Farm Planning for 2024

As we settle into the winter months of January and February, we are looking ahead to planning for the year after the snow melts. Although winter time presents it's own challenges, it's the only time of year where we slow down and have more rest time. We work our office jobs during the weekday and have morning and evening barn chores but other then that it's more time in the house to work on planning and paperwork. 

This year is already going to be a unique year compared to other years here on the farm. I (Dave), have a 6 month leave from my office job coming up in the summer and into the fall. This presents an exciting opportunity to get lots of farm projects tackled that have been on the list for awhile now. Some of the work I've got mapped out already includes:

- Building repairs. There are a number of building fixes needed and normally we don't have the time to work on them. Most of the work involves painting the barn and chicken house as well as the farmhouse. We are also getting a new roof on the chicken house so the plan is to clean out the inside and make a space for Christina's wreath crafting and also indoor workshops and storage. 

- Events and workshops. We have been planning to offer more workshops on farming and hopefully that will be happening in spring and summer. Most of the topics will be around introduction to farming and how to start a homestead or farm. For events, we have 2 weddings and a wedding reception/social in 3 back to back weekends 

- Farmhouse improvements. I am hoping to tackle a few upgrades to the farm stay rental. The main one is a small firepit area behind the house for evening socials.  

- Farm chores. There are a lot of areas of the farm that need maintence like roads and property lines, mowing and pasture upgrades. These are all hopefully going to be happening more this summer. 

We are both looking forward to a productive summer!

Reflecting on Farming 2023

Reflecting back on 2023 on the farm has been one of the more interesting things since we started farming. We originally moved back to the family farm in 2011 and spent the early years helping my dad (Dave's), doing work around the farm. We had to deal with some weather events the first few years with the worst being a really bad winter in 2015 and drought conditions in 2016 but they were one of the situations that were challenging but only lasted a few months at a time. This past year was a full year of extreme weather challenges for the entire year. 

Coming out of a fairly mild winter, we had optimism to spring and summer months. The previous year had been one of the most productive years since we began managing operations after dad wasn't able to continue farm work. We sold 1500 bales of hay which was the first year in memory where we had hay to sell instead of buying hay (which was a long-term goal of ours). Christina had a very prolific yield of dahlia's and garlic, giving her amazing crops for her workshops and general sales which was amazing. We also had a very average year for rainfall and temperatures which created great growing conditions for crops and hay and kept the fields and gardens in good condition to be able to get on them and harvest. 

This past year was the opposite of 2022, with early spring being extremely dry, to the point that the province experienced wildfires. We often "joke" now that we talked about a fire escape plan while Christina planted her dahlias, only to deal with record rain 7 days later. The quick and extreme shift saw drought conditions turn into record rainfall that saturated everything in the ground, to the point where things like her dahlias rotted in the ground to roads being washed out. The ground continued to get saturated with rains all in the month of July and August in record amounts, causing hay season to be significantly delayed. Not only was haying delayed but we lost somewhere between 500-800 bales of hay in the field that was cut but the ground was too wet for it to dry. That's left images like the one below where we still have remnants of hay in the field that we couldn't bale up. This meant instead of selling 1500 bales of hay, I only sold 53 so far and I'm done selling until spring to make sure I have enough. 

We are hoping that this extreme year ended this fall with more mild conditions going later into November and fingers crossed for another mild winter. We are also hoping we received 10 years of extreme weather in one year so the next number of years will be mild but with global warming only getting worse, we worry this is the new normal in farming. 

Weather 2023

As a farmer, there are so many things to consider when doing your work. None is more important than the weather since it drives everything you do. This year has been another example of how weather extremes through climate change, are making it harder to work the land. 

Normally, in a good year, we have a damp spring that eventually gets dryer and changes to weeks where you see 3 or 4 days of sun and a day or 2 of rain. That allows for water to get absorbed into the ground but also the gardens and pastures to get sun to grow pasture grass and produce. This has been the pattern for generations on the farm with a few odd exceptions over the last 200 years. 

This year is another year of extremes. Last month, for 4 weeks we worried about the dry conditions as it didn't rain for weeks. There were wildfires all over Nova Scotia and we actually started to plan an evacuation plan in case there was a fire here. The dry conditions stunted the hay growth and impacted the pasture and gardens and I was starting to feed hay to the cattle to take pressure off the pasture. Fast forward a month and we have had rain for nearly 4 weeks with only a few sunny days. The amount of rain has been nearly 2 months worth in 3-4 weeks which has left pastures saturated, seeds and bulbs rotting in the ground and a very wet pasture for the cattle. This is as damaging as dry conditions at this point. 

