The Roadshow

We are offering the homesteading experience as part of our business .
The goal is to share the lifestyle and all that we have learned.
Seeing our projects through to the end is important to a holistic education.
Selling chicks to eager new farmers must naturally end with showing them how bring them to the table.
Our friends at Feather&Anchor were ready to thin out their flock,
so we took the morning to go over some final details with them.

Today wasn't a business call, but a family get-together and playdate while Kira took Mike through the finer points of chicken harvesting.
The weather was perfect and all the kids were playful.
It's a perfect opportunity to allow children to see where our food comes from.

This was Mike's first time taking matters into his own hands.
There are many methods available, but our way keeps things subtle and simple.
Staying relaxed is good for the family and for the birds.
A day like this should feel easy and comfortable.

It is still work and takes time, tools, and planning.
Not really having see it done first makes the task more daunting.
But getting a hands-on lesson removes the enigma.
There are no great mysteries here.
Just a simple household chore that comes along with growing food.

We're happy to help people take more control over their lives.
Being able to produce food at home is an important skill on the road to self-sufficiency.
Harvesting chickens isn't difficult, but there are barriers to overcome such as the 'ewww' factor and the technical details.
Reading about it is helpful and inspiring, but most people benefit from seeing things done, especially when done with others with whom they relate.
That is our role.

 

Hands-on Hogs

Today marked our first official workshop.
We welcomed Tim Weatherup,
owner and operator of The Night Kitchen Pizza Shop, in downtown Peterborough.

The goal of this workshop is to offer a hands-on demonstration of home hog processing.
While this bounty is for our family only, we are still able to share the knowledge and experience with others who may raise their own hogs one day.

Tim is a long-time restaurateur who has a deep passion for unique and quality foods.
The path of a foodie like Tim leads invariably to the question of where food comes from.
In the current agricultural systems, the questioning fosters a desire to take more control over the food that we eat.
It is one thing to read about how meat goes from hoof to table, yet quite another to see it done first hand.
This isn't how the factories do it, but it is how it would be done by a family able to raise meat at home.
There are many reasons for choosing to process animals at home instead of government approved facilities.
Commonly, many people feel an obligation to take responsibility for eating meat.
And that means coming to grips with those parts of the process that are uncomfortable to witness.

Aside from moral reconciliations, providing home grown meat for the family is far more satisfying than simply buying it at the supermarket.
The culmination of the work involved results in pride and adds value that cannot be measured by dollars.


And though the pork would have to wait,
there are many other sumptuous treats from the Autumn harvest.
We even had doughnuts to reward us for hard work on a cold day.
 

Tim makes great meals for his family and customers.
Now he would also like to spend time growing more of his own food.
Gardens are familiar to most people but meat production has become increasingly mysterious.
Tim came to us for a real-life look at slaughtering a hog at home.
Not only did he leave with a new perspective on home-grown pork,
but he left empowered with knowledge of how to take responsibility for the meat he eats.

Thanks for spending the day with us Tim!

 
 
 
 

Wild Leek Workshop

We would like to invite you to our homestead for some wild leek picking.

This is one of our favourite times of the year.
The snow is gone and the forest is coming back to life after a quiet rest.
Wild leeks are among the first plants to emerge through the leaves on the ground.
They aren't alone though. There are many early rising forest inhabitants to meet.
The air is filled with the sounds of birds vying for attention.  Heralds of Spring, like the woodpeckers, the phoebes, and the ruffed grouse.
The air is also filled with pungent aroma of wild leeks.
Also known as ramps by some, and wild garlic by others, wild leeks are, in fact, wild garlic, though they very much resemble scallions and green onions.  The flavour is intense and they are quite hot when eaten raw.
When cooked up, wild leeks have the velvet texture of leeks, the strong flavour of onions, and a not so subtle reminder of roasted garlic.

Wild leeks are threatened by over picking in many places.
They have become more popular in recent years and fetch a high price in urban markets.
Quebec has placed a limit on the number of bulbs that a person may pick.
There is no such regulation in Ontario as of yet.
We are careful to pick in such a way that promotes regeneration in the leek beds.
The woodlot hosts an abundance of wild leeks that allows us the opportunity to share the harvest and the experience.

The workshop is an afternoon in the forest harvesting leeks, watching for woodland birds and animals, studying the other emerging plants, and sharing the open air with each other.
Afterwards, there will be leek and potato soup with fresh homemade bread.

Participants need only bring along weather appropriate clothing and footwear, a bucket, and a trowel.
This is an ongoing workshop, so we will be booking small groups throughout the leek picking season.
If you are interested, you may contact us through this post in the comments section. You may also e-mail, or use the phone.  (see info below)
Outings are available on weekends and through the week.  
There is no cost for this workshop, however, donations to our homesteading project are welcome.
The season ends when the blackflies join the party.  That time is determined by the weather.

We do hope to see you here.

avonzuben@gmail.com

705-447-1150 (answering machine)