make sure it's an informed opinion.
On the flip side of that is the hate mail following the aricle in The Province newspaper. Yes, that's right, people have taken the time from their day to both comment on the article and send e-mails to my personal inbox. Being a kind of "live and let live" type of girl, I was surprised. I had thought that not everyone would want to support the campaign but I hadn't considered this would happen. To be honest, I didn't care until my friend texted me to say she was upset by what she was reading, and upsetting my friends evoked a reaction.
However, I'm not angry or upset by these comments but it has made me think about peoples legitimate concerns about donating to this kind of campaign. Some of the comments, although not eloquent and presented with a degree of vitriol, raise valid points which I feel I need to speak to. Not because I think I can convert the haters or enter into a game of oneupmanship, that's not my bag. I'm writing this to my customers, the genuine supporters and most of all, my family and friends who are upset by the comments.
So here goes:
"Wow. I was a single female trying to keep my farm after a divorce. It was 5 acres. I had to replace well pump. It never cost that much. Still a very hard time trying to hang on to my farm. I did it for years. I had no financial help. I could never ask other people for help. Five acres in Aldergrove is worth a lot of money. I ended up having to sell after many years of struggling. It was not other people's jobs to help with my finances. Just my opinion".I'm not sure what the point is here. She didn't ask for help and lost her farm so we should do the same? I am amazed that we live in a society that has forums like indiegogo and kickstarter. We hear so many criticisms of the world we live in and yet there are strangers who will love somebody elses ideas or work and support them. It's astounding. I'm not going to apologise for utilizing this platform. I've supported campaigns and now I've launched one myself.
I have a very difficult time feeling sorry for these people. My father was a fresh new immigrant many years ago when he came to Canada. ..he worked his ass off for many years and never once asked for a hand out. ..he never lived beyond his means. Time for this family to consider some major downsizing. Canadians are nice people but most of us aren't stupid enough to pay for someone else's dreams.To be honest, I'm not really sure how the immigrant thing is relevant. Canada is our forever home. Would it be different if we were third generation Canadian? We don't feel like we are asking for a hand out. We feel like we are asking for an investment from our community after we have invested so much into the community. For sure, we could give up and move our family to a condo. I had a call today from a developer who had read our story and made me an offer for the farm. And that's the risk. We work hard as environmental stewards here and take our time to educate people who come here. We strive to promote environmental awareness in the elementary school children who have their (free) garden here, that I tend and fund. We paid for our own dream and we're asking for help to enable us to maintain our status as a community farm. If we go, what happens to the land? It's unlikely that it will be anything good given that the vulchers are circling already.
Are we supposed to pay for it?Errr, no. Support the campaign or don't. This is not a heist and you will not be hurt if you don't pay up. Anyone who would like to see copies of the quotes for the new well, please send me an e-mail and I will forward it to you.
Now for my personal favourite, received by e-mail:
"I watched the video you fat b#*ch. Why don't you eat a few less burgers and then you can afford to pay for your own S#*T. F#*k off back to where you came from. Hope the plane crashes on the way home".I'm sorry but that made me laugh out loud.
Look, here's the thing, let's wrap it up. Even the best piece of journalism in the world can't encapsulate every angle of every story. We are a farm, we're not making money from farming, that's not our agenda. We make quality, organic food accessible. It's hugely under priced. We don't take a wage. We think in terms of acres not hours or money. We love this lifestyle and we work harder than we ever have before. We not claiming we're any worse off or harder working than anyone else and we're not asking for sympathy. This farm is our dream but it's also a valuable community hub working with schools and non profits and sometimes just people who have no where else to go during holidays. I extend a warm invitation to anyone who has an opinion, positive or negative, come and visit us and make sure it's an informed opinion.
Saturday, August 9, 2014
Well well well, we need you.
Good things and bad things have happened at the farm this last week or so.
The good things include a lot of new customers joining our farm family. We have taken on a new delivery route to the White Rock and South Surrey area. This, combined with our existing delivery route, Ian's work colleagues and supplying Webbs Holiday Acres takes us to full capacity. We have around 16 regular delivery customers which is fantastic. Not only is our client base increasing but in the middle of the growing season, we have been thrilled by the quality and range of our produce. I have to say, I didn't expect this. As you know, we didn't really ever have a plan, everything that has happened as happened organically. And that's exciting, and somehow seems appropriate for this venture.
