One Saturday morning in October 2014 both of our pickup trucks drove off the farm hauling trailers. Our white cargo trailer was hitched to one truck, destined for another busy day at the Thunder Bay Country Market. The other truck was hauling a livestock trailer loaded with sheep, destined for a farm in Southern Ontario. After 8 years with those wooly mammals, that brisk fall day marked the end of an era for us on the farm. It was also the first time that we made an intentional move to let something go in the interest of doing a better job of the many enterprises we were already managing on the farm.
We got our first 4 sheep in the fall of 2006, and by 2010 our flock had grown to about 20 ewes. The flock was an eclectic mix of the original animals that we had managed to scrounge to assemble a flock, as well as their offspring. As we learned how to care for sheep and direct market the lamb we were producing, we eventually came to the conclusion that it was in our best interest to invest in some better quality animals with which to form the foundation of a new flock.
As all of you know, one of the outcomes of getting married is a sudden infusion of cash gifts to the newly married couple. When we finally got married in the fall of 2010 we found ourselves with a sum of cash money on hand like most newly wed couples. However, unlike most newly wed couples, we hooked up our livestock trailer to our pickup truck and headed to Manitoba to buy livestock with our wedding money.
We returned from our honeymoon excursion with a trailer full of 2 purebred Milking Shorthorn cows, 3 purebred Dorper ewes, and 1 ram. In just 4 years we were proud to have created a flock of about 20 registered Dorper ewes that were beautiful. And more importantly, because of their pedigrees, they were worth a lot more alive than there were frozen and wrapped up in butcher paper.
During the time our flock of sheep was growing, so too was our little herd of cattle. Pretty soon we started to struggle with making enough hay and having enough grazing land on our farm to feed all the animals we owned. Additionally, our market garden continued to grow and was requiring more and more of our time and attention. It became quite clear that although we loved each enterprise we were managing on the farm, we were simply doing too much and had to let something go.
We always enjoyed working with the cattle more than the sheep. Cows are just such wonderful creatures, and so personable compared to sheep. But the real target was painted on the sheep’s back not by us, but by you – our CSA members! In our post-season CSA survey that was administered after the 2013 season we learned that only 30 percent of our membership was interested in purchasing lamb, whereas 65 percent of respondents had interest in beef. We therefore easily arrived at the conclusion that our limited land base and resources were better utilized for cattle, and so we began to seek a buyer for our flock of registered sheep.
Livestock breeders are pretty passionate people. We all think that our breed is the best, or at least, will be part of the next trend in the industry. Do you remember when you didn’t know what Angus beef was? Imagine you were an established Black Angus breeder around the time the fast food chains started bragging about serving “certified Angus beef”, and farmers across the country were suddenly looking for Black Angus breeding stock.
Time will tell if Dorper sheep will play an important role in the Canadian sheep industry as I had at one time speculated. But what I do know is that at the time of sale there was a high demand for registered Dorper sheep and we were able to sell our flock for a nice profit.
Of course, on a farm there is never really any windfalls of money – we farmers always find something else on the farm to sink that money into. Following the sale of our sheep we took the money and purchased some better equipment to facilitate scaling up the haymaking needed to feed our growing herd of cattle.
Then in 2014 Pass Lake’s oldest farmer who at that time had been retired from beef farming for a few years approached me. Jimmy was seeking my help to find some Scottish Highland cattle. He had become aware of this very rugged and hardy beef breed after reading a National Geographic article when he was a small boy. After some time on the Internet and phone, I found what he was looking for and a few weeks later 6 highland cattle set hoof on the Sibley Peninsula for the first time in Pass Lake’s history.
Since that time, we too have gotten into this unique breed. We now co-own a herd of 10 highland cows with Uncle Jimmy. The cows graze his farm during the summer, along with the rest of our shorthorn cows. In the fall we bring the cows back to our farm where we feed, breed, and care for them through the winter months.
Currently our herd consists of 25 animals. About a third of which are Scottish Highlands. Until this point I have been breeding all of our cows with artificial insemination, which is an excellent tool for accessing top-quality genetics to produce the type of calves we want. But now in partnership with Uncle Jimmy we will be calving our highland cows in the summer and require a bull to breed them on pasture. On Thursday we are expecting our new Highland bull to arrive, and he will be put right to work! I am also looking forward to cross-breeding our shorthorn cows with a highland bull, as this particular beef cross has long been known to produce amazing beef that has the marbling qualities of shorthorn cattle with the exceptional flavour of highland beef. We look forward to finding out for ourselves!
Last week’s newsletter described how the prime purpose of cattle on our farm is to provide fertility for our vegetable production. However, we derive a great deal of pleasure from owning these animals and forming relationships with them, caring for them, and especially from watching the cows raise their calves. Furthermore, in a conversation I had with a CSA member this week I stated that Marcelle and I have a lot more faith in the monetary value that our livestock hold compared to the more conventional investments we hold. In fact, the word “live-stock” suggests that there is inherent value, or stock, in that living animal. Before the days of investing in stocks and bonds, people simply owned livestock as a way to accrue or preserve wealth.
