Favourite Resources + Products
TRIED, TESTED, and TRUE-
Here I have linked up a few of our favourite things to help you along the way:
THE BIRDS
We use Dr. Erin Preiss + her team for telehealth + prescriptions, flock check ups, monitoring, and testing. They have a ton of poultry experience + serve the Niagara Region, Ottawa, Kingston, and Orangeville, Barrie, and Wellington. We are so grateful to work with + learn from Erin.
We are committed to doing our part to save rare breed poultry and livestock from around the world. Over 75% of the breeds we offer are on the Livestock Conservancy's priority list and are listed as endangered breeds. By offering them to you, you play a role in ensuring their existence in our world for more to enjoy. Check out their webpage to see what breeds have been identified!
We rely on Dr. Mike Petrik + his team to vaccinate our poultry. They operate monthly vaccine clinics out of Campus Estates Animal Hospital in Guelph, Ontario. Mike is a leader in the poultry industry in Canada and around the world. We are so lucky to have him in our neck of the woods.
The Bees
Keeping bees in Ontario? They must be registered. You can register them here for free.
Certain bee meds require prescriptions. Dr. Erin Preiss + her team are our go to for bee-related vet services.
Ontario Beekeeper's Association
Memberships allow you to access group liability insurance for beekeepers, informative journals, industry info, sales and so much more.
The rules for keeping bees in Ontario
Ontario Honey Labelling + Sales Regulations
The rules for labelling + selling honey in Ontario
Ontario Women's Beekeeping Network Facebook Group
We absolutely love all the supportive women in this group. A great place for new beekeepers to gain mentorship.
University of Guelph Honey Bee Research Centre Youtube Channel
Informative videos and how to guides from leaders in honey bee research in Canada
The Flowers
Where my learning began. The Bierhuizen family biz started by my parents in 1978.
Informative articles, videos, and journals to help you learn about peonies. Your support + membership = more resources. Consider becoming a member!
Informative articles, videos, and journals to help you learn about peonies. Your support + membership = more resources. Consider becoming a member!
Another great resource for all things peonies!
University of Michigan Peony Garden
As a U of M alum, I am partial. This is where I fell in love with peonies! Interested in different varieties? Check out there Peony Database!
Business Tools
One stop shop for designing, formatting, and printing. Such a game changer as both a entrepreneur + educator. I create all my social media, marketing, and website designs in Canva. Accounts are free, but the Pro account is so worth it if you create a lot of content.
Our website uses the Shopify platform for e-commerce. In case you haven't noticed, I'm kind of obsessed with Shopify. I love it because it literally takes minutes to build and customize your own website and launch it. Not to mention, most functions are already built-in and they are a Canadian company! I love how I can process a sale at the farmer's market, look up an order, or update my webpage, all from the touch of my phone! Have questions? Reach out. I can help you along.
Like our emails? It's all done using Flodesk. Mailchimp is good if your are starting out, but it has it's limitations. If you want to up your email game- Flodesk. You know I am always on the go, so I bulk create all my emails, and schedule them to land in your inboxes at just the right time. Interested in Flodesk? I've linked it up so that you get 50% off your membership. My favourite feature, segments + opt-ins allow you to decide what you want to learn about from us and what you don't
How do I run the farm and keep a day job? I don't do it all. I hire experts who can do the work either better than myself and/or in much less the time that it would take me to learn. I value the time I get to spend with my family, pets, and talking to my FC community. I can't do that if I am bogged down by certain jobs. This is also a small business. We're still growing and so hiring people right now is not an option, so I love the contract work nature of Fiverr.