Last time I wrote a blog post about feeling overwhelmed, you came to my rescue. A few people showed up here ready to weed, plant and harvest. It amazed me, and Ian and I learned something. We learned the value of asking for help. We needed you and you came. A couple of hours of your time makes a massive difference to us, and you volunteers are more than happy to reap your rewards in the form of produce. That was definitely the highlight of the last few weeks.
Today, I'm embracing this lesson and doing something that usually sits uncomfortable with me. I'm asking for your help again. All of you.
We have faced a lot of challenges on this farm in the last year. Some have broken the bank but none have broken our spirit. Mostly, we have faced the ups and downs with good humour. This week, that resolve is being tested.
Our well pump died. The poor thing was put in 40 years ago and really only meant to service the house. We added a huge irrigation system to it's workload. It tried. It battled. It groaned. But now it's resigned. So, a mere $7000 to our already exhausted credit and we have a new pump, not sure how we are going to pay for it but hey, we'll get by with our optimism.
The saga deepens. New well pump and still no water. The prognosis is bleak. We have a well drilling company coming tomorrow to clean the existing well at a cost of $250 per hour. It will probably take 10 hours. However, we will probably have to drill a new well. Estimated cost: $10,000. Within a week, we've been assaulted by $20,000 worth of essential costs.
We're not crying yet though. Permaculture has taught us to focus on solutions as opposed to problems. We have tested the limits of our creativity and commitment when it comes to keeping the produce watered in 30 degree heat. You would laugh if you saw the tank of water in the back of our truck with the old pump in it and rigged up to the electrics that is attached to a make shift sprinkler system. Really, even we are laughing about it. You'd probably roll your eyes at us walking around with our watering can and buckets in the dark trying to hydrate the abundance of tomato plants. And you'd certainly chortle of us trying to sparsely utilize the rain water we've harvested in barrels to water the animals. Oh and we never let a drop of water go down a drain in the house. It's caught in pots and taken outside to a plant. Anything non essential on the farm is going without and dying (RIP rose bush). The peas that were coming to the end have been pulled out prematurely to conserve our resources. It's operation survival here.
That is not what is hurting us though. Physical challenges and hardships are like a hobby to us now. Whatever. It's the financial aspect that's terrifying me. I don't want to sound over dramatic by this could be the thing that ends the dream. And so, I'm shamelessly using this forum to ask for your help. You've followed our journey through this blog, you know our story, you know what we've achieved here and you know what our goals are. You've already invested in us emotionally, I know that because you tell me. You message me about enjoying the produce. You call me to ask if you can come and visit. You offer me feedback about the blog. And I know I have no right to ask for more, but if you can help us raise awareness and generate support, you can keep Laurica Farm going.
I've launched a crowd funding campaign. Click here. Anything you can do, either financially or to promote our cause is hugely appreciated.
I'm going to end this post here because I hate this! Forgive us for putting the Laurica Farms future in your hands. We are forever in your debt.
The good things include a lot of new customers joining our farm family. We have taken on a new delivery route to the White Rock and South Surrey area. This, combined with our existing delivery route, Ian's work colleagues and supplying Webbs Holiday Acres takes us to full capacity. We have around 16 regular delivery customers which is fantastic. Not only is our client base increasing but in the middle of the growing season, we have been thrilled by the quality and range of our produce. I have to say, I didn't expect this. As you know, we didn't really ever have a plan, everything that has happened as happened organically. And that's exciting, and somehow seems appropriate for this venture.
Last time I wrote a blog post about feeling overwhelmed, you came to my rescue. A few people showed up here ready to weed, plant and harvest. It amazed me, and Ian and I learned something. We learned the value of asking for help. We needed you and you came. A couple of hours of your time makes a massive difference to us, and you volunteers are more than happy to reap your rewards in the form of produce. That was definitely the highlight of the last few weeks.
Today, I'm embracing this lesson and doing something that usually sits uncomfortable with me. I'm asking for your help again. All of you.
