dec 10, 2022 saturday
one of those few days where I can work outside and finish some farm chores. it was biting cold. haidee came in the late afternoon to clean the house.
i took the kids swimming to minto rec complex in 3500 cambrian. I am quite surprise that it was so run down and the hot tub did not even work. overall, i am glad i took the kids out
dec 12, 2022 monday
sunny, -7c
snow run
we did snow removal this morning, started at 1:30 am and end up 8:30 am
it was nice to have a new enclosed trailer at work, it was not shovelling snow after the long run
we both pass out in the couch as we reach home
woke up at 1 pm for breakfast with kyle
and washing my salty clothes from snow work yesterday - we did an overnight removal of snow from 1:30am to 8:30 am. it sounds short, but oh boy, it was tiring.
I will be back again for night patrol tonight at 10pm.
december 9, 2022, friday
sunny - 3c
it was errand running days
went to cs alterna to get refund for my managers check and check my small accounts
went to bank of nova scotia, to transfer my resp to kieren and karlina
went to dr chadha - book kieren and karlina for medical
went to toyota, schedule for the Rav4 for necessary rust proofing
came to farm, check for generator for our transfer switch
will join in nancy and mj for a christmas party and MJs birthday party
december 8, 2022 thursday
there was a little bit of sun today, i manage to finished the walking path with mulch towards russell road, so i can easily visit the sunchokes next year.
kyle helped me with the tractor to make it fast. he brought one log, to have a sitting area, when making fire.
wed, dec 7, 2022
i manage to plant the last batch of sunchokes for the russel road side, it was rainy.
we attended the master gardeners pot luck at leslies, it was nice to have a day to eat and enjoy to see beautiful people.
tessie gave us pancit, he cooked for us.
there was a power failure again, and it seems to map our osgoode and the house power did not return until late night.
Tuesday, December 6, 2022
Russell Road Sunchoke Project ( delayed)
it turns out to be a rainy day today.
i spend sometime with my eldest son Ken, and we went to swim. He tested the gym at Francois Dupuis community center.
I joined the 1pm Zumba with the oldies.
Came home and got eat and chat. I am heading out to see tessie, and drop 3 bags of clothes for tita shonnee, she wanted to send some for balikbayan boxes.
Monday December 5, 2022
It was a little bit of sun and dry day. As usual, it was cold. I started at 10am and worked in the field up to 5pm. It did went dark fast.
I was cleaning up in the area near the baby oak.
I made a semi-circle for the sunchokes as windblock. It is 75% done. This farm has zero trees blocking us from the wind. While sunchokes will not do any winter wind block, at least for the summer, it will be a nice row to plant the beans around it and some greenery.
The area has nothing but natural green vegetation, and some quack grass. the soil is a bit loamy and sand, but still sticky and wet. I dug out some sunchokes from the side of my house and move them here.
The ground is very un-even, "ankle breaker farm". Base of my analysis, this area was probably tilled by a tractor. Over time, grass and weeds took over. The deep trenches are where stones are and areas where snow become ice forming these depressions. This is also the slope that brings the water to city drainage, so this long stretch of deep scar is by water movement. And it keeps going for years, so if you walk around this area, its deep 6 inches deep .
My solution is to plant native sunchokes in this area to use this section of the farm and also stablize the soil. As water erosion comes every spring due to snow melt, the plant and its roots can absorb the water and retain the soil thus helping remediate this soil. As we also walk to visit the crops, this area will have foot traffic and soil will be leveling. I removed some of the grass to see the depression in the soil and we can actually bring in some mulch to create a walking path, without breaking out ankles.
More on this for Tuesday work.
Dec 4, 2022 sunday
farmers way north, ottawa, ontario
it is still a clear day, feels like 2C and dark. I dont like it when there is no sunshine, but well, i got work to do.
The pumpkin seeds need to be planted on Russel and the sunchokes by Leitrem road need to be planted as well. I have small garlic that I need to plant and keep it companion for some greens.
The horehound needs to be planted, it is in pots, and it is an herb for cough. I have it by the back yard, so I guess that is first to be done on the list as well. too many stuff to do.
I will try my best to finish the farm work before the ground totally freeze.
gear up, snow pants on, toque on, mitts, gloves and bring it on!
