Let’s all take a moment to appreciate the hard work of our farmers and thank Ontario’s agri-food sector for the incredible bounty of fresh, safe & nutritious food we get to enjoy everyday 🙂
BACKYARD POULTRY — ORDER FORMS & PRICE LISTS
***PLEASE NOTE: New policy that payment is due when ordering for all Backyard Poultry Orders of day-old birds and ready-to-lay hens.
Chicks & Turkeys — Day-Old — 2019 Order Form & Price List Download our order form & price list for pricing and pickup dates. Please allow 4+ weeks lead-time on orders for the pick-up date you require.
Ducklings, Goslings, Guinea Keets & Pheasants — Order Form & Price List Download our order form & price list for pricing and pick-up dates. Please allow 5+ weeks lead-time on orders for the pick-up date you require.
Ready-to-Lay Pullets — Order Form & Price List Download our order form & price list for pricing and pick-up dates of ready-to-lay pullets. We anticipate monthly pick-up dates throughout spring, summer & fall — TBA
Place an order for your desired month’s waiting list and we will contact you when we know when order pick-up date to our store will be — You can decide then if the pick-up date works for you. Order frequency depends upon adequate order volume, the availability of pullets from supplier and timing of third-party delivery services. NB: Birds must be picked up in Blackstock on confirmed pickup day – Sorry, no carry-over of birds to the following day or beyond. Please bring poultry transport crate(s) or large cardboard box(es) for the transport of your birds.
For your Information: In Ontario, backyard laying hen flocks may have up to 99 hens without purchasing quota. Ungraded eggs can only be sold from the actual farm gate location; Graded eggs (through a licensed grading station) may be sold anywhere, even from small flocks.
FOLLOW US on FACEBOOK and ‘LIKE’ our page for updates, promotions, tips & tricks for your farm, garden & home.
GARDEN CENTRE SALE!! 50% OFF Bedding Plants
We’re proud to offer premium, locally-sourced ORGANIC Garden Soils and Potting Soil Mixes from the “Delicious Dirt” brand from Pefferlaw Peat Products. 
BACKYARD BIRDS:
For feeding your feathered friends, we have a great selection of bird feeders for wild birds, hummingbirds and Baltimore orioles. We also offer our Wright’s Premium Wild Bird Seed Mix, black oil or striped sunflower seed, safflower seed, peanuts, suet and other backyard wildlife supplies to keep them visiting your back yard. Follow this link: ‘YOUR BIRDS & WILDLIFE’ to visit our page where you’ll find valuable information on both feeding/hosting and also deterring backyard wildlife.
BACKYARD WILDLIFE:
For those who enjoy seeing deer graze on their property, Wright’s Feeds ‘N Needs manufactures their own custom Deer Mix that will attract deer to visit plus we stock whole corn, grains, deer & salt blocks — ***Watch for our custom deer mix available during fall & winter seasons when there is less access to food for deer in the wild.
LAWN & GARDEN:
THINGS TO DO THIS MONTH — with excerpts from gardening gurus Mark & Ben Cullen’s Newsletter
Dig and divide. Perennials that flowered in early to mid summer can be dug up and divided. Replant the divisions around your yard in the appropriate places or give them away if you have run out of space. Be sure that the soil is moist when you dig up the mature perennial. If you’ve been keeping on top of weeding through the summer months, you will find September not too bad — Stay on top of it.
Plant spring flowering bulbs. The boat has arrived from The Netherlands and we recommend that you check out the selection at your favourite retailer for the best selection of the season. Fact is, they don’t replenish the ‘hard to find’ varieties of tulips, daffodils, narcissus, hyacinths and the like later in the fall season. Even if you just store your new purchases in your garage for a few weeks, at least you have the varieties and colours that you really want.
Compost: a. empty b. fill. Not to oversimplify this, but your garden needs the natural goodness that is contained in your backyard composting unit and your now-empty composting unit will provide a valuable service this autumn when the leaves fall and you yank your spent annuals and veggie plants out of the ground.
Continue fertilizing annuals and veggies for the remainder of the season. A 20-20-20 works fine or a 15-30-15 for flowering plants. Winter-hardy plants get their last fertilizer application before the fall. From here-onward they will take care of themselves, stashing sugars into their roots. Early season perennials can be cut back , such as veronica and roses. They should re-bloom in a month or two.
Prop-up your tall-growing perennials with stakes, such as rudbeckias, coneflowers, hydrangea (with their heavy flowering heads), phlox, etc. to prevent them from falling over.
