Organic Only

08/17/2026

Coming back from my last holidays makes me feel like I can already see the end of the season coming way too fast. Emilie will be back next week, which means two months have gone by just like that, in the blink of an eye!
Transplanting is mostly over, which will change the rhythm at the farm. It will be the first Monday since April when we won’t be transplanting crops in the field. But there is still plenty to do out there, so I’m sure I won’t be looking for work anytime soon!
We planted lots of spinach for the fall, and all those beds need to be thinned so the plants can grow bigger leaves and to make harvesting easier. We also started seeding arugula and greens mix last week, and we’ll keep going for another three weeks. All three crops should be ready to harvest during the first week of September.
Most of the garlic has been cleaned, leaving room for the onions and shallots to dry. And speaking of shallots, here’s a little story about this year’s crop…
Every year, I start almost twice as many allium seedlings as we actually need because germination isn’t always great. For the past two years, though, we ended up with lots of extras. So this year, we decided to tuck a third row into the beds.
The idea was that having more plants in the same space would help keep the shallots smaller. Our shallots had been growing really big, and we were hoping to reduce their size a little.
Well… it didn’t work at all! Apparently, our shallots had other plans. They are still growing huge!
Did you know that shallots can keep for a really long time when stored in the right conditions? Believe it or not, I cooked my last shallots from last year’s harvest just a week ago!
I ended my holidays by processing food for the winter. I canned peaches, cherry tomatoes, and pickles. I also made tons of pesto and froze lots of peaches and nectarines!
I’ve been wanting to do this for years, but living in the yurt made it impossible. It was simply too hot in the summer to even think about spending hours in the kitchen canning and preserving food. It felt so good to finally have the space to do it this year and to have my little helper doing it all with me !
Wishing you a wonderful week,
Delphine

08/10/2026

Penticton Farmers’ Market
Orders >>> organiconlyfarm.com

08/10/2026

As you already know, the Penticton Farmer’s Market was cancelled last Saturday, and we had a Farm Gate on the same day instead. Some of you made the drive out to Cawston, and it was lovely to see you.
 
We often say how lucky we are to have access to this market, and how different our lives would be if we had to work that much and didn’t have the privilege of selling all of our crops every week. Well, last Saturday was a good reminder of that. When you work hard all day long, and then the weekend comes and you can only sell a quarter of what you harvested, it’s a little demoralizing.
 
At this stage, we still don’t know how the fire is going to develop or whether the Market will be able to open next week. The reason we received from the manager was that the City of Penticton requested that the market be cancelled to prioritize community safety and ensure that roads remain open for emergency responders, which is completely understandable. Our unsold produce feels pretty insignificant compared to what some people in Summerland have lost in the fire.
 
Nevertheless, we want to be prepared for the possibility that the Market remains closed. If you usually come to the Market, it would be a good idea to place an order this week. Anyone who chooses “pick-up at the Market” at checkout this week will receive free home delivery on Sunday if the Market remains closed and if they can’t make the drive to Cawston to pick up their order at the Farm on Saturday.
 
That’s what I did yesterday (what did I tell you? No days off when Delphine isn’t around!). I delivered to the people who couldn’t come to the Farm the day before to pick up their CSA or orders. And then we froze SOOOOO many unsold cherry tomatoes for the winter so we don’t have to compost them, because if there is one thing we hate at the Farm, it’s wasting food.
 
This week, we are also offering a pre-made box with the produce that we have lots of. If you can consider buying one of those, it would definitely help us out!
 
Have a great week!
Emilie

08/08/2026

We set up a Farm Gate at the Farm (137 Beecroft river road) today August 8th from 9 am to 3 pm due to the Summerland fire and the cancellation of the Penticton Farmers’ Market . This is your chance to come visit the Farm! The smoke is way less intense here too

08/08/2026

🚨 Penticton Farmers’ Market cancelled today, August 8th
Due to the fire and the smoke in the area, today’s Penticton Farmers’ Market has been cancelled.
Our thoughts are with everyone who has been evacuated or affected by the fire. ❤️ We hope everyone stays safe.
If you’re looking to escape the smoke and get some fresh, local produce, we have just harvested lots of fresh fruits and veggies at the farm! 🥕🥬🍅🍑
Come by the farm and stock up on some goodness from the fields. 💚 137 Beecroft river road 9 am to 3 pm
Stay safe, everyone, and we hope to see you soon!

