Wednesday, at dawn, we will go to Dorval to pick up the sixth member of our field team.
We’ve been waiting for this gentleman for two months, as some await their messiah. Administrative troubles delayed his arrival at the farm, but the bureaucracy has finally outdone itself, and we will have the pleasure of welcoming him with open arms—and a generous checkbook. The tone is lighthearted, but I raise a major issue that most farms in Canada are struggling with: who still wants to work in our fields nowadays…and will the country one day be able to find within itself the human resources needed for our businesses to function properly?
The work is hard, exhausting, the days are long, and the pay is just barely fair.
I am not intent on launching a debate on agricultural policy—now is not the time—I am simply adding a small piece of information to the long list of grievances…
That said, the work is noble, the joy of seeing vegetables grow remains undiminished, the closeness to nature is invigorating, and our current field crew is amazingly effective.
Despite all that, there will be no miracle in the fields for the cucurbits:
the zucchinis and cucumbers are behind schedule, the melons are just starting to recover, and the nightshades are finally in full bloom. Thankfully, the leafy greens and brassicas have taken full advantage of the cool weather, special-ordered just for them.
Meanwhile, in this week’s baskets:
kale, lettuces, garlic scapes, a variety of herbs, fennel, green cabbage or Chinese cabbage, green onions, and more.
PS: see the Recipes section of our website where we offer a few general references, in addition to the links to the week’s vegetables above.
We look forward to seeing you all again.