Large Scale garden year 1

   Okay I have gardened for years as many of you know but this year we are going bigger. It seems we never have enough food to get us through and others need a bit of fresh veggies also.  So it seems I have gone crazy. Yes people look at me funny when I tell them that half of the 4 acre corn field will now be garden area. But that's okay. I am a bit crazy.

    By my calculations the wildlife will get a portion and we can enjoy it also. hopefully. So my question is how does one keep wild turkeys out of the garden?

Chicken venture

  I can't believe I how busy we have been here. Sorry for not posting this week but busy is really not the word. This week we were hard at work building a rabbit hutch, getting the new chickens settled in, getting the greenhouse done and Spring cleaning.
  We are gathering 4-5 eggs per day now. This morning we awoke to the chickens wondering around the yard.  mind you , I would rather have our chickens free range at all times but our neighbors have dogs that don't really care to stay in their own yard. So for the safety for our chickens, they must stay in the coop and run or the tractor. But sometime yesterday our daughter had the coop open and somehow bumped her head and in all the commotion forgot to latch the door. Oh well -  chickens were happy as could be in the new garden area - thankful nothing planted yet.
    

Changes

When things change around here they really change. The lambs are really growing and pouncing all around. They are fun to watch as they play. We received another one tonight - its a GIRL!! As of now we have 3 boys and a girl. They have also started trying hay.

Our chickens still have not laid any eggs but hopefully Spring is right around the corner and we will receive some then. This morning while feeding the lambs we heard what sounded like a wounded dog. With further investigating we discovered one of our hens is a rooster and he was trying to find his crow! Its still weak but in due time I am certain he will find it. I stood out on the back porch this morning listening to him, it was entertaining to say the least. Seems to me one of the kids must have picked out of the wrong box when choosing their chicken last Fall. All is good though we are happy to have a Charlie in the group. I think the hens are happy also.

Planting seeds starts soon and we are gearing up for that. We have a lot to do in a short amount of time. Lots of prays are being prayed for the hopes that the seedlings do well and the garden thrives this summer.

Well hope all is good on your piece of land, Have a great day!

Picture post

Above - Peanuts

Pumpkins that ripened too soon

Horse shed that was made out of recycled materials.

Tomatoes in abundance

We are pleased that the tomatoes are coming on strong. We are averaging about 10 pounds a day. That's alot of tomatoes. With that many we have been making juice, sauce, and next up some salsa. I borrowed my moms juicer which made my job less and much easier. I love that thing. I would recommend it to anyone. It makes the juice go one way and the seeds and skins in a different direction. Shaving alot of time off the whole process. Also there are other attachments you can get for jams and pumpkin. A great buy if you process alot of tomatoes.

July update

We have really been busy around here to say the least. I know there is still 2 days left in the month but being it was raining I thought this maybe my only break from the gardening chores that have been keeping me on my toes for the whole month. So with that said our poundage for July is 258. Yes 258 pounds harvested from our gardens for this month!
Also with a rouge estimate saving us $187.38. Still calculating the rest of the produce so I am sure that amount will continue to grow.
Our tomatoes are having a rough go. With the rainy weather they have been introduced to a bout of blossom rot but are coming out of it. They are heavy and we have been having to tie them up over and over again. They are tall and I am pleased with the looks of them already, although I have one problem. I forgot where I planted the ripe green tomatoes. Hope to find them soon.

Freezing, canning, and salting Oh my!

Although the weather feels like Fall it still is indeed Summer. The harvest season is in full swing. With peppers, cabbage, blackberries, corn, potatoes, and brussel sprouts all needing to be canned, pickled, froze, or dried we are i n the midst of our busiest time of year. Oh and did I mention putting up fence, 7 birthdays, and building a barn for the horses? Yup all that means a whole lotta late nights bonding with my kitchen. (Sigh) The pleasures of homesteading. ya gotta love it.

Our first set of corn has really set out alot of pounds and makings for some savory meals come winter. The potatoes are coming up and we have about 20 pounds in the pantry, where its cool and dark. When the potatoes come up new veggies have been filling the holes in the garden or raised beds. We have a lot of veggies in the pantry, almost nearly full, making me wonder where I will end up putting the rest of our harvest. I'm sure the cupboards could hold a bit more with a little rearranging.

Yesterday we went over the hill to check on posts for the fencing and alas the blackberries were ripe and much more to our surprise the wild animals didn't eat them all. SO we got a container and had a fun time picking them wonderful berries which will be jam sometime today.