We have faced a lot of challenges on this farm in the last year. Some have broken the bank but none have broken our spirit. Mostly, we have faced the ups and downs with good humour. This week, that resolve is being tested.
Our well pump died. The poor thing was put in 40 years ago and really only meant to service the house. We added a huge irrigation system to it's workload. It tried. It battled. It groaned. But now it's resigned. So, a mere $7000 to our already exhausted credit and we have a new pump, not sure how we are going to pay for it but hey, we'll get by with our optimism.
The saga deepens. New well pump and still no water. The prognosis is bleak. We have a well drilling company coming tomorrow to clean the existing well at a cost of $250 per hour. It will probably take 10 hours. However, we will probably have to drill a new well. Estimated cost: $10,000. Within a week, we've been assaulted by $20,000 worth of essential costs.
We're not crying yet though. Permaculture has taught us to focus on solutions as opposed to problems. We have tested the limits of our creativity and commitment when it comes to keeping the produce watered in 30 degree heat. You would laugh if you saw the tank of water in the back of our truck with the old pump in it and rigged up to the electrics that is attached to a make shift sprinkler system. Really, even we are laughing about it. You'd probably roll your eyes at us walking around with our watering can and buckets in the dark trying to hydrate the abundance of tomato plants. And you'd certainly chortle of us trying to sparsely utilize the rain water we've harvested in barrels to water the animals. Oh and we never let a drop of water go down a drain in the house. It's caught in pots and taken outside to a plant. Anything non essential on the farm is going without and dying (RIP rose bush). The peas that were coming to the end have been pulled out prematurely to conserve our resources. It's operation survival here.
That is not what is hurting us though. Physical challenges and hardships are like a hobby to us now. Whatever. It's the financial aspect that's terrifying me. I don't want to sound over dramatic by this could be the thing that ends the dream. And so, I'm shamelessly using this forum to ask for your help. You've followed our journey through this blog, you know our story, you know what we've achieved here and you know what our goals are. You've already invested in us emotionally, I know that because you tell me. You message me about enjoying the produce. You call me to ask if you can come and visit. You offer me feedback about the blog. And I know I have no right to ask for more, but if you can help us raise awareness and generate support, you can keep Laurica Farm going.
I've launched a crowd funding campaign. Click here. Anything you can do, either financially or to promote our cause is hugely appreciated.
I'm going to end this post here because I hate this! Forgive us for putting the Laurica Farms future in your hands. We are forever in your debt.
Sunday, July 27, 2014
Thank you!!!!
Last night we had a small gathering to celebrate our first anniversary here at the farm. At least, that is how it was billed. In reality, it was a party to acknowledge our surprise at surviving year one.
There was a speech I wanted to make, but I didn't. It was sitting inside me. I knew what I wanted to say to the people around me last night, but didn't know how to articulate it. Plus, circumstances which I will touch on in a moment, changed the nature of how I wanted to give my message. So let me try here to cleanse myself of this message here.
The people who came last night, and many that didn't, are supporters of the farm. From our farming neighbours who have shared their wealth of knowledge, to the people who battled with building the poly tunnel in a hurricane, the people who helped us untangle the mess & rebuild the collapsed fruit cage, the people who volunteer to help us weed, pick and plant, and the people who buy produce or invest in livestock. If you fall into any of those categories, then you are part of our farm family.
The plot of land here has built both a working farm and an extended family over the last 12 months. People that come here, fall in love with the beauty of the land and begin to feel invested in the farm. Fortunately, we love to share the farm with our friends and community, and so relationships evolve. Without you all, this life choice would have been dull, unenjoyable and unachievable. Ian and I want to thank you for your investments of time, thoughts, emotions and money.
Part of our farm family were unable to join us last night. The Sullivan family. Juliet is woven deep into our farm tapestry. She is our long suffering Realtor, she thought of the name for the farm, she lifts every social event and she purchases produce from our farm weekly. Juliet and her family are great supporters and advocates of the farm. On Saturday morning, Juliets' Father-in-Law, Bill Sullivan, passed away.
