Checking Out The Family Farm
Well, I finally got a chance to check out the family farm. Yes, it’s true. Mr. Dot Com Mogul has a family farm. It’s not my farm of course. I would be way too lazy to ever work on a farm. Give me banker’s hours any day! The farm belongs to my uncle and this is the first time I have ever seen it. In addition to checking out the farm, we also had dinner at my uncles house, which is located on the farm.
The 20 acre farm field is just a pile of dirt right now because growing season is over. When the season begins, the field grows tons of veggies for the local Toronto supermarkets and restaurants.
The Internet on the farm is by satellite and it’s pretty slow. The house had a switch in the basement to connect the computers but no wireless. Lucky for me, my mobile office includes the world’s smallest wireless router. Here are more photos.
Looking out at the 20 acre field from the back pouch of the house. It’s the biggest pile of dirt I’ve ever seen. I’m going to have to come back here in the summer so I can see it covered with veggies.
We had dinner at the house. See! I do eat at home once in a while. Notice the chicken dish on the left.
These chickens are wondering where one of their friends went. 
Outside the greenhouse. On the right, you can see the crates used to carry the vegetables to market.
Inside the greenhouse, baby veggies prepare for their day in the big farm field.
You can’t show pictures of a farm and not show a picture of the tractor. There were three or four other tractors in the barn.
- Posted in Ramblings
- 51 comments what's your take?
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
Loading ...
Wow..looks like a pretty big farm
Reply to this commentYeah, huge, wonder if I can buy any veggies from Uncle Chow’s farm at my supermarket…
John Chow eating at home
Reply to this commentI grew up on a 50 acre vegtable farm, all those scenes look very familiar to me
Reply to this commentThe picture with the chickens really is
Reply to this commentJohn,
I absolutely love coming to your site and seeing what you are up to. Nice farm, nice food, great site.
Reply to this commentYou crack me up!
You’re right, the tractor makes all the difference
Makes it feel very farmy.
Reply to this commentThat tractor is too new, they should have an old Massey Ferguson!
Reply to this commentWe had a huge old Case that had a 3ft lever for the clutch. That was fun to drive when I was a kid.
Reply to this commentOurs started with a crank
Reply to this commentOur did too.:) I was always a bit scared shutting off the engine using the lever on what must have been the distributor or alternator (I can’t remember what it was on) yet I always wanted to do it.
Reply to this commentHaha yes, we had a larger tractor that had to be shut off with the little lever thingy.
Reply to this commentTractor is awesome! Not too old, not too new.
Reply to this commentThat was pretty evil showing the chickens after the dinner! hahaha . . . hilarious!
Reply to this commentI was gonna say the same thing. ha ha
Reply to this commentHmmm…tastes like…chicken?
Reply to this comment20 acres, wow, that IS a huge pile of dirt…money-making dirt, that is.
Reply to this commentIt can be difficult for smaller farmers to earn decent money. Looks like they’ve carved out a decent niche though. Good for them.
Reply to this commentLOL
Reply to this commentShow the bone of chicken to the other chickens. LOL that is more evil.
Looks a lot like my family farm actually.
Reply to this commentHow many people manage the BIG pile of dirt–and mold it to $$$? Those ARE some big crates by the way
. Must be some work to transport them to the market? Heheh, I bet there are tons of chickens in those crates :twisted:.
Reply to this commentHeh heh, you dont’ store chickens in crates
Reply to this comment
Makes me wanna get dirty, and grow some veggies. 
Reply to this commentBlogger-Rising.Blogspot.Com
Trust me, you don’t want to. It’s not very fun :p
Reply to this comment
Hmm. 
What’s more fun? 
Reply to this commentJust about anything, trust me man. I grew up on a vegetable farm. The hours are long, the work is back-breaking and the pay is lousy.
Reply to this commentNice of you to show this, John. As you cna tell from a few of the comments, in North America nearly 98% of the people have no concept at all where food comes from andthe investment it takes (in money and effort) to produce it.
About 2% of the population feeds the other 98%, there is actually a whole world out there beyond the Internet and Wall Street.
A 20 acre far is actully infentesimally small in today’s agribusiness world … it can only be economically feasile in a family operation and in a specialized, high rate of return market … such as being very close to an market that demands, and will pay for high quality table vegetables. I applaud your uncle and the rest of those who make the investment that enables the rest of us to worry about our weaight as we surf the web.
Reply to this commentIt’s hard for small farmers to make a living anymore, that’s why my parents stopped.
But trust me, I DO know how much effort goes into growing food
Reply to this commentOther than chickens where are the other livestocks? Goats or cows eh. Wouldn’t be complete without those. Reminds of my granny place, esp to walk carefully in the field, so as not to walk into a cows dung!
looking at the greenhouse is just so soothing. looks like a cosy place to retire
Reply to this commentVegtable farming is anything but soothing. Especially the greenhouse, since it’s boiling hot and humid like nothin’
Reply to this commenti said ‘looking’, not staying there in the greenhouse, haha
Reply to this commentToo bad you weren’t in any of the pics.
Reply to this commentWhat type of veggies are grown I wonder?
Reply to this commentCool John. I grew up with a couple old tractors around.
Reply to this commentI have a bunch of relatives who run farms, too — always a hoot whenever I visit and “sample the goods.”
Reply to this comment
“Sampling the goods” is all I know about farming. I’m still afraid of chicken if they are alive.
Reply to this commentSadly, it is my only known expertise as far as the family crop business is concerned LOL. It looks like I am not inheriting vast farmlands anytime soon.
Reply to this commentI grew up in Idaho…need I say more? Haha…my backyard was a little over 20 acres of farmland too…in fact all my neighbors backyards were too! I have to admit that greenhouse is pretty spiffy though…we didn’t have those…no need for the potatoes
Reply to this commentHey john take some tips and get the **** rid of all the ads… ****in annoying ****,
Reply to this commentYou don’t have to come here if you don’t like it.
Reply to this commentwow.. That’s a family farm? Quite big to maintain.. I would call it a food factory
Reply to this commentlooks kind of quaint… O_o
Reply to this commentMaintaining a farm (a seriously big one at that) is hard work, but it pays off in a whole lot of ways, too, doesn’t it.
Reply to this commentWow a farm thats cool hopefully it makes it work they tend to be money pits
Reply to this commentJohn!
I did the country thing some years ago. We had a place that was very picturesque, on the Grand River, with canoes floating by.
Except, it was too country for this city grrl! I give your uncle credit for ‘tending the land.’ It’s noble and few really appreciate the hard work, sense of purpose and yes, the reward that comes with working on a farm.
Thanks for always sharing and letting us, your readers know the aspects of you that truly make you a fascinating human being!
Adrienne Zurub
Reply to this commentThe Grand River? In south western Ontario?
Reply to this commentThose pictures remind me of “Smallville” !
The Farm looks very nice
Reply to this commentFarms are only fun if you’re superman and can do all the chores easily and quickly like he can
Reply to this commentI want to own a farm someday.
Reply to this commentI live on a farm (well, not currently, because I’m studding) and my farm is more beautiful then this one (I must take pictures and upload it when back home:)). I thought that in Canada farms are moderner then in Serbia, but it seems that this is not always case!
Reply to this commentwow i wouldve never thogh you had a family farm! It looks pretty bigg!!
Reply to this commentDon’t let those pictures fool you. I believe I recognise that farm - and that patch of land has probably the richest soil in all of Ontario - further, that farm/farmer is doing VERY well. With soil like that, you almost can’t help have a great crop (or two) each year.
Todd in Toronto
Reply to this commenthttp://www.scrapscene.com