Nancy came a visit for awhile, then i went back to work. it was productive day. ~
Dec 3, 2022 Saturday
2C, and dark clouds
3763 Farmers Way NORTH, Ottawa Ontario
another 5 hours of work in the farmfield, here is what I had accomplished.
It was still a good weather - maybe 5 degrees C. I managed to put mulch over the asparagus and i planted the rest of the sunchokes for windblock on the farmers way side. It was not much, a 1 gallon bucket of tubers. I dug these tubers from the mature side, just near the house. Our goal is to populate the farm with useful food staples and start windblocks on all side.
All around us are major cash crop fields so it is empty in the winter, and the wind is so strong. If affect us badly, all our containers are blown away, nevermind that we do not have a barn anymore.
These winds never affect the cash crop farmers - because they do not live here, but we do. Our farmhouse is connected to our 10 acre organic veggie farm.
Our farm is a little triangle: one side is Leitrem road, Russel Road and Farmers Way. Our house is on the edge of the farm, located on the side of Farmers Way
Over on the Russel Rd side, I found the walking onions and I planted them along the raspberry rows.
I also gathered 3 Douglas Fir, planted them with some sunchokes and pumpkin seeds around it.
I burned some debris of old wood from the storm to keep myself warm.
About 1pm, it rained and I got a visit from my friend Lori and her dog koko. Overall, it was a good work for the farm.
We have Haidee clean the house, there was a power out around 4pm and it came back around 5pm. For one hour, that sucks as I realize I do not have candle ready. or even kerosense gas. I haver some headlamp, which will probably ran out of battery.
We drop Haidee back to her place and we went to home depot.
I spend the last part of the day with Kyle, go for some home depot errands and some driving over Tatlock road, just to un-wind for the day and enjoy our new Rav4.
3763 Farmers Ways North Ottawa Ontario K0A 1K0
Monday Nov 14 2022
its a -2C morning, i think good ole winter is coming. Sun is shining nice, this is my first week to work in the farm to cover the garlic field and also put away farm implements.
With Storm Derecho in May 2021, we lost our barn, so we are trying to find ways to cover them under the elements.
there are snow flurries here and there but it is not full on snowing yet. My snow work starts Nov 21, so that should be about right. The high is 1 degree C, so it should be cold and getting my body use to cold temperatures.
I get sick with cough and cold, body just saying - "too cold bruh~
i enjoyed my snow removal jobs, it been year 3. The commercial sites are easy, clean the parking lots, sidewalks, salt the area where employees walk in, and repeat it every snow.
For the kids, Ken will try living with his dad, because he live near Amazon warehouse in barrhaven. He will try working in a warehouse, so lets see about that.
Kieren and Karlina is grade 7 and 8 in Notre Dame Catholic School, I will try to see if I can move them to St. Marks. Our new address belongs to St Marks catchment, so I will see if they are advised to move by mid year, or wait next year.
October 30 2022, Sunday
The past 2 days have cold mornings, - 3C and frost is all over us.
Still sunny days during the day.
I manage to finished Tradewinds site last Friday.
I also manage to plant all tulips on Millview and hauled the debris out of site. 3 trips with the truck.
I went out to Pho To Fusion with Kieren, it was not a planned eat but it works. I was
starting to get cold by 7pm and wanting some soup, we had a nice meal. The small pho is 9.99 and so as dimsum. Kieren got sweet potato fries.
)
I am headed to drop steel toe shoes to co MG Anna and pick up some sunchokes at March Road farm.
I am gonna plant sunchokes as windbreaker for our farmers way farm and maybe plant my tulips here too.
Have a blessed Sunday!!!
Karlina went on motorcycle with Kyle which makes me happy. My dad used to take me out motorcycle and Karlina has her fun too.
The 3rd load of garbage was still in the truck and it's 8pm when we got home.
wednesday oct 12, 2022
ottawa city ontario, canada
garlic planting season is here, so I have to get the garlic ready.
yesterday, kyle and i meet Dan of Cityscape to join the winter crew. As it is, we did not have anything going for winter as we both recover from Storm Derecho and the move to our new location. we have to find ways to meet our winter bill and snow plow it is.
we also drop by at greenthumb nursery. mary was there and we got our Willow and Aronia berry. I have one earlier this year, but it needs a second one.
kyle did our evening run along farmers way. yesterday, i signed us both for Army Run so this will be our first army run then. why not? train again to be the fittest we can be.
i woke up early today- or it has been since i come back from the philippines. I drop by Ken to Blair station so he can work at the KRP area.
i have to sort some garlic seeds, I have an order of 4 lbs, so it will be ready soon.
this is my last week for 11 hines, so it will be a different schedule soon.
