Welcome ......... At Wallace Springs our goal is to be a Canadian Centre of Excellence in Ethical & Sustainable Agriculture demonstrating that a family farm can be profitable, practice environmental stewardship and produce a stable food supply, in perpetuity without degrading the natural resources that support our production processes..........cont'd in About us.

Have a quarter cow, man


A fantastic blog post by Kevin Thom, a repeat customer of Wallace Springs Farm, on his blog kevinthom.com
In the last couple of years, I’ve been on a quest to be more conscious of the food I eat. To me, this meant adopting the paleo lifestyle, and eating local, organic food as much as budget and availability allows. I have also tried as best I can to sort fact from fiction when it comes to nutrition. It hasn’t always been easy, but in the process, I’ve lost a lot of weight, gained lots of energy, and leveled out my moods. I also feel healthier and look much younger than I did before I started this.

My latest adjustment was to investigate grass-fed beef. From what I can gather from the Internet, grass-fed beef is healthier and more humanely-raised than the traditional grain-fed stuff.



My hunt for locally-raised grass-fed beef led me to Ivan McIlroy and his Wallace Springs Cattle Company. A while ago, I arranged with Ivan to buy a quarter cow of his grass-fed beef. Today, the day finally came when I could pick up my order. I hopped in the car and headed to the farm in North Perth, Ontario to meet the meat, so to speak.

Ivan was great. He gave me a tour of the farm, introducing me to his animals and showing me how they live and what they eat. It clearly takes a lot of work and costs lot of money to raise cattle this way. The price I paid for my quarter cow was extremely reasonable. In fact, as Ivan explained to me, it’s not a sustainable price when compared to what it costs to raise the animals. I believe that many people would pay more, especially if they’re given the opportunity to see the farm and learn about how their food is grown.

After spending about an hour with Ivan and his cows, I headed to the meat packer’s to pick up my order. There was an astounding amount of beef. The order included about 70 lbs. of ground beef, four short rib roasts, two shoulder roasts, nine blade steaks, fifteen rib steaks, and a brisket. There was also a big box of beef bones to be used in soup. I’ll be sharing this order with my dad, but still, it’s a lot!
I really enjoyed my trip out to the country today. I’m naturally a city boy, so it always seems a bit exotic to visit a farm. Have a look at my gallery of snapshots with captions below.  More pics at Kevin's blog




 
 









 Kevin Thom Bio

Kevin Thom is an award-winning photographer who specializes in commercial, promotional and headshot photography for artists and business people. He is based out of his studio in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Kevin takes an art-centred approach to all of his photography. A hallmark of his style is a distinct focus on visual communication. This tendency comes from the ongoing development of his conceptual series called "Elemental." This series distills its subject matter to its most essential element, whether that be a shape, texture, color, attitude or emotion. Kevin then highlights this element using dramatic and unorthodox lighting, angles, perspective and composition.
Kevin's work has appeared in numerous magazines, on book covers, and in other publications around the world. He has exhibited his artistic and conceptual photography in Canada and the US, as well as overseas.
Kevin is heavily influenced by the dramatic cinematic lighting style used in Hollywood movies. Some of his early influences include George Hurrell, who pioneered that style of lighting, and Yousuf Karsh. Kevin also admires the work of Erwin Olaf, Platon, and Annie Liebowitz.
Contact info
Kevin Thom
73 Garfield Avenue South,
Suite 2C
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
L8M 2S3
Phone: 905-544-2600





Kevin Thom Photographer


Fresh Garlic Scapes at Wallace Springs Farm

Here it is nearly June and so soon the garlic scapes will be in season.



A true culinary delicacy

garlic scapes ready to pick
Garlic scapes are the curly shoots that spring from the tops of of the garlic plants in June.  Most growers cut the scapes in order to encourage the garlic plant to produce bigger bulbs.  If left on their own to grow, the scapes mature to form the garlic plant's flower head.  Scapes are a culinary delicacy - harvested just as they curl when they are most tender.  Scapes have a strong but delicate garlic flavour and can be eaten raw, steamed, lightly fried, barbecued or pureed into a pesto.  Scapes can also be frozen whole or diced and bagged for freezing.
Like other spring shoots such such as asparagus or fiddle heads, scapes are only available during a short period during mid/late June.  Garlic Scapes are available during this time period at Wallace Springs Farm - Come and pick them fresh, or have us pick them.  We will have a good supply from our 20,000 plus plants, book yours now. 

Garlic Scape Pesto Recipe

Ingredients:
  • 1 cup chopped garlic scapes (10 – 14 scapes)
  • 1/3 cup walnuts (lightly toasted optional)
  • Juice of one lime
  • 1/2 cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese, grated
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • Coarse salt and pepper, to taste

Directions
Blend everything but the olive oil, salt and pepper in a food processor or blender.  Slowly drizzle in the oil with the motor running, and blend until smooth.  Taste and add coarse salt and pepper as needed.  Use on brushetta, pasta, eggs, foccacia, and just about anything grilled like shrimp, salmon or chicken.