We are a family located in Northern Ontario seeking to be more self-reliant by attempting to grow most of our food in our own backyard. We focus on permaculture and gardening has become our passion. In this podcast we reach out to like minded people in our community to share ideas about a more sustainable lifestyle.
You can also follow "Our Growing Experiment" on Youtube, Instagram and Facebook. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCE3htAi0045uUG83QgOWShA http://www.instagram.com/ourgrowingexperiment https://www.facebook.com/ourgrowingexperiment
In this episode we chat with Kendra from Ploughman’s Backyard about her take on Modern Homesteading. Kendra and her family live on a small 1.8 acres homestead in Canada where they strive to live simply by learning different homesteading skills. She shares information with others on her Youtube channel about gardening, preserving and chickens! Kendra hopes she can support others in pursuing this peaceful lifestyle and explains that you can do it on a tight budget. You can check out what Kendra is up to on Youtube, Facebook and Instagram @ploughmansbackyard.
Being self-reliant goes hand in hand with being prepared. Melanie from Bear Necessities is passionate about Survival Bushcraft and is eager to share her knowledge with others. Melanie tells us some key concepts when it comes to surviving in the woods. Melanie has also built a Wigwam in Sudbury where she hopes to continue to teach others how to Prepare and Survive. You can connect with Melanie on Facebook @Bear Necessities.
You start your garden, then what? Gardening is not meant to be solitary, talking with other gardeners is sometimes the most important tool you can have when growing your own food. Take us for example, this Podcast has equipped us with so much knowledge from other growers. Krista @zone3vegetablegardening also understands this which is why she began a coaching program so that she could be there for other gardeners who may have questions or concerns along their growing journey. Krista also thought it was necessary to provide more information on growing in Northern Climates to promote sustainability amongst those that have shorter growing seasons. Krista’s content is packed with great resources that you won’t want to miss!
You’re in the middle of nowhere, who do you see? Dariya and Jeff join us to share what it’s like to live off grid and experience a true version of yourself. Without all the distractions of today’s culture, participating in a #findingpolariswc program is a great opportunity to understand your primitive skills as well as your role within a small group. Dariya and Jeff have recently relocated to Sudbury and are learning ways to stay connected to nature while living in the city. It has never been a better time to learn self-reliance skills and take some time to reevaluate your lifestyle. Reach out to Finding Polaris to join the community!
Learning all you can about a topic is important in order to understand it well. Growing your own food is no different. When you start growing your own food you realize that the learning process is never ending. You don’t just want to harvest food every year, you want to continuously optimize your results. Rob @vergepermaculture understands the importance of growing your own food. Through his quest of knowledge he realized that Permaculture is a means of doing it successfully. Rob shares his experiences with us and the features of his Permaculture Design Course. Is Permaculture the future of food? There’s a good chance it is, find out why and how in this information packed episode of Our Growing Experiment! Reach out to Verge for any questions and interest in their Education program!
Tara and her family live on a farm in St-Charles that primarily grows Haskap Berries. Growing a fruit orchard takes years to develop and they are finally seeing the fruit of their labor. Tara tells us about everything she has going on at the farm such as a Hydroponic system and a Commercial kitchen. Tara and Denis are currently learning all the complexities of the Aquaponics system and working towards transforming their Hydroponic system to include fish that they can harvest to feed themselves. This family is not only trying to sustain themselves, but also their community. Tara and Denis are very community oriented and hope to have people use their facility for workshops! You can connect with Tara through Social Media @labelleviefarm. #ourgrowingexperiment #community #sustainability #supportlocal #smallbusiness #selfreliance #farming #localagriculture #podcast #growyourownfood #nature #garden #haskaps #orchard #hydroponics #aquaponics
Bri convinced Wade to start Farming and Wade convinced Bri to move to Sudbury. Wade and Bri started Good Hand Farm in the Whitefish area and are looking forward to their first season of growing produce to firstly feed themselves and then sell their surplus. They are starting small and will be experimenting with different Permaculture Principles. We are excited to follow their growing season and are happy to meet more young farmers who see the importance of growing your own food and putting your goals into action! Wade and Bri answered the call and you can check out their progress @goodhandfarm.#ourgrowingexperiment #community #sustainability #supportlocal #smallbusiness #selfreliance #farming #localagriculture #podcast #growyourownfood #nature #garden #farmlife #calltofarm #permaculture #youngfarmers
Stephanie @triplestaracres wanted her family to live closer to nature, so they started farming. She is passionate about ensuring her animals have the best life and is honoured to feed her community with high quality beef, pork, chicken and turkey. With her children, she cares for the chickens on the farm and tends to the garden. In this episode, she shares her family’s experience adapting to this lifestyle, as well as the importance of shopping local. Head to www.triplestaracres.com or stop in at the farm store, Stephanie will be glad to chat with you!
