My Backyard Farmyard

The Rabbit Who Thought He Was A Sheep Dog

2012-02-02T11:27:00.000-05:00

Just for fun, take a look at this video. It's too cute!

I think that the confused border collie, in the video,

may be out of a job!

What To Look For When Buying Land

2012-01-30T11:59:00.001-05:00

For the past several years, my husband and I have talked about moving to the country and buying land. I confess that I haven't always been patient, and sometimes I despaired that it would ever happen. Oh, ye of little faith!

In the past couple of months, my husband has become very determined to move forward with the land search. It seems like we are on the verge of becoming landowners in the country! Now, it's just a matter of finding the right property...easy, right? This is such a huge, life-changing decision. A lot of money is at stake, among other things. I really need to be able to hear the Lord's voice as we seek Him for direction.

These are photos of a 12 acre property that we are interested in. One of several that we are considering. I would love to have a real barn with stalls! There is also a large garage on the property, but no house. We would just put a trailer/mobile home on the site. A dug well and septic system are in place. The views of the wooded hills are beautiful!

My son and his wife are planning to join us on the land. Also, another son is very serious about coming in a year or so. That is why I've been looking for larger parcels of land, from 50 to 100 acres. Plus, we want to have many wooded acres, to supply us with a lifetime of firewood. We don't want to be in a position where we have to buy firewood from someone else. This property may not meet that criteria. I have to do some more research. You can see how much there is to consider!

Here is a list of what I am looking for in a property:

must be within our limited budget
must be large enough to support three or more families (as in multigenerational family farms!)
enough wooded area so that we would never have to buy firewood
water source: a well, and preferable one other source like a pond, spring, or stream, but we can also use a water catchment system to collect rainwater.
zoned to allow livestock
check to see if there is a gas lease on the land: you don't want that! Hydro-fracking may be coming to your community, having a hugely negative impact on the environment, including drinking water. Read about it HERE and HERE.
preferably with some fencing in place
low property taxes
not more than 30 minutes, or so, to a hospital (we're getting older)
neighbours are fine, but not so close that they would complain about a rooster crowing!
on a maintained road, but not a major thoroughfare
fairly close to a farmers market to sell our farm products
avoid listings advertised as "only 10 minutes from town". In a few years, newly constructed subdivisions will be surrounding you.
it may sound foolish, but soil condition is not a major concern for us, as we plan to build up the soil with wood chips, as in the Back To Eden film.
an area that is not overly regulated or restricted by conservation authorities, etc.

I would love to hear what you were or are looking for in a property. If you have any more suggestions, I would like to hear them, too. Everyone's criteria will be different. You have to decide what is important for you and your family's needs.

Here is an article with more ideas on what to look for when buying land.

This post is linked to Monday's Homestead Barn Hop!

Check out the latest news from other homesteads!

Kitchen Innovation

2012-01-28T21:01:00.001-05:00

Last summer, both my electric mixer and my stick blender both died. I wasn't in any hurry to replace them because I was enjoying using my old fashioned egg beater, the kind your grandmother and great-grandmother used.

This one belonged to my mom.

It takes some muscle to whip cream or make stiff peaked egg whites, but I don't mind. For someone who wants to live off-grid one day, it's the perfect kitchen tool.

But, my husband thought he would be helpful and make my work even easier, so he came up with his own idea, since I didn't want to put money out on electric beaters.

This, my friends, is your gen-u-ine redneck egg beater! It actually works and has two speeds: regular and super fast, as in bowl-spinnin', food-splatterin' lightning fast!

Yes, we are now officially Canadian rednecks, yeehaw!

Celebrating The Snow...While It Lasts!

2012-01-21T09:09:00.000-05:00

It always amuses me how people who don't live in Canada, often have the misconception that we all live in igloos, with eight foot snow drifts, and freeze in the cold all year long. Crazy, eh? Yes, I DO say "eh" a lot--another stereotypical Canadianism!

We have hardly had any snow here in the Niagara region of Ontario. It has been a green winter, for the most part. We had a couple of inches in the first week of December and that melted within a couple of days. Now, we have some snow again, but it may be gone on Monday. The forecasters are calling for rain and a high of 43F (6C), with more above-freezing temperatures later in the week.

So, I thought that I would post some photos that I took of the snow, around my backyard farmyard...while it lasts! This will bore some of you who have already experienced tons of snow, ice storms, and record-breaking frigid temperatures. My sympathy goes out to you! But please bear with me while I take joy in this possibly short-lived taste of winter...


So much for my attempt to use tarps and bungee cords to block snow from the chicken run! The strong winds made a mess of them. The girls are snuggled up inside on a day like this!

I left the last of the kale in the garden and I have been feeding it all winter to the rabbit and the chickens. The snow doesn't hurt it at all.

A day to stay inside for the chickens! Brr!

Bear, the snow dog. He actually LOVES the snow! Wait, I'll prove it to you...

See? He's a happy boy in the snow! After all, Bear is part Husky and part Great Pyrenees.

Bear, braving the elements!

This post is shared at MONDAY'S HOMESTEAD BARN HOP.

January Update: chickens, fluoride, new home...

2012-01-18T12:11:00.000-05:00

Since this is my first post of the new year (has it been that long?), I thought that I would share some updates with all of you.

1. My computer woes are over!

I won't bore you with too much tech-y detail, but I needed to take my hard drive into the "computer guys" because the source of the problem was beyond my ability to fix. After talk of "cracking encryption codes" and forking over $100, our business documents, plus family and blog photos were retrieved! Oh, and we bought a new computer, with Windows 7. I am blessed, indeed!

2. Now, on to the chicken and egg update:

This has been my first winter with chickens and I didn't know what would happen with the egg production. The breeds that I have (Barred Plymouth Rocks, Rhode Island Reds, and one Silkie) are supposed to slow down egg production in the winter, but not stop laying, altogether.

It may be because we've had an unusually mild winter in these parts, but they seem to be laying the same as usual...except for one culprit. Most days, I collect 3 or 4 eggs from my five hens, even on the cold days. It's the Silkie who is slacking off, but she makes up for it in cuteness! Plus, she is a very broody little hen and I plan to make use of her in the spring to hatch out some fertilized eggs. Of course, I don't have a rooster in my small town backyard, but I hope to find some fertilized eggs from a local farmer.

NOTE: Thanks to a kind reader, Anita, for reminding me that chickens don't stop laying because of the cold, but because of the shorter daylight hours! Even so, they're doing a great job with less light! Go girls!

3. I read something disturbing this week.

Did you know that there is fluoride in TEA? I'm not talking about fluoride in the water, but in the tea leaves themselves!

From YouTube video: FLUORIDE DECEPTION

Fluoride is even present in green tea, but according to Dr. Mercola, high quality green tea would have much less. He says, "High-quality teas should be free of the potentially high levels of fluoride, lead, and aluminum that can be found in inferior green tea."

How can we recognize a high quality green tea? Dr. Mercola writes:

Many green teas have been oxidized, and this process may take away many of the valuable properties. The easiest sign to look for when evaluating a green tea’s quality is its color: if your green tea is actually brown, it’s likely been oxidized.

When I drink green tea, I prefer matcha tea, and the color is a vibrant bright green and it is far less processed and of much higher quality than most green teas.

If you’re not familiar with tea you may have never heard of matcha tea. Rather than being steeped and strained like typical tea, matcha tea is made of tea leaves ground into a powder, and the powder gets added right into the water.

Because you are actually consuming the whole leaf, matcha tea is said to be one of the healthiest green teas out there.

My husband and I ~~enjoy~~ enjoyed drinking about 3 cups of hot tea during the day. Now, this unsettling news has led me to search for satisfying alternatives.

4. Ginger Tea

photo credit

A great alternative to regular black tea is homemade ginger tea! It has a natural spicy heat that warms you up in the cold weather of winter and it's so good for you. Here is how I make it:

* Peel and slice fresh ginger root (I find mine in the produce section of the supermarket near the potatoes, onions, sweet potatoes).
* Put about 7 or 8 slices in a pot with about 2 cups of water and some slices of lemon.
* Boil for about 10 minutes. Some people add their sweetener (usually honey) at this point and let the mixture boil down to a syrup.
* We add a bit of this liquid to our teacups and stir in some honey or stevia, and top up with boiling water from the kettle.

Hubby and I are enjoying this a lot! Here are some of the health benefits of fresh ginger tea:

Ginger tea relieves nausea
Ginger tea combats motion sickness
Ginger tea helps digestive processes
Ginger tea combats inflammation
Ginger tea reduces dizziness
Ginger tea limits flatulence
Ginger tea controls chronic pain
Ginger tea eases the pain of muscle aches and rheumatoid arthritis
Ginger tea minimizes symptoms of the common cold, allergies, and other respiratory conditions

5. Our new home?

I plan to devote an entire post to explain what is developing on our agrarian journey, but for now I'll just say that we might be purchasing a second home. We found this park model trailer on Kijiji for a great price and we went to view it last weekend. We hope, this weekend, to find out for sure whether it is a four season model or not. It has thermal windows and a furnace, but the owner is not sure if it has been winterized. Apparently, even three season models have furnaces because spring and fall days can be chilly.

We are thinking that a small trailer like this one (40 ft. x 10 ft.) would make a good home on our land (which we don't have yet!), until we can build a cabin to live in. We are used to much more space than this, so downsizing will be a challenge! When I viewed the trailer, it actually seemed larger than it looks in these photos:

As I said earlier, I'll have to write an entire post to bring you up to date on what is happening in our search for land, but exciting things are afoot! I've had my hopes raised several times before, only to have them dashed again. But this time, it looks like the Lord is opening up a way forward!

I will keep you informed ~smile~.

Homemade Soap by Marlene Kimball

2011-12-30T15:56:00.004-05:00

This will be a very short post, because my computer is still out of commission and I'm on the library computer, with 22 minutes remaining :-). I want to recommend some wonderful bars of homemade soap that I ordered from Marlene Kimball (Herrick's wife). I ordered several boxes as gifts and they were shipped very quickly. These bars are so fragrant and look so pretty, I hardly dared use them! If you would like to read more details about the soap and their availability, check this link:

http://whizbangbooks.blogspot.com/2007/12/wb28.html

Until I get around to making my own homemade soap, I will be ordering from Marlene!
(P.S. Thank you, Mr. Kimball, for becoming one of my followers...I am honoured!)

I've Been Hacked!

2011-12-23T11:42:00.001-05:00

I'm sending this message from the public library computer. My home computer is full of viruses and now when I log on, I can't even move my cursor. I have help from my IT guy in China...that's my son, Colin! I never miss an opportunity to say that he is a computer genius! The problem is so bad that I may have to completely reformat the hard drive, which will wipe out everything that I haven't saved to my external drive, yikes!

I haven't been online since last Friday, so if anyone has been kind enough to leave comments, I'm sorry that I couldn't respond to you. Oh, and thank you to the newest followers ~smile~.

The library computer is telling me that I have only 35 minutes remaining, so I'll have to wrap this up soon. I probably won't be posting anything until the new year, but I'll be itching to get back. I have REALLY missed reading your blogs!! This down time serves to show me just how dependent I have been on the internet. I have used it for looking up phone numbers (does anyone remember what a telephone book is?), researching all kinds of things, as well as online banking and operating our family business. I confess that for the first few days without the internet, I suffered withdrawal. That hurt!

I can't upload any photos from my computer, but here is a nice picture of a farm in winter that you might enjoy. Our little homestead doesn't even have any snow yet! The chickens are doing well, still laying just fine. One of the Barred Rocks is molting, poor thing.

Okay, I have to go now. Blessings to all of you and, Lord willing, I'll be back in the new year!

First Snow Day!

2011-12-09T10:03:00.001-05:00

I concluded my last post by saying that I was ready for snow after all the rain we had been experiencing. Well, we woke up this morning to a beautiful winter wonderland. I love it when the wet snow sticks to the tree branches. It's so beautiful!

The chickens are unfazed by their first snow!


The Bunny Barn and the brassicas, covered in snow.


Bear is a true "snow dog": part Husky, part Great Pyrenees.

It looks like the temperatures will rise again next week and this snow will be gone. Inevitably, it will soon be here to stay for the next few months. I love it right now, but before long I will be dreaming of Spring!

Chickens And Rain Don't Mix

2011-12-07T07:06:00.001-05:00

There are some things that don't go together. You know, like oil and water, politicians and the truth...chickens and rain! The results can be a very messy business...

Poor Sophie, the Silkie!

We endured these muddy conditions last spring, but it wasn't quite as bad then. The chickens were new and there was still grass in their run.

Full of pity, I finally let them out to graze on a small portion of grass. I stood guard over them because my dog, Bear, was around, but he didn't try to lunge at them, thankfully. I had my trusty butterfly net, aka chicken catcher, with me in case they tried to take off. I'm a bit nervous about free ranging the chickens because we have some holes in our fence and there is also the possibility of hawks overhead.

All of this mud is making me think that I'm finally read for SNOW!

A Surprise Package!

2011-12-06T12:40:00.001-05:00

My mailman delivered a package to me this morning. It was from my son, the homesteader, on the west coast. I was expecting it to be some herbal tinctures that I had ordered from his friend. But, no...come along with me and see if you can guess what it is:

Compact little box...


