Autumn Farm Day! Oct 10 with PIE + PIZZA! At Little City Farm from 11-1 pm

 


Don't forget - just over a week away is our first ever Organic Pie & Pizza Pop Up Shop here at Little City Farm as a way to celebrate the fall harvest season.

We'll have a delicious assortment of freshly baked organic pies for sale (I love pumpkin, but think I'm most excited about the salted caramel apple pies we'll be featuring!), and wood-fired pizza by the slice.  Come on out for pies & pizza, meet friends & neighbours, celebrate the fall harvest with us, and enjoy the last of the warm fall weather in our garden beside the cob oven.

Sat, Oct 10 from 11 am-1 pm
Hope to see you here!

New herbal lipbalms

We're working on a variety of exciting new lipbalms.  These herbal lipbalms start with an infusion of organic herbs into organic oil to use as the base for our herbal healing lipbalms, including red clover, lavender, calendula and thyme.  They are steeped for 4-6 weeks in using a solar infusion method.  Red clover, lavender, calendula and thyme all provide wonderful healing qualities for our lips - healing chapped dry lips, cold sores, and offering soothing qualities.  We believe our lipbalms are especially good because of all the time, love and attention that goes into making them.  Coming this fall to our etsy shop.

Apple season and simple dried apples rings/chips

What an apple year!  When I think of apples right now, the word "abundant" comes to mind.  The harvest from our one old tree has been incredible.  We have made jars and jars and jars of applesauce, eaten apples by the dozens, baked pies, and saved apples for cider (soon to be made).  And I also dried vast piles of apple rings, my favourite, for winter snacking and giving away as holiday gifts.   Note we did not dip the apples in lemon juice, so they are not as white as they would be if you did dip them (this also greatly depends on the variety of apples you are using). 

Making dried apple rings/apple chips:
1) Wash apples.
2) Cut into rings, or use an old-fashioned apple turner to slice and core apples thinly.
3) Dip into lemon juice to avoid browning (optional).
4) Dry using one of the following methods, until apples are leathery and nearly crispy (or if you like crispy apple chips keep drying until you get desired consistency).

a) With a Food Dehydrator
A food dehydrator is a quick method for bulk quantity apple drying (set at 135F for about 12-24 hours).

b) In a Low Oven
Drying apples can also be done in a lowest oven (as low as your oven will go, between 145-200F for about 10-20 hours).  Line baking sheet with parchment paper and fill with single layer of apples. You should keep checking the apples, rotate them, and keep the oven door open for more air circulation.

c) Over a Wood Stove
Suspend apple rings over wood stove - hang apple rings from thin wire, set up a dowel to hang apples on, or suspend a metal drying rack over the stove.  Again watch apples closely to see when they are done.

Going to Seed

We had our annual Seed Saving Workshop here on the weekend.  Our guest facilitator Taarini Chopra from Seeds of Diversity was here to lead the group through all the details to know about saving seeds from the home garden - first of all why to save seeds! Then basic plant botany; distances between varieties to avoid cross-pollination; when to harvest; how to harvest; how to dry (and which seeds dry on the plant); specifically saving lettuce, beans, peas and tomatoes; and lots of interesting hands-on activities like shelling dried beans, and opening soaked fava beans to find the little sprout inside ready to burst out.

There is lots of seed saving information on Seeds of Diversity's website here and below are photos of some of the plants in our garden that have gone to seed - such beautiful and diverse seeds they are (we are very good at letting things go to seed around here - partly unintentional as this time of year is just so busy, and partly intentional as we want to save seeds and let seeds stand for winter food for wildlife.)

Urban Wild Workshops for Kids at Little City Farm

 
Join us for one or all of these exciting kids workshops this fall!
Family rate $25/per class, or single child $15/per class.
For kids aged 6+, accompanied by an adult
Thursday afternoons from 1-3 pm at Little City Farm.

Sept 17 - Wild Edibles/Wild Smoothies
Oct 1 - Make a Medicine Pouch (materials cost $10/per project)
Oct 8 - Birch Bark Containers
Oct 15 - Burn a Wooden Bowl
Oct 22 - Make a Dream Catcher
Oct 29 - Friction Fire

Limited space.  Please pre-register with Karin at: info {at} littlecityfarm.ca
 

Fall Schedule for Little City Farm Workshops

Join us for one or more events this fall!  Pre-registration required for classes.

 
Sept 12 from 1-3 pm - Seed Saving, with Taarini Chopra
Sept 17 from 1-3 pm - Wild Edibles/Wild Smoothies (kids class)
Sept 19 from 1-3 pm - Fall Wild Edibles Foraging Class, with Jackie McMillan
Sept 26 from 1-4 pm - Intro to Soap Making, with Karin Kliewer

Oct 1 from 1-3 pm - Make a Medicine Pouch (kids class)
Oct 8 from 1-3 pm - Birch Bark Containers (kids class)
Oct 10 from 11 am-1 pm - POP UP PIE & PIZZA SHOP at Little City Farm!
Oct 15 from 1-3 pm - Burn a Wooden Bowl (kids class)
Oct 17 from 1-3 pm - Waldorf Doll Making Class, with Amaryah deGroot
Oct 22 from 1-3 pm - Make a Dream Catcher (kids class)
Oct 29 from 1-3 pm - Friction Fire (kids class)
Oct 31 from 1-4 pm - Intro to Soap Making, with Karin Kliewer

Nov 7 from 1-4 pm - Intro to Soap Making, with Karin Kliewer
Nov 21 from 1-4 pm - Goat Milk Soap Making, with Karin Kliewer

Dec 5 - A Little Bird Told Me Handmade Holiday Sale at LCF!
Dec 12 from 1-3 pm - Herbal Bath Bombs & Scrubs, with Karin Kliewer

More workshops coming in January 2016!  Please check our website for details.

Pop Up Pie & Pizza Shop, Sat Oct 10 at Little City Farm

Mark your calendars!  One day only!
It's a Pop Up Pie &Pizza Shop at Little City Farm!

Sat, Oct 10 from 11 am-1 pm

Get one of our delicious homemade pies just in time for thanksgiving, featuring local organic ingredients.  Vegan options.  Varieties include: pumpkin, apple-salted caramel, chocolate pecan, and plumble (mixed fruit crumble).  First come first served.

AND Wood-fired vegetarian pizzas served from 11 am-1 pm (made in our outdoor wood-fired oven), first come first served.  Cash only.  For more info contact Karin at: info {at} littlecityfarm.ca

Yellow in the early September garden

In the past few days I noticed all the yellow in our early September garden.  What are the colours abundant in your garden right now?