Old Gardeners Never Die, They Just Go to Seed
Fall is the time when seeds are able to be gathered and stored. And a seed exchange is the perfect place to share some of those seeds.
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Great Food from the College Kitchen
This past fall they also did the Government of Yukon Agricultural Branch’s North of 60 Conference banquet and sourced almost 90 per cent of the
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Cooking Up a Career
Teresa Kozakewick grew up in Alberta. Raised by a father who had a passion for food, she had always been drawn to cooking. She enjoyed
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Home Is Where the Heart Is
In August of 2008, we had ground cleared so we could build a new house. It wouldn’t be very big or fancy, but it would
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About a Fair
From stunning jewelery, fine arts and unique crafts to quality prepared foods and personal care products hand made by Yukon artisans, the 12 Days of
Braided rugs, just like Grandma used to make
There I was at the end of August looking through Salvation Army for wool coats. August. What was I thinking? I know it’s the Yukon,
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Winter: A Season for Change
“The more things change the more they stay the same” and “The only constant in life is change” are both very cliche and very true.
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Winter is Coming
Over the past few years the gardens have been producing more and more vegetables. So, come fall we start to look for places to store
Training For the Yukon
Recently we went down south for a family visit. At the time it was still very much winter here in the Yukon. Down there the snow
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A Friend For Schwartz
Schwartz has been our only dog for the past few years. For the most part he seems to be okay, although he does enjoy playing
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Farmers Need Funds, Too
If you ate today, thank a farmer. If you know where your food comes from, thank them even more. Knowing where your food comes from
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February Seedlings
Anything can happen in February, weather-wise. It can be -30°C one day and 5°C a few days later. The sun can be very warm and
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Seed Catalogues Launch Dreams
“There are two seasonal diversions that can ease the bite of any winter. One is the January thaw. The other is the seed catalogues” – Hal
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Bigger is Not Always Better
In the 1970s farmers in the United States were told to “get big or get out” as a way to promote larger, corporately owned farms.
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Home Grown
The phrase “food security” is becoming common, and it can be interpreted in several different ways. Whether it is a lack of food due to
Saving the Harvest
Trying something new with peas One of a gardener’s goals at the end of summer is to preserve the food harvested. This takes many forms
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Butcher Day Death with dignity
Death is a part of life, without death no one could live. Even vegetarians’ diets put an end to life. By eating a carrot, for
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Unexpected Encounters on the Farm
Working outside is a given when gardening. Planting, weeding, and harvesting all are labour-intensive jobs, which are done manually on our farm. Most of the
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Market Season Ends as the Seasons Change
All good things must come to an end. And the summer outdoor market is no exception. Over the years we have enjoyed getting to know
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Seed saving
Seed saving is a time-honored way of keeping certain plant traits growing. It used to be a common practice among gardeners. This year we have
Fall
Living in the Yukon, people want to enjoy summer to the fullest, “summer” being those 14 to 21 days randomly sprinkled across June, July, and August. Gardeners
Fava Beans
One of the biggest animal raising expenses in the Yukon is feed. So I am always on the look out for crops we can grow
Perennials
In spring, while we wait for the snow to melt, we check on the chives to see if there will be enough for a taste.
Migration
Early in the spring, Swan Haven offers Yukoners a place to watch swans and other water birds as they stop to rest on their long
One Potato, Two Potato, Three Potato, Four…
It’s planting time and one of the last things we plant are potatoes. We put in all of our cold crops first because if there
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A Celebration of Spring
Spring… there is nothing quite like it. Living here in the North, we generally have a long winter followed by a long spring. It seems
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The Real Dirt
A few years ago, a neighbour told me my garden needed to be amended with some dirt. He was referring to the stereotypical black soil
A Frozen Pipe Dream
I went to Vancouver a few weeks ago. I wasn’t looking forward to trading sunny skies for rainy ones — although the temperatures were going
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Food Talks Explore Complex Relationships
Recently, there’s been more focus on our food — what is in it, and where it comes from. Living in the North, securing a steady
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Homemade Seed Tapes
Winter can be frustrating for gardeners. There are days when it feels like spring won’t get here soon enough. Combine this with the knowledge that
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Food Security
Winter; a season many people dread. The extra work of shovelling snow, the layers of clothing, the cold temperatures, and even the shorter daylight hours
A Quiet Yukon Christmas
Twas the week before Christmas and all through the farm. Not a chicken was stirring, they’re all in the barn. All summer they roam, but
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A Chicken and Egg Story
Last year our chickens stopped laying eggs. For the first time in a decade we had to buy eggs instead of selling them. The egg
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Living on Farmer Time
I have always wondered why we need to adjust our clocks for daylight saving time here in the land of the Midnight Sun. It was
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Winter Gardening
Years ago I was asked by a Japanese helper what kinds of plants grew here in the winter. I laughed and said nothing grows, it
The Joy of Homegrown Tomatoes
Nothing tastes quite as good as a garden fresh tomato. Here in the North these are rare enough to find, but this past summer we
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Talking Turkey
Explore the fascinating story of the Thanksgiving Turkey, from wild origins to the modern breeds raised for the holiday.