Andrea @walshforestfarms moved to the farm with her family to be closer to nature. Now, they sell meat rabbits and their rabbity has grown since they’ve started. Andrea will be on the SEWN Farm Stand Tour this summer and will be welcoming people to her location for meat rabbits, produce and flowers! Andrea has learnt her new skills from trial and error and shares a few tips on growing a garden. Head to www.walshforestfarms.com for more information!
When we started to Grow our own Food we really started to pay attention to what we were putting into (or around) our bodies. We shifted to selecting more natural items when making purchases. We discovered @thenickelrefillery a couple of years ago and it is exactly what we were looking for. The team there is focused on wasting less and providing high quality items. In this Episode we talk to one of the founders of the store, Liz, who explains how things work at a Refillery and how they choose the products they sell. The Nickel Refillery store is located at 227 Regent Street in Sudbury, we highly recommend checking it out!
It can be dangerous bringing together passionate growers. We don’t stop. In this 2.5 hour episode we chat about high intensity farming. Dan and Tom run an urban farm in PEI and grow 7000lbs of produce on less then a half acre! They share their experiential knowledge with us over a couple of drinks. Jordan is drinking a local favourite @46north. We also discuss various topics such as Canadian culture and current gardening trends. You can reach Dan and Tom @theburlyfarmer.
Lindsey taught herself to garden and now grows enough produce to feed her family year round. She grows a little bit of everything from vegetables to fruits to flowers to cannabis. She also sells a large variety of seeds harvested from her garden. With a background in Biochemistry and years of experience, Lindsey is growing her small business and uses Social Media to share with others tips and tricks for the garden. We highly encourage anyone with an interest in gardening to follow her content as it has been very helpful to us and can be to you! Follow Lindsey @thesuperiorgardener!
Vermicompost is a great way to manage your waste. Matthew started his Business to divert Organic Waste from Landfills and Provide Customers with ‘Black Gold’. In this episode we discuss Compost and how you can do it yourself at home! If you’re interested in connecting with Matthew go to www.ormuirorganics.ca.#ourgrowingexperiment #community #sustainability #northernontario #supportlocal #smallbusiness #selfreliance #farming #localagriculture #podcast #connect #food #growyourownfood #vermicompost #zerowaste #blackgold #compost #worms
What is the difference between a Food Forest and an Edible Forest Garden? Sudbury Shared Harvest brings nature to urban areas. Through this Charitable Organization people can not only access food but also learn to grow it! What we find most valuable is that this initiative is working on ways to work within our schools to teach children these skills. Imagine, a new generation of growers! If you’re interested in getting involved, you can reach Carrie on Social Media @Sudburysharedharvest or go to www.sudburysharedharvest.ca. #ourgrowingexperiment #community #sustainability #northernontario #supportlocal #smallbusiness #selfreliance #farming #localagriculture #podcast #connect #food #growyourownfood #foodforest #ediblegarden #nature #urbanfarm #charity #teachchildren #education #newgeneration
We strongly believe that localism is essential to have a self-sustaining community. Sean and Scott believe that as well and created Shop G’Day to connect people with farmers and producers in their local area - coast to coast! It’s great to connect with like-minded people and discuss creative ways to support local. You can reach out to them on Social Media @ShopGday or go to www.shopgday.ca.
If you’re thinking about Growing your own Food, Pollinators cannot be ignored. Jenny from Northern Wildflowers joins us to talk about her business selling Wildflower Seeds. Jenny explains the benefits of growing Native Plants and you can really understand the need to live WITH Nature. You can reach Jenny on Social Media @northernwildflowers or go to www.northernwildflowers.ca.#ourgrowingexperiment #community #sustainability #northernontario #supportlocal #smallbusiness #selfreliance #farming #localagriculture #podcast #pollinators #wildflowers #nativeplants #growyourownfood #nature
Mike from Wild Meadows Farm joins us to talk about his experiences in Farming. If you want to become Self-Reliant you need to understand current events in Farming. We are passionate about this subject because we all have to eat, but what are you eating exactly? There are serious concerns when it comes to the future of Farming, here we talk about ways where you can prepare. You can reach Mike on Social Media @wildmeadowsfarm or go to www.wildmeadowsfarm.ca.
