Category: Postcards from Manotick

Our first CSA share from Roots and Shoots Farm!

Yesterday I picked up our first CSA (community shared agriculture) share from Roots and Shoots farm. I was supposed to pick it up Wednesday in Manotick, but apparently I can’t read simple directions and managed to miss the first pick-up entirely, but they were nice enough to let me come out to the farm for the Manotick Station pick-up day and let me get my share on Thursday.

Not only do they offer yummy, organic, seasonal, local vegetables, but they send out an amazingly helpful e-mail with suggestions on how to prepare and enjoy food that may be a little exotic for families who subsist on a diet of vegetables you would mostly find in a 1970s garden salad with French dressing. In the brown faux-wood bowl, of course.

In this week’s share we got:

  • Garlic Scapes
  • Radishes
  • Hakurei Turnips
  • Arugula
  • Spring Onions
  • Lettuce
  • Swiss Chard
  • Zucchini

Look! Not scary at all!

CSA share storyboard

With the exception of Hakurei turnips, I had previously heard of all of these things, and the only one that continues to intimidate me is the Swiss Chard. I picked up my share after work and with grilled peppercorn steaks already planned for dinner, I was excited to dig in to our bounty. I used the head lettuce in a salad with tomato and cucumber, just to ease the family in to the idea, and scrubbed up the Hakurei turnips and tossed ’em on a plate as Roots and Shoots suggested they taste best raw.

Thanks to a suggestion on Facebook, I put the garlic scapes into some tin foil with some butter, sea salt and pepper and grilled ’em up with the steak.

garlic scapes with butter

Oh! My! Good! God! The roasted garlic scapes were the highlight of the meal. Considering I’d never heard of them before our farm visit two weeks ago, they’ve shot to the top of my summer must-eat list. I dropped ’em on top of my steak the way you’d eat fried onions or fried mushrooms with a steak and they were divine!!

So on our very first share collection day, we ate our way through three of eight items, probably no more than 20 or so hours after they were growing in the field. How awesome is that?

But even after noshing our way through more than a third of our bi-weekly share in the first hour, I had a bit of a problem:

CSA share in the fridge

These vegetables are much, um, larger than I’m used to. The Swiss chard alone needs its own fridge. Clearly this whole CSA thing is going to lead to more lifestyle changes than I anticipated.

I’m already excited about my next share, but in the interim I’m headed out to the Manotick farmer’s market on Saturday morning to stock up on more garlic scapes. And I might need a little more mouthwash, too!

Our CSA Adventure: Roots and Shoots farm visit

As I mentioned back in May, we’re trying something new this year. We’ve bought a community-supported agriculture (CSA) share from Manotick’s own Roots and Shoots organic farm. I’m really excited about this! It means that every two weeks through the summer and fall, we get an assortment of freshly picked and locally grown vegetables.

Aside from being organic and strongly community-minded, Roots and Shoots also invites shareholders to visit the farm and even help out if you’re so inclined. On Saturday, we paid our first visit to the farm for an orientation tour. It was, I think you’ll see, a beautiful afternoon out.

This is Robin. He doesn’t look like a stereotypical farmer, does he?

Roots and Shoots Farm visit - tractor

He and his girlfriend Jess have been renting farmland from the Bakker family since 2010. You may have noticed the Bakker General Store on Mitch Owens Drive. The farm occupies the land beside the store, and around the barn that hosts the Third World Bazaar every year. They started with one field in 2010, and now they’re up to (I think he said) 25 acres.

Roots and Shoots Farm visit - sign

This was about half of the crowd that turned out for the farm visit. (We had to leave, sadly, before the potluck dinner that followed. I can only ask so much of the attention span of the boys, I suppose.) I was so impressed by everything Robin had to say about how they are operating their farm and why they have made those decisions. They’re organic, they donate a good plot of food to the Ottawa food bank, and they seem to genuinely welcome the people who have bought shares to the farm.

Roots and Shoots Farm visit - sharing

I was a little worried when we first signed on for the CSA that we’d be getting week after week of kale, but that’s absolutely not the case. They grow cukes, tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, garlic, potatoes and onions, among many others.

Onions!

Roots and Shoots Farm visit - onions

Potatoes!

Roots and Shoots Farm visit - potatoes

And a huge greenhouse filled with tomatoes.

Roots and Shoots Farm visit - baby tomatoes

I was trying to listen to the really interesting information Robin was sharing during the farm tour, but I was also trying to make sure the tomatoes didn’t suffer from a seasonal case of Lucas blight. He was pretty excited about the idea of the tomatoes, though. I think Robin said they have more than half a dozen varieties, including some heirlooms, in the green house.