I will start helping out Isaac - an immigration lawyer, so it will be interesting to see continue with my immigration work, with better pay this time.
october 3, 2022 monday
it was a frosty morning, take awhile for the car to warm up.
i saw frost on the grass, and it was sign the pumpkins need to be harvested.
September 27, 2022 Wed
high of 13C
Looks cloudy outside today. I have check one of the upcoming job at st andrew circle and im headed back to the office for more catching up work to do.
Yesterday tuesday, there was a sunny break and I was able to do some gardening.
The Southland Street gardens have beautiful blooms, of while Rose of Sharon.
sept 24, 2022
saturday
18C high temps, sunny day
woke up late, or early, 12 midnight. did lots of housework and in the afternoon, i did some work. planting some sunchokes, cleaning some areas for kyle too
Friday
23 September 2022
Ottawa City, Ontario, Canada
Sunrise: 6:50am
high: 13C
I can feel the cold air, it is currently 5degrees C, so I need my jacket to go for a walk and bring my food scraps to my composting pile.
I might be able to harvest the pumpkin from yesterday before heading out to work.
One of my favorite things to do is to go for a walk in the morning in the fields. Well, i better bundle up because it will be colder these day.
One good thing about fall: there are vegetables to harvest and weeds stop growing. So, it is thanksgiving for all the bounty and reward for all the hardwork
We will be servicing a garden in Westboro today - Roosevelt Street. ( moved to Monday)
I did harvest some sunchokes for replanting. I have a big mature field in front of my house, so I like to experiment if I can use a new batch as windblock by the greenhouse wooden frame.
It was a sunny day and my body was out of whack - I slept at 4pm.
Thursday 22 Sept 2022
Ottawa City, Ontario, Canada
Its 14C, and its officially first day of Fall, September 22nd
Drop off Ken at Kanata work.
Meet Heather at Carlington Community Garden -shed is finally in.
Its a warm sunny day here in Ottawa.
Ettrick gardens - Phlox are cut down, starting to mildew.
Rideau Bend - The pond area is cleaned out and around the gazebo.The long garden along the garage, spread the mulch. The yellowing hostas are cut.
Master Gardener in person meeting at the churchm 7pm
at farmers way, will continue digging some composting and planting some sunchokes.
Despite Storm Derecho hitting us this summer, 21 May 2022 - we manage to plant some pumpkins and sunflowers.
Here they are, the fruit of our labors!!!
Dad
After 12 years hiatus, I was able to come home to my birthplace. A bittersweet trip, it coincides my dads 1 year death anniversary. I was not able to come home in August 2021, the COVID was as it heights, and it was a tough year for me.
Dad has been my connection to home, losing that makes me feel helpless and it severed a very huge part of my identity.
I have not process grief well, nor do I experienced how to properly handle it. Each of us really journey this world without a guide and we figure out ourselves in relation to anything quite by trial and error.
My best friend Jay died in 2021, same year as my dad. I neglected our whole community garden project, knowing that I was not in right frame of mind to take on anything at all.
I saw my nephews tinkering few motorcyles are the house. I took a deep breath knowing that my dad lives on within us.
There are estate taxes to do, paperworks to sign. The month flew by and I just coast along, maybe carrying my grief and processing what has been home to me. This hits me that this is not my home anymore, I used to live here, but passing by. I know I once live here, but I have moved on for the last 30 years and made Ottawa City my home.
All my kids were born in Ottawa City, Ontario. I struggled for years a single mom, but I also feel this is have a very careful choice to live here despite the wider and bigger provinces of Canada. I settled my roots here, and it seems coming home to the Philippines just connect me to the old trunk that I have laid my life foundation.
It was a strange trip, it may take me awhile to process it, but it did give me a glipmse of life itself, in my own identity, and interesting conversations with me mom. I sense my anger, yet I feel at peace, some kind of understanding about who my mom is and why things happened to me as I grew up. I felt an amazing priviledge of knowing my mom - a little bit more. And she is dedicated to be just that -mom.