Little wads of paper?...You had better try to guess now, because the next picture will reveal the surprise!

QUAIL EGGS!! INCLUDING THE FEATHERS, LOL!


Here are some of the quail eggs in a carton with an egg from my chickens. Aren't they adorable? There were 19 eggs in total.

Ah, my son, the quail farmer. I'm so proud of him!

He knows his mother's heart: no perfume or pearls for me!

Quail eggs are the perfect gift!

This post was shared at Homestead Barn Hop!

The Back To Eden Film

2011-11-30T13:35:00.001-05:00

Have any of you heard of the Back to Eden film? I watched it online, in its entirety and also purchased the DVD for a very reasonable price. I highly recommend this video, which shows you how to have a productive, no-till, no irrigation garden. Since I'm getting older, I could sure use any tips to make gardening easier on this aging body ~smile~.

You have to see the sincerity and enthusiasm of this man, Paul Gautschi! He has had a revelation and wants to share it with everyone! The movie is full of great information, so you'll miss out if you don't watch it to the end. HERE IS THE LINK: Just scroll down to view the film. I have also added a link on my sidebar to Back To Eden.

Here is an excerpt from the Back To Eden website:

"After years of back-breaking toil in ground ravaged by the effects of man-made growing systems, Paul Gautschi has discovered a taste of what God intended for mankind in the garden of Eden. Some of the vital issues facing agriculture today include soil preparation, fertilization, irrigation, weed control, pest control, crop rotation, and PH issues. None of these issues exist in the unaltered state of nature or in Paul’s gardens and orchards.

“Back to Eden” invites you to take a walk with Paul as he teaches you sustainable organic growing methods that are capable of being implemented in diverse climates around the world."

This post was shared at Kendra's

Homestead Barn Hop!

Around The Homestead On A Cold And Blustery Day!

2011-11-24T19:15:00.001-05:00

Today, I enjoyed reading the many Thanksgiving Day posts from all my American blogging friends. But here, in Canada, it was a day like any other. Although it was cold and windy, I decided to take some pictures of the backyard farmyard, in all its November bleakness!

Bunny has been re-introduced to the chickens and after the initial hubbub (on the hens' part only--Bunny was oblivious), all settled into a peaceful, yet still wary co-existence.

Bunny, chillin' under the coop.

Some naughty chickens making a mess with the wood shavings!

Now, let's see what Bear was up to on this chilly day...

Treeing a squirrel

He's a digger!

"This is my hole, you can't have it!"

I'm harvesting handfuls of the Brussels sprouts for our dinners, but I need to get busy and prepare the rest of them for the freezer--yum!


An abandoned nest and bare branches. The leaves are gone now, and it's just a matter of time before the snow comes, here in the Niagara region.

I'm thankful that we have four distinct seasons in this area. In a few months, the cycle will begin all over again!

While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease. Genesis 8:22

This post has been linked to HOMESTEAD BARN HOP!
Check out the many entries, HERE, for some homesteading inspiration!

This post has also been linked to HOMESTEAD POTLUCK. Visit here to link up your homesteading post at Homestead Acres! Thanks, Kim!

My FIRST Raised Bed Row Cover

2011-10-28T10:06:00.004-04:00

I was inspired by this YouTube video to try to build my own row cover for my raised bed herb garden. This particular design crosses two PVC pipes to create an "x" shaped dome over the garden. I'm no engineer, but it looked like it might be sturdier than other designs and might not be so prone to collapse under heavy snow fall.

I've been thinking of extending the gardening season here for some time. I even ordered Eliot Coleman's book, Four Season Harvest. I'm in Hardiness Zone 6A, here in Canada. That's zone 5 in the U.S. Most of my herbs are still green and lush, so it seems a shame to just let them die off. My brassicas are doing wonderfully well, but of course, they love the cooler temperatures. I will probably try to cover them later.

Last night, with nightfall fast approaching, I began the project--all by myself! Keep that in mind when you see the final result...

I scrambled at the last minute to prepare the garden for possible frost that night.


Yes, it looks messy, but the herbs are still alive. By the way, I don't consider my beloved dandelions to be weeds, so I don't pick them. They are wild edibles, like the plantain that's in there, too!

That's rosemary in the left foreground and stevia on the right, back row.

My potted peppermint will go under the cover, too. Just look at that new growth on the left!

When the snow is on the ground, I'll be enjoying many cups of fresh peppermint tea!

(I have lots dried, too.)

Sorry about the poor quality photo, but it was getting dark. None of the stores in my small town had PVC pipe! Instead, I used something called poly pipe. You can see the two lengths criss-crossing each other to make the "x" design. At this point, they are being supported by a pole.

Plastic sheeting (3ml, 10 ft. wide) over the frame.

My stevia, under cover for the cold temps.

Not exactly neat and tidy, but I think it will do the job.

I forgot to mention that I built this row cover the same way that I cook: I'm prone to tweaking recipes with less than satisfactory results! The raised bed in the You Tube video is the same size as mine. The man used 10 foot wide plastic like I did. No problem, there. BUT, I decided that it would be a good idea to have the cover a bit higher, for easier accessibility, so I cut the pipe in 12 foot lengths! The plastic sheeting barely covers the front of the garden! It will need some adjustment, later.

I completed the row cover, just in time. The sun was setting, just as I finished!

UPDATE: early this morning

Here are pictures of our first frost, last night. I'm so glad that the row cover was in place!


FROST ON BRUSSELS SPROUTS

FALL-BEARING RASPBERRIES

FROST ON KALE

This post is part of the Homestead Barn Hop, over at New Life On A Homestead.

This post is ALSO part of Homestead Acres' HOMESTEAD POTLUCK.

Just click on this button to share what's going happening on your homestead

(rural or urban!).

The Sweet Potato Famine of 2011

2011-10-10T12:53:00.000-04:00

What a difference a year makes. Last fall I had a bumper crop of sweet potatoes, and this year it has been a failure. If my life depended on my sweet potato harvest I would be suffering from famine!

My big producers of 2010, in the early stages of growth.

The strange thing is that last year I planted the tubers in virgin, rock-hard, clay soil. Like this year, I planted in large, hollow clay pots, but on ground that had never been cultivated. It was an experiment. The two pots were placed at the south side of my back deck, in full sun. The vines became lush with foliage and wrapped around the deck railing for several yards. I didn't count the number of sweet potatoes that were produced, but it was a lot. Some were misshapen because of the clay soil, but we were very satisfied with the outcome.

This year, I decided to plant them in my new garden extension, which had about 6-10 inches of topsoil over the heavily rototilled clay soil. From the beginning, the one pot was not producing very well. There were not a lot of leaves and they wilted and died off before their time. The other pot produced some vines that trailed on the ground, but did not compare in size to last year's planting. Still, I expected some potatoes, since the leaves looked full and healthy.


Full of promise: June 3, 2011

In the picture, below, you can see the difference in growth between the two plants, this year:

Photo taken this morning, October 10th, 2011

Under the first pot, nothing!

Under the second pot, I found that something had been produced.


Here is evidence of my personal sweet potato famine! Two of the larger potatoes were the original ones planted, so they don't really count.

Mourning the barren womb of the sweet potato patch of 2011!

This post is part of the Homestead Barn Hop, over at New Life On A Homestead. I'm #79.

Becky's No Crock Sauerkraut

2011-10-01T14:24:00.003-04:00

I just had to share this post by Becky from Simply Self Sufficiency. She gives instructions on how to make sauerkraut right in the jars, without having to use crocks, which are hard to come by, I have discovered. I was planning to try making the sauerkraut in my crock pot insert, but now I think that I'll use this method instead.

You can make the sauerkraut plain and easy, with just cabbage and salt, but I plan to add some grated onion and carrot. I never used to be a fan of sauerkraut, but my husband loves it and I have grown to like it, too. One of our special treats is to heat it in a pan, together with fried onions and spaghetti squash. It's really tasty that way!

Sauerkraut is very good for you. Remember that sauerkraut = fermented cabbage and that equals healthy enzymes for your gut. Here I go fermenting again!

It's Harvest Time!

2011-09-29T10:41:00.003-04:00

I would love to be posting more often, but I've been too busy bringing in my backyard harvest. I've done more canning this year than I ever have, with still more to come. I also need to freeze and dry more veggies, and try my hand at making sauerkraut for the first time! This work of storing away food for the winter seemed overwhelming at first, but now I'm really enjoying it! I feel so much pleasure looking at the rows of canning jars, knowing that we will be able to enjoy our bounty even while the snow piles up and the winter winds are howling.

Left to right: chili sauce, pear chutney, plums with black currants, more chutney...waiting to be moved to the basement.

So far, I have canned the following, enough for 1 year:

Chili sauce

Green Tomato Catsup (this is the recipe that I use, but with less sugar)

Stewed plums

Pear Chutney (this is spicy-sweet, but you can use less cayenne/chili powder, if you prefer)

Pickled beets (not quite enough for one year, so I plan to do more jars)

Still to come: applesauce and whatever else I can come across at the farmer's market.

I still won't be posting as often as I would like, even though I do have some ideas floating in my head! They will have to wait until things slow down in my kitchen. At least, now that I have explained what has been keeping me away, maybe I won't feel so guilty!

What have you been doing to prepare for winter? Are you canning? Fermenting? Freezing and drying? More wood for the woodstove? Are you knitting some warm woolies for the cold weather ahead? I would love to hear about it! Stay tuned, I'll be back when things slow down here a bit...

Go to the ant, thousluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:
Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,
Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.

Proverbs 6: 6-8

A Fermenter's Fridge!

2011-09-15T19:06:00.000-04:00


Dill pickles, peppers, plus homemade yogurt (cultured dairy). The jar on the top left shelf contains unpasteurized grape juice, straight from a local farmer.

For me, fermenting food is addictive. I'm new at this, but I want to ferment so many other veggies!

Stay tuned for more!

My SHEEP Dog

2011-09-13T19:34:00.000-04:00

Is there any doubt that my dog, Bear, is part Great Pyrenees? This is the wad of hair that came out of him after a short brushing session! I've heard that some people use the hair from Pyrs to spin fiber. There were areas of his coat where I could just gently pull the hair out with my fingers, like I've seen done with Angora rabbits. Who needs sheep when you have a fiber-producing dog, like I have ~smile~.

Six Tips for No-Stress Canning

2011-09-08T08:36:00.000-04:00

In my last post, I wrote about my productive, but nerve-racking, canning sessions this past weekend. Today, I came across this helpful post from Jill, at The Prairie Homestead. She has some great tips for taking the stress out of home canning:

Six Tips for No-Stress Canning

I plan on doing more canning soon, but hope to be a little more relaxed and prepared by following some of Jill's suggestions! Go ahead and give it a try because, as she says, it is so satisfying to pull a jar of yummy preserves off the shelf in the middle of winter!

Cooking and Canning!

2011-09-06T20:57:00.000-04:00

I had an unexpected, and rare, burst of energy this past long weekend, so I spent a LOT of time in the kitchen, cookin' up a storm! Actually, there was some cooking involved, but I also started the first canning session of the year, plus a lacto-fermentation experiment. I can add that to my list of firsts that I wrote about in a previous post.

Hubby suggested that I make homemade tomato soup for lunch with our ripening tomatoes. For us, homemade is the only tomato soup that we eat! So, it's a seasonal treat and a good way to use up our heritage tomatoes.

I don't follow a recipe, but into the blender I added some chopped tomatoes (seeds and skins, included), chopped onions or shallots (I used shallots for the first time!), and fresh dill. I doubled the amount that you see in the blender so I could fill the pot that I used.

My 36 year old harvest gold blender, purchased in 1975, still going strong! Boy, I must be ancient!

Tomatoes, shallots, dill in blender.

Soup heating in pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 15 minutes. I added some cream to it just before serving, but that's optional.

Sorry about the sloppy picture, but I had already tasted some when I remembered to take a picture, and added the fresh dill garnish! I served it for our lunch in big coffee mugs. Hubby drank 3 cups!

On Saturday morning, I wanted to try making some lacto-fermented dill pickles, which needed some whey for the recipe. So, the day before (Friday), I decided to make my old standby, crockpot yogurt, and used some of it to make yogurt cheese, which left the whey that I needed for the pickles.

Quart jars of homemade yogurt and bowl of yogurt cheese (cream cheese) with dill.

I prepared the lacto-fermented dill pickles, which was fun and so easy, but I'll probably post about it in more detail after I taste the finished product. For now, they are in the refrigerator, aging, which is supposed to improve the flavour. But here's a photo just to prove to you how industrious I was this weekend! I really surprised myself!


Lacto-fermented dill pickles, including grape leaves! I'll explain that in another post, along with instructions. There are so many health benefits in eating fermented foods! I'm just new at it, but now I want to ferment so many foods!

Finally, on Sunday, I tackled the job of making traditional, canned dill pickles. As a wannabe homesteader, I feel guilty telling you that I am not in love with canning. Maybe with some more practice, it won't take me 4 HOURS to produce 6 quart jars of pickles! Well, the four hours also included collecting eggs from the hen house, a short lunch break, checking the computer multiple times to see if I was on track with the process, and frantically dispatching hubby to borrow more garlic from our daughter, because I forgot to plan ahead and was caught short! Does canning always have to be a marathon activity? Yikes!