We've seen a few of our friends experience loss during 2014. Shenade Ingram lost her Father this year. The Ingrams have supported us in practical ways....they're always here when we need them the most and we are forever in their debt for their contribution. Ian's work colleague Jason Gallant lost his Father-in-Law recently too. Jason and his wife Kerry were here at the housewarming party and have purchased produce.
Our thoughts go out to these families. We have some empathy as we have experienced grief ourselves. Both of my parents have passed away and Bill's passing gave us another chance to reflect on what they would have thought of our farming venture. My Dad was from 'farming stock' and would love the idea of me returning to my roots. Not that he or I ever farmed before but he would have waxed lyrical about how it was in my blood. My Mum, who died 2 years ago, always said Ian and I should pursue some sort of venture together. She always talked about something in hospitality; a B&B, hotel or pub. Well a farm perhaps wasn't what she had in mind, but it certainly offers us hospitality opportunities thanks to the very active social scene here. I am certain that she would have loved this and often think about her sitting in the Tiki hut, drinking wine and shouting orders at us.
So I'd like to invite you to join me in raising a virtual toast to Bill. For those of you reading this who knew Bill, a moment to reflect on his life and know that you are part of our farm family and we are with you. We'll toast Bill but we also think about the other members of our ever growing farm family who have lost loved ones. We'll acknowledge celebrations and opportunities. Let's give a nod to the cycles of fun, grief, happiness and sadness that ebb and flow. We raise our glasses to celebrate people lost to us and adventures that are just beginning. Cheers!
There was a speech I wanted to make, but I didn't. It was sitting inside me. I knew what I wanted to say to the people around me last night, but didn't know how to articulate it. Plus, circumstances which I will touch on in a moment, changed the nature of how I wanted to give my message. So let me try here to cleanse myself of this message here.
The people who came last night, and many that didn't, are supporters of the farm. From our farming neighbours who have shared their wealth of knowledge, to the people who battled with building the poly tunnel in a hurricane, the people who helped us untangle the mess & rebuild the collapsed fruit cage, the people who volunteer to help us weed, pick and plant, and the people who buy produce or invest in livestock. If you fall into any of those categories, then you are part of our farm family.
The plot of land here has built both a working farm and an extended family over the last 12 months. People that come here, fall in love with the beauty of the land and begin to feel invested in the farm. Fortunately, we love to share the farm with our friends and community, and so relationships evolve. Without you all, this life choice would have been dull, unenjoyable and unachievable. Ian and I want to thank you for your investments of time, thoughts, emotions and money.
Part of our farm family were unable to join us last night. The Sullivan family. Juliet is woven deep into our farm tapestry. She is our long suffering Realtor, she thought of the name for the farm, she lifts every social event and she purchases produce from our farm weekly. Juliet and her family are great supporters and advocates of the farm. On Saturday morning, Juliets' Father-in-Law, Bill Sullivan, passed away.
We've seen a few of our friends experience loss during 2014. Shenade Ingram lost her Father this year. The Ingrams have supported us in practical ways....they're always here when we need them the most and we are forever in their debt for their contribution. Ian's work colleague Jason Gallant lost his Father-in-Law recently too. Jason and his wife Kerry were here at the housewarming party and have purchased produce.
Our thoughts go out to these families. We have some empathy as we have experienced grief ourselves. Both of my parents have passed away and Bill's passing gave us another chance to reflect on what they would have thought of our farming venture. My Dad was from 'farming stock' and would love the idea of me returning to my roots. Not that he or I ever farmed before but he would have waxed lyrical about how it was in my blood. My Mum, who died 2 years ago, always said Ian and I should pursue some sort of venture together. She always talked about something in hospitality; a B&B, hotel or pub. Well a farm perhaps wasn't what she had in mind, but it certainly offers us hospitality opportunities thanks to the very active social scene here. I am certain that she would have loved this and often think about her sitting in the Tiki hut, drinking wine and shouting orders at us.
