Labels

August Homestead Update: Endless Tomatoes, Blight Battles & Big Plans

While August has rolled in with its heat, harvests, and homestead hustle, this month has been chock full of exciting progress and surprises.

If you’re curious what’s growing, what’s working, and what’s coming next, here’s the latest from our urban homestead!

Endless Tomato Harvests & Garden Wins

Basket of freshly harvested organic tomatoes with raindrops, picked from the Sunnyhill Homestead garden after the first rainfall following weeks of drought.
After weeks without a drop, the garden finally drank in some rain and our tomatoes couldn’t be happier. Freshly picked and glistening, they’re a sweet reminder of nature’s perfect timing.

The tomatoes just keep coming! We’re picking ripe, juicy tomatoes almost daily now! Enough to eat fresh, share with neighbours, and freeze for batches of sauces and salsas later when the life isn't so hectic. I absolutely adore the smell of summer fresh tomatoes cooking in the dead of winter! 

If you follow us on Instagram, you may have seen that as of August 11th, we have already harvested over 44lb's of organic tomatoes! According to an online calculator, on that date it would have cost us between $173-$223cnd for a 44lb mixed bunch of organic cherry, sauce & slicer style tomatoes at one of our regular grocery stores! When I say gardening saves us so much in food costs, I'm not exaggerating! 

At the end of the season, I will be posting a run down of how much food we have harvested in weight this year total! 

Another big win this month has been the early results from our DIY JADAM sulfur spray for late blight. So far, it looks like it’s working! The few blighted areas we have on some of our tomato leaves are drying up after a few spray applications, and new growth is blight free and thriving!  I’ll share the full recipe and how we’re using it in an upcoming post, so stay tuned!

Workshop Gardens Are Blooming

Vibrant pink zinnia blooming in the Sunnyhill Homestead workshop gardens, grown for pollinators and garden beauty.
A pop of pink joy from our workshop gardens; this zinnia is as hardworking for the pollinators like bee's, butterflies and hummingbirds!

Our community workshop gardens are really coming to life with beautiful colour and growth. It’s been so rewarding to see the participant's seedlings turn into thriving veggies and flowers! 

Everyone is learning and growing alongside their plants (quite literally!) The homeowner, Tracey, is absolutely thrilled and is especially in love with the beautiful blooming zinnias. We will be providing her many zinnia seeds for next year from our seed library, so she can continue to enjoy these flowers year after year! 

You can watch our latest update reel from the workshop gardens here on Instagram! 

A Big Project Is Brewing (Shhh…)

Father and son working together to build a treehouse platform without a tree at Sunnyhill Homestead, using a drill on the wooden frame.
Sawdust, teamwork, and lots of laughter! Building memories one board at a time.

We’re starting something pretty exciting here on the homestead. A build that’s a bit out of the ordinary, but oh so perfect for our four boys. It’s a treehouse… but without a tree. I’m keeping most of the details under wraps for now, but trust me, it’s going to be something special. I can’t wait to share it with you soon! If schedule continues as planned, some of it will be noticeable in our August garden tour video! 

Backyard Chickens in Cambridge? We’re On It!

Young boy holding a friendly backyard chicken at a friend’s home outside Cambridge, Ontario.
A gentle moment with a feathered friend. A glimpse of what backyard chickens could bring to families right here in Cambridge.

On the advocacy front, we’re thrilled to be supporting a local petition to change regulations and allow backyard chickens in Cambridge. Having chickens would be a game changer for many urban homesteaders here, providing fresh eggs, natural pest control, along with many other benefits!

If you’re a local and want to help make this happen, here is a link to the petition and the associated Facebook account. Every signature counts!

Looking Back & Moving Forward

Bright yellow sunflower in full bloom at Sunnyhill Homestead, with a large bumblebee collecting pollen and nectar from its center.
In the heart of our garden, a sunflower opens to the sun, while a bumblebee makes the most of its golden welcome.

Between the never-ending tomato harvests, managing garden concerns naturally, and tending to our flourishing gardens, all while being sure to make amazing summer memories as a family, life here has been nothing short of busy and so deeply rewarding. Keeping things simple and sustainable, whether it’s how we clean our home or protect our plants is what makes it all feel doable.

If you want to dive deeper into how we keep our homestead safe and chemical-free, check out our post The Homestead Cleaning Cabinet: What We Use (and Why We Ditched the Rest) for all the DIY cleaning essentials we swear by.

Cutting board with a sliced lemon and a bottle of pink Himalayan salt, ready for natural cleaning at Sunnyhill Homestead.
When cleaning feels like cooking. Lemon and salt, the perfect recipe for a naturally fresh home.

August will always be a month of true abundance at Sunnyhill Homestead. From the garden bounty to community growth to exciting projects on the horizon. Thank you for following along on this journey with us!

What’s growing for you this month? I’d love to hear all about it in the comments or on Instagram @TheSunnyhillHomestead!

Until next time,

Sarah & The Sunnyhill Homestead Family

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment