September is an A-maize-ing Month

We thought it's time for another corn update!

Despite the wet spring, it appears we'll be marking a record year in a couple of ways. After a quick review of sweet corn records, this year has been extraordinary in that we've been able to offer sweet corn almost non-stop since we opened for the season.  Typically each season we end up with breaks of a day or 2 without corn as we wait for ripening of the next variety (or predators help themselves before we can get it picked for you).  This year though, the cooler days has meant that ripening has been slow and we've been able to harvest more corn and even secondary cobs.   Clearly cool weather has been like having our own refrigerator in the field!

Just in case you're not counting like we are, we've just marked 41 consecutive days of sweet corn (44 in total) and no end in sight!! The latest prediction is that we will have corn until Thanksgiving! That's a lot of sweet corn at our dinner table....and we're still happy to eat more.

Along with the amazing corn season, we have to thank everyone for continuing to purchase our garlic.  Sadly, we're almost sold out with just a few braids and a small number of cloves left.  We do look forward to planting within the new few weeks for next year's harvest. Really, garlic season never ends at Dorisdale!

Our green and yellow beans proved to be bumper crop.  Plants are still flowering so watch for another couple of days of availability.  A perfect time to get your freezer full for winter. Ella's delicious heirloom tomatoes are ripening beautifully with this warm weather too and zucchini are still growing so check us out for more garden goodies along with sweet corn.

We started a back-to-school post but never finished so this September blog seems like the perfect time to mention the gang at Dorisdale! Looking at the kids makes us realize how quickly years pass by....and are a great marker of how many years since we did this or that here at the farm.  We're proud of our family/team.

Claire headed back to the University of Ottawa on Labour Day for her 2nd year in  Biomedical Mechanical Engineering.  And yes, she did take corn with her to share with housemates!  Next summer could be an adventure for all us as Claire is planning to complete her 1st co-operative education term....and corn sales might not qualify!  Maggie is now in Grade 11 and has a big year planned at school with Link Crew (supporting Gr 9's transitioning to high school),  a Social Justice Brigade trip to Guatemala in April, fall field hockey, a part in the spring musical Grease (casting happens this week) along with 4-H, Peterborough's Children's Chorus and managing  some school work in between it all!  Liam is in Grade 8 and looking forward to leadership opportunities at school including sports teams (his team just won 2nd at the Family-of-Schools Soccer Tournament), being on the Radio Team (PA Announcements) and spreading Feel Good Friday messages with Leaders Today.  Hockey is also underway so he's excited to back in net as goalie for one of the Otonabee Wolves Bantam teams and hopefully he can fit in a 4-H club through the winter too.  Ella is in Grade 6 and is excited to be part of Leaders Today at school for the first time..and being a lunch monitor.  Along with 4-H, she's also a very keen Keene Girl Guide with lots of plans for badges and fun all winter long.  We really appreciate the kind comments and your support of the kids over the summer.  Liam & Ella's tip jars are overflowing, so thank you for your generosity and kindness (and extra incentive!).

Overall, we have so much to be thankful for - our family, friends, our supportive community.  It's been an a-maize-ing summer and fall!

Simmentals 💖 Sweet Corn

Staying true to Gerald and Bernadette's commitment to fresh picked quality produce, we continue to hand pick our sweet corn each morning.  We thank all our customers for stopping by and have very little corn left each day, but when we do, the part of our Simmental herd pasturing here for the summer get excited!  Leftover corn becomes a treat for them...along with what's left of our corn cobs from supper.

When we've finished picking a planting of sweet corn, it's important for us to use it effectively.  Corn stalks are a good source of energy and roughage for ruminants.  Did you know that cows are ruminants meaning that they have 4 stomachs that are needed to digest grasses/plants?.  We also have cobs that we couldn't pick as they didn't germinate properly or were damaged by wildlife. Local raccoons, birds, and we think this year even coyotes, have heard about our delicious sweet corn and want a taste of it!

Picture:  Corn stalks in the field... with lots of good eating after we've picked the cobs.

Rather than plowing under corn stalks, we use a "vintage" forage harvester to cut up/chop the picked over rows of stalks along with the odd cob, into a ready to eat  chopped corn; not quite "corn silage" though because it does not ferment in a silo but rather is chopped directly into a feeder wagon and promptly fed to the cows.  

Picture:  Peter heading out to the field with the harvester.

 

Picture:  Peter with the feeder wagon - cows each find their own spot within 

the metal bars of the wagon to get their corn silage fix!

The cows love this fresh feed.  It's a bit different from the silage or ensilage we bag from feed corn that ferments due to the high carbohydrate and protein levels with high fibre (to prevent deadly bloating).  Our cattle eat this silage all winter long as a way to boost their energy levels during our cold winters along with dry hay.

Picture:  Fresh cut silage. You can see the beautiful green colour of
stalks and pieces of chopped up cobs.

The cows listen attentively for Peter coming in from the field with this treat to supplement their grass eating while on pasture.

Picture: The Simmentals waiting not so patiently - they can hear the tractor & feeder wagon on it's way up the laneway.

It gets a little loud when they hear the tractor coming from the field.  They actually head to the barn yard and start bawling/mooing until Peter brings them what they're looking for!

Clearly, we all love Dorisdale Sweet Corn!