                                                (Soaked hay grass in one of our hay fields)

Typically we would be haying right now but at this point, there is no forecast that shows a stretch of dry weather for the next two weeks. This means our season will likely get pushed out longer for making hay, meaning the hay quality won't be as good as it is now and we may not get a second cut made. Christina has also had a difficult year with her dahlia's as she planted them when it was very dry but before the first rain so they would get a good start but the first week of rain after the dry conditions dropped 7 inches of rain which soaked the ground too much and rotted nearly 1/2 her tubbers. This has set her back 2 years and cost thousands of dollars in tubbers. 

As we watch these weather events play out over the province and across the country, it's no wonder food prices are increasing since it's harder to grow produce and raise animals in a changing climate. 

Farmhouse Update

 We have been so excited to have the farmhouse available to rent this spring and so far we have had some amazing people stay on the farm! We have had families and couples enjoy their time in the "peace and quiet" (referenced many times in our guest book) of being in the middle of a farm. Some of the highlights we've experienced so far can't be limited to one post but we'll try and share the top three.

Probably the one we expected most but is being validated is the chance to give people a connection to nature and experience farm life. We always felt the farm was a lovely place to share with people who are looking to come to get away from the hustle and bustle of life but also see and experience farm life. This is most rewarding with kids but also with couples who haven't seen cows, chickens, or even a produce garden before. 

The other is the connection the house has to the farm. Since purchasing the house and also setting it up as a farm stay, we've heard so many great comments about the history of the house people in the area remember. With the house having so much history, many people have passed through its doors and we've heard so many great stories. Our own family has also been drawn to the connection with any family who stays in the house or visits and shares stories or pictures from days gone by. It's been a great connection to the past but also an opportunity for future guests to experience the history. 

The other reason is how it aligns so well with where we want to grow the farm. For every event, we used the house as a gathering place, rest stop, or additional garden tour with a tour of the gardens and the orchard. We've really brought a focus to the farm as a community space to be shared with friends, family and future friends :) 

We are excited about what the future holds in store this coming year as we learn and grow the farm stay!

Tree Swallows on the Farm!

Springtime is here when we see tree swallows nesting in the birdhouses around the farm. We do see barn swallows but tree swallows are a very common bird on the farm this time of year.

Tree swallows are a common sight on farms in Nova Scotia in general, and they are much-loved for their beautiful iridescent blue-green feathers and their lively, energetic flights. These small, insect-eating birds are an important part of the ecosystem, and they are also beneficial to farmers because they help control insect populations.

Tree swallows are migratory birds that spend their winters in the southern United States, Central America, and northern South America. In the spring, they make their way north to breed and nest in Canada and the northern United States. They are a colonial nesting bird, which means that they nest in large groups, sometimes numbering in the hundreds or even thousands of pairs.

Tree swallows are cavity nesters, which means that they nest in holes in trees or other structures. They are particularly fond of nesting in birdhouses or nest boxes that are put up by farmers or other landowners. These nest boxes mimic the natural cavities that the birds would use in trees, and they provide a safe, secure place for the birds to raise their young.

The nesting habits of tree swallows are fascinating to observe. The male will scout out potential nesting sites and try to attract a mate by performing aerial acrobatics around the site. Once he has attracted a mate, the pair will work together to build a nest inside the cavity. The nest is made of grasses, feathers, and other soft materials, and the female will lay a clutch of four to seven eggs inside. Having nesting boxes around our farm makes it even easier for them to nest.

The male and female will take turns incubating the eggs, and after about two weeks, the eggs will hatch. Both parents will feed the chicks, bringing them a steady diet of insects. The chicks grow quickly, and within a few weeks, they will be ready to fledge, or leave the nest. After fledging, the young birds will stay close to the nest and continue to be fed by their parents for several weeks.

So why do tree swallows like farms? There are a few reasons. First, farms often have open fields and pastures that provide ample hunting grounds for the birds. The swallows are insectivores, and they feed on a wide variety of insects, including flies, mosquitoes, and beetles. Second, farms often have structures like barns or sheds that provide ideal nesting sites for the birds. By putting up nest boxes like we do on our farm, we can provide additional nesting opportunities for the swallows, which can help increase their populations.

Tree swallows are an important and beloved bird species in Nova Scotia. Their fascinating nesting habits and energetic flights make them a joy to observe, and their role in controlling insect populations makes them an important part of the ecosystem. By providing nest boxes and preserving open fields and pastures, farmers can help ensure that tree swallows continue to thrive in the province.

Getting The Farm Ready for Spring: A Beginner's Guide

Getting The Farm Ready for Spring: A Beginner's Guide

Getting our farm ready for spring can seem overwhelming, especially when you look at the to-do list we have drafted over the winter. We often get asked how we do it all on the farm but the fact is all farmers, including the 5 generations before us, had the same long list of spring tasks to do and had it harder with less mechanization in the process. 

After working on the farm over the years, watching how Dave's Dad did it and also watching other farms, we have come up with some tips and tricks we use to stay on track with the spring workload. 