Roots and Shoots Farm visit - tomato blossoms

Lucas is something like 1/16 Irish, and so eminently qualified to inspect the potato fields. 🙂 By the end of our tour, he was very, very dirty.

Roots and Shoots Farm visit - Lucas inspecting

It was pretty darn hot by late afternoon, and the tour lasted about an hour. The boys discovered the farm’s irrigation system at a critical moment, which may have saved the day.

Roots and Shoots Farm visit - sprinkler!

And how gorgeous are these old tractors? The one in the foreground is a Farmall, circa 1979, and the one in behind is a Massey Ferguson. Farm + vintage = RGB delight!

Roots and Shoots Farm visit - tractors

Thank you to Robin and Jess for inviting us out for a visit to the farm. I am so grateful for the opportunity to teach the boys about how food grows and what it means to eat local and support local business. I am also very glad that I no longer feel the need to build and maintain and (let’s be honest) eventually neglect and kill my own veggie plot. Thank you, thank you, for absolving all of us of that misadventure.

If you’d like to buy a share, from the website it looks like there are still shares available for Manotick or farm pick-up — and it looks to my expert eye like a bountiful harvest this year! Stand by for the next post, when we receive our first share. I can hardly wait!

Weekend family fun: Dickinson Days in Manotick and Doors Open Ottawa

I have been eying the weather forecast with suspicion all week. Not only do I have a portrait shoot scheduled this Saturday, but there are a LOT of fun family things to do that involve a lot of outdooryness, which is really not going to be as much fun in the pouring rain. So forecast, smarten up, okay?

Last year was our first “Dickinson Days” in Manotick. We knew there would be a little parade, and a few vendors in Dickinson Square. We did not know that it was an all-out amazing summer festival! I still remember laughing as we walked from our house toward Manotick Main Street and joined throngs (no, really!) of people streaming out of their houses doing the same thing. It’s not exactly Wellington Street on Canada Day, but it’s definitely the scale model.

Here’s what the Dickinson Days parade looked like last year:

162:365 Dickinson Days Parade

Aside from the parade (6:30 pm on Friday June 1) there will be a crafter’s market, live entertainment, a pancake breakfast, a kids’ fishing derby, horse drawn wagon rides, and much more.

This weekend is also Doors Open Ottawa, and Watson’s Mill, Dickinson House, St James Anglican Church and the Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind training ground in Manotick are some of the featured locations.

I think I’m going to run out of weekend before I run out of fun things to do this weekend!

This may be the most excited I’ve ever been about vegetables

I‘ve been hearing about community supported agriculture (CSA) for quite some time, and meaning to do it for a while. The way it works is that you buy a “share” in a local farm early in the year, and then you get a regular selection of the fruits and/or vegetables harvested from the farm at a lesser price than you’d pay at the farmer’s market or roadside stand.

I am a strong believer in buying local food. I’ve blogged before about how much I like the Manotick Butcher for their local, sustainably-raised meat. I will drive out of my way for SunTech cherry tomatoes (oh my, have you tried them? They’re like candy!) But I have been reluctant to get involved with CSA before now for one reason: we are not adventurous eaters. I really don’t know what I’d do with a box of kale.

I’ve been hearing about Roots and Shoots farm since we moved to Manotick (they’re also behind the new Manotick farmer’s market I mentioned earlier), and a few times I stopped by their weekly farm stand in the village. It was serendipitous clicking that brought me to their website on the weekend, where I finally dispelled the “box of kale” myth by reading the anticipated contents of a weekly share in July: arugula (ok), pak choy (um, what?), beets (Beloved and my mother love ’em), carrots (check!), Swiss chard (sure, why not?), radish (yes please!), green onions (yum!), zucchini (love it!), peas (see above reference re: candy), lettuce (mmmm) and herbs.

Nothing too intimidating there, and it only gets better in August (add cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers and beans to the mix) and September (add spinach, potatoes, and mini-watermelons to the mix). Yummity yum yum.

I love this for so many reasons. First and foremost, I love the idea of having a steady supply of fresh, local healthy produce for the summer. There are enough familiar foods to satisfy my comfort level, and enough new foods that I won’t be too intimidated to try something new.

I’ve been struggling with one boy in particular who doesn’t like vegetables, and I think this is a terrific way to engage him. I don’t seem to be quite organized enough to build that backyard vegetable patch I’ve been dreaming of, but this may be the next best thing. How fun is it to be driving past “our” farm regularly, talking about what’s growing and anticipating harvest time? And Roots and Shoots is open to visits, so we can bring the boys to see where and how the vegetables actually grow.

