Farming – Page 4 – Mason Bees and Phragmites tubes for sale

New Farmers Need New Government

Our son Alex Fletcher just published this item on the National Farmer’s Union Website. It is one of the best statements I have seen for some time on the issues around sustainability in Farming:

“There isn’t much talk about agriculture and the farm succession crisis this election. The political calculation seems to be that agriculture is a rural issue and rural issues don’t matter because they don’t swing votes. The assumption being that urban voters, who make up the majority, don’t understand or don’t care much about agriculture.

But Agriculture isn’t just another special interest group and it’s certainly not just a “rural issue”. It’s the heart of our food system and part of the backbone of our economy. Yet its under strain and suffering from neglect as is indicated by the decline of the young farmer demographic, which has dropped by 69% over the last 20 year census period”………See the complete article at: http://www.nfu.ca/blog/NewFarmersNewGovernment/670

Alex and his partner Virginie also have the following Blog:
The local foodbox

Growing Mushroooms from plug spawn

I recently obtained 7 species of mushroom spawn, 100 dowel plugs per species, from a firm in Oregon. I am experimenting with setting these up in logs of broad-leafed maple, Garry oak, Bitter Cherry and Grand fir from the farm.

Maitake plugs ready to be pounded into the pre-drilled holes in Garry oak

Pounding plugs with mushroom mycelium into Oak branch logs.

I have the logs stored under the Douglas fir trees on a scaffold.

Fall Colours in Metchosin

2015-10-04redleavesm — Not your usual tree colours. This sugar maple from Eastern Canada does well here in our yard providing an excellent fall display

This morning was overcast but the sugar mapleprovided a contrast.

2015-10-04redberriesm — **Pyracantha** before the robins feasted.

The Cranberry Bog

In the spring I purchased one cranberry plant from a local nursery and kept it in the greenhouse over the summer.

It sprouted runners which I embedded in soil in smaller pots around the mother plant. I ended up with 13 pots with multiple new plants per pot.

By the end of September, the mother plant had produced 3 berries and many extra plants.

I dug a small depression above my pond waterfalls, and lined it with old underlay and liner from the previous spillway of the pond.

I made the floor level by flooding it with water and then cutting down the high spots underneath.

The tractor bucket filled the depression with fertile soil and peat moss.

The finished bog planted for next year’s cranberry crop. (Theoretically!) An embedded 5cm drain pipe which will allow overflow to the pond will prevent the soil eroding from the structure.

FOLLOWUP FULL DISCLOSURE: over winter, the rabbits ate them all down so this effort was a failure!!