Back on Saturday, I also canned 8 half-pint jars of Peach Conserve. Not only did I not take pictures of the dill pickles that I canned, but I also forgot to take pictures of the jam! And my camera has gone AWOL with my hubby on a business trip, until the weekend, so I still can't take any photos! Here is an image I found online, though.

photo credit

The jam that I made is a variation of my grandmother's recipe, which was a family favourite. Here is her original recipe, and I will explain what I did differently:

4 cups peaches (put in blender or mash)

1/3 cup lemon juice

3 medium oranges, chopped finely (put in blender or mash)

grated peel of 1 1/2 oranges

7 1/2 cups sugar (!!!)

1 small bottle of maraschino cherries

chopped walnuts (optional)

Boil everything for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add 1 bottle of Certo (pectin). Stir for 5 minutes. Let stand until cool and bottle.

Since we are trying to eat a healthier diet, I left out the bottle of maraschino cherries, which is loaded with high fructose corn syrup and red food colouring--definitely not healthy! And instead of the huge amount of sugar called for, I just added some Stevia powder, to taste.

We don't eat a lot of jam, with or without sugar, but I'm planning to give some away as gifts.

So, that's how I spent my long weekend--cookin' and cannin'. Some of it was fun and some was just plain hair-raising! Call me crazy, but I'm up for more punishment...there are still pears and even more peaches waiting for me!

Protective Instinct

2011-08-29T10:10:00.000-04:00

Warning: what you read and see here may be disturbing to some readers.

For several nights in a row, last week, my dog Bear woke me up with his barking in the middle of the night. I've gone out, prepared for the unknown boogie man, wielding a flashlight in one hand and a hoe in the other...all in my nightgown. The object of his barking has been a pesky possum. I'm sure that he had been lured to my backyard by the prospect of a tasty chicken or rabbit leg. Oh yes! I've read that possums, like raccoons, will reach through cage wire and yank whatever they can grab, right through the wire. It horrifies me to think of my rabbit or chickens being dismembered, alive, and slowly bleeding to death! Prior to my agrarian awakening a couple of years ago, I would have had more sympathy for possums, but my mother bear instincts to protect what's mine have been aroused.

Yikes! Still think they're cute?

I couldn't believe how aggressive I felt toward this intruder! One night, I followed Bear's gaze to see the possum on top of the chicken run fence. Filled with adrenaline, I swung the hoe down hard, but just missed him, being hindered by some garden fencing. He was just out of reach.

Last Friday night the possum was on the wooden fence that divides us from our neighbour. Again, I was trying to reach him by leaning over some garden fencing to get at him. I brought down the hoe and thought that I made contact because he dropped down to a lower board in the fence, hanging over it with only his tail and back leg showing. I thought that I had killed him, but it turns out that he was only "playing possum". They trick their attackers by playing dead, hoping they'll be left alone. When I turned back to him after a minute, he was gone! When I told this to one of my sons, he said, "Mom, you were outsmarted by a marsupial!".

I have never killed an animal in my life (except by laying mousetraps, if that counts), but I was shocked to see how ready and willing I was to attack this little creature, who was only trying to find something to eat. But his full belly could have cost me the loss of my beloved bunny and chickens, not to mention the suffering it would cause them!

Now, enter Bear onto the scene...

Sometime on Saturday night, the possum met his match. Strangely, I didn't hear any commotion, but early on Sunday morning I found the possum dead in the backyard, half way between the rabbit cages and the chicken run. My hero, Bear, had done his job. Bear was adopted from a rescue and I was told that he is part Husky and part Great Pyrenees. Well, the Pyr traits predominated that night, for he is a diligent livestock guardian dog. When Bear senses danger, he zealously trots around the perimeter of the yard with his head and tail held high on full alert. He prances along like those Lipizzaner stallions! He has proved himself to be a good and faithful protector.

Dead possum

The picture of the dead possum is not easy to look at, but his death meant that other lives were spared.
My dwarf rabbit and my hens say thank you, Bear.

A Year Of Firsts

2011-08-26T14:50:00.001-04:00

What I've read has proven to be true in my case: lack of blogging for some time makes it harder to get back to it! I'll just dive in...

There has been a lot of activity here in my backyard farmyard this summer. I was reflecting the other day on how much of it has been a first time experience for me.

The most satisfying experience for me has been having my beloved chickens. Besides the entertainment value, we've had a steady supply of eggs to give away. Sophie was broody for a few weeks and didn't lay eggs during that time, but she's come out of it now. Maybe I will use her to hatch out chicks next spring?

August 19th. You can hardly tell by the photo how full and tall the veggies are! The tallest of the Brussels sprouts, in the left foreground is 32"!

I've grown Kale, Swiss chard, and broccoli for the first time. My husband teases me that most of my garden is "rabbit food" as he calls it. He's not so fond of the kale and chard, but he is very pleased with the taste and texture of our organic broccoli! It's so much more tender than what you find in the supermarket. I have blanched and frozen most of the broccoli and will do the same with the kale and chard.

Red Amaranth

I experimented with growing grains this summer: Red Amaranth and Blue Flax. I just wanted to see how they grew and IF they would grow. If our search for suitable land is successful, then I would love to grow some feed crops for the chickens and for our longed-for milk cow.


Photo credit

Wild edibles, growing, harvesting, making salves: Weeds are my new passion! I really enjoy trying to identify the different varieties that grow in my backyard and this is the first time that I am using them as food. I'm in the process of turning some of them into medicinal salves and drying the rest for teas.

Photo credit

Rutabagas, as a second crop, mid-summer planting: I've never planted a mid-summer crop before. I planted my rutabagas at the end of July so that I can harvest them later to store over the winter. Since I thinned them out, only some have survived. I really hope that I can harvest a few this year. I didn't take a picture of my actual plants because there isn't much to look at yet!

Port Colborne market

Regularly shopping at farmer's markets instead of the grocery store. I've been trying to avoid the supermarkets as much as possible this summer. When I do shop at the grocery store, I'm buying more organic foods. I would rather support my local farmers and enjoy fresher products!

I've also been making connections with local farmers through the markets and online forums. I'm amazed how a wannabee farmer like myself can hold my own in conversations with seasoned farmers! It's so satisfying to find like minded-folks who love to talk about all things farm-y! I have found a farmer who sells me delicious grass fed beef, another farmer with organic chicken, a beekeeper who is providing me with beeswax for my salves, and an abattoir which supplies me with beef fat for soap making. I'll post about it when I actually get around to making the salves and soap!

As an aside, my son has been experiencing his own firsts this year on his west coast, 3 acre homestead: 70 chickens, quail for meat and eggs, and Angora rabbits. He has been an example to me and now I'm considering another source of meat for our tiny homestead.

I feel that I've made good progress this year in my quest to live a more agrarian life, albeit in a small town backyard. I've learned so much this summer and I thank the Lord for His blessings!

When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the LORD thy God for the good land which he hath given thee . Deuteronomy 8:10

Kale Chips, yum!

2011-07-14T15:33:00.004-04:00

It's so satisfying to see the garden filling out. The kale is healthy and bushing out like crazy! This is my first year growing kale and I need to find ways to use it and preserve it. My son, who farms on the west coast of Canada, suggested that I make kale chips. Then I read that a local farmer was doing the same thing. I've never even heard of kale chips, but it sounded easy enough.

Here is my step by step process:

1. I picked my own organic kale from the garden, but you can use supermarket kale if you need to.

Scotch Blue Curley kale.

2. Pull off the leaves, leaving the stalks behind. I chop them up for the chickens, or leave them whole for the bunny.

3. Lay the leaves out on a baking sheet. I greased the pan with olive oil and smooshed the leaves around to coat them. Then I sprinkled them with some sea salt, pepper, and Mrs. Dash seasoning. You can use whatever you like to season them.

4. Bake in oven at 350F for 10-15 minutes, until crispy.

The kale shrinks a lot during baking! I'll definitely be using less oil next time!

Here is a picture of the finished kale chips on a plate. They were very tasty, but oh so oily!
I'll know better next time.

How To Can Pickled Beets

2011-07-05T09:40:00.001-04:00

I planted a lot of beets this year, planning to make my own pickled beets. I have never made them before, but this recipe is so easy. Thanks to Kim at Homestead Acres (on my sidebar) we can see her step-by-step instructions HERE. If you have canned pickled beets before, I would be interested in hearing how your recipe differs. Also, are any of you substituting any other sweeteners? I hate to use white sugar, but maybe it's unavoidable in making pickles? What about stevia or sucanat? Yesterday, I bought some organic palm sugar and just used it in my banana bread this morning. It's a granular sugar, maybe it would work? Any thoughts?

DID YOU KNOW?

Beet greens are highly nutritious, it's a shame to throw them away. Have a look at this:

Vitamin A: 220% of the Recommended Daily Allowance

Vitamin C: 60% RDA

Calcium: 16% RDA

Iron: 15% RDA

You can cook them like spinach, but they are milder tasting. I cook mine with a little butter or olive oil and some chopped onion and garlic. Tastes delish!

Five hens, Five eggs!

2011-07-03T20:58:00.001-04:00

Today was our first 5-egg day!!

I haven't yet taken a picture of any eggs in the nest, so this picture of our eggs taken awhile ago will have to do. We have had a few 4-egg days, but this was a welcome surprise.

We figure that someone overheard us lamenting the mystery slacker chicken and considering a fresh roast chicken dinner!

Ha! It worked! And no more store-bought eggs for us ~smile~.

Chicken Entertainment

2011-06-29T20:45:00.002-04:00

My chickens have been enjoying the garden kale and broccoli leaves that I've been feeding them. They go crazy for them! So, tonight I tied a bundle together and hung it from the chain link fence surrounding the chicken run...it was like a piranha feeding frenzy!

As they all lunged at the leaves, it swung back and forth like a tetherball! It was so funny. Both the chickens and I were greatly entertained ~smile~.


The blurry kale is from all the movement!

UPDATE!

This is what was left after the feeding frenzy!

I Have A New Blog

2011-06-27T12:08:00.002-04:00

I plan to continue posting here, but I've posted a link on my sidebar that will take you to my new blog, if you're interested. It's called, The Ministry Of Home and I want to talk about the ministry that goes on within our homes. I'm not referring to the usual home Bible studies or ladies' meetings, but the ministry of creating a haven of peace and a testimony of the Lord's life that will impact those within and without.

It took me a long time to understand that the everyday, mundane tasks we do in our homes are also ministering to the Lord. Those things constitute our acceptable service to Him, as homemakers. The nitty-gritty of keeping floors clean and organizing paperwork all contribute to an atmosphere in the home that reflects God's order and peace. Without chaos in the home, we can be ready at a moments notice to receive guests, and the atmosphere they feel will be a testimony in itself.

There is much ministry that goes on in a godly home. Ministry to the Lord, our husbands, our children and/or grandchildren, and our guests. Whether it's the ministry of intercessory prayer, hospitality, or joyfully serving our family, it all counts as our spiritual service in the eyes of the Lord. If done in the right spirit, without grudging or complaint, it becomes our spiritual service, even though the tasks don't necessarily seem *spiritual* in themselves.

I don't want to portray a *perfect* home because I can't relate to blogs that do that. After many years, I am still a long way from always having a perfectly clean and organized home, but I know that the Lord can use me where I'm at, IF my heart is pure and yielded to Him. I want to have the Lord's servant heart so that I can graciously minister to both the spiritual and practical needs of others, within my home. I believe that is the true ministry of a Christian homemaker.

You're welcome to join me at The Ministry Of Home, if you're interested. Lord willing, I will still continue to report on my gardens, animals, food preservation, and all things homesteady-y here.

Garden Update: Before and After Pics

2011-06-23T09:51:00.002-04:00

I can't believe that it's Thursday, already, and I haven't posted since last Monday! I've been extra busy with our home business and posting has taken a back seat to my everyday life ~smile~.

I will share a before and after picture of the large garden (16' x 11')--large by my standards, anyway. The Lord has blessed us with some hot days and just the right amount of rainfall. I'm very thankful that we have a garden this year, because so many people in other parts of the U.S. and Canada are experiencing extreme weather and have lost what they planted so far.


June 1, 2011 (Kale and Swiss Chard on left, pole beans not up yet on right).


Today, June 23, 2011 (those are sweet potatoes in the bottomless clay pots)


Broccoli and Brussels Sprouts, amidst the weeds ;-)

Kale: my first year growing it. I planted too much for just hubby and I, but there will be lots to give away. I also plan to dry some and store it to add to soups and stews over the winter.

The gardens are providing enough lettuce and radishes for our salads, and I could pick some kale and chard for our dinners, even though they haven't reached full growth yet. The veggies are growing so well, sometimes I can see a difference overnight!

It's such a blessing to know the satisfaction of growing our own food. Sometimes I see homes with large lawns--some are even out in the countryside!--and NO gardens are planted! What a shame, and what a wasted opportunity.

