Garden Project: Starting seeds indoors

My first thought when I saw the big yard around our new house was - I can have a garden!! My mom always maintained a fairly large garden every year growing up. I remember her getting us to help weed, during which we whined and protested being made to work so hard. (...) Also we tried to get her to pay us. It was hot and mosquito-ey and we would rather be playing and climbing trees! But, of course, we were the first to enjoy tasting the first little cherry tomatoes, the baby carrots and the cute little cucumbers right off the vine. Am I ever thankful that my mom included us in the growing process (albeit somewhat against our will) because I learned to appreciate where food comes from, especially food that you've grown yourself. Can't get much more local than that! I can't wait to try it out and see what we can grow. I would love to have lots of fresh veggies in the summer/fall and try to preserve what I can for the winter.

Here are the seeds I bought:

I got them from the Feel Good Store on Germain St. uptown. Hope Seeds is a local seed harvester and provider, and all the seeds here are organic. You can also order from their seed catalog - cheaper if you are buying in large quantities.

A good start!

It is just amazing to me that all these little seeds will grow plants that make food. Just look at these tiny little suckers - in a couple months they will yield big plants with hundreds of delicious cherry tomatoes. I am in awe of my God who is so creative and industrious!

So I have started a couple seeds indoors, because our Northern summer is just too short to help some plants grow well. I started tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, hot peppers and basil in a cute little coconut fiber seed starting tray that my mom bought me.

Not even two weeks after planting them, here they are all popped up bright and green and ready to rock! Of course the tender love and care that I have lavished on them has probably been very encouraging. I try to make sure they are always watered and have lots of sun - although I still doubt there is any place in my house with enough sun for these guys.

Here is a bright little cherry tomato plant - small but mighty!

A little baby hot pepper plant... turns out these guys like it hot! They needed to be in a warmer room and took about an extra week to sprout.

My handsome little basils sprouted like champions. Pretty much 100% of the seeds I sowed came up. I can't wait to enjoy these bad boys on the tomatoes with some nice balsamic vinaigrette! Oooh and maybe make some pesto...

I'll keep you posted on the progress of my little plant babies. It's all very exciting.

Local Food: Cedar Lane Farms

Terry & Monique Mierau

190 Lakeview Road, Route 715

Coles Island, New Brunswick

I was so happy when I discovered Terry Mierau of Cedar Lane Farms at the Kingston Farmer’s Market last year. I had been reading some scary things about industrially produced meat in one of my university classes and was looking for somewhere to get local meat free from all the grossness I read about. Most of our vacuum-packed meat is raised in cattle feedlots where animals stand like sardines in their own filth and are kept in such horrid conditions that they invariably get sick and must be constantly fed antibiotics. They are also fed growth hormones so they will get big and fat very fast. These antibiotics and hormones (and who knows what else) end up in our meat and milk, wreaking mysterious havoc on our bodies. Lovely!

Cedar Lane Farms is located in Cole Island, New Brunswick, where they raise chickens, turkeys, pigs and sheep. Their meat is not certified organic, which is an expensive and lengthy accreditation process they are currently undergoing, but they will attest (and show you pictures!) that their animals are kept in wide open spaces and eat grass and do normal animal things. A far cry from the cattle feedlots!

You can buy Cedar Lane Farms meat at the Kingston Farmers' market (open Saturday until 1 pm). The Mieraus sell pasture-raised chickens, organic grass-fed beef (David Burnett's farm) as well as farm-fresh eggs (also organic and free-range). They make A-MAZING home-cured double-smoked bacon and homemade sausages which are both to die for. They also provide maple syrup and fruits and vegetables when in season.

In order to score some eggs you have to get there EARLY or else they're all gone. Also, the chicken goes fast. Your best bet is to pre-order chicken (also lamb) for butchering season. Then you can be sure to get what you want. I ordered a chicken last year, which I got in July, and it was delicious and tasted so much more… chicken-y. I've ordered 3 this year and am told there are still some available! See their email address below if you are interested.

This isn't their farm specifically, but it's what I picture :)

Truthfully their products are not much more expensive than what you would find in the store, and taste much better, and not to mention healthier. Win, win, win!

More info:

For more information on their cow-share program or any of their products, email them at tpmierau@hotmail.com

Also, if you’re interested in commercial sources of meat, Fast Food Nation (the book, the movie or the website: http://www.foxsearchlight.com/fastfoodnation/ ) will tell you all about it.

Here is another article about the threat of industrial meat production on us and our environment - prepare to be freaked out, but informed!
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124815586