 |
"But
I have come to realize the weight and power of this straw. For me, this
revolution is very real." ~ Masanobu Fukuoka, The One-Straw Revolution |
||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 Ali and her niece walking on the farm... I farm for the future and especially for her. |
|
 Leeshia off to tend to the chickens. |
|
| About
Idyllwood “Idyll” refers to an old fashioned notion of a happy peaceful harmony between humans and the natural rustic world. The term “idyll” was first used to describe the poems of Theocritus, a Greek poet of the 3rd century BC who contemplated the lives of rural peoples, shepherds and fishermen. Idylls were the inspiration for other poets such as Spenser and Tennyson, the Romantic works of Goethe and Wordsworth as well as the Pre-Raphaelite painters. The spirit of idylls can be found in the works of Henry Thoreau, William Morris’ Arts and Crafts Movement and in the Back to the Land Movement of the 20th century. When we imagine our farm, we see a place where the people learn to live lightly on the land working with our hands to grow crops for ourselves, our friends, our neighbours (both human kind and animal kind). Our farm is located on a quiet rural road, and we grow vegetables, fruit and berries around our home. Most of our farm is renaturalised into wetlands, grasslands and mixed wood forest and is home to a variety of animals such as birds, beaver, deer, moose, bear, coyotes and wolves. The gardens sustain us through the spring, summer and fall, as well as a great deal of winter. Towards the end of the growing season, we open our gardens to our wild neighbours, grateful that they too have shared their mushrooms, raspberries, strawberries and sap with us. We sell our vegetable produce directly to customers through our seasonal Garden Baskets and at local markets. We create flavoured vinegars, preserves and chutneys using our herbs and vegetables, and we offer a catering service that specializes in seasonal menus. We also do edible landscaping, garden boxes, and small building projects that feature ecologically sound practices and sustainably harvested wood. Idyllwood is our ideal of how to earn a living while living in balance with the wild and the tame. Leeshia Barwick Leeshia Barwick was born in Toronto and searched the world for a place to live, before settling into the farm on Galway Road. Ali Lam Because I have been teasing Leeshia on what I would write for my bio, here it is: I like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, I am not into health foods, I am into champagne... I am a natural builder by trade - specializing in custom straw bale and timber frame homes. I was fortunate enough to stumble onto Nightingales Organics (the former farm) and have been living in heaven ever since. It has been a life dream to start a homestead, feel the land, listen to the trees, share the bounty with family and friends and to feed my soul. I feel extremely lucky to be able to share the magic of this place with everyone... and to be able to do it through food... what a blessing. |
|||
Where
to Find Us Join our Facebook fan page:
|
|||
| How
We Grow Make soil, not war. We love our earth, her creatures, and we take our responsibility of stewardship seriously. All of us are the caretakers for future generations, and this is what we think about as we walk lightly on our land. The gardens, greenhouse, animals and forests of Idyllwood are cared for with respect, compassion, love and gratitude. We work with nature and her challenges, adapting ourselves and our selections, according to what she decides. Our climate zone is somewhere between 3 and 5, so we choose vegetables that don’t mind the cold, short season and our allotments of sunshine and rain. Our land is rocky, often with little more than a few inches of top-soil. The trees and wild plants around us offer us a balance of acidity and alkalinity that varies as much as they do. But for many generations back in history, the stewards before us started building the soil, using compost and manure to create humus and raise the earth above the rock. Our soil is an underground universe, home to worms, microbes, beneficial bacteria and fungi. It is this unseen world that makes our soil rich and fertile, and provides the nutrients to feed healthy plants and vibrant, flavourful produce. In addition to the plants we cultivate for consumption, our gardens are home to herbs, wild plants, birds, frogs, toads and bugs. Sometimes these creatures compete, with each other and with us, for space and food. For the most part, we try to let things be, to let nature take its course and for the creatures to find a balance between their respective needs and ours. This is our general philosophy about agriculture, and informs our basic approach to bug and weed control: work with nature, not against her. When we plant, we think about the needs of the plants, planting friendly plants together so that they grow better in each others company. It’s called companion planting. We plant flowers and herbs that attract beneficial birds and bugs, these are our allies and they seem happy to feast on the bugs that cause problems for us. Occasionally, we do get involved, but we focus on what we perceive to be the problem and limit our reaction to a minimalist problem-solving response, all the while making notes about what we can do differently to avoid the problem in the future. One thing we don’t do is use artificial chemicals, not as fertilizers, weed-killers, or bug killers. Not ever, not anywhere. The chemical companies make it sound like they have a miracle, but we think it is a crime. Gardens aren’t supposed to be perfect, but they are supposed to be safe. We’re experimenting, making mistakes and finding moments of genius and inspiration. We’re always learning and that is what makes the garden fun. <top of page> |
|||
| Order
Your Pickup in Advance! We encourage people to call us ahead of time to place their orders of fresh produce before the Saturday Market. We can accommodate large, custom orders and you can come and pick it up at the Market at your convenience. Furthermore, you can also come to the farm to pick up your order. Please call ahead and and we will do our best to accommodate your requests. 705.488.1423 <top of page> |
|||
| What's
Cooking?! In addition to our fresh garden produce, we also offer variety of flavoured vinegars, preserves and dried vegetable products. Preserves: Orange You Dreamy Orange Preserve, Apple Spice Jelly, Grape-Apple Jelly, Horseradish Sauce (SOLD OUT), . Dried Vegetables: Roasted Tomatoes (SOLD OUT), Crunchy Garlic Escapes (SOLD OUT), Summer Squash Crisps (SOLD OUT), Kale Crisps (SOLD OUT). Flavoured Vinegars: (STILL MARINATING) <top of page> |
 Orange You Dreamy ~ Orange & Wine Preserve |
||
| Idyllwood
Garden Baskets Gardens are seasonal, so it makes sense for us to sell food accordingly. Our Garden Baskets will provide you with the freshest tastes of each season. Each basket will give you enough to enjoy a meal with loved ones, and give you an idea of what's available. Something like a CSA-plan (Community Shared Agriculture plan), but less overwhelming and with more flexibility: spring, summer or fall; you can pick it up at the Market or have it delivered to your door! For more information, please follow this link: Idyllwood Garden Basket <top of page> |
|||
| Custom
Orders We would be pleased to assist you with your large quantity vegetable needs. If you require vegetables for home pickling, baking, preserves or whatever, let us know and we’ll be happy to make arrangements to meet your needs. If you let us know by the seasonal planting deadlines, we can even offer you a discount. Contact us for more information. <top of page> |
|||
| Edible
Landscaping Need some help with your garden? Like the taste of fresh produce but prefer the look of a flower garden? We will work with you to design your own personal edible landscape, and can even help maintain it. Ornamental edible plants include kale, corn, tomatoes, lettuce, onions, garlic, marigolds, nasturtiums, violets, chamomile, thyme, sage, savory and more. Contact us to discuss your edible landscaping needs. <top of page> |
|||
| 2011
Workshops We hope to offer four different workshops this year: Natural Plaster Workshop - July 23rd, 2011 with Sebastian Renel Herbal Skills Saturday - August 20th, 2011 with Garden Jane & Courtney Raponi Seed Saving: A Public Domain with Leeshia Barwick Women and Carpentry with Ali Lam Follow this link for more information: What's Happening>> <top of page> |
|||
|
~
1260 Galway Road, Kinmount Ontario K0M 2A0 ~ 705.488.1423 farmer@idyllwood.ca Copyright 2011. Hosting by EthicalHost; powered by Bullfrog Power; carbon offset by Planetair. Designed by Ali. Words by Leeshia. Images by Ali & Leeshia. |
|||
