Shalefield Organic Gardens

I can’t believe this!

shalefieldorganicgardens — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 18:19:58 +0000

A year almost went, since the last posting… The season is too busy to keep up with the blog. And every year my resolution is to be better, keep this blog more up to date. Again thankful for all the wonderful costumers and CSA members for their support, all the help we had last season, without those great and enthusiastic people it wouldn’t be possible!! Big thank you.

This is the time of year that we have time to sit down, reflect on what we did last year and planning for the growing season ahead. Last year was a great season. The raspberries are getting mature, blackberries were in their first year, a start with our strawberries… A great year for our new crop Ginger!! Love the months of September and October when there is so many produce to be harvested.

At the moment we are getting the seed orders out, and do the planning for crops to grow. Also we are updating the farm; we will have 1 more acre ready to go in production, irrigation is getting updated, the old barn gets an upgrade, new cooler and next wash station. All to have the farm running more smoothly. Getting so exciting to have everything ready to go for the new season.

Our market share CSA is ready to go. please follow the link on top of the page.

Thank you, Yolanda

Exciting times..busy days!

shalefieldorganicgardens — Thu, 03 May 2012 23:53:34 +0000

Too much to do!!! The farm needs extra hands!! Interested in helping on a farm, well there are job openings, as well as full-time as part-time. Have a look at the attached file.

At the moment there are a lot of transplants to go in the fields and cold-frames and greenhouses… Later in the season lots of picking, so there is a variety in work to be done!

Job Description and Qualifications

Looking forward to hear from you!

Brian and Yolanda

Spring is here.

shalefieldorganicgardens — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 16:43:10 +0000

And so are the new greenhouses.

Thebiggest one will be a challenge, that one will turn into a movable greenhouse. Hoping to serve our costumers all winter with our ‘green-mixes’. and in the summer with tomatoes.

It was a beautiful week and lots has been done. Crop planning on the way, dates for the summer markets are in and started the onions, tomatoes, peppers and eggplant this week.

Since the weather is very nice today .. put on the boots and go outside.

Saturday Market Nat Bailey

shalefieldorganicgardens — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 01:27:51 +0000

Past Saturday was a great day, no rain, no wind, the sun was even trying to come out! Tables filled with nice greens, and it will be getting more!Now the days are getting longer and hopefully the sun will shine a bit more, the greens will be starting to grow faster!! Thanks to all our loyal costumers who make it a pleasure to grow all these greens.

And see the line up… :)

Sunday morning post.

shalefieldorganicgardens — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 20:24:26 +0000

The day after a stormy winter market, happy to see the sun shining in the Valley. Our salad mix was at one point flying over the market, money blown away, no tents, which gave a strange look to the whole market, but everyone was in good spirits. Thanks again for the costumers who again came out this weekend, what would we do without you….:)

It is almost the end of February and the farm is getting ready for a new season, with more additions this year. The raspberries will all be covered this year, thanks to our friends from Cascade Greenhouses in Aldergrove. This is a piece of “art” , as they did a great job of reusing old pieces. Also 2 coldframes will be build by them, and we have a movable greenhouse planned. Exciting!!! Onions have been started, tomatoes are next in line. Some new varieties, keeping previous varieties who did very well and were loved by our costumers.

The raspberries will produce more this year, and hopefully there will be some blackberries too. The blueberries will be in full production what we planted in the last years. Too MUCH will be coming, so better get outside….

A posting will be going out for an enthusiastic and energetic organic farm workers, working on every aspect of the farm, incl. seeding, weeding, harvesting and if possible doing markets!! Full-time and part-time… Please contact the farm when you are interested and work out the details..

Have a great Sunday.

Our CSA Market share.

shalefieldorganicgardens — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 16:58:44 +0000

The sign up date is extended!!! Make sure you pick up a brochure at the market or get it here online.

A Market share is very flexible.. Spend it all on your berries… all our salad greens… asparagus.. Spend your share on what and when you want!!

Tomorrow we will be at Nat Bailey Farmers Market Vancouver, 10-2 pm.

Come early for the salad greens!!!

Hope to see you tomorrow, now going to get all those delicious greens.

Brian

Happy New Year.

shalefieldorganicgardens — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 19:52:15 +0000

Wishing everyone a Happy, Safe and Healthy 2012!!

Thank you for your support this year and looking forward to 2012. We are planning more vegetables and larger amounts of berries….Even more greenhouses….

Hope to see you in 2012

Spring is late in apparency!!

shalefieldorganicgardens — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 19:01:06 +0000

Today the snow line is very low again. We cannot believe it! In between the showers and the snowflakes we trying to get plants started for our summer, but it is so cold and wet that the seeds have a hard time to germinate. We estimate that we are a month behind with this cold weather. We have been transplanting a lot and hopeful that they will be ready for summer market.

This weekend it will be the last Nat Bailey market in Vancouver. We will have a lot of greens!! We will be making room in our cold greenhouses for the tomatoes to go in. So get your greens this weekend because the Summer market at Trout Lake will start May 14th. ( 2 weeks without a Farmersmarket…).

Good news is that the contractor started working, putting the ankers in, for our new high tunnel. For the ones that do not know, our last high tunnel was destroyed by the cold snap and high wind on November 22 2010. We enjoyed the old one just for a month… so sad. But some good came from that.. we have a larger tunnel right now and we added blackberries to the list. In the high tunnel we have our raspberries and blackberries to protect them from rain.

This Saturday at the Nat Bailey market, farmers who will have a CSA this summer to sign up to, will have a promotion table, were you can sign up for a membership. We have spots left for our CSA membership, and will be selling our market shares.

With a “regular” CSA you get a “box” of produce every week. What the farmer puts in the box is what you get. It’s the farmers choice not yours. With our unique Market Share program you will be able to buy what you need when you need it instead of getting a box of things you may not need or want. We have full market shares, $500 worth, or half market shares $250 worth.With your pre-paid Market Share you will be helping the farm with its annual start up costs such as: plants, seeds, fertilizer, supplies, ect. and this allows us to provide you with fresh local organic produce.

First time blogging!!

shalefieldorganicgardens — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 00:26:23 +0000

It is amazing what an one hour session with a social media expert can do. We have an official domain and a blog. Hope to be able to keep you informed with what’s happening on the farm and post pictures.

For the people who know us, we tweet too. It will be a challenge for me, as English is a second language … I just hope that the mistakes are not too bad.

Today was a market day, Nat Bailey Vancouver. It was the second week that we brought rhubarb, small but so nice. The greenhouse is full with winter greens, which have to go to make room for the tomatoes.

Tomorrow our new high tunnel will arrive. Our first one got destroyed by the November 22 cold snap and wind. The week before we were still picking raspberries in it. Such a sad moment. The good that came out of that is that we ordered a larger tunnel. More raspberries and we will give blackberries a try.

Two more winter markets to go at Nat Bailey 10-2pm, Vancouver. The first summer market will be May 14 at Trout Lake Vancouver. Hope spring will arrive soon!

Brian and Yolanda