So I'd like to invite you to join me in raising a virtual toast to Bill. For those of you reading this who knew Bill, a moment to reflect on his life and know that you are part of our farm family and we are with you. We'll toast Bill but we also think about the other members of our ever growing farm family who have lost loved ones. We'll acknowledge celebrations and opportunities. Let's give a nod to the cycles of fun, grief, happiness and sadness that ebb and flow. We raise our glasses to celebrate people lost to us and adventures that are just beginning. Cheers!
 |
| To Bill Sullivan |
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
Self Worth
Ok, I admit it. You were right & I was wrong. Wrong and over-ambitious. And zealous. And possibly naive. We've done too much, too soon. There I've said it! We now have a 5 acre, fully operational farm that is abundant with produce; and we can't keep up. Or at least I can't keep up. Ian's project at work was suppose to be complete at the beginning of June and we envisaged him having more time during the summer. However, it's mid-July and the job still hasn't been handed over. The end of any construction project is always a busy and stressful time and for us, that sees Ian working 7 days a week and more hours than I care to mention. The offset is that I'm here 'farming' alone. I say farming but in reality, I'm harvesting, selling and delivering. Aside from that, the only thing I achieve is animal care. So, the weeds have taken over, the tomato plants are spilling over the sides of the beds, the peas have sprawled out and tangled themselves up, the squash are moving into the salad bed and the poly tunnel looks like the Amazon rain forest. We're in the midst of a heat wave and we are running out of water.
All this has got me thinking about the rewards of farming as a life choice. I refuse to call it a career or job. Those words imply it is something that has structure; hours, pay, vacation. Farming is all-consuming. Not only in the hours and workload but also it dominates your thoughts, your social life, and your very existence.
David, our farming Guru neighbour from Glorious Organics, asked me how I am pricing our produce. The truth is that I'm winging it. I generally try to price our produce just under supermarket prices. I've been aware that we are first year farmers and we are trying to build a client base and so, we're keeping things cheap. David told me NOT to undervalue our produce. Our product is bigger, better and fresher than you get in the supermarket. Not only that, but our farms are more ethically managed than the big, commercial, mono-culture farming operations.
David's words stayed with me. They echoed through my head when I was shoveling the entire 1 tonne of wet brew mash that we feed the pigs at 10pm on Friday night. They reverberated around me when we discovered mites in the chicken coop and spent an entire day treating the coop and chickens in 35 degree heat; an activity that has cost more that we'll take from egg sales in 3 weeks. They niggled at me when I knelt on raspberry thorns at 5am this morning while harvesting.
More wise words from Glorious Organics effected me this week. I saw a video clip of Susan speaking at a conference. She talked about how they price their product. Susan explained to the audience that, even with her seniority, she was only paid $12 an hour. Not greedy at all when you consider the average wages in this part of the world:
All this has got me thinking about the rewards of farming as a life choice. I refuse to call it a career or job. Those words imply it is something that has structure; hours, pay, vacation. Farming is all-consuming. Not only in the hours and workload but also it dominates your thoughts, your social life, and your very existence.
David, our farming Guru neighbour from Glorious Organics, asked me how I am pricing our produce. The truth is that I'm winging it. I generally try to price our produce just under supermarket prices. I've been aware that we are first year farmers and we are trying to build a client base and so, we're keeping things cheap. David told me NOT to undervalue our produce. Our product is bigger, better and fresher than you get in the supermarket. Not only that, but our farms are more ethically managed than the big, commercial, mono-culture farming operations.
David's words stayed with me. They echoed through my head when I was shoveling the entire 1 tonne of wet brew mash that we feed the pigs at 10pm on Friday night. They reverberated around me when we discovered mites in the chicken coop and spent an entire day treating the coop and chickens in 35 degree heat; an activity that has cost more that we'll take from egg sales in 3 weeks. They niggled at me when I knelt on raspberry thorns at 5am this morning while harvesting.
More wise words from Glorious Organics effected me this week. I saw a video clip of Susan speaking at a conference. She talked about how they price their product. Susan explained to the audience that, even with her seniority, she was only paid $12 an hour. Not greedy at all when you consider the average wages in this part of the world:
Canadian Average Hourly Earnings 2013
| Earnings Classification | Average Hourly Earnings 2013 | Average Hourly Earnings 2011 | Average Hourly Earnings 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Males | $25.96 | $24.66 | $23.87 |
| Females | $22.31 | $21.29 | $20.23 |
| Full Time Employees | $25.75 | $24.49 | $23.53 |
| Part Time Employees | $16.95 | $16.32 | $15.53 |
Susan said they priced their produce in order to pay their farmers this wage. That's how they justify their prices to their customers, and I really don't think anyone can argue with that. But how do we, as farmers, justify low income to ourselves?