08/03/2026

While I was away, we had the sadness of saying goodbye to our dear friend and neighbour, Paul.
 Paul was such a big part of the farm. In the early days, long before Delphine joined the adventure, when I was running the farm on my own, he was here almost every day, starting the morning with, « Hey boss, what are we doing today? » That earned him the only piece of Organic Only merchandise ever created, a title he proudly held to this day.
 He was here from day one, and even before that. He and his wife, Lauren, helped me build the wooden boxes that still make up our market display, our wooden farm sign, my tiny house, and so many other projects over the years. I can’t count how many pain au chocolat he brought us to help us survive long days in the field, and my cat Greyzzie already misses his daily treats.
Paul was more than a neighbour. He was family, and he is deeply missed. I’m incredibly grateful that I had the chance to say goodbye to him and that I know he passed away peacefully.
 On a happier note, my first holiday of the summer was everything I could have hoped for. I did nothing but read my book, do crosswords, swim, play games, eat delicious food, and drink bubbles, all while surrounded by my entire family. To top it all off, I had the privilege of witnessing two amazing human beings, who also happen to be my friends and neighbours, get married.
 I have to admit that, last week, I would have happily stayed on holiday rather than come back to harvesting while jet-lagged, exhausted from all the celebrations, and breathing the smoke that hung over us for several days. But reality quickly caught up with me. Delphine left for her second summer break, so I’m back on my own at the farm, dealing with cooler issues and yet another round of crazy winds. 
In the middle of all that craziness, the Redhaven peaches Mike and I harvested last week were a little ray of sunshine. And finding out that, while I was away, he froze 18 large Ziploc bags full of nectarines absolutely blew my mind. Winter smoothies are going to be amazing... if he doesn’t eat them all before then.
Have a great week,
Emilie

07/28/2026

It is already time for me to take another two weeks off. My in-laws are leaving this week, on the same day that my dad, my sister, and my nephew are arriving. This summer has truly been all about spending time with family. I am incredibly happy to live here, but being far away from my family is something I don't think I'll ever completely get used to.
My in-laws have been such a great help over the past month, and seeing my son share his everyday life with his grandparents has been truly heartwarming. I honestly don't know how I would have gotten through the past two weeks without them. They took care of everything at home and spent so much time with Marius, allowing me to focus on work. I am incredibly grateful for everything they have done for us.
As for my own family, it has been a year since I last saw them, so I am really looking forward to spending some quality time together. My nephew is now a year and a half old, and I can't wait to see the cousins playing together.
Summer has been here for a while, but when it comes to the harvest, we really entered a new phase last week. We are now swimming in tomatoes and cucumbers—the perfect ingredients for delicious summer salads! Our cucumbers have never been this productive in the past few years, and we want to share the abundance with you by offering a discount on larger quantities through our online store.
In the orchard, the first Ginger Gold apples have been harvested there should me more at the market next week. This early variety has a delicious sweet-tart flavor. One of my favorite summer salads combines beets, apples, quinoa, feta cheese, green onions, and dill. These apples are perfect for this recipe—you should give it a try!
On a less positive note, radishes will not be available for the next couple of weeks, as our next two harvests appear to have failed for an unknown reason.
Finally, the market is getting busier every week. It seems that most of our regular customers are arriving early to avoid both the crowds and the heat. I want to thank you all for your patience, as I know the lineup can sometimes be quite long.
Have a great week,
Delphine

07/25/2026

07/20/2026

One week is done! If I'm being completely honest, I would have liked to stay on vacation a little longer… of course! It is nice to have my in-laws at home helping with everything, but I also feel like I don't get to enjoy their presence enough because, after work, I am just so tired that all I can do is shower, eat, and go to bed.
 
We really enjoyed our vacation, spending lots of time at the beach, cooking delicious meals, making apricot jam, and doing some crafting. I even picked up crocheting again. It is only when I'm with my mother-in-law that I crochet because she is such a wonderful teacher!
 
This week at work actually started off better than I expected. Tasks went smoothly, I managed to stay on top of the never-ending to-do list, and for a moment I thought, "It will be fine!"

And then, just as always, Mother Nature decided otherwise… We had really heavy rain on Wednesday that turned into hail. And of course, as always, it caused damage to the crops. Holes in the lettuce leaves, bruised zucchinis, and our newly planted cilantro lying on the ground covered in dirt…

Then we ended the week with really hot weather, hitting 38°C on the thermometer! What a week!

Emilie is usually the one who prepares coffee for our break since I don't live on the farm anymore. On Thursday, Terezija, who washes the greens every week and lives on the farm, offered to make the coffee. Let me tell you something: when you have someone like that, you do everything you can to keep her. Besides making coffee, she does an amazing job. This week was our biggest lettuce harvest of the season, and even with the heat making the work harder, she did it with a smile and never complained. I feel incredibly grateful to have her on our team.

 In the field, we are still having issues with aphids, but I am doing everything I can to keep them under control. In the cold frame, the heirloom tomatoes are starting to ripen, as are the peppers!

Now I have to head back to the field since it's going to be another hot week. I'd better get an early start, otherwise I'll be melting in the sun!

I wish you all a wonderful week.

Delphine