Ever wonder how Self Reliant you could be when you’re sick? Aimée from Restless Ravens joins us to discuss her Apothecary. She grows and forages plants in order to not only promote her own wellbeing but those of others’. We reached out to Aimée because we wanted to know what we could grow at home to heal certain ailments! You can find her products and services here: www.restlessravens.ca.
In Our Growing Experiment we share our gardening journey and reach out to like minded people in our community. There has been some interest in knowing more about us and why we’re doing this, so here it is, Our Origin Story.
Special thanks to Fionna from the Flourmill Community Farm who prepared questions and agreed to record this BONUS Episode with us!
Dave and Chantal from Dalew Farms not only provide their community with Grass-Finished Beef and Pasture Raised Pork, they also run Click Fork! In this interview we talk to Dave about farming, as well as current events we are seeing today in and outside of Canada. You can Shop Online at www.clickfork.ca for their products and those of other local farmers who also strive to provide the best quality they can!
Meet Peggy and Eric from Three Forks Farms! This farm is located on Manitoulin Island but you can also find their products in Sudbury. In this interview we chat about organic farming and they also share some great gardening tips that you’ll certainly find useful for your own garden! You can reach Peggy and Eric on Social Media (Instagram and Facebook) or find more information on their website www.threeforksfarms.com.
The Flourmill Community Farm is an urban farm grown by youth farmers! Listen to this great chat with Fionna where we talk about the organization’s mission and other great topics relating to food, community and the future of local agriculture! Fionna also shares some great information, please find the links below, and if you’re interested in learning more you can reach out on Social Media (Instagram and Facebook)!
Food Sovereignty | National Farmers Union (nfu.ca)
Agroecology | National Farmers Union (nfu.ca)
E99 - Lyla June on Indigenous Food Systems, Sacred Knowledge And Compassion // Paradigms Embedded In Our Languages Of Beauty - all that we are (fka the future is beautiful)
PODCASTS | Lylajune
Manidoo Bineshiinh (@manidoobineshii) • Instagram photos and videos
Meet Kaitlin and Bill! You can find these amazing two at Knowhere Public House. This pub collaborates with various local farms and businesses to offer food and drinks locally sourced. For us, this was a great place to build community and to discuss important topics. We inevitably went from philosophy, to politics and even religion. Do not hesitate to get down to 130 Elm street, Sudbury for great food, drinks and conversation.
Zoi Monroy from Choreograph Your Life is a Salsa Dancer, Mindset Coach and Speaker! We reached out to Zoi to discuss Neuro-Linguistic Programming and the benefits of shifting your perspectives to achieve higher potentials. If you’re interested in connecting with Zoi, you can check out her website www.zoimonroy.com or Social Media (Facebook and Instagram).
This week we chatted with Scott, owner of Sudbury based business Papa Propane. When considering how to become more self-reliant in a Northern Climate, you really can’t ignore the need for heat! Listen to this informative and fun conversation regarding the benefits of different heat sources, as well as incinerating toilets? Check out www.papapropane.ca for Scott’s contact and for other relevant information.
Last week we travelled to Off The Bee’tn Path where Adelle showed us her apiary. We later sat down for tea with Adelle and Tom to chat about bees, as well as local agriculture! Adelle sells raw honey as well as organic garlic. To know more, watch the interview and check out www.offthebeetnpath.com.
Last week we travelled to Off The Bee’tn Path where Adelle showed us her apiary. We later sat down for tea with Adelle and Tom to chat about bees, as well as local agriculture! Adelle sells raw honey as well as organic garlic. To know more, watch the interview and check out www.offthebeetnpath.com.
In this episode we talk to Nicole from Nickel City Cheese in Sudbury. Ever wonder how this business started and what’s unique about it, listen now! We can guarantee you’ll have Poutine on your mind. Nickel City Cheese is located at 3888 Regional Rd 15 in Chelmsford and they also sell their products at various locations. For more check out www.nickelcitycheese.ca.
Fresh Field Grown Flowers @kailasflowerfarm! Kaila has been homesteading for 10 years! She loves living in nature and has many self sustainable skills. She also has an emu? For more on flowers and homesteading check out www.kailasflowerfarm.com.
We’ve released 15 episodes so far and are so excited to share our first on-site Podcast episode! Last week we travelled to La Ferme Idéale Limitée in Noëlville to visit the farm and interview the owner Marc Seguin. Marc is a fourth generation dairy farmer! He is also involved with breeding and sells beef and live cattle. You can reach Marc Seguin on Facebook, at fermeideale@yahoo.ca or (705)898-2424.
