Ontario Canada

Hi, I am fairly new here. Have been reading many posts but have not seen anything recent from my neck of the woods or its challenges. There must be some people in the neighborhood of Northwestern Ontario who are off-grid homesteading, just getting into it (like myself) or wanting to get into it? Where are you? I realize our ground is frozen for six months of the year here but there has to be some people wanting to do it?  I wish I could contribute myself but just started working on my property last August,  and will be clearing 3 acres of land this spring for garden.  Is there anyway I could get some vegetables in the ground for this season on raw land? It would be nice to have something.  I have seen the many suggestions given on many threads for attending courses and events promoted by this forum but certainly not practical for where I am or my circumstances although the information is very much appreciated. I would enjoy nothing more than to attend these events and meet like minded people but it isn’t in my cards.  Is there any first hand experience up here for zone 3b almost 4? I can build anything put to paper or dreamed up, but growing things is a different story for me...

Hi Bob,

I think you could grow some potatoes and sunroots/Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus). Also walking onions could be good. Plant what you will use/eat and go from there.

The sunroots and onions will come back and reproduce themselves so most see that as a huge bonus.

Hi Bob, I second Les' recomendations.  I'd add to start small.  Potatoes are great colonizers, they will shade out plants that are already there once they are up.  In the mean time you need to keep em weeded. In the fall plant garlic where your potatoes were. Mulch the garlic  heavily to suppress weeds. Keep following your potatoes with garlic and slowly grow the size of your garden.  Rome was nt built in a day and your homestead wont be either.  If you can find a large heavy  tarp, lay that down flat on a future garden area and in a year it will be easy digging.

Anyways welcome to permies and enjoy the permaculture journey!  

I have no ground cultivated at this point, there are large pasture areas of tall grass type vegetation by the beaver pond.  So I would be basically digging a hole to plant something at this point, are we on the same page with your recommendations? This is where I would start with veggies but can't devote a lot of time to it with so many other things to do.  A lot of the area I need to clear is pulling 3'' +/- aspen stumps. I dropped this acreage (hundreds of stumps) in the fall for clear winter solar panel sunlight. Two birds with one stone I was thinking.   I am sure this work was good for a badge or two Lol.

Hi Bob, welcome to permies!

I'm presently in 6b, Norfolk county. So a fair bit south of you. I was in 5b for 15+ years and grew in
Nlfd, so have dealt with zone 2.

I agree with Les that walking onions and sunchokes are worth a shot. Rhubarb is always a good one. It can typically hold its own in rough ground. Wild strawberries may not produce much but they are low effort.
I like some of the easy herbs. Lovage, thyme, chives, oregano, mints, bee balm, horseradish.  
You should be able to at least get some kales, beans, cabbages, lettuce and radishes to produce this year since they don't need much in terms of ground prep. They may be small but you should get something.

Not sure if you know already but both Whiffletree and Silvercreek nurseries deal with bareroot stuff that will work to zone 2. Both usually have good clearance sales at the end of season. They are both fair on their shipping prices and Ive been happy with their trees/shrubs/plants.
Hardy fruit trees, out of Quebec, deals with even more of the low zone stuff but they just opened for orders and were already sold out of some things. I've got an order in but haven't bought from them before.
Haskap, sea buckthorn, blueberries, serviceberries  and cranberries should all be good for you. I know there are some pears and apples that will produce as well.

Good luck, it's a huge adventure you're starting!

Bob Hutton wrote:I have no ground cultivated at this point, there are large pasture areas of tall grass type vegetation by the beaver pond.  So I would be basically digging a hole to plant something at this point, are we on the same page with your recommendations? This is where I would start with veggies but can't devote a lot of time to it with so many other things to do.  A lot of the area I need to clear is pulling 3'' +/- aspen stumps. I dropped this acreage (hundreds of stumps) in the fall for clear winter solar panel sunlight. Two birds with one stone I was thinking.   I am sure this work was good for a badge or two Lol.

If I were you I would accept that you wont have a typical garden with nice straight rows for a few years until the aspen stumps rot away.  Luckily aspen rots quickly.  I would plant potatoes beside each stump and cover with 6 inches of soil. If you dont have  enough soil you may have to buy in some topsoil or composted manure.  Rent a woodchipper and chip up the tops of those trees and mulch over the 'taters to keep down weeds and hold water.  Do the same in a different area but put in Jerusalem Artichokes .  They will be there forever.

If fertile soil is scarce in your location, research Joe Jenkins and Humanure.  Be your own source of fertility!.

I dont see why you could nt also make a few bigger piles of top soil/ composted manure and plant in squashes in an area that you cleared.  The squash vines will happily grow through the stumps.

I dont have experience with beavers. I would expect some predation of your crops or at least crop damage.   Put up a fence?

Cheers and Good Luck

Thanks folks, heading into the city today before it gets too cold and will stop at the feed store to see what they have or will  available. I thought about the beavers too. I seen their well worn path to the stand of aspen before I cut when I looked at the property. But since being here full time they seemed to have focused their activity to the other side of the pond. Maybe my dog is the reason?  More troublesome is I have been seeing snowshoe hare tracks everywhere here.

Maybe I will build a fence for the beaver, I could use the poles from all the aspen I cut ; ) gotta be a few badges here too.