Cropthorne Farm
REAL. GOOD. HONEST. FOOD. From our family farm in Ladner BC.
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Friday Washpit Vibes
It’s world breastfeeding week and these days I’m all about that mama life.
Anywhere, anytime, I’ll feed my baby.
As I am hustling to set up our booth at the farmers market, nursing a baby while putting up price signs.
As I am driving the tractor with the crew behind transplanting broccoli.
As I’m on my lunch break, shooting one handed texts to chefs, with the other cradling a nursing babe.
As I’m sitting in a meeting with a bunch of other farmers, trying to coyly feed what sounds like the noisiest dinosaur ever.
As I’m sitting on a pallet in the barn, having just come in, all sticky, from the field to a hangry babe.
The sweetest moments have been, in the middle of a busy day whether a long line at the market stall or just an endless hectic day here on the farm. It’s all dropped when a baby needs to eat.
I melt into the moment, relax, reconnect and remember that this little human is a big reason all this hard work is worth it.
Of course, not ever moment has been bliss. Sometimes it’s the frustration of being anchored to my babe, day in and day out or the mastitis, oh how could I forget the 5 times (!!) There is no doubt in my mind #fedisbest and I know it is not for all whether by choice or circumstance but I do feel super lucky and proud to bond and nourish and I know there’s a band of crafty farmers across this world doing just the same. 💙
#musesfromafarmingmama #worldbreastfeedingweek #normalizebreastfeeding
Isabelle, Jenna and Renee are in the West End today with a 🌈 of produce.
🏳️🌈 🥬🏳️🌈🥕🏳️🌈🍅🏳️🌈
Whenever a big project comes up on the farm, I lean on my dad.
He’s usually not around on a daily basis but when a big project comes up he certainly is here to help.
He’s an absolute perfectionist so we went over again (and again, and again) the dimensions for our lean-to build out this morning.
Some times his endless rehashing makes my eyes roll but in the end I love that he’s got my back and the ol’ ‘measure twice, cut once’ rule rarely fails.
All hands on deck for market set up!
We are at the Kits and Ladner markets today with so much #westhamislandgrown organic produce.
And open at the @cropthornefarmstand too!
Pretty solid transplant team today.
#megaboss and I in the tractor and Miguel, Simon and Arturo rocking the transplanter. We got in lettuce and our last planting of fennel. The transplant gods certainly shone down as it went off perfectly!
It’s high season on the farm, which means Saturdays are catchup days but it’s extra sweet when I get to spend time with this sprite.
Tomatoes are coming on strong this week!
Earlier this week I got to check out the site C construction for the next dam on the Peace River. The last time I was up here I went down to Bear Flats to see where the high water mark would be once the valley was flooded.
It certainly is a contentious issue, flooding farm land for the sake of power generation in indigenous territories.
No one (supposedly) wants to see farmland developed on, while the rally cries are heard against flooding this area of farmland (albeit good, productive river bottom land) the biggest take home was that few are sounding the alarm on oil and gas development on farmland for the entire Peace region.
Down on the coast, it’s easy to forget about the Peace and the good productive land up here. It’s a damn shame it’s the Wild West with so little foresight and regulations to protect it.
#sitec #alr #rantoftheday
I’m up in the Peace Country visiting my collage roomie and her family farm this week.
Our farms couldn’t be more different, at first glance.
I sell local.
She mostly exports.
I grow organically.
She grows conventionally.
I grow on 17 acres.
She grows on 5000.
I grow year round.
She’s got a short 4-5 month growing season.
Yet
We both are passionate about agriculture.
We both chose to raise our families on the farm.
We both have had our parents mentor us along the way.
We both have care and understanding for the environment.
We both know the commitment and sacrifices it takes to farm.
And we both respect each other’s way of farming.
When I get the odd time off the farm, I usually find myself most at peace on other’s farms. There is this common thread, this familiarity, that fills the soul with all sorts of agrarian magic.
#bcag #oldscollegealumni
Farm Stand is brimming with all sorts of magic!
Purple broccoli, French melons, heirloom tomatoes, new potatoes, gold beets, sweet orange carrots, lemons cucumbers and so much more!
#certifiedorganic #westhamislandgrown #cropthornefarmstand
Farming definitely teaches me patience.
I 💯want these melons to be ready.
I pulled one, it was meh. Run of the mill, on a fruit platter kind, passable but not good.
These melons are supposed to be TO DIE FOR.
Intoxicating. Waking up in a trance, from dreaming about their sweet aromatic goodness.
We are not there yet, one more week and the magic starts.
It is ohhhhh so worth it, to be patient for.
Although... I will 100% check them again tomorrow, just to be sure.
Patient, yet hungry.
#melonsonthemind #truelove #westhamislandgrown
Garlic Harvest has started!
First Simon and I undercut the garlic, cutting it just at the right level to make for easy pulling. (There maaaay have been a few casualties in finding the perfect depth 🙈) Next we pull all the garlic out of the soil and then we rack them and put them in the hoophouse to cure.
They’ll dry the next few weeks and then we’ll select some for seed to plant out in the fall, with the rest heading for sale starting in August.
May be the best crop yet this year!
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Friday Washpit Vibes
It’s world breastfeeding week and these days I’m all about that mama life.
Anywhere, anytime, I’ll feed my baby.
As I am hustling to set up our booth at the farmers market, nursing a baby while putting up price signs.
As I am driving the tractor with the crew behind transplanting broccoli.
As I’m on my lunch break, shooting one handed texts to chefs, with the other cradling a nursing babe.
As I’m sitting in a meeting with a bunch of other farmers, trying to coyly feed what sounds like the noisiest dinosaur ever.