I have take my birth certificate with me, and with that, I will be able to get my Philippine citizenship and passport. So, it will be a new beginning as well.
My greatest hope it that I will have enough time to tell my story, as it is, whenever I get the chance.
February 16, 2022
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
I woke up today to get ready for just another February day, doing my school work, organizing reciepts for business, accounting work, and eventually taxes. I am also getting ready for a big move to the farm house this coming season.
I went and turn on my car in the driveway, the gas in on the red, and the price is 160.9. I never seem to mind the gas, but there it is. I need grocery and I have to drive there, so I need to refuel. Son of potato!!!
The temperature is -8C and surprisingly, I think its warm. Well, when gas is high and you know produce will be high too ( imported because duh! winter), you know this day is a luxury. There is no snow coming, so I figure I have time to catch up to do unpaid and necessary work for survival.
13 February 2022
Sunday
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
I remember many shrubs and fruit bearing trees that I enjoyed as a young kid. Growing up around farm lands, these fruit trees are around me, and they are just available throughout the year when it is in season. Some become my favorite, just grow wild around our old farm, some are fruits that can be easily found in the market when in season.
While it is difficult to be bring them with me, some are imported in Canada at higher cost, so I am compiling the list, so probably I can plant them in my small farm soon, when I get the chance to find a tropical land.
Balimbing - Starfruit - Averrhoa carambola - Wikipedia.
This is a small tree, or a shrub. It grows near Tiya Rata Store, and I use to be the beneficiary of this fruit tree. I will run some errand to the store, then I will basically ask her if the fruit is for sale. She would usually grab a handful and I will come home hapily munching on this fruit.
Jan 20, 2021
Ottawa City, Ontario, Canada
I have collected lots of Apache Pepper last Fall 2020, and aside from sharing the harvest, I have saved a lot for planting.
While I do not use hot pepper, I have many friends that do love hot pepper. so why not?
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| This is the harvest shared by my friend Karen during our Fall 2020 clean up. I will start some of the seeds now and see what we can grow this year ahead. |
"How hot is the Apache pepper? Its Scoville heat rating of 80,000 to 100,000 Scoville heat units aligns the Apache pepper as an extra-hot pepper, though on the milder side of that qualification. In relation to our jalapeño reference point, this puts the Apache pepper as 10 to 40 times hotter than a jalapeño pepper.
Capsicum annum ‘Apache’ is a dwarf chilli pepper, ideal for growing in pots on windowsills. It bears masses of medium-sized, hot chillies in a variety of colours from yellow to red. Chillies measure up to 75,000 on the Scoville Scale. For the hottest chillies, grow ‘Apache’ in full sun and water sparingly.
a cultivar of capsicum annuum, the common chile. Apaches are a dwarf variety, good in pots and small gardens. There are two recognized varieties of Apache, apparently. Sometimes the fruit are yellow, and they can be eaten green like a Serrano or jalapeño. The plants don’t get large; only about 18 inches tall. They don’t grow fast either, although they will produce a lot of inch-long (or slightly longer), tasty peppers over time. (The fruit hang down on an Apache plant; other ornamental chiles may stick up in clusters.) Get the conditions and watering right and you can have chile peppers all year round, from a pot right in your kitchen.
How hot are Apache peppers? I’ve seen reports of anywhere from 5,000 Scoville Units to 80,000. To put that into perspective, a jalapeño pepper is about 5,000 at best, with the Serrano about 20,000 Scoville. The chiltepin chile weighs in around 80,000, with the infamous Habañero slightly hotter. "
Jan 18, 2021 Monday
Ottawa City, Ontario Canada
I am reviewing my planted beans last season at Sweet William Farms and my own garden here in my Victory Homes. These pictures are taken October 18, 2020. I was very happy with the result, so I saved the seeds and will plant again this season.
