Blog Post
Chilligo Creek Farm
Sylvia Pond • October 8, 2019
My lettuce lady
It was a beautiful Tuesday morning at the St Jacobs Market. I was walking around doing my groceries when I noticed an incredible display of lettuce. A voice called out to me “Hey! Have you ever tried my lettuce?”. That’s the day I first met Amanda (aka my Lettuce Lady) from Chilligo Creek Farm. We chatted about her farm and I purchased a bag of her mixed greens to take home. I made a salad that day for lunch, and of course took a photo, tagging and connecting with the farm on Instagram. The lettuce was SO good, flavourful, fresh and there was so much of it! That’s when I started bugging Amanda to let me visit and see what her farm is all about!
At Chilligo Creek Farm they grow more than just lettuce using organic practices. They consider themselves a small scale family farm living on the 99 acres of land they own and growing produce on about one acre.
The next stop was getting up close and personal with the tomatoes!
So many tomatoes! Heirloom, Cherry, Roma… I can’t name them all, but I can tell you they were all so pretty to photograph. Some still green and some ready for harvest and many in between. It was a like a tomato rainbow!
As we finished our tour looking at the gorgeous edible flowers (and snacking on a few) we talked about how farming is a labour of love, how each season varies and how we both hope that what we are doing in this world matters and makes an impact, even if it’s just a little one.
Where can you buy Chilligo Creek Products?
Currently they are set up on Saturdays at the Cambridge Farmers Market.
Now let’s eat!
Using Chilligo Creek Farm Peppermint Swiss Chard, Tomatoes, garlic, and a few other garden vegetables I made a veggie skillet!
Just chop all the ingredients how you like, throw it in a pan on medium heat with a touch of olive oil and season to your liking!
Another way I elevated my breakfast one morning was to have my eggs with a side of Chilligo Creek Farm tomatoes, purple basil and edible flowers!
Q&A from Amanda; Farmer and Owner of Chilligo Creek Farm
1. Tell me what a typical day looks like for you?
I have two typical days with my job. Farm work days and market days. A farm day is a little bit more slower paced and a later start. I typically am up between 4-5 am and do an hour or two of work before the kids get up. I then stop at 6, get breakfast made and get the kids ready for the day and do my daycare run. I am usually back by 8 am and get started to work. Work will either be harvesting, washing, packing, weeding, soil preparation, seeding or transplanting. I usually break for a half hour for lunch and then continue onto my work for the afternoon. I typically do more weeding, washing and packing in the afternoon opposed to the morning generally because it’s the hotter part of the day. I stop at 4pm and go back into mom mode until 7-8. After the girls are in bed it’s my time to do bookkeeping, respond to emails, etc.
Market days I am generally up at 2:30 am. The trailer is loaded from the day before so I don’t have to pack it first thing. I typically arrive at market at 430 and set up my stall. Selling starts around 7 am and lasts until 1 or 330 depending on which market I’m at. I then drive home and start dinner and then get the kids to bed by 7. After 7 I tie up loose ends from the day and then go to bed :)
2. What do you want people to know about farming and/or what you do?
That farmers are not boogeymen! A lot of people that do not know farming think that farmers are trying to deceive them and not taking care of the animals/land etc. For the most part farmers are trying their best to survive in a volatile business and they only have the best interests of their farm, environment and livestock at heart. I believe that all farmers are just trying to provide the best food for the consumer the best way they know how.
3. What do you love most about being a farmer?
The thought at the end of the day knowing that I made the world a little bit better place for my community by doing what I think has the biggest impact for the resources I have.
4. If you weren’t a farmer what would you be doing?
Probably being an environmental engineer since that is what I went to school for and was trained in.
5. Describe what your favourite meal looks like?
In the summer- I am a big fan of a nicely done steak (from my father-in-law’s beef) with a side of my salad with a homemade dressing. Super simple and quick to prep. The perfect busy mom/farmer meal!
In the winter - a hearty beef stew with homemade stock. I use all of our root veggies from the garden that I have stored, throw in some spinach from the hoophouses and simmer it on the wood stove all day.
Follow Chilligo Creek Farm on social!
Did you know that Lentils grow in Ontario?! Well you do now! I only learned about Ontario Lentils this past summer when I met the fine folks from Lau tea da Lentils !
Did you know that Lentils grow in Ontario?! Well you do now! I only learned about Ontario Lentils this past summer when I met the fine folks from Lau tea da Lentils !
I don’t know how many times I bugged Trevor (farmer and owner of Herrle’s) to have me for a visit at the store and farm but we finally made it happen! I mean, I have shopped there many times and I don’t think I have gone one summer without enjoying at least a few cobs of Herrle’s famous corn so I wanted to make sure I got to feature this wonderful destination on this blog.
Four generations after Cedardale Farm was established great-grandson Tim Barrie operates it as Barrier’s Asparagus and Country Market . As you may have guessed they grow asparagus, and they do so much more too!
When Borealis Grille & Bar posted a contest on Instagram for a day trip to YU Ranch , I jumped at the opportunity to enter given my already blooming farm project. As you may have guessed by this blog post existing, I was one of the winners! Yay! A group of us met early on a Monday morning and all got a bus for the one-hour ride to the ranch. Upon arrival we were greeted with the smell of meat being smoked and a plate of beef being passed around for sampling, paired with a cold Wellington Beer. Now if that isn’t the best way to start a Monday, I don’t know what is!
Well if the name didn’t give it away, here is your introduction to John and Sarah Moylan along with their four daughters who operate 5 Chicks and a Farmer near New Hamburg, Ontario.
If you are from Waterloo Region you have likely heard of Martin’s Family Fruit Farm. Their farm, processing facility, and store can be found just on the other side of the St Jacobs Market.
It all started here for me, my journey into the local farm and food community. The wonderful family at Vibrant Farms were the first to welcome me for a tour and visit to their farm near Baden, On.
Yup that’s me. In the middle there on my momma’s lap. I had a happy family, food in my belly and was motoring around since I learned to run before learning to walk. Reality however was a little different. Times were hard for my parents. The food stamps we were allotted as a family didn’t get us much, especially when you went to the store and all you saw were empty shelves. The beginning of my food journey was quite minimal. Most of the traditional Polish recipes require the most basic ingredients. Most often we ate things like potatoes with buttermilk, pierogies, soft boiled eggs, goulash. My family was lucky to have connections to extended family who lived on farms and occasionally gave us goose, chicken and fresh eggs and milk. There was a lot of political unrest and although my parents worked to provide for us, eventually they made the decision to leave Poland.
If you follow me on social media, you may have noticed many recent posts and stories of my visits to local farms. As someone who is passionate about food and community, I have become more and more interested in learning about farming and sustainable agriculture. It’s become important for me to know where and who my food comes from, while also enjoying as much local food as possible! I want to eat food that grows here, that’s raised here, and whose producers are ethically aligned with environmental sustainability. Eating something out of boxes that have been sitting on a shelf or buying produce that has been travelling cross country on a truck isn’t ideal for me.
Sometimes I travel for work. Sometimes far. Sometimes near. Hotels are great. Secure. Nice amenities. No clean up. But lately I have been loving booking with AirBnb! Last week for a little trip to Toronto I think I stayed at the cutest BNB in the city!! This place had charm. With lights strung in the main room, vintage furniture filled with vinyl and cool art work and posters that filled the walls. I felt at home as soon as I checked in. It only made sense to take out my camera and photograph this lovely space.