My good buddy, Jon Pipitone, invited me to his friends' farms outside of Guelph for a weekend gathering of a close network of long-time friends. I was actually crashing because I was interested in working at a farm up there. Regardless, I felt lucky to be there for the celebration of a new life, the first baby born at
Green Being Farm.
I wouldn't post about something unrelated to grains on this blog, so let's cut to the germ. A few miles up the road from Green Being is
Cedar Down Farm, a veggie and grain farm also run by Jon's friends, Leslie and Jeff, where I wanted to work. Jeff took me for a tour of their grain processing area before the party got started.
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| Gravity table |
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| Seed cleaner |
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| Metal remover |
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| A ride-on-the-side combine |
Jeff and Leslie said that getting a grain share going is difficult in their area because there isn't a high demand by homebakers and they're far enough from Toronto to not make it worth it to deliver there. They hope to at least break even. At the party, a new couple to the area intend to grow grains and bake bread in a woodfire oven on site.
Even though there might not be a strong market yet, what's special and wonderful about this place is the network of young farmers who are enthusiastic and supportive of each other. If only I were so lucky to farm down the road from old friends and be in a place that attracts new, friendly, cooperative, like-minded, passionate farmers. And to grow old together. I'm glad I was, at least, witness to this.