Yukon Harvest Time
I can’t believe it’s almost over. This summer was one of the best on record as far as gardening goes. We always had lots of
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Helpers Extraordinaire
A few weeks ago I met a guy from Ontario who asked if it would be possible to help out at the farm. Of course
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Barnyard Politics: Establishing a pecking order
Recently we noticed some of the turkeys had bloody wings and were being picked on by the others. Often if turkeys don’t have enough feed
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Where are the Bees?
With summer comes the sound of songbirds and the hum of insects. Often insects are seen as nuisances — pests that need bug dope to
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PHantastic Soil
It is a good idea to find out a bit about your garden before planting anything in it. What will grow in a plot of
Better Late than Never: How planting in the Yukon can be a challenge.
The peas were up before we finished planting the garden this year. We like to plant most of our seeds as soon as we can
Better Late than Never: How planting in the Yukon can be a challenge. Read More »
Dreams Achieved: The Fireweed Market is back
When we first moved to the Yukon 16 years ago I told my family that if I would like to have a market garden. The
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Venturing into the Unknown
All good things must come to an end and two days ago this was true for our piglets. It’s been eight weeks since they were
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Spring Means New Life
There are pussy willows, crocuses and chives growing in the garden. Migrating birds are returning to Swan Haven and mallards are swimming in the ditch
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Our Egg Situation
My husband Allan got a goose egg last night. He wasn’t hurt as some may suspect, rather he found an actual egg out in the
Head Starts and Crop Rotations
In early spring it is very hard not to dream of the summer growing season. Gardeners who want an early start often start plants indoors.
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Deep in Snow and Going to Seed
When we moved to Whitehorse, from Saskatchewan, I had been led to believe that gardening here was next to impossible. Then I visited Yukon Gardens
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Tiny Little Pieces of Life
I got my seeds today! Seeds … tiny little pieces of life, stored until spring arrives to awaken them. It is this miraculous life that
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Gardening: It’s About Knowing Where and When
Can you smell it? … fresh-tilled dirt. There is nothing like it to a gardener or farmer. It is one of my favourite smells of
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‘Honk, Peep (Oink?) or Gobble’ If You Love Spring!
Spring has finally sprung. The arrival of spring also brings with it new joys of farming – not just in the garden, but also in
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The waiting is the hardest part
I don’t really like waiting but as a farmer there are some things you have to wait for. Like seeds to sprout or crops to
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Dig Those Diggin’ Pigs
They don’t dig like dogs, with their front feet, but with their noses. It is unbelievable how strong their nose muscles are. They can even
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Ploughing for Parsnips (and Other Root Crops)
With the snow finally gone, a gardener’s mind turns to working the soil. But, to work it too soon could leave it in unwieldy clumps,
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What’s ‘Up’ in the Garden
They’re up … radishes and swiss chard that were planted only a week ago are now pushing up through the soil. The radishes looked like
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Drying Turkey (with a Hair Dryer)
We just got more baby chicks and turkey poults. They are one day old when we get them and not much bigger than the egg
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The Joy of Weeding
Well it seems that summer is here. The heat that we have been getting has been a bonus for the garden. Everything is up, even
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To Market, To Market …
I usually plant more vegetables than I am going to personally use because I like to attend the farmers’ markets in Whitehorse. It started out
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Unwelcome Guests at Butchering Time
It’s chicken-butchering time again … This is a part of farming that is definitely hard work. It starts a day or so before the actual
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Give Peas a Chance!
This year we have been having record temperatures. With the heat, some plants start start to bolt to seed. My spinach has done this and
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A ‘Berry’ Wonderful Time of Year
Well, we are nearing the end of summer and, while no one wants summer to end, there are benefits at this time of year …
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Unearthing Harvest Treasure
It’s fall. I know that no one wants it to be fall, but it is hard to deny. With every season, there are vegetables that
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How to Beat ‘Jack’ at His Frosty Game
It was cold this morning, zero according to the thermometer. In most places there have been frosts already, but we haven’t really had any until
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A Gaggle of Geese
In the fall, wild geese migrate south. But domestic geese are bred for meat, so they are almost too heavy to lift off the ground
Harvest is About More Than Vegetables
With the market over and the garden harvested, you would think that there isn’t much to do on the farm. And you would be partially
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News from the Barnyard
With winter finally here, the farming workload seems to lighten. Winter is a time of rest and contemplation. It is also a time to recuperate
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Christmas for Farmers
I love Christmas … the lights that light up Main Street, the smells of Christmas baking, the excitement of wrapping up secrets and putting them
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Sunny Side Up? Over Easy? Egg-cellent!
