So I am back in Toronto. My reluctant rural-urban migration aside, I am now gainfully employed, and of course ridiculously busy. I recently started work on a farm plan, a document which lays out the environmental, community, and educational objectives for the farm. The first draft will be done by the end of December, but it will remain a working document as the project comes together. I also aim to have a business plan in place before the end of February, but we’ll see how far I get. One more crucial piece in all of this is the assembly of an advisory board, which is also a work in progress. If you are a board member and reading this, don’t despair! I will have a policy proposal in place soon, which I’m expecting will be augmented by your contributions.
I’ve also been emailing and calling a number of folks recently to look into Peterborough’s potential as a primary market. Fifth Town is no longer in production (but what the future holds remains to be seen) and demand for local artisan goat cheese is on the rise, so it looks like there is some room in the market for another producer. Timing is, as always, pretty critical, as I’m not ahead of the game in considering Ptbo, gateway to cottage country. Julie Austin, owner of Chasing the Cheese told me recently that other people have been inquiring. Also, there is potential for a commuter line to connect Toronto and Peterborough, and if that’s the case, land prices will go up astronomically.
In other news…
Early November I went on a tour organized by Farm Start at Landman Gardens, where Eric Landman and his family milk about 160 Saanens and American Alpines in addition to running a market garden, CSA, pastured livestock and a bakery. The younger family members had a leading role in managing and directing the farm’s operations, and their love of the work was obvious. The goats are on pasture, then second cut, pellets and concentrate in the winter months. They sell the milk to Hewitt’s. I got some insight into breeding practices, fencing, and pasture management.
At the end of November, I went on a tour organized by Farms At Work (a fledgling organization “promoting healthy and active farmlands in East Central Ontario”) to Kingsholm Farms, run by Kevin King, a former dealer for Homestead Organics. Stress free pigs and alternative pig feeds, pasture management and resources, pastured cattle, coyote management (the key is entrails!), and medicinal plants. I was hoping to get an idea about stocking rates for pigs, but things (at least in relation to pigs) are done more by observation than numbers and record keeping there.
The microbiome is a welcome area of research, not just for obesity, but also better understanding the role microbes from fermented foods play in our health. Just so you have some perspective, there are 774 bacteria living in our gastrointestinal tract, including 21 strains of Escherichia (E.) coli. This is a relatively new area of research, but it is being looked at by myriad organizations, from an international consortium to the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation. What I’m interested in is how it relates to the use of raw milk in cheese production. As we better understand the role that indigenous flora play in our own gut, we can better understand how the introduction of indigenous flora of another species interacts with our own. Some of us already know about the vital role that raw fermented foods play in our diet, thanks in part to Sandor Katz and others have done, but I don’t know how much has been done with dairy. If you have seen studies of interest, send them my way! Maybe I’m thinking a little bit ahead of the game. Canada doesn’t even have its own cheese microbiologist.
Stanford is currently doing a study about raw milk and lactose intolerance. The objective of the study is to “determine if lactose maldigestion and symptoms of lactose intolerance are lower when consuming Raw milk vs. conventional pasteurized milk”. I don’t know how widely the results will be publicized, if at all, but I will keep an eye on it and post a link here. Why should I care about these things? Data data data. I am a strong believer in my body’s own nutritional wisdom, but society runs on facts and numbers, and I’m a reluctant participant.
In addition to the microbiome, I’ve got a number of research items over the next couple months, parasites being high on the list, along with potential funding sources, herd behaviour, and as always, fromage. Parasites are many. One is meningeal worm (also called brain worm, or Parelaphostrongylus Tenius). This is transmitted from white-tailed deer to goats through snails, which goats pick up while browsing. I saw its effects when I visited Does’ Leap in VT. The goat’s keeper, Kristan, said the doe’s production hadn’t dropped but mobility was an issue, as it affects the spinal cord and causes neurological problems that can be fatal. Rotationally browsing goats with geese to reduce parasite load on pasture (I recently finished Living With Worms in Organic Sheep Production by P. Stockdale (COG) where they suggested multi-species grazing) is an option, but what about when the goats are in dense bush or young growth forest?
Stratford, ON is now not only home to the glorious Monforte Dairy, but now The Local Food Community Centre, another community food hub victory for Canada! Check out Community Food Centres Canada for more info. The Local summed up a CFC much better than I could, so here’s their description:
“A Community Food Centre is a welcoming space where people come together to grow, cook, share and advocate for good food. CFCs provide emergency access to high-quality food in a dignified setting that doesn’t compromise their self-worth. People learn cooking and gardening skills there, and kids get their hands dirty in the garden and kitchen in ways that expand their tastebuds and help them to make healthier food choices. Community members find their voices on the issues that matter to them, and people find friends and support. CFCs offer multifaceted, integrated and responsive programming in a shared space where food builds health, hope, skills and community.
CFCs go beyond traditional charitable giving approaches, which answer an immediate need but often do nothing to address underlying issues of chronic hunger, poverty and poor health. They do that by offering multifaceted, integrated and responsive programming in a shared space where people can grow, cook, share and advocate for good food.”
Hot yoga is keeping me alive right now, as is my library card. I am not a city mouse. Next on the reading list is M. F. K. Fisher’s How to Cook a Wolf. I recently finished Jennifer McLagan’s Odd Bits: How to Cook the Rest of the Animal, and although I’m subsisting mainly on lentils these days, I did make a lovely velvety broth with pig bones recently.
Oh, and I still have tea for sale, but it’s running out quickly.
Stay tuned for 2013 plans, which are now up in the air. France and Vermont may battle it out after all for a year of my love (by love I mean interning).
be well!
xx
Goat Psalms 