Shop for new plants! As long as you water enough, planting in the heat of the summer is fine and by now, many of the garden centers are discounting their perennials and shrubs — You might just find a great deal!
Take care of your lawn. Fertilize your lawn with Wright’s Feeds 28 – 4 – 8 with 50% slow-release nitrogen fertilizer + 1% Iron — The results are incredible. Your lawn will be so green it will appear almost blue-green. If no rain is in forecast when you are applying your August lawn fertilizer, be sure to water the lawn deeply.
Thicken your lawn. August/September is the best time to sow grass seed. Where thin spots exist, spread quality lawn dresser mix 4 cm thick and rake smooth. Broadcast quality grass seed at the rate of 1 kg per 100 sq. meters. (~ 1 lb. to 200 sq.ft.) Rake this smooth, step on it with a flat-soled shoes and water to keep seed moist until germination. Remember that during drier times, keep watering the new seedlings if rain is scarce — don’t let dry out as it will kill them when they are young/small.
Tree fruits such as apples and pears can fall apart if you don’t stay attentive. Mark applies End All and Green Earth Garden Sulphur to keep insects and disease at bay. These two products are safe chemical alternatives which can be applied together to save time.
Harvest! If you didn’t have so much going on in your life, you could almost watch the produce turn ripe in your garden on a good growing day. Make sure you find time to walk the garden daily so you don’t miss anything at its peak.
If you’re looking at an excess harvest, remember to check with your local food bank whether they’re participating in the Plant a Row, Grow a Row program (https://www.growarow.org/).
Herbs. Plant them. Harvest them as needed. Don’t over water them. With the exception of basil, they love to get dry between watering.
GARDEN HOW-TO VIDEOS:
Canada’s gardening gurus, Mark Cullen & son, Ben, had a great time shooting new videos in the garden. Here are a few gardening videos that will inform and entertain you — Check them out:
How-To Deadhead Annuals and Perennials
The Benefits of Mulch
Plant Selection for the East Side of Your Home
Upcoming Events:
- Fall Fairs in Durham Region
Soak up the sun and enjoy some local fun at one of these upcoming fairs in rural Durham. More Info
September 5 to 8: Orono
September 6 to 8: Uxbridge
September 11: Sunderland
September 13 to 14: Beaverton
-
Sept. 13 — Growing Your Farm Profits (GYFP) – Day 1
Start the business planning process for your farm business by attending this free two-day Growing Your Farm Profits (GYFP) interactive workshop followed by a one-on-one review meeting. Day 2 takes place Friday September 20. More Info
- Sept. 17 — Bio-security Workshop – Generic Livestock
Producers are invited to attend this Biosecurity Workshop to learn more about on-farm biosecurity best management practices and key areas of your farm to evaluate when developing a biosecurity plan. More Info
- Oct. 2 – 4 — Canadian Plowing Championship
Competitors from across Canada, who have qualified from their respective provinces, will come together to determine a Canadian Senior Conventional Plow Champion and a Canadian Reversible Plow Champion to represent Canada at the 2020 World Contest in Russia. More Info
- Oct. 5 — Gates Open: Find Your Flavour
See what life on the farm is like, get hands-on experience with fun farm activities, and discover one of Durham’s largest industries through this unique self-guided tour. More Info
- Oct. 16 — OFA Regional Meeting – Durham
Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) encourages all members to take the time to attend their local meeting, engage in discussions about the issues and priorities for the farm sector, and support your local agricultural community. More Info
- Oct. 25 & 26 — Meat Industry Expo
This is your opportunity to network with colleagues, learn from industry experts, and keep up to date on trends and issues in the industry. More Info
- Oct. 26 & 27 — Advancing Women in Agriculture Conference
The Advancing Women in Agriculture Conference is created for women who are passionate about agriculture and food whether you are a university student studying agriculture, producer, entrepreneur, representative of a grower association or corporate agri-business. More Info
The Durham Region 5 Million Trees Program is part of the Durham Community Climate Change Local Action Plan, with the goal of increasing forest cover in the region by approximately 2,800 hectares. To be eligible, landowners must have 2.5 acres of non-agricultural land to plant. Forests Ontario plants the trees at a highly subsidized rate and checks their survival at various intervals in the following few years. Learn more about Durham Region’s 5 Million Trees Program.
The On-Farm Childcare Program, offered by Durham Farm and Rural Family Resources (DFRFR), is designed to provide quality child care for farm families who reside in Durham where at least one of the parents’ primary source of income is through a farm operation. The program operates from May to September and allows parents to concentrate on farm work during peak times, without having their children in the workplace. Learn more about the On Farm Childcare Program.