sosnicki organics

Well, it's that time of year again and how quickly it all comes and goes! Christmas on the farm has always been special.  We all come together to eat and drink with family and friends, sharing the bounty from our harvest and buying in other great foods from local producers. For kids, well it's a spectacular time, especially if your lucky enough to actually SEE Santa outside with his big sack and know for sure his sleigh and reindeer are parked behind the big hedge in the field!!!  We've had a lot of fun during past Christmas's!!   Ben and I have been rushing around - not buying gifts or dealing with mass shoppers -we don't buy into the retail aspect of the holidays, instead keep busy like elves ourselves grading storage crops, delivering produce and attending markets!  It's been a busy, busy season!  We get two Saturdays off, but the Thursday markets continue!  Christmas eve will be a celebration packed with 'Prawn Wontons' and  'Duck Poutine...

  The farm is awash in a nice snow cover, but luckily we have missed the massive snow squalls other county's have received.  This means my perogie crew had no trouble driving in from all the back roads and neighboring towns.  We hit the kitchen both Monday and Tuesday of this week and have created enough holiday food now for the markets!  A quick photo blog before I discuss NEW PREPARED FOODS being made! Time is flying and we are busy, busy, busy and I cannot believe the year is almost at an end!!  Above Mary and Ben rolling the dough and cutting the circles for the Perogies.....   Above Anne making the Potato Cheddar Perogies.... Above Boiling the Perogies....   Above Cooling the Perogies.....   My favorite machine, Mr. Hobart nicely put away after all it's service making dough and mashing potatoes....I love the Ukrainian Cloths the women have it wear when not in use!  This machine is respected - once you've made dough and mashed po...

I am absolutely inspired most days by my surroundings and what I can create with what we produce on the farm. Currently we do not sell our farm`s fresh eggs at market, but yet another project to look into. Making the time to basket my eggs and head to a grading station never seems to make it into my schedule!  I can have bragging rights though, as the following pictures are of my roosters, hens, my eggs and the most yellow yolks (just call them orange! ) because of their healthy diet!     It was chaos around the farm this morning as I went into the barn before dawn to catch the new, free range birds to clip wings and put in the outside pen with the others.  Snow is coming, it`s better for them to get used to the coop area. Also, I seem to have a 5 month old German Shepherd with a taste for chicken! Fresh, organic, free range eggs in your diet is such a good thing! Your own meat birds are good too! And I can`t wait to sample the first of our own rabbit meat.  ...

Whew!  What a ride this year and it’s not letting up!  I know, I know everyone waits for a long time for the years first batch of perogies and one day I hope to keep them going year round.  It’s just impossible at this time due to time constraints with growing a ton of seasonal fresh veg! When we can afford to employ more field labour and grading/market staff I will be able to look into prepared foods year round.  Believe me, I’m working on it!  Don’t I say this every year? This week was the introduction of our Organic Sauerkraut.   Made from our own certified organic cabbage and certified organic onions and course salt,  it is the real deal.  We make huge batches and they are left to ferment in the hall kitchen for just shy of two weeks.  The kitchen is kept warm to aid in the fermentation process.  During this time each morning and evening it is essential to ‘check in’ with the kraut and clean off any foam and check brine levels....

(PPSSSSSSSTTT: For a 68 picture tour of our farm during fall time, head to our public page on Facebook: SOSNICKI ORGANIC PRODUCE  ; ) Okay, so we've had a beautiful fall.  We are still playing catch up for last year's tomato disaster, but all in all, much better.  We are getting very good at holding our own.  I think it has to do with something called pride.   We've recently witnessed the horrible downfall of a neighboring farm and it made my heart sink.  To think, that could be us.  It is not easy making a living farming just 60 workable.  It seems expenses and even wages keep heading skyward, but no one seems to want to pay more for veg.  Ben and I will not pirate our produce either, meaning we know it's top notch quality, but will never charge $5 for a bunch of carrots.  So a lot of other ideas are in the works to amplify earnings here at the farm.  Changes implemented will take a 10 year plan to take effect and grow this farm ...

So I get a telephone call from a friendly lady from my small town, who just happens to be in her 90th year. She's in need of some organic peppers & onions.  She's been to our farm, bought produce before.  A very spry, happy lady whom I really enjoy speaking with.  She's definitely an organic advocate! I decided to deliver - and for a small fee:  a tour of her home!  From the moment I walked in the door I had goosebumps!  She was canning peppers, so immediately it smelled and felt homey. So rich with history, the house is alive! Built in the 1800's by a doctor, it is simply a masterpiece.  They do not build homes like this anymore. The ceiling height of each room, the size and scale of the windows, the woodwork, oh my, the woodwork! From the sils, baseboards to window panes it is absolutely gorgeous!  The kitchen was a bit too small but her stove is from the 60's and looks awesome!  The pantry in this house is a entire room with origin...