Farming has a benefits package that is unique. Farming gives satisfaction. We enjoy our job and avoid much of the angst that can come with a workplace. We do not have to commute to work, or sit in traffic for hours, spewing fumes from our car into the environment. We are not required to buy a uniform or a suit. We eat the best food in the world for pretty much free most of the year. And, for farm folk in BC, we're lucky enough to have a temperate climate and, in my opinion, the most beautiful surrounding in the world.
Ian and I will catch up; or not. Either way, it'll be ok and I still wouldn't swap my overgrown fields for an office desk and a salary, even in the midst of my current stress. But I ask you to consider this; your local farmers deserve your support. They deserve your loyalty, your patronage and your help in making ecologically-sound decisions. In return, you deserve the best we can possibly give you in high quality, fresh, organic produce and environmental stewarship. And from Laurica Farm, Glorious Organics and a myriad of other local farmers, you'll get exactly that.
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Monday, June 23, 2014
What is Permaculture?
Frequently I am asked to explain what permaculture is. Good question! Explaining permaculture succinctly is like trying to explain Buddhism. Both are 'kinda philosophies' to live by. Neither can be surmised with one sentence.
Permaculture literally means "permanent agriculture". When you type "What is permaculture" into google, you get a lot of complicated and very wordy phrases which collectively make you more confused. Here's some examples:
But even with all those quotes and information; how do you do it? Here's some examples of what it looks like on a practical level on Laurica Farm.
Some plants promote growth of other plants or repel bugs/diseases. It seems logical then to plant these 'friends' together to aid growth and as an alternative to artificial fertilizers or insecticides. An example of this companion planting was something we read about First Nations people doing. They planted corn, peas and squash together. The corn provides a structure for the peas to grow up. The peas put nitrates into the soil that benefits the other plants, and the squash crowds out the weeds. Seems sensible, right?
Things like salad like shade. Again, we embrace logic and the resources we have here. Instead of planting them in straight lines and prescribed beds, plant them near trees. You get fertile soil under trees as the leaves fall on it all Autumn and decay all winter into a natural compost. No human effort required. Once you have observed the land for a while, you can plant your shade loving produce in the appropriate place under the canopy.
We're planning a food forest. I won't try and describe this in detail, here's a self explantory diagram:
The herb spiral here is another practical example of permaculture practice. The spiral has it's history rooted in Mayan culture. The design also creates microclimates allowing you to plant a diverse range of herbs in a variety of positions(sunny, sheltered and shady). In a typical garden bed or pot, all plants are grown on the one level, so the growing conditions are the same. This design offers you multiple options in a compact space.
I talked in an earlier post about agriculture not being sustainable. As an example, the idea of using fertilizers that have been made elsewhere and transported to our farm seems a ridiculous resource-laden practice. And using fuel & time to plough a field in a tractor seems silly when it can be done by a couple of pigs for less money and you get free, organic fertilizer and bacon as bi-product. Generally, you can only till a patch of land for 7 years before you have 'killed' it and need to add resources. So why do it?
Permaculture teaches you landscape design and management that promotes building and protecting the soil for us and for future generations. We'll manage the grazing of the animals here and plant winter cover crops that we can mulch into the land as opposed to sourcing it off-site. The chickens are great assets in composting. Our compost bin is in their run. I empty compost into it. They scratch through it everyday, eating what interests them but turning it over everyday. Saves us the effort.
These are just a few examples, but the focus is on putting less in and getting more out. By getting more out we are also able to share the abundance. We do this by selling some of our produce at reasonable prices but also by supporting the food bank.
Recently, I had to explain permaculture to a group of children. I did this by turning the language into child-friendly wording. I'm glad I did, it really helped me too. Put simply, the ethics read like this:
Permaculture literally means "permanent agriculture". When you type "What is permaculture" into google, you get a lot of complicated and very wordy phrases which collectively make you more confused. Here's some examples:
"Combining the best of natural landscaping and edible landscaping, permaculture aims for a site that sustains itself and the gardener. The ultimate purpose of permaculture is to develop a site until it meets all the needs of its inhabitants, including food, shelter, fuel, and entertainment".
