nature
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Garden Planning
We spend all winter here at the farm planning our season, thinking about what worked well last year, what we should change, and new things to explore that might benefit us. We also think a lot about things we can plant or grow that are not crops, but have ecological benefits, be it providing a Continue reading
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To the Greenhouse!
Spring equinox happened earlier today, March 20th (because it is a leap year). It was sunny and a beautiful day to be in the greenhouse, hitting 29C. Vitamin D feels good on the skin after the winter, and the greenhouse air fills the lungs with the vibrancy of spring. (Rate my office!) Spring equinox is Continue reading
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Seeds
One aspect of plants is above and beyond, even magical: the seed. The seed is promise, potential, hope and patience, all engineered into a tiny package able to withstand adverse conditions and wait them all out for the chance to start new life. Seeds come pre-packaged with everything the embryo requires to begin: protection, energy Continue reading
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Brilliant Green
One of the more fascinating parts of science and science history (at least to me) is that the true nature of something can be ascertained by asking the right questions. There are many many many examples of science (or society) rejecting a correct assertion dozens or hundreds of years before it is accepted. And since Continue reading
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Lots of Ground to Cover
This season will be our first year implementing and experimenting with the use of cover crops. We aren’t really sure what to expect or how they will work with our system, but there’s only one way to find out. The idea behind cover crops is simple enough: farmers go to great lengths to maintain empty Continue reading
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Intact Forests Within Cities
Sometimes when one expects to find a manicured park, one finds themselves in a dynamic forest. I stepped down from apartments and condos into a beautiful place and was amazed to find dead trees and tree trunks along with uneven ground, pooling water as the snow melts. On an island of just 3.8 square kilometres Continue reading
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Just Passing This On
Some of the most fascinating and important research being done in the area of forestry is happening right here in Canada by a Canadian scientist. Suzanne Simard’s work over the past decades in forest biology and tree communication has wide-reaching implications. There have been many who have stated in some form or another that all Continue reading
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52 Blueberries!
I set up this website with a simple goal: to write and publish one thing per week farming-related for one year. The first few months weren’t the easiest…often I scrambled to find something to write about, or felt like I wrote poorly. But I kept telling myself it was part of a process and that Continue reading
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All That Plants Know
Let’s consider all the things a plant knows how to do. A seed knows when to germinate…if the conditions are right, if it is too dry, too wet, too hot, too cold. A seed knows if it is close enough to the surface of the soil, or if it is too deep. Some seeds even Continue reading
agriculture, botany, chlorophyll, climate change, earth, Ecology, evolution, food, garden, gardening, intelligence, life, nature, photosynthesis, plants, seeds, soil, solar, trees -
The Maddening Absurdity of Chemicals in Agriculture
Commodity and chemical-based agriculture has many profound effects and one of the most overlooked ones is evolution driven by mass-scale global chemical application. It is also one of the most Sisyphean: the solution is always more powerful chemicals. Recently Reuters reported that weeds are becoming resistant to multiple chemical herbicides. It is wild that the Continue reading
About Graham
Graham is an ecologist-farmer from Canada working on educating about the wonders and beauty of the natural world, and how we can design biodiverse food production systems.
Complimentary Blueberry Juice 