A little trip

puts it all in new light. I sometimes get tired and worn out. I sometimes think what life would be without canning, cooking, gardening, homesteading every day. That's why we thought it would be a great idea to get away for the weekend. Now we do not go many places. We travel very little but sometimes you just need to get away. The above pictures are from our trip.

We ate in restaurant's and really the only thing I wanted to do was come home and cook a home cooked meal. I loved seeing everyone from my childhood but we are happy to be back - home. I am happy we homestead. Happy to have the food on our land and pleased I had plenty of harvest to get canned when we returned home. Yes it was nice to have a little break but I wouldn't change how we live for the world!

Garden in July

The garden is in full swing. We have had an extremely weird summer with very few days over 90 degrees. More days with rain then without and more cooler autumn like mornings. But none the less no matter how the weather is this summer we must take it and try to do some good with it. The green beans do not like the weather but the cucumbers and tomatoes are loving it.

The first picture is of the potatoes, then cucumbers above the milk jugs, the milk jugs are where the early potatoes were which now is the broccoli, then above that is the peppers, melons, then onions.

Second picture, the one with the blue step stool in it, has beans and corn in it.

The third picture consists of zucchini, tomatoes, and corn in it. As in the previous post the tomatoes are doing wonderful, the corn seems to be stunted a bit ( maybe due to the weather).
None the less we are taking what we can get and if we need more the farmers market is right down the road. Hopefully we won't need it much but its there if we need it. I sure hope they have organic.

How is your garden growing?

Slugs and bugs - eeekks

As i was walking through the garden I discovered that it was time to run in the house and search the web for ways to get rid of potato bugs and cabbage worms.
After weeks of tiring to tempt anyone to pluck the little non beneficial bugs for a penny a piece, i still have had no takers. I'm sure the only reason no one wants the job is because they have watched me sit there for hours plucking the little boogers off the plants. After spending much of my time trying to displace them I am hoping to find a earth friendly- non abrasive- gentle to other beneficial bugs remedy. Thus I found if you sprinkle flour on the cabbage the worms then eat it and POOF. We shall see....
As for the potato bugs it took more then a few minutes to find something that might repel the bugs from eating the leaves off the plants. Which brings me to the hot pepper spray. A few hot peppers in some water. Let cool. Mix more water with the hot pepper juice ( so to speak). Spray the plants when cool. Done... Does it work who knows. Its not supposed to kill them just repel them. I am hoping it works. It would be really nice if it did. Not to mention this is easier on the pocket book.

May happenings - update

So this month has been both busy and productive. We are very pleased with the new raised beds growing the veggies at an alarming rate.
- Our brussle sprouts are more then my knee height.
-The carrot greens are lush and plenty. Hopefully the roots will be just as wonderful.
-All the radish's are done for the spring but we hope to get more planted before the winter. Yes I said winter.
-We managed to get about 113 tomato plants in the ground this year and still have around 30 in the greenhouse.
-Our pepper plants are having a rough go of it due to the rains flooding the garden and washing out the plants by the handfuls. We were lucky enough to get more planted and with any luck will produce plenty.
-The onions are doing well although we are having a time with them blooming. This is the first year that has ever happened to me.
- As for the potatoes, they are fixing to bloom. I have had to hand pick the potato beetles off the plants almost every day but they seem to be disappearing.
- The melons are all doing well as well as the squash and cucumbers.
- Peas are coming along well and all the kids love peas now. They can't get enough of the sweet green fresh peas.
We have managed to get over 4 pounds of veggies out of the garden already and we are happy to think we won't have a hard time in getting to our goal this year.

Garden in May

Our garden is really full. Some would say too full but nah we don't think that. With the recent rains( every day for 4 days) its very hard to get into the garden to pull weeds but I will post the garden pics anyway. So here you go.


In the photo on the top the veggies are 8 zucchini, 83 tomato plants, 10 rows of corn, then the potatoes. The picture to the right of the page is from the other side of the garden. First this way is the dreaded weeds that are growing everywhere in the garden, sunflowers the kids planted (heavy), 2 rows of onions ( 2 different kinds), melons, cucumbers, peppers, then the potatoes.



The potato box in the right is on its 3rd run. It is really growing well. I am excited to see how many spuds are In there. If they do well I am wanting to make an extended box to fit the garden better. A lot of people who have used the potato boxes say they grow a lot of potatoes in them so I am waiting to see how many more the box has then just the ones in the garden.