About six months after we purchased our farm, we decided we needed to start raising chickens. This decision came about when, about a week after
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The First Sign of Spring Arrives in the Mail
Spring starts when seed catalogues arrive. At least it does for me. I receive about four or five every year. This doesn’t include the online
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The Signs Point to Spring
The pussy willows are out! Willows are one of the first plants to show any signs of life in the spring. Even with mounds of
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The ‘Love Apple’ Needs Love
With the snow so deep, it seems impossible that spring will ever arrive. Gardeners, however, take things into their own hands and start seedlings in
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Gardening is About Community
”Gardening is about community” is part of a phrase that caught my eye in an e-mail I received today. And I agree. I didn’t learn
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A Good Garden Starts From the Ground Up
With spring just around the corner, even some non-gardeners are planning on planting a garden. I am thinking specifically of my niece, Shauna, who for
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Manure Tea and Mud
One of the main spring tasks is to clean out the barn. On our barn we have two four-foot doors at each end to help
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Where the Chickens Roam
With the warmer weather we have been having, my thoughts turn to spring. I am wondering if this year I will be able to get
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Kali and Sienna Would Rather Dig Holes
Kali and Sienna are home. They have been for about a week now, and it is very nice to have them back. When I mentioned
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Plants Are Popping Up Everywhere
It’s up! In my garden there are all sorts of little sprouting plants, most of which we planted. This year we were able to get
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Everything Has Its Season
The garden is just buzzing these days. I noticed a lot of bees while I was pulling up the radishes that had bolted. Even after
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Shredding the Trees is Within Her Comfort Zone
I tend to mow the grass around the barn areas as green feed for all of the animals. This not only gives them the greens
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Fall’s Bittersweet Song
Fall is a bittersweet season. The mountainside is absolutely glorious with the sun shining off the golds and reds. The days are still warm enough
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Dig the Taste
One of the best types of vegetables to grow in the Yukon are root crops. Most root crops can take late frosts in the spring,
Meeting Chicks at the Watering Hole
One of my favourite parts of spring is when we get our chicks. It doesn’t seem to matter how often we have gotten them in
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A Time to Be Thankful
Summer ended abruptly this year. When the first snowfall came, I was very thankful that all of our veggies had been harvested. Harvesting is backbreaking
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A passion for piglets
Last spring, we took both Kali and Sienna to visit Boris, the boar. So this fall we were waiting with bated breath for them to
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Is it Really Greener on the Other Side?
The grass always seems greener on the other side of the fence. When living in the north, it is easy to look at how things
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Rhythms Change as Seasons Change
Iam enjoying our long fall this year. It has allowed us to work on outside projects much easier than if we were knee deep in
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Stopping to Smell the Roses on the Farm
I took a walk today with three young boys. First they followed me throughout the barn while I did the chores. Asking questions and admiring
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Some Like It Cold
With the snow blowing around and the temperatures dropping, most people and animals prefer to be indoors. This isn’t the case for the geese and
Reap What You Sow … Now!
The sun is shining, the snow is melting off of the roof and it is starting to feel like spring. But we are still in
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Ode to Beets
Most vegetables have their share of pests and problems. If it’s too wet, mildew will attack peas or tomatoes. An early fall frost can kill
Volunteers and Other Visitors
Volunteering is something that a lot of people do to give back to their community. Sometimes it is more than that. Some volunteers go a
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Mother Goose
They say birds of a feather flock together. When you visit our barnyard, you will see that the chickens don’t like to spend much time
Will It Germinate?
Children, when learning to garden, show this quite plainly when they dig up a seed to see if it is doing anything. Sometimes this actually
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Schwartz on the Job
One of my pet peeves is dogs (no pun intended). More specifically, other people’s dogs that come onto the farm. One reason dogs were domesticated
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Peas Aplenty
I decided to go with the larger package. It is a variety that has done very well in the past. It was almost funny, when
Better Late Than Never
Spring! There is just something about it that gets the blood moving. It could be the excitement of new life pushing its way up from
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Multi-tasking Time
Springtime on the farm is one of the busiest times of the year. Harvest is busy, too. You’re racing the frosts and fall rains to
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New Life, New Challenges
Well, spring has sprung. I am seeing the evidence of this everywhere. Trees and bushes are starting to bud, grass is coming up and crocuses
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