In this Issue...
We celebrate BUFCO's 10th Anniversary by revealing our refreshed logo and we announce the official launch of the long awaited BUFCO Blog. Meanwhile, In Your Garden we encourage you to Grow Your Own, and Marc's tips focus on our furry, four-legged family members. Plus we'll remind you of some upcoming Seedy Saturday and Sunday events still going strong around town.
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Happy 10th Birthday BUFCO!
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It's difficult to believe that a whole decade has passed since our little family business was born. In the beginning, we were still deeply intrenched in the film business and our son Doran was only ten years old. Since then, thanks to you, our wonderful clients, our dedicated staff, exceptional suppliers and our incredibly supportive neighbours, we have established hundreds of organic edible gardens across the GTA and beyond and contributed to the production of thousands of pounds of homegrown food. And perhaps even more importantly a whole new generation of gardeners has been born along with us. We are very proud of what we have all accomplished together and humbled by your encouragement and loyalty.
Our mission to inspire, educate and empower urbanites to grow their own food and to help reconnect them with nature is accomplished, but by no means over. We enter into this next decade with a continued sense of optimism, knowing that more and more people are seeing the value and joy in growing their own food at home, at school and even at work. Urban farming is here to stay.
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So this season we celebrate our collective success with a refreshed logo that pays homage to our first decade while looking forward to the next. Designed by the multi-talented graphic artist Lynne Dalgleish.
We thank the incomparable artist Elva Hook for her original logo design and for so beautifully capturing the heart and soul of our dream of bringing family farm values to the city.
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Marc's Tips in the Middle #1
 This one is for you pet owners. According to numerous websites, the highest pet populations in the world are found in Latin America – Argentina, Mexico, and Brazil topping the list, followed by Russia and the US. Canada doesn’t even rank in the top 20. However, roughly 35 – 40 percent of Canadian households have a dog or cat. Bottom line is, before adding a new food to your pet’s diet, do some research just to be sure. Start with small amounts in case your pet has an allergy to an otherwise safe food.
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Introducing the BUFCO Blog
It’s been a dream of ours for ages and now it’s finally time to put a decade’s worth of accumulated knowledge in one handy location. We are very excited to announce the launch of the BUFCO Blog. Many thanks to Connors Eilersen for his design work and for always going the extra mile.
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| Visit our blog! |
Over the years many of the same questions pop up from excited and exasperated gardeners who are looking for practical ideas and tested solutions to common gardening challenges. “How do I feed and mulch my soil?”, “Why is there fuzzy white stuff on my zucchini leaves?” and “What can I do about the @#$%%&* squirrels?!” We share many of the same challenges and we’re hoping the BUFCO Blog will be a helpful place for you to find some answers, new ideas and a little inspiration. There will always be something new for us to share so please check in often and let us know what you think. If you have questions, specific requests for posts, or want to share your own great ideas, please do send them our way. We’d love to hear from you!
In last month’s newsletter, we wrote about the benefits of garden planning. In our inaugural blog post you can find out more about how to plan your veggie garden this season.
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Marc's Tips in the Middle #2
Did you know that foods in the allium family – onions, garlic, and chives – are toxic to dogs and cats? Also on the toxic list: cherries, grapes, raisins, chocolate, caffeine, some nuts, and the greens of night-shades (potatoes and tomatoes – also toxic to humans!) There are many safe foods you can add to your pet’s diet, including bananas, oranges, mango, strawberries, carrots, sweet potato, peas, and loads of others. Here’s a great web site that details not only the dangerous, but also the healthy foods for your pets.
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 In Your Garden
GROW YOUR OWN! Seedlings, a.k.a “starts”, are baby plants grown indoors in late winter. Some vegetable plants are cold hardy and others are heat loving. Cold hardy plants such as peas, spinach, kale and many others can be sown directly in the ground as soon as the soil can be worked. But tender, heat loving plants like tomatoes, eggplant and peppers can’t be planted out until all danger of frost has passed. These plants take a long time to mature and produce fruit so they need to have a good head start. Cold hardy crops can also be started indoors but unlike tomatoes, they can be transplanted in the chill of early spring. Kale, swiss chard, arugula, Bok choy, mustards and lettuce are also very happy getting an indoor start.
Growing your own seedlings at home is a fun and easy way to get your hands in the soil while there is still snow on the ground. All you need is pots, a tray, a clear dome, potting mix, good quality compost, seeds, a sunny window or for best results, some sort of grow light. Florescent and especially LED lighting has come a long way in recent years so there are many affordable options out there. And with all the Seedy Saturday and Sunday events happening at this time of year, you’re sure to find many exciting varieties of organic, heirloom and open-pollinated seeds. Some of our favorite tomato varieties are Black Krim, Earl of Edgecomb and Green Zebra. For peppers, we’re loving Doe Hill for sweet and Hot Hungarian for spicy.
Check out the BUFCO Blog for a detailed look at how to grow your own seedlings indoors and for links to some great suppliers. (All unsponsored)
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| Baby zucchini |
The grow up so fast! |
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Marc's Tips in the Middle #3
There’s a lot of back and forth regarding rawhide and bones for dogs. As for rawhide, and ingredients aside (there are some concerns with chemical ingredients), it really depends on your dog’s chewing style. Strong-jawed animals like Rottweilers can bite off huge chunks of rawhide which can get lodged in your pet’s throat or intestines, leading to serious problems. More delicate chewers will likely take smaller pieces that will pose less of a threat. Either way, first-timers with rawhide should keep close watch until that chewing style is established. As for bones: NO cooked bones, and no chicken or pork as they splinter easily. Raw or smoked beef bones are best. |
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Seedy Saturdays and Sundays
Seedy Saturdays and Sundays are great places for adults and kids alike to trade seeds with other gardeners, purchase from quality seed savers and sellers, and attend workshops and lectures. Admission is free! Here are a few of the upcoming Seedy events in Toronto:
For a complete list of all Seedy events throughout Ontario, have a look here.
BUFCO will be at Evergreen Brickworks for their Seedy Sunday  event on Sunday, March 17th, from 10am to 4pm, where we join a host of excellent vendors answering gardening questions and offering products and services. At 11am, in the newly renovated Kiln Room, Arlene will be leading a workshop on growing micro greens, the world’s healthiest food (said someone at some time). Micro green kits, complete with soil and seed, will be available for purchase at our booth.
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Give us a call!
Arlene at (647) 290-2572
Marc at (416) 450-3899
Email us at info@bufco.ca
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