We got these seeds from William Dam Seeds, and I actually love the plant. It climbs well on my 8 foot structure and it looks bigger than the hyacinth bean pictures. I saved some seeds. The pictures above are my plants, these beans were buzzing with bee-sitors. I love them, so this is added in my collection.
from william dam seeds description: "Ruby Moon
Dolichos Lablab Selected variety with purple-veined leaves, lavender flowers, and dark purple seed pods. More attractive than the common Hyacinth bean. Edible fruit when boiled. Annual | Ht. 3m/10ft | 3-4 sds/gm. "
Jan 14 2021
Ottawa City Ontario Canada
last season 2020 has given me lots of joy and lots of marigold in the gardens. I use them everywhere are companion for my tomatoes, planted in the parking lot, in the garden bed. I love the bright colors.
January 14, 2021 Ottawa City, Ontario, Canada
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| Jimenez Pole Beans Seeds |
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| The red flower tells you, we got a Scarlet Runner Bean! |
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| This is Jimenez beans - it was gifted to us by Greta of Gretas Organics. It is a strong pole beans and this picture was taken October 18, 2020 from my backyard in our Victory home in Carlington. |
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| Jimenez Pole Bean with some dry pods |
I have moved 3 times within the last 5 years, culminating in my achievement of finally having a farm, but I lost seeds along the way. Lucky me, there are good souls that continue the the tradition of seed saving. Above are pictures of my current bean collection which is minimal.
I come across a farmer in Ontario who grow heirloom seeds, so I am starting my collection again. I will start with 15 varieties because I have the acreage for it. I imagine it will be a fun adventure for me, and I will be able to have fun with beans again.
Here are the descriptions and I will be buying them from Tree and Twig Farm. I will add pictures are they grow.
1) Alice Sunshine Snap ( Bush Bean) - A productive snap green bean, gorgeous seed which is tan coloured with burnt orange coloured mottling. Of course the seeds you save are edible as dry beans if you have too many for the next years crop...as are all the beans listed here.
2) Blue Ribbon ( Bush Bean) - A very rare bean, hard to find elsewhere, but so worthwhile. This is a fat meaty fresh eating bean, green with purple striping. Plump cream coloured seed with maroon splotches.
3) Bobis D'Albenga ( Bush Bean) - A very rare bean, hard to find elsewhere. I love this bean, green curved bean with purple striping, slimmer than Blue Ribbon. Tasty. Seed is kidney bean shaped, cream with maroon markings.
4) Blue Jay (Bush Bean) - Green snap, tender and stringless. Large productive plants, seed is black with white speckles. Introduced by Russell Crowe, he found it in a field of white seeded beans.
5) Canadian Wonder ( Bush Bean) - A rare bean, my original seed is from the UK, not Canada! Also known as Rose bean, good for fresh (green) or dried use, dried seed is red flat kidney shaped bean.
6) Fall Speckled ( Bush Bean) - Rare bean, excellent dried bean. Produces a plump and meaty bean, which is beautiful. Tan and maroon swirls.
7) Greasy Grits - POLE- An old Appalachian heirloom, bean has a glossy sheen to the pod. nutty flavour. Small tan seed with brown splotches.
8) - Hutterite Soup Bean ( Bush Bean) - Pretty lime green small seed. Productive and great for...as the name suggests...soup!
9) Ice (Bush Bean) - A very rare and unique bean, hard to find elsewhere. Great for fresh eating, a small pale lime green curved bean, juicy and delicious. Seed is small and white. Unlike any other bean I know of.
10) Mbombo (Bush Bean) - An excellent dried bean from Kenya, also good as fresh. Seed is an emerald green kidney shaped, quite unusual. Drought and heat tolerant, good production.
11) Mrocumiere ( Bush Bean) - A gorgeous lilac coloured kidney shaped bean, quite unique. I have only ever used it as a dry bean and it is delicious. Originally from South Africa, but apparently not too common there any more as I have had people from South Africa requesting it from me over the years.
12) Negritos ( Bush Bean) - Another very rare one. I got my original seed many years ago from the seed saving organization Kokopelli in France. I can find no one offering this anywhere now. So keep saving it! A small plump black bean that I have only used as a dry bean. Excellent for this purpose.
13) Quarantaine (Bush Bean) - Rare. Dry use, excellent meaty bean, plump roundish bean is cream coloured with purple swirls and splotches.
14) Silver Cloud Cannelini (Bush Bean) - Just a great dried bean of Italian descent. Thick pods dry easily on the plants as they are held high. White kidney bean shape. I grow loads of these to get me through the winter.
15) Turtle (Bush Bean) - Small well known black bean for dry use, good production. Great taste.