Thank you, Lord, for your faithful provision!

Fermenting Foods Webinar: TODAY!

2011-06-20T09:00:00.003-04:00

Kefir

There is still some time to register for today's FREE online webinar (a seminar on the web!).

I am going to be a student in Wardeh Harmon's class on fermenting foods (GNOWFGLINS): how to do it, the health benefits, and which foods to ferment. When foods are fermented, they actually become better for us!

I'm looking forward to learning more ways to bless my family nutritionally.

It's not too late to register for the FREE webinar,

IF YOU HURRY.

It starts at 9:45 PDT, that's 12:45 EDT in my time zone.

Go HERE to register, if you're interested. It's easy!

Horsepower Farm

2011-06-19T20:59:00.001-04:00

This is farming the old-fashioned way! This is one of a series of 8 videos featuring some Maine farmers who are, for the most part, trying to preserve the family farm practices of past generations. You can see all of the videos HERE. At the farm featured in this video, they use Suffolk draft horses. They are amazing animals!

Meet Your Farmer - Horsepower Farm from Pull-Start Pictures on Vimeo.
One of 8 short films about Maine farmers, created by Maine Farmland Trust and Pull-Start Pictures.

www.meetyourfarmer.org

Morning Panic!

2011-06-15T14:21:00.003-04:00

Around 7:30 this morning, I heard my husband shouting for me from the back door. "You'd better get out here right away! The chickens are getting out!"

Of course, I was the one called to action, because I am, after all, the Crazy Chicken Lady! As I ran through the house, I grabbed the long-handled butterfly net that I had just bought, thinking that I might need it if I ever let the chickens free range in the yard and had trouble rounding them up! Amazing forethought, or what!

As I rushed out the back door, I saw one of my Barred Rocks perched way up on top of the six foot high chain link fence around the run! She was facing out, ready to descend into the old strawberry patch. I wish I had caught a picture of her, but you can understand why it might not have been such a good idea to stop for the camera.

Scene of the crime, the 6 ft. high fence around the run.

I gave her a little push with the butterfly net and she fluttered back down into the run. I don't know how long the birds had been plotting an escape, but I suspect that someone slipped them a copy of the movie, Chicken Run!

I had to go out to do some errands this morning, so I didn't want to leave them alone, in case there were more attempts to escape. I knew that the time had come to CLIP THEIR WINGS! By this time, I was home alone so I didn't have anyone to help me. I quickly looked up a couple of YouTube videos on clipping chicken wings and I knew that I could do it. I wasn't so sure that the birds would submit as easily as the ones in the videos, though.

Again, I wish that I had some pictures of the process to show you, but maybe I will this time next year--their wings do grow back, you know :-) I took each chicken, one by one, and sat down on a metal stool in the run. I secured the bird between my legs and gently spread out each wing. I decided to clip both wings. Better safe than sorry, I thought. With a large pair of kitchen scissors, I cut through the flight feathers. It was so easy! And the chickens cooperated beautifully!

The funny thing was that I have two Barred Rocks and after I had clipped the first one, I tried to catch the second one, but kept picking up the original one--because I can't tell them apart!

All that is left now are scattered remnants of feathers, like shorn hair on the floor of the beauty salon after a haircut. These girls aren't going anywhere now, not for awhile at least!

Beaker's clipped wing.

Butterfly net: the chicken keeper's essential tool...who would have thought?!

Around The 'Stead

2011-06-13T17:14:00.005-04:00

Here are a few of the recent happenings around my little 1/16 of an acre small town homestead ;-)

Today, I picked up 24 1Qt. canning jars. They were free from a lady on freecycle.org.

On Saturday, I was feeling a bit low (yes, it happens sometimes). My thoughtful husband stopped at a yard sale and brought me these little treasures to cheer me up!

The garden is coming along well, I think. You can compare these pictures with my latest posts, Garden Update: Planting and Back Deck Gardens which I posted on June 6th and 8th, respectively.

The rhubarb is looking perky and the leaves are getting bigger.

This is actually my attempt to grow grains: Amaranth and Flaxseed. They are growing in an unused recycling box, with Amaranth on the right and Flaxseed on the left. It all looks alike to me! This was just a trial run so I'm not sure how it will turn out.

Mesclun mix greens in planter on deck. This is my first time with these. I picked enough greens for hubby's salad tonight!

Broccoli surrounded by beets, rosemary and lovage (behind)

Scarlet runner beans are finally up! They had a slow start this spring, due to the wet and cool weather.

The kale is looking great! I've never grown it before, but I always hated to buy the non-organic kale from the supermarket. It's always difficult to wash off the pesticides because of the curly nooks and crannies that develop on the full grown plant. The supermarkets won't carry organic kale, here, because of the poor shelf life, so they say. So, I'm super happy to be growing my own ORGANIC kale!

These are the 3 heirloom tomatoes coming along nicely in my "after-thought" garden. There are more in another garden bed, with a total of 13 plants, altogether. The two on the left are "Boxcar Willie" and "Oxheart" is on the right. Remember, my dog Bear took out the other Oxheart, but he has been forgiven :-).

Zucchini: another first-timer for me.

Bear: diligent flock guardian dog?...

Or waiting for the right opportunity to grab a free chicken dinner?
Gulp!...I hope that I never get to find out!

For The Love Of Bear...

2011-06-08T11:57:00.005-04:00

AND my tomatoes!

And then there were three...I had four heirloom tomatoes planted in this garden bed, but my almost-perfect dog, Bear, took out one of them--the Oxheart! When our neighbour's dogs come out to play in the morning, Bear makes a bee-line for the fence to bark and whine at them. That was no problem until I encroached on his space by creating a no-dogs-allowed tomato garden!

So, in place of the destroyed tomato plant, I made this access way just for Bear. Of course, I want to spare any further damage to my tomatoes, too!

Are you HAPPY now, Bear?!!

My Back Deck Gardens

2011-06-08T11:09:00.003-04:00

Despite the expansion of my gardens this year, I still ran out of room for all of my plants! Well, I guess I could have purchased fewer plants, but I have an addiction--albeit a healthy one :-) So, instead of planting only flowers in the planters on the deck, I have added the extra lettuces that I bought and a few other plants.

These are Mesclun mix greens, with nasturtiums on the side.

More Mesclun mix with alyssum.

Red Sails leaf lettuce, with some tiny kale that I planted from seed. The kale might overtake the lettuce, but I'll wait to see what happens.

Even more Mesclun mix with nasturtiums on the right. There should be lots of lettuce to share with friends and family!

These are plantains (Plantago Major) that sprouted this spring. I don't want to destroy them because I would like to try and make a salve out of them. I have more growing in the yard, but this will be easy to pick right outside my back door. I know...I'm *different* that way :-)

Geranium, alyssum, and the last of the *greens*!

We were surprised by a volunteer strawberry plant growing in one of the planters. My son thought that maybe birds dropped some seeds there. That's a leaf lettuce planted in the middle. Lettuce and strawberries are supposed to be good companion plants.
Now that my back deck is no longer being used as a potting shed, it's time to clean it up and enjoy the beauty!

Garden Update: Planting

2011-06-06T18:03:00.005-04:00

I feel that, this year, things are moving forward in my quest for more independence from the industrial, commercial food producers. The gardens have been expanded more than three-fold and I finally have my laying hens. At the same time, I know that it's still only a baby step forward. With more land, I could grow more and add some livestock for meat and milk (goats, a family cow?). Still, I have been blessed this year with my husband's willingness to add extra gardens and add the chickens, coop, and run, with all the extra expense involved. I pray that the Lord will bless us with a bountiful harvest this year. So far, the gardens look a bit sparse, but experience teaches that soon it will be full and lush, spilling over the edge of the gardens, with hardly a bare patch of ground to be seen.

There is not enough space here to show you everything that I have planted this year, but those pictures can be included in future garden updates. Here are just a few of my garden babies!

All fenced in, tomatoes (Brandywine, San Marzano, Roma) in distance, kale and chard on left, carrots and runner beans to right.The beans haven't come up yet.

Pathway between two gardens. Tomatoes, basil, borage, asparagus on left. Brassicas, carrots, beans on right.

The "after-thought" garden: I had to make room for more tomatoes (Boxcar Willie, Oxheart).

Zucchini and acorn squash. A very small experiment this year! There are radish seeds planted along the front, sunflowers waiting to come up, along the back, nasturtiums in the corners. These are all friends, according to companion planting practice.

Half of the herb garden: cilantro, bay laurel in back. Next, parsley and rosemary. Then dill and oregano. Of course, there are more herbs planted amongst the veggies for pest control, eg. basil with tomatoes.

New: black currant, "Ben Connan".

View from the deck: sweet potato in bottomless clay pot, another has been added since then. Raspberries in foreground. The brick planters on either side of the bird bath contain lavender.

Stevia: God's natural sweetener! Really, an amazing plant. For a sweet treat, I just pick a leave and chew on it. The dried leaves can be whizzed in the blender and added to anything you want to sweeten: porridge, smoothies, iced tea, baked goods, etc.

Rhubarb: first year.

Scotch Blue Curly Kale

Sweet potato in bottomless clay pot. The tubers will develop in the pot and carry on down below the ground. It worked beautifully last year, so I'm trying it again. This store-bought sweet potato was started indoors, in a jar of water.

These photos were taken on June 1st, I believe, and since then the plants have become well established. Everything is growing and getting taller.

Things did not look so favourable for my poor beets!
I planted about 12 beets and they were wilting. I waited several days, but it didn't look like they would recover. So, I decided to buy more...48 plants!

I'm glad that I left the failing beets in the ground, because now they have perked up and look very healthy. It looks like we'll have an abundant harvest of beets this year :-)

“The LORD shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand”

Deuteronomy 28:12

Saying Good-bye

2011-06-04T09:55:00.005-04:00

No, I'm not saying good-bye to blogging, but I am traveling 2 hours away to say good-bye to my son. I'll be away this weekend to join family as we visit with him for the last time before he returns to Mexico, once again. My son teaches English there and he will also be rejoining the love of his life, his girlfriend.

It's hard to see him go, but I must trust that the Lord has a plan to bring him to the Cross. I pray daily for the salvation of this, my middle, son. The Lord miraculously spared my son's life in a truly life-threatening situation in Mexico a few years ago, where he was hitchhiking (foolishly!) and picked up by gang members. My son knew enough Spanish to understand that the men in the back seat were suggesting that they slit his throat. Sean was in the front passenger seat and only the Lord could have orchestrated the whole situation, where it turned out that the driver and my son knew some mutual "friends" in Oregon! So, the driver told the fellows in the back seat to leave my son alone, he was okay! How can I not trust that the Lord will cover my son, once again, and keep His angels 'round about Him. I lean on His promises to save our children (Isaiah 49:25, Isaiah 59:21, and more regarding household salvation).

So, my post about the garden planting is on hold until I return on Sunday afternoon. I'm busy doing the last minute preparations before I leave. All of you with farms know how hard it is to get away when you have animals to care for. Well, this backyard farmyard is not much different. Hubby will be looking after the chickens for the first time!! I'm leaving him a note with instructions! I know that my girls will miss me :-)

Bye for now,
Brenda

Garden Update: Breaking New Ground

2011-06-01T11:22:00.004-04:00

These pictures were taken last weekend and, with the help of a couple of extra hands, we created a new 16 ft. x 11 ft. bed, plus 2 raised beds (see sidebar for all the garden dimensions). At last count, I now have 7 garden beds, plus container plants.

At this stage of development, these are probably some of the ugliest gardens you have ever seen! We've hardly had any dry days to cut the grass, so it's a mess, and I had to fence in the gardens with any barrier I could find to keep my dog, Bear, out of the dirt. Now I have some better looking fencing in place, but keep in mind that these pics were the earliest stages. Oh, and we've taken a dump run with a load of clutter, too :-)

Friend rototilling heavy clay.

This pile of topsoil was much bigger to begin with! I ordered 5 cubic yards and it was just enough!
There was enough soil for the large garden, the 2 raised beds, an additional garden I added at the last minute, plus topping up last year's gardens. There is enough left over for some container gardening.

Dear hubby raking the topsoil we added.


"Bear"-proof garden fencing!

The garden, above, is the largest one at 16' x 11'. I will be growing Scarlett Runner beans, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrots, kale, Swiss chard, and beets in this garden.

Raised bed #1. This will be the herb garden.

Raised bed #2 at the south side of the house, for zucchini, radishes, and sunflowers.

Hubby raking the raised bed. Beyond that is one of last year's gardens waiting to be tilled.

I've fallen behind in my posting because it has been so busy here! I've just about finished planting now, so I'll be working on the next report soon, Lord willing.
Enjoy YOUR gardens!

Stay tuned for the next garden update: Planting!

Agrarian Declaration Of Independence

2011-05-28T07:21:00.003-04:00

Quote from Michael Hennen:

"We don't need more industry. We need, and need to be, better neighbors. Such thinking might be considered dangerous, revolutionary, or even subversive. To some, growing a cottage garden is like signing the Declaration of Independence and supporting local agriculture might be viewed with the same suspicion as joining a local militia. These revolutionary pursuits are likely to raise some eyebrows and step on a few industrial toes. But they're also personal freedoms belonging to us all. Everyone should have the right and ability to grow his or her own garden. In this pursuit, feeding your neighbor, and teaching them to do the same, is the spark of a new kind of peaceful revolution in which your garden is your signature on the Agrarian Declaration of Independence."

