By Owner Elva Tammemagi

written by Staff member Margret Taylor The month of September has come and (almost) gone, and has brought with it a mix of warm days, cool weather, and lots of rain! The Harvest Moon welcomed the Autumnal Equinox this week, marking the beginning of the fall season. Although the busiest summer months have passed, the hustle continues as we continue to sow, plant, harvest, and prep for the winter. Fruit season is coming to a close but we are still enjoying the sweet, wild, pesticide-free apples from the orchard! Cue reminiscing to the beginning of the season! Remember when the fields looked like this? The farm on June 9 2021- what would soon become glorious beds of kale, chard, cucumbers, squash, herbs, salad greens, tomatoes, radishes, beets, carrots, cabbage, beans, peas, bok choi, eggplants, peppers, sunflowers, and more. We've come so far! Plant Progress Special shoutout to our resident kale and swiss chard crops that have stuck with us throughout the entire season and generously provided us with plentiful harvests! Dino and Curly Kale June 2 - July 23 - September 23 (above) Rainbow Chard June 2 - August 20 - September 23 Here is a before and after of some of the slower growing and cool weather crops from this season that we are excited to harvest into the fall including: brussel sprouts, carrots, napa cabbage and winter squash! Purple Brussel Sprouts June 2 - August 4 (above) Purple Brussel Sprouts Aug 20 - September 23 (above) Napa Cabbage August 13 - September 23 (above) Carrots! August 4 - September 23 (above) Winter Prep We've been doing a few things around the farm to prepare for the colder months, including planting frost tolerant crops, securing the greenhouse for the chickens (who are dreading the snow) and harvesting dry beans for next years crop! It's been a great season and we've almost made it to the end. Despite dealing with power tool failure (Don't even get Elva started), pests and critters, unpredictable and sometimes less-than-ideal weather, burnout, and all of the other obstacles farmers face (not to mention all of this during our second year in the midst of a global pandemic), we've also experienced abundant and delicious harvests, some beautiful weather, a few cute critters, great employees and volunteers , and a continued appreciation for the land and the community that allows this all to happen! Until next year!

written by Staff member Margret Taylor The heat is raging on as August moves forward. Weeding continues as does more planting, staying on top of harvesting and getting rid of pesky bugs. The Japanese Beetle, Colorado Potato Beetle and Tomato Hornworm in particular have been making tasty treats for the chickens this year. Bright yellow aphids have been catching our attention as they take over some of the milkweed plants in the field - we leave patches of milkweed plants in the field for once endangered monarch butterflies to enjoy. The aphids feed on the sap of the milkweed and secrete a liquid called honeydew. This honeydew is loved by ants, and some species of ants have been known to herd the aphids on to these plants to later feed off of the honeydew they produce! Ants are farmers too!

Heading 3 Community Farm 2023 It's not too late to join! (September 2023) Are you interested in learning how to grow food? Do you want to have more control over your food sources? Do you want to save money on your grocery bills? Do you want to increase the amount of healthy veggies that you and your family eats? This is not a community garden with individual plots. It is a small plot of land for every Community Farm member to tend to. Crops include: tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, beans, basil, rainbow chard, zucchini and more! Become a Rhizome Farms Community Farmer ! What does this include? LEARN how to grow food with hands-on experience. Learn by doing, while also learning the basics of plant care to help you grow your own in the future. We will learn together and you will have the opportunity to work independently. Take home the fruits of your labour: harvest whatever is in season at the time of your visit. See below to what is in season! For the 2023 season, there is no commitment to hours or payment due. Hours are drop-in *RSVP required* The cost has been waived this year in hopes to make this food security initiative more accessible to those that could really benefit from it ! Keep your eye on future Preserving workshops! Let's learn how to preserve what we grow and enjoy them in the winter months when fresh produce is scarce. Workshops on jam-making, pickled hot peppers, hot sauce, BBQ sauce, pasta sauce, teas, etc! Past harvest: peaches, plums, lemon balm, red clover, Currently in season to harvest: basil, rainbow chard, apples, blackberries, tomatoes, a variety of peppers, eggplant Current tasks as of September 2023: gleaning tomatoes, weeding, harvesting, pruning fruit trees , preserving/canning hot pepper rings and tomato sauce The farm is located in St. Catharines, near Harvest Barn, bicycle accessible, and 1 km walk from the closest bus stop (no sidewalks). If you're interested, email Elva at RhizomeFarms@gmail.com and tell me a bit about yourself and your interest in becoming a Community Farm member!

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions Heading 1

Farm Stand Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, 11 - 4