There’s a popular Christmas tune by Johnny Marks, made famous many years ago by Burl Ives, that goes like this: Have a holly jolly Christmas; It’s the best time of the year. I don’t know if there’ll be snow, But have a cup of cheer! It occurs to me that there are many things about […]

Contrary to popular belief, in the fruit wine industry, November is a crazy-busy month! As I discussed in last month’s newsletter, serious winemaking begins in the fall.  This month we will see several thousand pounds of saskatoon berries, rhubarb and black currants prepped and pressed and filling the tanks. Soon they’ll be on their way […]

If you’ve listened to reports lately, you’ve heard the experts tell us that Indian Summer will  soon be waving goodbye, and Old Man Winter will be coming up the road. Summer markets finished, Thanksgiving behind us, fall field work completed. What do we look forward to now? Let the winemaking begin. Unlike grape wines, fruit […]

With the chill in the air, and the yellow leaves everywhere, it certainly feels like fall today!  When autumn begins, I love to remember this famous quote by David Henry Thoreau: Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each. […]

It’s been a whirlwind month. Hand-picking 2000 pounds of raspberries over a two-week period, and bringing in 3000 pounds of saskatoon berries in a single day, we can’t help but be amazed by all the wonderful fruit that Alberta can actually produce!  You are seeing much of it fresh at farmers markets this month, and […]

If you’ve ventured out of the basement at all lately, you’ll have noticed that the summer heat is upon us.  Always a long time coming, it’s nothing short of super-appreciated.  Now that it’s here, I find myself almost frantically trying to make the most of it, before it’s gone again! Yes, the summer’s short around […]

This month’s newsletter is for all of you who love visiting seasonal farmers’ markets in the summer. You aren’t alone… we love it too! As you know, Field Stone is proud to be a vendor at one year-round indoor market which is Calgary Farmers Market on Blackfoot Trail in Calgary. But when summer comes, we […]

Pencil in some patio time!  The Victoria Day long weekend is on the horizon. We’re told that Queen Victoria wrote an average of 2500 words per day during her adult life. I’m going to take substantially fewer words to suggest how you can make the merry, merry month of May even merrier. 1) Celebrate the first […]

Let’s be honest. We’re all really ready for full-time Spring! We’re all really ready to say good bye to cold weather, fluctuating temps and cold wind. We’re ready to dig out the summer clothes and the flip flops and fire up the grill. As much as we all enjoyed our roast turkeys and hams over […]

Right in line with the popular proverb, March has come in like a lion this year. It may well go out like a lamb, but the bigger question is, “When exactly in the month will it start exhibiting lamb behavior?”  By all accounts, the lamb-like weather is coming soon.  This is great news.  It gives […]