By MICHAEL HENNEN, Agrarian Bible

To read FULL article, click the link, above.

Muddy Days In The Chicken Run!

2011-05-27T20:18:00.006-04:00

Momma said there’d be days like this!

There’d be days like this, my Momma said!

Mystery Weed: Mystery Solved!

2011-05-20T18:41:00.005-04:00

Back on April 19, 2010 I asked for help from my readers to identify a mystery weed growing amongst my raspberry bushes. I didn't want to pull it up in case it was edible or had some medicinal properties. Well, today I was doing an online search to try to identify the many wild plants (aka weeds) growing in my back yard, and I found out the name of the mystery weed!

I found out that it is Garlic Mustard.

This website has many pictures posted of Garlic Mustard, including the blooms. Mine is flowering right now, too. The website states:

"Garlic Mustard is edible raw or cooked like a vegetable green. A fairly decent pesto can be made from the leaves. Garlic Mustard was originally brought to North America as a food plant"

Garlic Mustard in bloom

More uses: "The leaves of young plants can be eaten raw as a salad or can be cooked as a steamed vegetable, like spinach. It can also be used with other foods to impart a garlic flavor. It has been promoted for its high vitamin A content 8,600 units per 100 grams) and its high vitamin C content (190mg per 100 grams).

There have been a number of documented medicinal uses of garlic mustard. Ingesting the leaves has been used to induce sweating and to treat respiratory disorders such as bronchitis and asthma. Applied as a poultice externally, it has been found to be effective as a palliative for the itching caused by insect bites and stings. The seeds have been used as a snuff to induce sneezing."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Maybe you think that I'm a little too excited about Garlic Mustard and weeds in general! I'm fascinated by foraging and getting any food for free ~smile~. On my sidebar, you will find other wild edibles from my backyard listed under My Garden: 2011. I am very interested in plants and their medicinal properties. These plants are a gift from God and He has provided for our nutritional and medicinal needs through them, as part of His creation.

Genesis 1:29 "And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat [food]." KJV

Genesis 1:12 "And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good." KJV

First Egg!

2011-05-19T11:50:00.006-04:00

Here I was wondering what to post about today, and then my Silkie laid her first egg! Sophie (the only one that I've named) is the first of my five chickens to lay, and I'm so thankful that the Lord allowed me to recognize the signs of the impending *delivery*.


Sophie the Silkie (not a bantam). Good Girl!

I was on the back deck when I heard Sophie squawking so loudly that I thought there might be an intruder in the coop. I watched as she made a little hollow in the wood shavings, in the corner, under the roost bar. She hunkered down there for a minute and then made a similar little hollow in the corner, to the left of the door. Pardon the graphic imagery, but her back vent was wheezing like she was about to pass something. Even as a new chicken owner, I figured that these signs must mean that she was about to lay an egg! She was so still as she lay in the hollow by the door, that she let me stroke her softly and she made the chicken equivalent of a cat purr.

I had to go back in the house for just a few minutes and when I came back, Sophie was out and about in the run. I checked her little hollow and, lo and behold, there was a sweet little pinkish-beige egg! I picked it up and it was still warm! I felt so emotional as I held this little egg. For many of you this is just an everyday occurrence, and in time it will be for me, too. But this first egg is the culmination of a long-held dream to raise chickens and begin the road to small-scale food production for our urban homestead. We don't own a place in the country yet, but I want to do as much as I can in the meantime. I praise the Lord for this blessing!

Wouldn't you know, Sophie laid the egg right beside the nest boxes I had provided! The nests even have plastic eggs in them to entice the birds to lay there, but I guess that I'll move the nest box to the same spot where Sophie laid her first egg and we'll see if we have a repeat performance tomorrow.

Silkie egg on right, beside large sized store-bought egg.

Sophie's egg in the carton. Not a bad size! These are large eggs and I would call hers a medium size.

Hubby's response: He announced to his employees, "Brenda's a grandmother again. Her chicken laid an egg!"
I'm proud to be a chicken granny!

Chickens: Not What I Expected!

2011-05-17T12:33:00.005-04:00


Eating grated zucchini

For the past two years, or so, I have been avidly reading fellow bloggers' accounts of their chicken-keeping adventures. The Lord has graciously given me the desire of my heart. Now I am one of THEM--a chicken keeper!

We're still in the getting-to-know-you stage. Mine are a shy bunch, for the most part. I don't know how they were raised, but I suspect that they weren't handled very much. They're not at all aggressive, but they are cautious around me. In this first week, I've discovered several things that I wasn't expecting:

I was surprised at how nervous I felt when the chickens first arrived. Well, let me backtrack a bit and say that it started when I went to pick them up. I was so excited and nervous that I forgot to take money with me to pay for them! The Nice Farm Lady, Sue, directed me to the nearest ATM machine about a mile away, over country roads. Anyway, when I brought the chickens home, I had the same feeling as when I brought my firstborn son home (well, not quite the same, but similar!). Let me explain: I grew up with a lot of experience caring for babies and children. I was the eldest of six children, plus we had young foster children in the home, and I had done a lot of babysitting. But when I brought my son home for the first time, a short-lived feeling of panic came over me. I thought, "I can't send him home at the end of the day! He's mine 24/7!" That's how I felt about these chickens! Do I know enough about raising chickens? What if they don't get enough grit? What if kill them somehow? Whew! Thankfully, I've relaxed a bit since the first couple of days :-)

Another surprise: They don't burst out of the coop first thing in the morning. Unlike the many videos I have watched, where the birds are frantically spilling out of the coop to reach their freedom, mine will take sometimes hours to venture forth! They stay in the coop lolling about or pecking some stray grains on the floor. What can I say? They love their hen house!

These girls don't come running to me for food, yet. There is no milling about my feet waiting for their treats. One of them did eat some grain from my hand the other day and a Barred Rock took part of a cabbage leaf from my hand this morning, but they are still such a timid lot.

My chickens are much quieter than I expected! You hardly hear any noise from them during the day, but first thing in the morning and around bedtime they perform their opening and closing exercises. Each morning, as soon as they hear the metal clang of the run door opening, the chorus starts up!

I originally intended to buy point-of-lay birds, but these were only 18 weeks old when I bought them on May 11th. Tomorrow will be their 19th week birthday! I may not see any eggs for another one to three weeks, but I read that Barred Rocks mature early--so get to work, girls!

Finally, my biggest surprise... NO ONE TOLD ME that chickens don't automatically put themselves to bed when you first get them!! I've been chasing down these girls, one by one, to get them into the coop at night...in the near dark...mostly in the pouring rain! I'm sure that I've already earning the title of Crazy Chicken Lady in the minds of my neighbours! Apparently, they will learn eventually...sigh. I must confess that I witnessed one of the Rhode Island Reds entering on her own. Maybe the others will follow her example? Someday soon?

Barred Rock ready to pounce on cabbage leaf.

THE POUNCE! The blur is caused by the lightning-quick lunge!

Casey: "That's the biggest chickadee I've ever seen!"

A final, parting treat:

The chicken keeper's fashion footwear!

P.S. Oops, is my face red! Twice, I had to edit what I wrote today. You see, I keep referring to the hens as HIMS! Him...he...all because the other critters here are all male, so I'm not in the habit of calling any of them a she! Please call me on it if ever you find me slipping up, okay?

UPDATE:

It didn't take long for the chickens to relax and perform normal chicken behaviours. Now, they DO burst out of the coop in the morning and they DO rush towards me for food! They finally learned to put themselves back in the coop at night. And they can make a lot of noise, especially the cackling they do after laying an egg, lol.

Being a chicken keeper is the best!

Bok, Bok, Bok, Baaawk!

2011-05-11T12:29:00.002-04:00

The chickens are here!

I have 2 Rhode Island Reds, 2 Barred Rocks, and 1 standard sized Silkie (who knew?!).
I wasn't expecting to buy a Silkie, but couldn't resist.

I'll post just a couple of pics right now because I don't have much time, but I'll hopefully have a full report tomorrow. This post is just a teaser...more to come :-)

It's true! Birds of a feather stick together!

Bear, on a leash (just in case), checking out the girls!

Anticipation

2011-05-10T09:43:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow morning. 9:30.

There's no going back.

My life will never be the same.

Stay tuned!

Bunny's Day Out

2011-05-05T07:27:00.005-04:00

I first wrote this post on April 22 and am finally posting today...

This was the first nice day after a stretch of cool, rainy days here. *Nice* in these parts = 50F or 10C degrees. Poor Bun-Bun, my Dwarf Hotot, (pronounced Oh-Toe) has been cooped up in the bunny barn all winter and throughout this colder-than-normal spring. My husband suggested putting him out in the run we made for him last summer.

He likes to run through that black tubing or chill out in his mini quanset hut (kitty litter cover)!

Of course, he loved it! He celebrated with bunny "binkies" and running laps 'round and 'round the run. I call that his Indy 500! I put our cat, Casey, in the run because he and Bun-Bun are good friends. I've often caught Casey licking the bunny's forehead, how cute is that?!

The Dwarf Hotots are a fairly rare breed. Their distinction is the black eye band around the eyes. He only weighs about 2.5 lbs. Hotots are described as friendly, docile, playful, and curious. They love human contact and are very good with children.

When I first answered the ad for this rabbit, I thought that I was getting a standard sized Blanc de Hotot, but only later realized my mistake. I decided to take him anyway, as he's a sweet little pet for my grandchildren when they come to visit. But seeing that this is a Backyard Farmyard operation, all of the critters have to earn their keep here: so bunny is our manure producer!

There's nothing better than Rabbit Compost Tea!

One Step Closer To Chickens

2011-05-03T10:51:00.002-04:00

This is a dog kennel that we bought on Kijiji to use as a chicken run.

It's 10 ft. x 10 ft. x 6 ft. tall. with a human sized door.

The top will not be left open!

My husband wants to cover it with plywood to make it predator proof.

My dog, Bear, had to try it on for size ;-)

He's no dummy, it's a DOG kennel, right?

The yard is pretty ugly in the spring, especially with all the rain we've been having!

The purple planter has last year's mint beginning to grow again.

Hubby bought that wooden picket fencing to surround the strawberry patch, but it might be too late to save it. Bear got in there and dug himself a nice hollow to lay in :-(

Strawberries are pretty hardy, though. I can plant something else in the bare patches.

We're expanding our growing space this year, with a third garden, so I'll post those pictures another time.

Now, it's time to build the coop and bring on the chickens!

Kitchen Literacy: Do we know where our food comes from?

2011-05-02T11:03:00.005-04:00

Canning factory 1942

In these videos, Ann Vileisis, the author of the book, Kitchen Literacy, tries to shed light on how our society has become so disconnected from our food sources. In pre-industrial times, people knew where their food came from. They either produced it themselves or knew the farmer who provided it. They knew the detailed history of the meats they were eating.

Hear how urbanization and and the rise of industrialized food production spelled the death knell for small family farms. New processed "foods" were foisted on consumers. Corporate advertising propaganda eventually brainwashed homemakers into believing that these foods would offer convenient, wholesome meals for their families. I found it very interesting that, initially, people were very skeptical of these processed foods. They didn't look like the foods that they produced from their own land. But, over time, the influence of advertising had its way and the ensuing consequences have affected our whole way of life. As we have moved away from real food, as God intended it to be grown and consumed, the consequences have been tragic. Land has been taken over by agri-business, our food supply has been corrupted by Monsanto, and the incidences of diet-related diseases have gone through the roof. Young children are developing diabetes and liver disease as a result of slow poisoning by the food industry.

Thankfully, some people are waking up to the need for real food and a return to the ways of our agrarian ancestors. I hope that you'll enjoy the videos:

KITCHEN LITERACY: PART 1 of 3 (go to YouTube to view the other parts).

Gardening With Chickens

2011-04-28T13:59:00.000-04:00

Do You Name Your Chickens?

2011-04-21T15:55:00.004-04:00

I'll have my first backyard flock next week, Lord willing! The question is: to name or not to name?

These hens will be egg layers, not meat birds--at least not anytime soon! So, I'm thinking that it wouldn't hurt to become attached to them. In fact, it would be impossible for me not to be attached to them because I've been waiting for a long time to see this dream come true.

So, what do you do? Do you name your birds? I know that this lady does. She has a portrait gallery of her "girls" on the sidebar of her blog, along with some very creative names!

Are they just "the girls", or have you given them actual names. If so, what do you call them? Are the names based on their colour, personality, size, or even Jane Austen characters? I would love to hear your ideas on this subject.

Here are pictures of the breeds that I'm getting. These are not my actual hens, but I wanted to show you the beautiful colours and patterns:

RHODE ISLAND RED

BARRED PLYMOUTH ROCK or Barred Rock

COLUMBIAN PLYMOUTH ROCK or Columbian Rock

Aren't they beautiful?! Maybe I should carry their pictures in my wallet and I can show them off to strangers. Oh, you say that's not normal? Oh, okay, if you say so...hee, hee, hee!

