the enablers

the enablers.. a salute to my mother and my daughter's mother.

today i harvested for tomorrow's market.

long winter, wet spring, and cold wet soil do not make for an early start to gardening / farming.

however, i harvested today.

not much, but that which i reaped was sown in previous years.. which helps illustrate a point.

the lay of my land is not suited to early spring planting.

i would need to perform major modifications in order to make this possible.

i would be asking this land to do something very much outside of its nature.

so after many years of observing and working in a decidedly unobtrusive manner ( i hope)

i've finally managed to understand how to manage this farm's resources in order to reap without going crazy trying to plant before the land is ready.

i have become an enabler... 

... as did my parents when they accepted the task / joy / responsibility of allowing my existence in this world.

so, thank you mom ( and dad) for enabling me to live my life.

and thank you kumiko for allowing me to pass the gift ..

give thanks for the enablers.

welcoming another traveller

we welcome another traveller on the jambican journey..

rinwa has come and joined this journey, and we have welcomed her at every stage along the way up to today.

we honour her choice and pledge to do all in our power to provide her with the means to find health happiness and security.. 

we will change our pace and alter our path as necessary..

..for this journey is a journey of creation ( = rastafari), where we are creating a peaceful place together ( = kagiso).

these have been constants since our journey's beginning.

now we have been joined by our powerful spirit of harmony / peace, and are strengthened as we fondly remember from where we have come, enjoy our presents, and imagine that which may come to pass.

all are welcome on this journey, knowing that the itinerary is clear 

we create a peaceful place together.. through food, music, farming, nurturing, communicating, studying, learning, observing, be-ing, .. and all are welcome.

jambican is hiring

join the jambican experience!

the successful candidates should :

• want a happy life
• be able to recognize what they have been given.. the resources which surround them everyday in every way
• forgo passing value judgements on said resources
• have gratitude for said resources and accept / embrace them in their being
• be willing and able to use their energy to transform said resources into forms useable to others
• be secure in the knowledge that applying inspired acts to given resources gives meaning to one's life (and happiness to others)

here is a job description:

jambican studio gardens is engaged in the business of taking and transforming the offerings from 10 acres of horticultural activities and 20 acres of woodland into products useable to others.

all those involved in this business will have a part in performing the following activities :

mixing soil for starting seeds

planting and transplanting into pots

planting and transplanting into the ground

preparing soil for planting

managing moisture

handling wood chips

handling compost

observing the potentialities in all situations

weeding (providing space and air)

observing insect activity

evaluating plant readiness for harvest

harvesting

washing

post-harvest handling

packing

distribution

communicating business values

communicating potential methods of use (for offered products)

task performance will require 12-20 hours per week from april to october.

remuneration shall be in the form of an hourly wage or payment-in-kind (at market value based on an hourly rate)

other tasks may be added depending on candidate's interests and abilities.

if this posting is sparking some interest, please respond to csamuels at storm dot ca or 613-299-9183

thank you for your time

the jambican csa 2014 season

christmas markets are finished..

seed catalogues have arrived..

post-mortem has been performed on the 2013 season..

now it is csa time!

jambican's version of Community Supported Agriculture is centred around a food box delivered or picked up weekly or bi-weekly.

our basic food box contains 3 bunches of greens (cooking), 3 bunches of roots (with tops normally), 3 boxes of fruiting veggies, 2 bunches of herbs, and cut flowers.

each box contains 'extras' - which can include things such as strawberries, gooseberries, hot sauce, herb salt, dry beans, whole grains, dried vegetables, vegan baking and much more.

we offer three options - full shares (16 weeks from july to october) for $720.00, extended shares (20 weeks from mid-june to mid-november) for $900.00, and half shares (every second week from july to october) for $360.00.

work shares are also available for those who wish to participate in the jambican experience on a deeper level.

some form of committed interest would be appreciated by march 15, 2014.

we are limiting our memberships in line with our production capacities, so please keep this in mind as you weigh your food options for the season.

alternatively, we can still be found at both the main street market and the ottawa farmers' market from may to november.

enjoy life with health and happiness..