Nouveau Chapeau & Potaters

As you can see from the rows pictured above, the potaters that Tim and I planted are starting to come up! But in more important news, I got a new hat.



I love the ol' Blue Jays hat, but I couldn't resist this green, Cariboos Brewing hat that came free with a six-pack of Cariboos beer. Apprentice Tim is especially jealous of my new hat. I don't blame Tim for being jealous, especially because his hat is pretty lame, tan, and nondescript.

Tim and I are big fans of Cariboos beer. You know, just to take the edge off. Apprentice Jill, on the other hand, is a fan of PBR and Lucky Lager.



Below are some pictures of me in my new hat. I'm busy mowing the lawn and saving grass clippings to be used as mulch in the strawberry patch.





I think it's safe to say that I look good.

What Have We Been Doing on the Farm Lately?

One word: hoeing.

10 Farm Photos

1) Gumboots keeping dry and out of the sun under the RV.



2) By living in an RV, I'm now a Big Boy AND having "the experience of a lifetime!"



3) The remains of a Makaria Farm sacrifice to the farming gods. (Or maybe we were just enjoying beer, sausage, and marshmallows?)



4) I found this sign in some long grass, but unfortunately the Real Fruit Gummis (TM) were already sold out.



5) A look inside Apprentice Jill's shack window. It's very mysterious in there. Who knows what kind of trouble she gets into in there?



6) Maybe we'll get some garlic bulbs in a couple of weeks?



7) Gate to the fields. The farm's been lucky enough to be spared from soil diseases like club root (which can be spread on the soles of visitors' boots and shoes), so we're being extra careful.



8) It's not a good idea to run over rocks with Farmer Brock's expensive tractor equipment, so we try to pile them all up in one section of the farm.



9) It's too bad buttercups are such a damaging weed because they're pretty and spreading across the farm.



10) A Makaria Farm neighbour.

What's Going On in the Greenhouses?

We've been so busy in the fields lately that I feel like I've almost forgotten about the greenhouses. A couple of weeks ago, we went in and cut down all the grass, cleaned things up, and reorganized, so things are looking good.

Most of our starts have already been transplanted into the fields, but there's still some cool stuff waiting to be planted.











From top to bottom, those are beets, corn, red sails lettuce, freckles romaine lettuce, and more romaine lettuce. There's a good chance, however, that I'm off on those lettuce varieties.

And speaking of greenhouses, I went on a farm tour of Haliburton Farm near Victoria and was hot-diggity-dog impressed with some of their greenhouses. Here are some photos of a couple of Farmer Ray's greenhouses and healthy looking veggie plants.

Would You Buy Produce From This Guy?

Farmer Brock decided that, no, people would not buy produce from this guy. So the photo was nixed from the newsletter and replaced by this one:



Personally, I'm a fan of the first photo. Apprentice Tim has never looked so good!

(Layout and newsletter design by Apprentice Jill)

Sunday is a Day of Rest (Part II)

"Hey, Mike," you might be asking, "where else did you go on your day of rest?"

Good question! I'm glad you asked.

After visiting the Maple Bay beach, I stopped by the Maple Bay Yacht Club. I was attracted by their water barns. I'm assuming they keep yachts in there?



After picking up a mediocre cup of coffee at the coffee shop and gift shop, I did some wandering around the yacht club grounds. Soon enough, I came across this little sign:



I love herbs and gardens, so I decided to take a look. This is what I found:







Looks like the herb garden needs a little water. Luckily there's a nearby pond and miniature lighthouse with decorative floating beer bottles.



Needless to say, I was a little disappointed with the Maple Bay Yacht Club, no matter how impressed I am by its water barns. So I got back in the car and started driving aimlessly around the back roads again. Soon enough, I arrived at another bay, this one by the name of Genoa Bay.



The highlight of Genoa Bay? This awesome houseboat, complete with outdoor chandelier. Pretty sweet!



There's an interesting looking little cafe/restaurant at Genoa Bay, so I think I'm heading back some time soon. I'll let you know how it goes, or if I somehow get myself invited onto that houseboat....

Sunday is a Day of Rest (Part I)

Last Sunday I had the day off from farming, so I decided to do a little exploring in the greater Duncan area. First stop? Saison Market Vineyard for coffee and snacks.

Here's the vineyard:



And here's something I never would have appreciated before working on a farm - a barn full of cool tractors.



After purchasing my coffee and snacks, I decided to drive aimlessly around some back roads. Soon enough, I stumbled across a little place called Maple Bay. I parked the car and wandered down some stairs....



....and found this beautiful business:





Things were so nice, in fact, that I decided to sit on a rock and enjoy my snacks and coffee at Maple Bay.



I also enjoyed watching people row. Rowing looks difficult.



Feeling well-caffeinated and full-in-the-belly, I decided to wander around on Maple Bay's multicoloured rocks.



I also found what I thought was purple mitten. I thought to myself, what's a purple mitten doing on the beach in the summer?



Word to the wise: if you're in Maple Bay any time soon, don't try on this mitten. It's not really a mitten.