Why You Should Add Salt To Your Food Storage

2011-04-20T20:51:00.002-04:00

Salt is a very important item to add to your preparedness pantry. It is useful for so many things, and it never goes bad! Plus, it can always be used as a barter item when times get really tough. Here is an article I discovered on the many uses of salt, many of which I had never heard of! Who knew that salt repels ants?!

The article does not mention a very important use, and that is for preserving meats and for pickling. Well, that will be a post for another day.

READ HERE: Salt Uses & Tips

Please click the link to read about other salt uses: Household Uses, Health & Beauty, and Cleaning.

Here's an excerpt from the article, Salt Uses and Tips: In The Kitchen:
(some were familiar, but quite a few were new to me!)

Removing pinfeathers - To remove pinfeathers easily from a chicken, rub the chicken skin with salt first.

Preventing mold - To prevent mold on cheese, wrap it in a cloth dampened with saltwater before refrigerating.

Boiling Water - Salt added to water makes the water boil at a higher temperature, thus reducing cooking time (it does not make the water boil faster).

Peeling eggs - Eggs boiled in salted water peel more easily.

Poaching eggs - Poaching eggs over salted water helps set the egg whites.

Testing egg freshness - Place the egg in a cup of water to which two teaspoonfuls of salt has been added. A fresh egg sinks; a doubter will float.

Preventing browning - Apples, pears and potatoes dropped in cold, lightly salted water as they are peeled will retain their color.

Shelling pecans - Soaking pecans in salt water for several hours before shelling will make nut meats easier to remove.

Washing spinach - If spinach is washed in salted water, repeated cleanings will not be necessary.

Preventing sugaring - A little salt added to cake icings prevents them from sugaring.

Crisping salads - Salting salads immediately before serving will keep them crisp.

Improving boiled potatoes - Boiled potatoes will be given a fine, mealy texture by sprinkling with salt after draining, then returning them to the pan and shaking them back and forth quickly to get rid of the excess moisture.

Cleaning greasy pans - The greasiest iron pan will wash easily if you use a little salt in it and wipe with paper.

Cleaning stained cups - Rubbing with salt will remove stubborn tea or coffee stains from cups.

Cleaning ovens - Salt and cinnamon take the "burned food" odor away from ovens and stove burners. Sprinkle spills while oven and burners are still hot; when dry, remove the salted spots with a stiff brush or cloth.

Cleaning refrigerators - Use salt and soda water to clean and sweeten the inside of your refrigerator. It won't scratch enamel either.

Extinguishing grease fires - Salt tossed on a grease fire on the stove or in the oven will smother flames. Never use water; it will only spatter the burning grease.

Improving coffee - A pinch of salt in coffee will enhance the flavor and remove the bitterness of over-cooked coffee.

Improving poultry - To improve the flavor of poultry, rub the fowl inside and out with salt before roasting.

Cleaning tarnished silverware - Rub tarnish with salt before washing.

Cleaning copper pans - Remove stains on copper pans by salting area and scouring with a cloth soaked in vinegar.

Cleaning coffee pots - Remove bitterness from percolators and other coffee pots by filling with water, adding four tablespoons of salt and percolating or boiling as usual.

Removing onion odors from hands - Rub fingers with salt moistened with vinegar.

"Sweetening" containers - Salt can "sweeten" and deodorize thermos bottles and jugs, decanters and other closed containers.

Cleaning sink drains - Pour a strong salt brine down the kitchen sink drain regularly to eliminate odors and keep grease from building up.

Brightening cutting boards - After washing them with soap and water, rub cutting boards with a damp cloth dipped in salt; the boards will be lighter and brighter.

Fixing oversalted soups - If soup has been oversalted, cut up a raw potato or two and drop into the soup. The potato will absorb the salt.

Cleaning dried-on egg - Salt not only makes eggs taste better, but it makes "eggy" dishes clean easier. Sprinkle salt on dishes right after breakfast; it makes them a whiz to clean when you have time.

Preventing food from sticking - Rub a pancake griddle with a small bag of salt to prevent sticking and smoking. Sprinkle a little salt in the skillet before frying fish to prevent the fish from sticking. Sprinkle salt on washed skillets, waffle iron plates or griddles, heat in a warm oven, dust off salt; when they are next used, foods will not stick.

Whipping cream and beating egg whites - By adding a pinch of salt, cream will whip better and egg whites will beat faster and higher.

Keeping milk fresh - Adding a pinch of salt to milk will keep it fresh longer.

Setting gelatin - To set gelatin salads and desserts quickly, place over ice that has been sprinkled with salt.

Preparing For The New Additions!

2011-04-18T16:54:00.002-04:00

This picture shows why I love my Pontiac Vibe! It's the next best thing to a pick-up truck, for sure!

Today, I drove through some late April snow (yes, snow) to pick up some supplies for my long-awaited new additions to the backyard farmyard. Can you guess what they are?

I am preparing for some gorgeous laying hens!! Yes, I said gorgeous! I'm expecting a mix of Rhode Island Reds, Barred Rocks, and Columbian Rocks: I hope to get two of each. That will be a lovely mix of colours and patterns. I hope to have them within a couple of weeks--I'll keep you posted.

So, in the back of the car I have a 50 lb bag of organic feed, crushed oyster shells, and five bags of compressed wood shavings. The hay? That's for bunny :-)

The Farm, Our Schoolmaster

2011-04-17T21:09:00.003-04:00

From: Farm Sermons by Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1882)

Farmers should make brave Christians when grace renews them, for God is everywhere about them, and in his presence gracious souls are sure to thrive. Of old the Lord met men by the bush, the brook, and the well, and spake with them in the field, the threshing-floor, and the sheep-fold; and he still seems nearer in the country than in the grimy town. Never can the tiller of the ground open his eyes without learning something if he is willing to be taught. Weeds and plants, frost and sunshine, green shoots and yellow ears, drills and reapers, hedges and ditches, foxes and sheep, drought and flood, waggons and horses, harrows and ploughs—all reveal some spiritual mystery concerning God and our own souls. Surely those men should learn much who find a schoolmaster and a lesson-book in every acre which they cultivate.

Moreover, the farmer is in a very special sense made to see his dependence upon God from season to season. He has never done; his labour is never ending, still beginning; and his hopes are never all fulfilled. From the time he sows the seed to the day when he sees the corn in the ear he is every hour dependent upon the Lord for sunshine and shower; and even when the grain is ready for the garner a stretch of rainy weather will take his harvest from him and leave him mourning at the last. He can never count his profits till he has them in his pocket, and hardly then. This manifest, absolute, and daily dependence should help the good farmer to learn the lesson of faith right thoroughly. He must look up, for where else can he look? He must leave his business in the Lord's hands, for who else can be his helper? Faith which is daily tried, and tried all the day long, has a fair opportunity of becoming unusually strong, and hence our agricultural Christians ought to be the strongest believers in the land. They have not of late been indulged with much temporal prosperity, but our hope is that a succession of adversities may have driven them to set less store by the world, to look more eagerly for the better portion, and to leave all things more believingly in the Lord's hands.

Free Range Chicken Song

2011-04-16T21:16:00.001-04:00

I have chicken fever! I'm busy preparing for some laying hens to arrive within the next couple of weeks, Lord willing. Here is a cute video that I saw last year and it's guaranteed to put a smile on your face! Warning: You won't be able to get this song out of your mind, lol!

How To Survive What's Coming Next

2011-04-15T06:09:00.007-04:00

I have never written a post to promote a book until now, but this message has revolutionized my thinking:

"Western Society is in confusion, the industrial world is teetering on collapse, and it looks like things could get worse. Agrarian Blogger, historian, and "plain" preacher Michael Bunker has been living off of the grid for many years, and he has some advice for those living in the industrial/consumerist economy... living an off off-grid life is achievable. It has been done for thousands of years, and it can be done today...

It is quite possible that many people who have relied on a failing
system for their means of survival will very soon find that they
have made a mistake of historic proportions. Historic, because every
major "classical" culture went down the same road our society is on
today. This book is about the lessons we should have learned, and..."

Surviving Off Off-Grid by Michael Bunker

Recently, after reading a fellow blogger's review of this book, I knew that I had to have it. I bought two copies, gave one away, and I'm about to buy 3 more today! Yes, it's that good! It is one of those books that you just can't put down until it's finished.

This book was published just a few days before the earthquake/tsunami/nuclear disaster hit Japan. That tragedy makes the truths in this book even more applicable. If their society can collapse so quickly--and the full economic consequences are just beginning to be felt--then how can we be so confident that it won't happen here? Not in the same way, perhaps, but it wouldn't take all that much to topple our house of cards.

But this book's message is one of hope and freedom, not doom and gloom!

Please watch these trailers and consider buying this book today! There is also a link on the sidebar to Amazon.com

Read more quotes from the book HERE, and see what readers have to say about it. Challenge your thinking!

Goji Berries: Grow Your Own!

2011-04-12T15:20:00.003-04:00

I've been buying the highly nutritious Goji berries for the past year or so. My local bulk food store carries the dried berries and now one of the local supermarkets sells them prepackaged. I buy them because they are a potent antioxidant, but they are pricey! So, you can imagine how excited I was to find Goji berry seeds for sale, online! This very knowledgeable fellow blogger in Barrie, Ontario, Canada sells Goji seeds (and many other types) from her website, Providence Acres Farm (just scroll down to find the Goji's). Make sure you check out her blog, too!

I ordered 2 packages and will be planting very soon. I'm in gardening zone 5 (U.S.) and 6a in Canada, and they're supposed to grow here! I've included a couple of videos to explain the process and encourage you to begin growing your own. I tried to soak the dried Goji berries and extract the seeds myself, but they're pretty fiddly to handle, so Sheryl at Providence Acres has done the work for me :-)

I've read that it can take 3 years to produce fruit, but starting the Goji bush from cuttings can produce fruit "almost immediately".

Here's an easy way to grow from cuttings!

I'm Back!

2011-04-05T21:08:00.000-04:00

Spring is in the air around here, finally. I feel ready to start blogging after a very long hiatus! I hope you'll keep checking in because I expect to have a post within the next few days.

Stay tuned...yes, bunny's still here and maybe there will soon be more besides! And, Lord willing, this will be the year for my laying hens!

Taking A Break and Garden Update

2010-06-15T11:43:00.003-04:00

I've been taking a break--not from gardening or critter care, but from blogging. I'm not sure if I will be continuing this blog, but I'm waiting on the Lord for direction. If I do continue it might undergo some changes, we'll see.

Things are going well here, all the planting is done and I thank the Lord for the energy He has given me. Preparing and planting the gardens is not so easy for me physically, but it all came together, thankfully.

The strawberries are winding down and now the raspberries are flowering and some berries are already developing, although green at this point. These are autumn bearing raspberries, called Heritage.

The green and red peppers look very promising! Teeny, tiny fruits are developing, and there are so many of them! My peppers have never done well here, but this year may be different.

The Brandywine tomatoes, an heirloom variety, are larger and stronger looking than the other varieties I planted. Next year, I will plant more of them, Lord willing. The tomatoes are in bloom now.

CONTAINER GARDENING:

front to back: onions, cilantro, basil and onions, peppermint, volunteer raspberries sprouting everywhere (no container needed for them!)

more cilantro and a couple of beets (using all available space!)

pansies on white milk can base

more pansies with celosia

beets in planter on deck railing

onions in planter on deck railing

sweet potatoes in clay pots on the side of the deck, in full sun

planter on deck railing: nasturtiums, celosia, alyssum

more flowers on deck (they'll fill out as time goes on)
(If you look through the shed door, you can barely see a big bale of hay, which gives me cause to legitimately call it The Bunny BARN!)

Well, that's the latest update...I'll let you know how things unfold as far as continuing with this blog goes. Bye for now...

“He hath made every thing beautiful in His time”

Ecclesiastes 3:11

Dare To Be A Laundry Activist!

2010-06-02T14:30:00.001-04:00

The following two videos highlight a problem that I think is absolutely ridiculous. There are communities where hanging your laundry out to dry on a clothesline is illegal!

The clothes dryer uses more electricity than any other household appliance. I'm not willing to go off-grid at this time, but I also want to save money on utility bills whenever I can. Why don't more of us take advantage of good weather to hang out our clothes to dry? I know that many of you are already doing this--using nature's solar dryer!

Just call me a laundry activist!

RUN TIME: 4:59

RUN TIME: 5:59

Uncle Sam Expects You To Keep Hens

2010-06-01T10:56:00.006-04:00

For any of you who are facing urban bylaws against owning backyard chickens, here is something to think about. Maybe you should share this with your local bylaw enforcement officers!

This was in the BackYardChickens.com newsletter for May 2010. Here's the link to the source.

Back in the early part of the last century (1917 - 1918) the following was published in multiple poultry magazines :

The text reads:

Uncle Sam Expects You To Keep Hens and Raise Chickens

Two Hens in the Back Yard for Each Person in the House Will Keep a Family In Fresh Eggs

EVEN the smallest back yard has room for a flock large
enough to supply the house with eggs. The cost of main-
taining such a flock is small. Table and kitchen waste pro-
vide much of the feed for the hens. They require little attention—
only a few minutes a day.

