On the Homestead: Into the woods for harvesting wild leeks

It’s a food forager’s delight watching green wild leeks blanket the forest floor — they are not hard to spot! After the snow has melted on our 100 acres of land and left us with the composting leaves, green shoots smelling of onion and garlic push through in search of the warm spring sun.

On the Homestead: The garden has doubled and there’s more buzz from the bees

With On the Homestead’s Diane Doiron away in New Brunswick visiting family, one of her volunteer farm hands, known as “wwoofers” (Willing Workers on Organic Farms), steps in to guest-blog. Hilke, 23, is a university student from Germany who studies environmental engineering — when she’s not in Ontario, digging up the ground to prepare for planting season. Hilke first worked at Magnificent Hill farm two years ago and returned this April for three weeks.

On the Homestead: Rubber boots and the log haul for firewood

Lea and I agreed a long time ago that we would use firewood to heat our home only from trees that had fallen from the weather or were dying of disease — making our 100-acre homestead strong, healthy and long-lasting. The early spring means we can start collecting firewood for next winter.

On the Homestead: Planting and the art of record-keeping

Sitting at the kitchen table, coffee in hand. It’s the beginning of March and Lea and I are planning this year’s garden schedule. We’re laughing, reminiscing about last summer’s mess-ups — easy on the green peppers and cucumbers this time! — it’s quite the contrast to last year’s stress of trying to plan for enough food to grow for us and for sales. Glad we took the time to keep good records of our planting schedule.

On the Homestead: Bee pollen for diet, beeswax for candles

It seems strange to be talking about our hibernating bees since I dug them out this weekend from our latest snowfall. But mid-winter is the best time to catch up on projects that get put on the back burner during the summer busy season.

On the Homestead: Snow day! Toboggan runs and neighbourly potluck

Many a time I have looked over at Lea, my partner, and said, “Why are we doing this?” We don’t have children, we don’t carry any debt, so in all actuality we could easily retire in a few years from our crazy busy lives and enjoy the best years that are yet to come.

Photo Gallery: A day in the life! On the Homestead’s weekend farmer

What’s it like being a weekend farmer? For me, the time in the city, where I work as a photo editor, is when I can put my thinking hat on. Time for thinking that I don’t get when I am out shoveling manure or planting seeds on the Hill. All the while knowing that the farm is safe until I return. I have a wonderful hardworking partner that cares for the farm while I’m away in Toronto during the week.