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Lady Nancy and her calf Alex enjoying some tender summertime grass. Alex was named after a friend of ours who happened to visit the farm during his birth, and who helped us pull him out during a difficult and dangerous labour.
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Partners in good food!
Mexico - Finca Sanata Martha
Farmed by: Agustin Hernandez Gomez
This coffee farm is in the buffer zone of the Triunfo Verde Biosphere. Agustin has been farming for 21 years and coffee is now the primary income source for his family.
Tasting notes: Sweet with wine acidity and a creamy mouthfeel. Notes of savoury fruit, cocoa and coffee cherry.
This week's bread from
Both Hands BreadThe Whole Hog
Sifted whole wheat flour, water, organic sesame seeds, unrefined sea salt
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Rice Bowl (Glory Bowl, Buddha Bowl)
Serves 8 but can be halved for a smaller crowd
INGREDIENTS
The Bowl
8 cups cooked rice
2 cups beets, grated
2 cups carrots, grated
2 cups almonds, toasted
2 cups spinach / lettuce / arugula or other leaves
also can add: sliced cucumber, chopped sugarsnap peas or scallions!
2 cups tofu / tempeh / ground meat / chicken cubes (your preference)
Glory Bowl Dressing (the best part!)
1/2 cup nutritional yeast flakes*
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup tamari or soy sauce
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 tbsp tahini paste
INSTRUCTIONS
Prepare your favourite rice and set aside.
Saute tofu or meat in a skillet.
Combine nutritional yeast flakes, water, tamari or soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, tahini and crushed garlic in blender to prepare the dressing.
Add oil in a steady stream. You will have leftover dressing to use again.
Assemble the bowls by placing cooked brown rice into 8 bowls, top with beets, carrots, greens leaves, almonds and sauteed tofu cubes.
Drizzle bowls with dressing.
*Nutritional yeast flakes can be found at the bulk zone or most natural food stores.
So good on any kind of salad greens, veggies, rice, or grains.
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Garden Feature
Iceberg Lettuce
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I absolutely love iceberg lettuce. Especially the stuff that we grow here on the farm. Surprisingly, of all the different types of lettuce we grow on the farm iceberg is consistently the most difficult to size up the way it should. A full sized iceberg lettuce complete with it's outside wrapper leaves is quite a magnificent plant! Last year our iceberg lettuce failed and it did not make it into the CSA. This year it has been a big success and not only made it into the CSA, but made it as the Garden Feature!
Unfortunately a lot of people turn their nose up at iceberg lettuce because it is somewhat less nutrient dense than other types of lettuce, on account of it having a higher water content. I've never really understood that argument because hey - if you are looking for nutrient-dense food DON'T EAT LETTUCE! The truth is that we eat lettuce because it adds texture, colour, and eye appeal to our dishes in addition to being a vehicle for eating the things we really crave like salad dressings, cheese, meats, etc.
For me, when it comes to eating satisfaction no other lettuce compares to the sweet flavour and wonderful crunchy texture that iceberg lettuce brings to the dish. For this reason I am a big fan of the classic truck stop special, the "Chef's Salad". Iceberg lettuce, plus an assortment of veggies, meat, cheese, eggs, and of course Thousand Island dressing = a party on a plate!
For those of you who think I am overstating the virtues of this underdog vegetable, carefully observe the flavour of this lettuce compared to that which is found wrapped in plastic and sold in the grocery stores. The difference is huge. Organically-grown iceberg lettuce is something to celebrate and enjoy. Whereas, the stuff wrapped in plastic and sold in the grocery stores throughout the winter is for some of us a mere guilty pleasure.
And for those of you who share my enthusiasm for iceberg lettuce, please find my special recipe below.
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Brendan's Iceberg Lettuce Sandwich
INGREDIENTS
- 1/5 of Iceberg head, shredded
- 1 green onion, chopped
- cilantro, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
- salt
INSTRUCTIONS
- Shred 1/5 of a head of iceberg lettuce with a knife
- Add lettuce, chopped green onion, and cilantro to a bowl and toss with balsamic vinegar and salt
- Thickly butter your favourite sandwich bread
- Pile lettuce ridiculously high between pieces of bread.
- Bite. Chew. Swallow. Repeat.
This is an especially good sandwich on those incredibly hot days when you don't really feel like eating, but do so only out of obligation to replace moisture and electrolytes lost through vigorous sweating :)
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Open Farm Days
We will be hosting the next Open Farm Day on Sunday August 20th and again on Sunday September 24th.
Open farm days are your opportunity to come see exactly how your food is grown, and ask your farmers any questions about how the farm is run.
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On Monday Marcelle made rice bowl for lunch which featured beets, cucumbers, peas, pea shoots, iceberg lettuce, scallions, and cilantro from the garden.
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This season we are growing cucumbers on a trellis in our new hoophouse. The type of slicing cucumber we are growing is the best we've ever tasted!
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