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The 130th Bear River Cherry Carnival

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Cherry Carnival 2023

For 130 Years, The People of Bear River, Nova Scotia, have invited people to come celebrate the Bear River Cherry Carnival. This year we at #BridenFarm have been so busy trying to work around the ongoing rains that we unfortunately won’t have a Float! However, the Bear River Cherry Carnival will go ahead as planned on 22 July 2023. Remember you can have the opportunity to walk the Greased Pole and grab the $100 Prize! 

Here’s a list of Activities at the 130th Bear River Cherry Carnival…

130th Bear River Cherry Carnival 2023

See You There!

Call Brian at Briden Farm to Book Your Farm Visit: 📞 902-907-0770

Recent Rains Caused Excessive Weeds

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Briden Farm Lower Garden

We’ve had some recent rainfalls that have washed out road ways, and flooded gardens. According to CBC, “June completely erased Nova Scotia’s rain deficits of early spring“! Global reports that, “Halifax just had its 3rd-rainiest June on record.” Reading those articles one also learns that Kejimkujik, located about 10 miles from us, had its rainiest June ever! The trend has continued! On July 1st, in about an hour and a half, Bear River got so much rain it washed the roads out! Or at least several parts of them! 

All this rain led to parts of our garden being under water! Maybe next year we’ll plant Rice! Meanwhile, it has meant my digging trenches, doing my best to divert water, and even with all that the ground has still been too wet for me to walk on it. So, not being able to get in the Garden, has led to weeds! Lots and lots of weeds! As You can see… 

Briden Farm Lower Garden

Which led me to finally getting in there today, tilling and hilling, and sweating! The temperatures reached into the 30s Celsius (or nearly 90 F). It wasn’t easy, but I got t done! Approximately 7,000 Sq Ft of Garden, all Tilled. Hilling about 200’ of Corn and Potatoes! I still have about 120’ of Potatoes to hill, and then weeding! Lots and lots of Weeding! 

The reason I did so much last night, and today in the heat, was I wanted to get ahead of the rain forecast for this weekend. I was thinking today was Friday! Not! It’s only Thursday! So, now, maybe I will get caught up by the weekend! 

Freshly Hilled Potatoes

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Freshly Hilled Potatoes

Perhaps it’s my Irish Blood, but nothing does my heart as good as seeing beautiful growing, and freshly hilled, potatoes! 🥔 🥔 🥔 🥔 🥔 🥔

I actually love pretty much everything about Potatoes! 

I love planting potatoes, weeding, hoeing, hilling, digging, and eating potatoes!

This year, I’ve planted three gardens and all three have potatoes some potatoes! Over 300’ of Potato Rows! Which I hope yield about 900 lbs of potatoes! I have, in the past, a number of years ago, harvested as much as 10 lbs per foot! However that was on good soil, and ideal conditions. Our current gardens are first time, and forest gardens (pictured above). So, some rows will likely only average a pound or two per foot. Others, with a little luck and lots of prayer, may yield an average of 5 lbs per foot. So, I’m guesstimating a total harvest of about 900 lbs by September! 

Definitely have a few different varieties, My Favourite is Kennebec (I’ve grown 2 Pounders), and my second favourite is Irish Cobbler which mature early and give nice dry potatoes. We also have Adirondack Blue, Golden Russet, Huckleberry Gold, and LaRatte Fingerlings and German Fingerlings. Seven different types! The first of which Irish Cobbler should soon be providing us with New Potatoes!

Now, You’re probably asking, “What on earth are you going to do with all those potatoes!?” Great Question! Glad You asked! We’ll maybe sell a few, save some for next years seed, and eat them of course! Eat 900 lbs of Potatoes!? Don’t worry, they’ll get eaten! When we cook them, we’ll cook a large pot o them, and what we don’t eat, we’ll use as Feed for our Animals. 

Lara’s Piglets Are Nearly Weaned

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Lara’s Piglets Nearly Weaned

We’ve gone with as natural approach to the whole process as possible. Lara farrowed, gave birth to, eight healthy piglets on April 5, 2023 and that meant she went from being a Gilt to being a Sow. We did not use crates or cages to prevent her rolling on the piglets. Rather, we Wintered two smaller pigs with her. They were about a quarter to a third her size. I think it made her more conscious of not rolling on them, and in turn her piglets. It also helps that Lara, part through training, and a bigger part by her personality, is very calm and gentle. She’s made a beautiful Mother. 

So, the piglets were born 25 days ago, and rather than pull them away from their Mom, we left them. We’ve noticed them eating hay at about a week old, and at day 17 we had them out on pasture with their Mom, Lara. Just an hour or so, increasing the length of time a little each day. Actually it was their Mom, Lara, that decided the length of time outside! She’d walk over and nudge the makeshift, pallet, gate when she wanted to go in! 

Then, tonight, this is what I saw…

Actually, just moments before this video was shot, all of the Piglets were eating!

It’s been such an interesting and rewarding experience to work with Lara, and her piglets, and see how smart they are and see what a good job she’s done with them!