245:365 Summer harvest

As if fresh, nutritious foods that come with built-in teachable moments is not enough, I have to give props to Roots and Shoots for following organic farming processes: “Certified Organic protects not only the health of the consumer, but also the health of the farmer, the ecosystems that produce the food, the waterways on the farm, and the biodiversity of the farm. It is for this reason that Roots and Shoots Farm supports and adheres to Certified Organic standards.”

Although we’re pretty excited about our farm share, we simply weren’t sure if we’d be able to consume the full weekly share of produce. Lucky for us, there’s also a half-share option. With a full share option, you get a share of produce each week for the 16 week harvest season. We chose the half share, so we get one share every two weeks. At $290 for the summer, I think that’s an amazing deal.

Aside from everything above, I think it’s the idea of co-commitment that most enamours me. From the share contract:

You as the Shareholder, commit to understanding the challenges of growing seasonal vegetables. If the forces of nature make certain crops less available, you will accept that with grace and understanding. We the farmers commit to working with a large variety of vegetables so as to minimize any potential effects of losing a crop or two. We commit to using our many years of experience, good techniques and equipment to provide you with the best quality of vegetables for the duration of the season.

You as the Shareholder, commit to reading all of the CSA information found on this website, to educate yourself about what being part of a CSA is like. We the farmers commit to providing you with information from the farm throughout the season through weekly newsletters. We commit to providing you with opportunities to visit the farm and take part in vegetable growing should you want to.

Together we commit to contributing to a more healthy, safe and sustainable food system that is locally-oriented, and that inspires community interaction around food. We, the farmers, look forward to getting to know you and enjoying the season together.

And very best of all, it provides me with a season worth of blog fodder! Come along for the ride as we answer pressing questions like “what exactly is pak choy and what do you do with it” and “who will win the dinnertime bean battle”? I’m thinking we need a new category for these posts, but my Muse must be out hoeing the back 40. Feeling inspired, bloggy peeps? What can I call a series of posts based reaping the benefits of a CSA harvest?

Signs of Spring in Manotick

It started a few weeks ago when Fitz’s Fries on Bridge Street opened for the season, and I noticed that the deck chairs and lifeguard stands are out at the Long Island Aquatic Club. Now I’m excited! This Saturday, spring officially arrives in Manotick!

149:365 One morning in Manotick

First, Watson’s Mill opens for the summer season on Saturday. Throughout the day there will be historical interpreters and milling demonstrations, and a BBQ from 11:45 to 1:30 pm. The Mill is raising funds this summer to replace its leaky roof, so some local politicians will be on hand to support the Raise the Roof campaign.

And when the Mill is open, so is the terrific little used book sale in the carriage house building across the street. We spent a lot of time perusing its stacks last summer and have been waiting patiently through the long winter for it to re-open. If you’ve made the trip out, wander a block or two south on Dickinson to Tighe Street and check out My Toy Shop and maybe get an ice cream at the delightful HodgePodge Shoppe.

189:365 Ice cream at the Hodge Podge Shoppe

Edited to add: Was just out and about and noticed that also on Saturday, the Hodge Podge Shoppe is celebrating their 1st anniversary with door prizes, balloons, Dino Reptiles and the Junkyard Symphony. Fun!

Did you hear that there will be a new farmer’s market in Manotick this summer?

The farmers’ market is sponsored by Watson’s Mill and will be held in Dickinson Square outside the museum from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Saturday morning beginning June 23. This year’s market is a pilot project run by volunteers rather than the usual board of directors, and could expand in the future if it goes well.

Although the details haven’t been ironed out, Roots and Shoots Farm proprietor Robin Turner, who spearheaded the idea with several local farmers, said the market will offer a beneficial alternative for residents.

“We’re gearing to make it a market where people can get a good part of their groceries for the week,” including vegetables, fruits, cheese, eggs, meats and baked goods, he said.

It will be a “producer market” meaning the vendors actually produce the food they sell, Turner added.

“There’s no reselling allowed, which means its all going to be local products. There’s an emphasis on finding producers who are as close to Manotick as possible,” he said.

I don’t know whether I’m more excited about this – a two-minute walk from my house, no less! – or the new CSA share I just signed up for from Roots and Shoots farm – which I’ll blog about as soon as I find another minute or two.

It’s shaping up to be a terrific summer in Manotick!

How one little puddle made a big splash

It was a year ago this week that I took one of my favourite pictures of all time, Lucas jumping in the puddle.

