I grew up fascinated with farms and the farming life. I'm not entirely sure what fueled my fascination for the country life. Maybe it was the result of our family weekend trips through the countryside passing by countless farms and taking in the fresh country air - or perhaps it was watching TV shows like The Good Neighbours and James Harriot's All Creatures Great and Small.
Over the course of the last few years I have worked our small parcel of land in Chelsea, Quebec (around 1/2 acre of actual growing space) into what could be considered a small holding micro farm. What started as a smallish 20X30 veggie garden has expanded to include a 50' caterpillar tunnel and tomato grove. I have also taken on a number of other unique garden experiments such as creating a small Syntrophic Forest garden (Saskatoon berries and Red Currents) along with a tiny mushroom garden on the edge of the wood - a work in progress.
The other reason I do all of this is out of my passion for good wholesome delicious food - the fresher and the tastier the better. I marvel and what a difference fresh locally grown produce can make - both in terms of freshness, texture and flavour, but as well shelf-life. It just lasts longer - not only because it hasn't had to travel 1000km but because the bulk of local produce has just been grown so well. People care about what they grow and eat - its hard not to!
The garden has become my classroom. I take all the opportunities I can to learn and develop my gardening and growing skills - whether its about improving soil health, managing pests, maximizing seed germination rate or ensuring my veggies have all the nutrients they need to grow and thrive. There is always something to learn here.
The garden is also an opportunity for my eldest daughter Claire to learn about running a small business - La Salade Gourmande! This summer (2024) she will be running much of the operation including tending to the lettuce and other veggies, updating the website, working at markets, communicating with our valued customers and tracking everything we do. What a great opportunity for her to learn. I'll be here every step of the way - but this will be her show for the most part.
Well, that's about it for now. I'm not a fan of long and lengthy blog posts - people are busy. But this is a good start all the same.
Remember to support your local farmers. Visit and support community markets - make new friends and get some great produce. There is nothing better than supporting your local community!
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