Availability
No Plant Is The Same
Even in their families, plants have different times of the growing season where their best parts are ready for harvesting. Besides being ready for harvest at different times, there is also a difference in duration of harvestability and how many times a plant can be harvested. From experience, the sheet below highlights knowledge gained from growing.
Fresh Is Fresh
With grocery stores selling produce year-round from all over the world, it's easy to forget that there are windows of availability of the edible parts of plants. Living in a seasonal climate like Canada makes local fresh produce a challenge to provide sometimes. Some produce like apples, carrots, pears and potatoes can be chilled after harvest for use in Winter months and there are greenhouses that can grow cucumbers, tomatoes and sweet peppers year-round. But for the majority of produce, it's ready when it's ready during the growing season.
Available Where?
Most produce is grown for the Farm Shares clients. Subscribing into a Farm Share lets us know how much to plan to grow. But we do grow more on top of that. We don't have an on-farm store, but can take orders ahead of time. We do have a selection of herbs and vegetables available next door at Eggs And More Moffat and several days a month at the Aberfoyle Farmers Market. Root crops are brought indoors with the end of their growing season. Please contact us to ask.
Timeline In A Year
January: Seed supplies are inventoried and new seed ordered
February: Seedlings are started indoors
March: More seedlings are started indoors
April: Working on the ground starts, tilled ground is covered with tarps
May: Planting seeds outdoors starts, rhubarb is ready
Early-June: Heat-loving seedlings planted
Late-June: CSA/Farm Share pick-ups start
July: All heat loving seedlings are planted, garlic is ready
August: Getting really tired of weeding, tomatoes are ready, basil is at its peak
Late-September: Harvesting winter squash and root crops starts
Late-October: Garlic is planted, potatoes and squash are harvested
Early-November: CSA/Farm Share pick-ups end
Late-November: Plastic sheets used for growing are rolled up and put away
What's Available Right Now
With summer over, the variety of what is available has diminished. Root crops and winter squash have been stored indoors and kale plants are able to handle the cold for the first part of winter. We do not grow year round.
- Cabbage
- Celery
- Eggplant
- Garlic
- Hot Peppers (Jalapeno, Cayenne)
- Kale
- Lettuce
- Onions
- Parsley
- Potatoes
- Sage
- Sweet Peppers
- Thyme
- Winter Squash (Butternut, Buttercup, Honeynut, Acorn)