"Permaculture is an innovative framework for creating sustainable ways of living. It is a practical method of developing ecologically harmonious, efficient and productive systems that can be used by anyone, anywhere."Errrr, what? The easiest single quote I found to grapple with is this:
"Permaculture is a philosophy of working with, rather than against nature; of protracted and thoughtful observation rather than protracted and thoughtless labour; and of looking at plants and animals in all their functions, rather than treating any area as a single product system". - Bill Mollison.Maybe some history will help explain a bit. In the early 1900's Dr. King, former chief of the Soil Division of the US Department of Agriculture, went to Asia to find out how farmers in China could farm the same fields for thousands of years without applying artificial fertilizer. He learned about how they used the principles of permaculture such as building soils, sharing the abundance and waste reduction to maximise their farming and lifestyle. King then brought these ideas back to North America.
But even with all those quotes and information; how do you do it? Here's some examples of what it looks like on a practical level on Laurica Farm.
Some plants promote growth of other plants or repel bugs/diseases. It seems logical then to plant these 'friends' together to aid growth and as an alternative to artificial fertilizers or insecticides. An example of this companion planting was something we read about First Nations people doing. They planted corn, peas and squash together. The corn provides a structure for the peas to grow up. The peas put nitrates into the soil that benefits the other plants, and the squash crowds out the weeds. Seems sensible, right?
Things like salad like shade. Again, we embrace logic and the resources we have here. Instead of planting them in straight lines and prescribed beds, plant them near trees. You get fertile soil under trees as the leaves fall on it all Autumn and decay all winter into a natural compost. No human effort required. Once you have observed the land for a while, you can plant your shade loving produce in the appropriate place under the canopy.
We're planning a food forest. I won't try and describe this in detail, here's a self explantory diagram:
The herb spiral here is another practical example of permaculture practice. The spiral has it's history rooted in Mayan culture. The design also creates microclimates allowing you to plant a diverse range of herbs in a variety of positions(sunny, sheltered and shady). In a typical garden bed or pot, all plants are grown on the one level, so the growing conditions are the same. This design offers you multiple options in a compact space.
I talked in an earlier post about agriculture not being sustainable. As an example, the idea of using fertilizers that have been made elsewhere and transported to our farm seems a ridiculous resource-laden practice. And using fuel & time to plough a field in a tractor seems silly when it can be done by a couple of pigs for less money and you get free, organic fertilizer and bacon as bi-product. Generally, you can only till a patch of land for 7 years before you have 'killed' it and need to add resources. So why do it?
Permaculture teaches you landscape design and management that promotes building and protecting the soil for us and for future generations. We'll manage the grazing of the animals here and plant winter cover crops that we can mulch into the land as opposed to sourcing it off-site. The chickens are great assets in composting. Our compost bin is in their run. I empty compost into it. They scratch through it everyday, eating what interests them but turning it over everyday. Saves us the effort.
These are just a few examples, but the focus is on putting less in and getting more out. By getting more out we are also able to share the abundance. We do this by selling some of our produce at reasonable prices but also by supporting the food bank.
Recently, I had to explain permaculture to a group of children. I did this by turning the language into child-friendly wording. I'm glad I did, it really helped me too. Put simply, the ethics read like this:
- Earth Care
- Fair share
- People Care
- Build thing up - give something back to the earth and to people
- Look after things; protect agricultural land for future generations
- Save some for later
- Plan - mistakes are ok but better on paper
- Observe and interact - let nature lead you
- Turn problems upside down; find solutions
- There is a lot to share!
- Small changes have a big effect
- Include a bit of everything
- Produce no waste, use what you have
Permaculture is not just about how we farm, it's about how we choose to live. For me, it's about making farming easier. If you change your perspective and let your environment guide you have instead of pre-determining what you want to grow, nature will do the job for you. It's also very much about sustainability, intuitive approaches, building communities, embracing tradition and protecting the future.
Has that cleared anything up for you? At least next time someone asks you what permaculture is, you'll might have a couple of quotes on hand!
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