125:365 Puddle jumper

We were on our way back to the house, having just walked the big boys to school. Remember how wet and rainy last April was? And I was going to try to keep Lucas out of the puddle as we walked by, but I had my camera with me (as always) and so I figured, what the heck, we’re not going anywhere but home. Let him have at it. And did he ever! I knew the second I clicked the shutter that it was a winner. Sometimes you just *know* when you’ve nailed the shot.

This photo is the closest I’ve ever come to going “viral”. It’s all over Pinterest and Tumblr, largely without my credit. Every now and then I do a google search on it, and recently found a Tumblr post where it has nearly 600 likes and reblogs. Oy! When I posted a comment on another blog that (mis)credited the Tumblr blog as the source, I wrote that in fact I was the original photographer, and the image is not only copyright but for license on Getty, and would she mind please removing it from her blog. To my surprise and utter delight, she asked my permission to buy the rights to the Web size, so she could keep the image in her blog post. How awesome is that?

This was photo was among the first set of images invited for license from Getty Images, and among my first sales, too. It’s sold four times now, as a matter of fact, earning me well over $100 in royalties. In fact, a fellow Getty Images contributor posted this comment on the Flickr photo just yesterday:

I’ve been looking at this image for months every time I’m at the checkout at my local sainsbury’s supermarket in the UK. I knew I’d seen the image on flickr somewhere and only realised it was yours when you posted in this months sales. It’s on a leaflet for some service they are offering. Have you seen the sainsbury’s use? If you haven’t i’ll pick up a leaflet next time I’m in and take a photo of it for you.

How fun is that? He’s just outside of Glasgow, Scotland (where my mom was born) and he’s kindly offered to send me a few copies of the pamplet next time he’s out doing his groceries. Edited to add: And here it is!

Found in the wild - Sainsbury's

But that’s not the most awesome thing that has come out of this silly, happy picture. Check THIS out! Last autumn, I received an e-mail from Brian Seed, a local painter and member of the Manotick Art Association. He had come across the picture I don’t even know how, and wrote me a lovely e-mail asking my permission to create a watercolour painting from it. Really, awesome or what?

But, I wasn’t sure if I could give him that permission. By licensing the picture through Getty, I gave them the right to decide who could or could not create a derivative work. I wrote a very apologetic e-mail, saying I wish I could have given the rights, and explaining the situation. To my delight, he replied that the fee was entirely reasonable and the next month there was the sale on my royalty statement.

Fast forward to today: Mr Seed sent me a quick note to let me know the painting is done, and will be featured in the Ottawa Watercolour Society juried show next week at St Brigids, and in next month’s Manotick Art Association annual show next month, if it doesn’t sell first. And he sent me a photo of the finished painting:

Puddle!WC

Is that not the most awesomest thing ever? I can’t even begin to express how delightful this is – such an honour, and such a lovely painting!

I have to admit, even though I’m annoyed at the unsourced use of this picture all over Pinterest and Tumblr and the rest of the Internet, I do love that the joyous abandon of the picture has so resonated with people. My lesson from all this? Take your camera with you EVERYWHERE, even on a rainy grey day on a route you’ve walked dozens of times before, because you never know where beauty and joy (and potential royalties!) might be waiting to leap out.

Celebrate winter at Manotick’s Shiverfest next weekend

I read somewhere in the Ottawa media recently that today, January 19, is the official “dead of winter.” Today is the date with the lowest average daily temperature of the entire year, and the average daily temperature creeps upward from here. So now we can officially say that winter is more than half behind us.

I was trying to pacify myself with that thought as I scraped that merciless ice off my windows at sparrow’s first fart yesterday morning in the rampaging wind. Summer is coming!!

Since winter is on it’s last legs (heh, maybe a little too optimistic?) you might as well get out and enjoy it during Manotick’s official winter carnival, Shiverfest! It runs next weekend, January 27 through 29.

Snowman sledding

There will be horse-drawn sleigh rides, a chili-cookoff, a photography contest, a trivia night, bands, reptiles, a kids’ play area and more! You can check out this PDF for details on the full weekend of activities.

Seven days of free family fun in Ottawa!

This week, CBC Ottawa has been doing a series on savvy spenders, featuring ways to save on your groceries and on your clothing budget. And today, they’ll be airing a segment on free activities for families in Ottawa — featuring me and the whole family! It’s been about three years since I wrote what was to become one of my most popular posts: 40 (mostly) free family fun ideas, the post that caught CBC’s eye. I’ve updated it a few times, but I thought it would suit the theme of the CBC segment to repackage it as the story was originally pitched: seven ideas for seven days of free family fun in Ottawa.

Day 1: Be a tourist in your own town

When’s the last time you went up the Peace Tower? Walked around the paths between the Ottawa river and Parliament Hill? Said hello to the feral cat colony near the West Block? Visited Maman the Spider? (And now there’s a brand new Haida totem pole right across the street from Maman.) Not too long now and you can bring your skates for a trip down our very own UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Rideau Canal.

