View from the Farm

Summer 2021

Hazy hot and humid.  Today's weather is perfect for getting the next planting of sweet corn ready and the green beans ripe.  With farming, the weather isn't just something to chat casually about, the weather is everything in the farming business.  About 3 weeks ago it was SO DRY and our crops were suffering.  Every forecast rain past us by!  Now, we have a good supply of soil moisture and the crops are growing well.  I am grateful. 
 So now that the weather is  cooperating what is happening around the farm? Grahame is busy making sure the market is supplied with fresh sweet corn and green beans while I am busy renovating the strawberries.  What does renovating the strawberries mean you may ask? It means  applying fertilizer to the strawberry fields, mowing off the tops of the plants and any weeds that have grown up around the plants and then rototilling up and down the rows to cut off excess runners and narrow up the rows.  Then, if all goes well , we will have lovely lush green rows of strawberry plants filled with beautiful red strawberries next June.  It is amazing how well this system works and it is the effectiveness  of it that keeps pushing me to get it done well, even though strawberry picking season is 11 months away.
Thanks dear customers for supporting the farm this past berry season and we are hoping that we will have an even better berry crop next year.....weather permitting:)
Hoping your flower beds and gardens are doing well.  And remember, the best food is the food you grow yourself.

 

 

 Spring 2021

The farm is a busy place in the spring.  For example, this past week we painted a part of the market roof, planted another patch of sweet corn, changed the oil in a couple tractors, fixed the lawn mower, irrigated strawberries, scouted the strawberries for pests, weeded the rhubarb, washed down the inside of the market in preparation for opening......the list is long!  But the sun rises early and sets late so that helps provide the inspiration to get everything done.
 As usual, the weather is playing a big part in everything that happens around our farm.  This spring's lack of rain  has meant some very early planting dates (good), but also brought some other challenges.  The dry weather has meant that local farmers have had to pay particularly close attention to  minimizing tillage (preparing the soil by discing, cultivating etc) to conserve moisture. Planted seeds must come into contact with moist soil to germinate so a lack of soil moisture is a huge concern.  So far we have had enough soil moisture to get seeds growing so we are grateful for that! 
As you may know, I often say "the best food is the food you grow yourself ''  Why? If you grow it yourself, you know everything that goes into making it including all the work:) This year at our farm, we are making available for our  farm and other staff, garden plots.  It has been really fun to garden together and see and learn from each other  everything required to grow food. In our plot this year Miriam and I are growing peas, potatoes, cantaloupes, 2 kinds of beans, carrots, beets, kale and 3 kinds of flowers.  As a farmer, I have focused on growing strawberries , sweet corn and pumpkins so planting this diversity has been a joy.  It isn't too late to plant something for yourself if you haven't already done so.  See if it is true that "the best food is the food you grow yourself". 

 

 

The Beginning of Reesor's:

Way back in 1985, a young, newly married guy quit his job working for another local farmer and struck out on his own. His plan was that if he could grow 10 acres of sweet corn and sell it along the side of the road to passersby, it would be a good beginning to his own farm operation.

As I'm sure you have guessed, that young guy was me, and a lot of time has passed since that early decision. With a lot of family and community support, some good soil and good weather, a growing neighbourhood, and some good luck, I've managed to keep in business for 35 years. 
 
Along the way Reesor's Farm Market and Reesor's Market & Bakery picked up the slogan "growing and making good food." I have found it to be very inspirational and it helps keep me going. We GROW delicious strawberries, sweet corn, beans and squash. We MAKE delicious breads, entrees and dessert items using ingredients just like you use at home. We all need good food and what my staff and I do together is provide GOOD food to our community.  
 
The development of Reesor's Online Market came as a response to the 2020 pandemic. Our customers wanted the safest way possible to get access to our good food. While originally offering delivery and pickup from our Reesor's Market & Bakery, we've moved to a nearby location for our customers to pick up their purchases and for our staff to make deliveries of our goods around our neighbourhood. I'm hoping that Reesor's Online Market www.shopreesors.ca can be useful to you and your family. 
 
All the best to you during these difficult times and remember to be the hope you want to see.
-Jay Reesor