An interested child, old enough to take a little responsibility,
can care for a few fowls as well as a grown person.

Every back yard in the United States should contribute its share to a bumper crop of poultry and eggs in 1918.

In Time of Peace a Profitable Recreation

In Time of War a Patriotic Duty

******************

Happily, many cities are allowing people to keep a few hens in their backyards. Here's a great tool from BackyardChickens.com which lets you find the cities and towns in the U.S. that ALLOW chickens and then you can actually read their bylaws. I'd love to find something similar here in Canada.

Simple Beauty

2010-05-31T13:37:00.001-04:00

flowering chives in vase

Creative home decorating from your garden!

First Harvest

2010-05-29T11:09:00.003-04:00

These, friends, are REAL strawberries!

Not the flavourless, mutant monstrosities you buy from the supermarket.
Update:
We picked this much again in the late afternoon!
Our dessert tonight:
Sliced strawberries with French vanilla ice cream, yum!

Relaxing In The Shade With Bunny, and more...

2010-05-28T18:35:00.002-04:00

Are you tired of bunny rabbit pictures yet? Sorry, but it's the new mom syndrome! I like to show him off ;-)

The large run that I made for him is pretty haphazard and not finished securely, but I really wanted him to be out of his cage today to enjoy some grazing under the shade of our big tree. So, I racked my brain to think of what I could use and came up with this--can you guess what it is?

An overturned laundry basket!

Is that ingenious or what?! I weighed down the basket so he couldn't escape. The space is not very big but I could tell he liked it. Bunny started nibbling right away. I put his water dish in the back corner. I sat with him under the shade of our large tree.
It was so relaxing!

I'm so blessed to have such a large shade tree in the backyard. It's like a giant green umbrella and provides a cool oasis in the recent heat wave we've been having here.

Casey came over to see what was going on.

With all my talk lately about the strawberry patch, I've forgotten to show you the raspberries. Four years ago we planted three small bushes and they have not only filled in the garden patch, but expanded to both sides of the deck and over the garden edging, onto the lawn!

These raspberry bushes will get much taller. Last year they were almost as tall as me and I'm 5' 4".

This year we had a lot of dead raspberry branches, so we decided to clear them out.

This bare patch may fill in this season, but I'm also thinking that I will transplant some of my garlic to this area. The garlic needs thinning out and I just read that it can deter those pesky Japanese beetles that cause so much damage to the raspberry leaves.

Wild roses grow along the back fence. The blooms will be a pretty pink. Here's a shot of the buds, but it's a bit blurry, sorry.

I shouldn't forget about the front garden. That's hubby's domain and here is his favourite Clematis.

Thanks for dropping by to see my gardens!

A Hot Day In May

2010-05-26T14:24:00.004-04:00

We've had a few days in a row when the temperatures have felt like almost 90F. As I write this, it's around 2:00 p.m. and the temp is 82F (28C), but with the humidity it feels like 93F (34C)!

Bunny is doing surprisingly well in this heat, much to my relief!

I've read that rabbits have a lot of trouble handling the heat, normally.

His cage is alongside the shed (Bunny Barn) where he escapes direct sunlight and he's always in full or partial shade.

A couple of times a day, I put ice cubes in his water dish to cool him down.

He likes to sit almost on top of it to keep cool ~smile~.

When bunny is not hanging around the water dish, he makes a little hollow in the hay and hunkers down there.

Bear's big yawn! What's a dog to do in this heat?

Note the tongue sticking out!

"Oh, for a drop of water..."

Poor Casey came out from under the shade of the rabbit cage, complaining.

He followed me back into the house for some air conditioning.

The veggies in the garden are loving the heat:

cabbage plant

Brandywine tomato

We won't be buying any more lettuce for the whole summer!

Just in time, too. I read a headline today about a pre-packaged salad recall here in Canada
due to salmonella.

That's why we need to grow our own food!

English lavender in bloom, surrounded by Alyssum which will eventually spread and fill in the gaps.

Oh, and I'm growing a Maple tree!

A neighbour's maple keys blew into our strawberry patch and sprouted, so we'll keep this and transplant it when it grows bigger.

I've saved the best news for last...our first RIPE STRAWBERRY!

I know it ripened today because hubby has been diligently checking the berry patch several times a day and there hasn't been anything until this morning.

Once the first ones ripen, the rest follow pretty quickly. We'll have to pick them every day because if they're left, the slugs will have a feast.

I'll be putting out some slug bait tonight:

shallow containers, flush with the ground, filled with either beer or molasses and water.

I've never tried either method--this will be the first time.

If you have tried anything else that works, please let me know.

I don't want to share my berries with slugs!

Rabbit Cages

2010-05-20T09:52:00.001-04:00

My rabbit cages are awaiting new tenants. There are two more cages in the shed (The Bunny Barn). Of course my Dwarf Hotot buck inhabits one of them ~smile~.

I'm on the lookout for any large heritage breed rabbits--and probably more cages, too!

The Bunny Barn:

overnight sleeping quarters

Yes, it needs decluttering!
Note the white plastic bag on the right--full of timothy hay.
The plastic container under the cage is strategically placed to collect "black gold":
the rabbit droppings for great compost!

My Exciting New Venture

2010-05-14T15:29:00.015-04:00

This is the account of my "exciting new venture", albeit with small beginnings--literally small. One clue can be found in my new header photo...it's just the beginning of a project that may multiply quickly into a growing concern! Yes, I have a new bunny! He's just the first of many, Lord willing.

I'm very interested in helping to preserve rare breeds of all farm animals, but because my space is limited, I'll have to stick with small breeds, like rabbits. After some research, I decided to look for Blanc de Hotot rabbits (pronounced O-toe). They are white with unusual black eye-bands. I was drawn to them the first time I saw one.

I thought that I found one online, but realized, after contacting the seller, that it was a dwarf Hotot, not the 9 lb standard size Blanc de Hotot that I was expecting...expecting, that is, to breed and use for food (does Hasenfeffer mean anything to you?).

I could have backed out, but my grandchildren were coming to visit and I had intended my first rabbit purchase to be a pet for them anyway, so I was now committed! The bun is a 6 month old buck, named Frosty thanks to my granddaughter. The final contenders in the name game were Frosty or Snowflake, but I pushed for Frosty, and so Frosty it is, but I just call him Bun-Bun ~smile~. I think that I'm shying away from using a name for him, even though this one won't be on our dinner menu.

My beautiful granddaughter. I love her, even if she does have PINK HAIR!! What's a grandma to do?!

Happy grandchildren!

So, now I have a sweet, 2.5 lb fur ball. I'm putting him to work producing manure for my garden, but the little guy doesn't produce all that much, lol! I'll have to enlist the help of MORE rabbits. I've had several opportunities to buy other rabbits locally, but I'm trying to hold out for some breeds that are on the endangered list of the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy. Some types are critically endangered. It seems that the big commercial meat rabbit producers are using only two breeds: Californians and New Zealand Whites. These are the most profitable for them, but the older, heritage breeds are dying out.

I'm looking for the following rabbit breeds that are suitable for meat, good mothers, cold-hardy, and have a docile temperament:

Beverens (on the watch list)
Blanc de Hotot (threatened)
American Rabbit (critical)
American Chinchilla rabbit (critical)
Creme d'Argent (watch list)

Now let me back up a little and tell you how all this rabbit business started. I had been thinking of raising meat rabbits, so I went online searching Kijiji for supplies. There was an ad for 6 wire cages for only $40 in total. That's a great deal, so I made arrangements to pick them up right away. They are large ones and came with a long wooden base to sit them on. Four of the cages are attached and then there are two additional ones.

The bunnies will be kept outdoors because of my husband's allergies, but will be kept in our shed over the winter (apologies to all of the house rabbit fans). Little Frosty goes into the shed cage at night and whenever it rains. He has a secure pen outside for exercise and sometimes I let him run around in our bathroom. I think that he actually feels more secure in his cage.

On the day I picked the bun up from the breeder, we bought some timothy hay from the pet store. I knew that I could buy it cheaper at the feed store, but I was in a hurry. When the hay was about to run out, I decided to look on Kijiji once again to see if I could find some there. I found a local farmer selling 50 lb. bales for $3.50. When I went to see him, he insisted on giving it to me for FREE! It turns out that he's a millionaire horseman and he sure didn't need the money. I wanted to pay on principle, but he firmly refused. He said that he used to have a pet bunny as a boy and since he liked rabbits, he would give me the hay for nothing.

I came prepared with some plastic garbage bags to put the hay into, because I wasn't sure what 50 lbs. of hay looked like! So we filled 3 big bags and I had to plead with him to stop, lol! What a blessing that was!

I'm telling you, I felt like a real farmer that day! Once you've got hay, I think that must count for something! The back of my Pontiac Vibe was filled to the ceiling with hay and I couldn't wipe the grin off my face!

I'll keep you posted...oh, and all this talk about meat rabbits? Not sure if I have what it takes to "dispatch" them. Don't you just love euphemisms? We'll see where I go with this but I may just end up with a whole bunch of pet bunnies, lol!

*Dwarf Hotot illustration by Pamela Nock of Nock's Rabbitry, Jamestown, PA

Strawberry Patch Surprise!

2010-05-09T20:09:00.000-04:00

My local weather report said that there is a frost warning tonight. So, I gathered some sheets together to cover our strawberry patch.

Later, I heard my husband yelling in the backyard. My usually well-behaved dog, Bear, who NEVER goes into the garden, decided that the sheets were spread out especially for him to LIE DOWN ON!

All 70 lbs. of him!

All I have is a picture of his imprint. He hi-tailed it out of there pretty quick, lol!

The guilty culprit...

Sundry Updates and a Farm Adventure!

2010-05-05T14:51:00.009-04:00

Sorry about the delay, but I'm finally back! Poor hubby has been home sick with an allergy-related sinus infection and congested lungs, but he's recovering nicely now, thanks to answered prayer. I'll try to tie up some of the loose ends created in my last blog post ~smile~.

Thanks to a helpful suggestion by Mr H. I thought that I had found the identity of that "mystery weed" that was overtaking my raspberry patch. He is very knowledgeable about these things! Mr. H thought that it could be a wild violet and the leaves look identical. He still may be right, but now that it's flowering, I see that the wild violets have five petals and mine have only four. Still, it could be another variety. Thanks to all who had suggestions!

I've had some very successful foraging trips lately. A second location of wild strawberries has been found and another fruit tree! I made note of the locations and will go back to harvest when it's time, Lord willing.

Now, let me tell you about my visit with the Real Live Farmer that I alluded to in my last post! My husband and I were driving to our accountant's house--he happens to work out of his home in the country. As we drove past the last house before the accountant's property, a friendly man waved to my husband as he paused from weed-wacking. I didn't pay much attention as I was gingerly navigating the uneven gravel road!

While I waited in the car as hubby met with the accountant, I noticed the Real Live Farmer's (RLF) property for the first time, even though I had passed it before. My eyes were now opened to an idyllic scene of chickens, ducks, turkeys, a young heifer--all co-existing so peacefully in a very large fenced yard. I couldn't take my eyes off of them. I knew that I had to speak to that farmer!

After the business with the accountant was finished, we pulled up to the RLF's driveway. It's a good thing that I was the one driving or we might not have stopped since hubby was sure that I had lost my marbles. He was partially right, but I call it chicken fever! "Oh, honey, noooo", he groaned! Here I was, a complete stranger, approaching this poor man to pester him with questions about his chickens and the chicken coop he had built. Well, true to the stereotype, this farmer was very friendly and was not only happy to answer my questions, but before I knew it, was leading me through the gate into a huge penned area, along with his little son, to show me the coop. All the critters surrounded me in greeting, including the heifer! I was in barnyard heaven!

The inspiring thing, to me, about this man was that he was homesteading on about an acre, only. But he was doing it ALL: He had beehives that he rents out (additional income), a young orchard with at least 10 or 12 fruit trees. There were two small ponds, a hen house, duck house, and a variety of heritage breed animals.

Many of the man's animals were breeds that are threatened with extinction because factory farming has chosen to specialize in a few breeds that will turn a profit for them at the expense of genetic diversity. Many of the older, traditional breeds are in danger of dying out, whether they are cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens, turkeys, etc. Read HERE to see a list of endangered breeds, from the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy.

The farmer is raising a mix of endangered and rare heritage breeds:

Chantecler, Buff Orpington, Rosecombs, etc.(chickens), several variety of turkeys, including Broad Breasted Bronze, several types of ducks, and the black heifer was a Kerry breed (soon to be mated), originally from Ireland. I wish that I could remember more but I was overcome with the whole experience ~smile~.

He also suggested that I look into a forum called Poultry Swap, which brings together those in my province of Ontario, Canada, who want to buy, sell, or trade their small or large livestock, cages, supplies, feed, etc. There is so much information there, including upcoming shows. There is a Q & A section which would be helpful for anyone, regardless of where you live. The name, Poultry Swap, is a bit misleading since they have sections on beekeeping, rabbits, horses, goats, cows, and donkeys, too!