We have peas

This is our first year growing peas. So please excuse me for being very excited to see the pea pods growing every day.

500 pounds of produce

That is our goal this year, to grow 500 pounds of produce from our own land. We hope to go over that but 500 pounds would be just fine.
To date we have had
10 oz radish
8 oz of onions
6 oz of lettuce
3 oz of spinach
TOTAL for May so far - 1 pound 11 oz
This is the first year we have grown spinach and much to our surprise everyone loves it. We are pleased that all the kids will at least try everything we grow.

Is it May already?

I can remember just a few short weeks ago begging for Spring to come and shine it's loving sunshine down on our yard. Much to my surprise it has come and come with hot weather and much needed rain. Most of our garden and raised beds are planted and all of the veggies are growing beautifully. The peas are starting to climb the trellis I made for them and the cucumbers are peaking through the ground. I know it seems early to have all this out and planted on the first day of May but I believe, as previously mentioned on my garden journal on FGers site, the last frost is gone. But if the threat comes honking down upon us we are well prepared.

Today is raining and expected to rain on the Derby tomorrow as well. It seems it rains every year on the Derby. The rain is more then welcomed in our yard as our 2 rain barrels are depleted through the 80+ degree tempts earlier this week. They both are about half full now.

Much like all my other month to month updates I try to tell you about how well or poorly the things are growing around here. The carrots finally are showing there green tops and the radishes should be able to pluck out of the ground in a couple of weeks. With any luck they will be ready before the really hot and humid weather comes to stay. We now have 7 rows of potatoes planted and they all are showing off there green tops just above ground level. All the beans have sprouted as well as the squash, cukes and zukes. Lettuce and spinach are growing with leaps and bounds every day. Oh I can't wait for the green salad that we grew on our own land. Most excitingly the peanuts have sprouted and the kiwi have 3 true leaves on them. The kiwi are growing slowly but all the research I have done on growing them, they are a slow growing vine. I need to find a better way to grow the celery as they were doing great until the rain beat the little things in the ground a bit more then they should be. They might come back but like I said this is a year of trials. Cabbage and brussel sprouts are doing great as well as the onions.

Also on another side of the "bit" hubby started his new job today. He was a bit nervous this morning but he is a hard worker and I know he will do fine.

The kids planted there pumpkin patch and they have yet to sprout but I know with the kids' caring hearts they will grow and flourish. So I believe it is 27 days of school left which I will be thankful when they get to have a bit of a summer vacation. Although it will be short I am sure we can have some fun during the break.
Not much more has happened in the month of April, other then the day to day events that keep us busy and content at the same time. Have a great month of May!!!

Weekend wonders

The raised beds are growing wonderful veggies. Above are radish and cabbage plants.

Peas onions, and carrots are growing rapidly ( left). On the Right are the brussel sprouts.

So this weekend we got alot done on our bit of soil. We worked on the house and the garden. We are thrilled to have gotten so much done. We were able to get the garden tilled and some corn, beans, zukes, and cukes planted. The potatoes and some onions are growing in the garden also.

More in the raised beds also. This weekend I planted, peanuts, cukes, beans, ( bush and pole), more carrots, and some squash. I transplanted some cukes on which the seeds came from Freedom Seeds and they all sprouted and are doing great. I just love to watch things grow.

The strawberries are also growing fast. We are pleased that they are growing well around the peach trees in the front year. All of our new fruit trees are leaving out. Everything is waking up for the fresh spring air.

FINALLY

After weeks of being on edge and wondering if I would ever get them, they are finally here!!! When I placed a order for potato seeds on January 12Th of this year I never thought that I wouldn't get them on time. But about a week before the planting time for my area was approaching I started to get nervous. Well the planting date for Ky was or is March 25 Th for early potatoes. I finally received them yesterday!! I am not upset at the company at all. They are tring their hardest to keep up with the heavy demand of seeds for the home gardener this year. I am pleased with my order and it came in all recyclable materials!!!
Was going to plant them today but its raining buckets out there. So I have to wait a few more days.
Also my strawberry plants were delivered yesterday. They went into the crisper drawer until I can get them planted outside in there permanent home.
All the seedlings I started are doing wonderful. We have peas, onions, carrots, radish, and cabbage out in the raised beds which are growing well. I now have 16 different varities of tomatoes growing. I just couldnt decide which ones I really wanted. The kids are excited about the green tomato. they are looking forward to having green salsa and spaghetti sauce!!
I think my favorite of this year is going to be the kiwi still!! Oh yes and the peanuts!!