Dan is the owner of Espanola Coffee Roasters. His love for coffee led him to starting the company and as his business grows he continues to ensure that he is providing good quality specialty coffee to our area! Coffee might not be grown locally, but it is definitely enjoyed locally! This podcast will teach you where coffee comes from and how it ends up in your cup! You can order Espanola Coffee Roasters Coffee on their online store or purchase their products at various locations near Sudbury.
Erin and Stephane from Truly Northern Farms started growing hydroponically 5 years ago. They don’t only sell produce year-round, but they also serve our community by supporting local agriculture and businesses. Check out their Self-Serve Farm Store at 3369 Regional Road 15, Chelmsford for fresh local greens as well as other local products! For more information check out www.trulynorthern.ca, or you can find them on Social Media!
In this episode we talk to Meredith from Teller Wellness Essentials who is creating a life she loves with her family by trying to live a more sustainable lifestyle. She has developed a passion for Sourdough and makes unique loaves to share with others, all using local products! You can find Meredith’s freshly baked Sourdough at Seasons Pharmacy and Culinary on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. She also takes customer orders through her Facebook and Instagram @Tellerwellness!
Dariya is the founder of Finding Polaris Wilderness Community where you connect not only with nature, but yourself. This program offers experiences that will enhance your wilderness skills and deepen your appreciation for life. You can find more at www.findingpolaris.org as well as Social Media (Instagram, Facebook).
Kara from Red Rowan Acres brings us into a deep dive of the intricacies of raising and caring for chickens as well as the importance of community support. You can find more on www.redrowanacres.ca as well as Social Media (Instagram, Facebook).
Nothing like picking fruit from your own yard. Meet Phil from Beautiful Field Farm who can help you build your own food forest! This informative episode can guide you to plant fruit trees and shrubs successfully. You can find more on www.beautifulfieldfarm.com as well as Social Media (Instagram, Facebook and Youtube).
Homegrown. Homemade. In this episode we talk to Jane and Miranda from the Sudbury Market! The Market runs all winter long at Sciences North on Saturdays from 10am to 2pm.
Aimée and Dan from Restless Ravens Homestead are gardeners, foragers, tanners, farmers, hunters, trappers, alchemists, herbalists, artists and environmentalists! In this episode we talk to them about living with nature and of course their Mangalitsa Pigs! You can check them out on their website www.restlessravens.ca and on Social media (Instagram, Facebook).
Meet Ivan and Brittany from the Ugly Barn Farm. They grow 19 different species of mushrooms at their farm! You can check them out on their website www.theuglybarnfarm.com and on Social media (Instagram). Be sure to check our the “find” section of their website to know where you can purchase their products! They are also at the North Bay Market and the Sudbury Market on Saturdays.
How Alive is your food? We discuss this topic and many others with Pharmacist Rachelle from Seasons Pharmacy and Culinaria! The store is located at 815 Lorne street in Sudbury. You can also check out more on her website www.seasonspharmacy.com and on Social media (Instagram).
Stephanie from Friske Point Ranch started her journey towards sustainability in the suburbs raising chickens in her backyard. She’s now helping others do the same while furthering her own goals! You can check her out on her website www.friskefarm.com and on Social media (Instagram and Pinterest).
Ever heard of Agritourism? Lisa and Jay run a small farm in Lavigne, Ontario where they invite the community to visit, have fun and experience the farm life. You can check them out on their website www.oldmcdonaldsfamilyfarm.ca and on their Social Media (Facebook and Instagram).
Stacey and Mitch live in New Sudbury and they grew zucchini on their front lawn last year! Stacey and Mitch are strong advocates when it comes to gardening in the city, anyone could do it and the results are so rewarding. You can follow their journey on Instagram @sudburycitygardeners.
Renée and Matt run a diverse farm in Warren, Ontario. On top of caring for their animals they run two sizeable greenhouses all year round! Who says you can't grow tomatoes in the winter? They sell their lettuce at Smith's Market in Sudbury (Lasalle and Algonquin locations), as well as Le Fromage in Verner and the St-Charles Food Market in St-Charles. You can also check them out on Social Media (Facebook and Instagram).
Interview starts at 1:15. Josh and Holly run a small farm in Noelville, Ontario. Their main focus is live stock and they raised about 1700 chickens this year! You can check them out on Social Media (Facebook and Instagram). You can also purchase their products on-farm at 326 Pilon Rd in Noelville, at the Sudbury Market every weekend and at the French River Market throughout the summer!