For the intensely busy summer field and market season we will be taking a hiatus from full episode format.  We will, however, record our "field notes" each week to keep you up to date on what is going on our farms!  Hope you enjoy them.

For the intensely busy summer field and market season we will be taking a hiatus from the full episode format.  We will, however, record our "field notes" each week to keep you up to date on what is going on our farms!  Hope you enjoy them.

This week Heather and Clara discuss some of the issues you need to think about when embarking upon irrigation.

This week Clara chats with Jay Lowe of  Jaqueline Gardens Ltd.  in Niton Junction in NW Alberta.  Jay's family started growing cut flowers in a greenhouse way out in Zone 2  in Niton Junction 30 years ago!  He shares with us the history of their pioneering Alberta greenhouse cut flower business.

This week's episode is a really high level overview of composting.  Composting is critical for maintaining fertility in your soil if you are growing and harvesting intensively. Heather and I chat about how we compost, using thermo-compost, vermicompost and bokashi composting.

We had such a great conversation with Lorna Jackson of Ninebark Farms on Vancouver Island B.C.!  Our rich discussion covered so much, including how she got into flower farming, her five year plan, and how she keeps things sustainable.

This week we discuss the issues and some of the research around plastics in horticulture, from our seed starting and potting up practices, our field production - so plastic field "mulches" and landscape or nursery fabrics/cloth, and our retail end with regards to sleeves etc.

This week we are are so fortunate to chat with Joanne Halter of Mistik Acres in Alvena Saskatchewan.  Joanne and her husband Pat have been flower farming on the Canadian Prairies for over 15 years, making her one of our longest term, most successful flower growers in Zone 3!  

We chat with Joanne about how she and Pat started their farm, their markets challenges and growing tips.  You won't want to miss this episode!

This week we are chatting with Ron Berezan, the original (and humble) Urban Farmer, not the excessively marketed one.   Ron is a permaculture and organic urban agriculture expert with 30 years of experience.   He continues to teach in these discipline areas, but has also ventured out into small scale biochar production.  

Biochar is a soil amendment that can impart a variety of benefits.  We discuss the origins and use of this interesting material in gardens of any sort (including flower gardens).

Feeling star-struck releasing this episode!  Heather had an amazing  conversation about designing without using floral foam with Lucy Hunter, Max Gill and Gabriela Salazar, and today we are sharing it, and our own conversation with you!

In this episode you will hear these three most thoughtful designers discuss:

i) some tips and tools they use for no-foam installations

ii) the challenges of no-foam design