A quick back story is needed for anyone who hasn't been following on Facebook :) About a month ago, I kind of unexpectedly decided on a career change... since then Ive been doing odd jobs to keep busy, rebuilding fences, clearing brush or leaves just about anything that isn't office related ! More recently Ive been helping a local Organic Farmer dismantle a huge ( for me the home gardener! ) 32 x 96' industrial greenhouse. I'll begin :
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| Paul and Jenny Svetec where nice enough to hire me on for the project. http://www.svetecfarms.com/ |
I showed up at the farm today , and what a beautiful day it was full sun , light wind and 10C, expecting to reassemble the massive greenhouse we took down last week ( 3 x 26' truck FULLS )
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| The project :) Dismantle , move and reassemble. |
As I'm approaching the farm house Farmer Paul informs me we will not be erecting the greenhouse today ?? Uh oh , that's all I was really hired for .....
But will be planting garlic today instead :) Ohhh Happy day!!
Ok, for those that don't know I LOVE GARLIC !! I eat it everyday , and can't imagine cooking without it! So he sits me down with a 25lb box of garlic heads , and says get crackin ?
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| 25 pound box of Organic German Garlic :) |
Wow!! Thats alot of garlic heads!! There was about 350 heads to a box. So a cracking garlic cloves I go
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| My Garlic cracking station, That was only one of four boxes, this was surprisingly hard on the hands. Who knew cracking garlic was tough work lol. Prior to this the most Id ever cracked was 6 at one time. |
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| Once we had a bushel full we headed to the fields. |
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| It was nice and sunny, pretty cool still as it was reasonably early... |
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| My ride for the day :) |
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| The view for the afternoon ( In the morning I was on the left side, with a different wheel that wasn't nearly as efficient as this one ! ) Was a lot of fun actually, except maybe in the early morning when the ground was half frozen ... my thumbs took a bit of a beating, but it was well worth it. |
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| We planted three varieties today , Spanish Roja ( I ate a whole clove of this raw !! WoW! That'll wake you up in the morning I tell ya!! ) , Music ( Huge Wonderful Cloves ) , and German ( Nice looking med/large Garlic ) |
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| We worked as late as we could , but it gets dark quick this time of year . Nice pic as I was leaving . |
By the end of the day I had planted 12 rows of garlic. Around 50lbs of it ! approx 2800 cloves of garlic, pressed by hand into the dirt... I Loved it!!! Then to makes things even better, while out there he shows me his seed field with 40 more different types of garlic growing !! Ive got a few heads of garlic for myself, a few cloves of each ill be planting this weekend.. if my thumb still works :) I told Paul , he has a new best friend , imagine the fun one could have with 40 different organic types of garlic:))
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| Then, as if my day couldn't get any better ... I was treated to this as I rounded the hill to come home. |
Well, I hope everyone enjoyed my first venture into a farming related post ! As always I appreciate all comments and feedback. Even if its just selecting a reaction below :)
Happy Cooking
Rich
I bet you had no trouble going to sleep either. Sounds like a perfect day to me!
ReplyDeleteOK I'll give you this much it's a amazing view of the center of the universe LOL !!
ReplyDeleteIt's like getting back to roots like Lynn Crawford EH.
Loved this post and the photos, thanks for sharing!
ReplyDelete:))
ReplyDeletePaula , I can't remember having a better weeks sleep , even I woke up b4 6am without an alarm ( UNHEARD of!!! )
Wayne , Thank you ! lol I was thinking along the same lines, I did get to share a few of my creations while there :)
Wine n Dine , Thank you ! :)
WOW! Rich - this post is absolutely delightful; the pics are great. You are really in your element and taking off big time. I can just see it now - the next Jamie Oliver has arrived better than ever. LOL!!!! :D
ReplyDeleteI love these photos! What a great day!
ReplyDeleteThanks Lindy!! How do you emote a blush ?? lol ;) Best part of all this is Im loving it, its more of a passion than work !!
ReplyDelete:) Alisa , Thanks!! and it was Thank you!!
You have been sounding so happy (most of the time:) since you left your job and began doing what you really love.
ReplyDeleteI think your photos are great - not "cloggy" at all. Pictures tell a story with very little text needed.
What I should say is, "Move over Jamie Oliver. N. America now has our own passionate foodie."
Of course, along with that glory you must begin thinking about a cookbook. You have a good start - great title and the blog posts + pics.
Thanks Lindy!! Other than one day , Ive had a GREAT month since I left!!
ReplyDeleteIm going to get a new post up tomorrow :) Just have to decide which one ?? Im thinking something fun from my childhood :))
LOL Ive never actually thought about a cookbook ... but you never know , I could have enough content in a few months from now.
For now Im going to see about teaching some cooking lessons @ the customers home, I could leave just before they sit down to whatever dinner we created together ? Could be interesting, that is tomorrows project!
Wow Rich, sorry I missed this!
ReplyDeleteI love it, and Lindy is right, your writing is more spirited since leaving the office! Isn't it great to be outside most of the day with your hands in the soil?
Hugs for your happiness!
Lynda
Thanks Lynda!! :)) Hugs received thank you! lol
ReplyDeleteYes, it is great.. normally id be freaking out about money right about now , but even that hasnt got me down. Ive made it a challenge to myself to use up my stores, and have some fun while doing it. ( Good job I had 6 months of food stashed away!! ) Im looking forward to exploring this new life I have set for myself.
Rich :))
Rich, thanks for the great post and the fab pictures. I feel so happy for you and the enjoyment you are sharing. I was 53 before I discovered the joy of working the soil so am double thrilled to hear and read about someone having the opportunity while still young. Your thumbs must be stiff but what a great sense of satisfaction you must have at a job well done. Please continue with the stories and the sharing. Love the mix.
ReplyDeleteForgot to ask...so...you sit on the back and lean over to put the clove in the soil?
ReplyDeleteHave to tell you that I don't like cooking and have never been much good at it but since growing my own and discovering your blog and facebook it has taken a whole different dimension. Thanks for that too. PS my kids thank you too. Shirley
Thank you Shirley :)) Such kind words :)) Im so happy I can help inspire people to grow their own , and cook some healthy meals with it ! Comments like those keep me going on the days when Im really not feeling the blog or fb :))
ReplyDeleteI started gardening about 10 years ago ... but never really got into good food until about 5 years ago ... its been a great journey !! Ive learnt loads since starting my FB Food page, and even more since starting my blog!!
Oh and yes, its not much of a lean , but you feed your own hand with the other , you have to have all the cloves separated prior to climbing on ... and just push it in the hole the wheel makes for you . We found out the hard way , that one wheel was the wrong size. lol Was a load of fun though !!