What a great way to celebrate Thanksgiving - it's the official kick off of 'Organic Week' running from October 9th to October 16th! Head to www.organicweek.ca for lots of information! Our farm will celebrate by partnering with The Big Carrot on Saturday, October 16th from 2pm - 4pm at the 'Carrot for a meet and greet where Ben and I will be serving our seasonal coleslaw on our edible cabbage plates. So come on out to The Big Carrot and meet the farmers that grow your food! ;) For more information about The Big Carrot grocery store and so much more head to: www.thebigcarrot.ca Around the farm is busy and bountiful. Cute pie pumpkins, squash & sweet potatoes are seasonal favourites and our first harvest of brussel sprouts starts this week. As we pull our carrots and golden beets from the soil, pick some sweet red peppers & eggplants to roast up for our family Thanksgiving feast, we humbly give thanks to our customers who support us week after week and make what we...

Peppers, peppers, peppers!  Big sweet red bells, red shepherds, sweet yellows, large orange bells, green bells, sweet chocolate peppers, pimentos, jalapenos, hot banana....ahhhh, then canning, grilling, roasting, pan frying....I love peppers!!! Was able to spend a great day with my mom canning a beautiful array of sweet peppers....  I have sooo many farm stories and crops to talk about!  We have sweet potatoes (oh a blog for another day!!) I've been busy at the hall preserving the seasons in between it all as well....  Sweet Corn, in the freezer.  Peppers, in the freezer.  (Frozen peppers will be used later on within our vegetarian cabbage rolls.) The sweet corn was lovingly preserved this year at the hall where I make my perogies with the help of my awesome crew of women. We've managed to put a fair amount away so that I may sell some frozen goodness this winter and also heat and serve warm at various winter markets as a nice 'taste of summer' when th...

A quick lunch time blog dedicated to our daughter who starts the first day of her last year in High School tomorrow! We all cannot believe how fast you grew up! We all wish you all the best and know that you will be successful in what ever path you choose!  You are a really great person Smash and although we don't get to visit as much as we'd all like, we all want you to know that we are here for you - ALWAYS.  The farm and farm family has not changed - it will remain the same until your next visit! (Just probably more new animals!!!) Had to post this pic for you of our newest addition - PANZER.  He's going to be HUGE!  You'll love him! He's smart and is easy to train.  Anytime you want a huge home cooked meal, head over! Harvest this year is pretty good, better than last year but not without challenges of course.  Each time we are heading to market and are by passing Brantford your dad looks in your general direction and says:  "Hello Austin!"...

What an August!  The bad news is sucky field tomatoes once again.  The late blight is back with a vengeance.  This means we will not be able to offer the Romas for sauce in bulk for the duration we know people expect.  We are accepting bulk orders now and for the next two weeks but that will be it.  This is very disappointing and another financial loss. We were truly hoping that after two years we would have some luck with organic field tomatoes.....nope.  The 'covered field' tomatoes are okay however, meaning we will have the heirlooms to offer well into the fall season! Our Sweet Corn is doing wonderful!  We are happy to be educating folks on the reality of growing organic sweet corn and the price we need to get in order to make it worthwhile to grow.  The concept of cheap sweet corn is very, very wrong.  Corn is a heavy feeder and pulls a ton of nutrients from the soil.  As organic farmers being able to offer this crop means we ...

It feels really nice when you get to read about what you do in a publication like Macleans! Please read the entire story at: Sosnicki's in Macleans!   It has become essential for us to continue to look at various ways to create value added products using our own produce to increase the viability of this farm business. We are a long way off from a successful processing business, however have it in the 'big picture' as soon as finances allow!  It seems very natural to me to 'preserve the seasons' as something I grew up with both my mother and grandmother doing.  I wouldn't feel comfortable relying on just grocery stores to feed me all winter. To have a bare fruit cellar and empty freezer come fall frost seems scary to me.  It's a very gratifying, awesome tasting, affordable way to sustainably live.  It does not take a million years in the kitchen to squirrel stuff away and also not hard to learn.  Small children can easily get fascinated by the whole proces...

Well, we've got a new addition to our busy schedule!  The new 'Bay & Adelaide Farmer's Market' put on by Evergreen ( Go to Evergreen! ) and will run each Thursday from 11:00am until 2:00pm.  We'll sell until 1:30pm, as we've got to hike it over to the Dufferin Grove Organic Market ( Go to Dufferin Grove Park! ) to set up and sell from 2:30pm until 7:00pm.  The Bay & Adelaide space really did need some 'greening' up and the business folk who look down at us from their office towers seem very interested in what is going on! Not only can you find our fresh produce at this market but the best honey, Merchants of Green Coffee, Monforte Dairy, Chocosol, Bruno and his mushrooms, excellent food from Brian Burk Wine Bar, Jamie Kennedy Fries, all vegan and raw foods from Hearty Catering and the list goes on. Grab a coffee, or an ice coffee, lemonaide, gourmet lunch, cheeses, fresh bread, fresh organic produce all during your lunch hour! Your air condi...