The KelKel Farm as a concept started in 2014, with a dozen or so potted tomatoes on the back deck and a single raised garden bed. The excitement of growing my own food from a tiny seed was enough to get me hooked on gardening.
At this time I was doing all my seeding in partnership with my grandfather, using the adjustable light table in his basement. It was a present from his children and cost well over $1,000 when it was purchased. He hadn't used it in a few years and was thrilled to dust it off for me.
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| Grandpa's Light Table in 2016 |
In early 2017 I purchased a metal shelving unit from Canadian Tire and some 2ft Sunblaster LED's from Lee Valley, it worked alright but the lack of adjustable shelves meant the majority of my seedlings were quite leggy (stretched out stems). The capacity was also limited.
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| My first attempt at a grow light table |
I quickly realized that wasn't going to work for my needs and purchased a 4ft x 6 ft metal storage unit from IKEA, I purchased some 4ft Sunblaster LED's and attached them to the bottom of each shelf. Again I had the issue of non-adjustable shelving, but the increased capacity meant I could put the trays on top of something (I used styrafoam) to put them closer to the light.
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| Second attempt at a grow table 2017 |
My father and I built a greenhouse behind our garage that summer, it started out as a 10x10 wood frame with polycarbonate roof and vapor barrier instead of walls. I will do a full post on the construction at another time.
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| The raised bed and it's replacement frame |
2017 was also the first year I had a garden plot on my uncle's property - a 16 x 16 tilled plot. He had planted half of it and allowed my Grandfather and I to put some plants out there. We used the opportunity to grow plants we didn't have space for at home like pumpkins, squash and potatoes.
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| The plot at my uncles in 2017 |
In 2018 I grew so many plants from seed I ended up selling some to friends and family, I didn't make enough to cover what I had spent, but I used some of the money to invest in better quality equipment.
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| Seed Table in April of 2018 |
The plot at my Uncle's also expanded - up to 20 x 20 and now had a permanent fence around it. Making it a permanent addition to his property. That year I experimented with brussel sprouts, pumpkins and corn.
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| Potatoes on left Brussel Sprouts on right |
In 2019 there were some major investments - I upgraded the greenhouse by having my father install polycarbonate walls.
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| 2019 - Polycarbonate Walls added |
I purchased a proper 3 tier greenhouse frame (with cover) and transferred the sunblaster LEDs to it. It didn't take long to reach capacity either - prompting me to take over more areas of the sunroom (the only place in our house with enough natural light for plants)
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| The original set up in the back, new frame in front |
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| The windowsill of the sunroom became a plant sill |
2020 was off to a busy start - I had filled both the sunroom and the basement plant shelf by April. Some of the more hardy plants were put in the greenhouse to make more space. I made a few sales to friends/family and posted some things online - the response was good and I sold most of the plants (I had no idea what to charge and was offering them for very cheap).
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| Plant Shelf in the basement 2020 |
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| Tomatoes in the greenhouse 2020 (They can withstand colder temps) |
In May of 2020 I started working as a Garden Centre Sales Associate for a big box chain Hardware Store. I spent 9 hours a day working with or around plants and didn't want to do the same thing at home for free so my personal gardening endeavors were paused.
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| Hibiscus collection at work |
I gained a lot of invaluable information from the training courses provided as well as the hands-on work. Watering plants at 5AM while the sun rises was a really relaxing, mind-clearing way to start the day. Seeing the changes day to day kept me enthusiastic about the job. But since it was a big box store, I also spent a lot of time on things I didn't enjoy as much like BBQs, Outdoor Power Tools, etc. At that point I decided I wanted to work with plants, specifically.
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| New plant shipment day is the best day |
The store I worked at had a large selection of house plants and while I'd never previously been interested in them, I became quite fond of them and couldn't pass up this Raven ZZ. That was the first indoor plant I bought and my collection expanded quickly (the employee discount helped, too!).
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| "Raven ZZ" from Costa Farms |
In the fall of 2020 I got hired at a local Nursery - a place I had shopped at for over a decade previously and had once called "my mental health store". I was able to learn even more about the plant industry (ie how most greenhouses import plants from the same places) and gained a lot of knowledge about houseplants.
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| Pricing plants @ the Nursery |
Unfortunately, due to a series of personal issues (including the death of two family members) and professional issues (management was abrasive at times and not sympathetic) my employment was terminated less than a month after I began. I have not (and likely will never) return there, even as a customer.
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| A Pink Antherium at the Nursery |
The winter of 2020/2021 was dark and depressing, so I invested my savings into expanding my seeding operation - taking over the furnace room, creating two more light tables (for way cheap, see upcoming post on that) and started seeds in December.
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| The Furnace / Plant Room |
That brings us to now, March of 2021. I've just started plans for a larger greenhouse in the yard and am pursuing business courses to help me transition my hobby into a career.
Follow my blog here or my Instagram @KelKelFarm for further updates.
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