298:365 Peace Tower

Day 2: Visit the RCMP Stables

We still haven’t gotten around to this one, but it’s definitely on my list! At the RCMP Stables and Musical Ride Centre, you can meet the majestic horses and be charmed by their beauty and friendly temperaments, tour the stables where the training begins, stop by the Riding School, visit the farrier station and see the stately carriages used in royal escorts of Her Majesty the Queen.

Day 3: Enjoy free City of Ottawa programs

Did you know the city of Ottawa offers 247 (!) free outdoor skating rinks — or at least they will if this absurdly warm fall ever gives way to winter. And there are dozens of free splash pads and wading pools for free family fun in the summertime.

Day 4: Find freebies galore at the Ottawa Public Library

Everybody knows you can get books for free at the library, and most people know you can now borrow music on CD and movies on DVD. But did you know you can also borrow Wii, Playstation and Xbox games? After all those video games, you might also want to borrow a pedometer! Or how about museum passes for family admission to the National Gallery, Museum of Science and Technology or the Museum of Nature or even a three-in-one pass for the War Museum, the Museum of Civilization and the Canadian Children’s Museum? And that’s not even mentioning all the cool stuff you can download for your handheld devices! Phew!

Day 5: Go for a nature walk

Ottawa is criss-crossed and surrounded by gorgeous open spaces with easy walking paths perfect for families and even easily negotiated with strollers. Stop at the Bulk Barn and invest 35 cents for a big bag of bird seed, then head out to Mer Bleu Bog in the east, Hog’s Back trail in the middle of town, the Stony Swamp in the west and spend some time feeding the chickadees. Simply put a little seed in your hand and the chickadees will land on your fingers to feed — I’ve yet to meet a kid or adult who wasn’t charmed by this one!

278:365 My little chickadee

Day 6: Take advantage of free museum days

Starting in December through the winter months, the animal barns at the Agriculture Museum (aka the Experimental Farm) are open on a pay-what-you-can basis. And the fabulous Children’s Museum at the Canadian Museum of Civilization and the National Gallery are both free on Thursdays after 5 pm.

Day 7: Visit free local attractions

Did you know that Watson’s Mill in Manotick is haunted by the bride of the first owner, killed tragically just days after the Mill opened in 1851? Or that there is a free Currency Museum in the heart of downtown Ottawa? Other free local attractions include the Nepean Museum, Pinhey’s Point (admission by donation), the Goulbourn Museum, the Osgoode Township Historical Society and Museum, and Vanier’s Museopark.

14:365 The Haunted Mill

Isn’t that amazing? So entertaining the family doesn’t have to break the bank! If you’re looking for more ideas for free or inexpensive family fun in Ottawa, try these posts for some ideas. And please do feel free to share your ideas for frugal family fun in Ottawa in the comment box!

Best idea for Halloween neighbourhood fun ever!

I simply had to interrupt my series of post-Blissdom Canada posts to share this awesome Halloween fun idea with you!

Last night, I was loading the dishwasher and checking homework and doing laundry and preparing lunches and all the other fun things we do between dinnertime and bedtime when I heard a very faint knock on the door. I figured it was Beloved, who had been teaching late, and that one of the kids had slipped the lock on the door, so sent Lucas to open the door for him. When Lucas reported that nobody was there, I stuck my nose out, wondering if maybe the screen door had come loose again.

This was sitting on the porch:

Boo 1 (1 of 1)

Boo 2 (1 of 1)

A plastic cauldron filled with inexpensive Halloween treats and toys, dropped anonymously on the porch — how amazing is that?! The boys and I were tickled orange and black! Also in the cauldron were two pieces of paper. One had a big black BOO printed on it, and the other had a happy little Halloween poem and a set of instructions that said:

  1. Enjoy your treat.
  2. Place your BOO on your front door.
  3. Now you have 24 hours to copy this twice, make 2 treats, copy 2 BOOs and secretly deliver them to 2 neighbours who do not have a BOO on their front door.
  4. Then watch how far this spreads by Halloween.

Is that not AWESOME? I’d never heard of anything like this, but Twitter seemed to have heard of this and called it “ghosting” and “BOOing” — apparently it’s a thing now. And don’t you want to totally start it in your neighbourhood? Well, you should! And to help, I’ve scanned the original poem and BOO sign and saved them as PDFs in dropbox, so you can print out your own copies and start the BOO flowing in your neighbourhood!

What fun! Now I’m off to BOO two of my neighbours, too!