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My vegetable garden is a masterpiece in progress. Who needs a boring line garden when you can have beautiful raised beds! The untamed raspberry patch has been tackled into rows and our mini orchard is coming alive. ...And the mean rooster manages to live another day...

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Some of my tomatoes starting to say hi! This year I used paper cups instead of plastic seed starters for a more Eco-friendly option. Just throw them in the compost to discard. A trick I use: When starting seeds cover them with plastic wrap to retain moisture and heat until the seedlings start poking up (they don't require light until then). I find this really speeds along germination.

Old McDowdall Farm is launching its pilot Garden Goods project June 2017. I am searching for 5 households who would like to receive our farm fresh eggs and produce boxes on a biweekly basis, beginning late June and continuing through to September. All produce is grown with organic, permaculture practices, and our eggs (uninspected) come from happy free range chickens who live the good life. Our garden boxes will range in size and price depending on the variety available throughout the season (approximate, $20 - $50). Prior to delivery I will notify you of selection and price so you can choose either the full or half size option. As this is our pilot year and I am still learning timing and yield, I ask for your flexibility but promise to offer a great value and high quality product in return. If you are interested in participating or have any questions please send me a PM or email to rheannarobertson@gmail.com. Happy growing season! Please note: Preference will be given to Garden Goods customers for egg sales, late season bulk canning produce, and pumpkins. Free local delivery to Devon, delivery to Edmonton and area $5.

3 dozen rainbow eggs available! And bulk beets, if you are interested in canning.

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Barbados ram, $200

Photos from Old McDowdall Farm's post

We braved the weather for two more garden boxes going out today 😊 message me if you would like one delivered next week!

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I have a few $30 garden boxes available. Can deliver to Devon or South/West Edmonton tomorrow (Monday). Message me if you would like one! Includes: kale, Swiss chard, zucchini, tomatoes, yellow beans, cucumbers, beets and carrots.

Photos from Old McDowdall Farm's post

3 roosters, April 2016 hatch. These boys need a new home. Make me an offer!

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9 new fuzzy bum friends today. These little ones won't be laying for about 6 months, but when they do we will have beautiful green and blue eggs.

We are growing our flock this year. If you are interested in getting beautiful free range eggs from us on a weekly/biweekly basis please send me a PM. $3.50/dozen.

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Our chickens are starting to lay again as daylight hours finally get longer! 2 dozen available. $3.50/dozen. Message me if you would like them. Can deliver to Devon tomorrow (Monday)

Let’s talk about compost! As the snow melts to reveal a mess of plant material that might end up in your trash, consider putting it to use to feed your garden instead. Here’s the basics to starting your own compost pile: Size: pile should not be any smaller than 3 feet on a side, or it won’t insulate to raise the temperature to the critical 130-150F to kill seeds in the compost material; you don’t want to be spreading weeds in your garden through compost. Save up your materials until you have enough to begin the process. Materials: You need a 30:1 ratio of Carbon:Nitrogen. A good way to reach this is mixing roughly half green material with half brown material. Brown materials (high in carbon) are things such as dried leaves, hay, straw, wood shavings. Green materials (high in nitrogen) are things such as grass clippings, kitchen food scraps, plant trimmings. Note: manure is the exception, it is brown but considered a green material, high in N. Building: alternate layers of green/brown no more than 6 inches thick, or if you have a smaller pile just mix everything together. Compost piles require moisture to function, so water the heap continuously as you build it. You can inoculate your pile by adding compost from a previous pile to help get things going. Another great idea is to go on a walk and collect soil from pond margins to maximize biodiversity in your compost. Turning: you can turn your pile after the first blast of heat subsides (within a few days). Continuous turning in this way will help speed up the composting process. However, if not in a rush do not overturn; turning a pile results in more fully digested minerals, which more readily leach out of the soil once applied to the garden. Application: add an inch or two of compost over garden bed and lightly spade into soil. Information gathered from: Gaia’s Garden: A guide to home-scale permaculture, Toby Hemenway. A great resource!