• Start small: Don’t try to do everything at once. Start with a few small tasks and work your way up. Keeping a running to-do list and breaking it into a monthly calendar helps break the tasks up.

• Get organized: Keep your farm well-organized and clutter-free. A farm naturally has a lot of things to clean up from downed trees to overgrown bushes around roads as well as even just keeping machine implements out of the way. Keeping things organized and cleaned up will help reduce stress and increase productivity. 

• Learn from others: We are always looking for new ways to do our work around the farm and learn from others. We follow a lot of farm groups online specific to Nova Scotia, and we like to see the Q&A discussion that often takes place. This often is a good space for learning what other do to tackle spring work. 

• Take care of yourself: Maybe it's a sign of getting older but we try and build more time for self-care during these busy periods. In years past we would often work every waking minute to keep up on everything but over the years, we have cut back on the number of cattle on the farm and tasks that have low rates of return in revenue or benefit to the farm. This means when Christina wants to take a day to go thrifting or I want to go try a new place to eat, we build in the time to do it. 

• Be patient: One of the biggest lessons we've learned over the years is that we can't do everything at once and not only that, things can get delayed. We may have a machine breakdown, weather issues or an unexpected building repair to tackle. That means other things get delayed and we have built in a lot more patience over the years because of it. 

• Stay flexible: Similar to being patient, staying flexible is one of the biggest lessons we have learned about not only farming but being entrepreneurs. Sometimes our spring time to-do list needs to be changed to adapt to new situations and circumstances. We've learned that the only constant is change and we have to maintain a degree of flexibility in all our spring planning. 

• Have fun: Recently I (Dave) read an Instagram post about a farming couple in the US where they felt they were losing some of the fun of farming due to the volume of products they produced and the stresses that come from issues out of their control. One thing we don't want to lose, specifically going into spring, is the sense of fun and excitement we get from all the farm work we currently enjoy.  

• Keep records: This is something we are always trying to improve. Currently, we record things like calves being born, garden plans and even event details from previous years. They are super helpful when we do go into spring to track what we do but see what we did last year but we could always improve on this. Since it resembles a lot of our non-farm work in our office jobs, we tend to push ourselves on this more. 

• Stay organized: This is almost a year-long activity but in spring it seems to be a focal point for the year. We try an organize our planning and thoughts for the coming year during the spring. Christina specifically tries to organize our farm paperwork for income taxes while I work on planning for the cattle to go out to pasture in May. We also find staying organized means keeping up on digital work like our website, social media and blog posts as well as finances for things like income tax. 

Spring is an exciting time of year but it is a culmination of the other seasons as we try to set a good foundation for the rest of the year while reviewing our activities from the previous year. The excitement that comes every spring is something we never tire of, even if the to-do list on the farm is now larger. 

Saving Onion Seeds

 Saving Onion Seeds

It’s March, and that means it’s seed starting season here on the farm. Our shallot, onion and leek seeds have all germinated. They’re some of the earliest seeds that we start each year.

Although it takes more effort to grow onions from seed (instead of the sets of little bulbs), it’s well worth it in my opinion. There are so many varieties of shallots, onions and leeks available if you choose to grow them from seed. Onion seeds are relatively expensive as there are typically not very many in a standard seed packet. Once I started saving my own onion and shallot seeds, I quickly understood why this is the case. Onions are a biennial seed crop which means they don’t flower and produce seed until their second year.

My first attempt was saving “French Shallot” seeds. In 2020, I grew shallots in my garden from seeds that I purchased from a local, small seed farm. I harvested those shallots in the fall of 2020, saved them over winter in our cellar and then planted the nicest 16 shallots in the garden in the spring of 2021. They produced beautiful tall, white flower heads that matured and produced seed. I pick the dried flower stems and let them dry a little more before cleaning the small black seeds from the other dried flower parts. I was able to save a jam jar full of seeds from those flower heads. In the spring of 2022, I planted the seeds that I saved and in the fall of 2022, I harvested a nice crop of shallots from those seed that I saved back in 2021. The various stages of growth (from mature shallot, to seed to seedlings) are shown in the photos below.

Since different onion crops can cross pollinate, I have only saved one variety each year. In 2022, I saved seed from “Rossa Di Milano” onions that I grew in 2021, saved over winter, and planted out in spring 2022.

Onion seeds have a relatively short shelf life and I find that germination decreases quite significantly compered to some other types of seed. In March of 2023, I have started French Shallot that I saved in 2021 and Rossa Di Milano seeds that I saved in 2022. This year, I’m going to try saving Dakota Tears onion seeds that I grew in 2022 and have stored in the cellar this winter.

Did you know that we offer seed-saving workshops here on the farm? It’s an affordable, 2 hour long, hands-on workshop for seed saving beginners that includes a tour of our gardens. Participants get to take home a selection of seeds grown and saved here at Bar M Ranch.