One of the great gifts of this season has been the discovery of our new growing site in Sutton. Loes, Hans, and Justin Pape have been incredibly generous to share their land with us, and we are so thrilled with how well our crops have grown in this soil. The success of our Sutton crops, in combination with a 2nd consecutive season of struggling crops at our farm in Brampton, has led us to reevaluate where we will focus our growing in the future. Thus, in preparation for the 2012 growing season, we have started to prepare an additional 5 acres in Sutton. We are undecided whether or not we will also cultivate crops in Brampton as well in 2012, but it is looking like Sutton will become our primary growing location starting next year. I have never wanted to leave our Brampton location, as its proximity to Toronto makes the farm accessible to so many people. It has always been a primary priority for the farm to be a therapeutic and educational resource to the community, and it has been a joy to see people come to the farm over the years, and be enriched from the experience of helping out. Yet, there is no denying that the soil is exceptional on the Pape’s land, and the veg that we have been harvesting is just fantastic. For 2012, how much of our crop will be grown in Sutton and how much in Brampton is still to be decided; however, it is clear, that we have begun the transition to make Sutton our primary location. As part of that transition, we will try growing a few crops on this newly tilled land this fall. In specific, we will plant some salad greens, Asian greens, arugula, radishes, and turnips there over the next few weeks. This will not only support an abundant fall harvest, but enable us to continue learning about the realities of growing on this land. Organic Farming forces one to constantly think on their feet, and adapt ones plans, as the season unfolds. We responded to the never-ending rains of the spring, by growing on this new location in Sutton, because its sandier soils dried more quickly. Sometimes from life’s curveballs, comes life’s greatest gifts.
4 medium zucchini, peeled (optional) and diced
4 stalks celery, diced
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Garlic Cloves (or scapes), minced or chopped
1 Tbsp dill, chopped
Salt
Pepper
Blend all ingredients in food processor, until smooth
Chill in the fridge before serving
Serves 4