As I’m sitting on a pallet in the barn, having just come in, all sticky, from the field to a hangry babe.
The sweetest moments have been, in the middle of a busy day whether a long line at the market stall or just an endless hectic day here on the farm. It’s all dropped when a baby needs to eat.
I melt into the moment, relax, reconnect and remember that this little human is a big reason all this hard work is worth it.
Of course, not ever moment has been bliss. Sometimes it’s the frustration of being anchored to my babe, day in and day out or the mastitis, oh how could I forget the 5 times (!!) There is no doubt in my mind #fedisbest and I know it is not for all whether by choice or circumstance but I do feel super lucky and proud to bond and nourish and I know there’s a band of crafty farmers across this world doing just the same. 💙
#musesfromafarmingmama #worldbreastfeedingweek #normalizebreastfeeding
Isabelle, Jenna and Renee are in the West End today with a 🌈 of produce.
🏳️🌈 🥬🏳️🌈🥕🏳️🌈🍅🏳️🌈
Whenever a big project comes up on the farm, I lean on my dad.
He’s usually not around on a daily basis but when a big project comes up he certainly is here to help.
He’s an absolute perfectionist so we went over again (and again, and again) the dimensions for our lean-to build out this morning.
Some times his endless rehashing makes my eyes roll but in the end I love that he’s got my back and the ol’ ‘measure twice, cut once’ rule rarely fails.
All hands on deck for market set up!
We are at the Kits and Ladner markets today with so much #westhamislandgrown organic produce.
And open at the @cropthornefarmstand too!
Pretty solid transplant team today.
#megaboss and I in the tractor and Miguel, Simon and Arturo rocking the transplanter. We got in lettuce and our last planting of fennel. The transplant gods certainly shone down as it went off perfectly!
It’s high season on the farm, which means Saturdays are catchup days but it’s extra sweet when I get to spend time with this sprite.
Tomatoes are coming on strong this week!
Earlier this week I got to check out the site C construction for the next dam on the Peace River. The last time I was up here I went down to Bear Flats to see where the high water mark would be once the valley was flooded.
It certainly is a contentious issue, flooding farm land for the sake of power generation in indigenous territories.
No one (supposedly) wants to see farmland developed on, while the rally cries are heard against flooding this area of farmland (albeit good, productive river bottom land) the biggest take home was that few are sounding the alarm on oil and gas development on farmland for the entire Peace region.
Down on the coast, it’s easy to forget about the Peace and the good productive land up here. It’s a damn shame it’s the Wild West with so little foresight and regulations to protect it.
#sitec #alr #rantoftheday
I’m up in the Peace Country visiting my collage roomie and her family farm this week.
Our farms couldn’t be more different, at first glance.
I sell local.
She mostly exports.
I grow organically.
She grows conventionally.
I grow on 17 acres.
She grows on 5000.
I grow year round.
She’s got a short 4-5 month growing season.
Yet
We both are passionate about agriculture.
We both chose to raise our families on the farm.
We both have had our parents mentor us along the way.
We both have care and understanding for the environment.
We both know the commitment and sacrifices it takes to farm.
And we both respect each other’s way of farming.
When I get the odd time off the farm, I usually find myself most at peace on other’s farms. There is this common thread, this familiarity, that fills the soul with all sorts of agrarian magic.
#bcag #oldscollegealumni
Farm Stand is brimming with all sorts of magic!
Purple broccoli, French melons, heirloom tomatoes, new potatoes, gold beets, sweet orange carrots, lemons cucumbers and so much more!
#certifiedorganic #westhamislandgrown #cropthornefarmstand
Farming definitely teaches me patience.
I 💯want these melons to be ready.
I pulled one, it was meh. Run of the mill, on a fruit platter kind, passable but not good.
These melons are supposed to be TO DIE FOR.
Intoxicating. Waking up in a trance, from dreaming about their sweet aromatic goodness.
We are not there yet, one more week and the magic starts.
It is ohhhhh so worth it, to be patient for.
Although... I will 100% check them again tomorrow, just to be sure.
Patient, yet hungry.
#melonsonthemind #truelove #westhamislandgrown
Garlic Harvest has started!
First Simon and I undercut the garlic, cutting it just at the right level to make for easy pulling. (There maaaay have been a few casualties in finding the perfect depth 🙈) Next we pull all the garlic out of the soil and then we rack them and put them in the hoophouse to cure.
They’ll dry the next few weeks and then we’ll select some for seed to plant out in the fall, with the rest heading for sale starting in August.
May be the best crop yet this year!
Happy 70th birthday Big D.
Some days Dad’s in Mexico visiting tomatoes farms, others days he is in Israel standing in a field taste testing Strawberries, other days he’s in Italy seeing how Melons are grown and other days, he’s here on the farm, helping out when he can.
Whether he’s around the world or here at home, his passion for agriculture and continuous learning shines through.
He has this deep understanding of how plants grow and the work required to do so. He always wants to do things the right way and rarely compromises quality.
Sometimes we are much too similar, although with hearing protection on it’s hard for him to realize we are arguing FOR the same thing... but I think that’s just working with family!
Xoxo to the guy without Instagram yet is hassling me to get WhatsApp, you are one of a kind.🥳🥳🥳
We are hiring for the future.
We have an opening now for 2020 season in mind (holy moly is that next year already 😱) for an ASSISTANT FARM MANAGER.
Our current gal will be heading back east to start her own farm this winter so we are looking for someone THIS SEASON to join our crew and learn the ropes.
All the info is on our website and please share. We think this is a great permanent, year round position for a hardworking person who is passionate about farming and great with people.
🙌🏼🍈🙌🏼🍈
