About the Farm

Thyme for Ewe Farm is a diversified small scale farm located in Millville, Cape Breton, run by Tim and Estelle Levangie. We produce vegetables, herbs, free range chickens, pastured pigs and beef cattle. We also have some sheep and goats for mowing and milk production (personal use). We are processing our pork on farm, into sausages and bacon. We are planning on expanding our offering of processed meat and custom work for other farmers.

The farm sells through the Cape Breton Food Hub, the Cape Breton Farmers market and at the farm.

We believe that farming can be regenerative and sustainable, leaving a legacy for the future generations.

Responsibilities

The Meat Shop Helper responsibilities would include:

- Participate in the making of sausages and bacon, including packaging and cleaning.

- Help with the creation of new products such as charcuterie

- Other duties as assigned

This is a part time position, with the option to help on the rest of the farm (Plant, harvest in garden and greenhouses, fencing, feeding of livestock, catching chickens, building renovation, etc…)

Qualifications and Qualities

–        Experience with smoking of meat/charcuterie an asset

–        Ability to maintain a professional and positive attitude

–        Self-motivated and able to maintain a fast pace of work for a whole day

–        Ability to communicate efficiently, follow directions well and willing to learn

–        Strong attention to details and organization

–        Must be able to work independently as well as in a team setting

–        HACCP knowledge an asset

–        Food Handler certification necessary

–        Meat cutting experience an asset

–        Passion and interest in working/learning about small-scale, low-input, sustainable vegetable and animal production

–        Comfortable with kids and a family working environment

-        Must have own transportation to the farm

Please email thymeforewefarm@gmail.com with your resume and why you would like to apply.

Victory Gardens, also called “war gardens” or “food gardens for defense” were gardens planted by ordinary citizens during World War I and World War II to provide some relief in the public food demands.

Victory gardens were soon “cropping up” across the United States and Canada. Victory gardens were considered a civil morale booster, giving a sense of purpose and a way to contribute to society, providing the food needed to sustain a nation during a time of need. After the war ended, gardening became more of a hobby rather than a necessity for most people.

But today we’re facing new challenges again, and growing your own food might just be what you need.

We need to eat more fruits and vegetables, but what’s available at grocery stores lacks the nutrition and freshness that your body needs, and is getting more expensive by the minute…

Not only is gardening an excellent way to reduce your grocery bill, but it is also a great way to bring your family (and neighborhood) together.

Here are some compelling reasons why you should consider starting your own Victory Garden this year:

-        Growing your own fresh fruits and vegetables is a great way to stretch your food budget.

-        Homegrown vegetables provide readily-available nutrition (every day a vegetable is off the vine it loses its health benefits).

-        No harmful chemicals are sprayed on your veggies.

-        It would provide fresh air and outdoor exercise for the whole family.

-        Forges bonding experiences for family and community members.

-        Allows you to control your food supply and be more self-sufficient.

-        Gardening is a great activity to help relieve stress and improve sleep quality.

-        Reduces your carbon footprint.

-        Statistically, gardeners live longer!

Don’t let the lack of space deter you. No matter how much room you have, you can grow your own vegetables in your backyard (or front yard, in some cases). Even a 10 x 10 ft garden can grow a tremendous amount of food for your loved ones. And even if all you have is a balcony or deck, growing in containers is a great way to get started!

If you don’t know where to start, I have a free workshop coming up April 15 at 4pm ‘’ How to get started growing a vegetable garden’’. Register by clicking here.

Or go to this link: https://forms.gle/ch53YqbvZEA7qci96

Weeding is a gardener’s favourite pastime… said no one ever!

Thankfully there is a lot of ways to limit the amount of weeding required to keep your garden looking great, and over time it will get easier and easier if you implement some of these techniques.

1- Mulch, mulch, mulch – Straw, wood chips, shredded leaves… any organic matter will help your soil over time as well as stop weeds from growing.

Mulch pathways early to stop weed problems before they start – a layer of cardboard underneath the mulch will stop any perennial from growing through the mulch.

Any exposed soil left bare is a weed magnet, so make sure plants will cover it or cover it with something else if you don’t want to weed it.

2- Black plastic is a great way to rid yourself of any weeds, but anything that doesn’t let light through will work (old swimming pool liner, tarp, old carpeting, sheet metal). Just make sure it is secured to the ground, as wind can pick it up and potentially send it flying (except for carpet!). It’s the lazy way to weed, and the only way to work on perennial weeds that are hard to kill by just pulling them out. 

Take weed patrol walks frequently to catch flowering weeds before they produce seeds – Over time there will be less and less weed seeds in your soil and weeding becomes a breeze. Make sure that there isn’t any around your garden since seeds can be blown away and potentially land in your soil!

3- Cultivating, hoeing and hand pulling are still the major control methods for weeding. It might sound like a lot of works and is usually still needed even if you use mulch. But over time it will be less and less necessary if you make sure that no more weeds go to seed and perennial weeds are under control.

Some weeds that you don’t want to be tilling are dandelions and quackgrass, since they’ll grow back from any tiny piece of root left in the ground.

Hoeing can be a fast way to get rid of tiny annual weeds starting to grow. Doing it at the right time with a sharp hoe makes weeding easy. Make sure you hold it properly and keep your back straight so that it doesn’t become painful.

And then hand weeding is always necessary to get the weeds that grow really close to your plants. It doesn’t have to be time consuming and boring, as you can see the progress you’re making right away. But if it’s a large task, it’s a good idea to break it up in smaller parts than to get discouraged or trying to get it all done in one go and get really sore. The key is to not get overwhelmed by waiting too long to get started – weeds can grow really fast in the summer!

Boiling water can also be used on annual weeds, but it will also kill life in your soil. I would only advise using this method when uprooting is really difficult, like between blocks or on a stone walkway.

And remember that some weeds are actually useful. You can feed them to the chickens, or eat them yourself – Lamb’s quarter and purslane are very nutritive, plantain and dandelion are highly medicinal. My favourite thing about gardening is that I can snack there all day without planning to bring any!

Want to learn more about growing vegetables? Sign up for my free workshop ‘’ How to get started growing a vegetable garden’’ happening March 28 at 6pm. Click here to register!