What's Happening on the Farm - mid June. - Broadfork Farm

We’ve been really happy with the vegetables we’ve been harvesting.

The small root crops like the salad turnips and radishes have been incredible. Our greens have been really incredible too! Most of the areas of the farm we’ve planted this year have been planted without tilling first, including putting down organic compost as a mulch, rather than mixing it into the soil. This has gone really well and we’re happy with the results. The veggies have tasted really good which is so important to us, along with the nutrition inherent in them – those are our main motivators in what we do.

Obsessed with these Poppies – this is the first time we’ve grown these (Papaver Rhoeas) and they are just incredible!

The flowers have also gotten off to a great start.

We had a beautiful tulip crop that’s just coming to an end (we grow different varieties that bloom at different times in addition to planting some in a high tunnel, some in a caterpillar tunnel, and some outdoors so we can have as long of a harvest as possible.

More and more brides haves become interested in sourcing local and ecological flowers directly from the farm. While this requires a less rigid vision of exactly which flowers will be used, it also means that the flowers available will be a true reflection of what’s in bloom on that date, in that year, in this area. Which I think is incredibly special.

We attended the Wild Caraway restaurant’s annual Foraging Dinner for the 1st time ever.

It’s their 10th year doing the foraging dinner though we’ve never gone before. It was more incredible than we could even have imagined! Bryan said at one point during dinner, “If this was my last meal, I’d be happy.” It was a great reflection of this year, this time in the season, and the wild foods available locally. The dishes were so special and the ingredients treated in such a creative way. And then the atmosphere felt like we were at a friends house and really relaxed and comfy.

We got a new kitten!

The toughest parts of getting a new kitten are 1) integrating it into the hierarchy with the other farm cats, and 2) figuring out the right name.

Some recent online inspiration:

This online tutorial on making Lettuce Broth. Makes us want to try it out!
For the 1st year ever, we’ve been growing favas – but not for the bean, for the greens. Here’s a super simple recipe that inspired us.
We have generally been enjoying the Sustainable Flowers podcast but this episode on plastics use on farms (throughout the various stages) was especially great. We think a lot about the plastic use on our farm. We’re always trying to figure out ways we can reduce the use of it. Listening to podcast episodes like this just re-inspires us and it’s the kind of thing I want to hear again and again.

Shout-out!

We’ve been so grateful to have really amazing chefs to work with, who are passionate about what we grow and the way we grow and who like to use the food we grow in super delicious and innovative ways! Check out, in Moncton: Little Louis’, and Les Brumes du Coude, and Black Rabbit (also with a location in Shediac), and in Advocate Harbour, Wild Caraway.

Thanks for the kind words!

Seeing this in my inbox thrilled me to bits:

“I ordered flowers from you for my sisters wedding in 2015 and they were perfectly lovely. I was so impressed by the freshness, beauty and the thought and care you put into selecting a unique ensemble of flowers and greenery. I knew as soon as I got engaged I wanted to have your flowers at my own wedding!”

This kind of thing makes my heart sing, and makes the time I take harvesting blooms for each unique bride in mind so worthwhile and rewarding! If you know of anyone planning a wedding who may be interested in an option like this, please forward this post to them.