Harrowsmith

Harrowsmith is still the reliable go-to for gardeners, weekend carpenters, homesteaders, hobby farmers and urban dwellers with romantic fantasies of country life. Harrowsmith publishes four issues a year in conjunction with the seasons--three print issues and a summer digital exclusive.

Editor’s Note

Publisher’s Letter

Harrowsmith

Boys of Summer

Harrowsmith Summer • Practical tips to help you embrace the season

BOOKSHELF

Summer Skies • Robert Dick helps us navigate the season’s best celestial events.

That Ol’ Rototiller of Mine • Writer Michael Schultz waxes lyrical about his trusted companion.

Legendary Tales • Weather Editor Mark Sirois decodes some of the familiar meteorological sayings that many of us grew up repeating.

The Farmerettes Live and On Stage

A place called FARMVILLE • With farming, just like with family, there can be ups and downs, twists and turns, harsh lessons and, sometimes, dumb luck. For Cynthia Beretta, the cofounder of Beretta Farms, a leader in the organic meat industry for more than 20 years, this couldn’t be more true. And she wouldn’t change a thing.

Meet (some of) the Women in Agriculture • Ever since the Farmerettes stepped in to keep our country’s farms running (and our citizens and soldiers fed) during the Second World War, women have been throwing open barn doors to cement their place in the Canadian farming industry history books. Here are just a few.

Portable Power Stations: Is this new technology for you?

Standing the Test of Time • Fabric structures have been around since ancient times, but modern versions—whether temporary or permanent—may be the modern-day answer to your shelter and/or storage needs.

Legacy Laid: Tradition and Triumph in Multigenerational Farming • Burnbrae Farms, now in its sixth generation of farming, is one of the largest egg producers in Canada. Here, they share how strong family values, calculated risks and effective succession planning helped them become one of the country’s most thriving agricultural family dynasties.

Garden Tours 101

The Stalk Market • Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) has become an alternative way for households to receive fresh, seasonal produce straight from the farm. Ben and Mark Cullen give us the dirt.

A Garden Reborn • Though not everyone would agree, Ben and Mark Cullen argue that gardeners are basically smaller-scale farmers. So, if regenerative agriculture is the preferred way to raise animals and produce large crops, there must be huge benefits for those who toil in the soil, too.

The 6 Cs of Soil Health • Tackling Climate Change with Soil

The Ideal Garden Tourist • Our friends at Toronto Botanical Garden share their expertise on how to get the most out of summer’s garden tours.

Al Fresco at Its Finest

Anytime Al Fresco • Appreciating the summer is easy with an unfussy menu that delivers understated elegance and lasting flavours. Our Farro and Fennel Salad, Spatchcock Roasted Chicken with Orange-Scented Hot Honey, and Amaretto-Peach Tiramisu are simply scrumptious.

Perfect Partners • The ultimate condiment can transform a simple dinner into a culinary delight, adding layers of unexpected flavour and depth to every bite, particularly when the ingredients are in season and homemade. Cynthia Beretta of Beretta Farms (see page 24) and Beretta Kitchen promises her promises her low-maintenance tomato sauce and zero-waste chimichurri will enhance the freshness of whatever seasonal ingredients you have on al fresco menus this summer.

#BestSalmonBurgerEver • Bob Blumer’s take on a summer BBQ classic is fresh, fabulous and packed with flavour, and it’s perfect for pescatarians and meat-lovers alike. (Don’t worry—he has vegetarians covered, too, with...