Join me as I tour the back lanes of the farm in my trusty Defender (admittedly through rather dirty windows!) The snow banks as I drive around the farm are historical in size. I grew up in Barrie and I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much snow in my life. RJ cannot recall seeing snow banks this big at the farm either. How many days until spring??!! You can visit “Winter Wonderland” to see some stunning phots of the farm in winter in December 2022.
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It was a beautiful day….until it wasn’t. We have been slammed with back to back to back snow storms this winter. The winds are extremely strong whipping across the fields so every driveway fills in within a few hours. The snow banks are so high the loader tractors won’t be able to pile more snow shortly. Here’s hoping for an early spring! You can visit “The Sun Doesn’t Always Shine” to see a video montage of more wicked weather at the farm.
 Love is in the air today on Valentine’s Day! And it was definitely in the air in 1944 when the founders of our farm Don and Marion Thompson said their sacred wedding vows. Fifty years later Marion wrote a love poem for Don that was later published in a local newspaper. Her keen observations about the reality of a strong marriage are timeless and worth sharing with all of you. The poem as simply titled “A Valentine” and here it is: To maintain many years of wedded bliss Is accomplished, not by “hit and miss” It’s in loving and caring through nights and days It’s in giving and sharing a hundred ways It’s understanding your mate with his virtues and faults It’s tolerance, without excess of critical assault It’s a skillful blend of silence and sound With neither being one-sided or too profound It’s appreciation and respect for each other’s likes And confidence when misfortune strikes It’s gratitude expressed for acts of love And encouragement to accomplish with sometimes a shove To attempt to maintain this idealistic plan Would be unrealistic for the noblest man Though to this paragon of virtue You may not always incline You’ll always be my valentine To Don from Marion You can visit “The Faces Of Our Farm Part I” and “The Faces Of Our Farm Part II” to read biographies about Don and Marion.
 
While we are always #AgProud here at the farm, today is a special day. Canada’s Agriculture Day was created to recognize the work of all those who help produce the food that Canadians and people around the world eat. Every year on this day I release a new recipe to get you excited about eating locally grown and produced food. This year I settled on a new breakfast twice baked potato containing ingredients you can source at your local grocery store all year round.
To make my “Potato Benedict” you need to start with one of our russet potatoes and make a traditional twice baked potato. Cover the potato generously with fresh bacon pieces. Add one poached egg and Hollandaise sauce (or a sunny-side up egg if you prefer.) Serve with a fruit bowl for a complete and wholesome breakfast. Click on the PDF document above to print or download the recipe file. You can visit my previous recipe “Breakfast Twice Baked Potato” for another delicious breakfast potato recipe. Bon Appétit!  Last weekend Curtis & myself had the great pleasure of attending the first ever “York Farm Fresh Harvest Pour” evening held at the Rouge River Brewery in Markham. This event was a fantastic opportunity to network with farmers in York Region while enjoying free craft beer and pizza that was made in house. I chatted with farmers about their very unique farming operations and all their trials, tribulations & triumphs, while Curtis made new friends at the euchre game table with the Alliance Agri-Turf staff. Good times for both of us and we can’t wait until the next one.
“York Farm Fresh exists to connect customers and community to York Region grown local food, beverages and products at farms, farmers markets and farm experiences.” We have been members of York Farm Fresh for too many years to count. They offer monthly newsletters updating seasonal produce, a map with almost 40 locations offering local food year round or seasonally, and even a “Passport To Freshness” with prizes! Look them up at https://www.yorkfarmfresh.com/ and enjoy the fresh taste of eating local. |
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