So, that's the saga of my adventure with the Real Live Farmer--never did get his first name! I came away with lots of inspiration and a new interest in heritage breed livestock...which has resulted in the

Exciting New Venture

that I hinted at in my last post. Well, I've been rambling long enough, so I will reveal the mystery to you in my next post!

Coming Soon...

2010-04-29T21:24:00.004-04:00

It's been awhile since I posted, but there are many updates to share...coming soon, Lord willing.

The grandchildren are visiting again this weekend, so I hope that I'll have time to post tomorrow, before it gets busy around here ~smile~.

I'll be writing about an impromptu visit with a real live farmer, who kindly gave me a tour of his small farm! He gave me some good advice and I was inspired by his example.

I'll report on some failures I've experienced in one area and some positive expectations in another area of this backyard farmyard endeavor.

While foraging for asparagus I came across an unexpected find! I'll be harvesting something very delicious in a few weeks, but I'll keep you in suspense until my next post! Clue: it's something I'm already growing in my garden, but this is the wild version--yum!

PLUS, I'm about to start on an Exciting New Venture very soon, Lord willing! I expected to start with my longed-for laying hens, but a different opportunity has arisen...stay tuned!

Genesis 1:29

"I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food."

Garden Images...and Memories

2010-04-21T10:43:00.007-04:00

I thought that I'd share some pictures I took yesterday around the backyard. There's not too much to report yet, but stay tuned...I'm on my way to the garden center in a few minutes (couldn't make it yesterday). I'm taking my mystery weed with me to see if they can identify it--very exciting, lol! Of course, I'll be picking up a few goodies, too, and pricing a load full of topsoil that I plan to have them deliver.

Has anyone else noticed that lots of things have started to blossom prematurely? We've had so many mild spells lately.

Lilacs almost ready to bloom. Usual time: mid May

My beautiful garden soil! I say that because last year it was lumpy clay, but I added lots of compost over the winter and it broke down wonderfully well! I was lasagna gardening before I really knew that much about it. Put down some cardboard and some leaves and left it to decompose--it worked!

Plum blossoms

These are last year's red onions (purple onions) coming up with the strawberries. Nothing much came of them, but I can still use them even though they didn't develop very well. There are more that I'll leave in the ground, but I figure if they didn't mature last year, they probably won't this season
...anyone know differently?

This is surprising: Strawbs are blooming already. In our area, strawberries ripen the second or third week in June. Not sure how soon the berries will appear, but seems the plants are getting a head start.

Isn't she adorable? This is my granddaughter back in 2005 (age 4) working in the garden, just like Grandma!
She could hardly lift the watering can ~smile~

That was the summer after I moved here and the yard was still a mess :-(
We were working in the late evening, planting some impatiens amongst the new raspberry bushes.

Mystery Weed

2010-04-19T12:58:00.000-04:00

I need your help to identify this plant/weed taking over my raspberry patch. It's beautiful and very healthy looking...a little too healthy, since it's spreading rapidly.

I haven't dug it up yet because I'm wondering if it's EDIBLE! Or maybe it has some wonderful medicinal properties. Is it something that I can make tea from? Waste not, want not, right?

The name of this weed may be obvious to you, but it has me stumped, so any help will be appreciated.

Free Range Chicken Song

2010-04-14T13:51:00.007-04:00

Free range chickens...a beautiful sight! Just for fun, enjoy!

Garden Report: April 8, 2010

2010-04-08T18:38:00.005-04:00

It's raining for the third day in a row, which is greening up everything very well! The young strawberries are flourishing and expanding to fill the garden plot that they began to take over last year. Now it's all theirs.

Even though it was raining, I went out to plant my peas:
organic Oregon Sugar Pod peas (edible pod) from Aimers Organics
(Hamilton, Ontario, Canada):

"Popular for its mild, sweet flavour, multiple disease resistance and heavy yields of large, stringless pods. Usually produces two pods per node. Vines are short, 30" and do not need staking. Delicious raw, steamed, stir-fried, or frozen for later use."

So, my intention was to plant the peas along the fence, like last year, but the strawberries have sent out suckers all the way to the fence line. I'll have to find a new home for the peas.

While in the strawberry patch, I saw--to my delight--a dandelion ~~weed~~ herb growing! I dug it up and washed the dirt off of it...

Sorry, but my obsessive dandelion saga continues...in last Monday's post, I mentioned that I bought some dandelion greens from the supermarket and added them to a salad. Because they were so large, I found them to be very bitter. I tried them for a second time tonight, steamed with butter, and they still didn't taste very good.

BUT these home-grown variety were mild and tasty! I just ate them plain, as they were, and loved it. It was so satisfying to know that I was taking into my body the many nutritional and health benefits that the Lord provided in this overlooked food source.

More Finds...Container Gardening

2010-04-06T10:01:00.003-04:00

I plan to expand my gardening space by growing some plants in containers this year. That will increase my yield and enable some poor areas of the yard to become productive. Yesterday, while at my local butcher's shop (sells free-range chickens, but not organic), I decided to ask if they had any food grade plastic containers that I could have. The owner was there and he sent a fellow around back to get them for me! I can go back again to get more, but for now I have 4 pails (see below for sizes).

In an ideal world, I wouldn't be using plastic at all. But wooden planters or clay pots are not going to happen this year. For now, I'm doing the best I can with food grade plastic (#2).

Last Saturday, when picking up a pizza that my husband had ordered, I asked the fellow at the pizza shop for any food-grade plastic containers. They didn't have many, but he saved these two cooking oil containers for me (one is still in box). He said that I can come back any Monday to pick up more. I prefer the sturdiness of the buckets though, but I will use the oil containers for planting herbs or maybe geraniums (which I use in salads and they attract hummingbirds).

CONTAINERS:

2--4.2 gallon oil containers = 16 litres

1--6 gallon pail = 22.73 litres

2--1.79 gallon pail = 15 kg.

1--1.19 gallon pail = 10 kg.

While taking the container photo, I thought that you would like to see my garlic coming up. This was planted before I moved here, and comes up every year. I plan to grow more this summer, plus we have the wild garlic over the back fence to harvest.

Don't forget to enjoy the garlic scapes that come up--that's when the stalks begin to curve and grow the seed head. They can be fried up like chives or mild onion. Add them to omelettes or fried potatoes!

GARLIC SCAPES

Here are the chives and some strawberry plants just starting out.

Well, those are my scavenging finds, so far, with more to come, Lord willing. I'd rather put out my money on some organic seeds and plants, rather than fancy containers. Frugality extends to my garden, too!

Weekend Finds

2010-04-05T11:07:00.004-04:00

I had my grandchildren here this past weekend and I thought it would be a fun idea to visit the feed store--two, actually. My grandchildren are homesteaders-in-training, under my zealous tutelage, lol!

Some of you had mentioned that your local seed-and-feed stores had some baby chicks on display, but alas, it wasn't so at the feed stores we visited. First you place your order, then they bring the chicks in. We were hoping to be able to hold and cuddle the little peepers ~smile~. We did, happily, find one critter roaming the feed store: a very cute, affection-seeking tabby cat ~smile~. He almost followed us out of the store!

Although it was disappointing not to find the chicks, I am now the excited owner of my first ever chicken feeder and waterer!! Boy, if I'm this excited over the equipment, imagine how I'll be whenever I get my hens! It's a baby step closer...The store was also offering a free farmy-type magazine and chicken order form with tips on caring for baby chicks.

My first ever chicken feeder!

Feeder, waterer, and reading material

I made another exciting discovery--in the supermarket--on Saturday. See if you can guess what's in this picture...

Can you guess what this is?

If you were reading my last post, you might remember me talking about foraging for this item, and that sometimes, in season, the supermarket carries them. I brought these lush, green beauties home with me for salad or light steaming. They are full of nutrients: Vitamin A (112% of daily requirment); Vitamin C (32%); Calcium (10%); Iron (9%). See answer under the photo, below:

Store bought DANDELION greens! They are huge! I put the tomato there to show size context.

All in all, it was a good weekend. I got to indulge my chicken dreams, and move forward a little bit, and I found some healthy dandelion greens. I expect that it will be the last time I actually pay for them! Tis the season to forage...

Foraging

2010-04-01T15:17:00.008-04:00

Foraging:
getting food by collecting or hunting what is naturally available

I'm excited about the prospect of finding free food sources--provided by God--in the nearby fields and woods. My plans this fall include gathering nuts! I found an oak tree while at a local park, which I'll revisit when the acorns are ready to drop. I know that there are also chestnut trees in the area. We're also blessed to have wild garlic growing behind our back fence, which we harvest in the fall. The flavour is more intense than regular garlic, which is just fine with us!

Well, that was the extent of my foraging plans until I came across an inspiring post by Stephanie at Keeper of the Home. She has big plans for harvesting something that is, most likely, right in our own backyards. Dandelions! Stephanie is drying dandelion leaves to make dandelion tea, which has many great medicinal properties. It always amazes me how the Lord has provided for our nutritional and medicinal needs through His wonderful creation. You can read her post HERE. I would just remind everyone to take care not to pick dandelions that have been exposed to pesticides/herbicides. That would sort of defeat the purpose, don't you think?!

Please check out Stephanie's post for ideas on how to use the various parts of the plant, including the root! She even has a Dandelion cookie recipe for the adventurous! I think my granddaughter would enjoy making them with me ~smile~.

Here are some of the amazing healing properties that Stephanie lists:

Supporting liver and gallbladder function
Cleansing the bloodstream
Can be used as a diuretic (for fluid retention)
Aids in digestion, and the function of the pancreas, spleen and stomach
Helpful for skin disorders, including eczema and acne
May help to protect from high blood pressure, high cholesterol, cancer and diabetes
High iron levels are useful for treating anemia
Aid in bowel function, and can be equally useful for both constipation and diarrhea
White sap from root/stem may be used as a topical remedy for warts
Can provide relief from menstrual cramps and menopause symptoms

I Hope It Was Quick And Painless!

2010-03-31T09:06:00.002-04:00

Some farmer-wannabee I make! I just experienced my first disappointment of the season and it was all my fault. I hope that it isn't an indicator of what's ahead for me in my gardens this year, lol!

I had taken such care to preserve, over the winter, a potted geranium that we had on our back deck. I love geraniums because they remind me of my grandmother who had so many of them. I love the pungent odour of the leaves--which, by the way, are edible. There's nothing like a dual purpose flower: beauty + good eating!

stock photo

Yesterday was sunny and warm so I put the geranium outside, along with my potted thyme and rosemary, to soak up the sunshine. At suppertime, I brought the herbs inside, but forgot about the geranium. Wouldn't you know it, we had frost last night! A heavy frost. The leaves are all droopy and it looks like there's no hope for this former beauty :-( (Hubby is away, with the camera, otherwise I would show you the damage).

Maybe I can still start a cutting from it, I'm not sure. I won't be too quick to compost it. If I give it time, it may come to life again. Maybe I'm just in denial...~smile~

Heirloom Seeds

2010-03-30T12:04:00.004-04:00

I'm expecting a delivery, any day now, of some organic, heirloom seeds that I ordered online. They're from a Canadian company called, Greta's Organic Gardens near Ottawa, Ontario. The seeds are certified organic, open-pollinated, and NOT genetically engineered--yay! The neat thing about Greta's is that they often give a bit of history for the seed, telling when it was introduced to North America and where it came from, originally. For example, this is what they have to say about the Copenhagen Market cabbage:

"Introduced by H. Hartman & Company in 1909. Solid heads reach 15-20cm/6-8" in diameter, weigh 3-4 pounds and rarely burst. Medium-sized plants are ideal for smaller gardens. 63-100 days from transplant. 1g(200) Certified by Ecocert Canada".

Here is what I ordered, and what I paid (yes, it costs to go organic!):

1 x Scarlet Runner beans = $3.50

1 x Winter keeper/Lutz BEETS = $3.50

1 x Danvers Carrots 1 gram = $3.50

1 x Copenhagen market, green CABBAGE 1 gram = $3.50

1 x Rutabaga Joan 1 gram = $3.50

1 x De Cicco 1 gram BROCCOLI = $3.50

1 x Lime Green Salad 50 seeds GREEN TOMATOES = $3.50

1 x Carmello 50 seeds RED TOMATOES = $3.50

1 x Dwarf Blue Curled Kale 1 gram = $3.50

*LIME GREEN SALAD* HEIRLOOM TOMATOES

In the meantime, I'll be watching for the mailman!

My New Poll

2010-03-26T07:12:00.006-04:00

UPDATE: Poll is now closed. Thanks to all who participated!

If you haven't seen it already, you might want to visit my other blog, Wifely Pursuits, to take part in a new poll that I'm hosting on the sidebar. Tell me what you are doing to provide healthier food for your families, in this age of a corrupted food system.

Unless we grow our own food and provide our own meat, milk, eggs, butter, (or buy them from reputable, organic suppliers) then we are exposing ourselves to genetically modified, hormone and pesticide laden food products. It's a dark time and "Big Ag" and corporations like Monsanto (here: a basic primer), (here) and (here) are laughing and rolling in profits at the expense of our health!

It can seem too hard or too expensive to make the changes needed to protect our families' health, but we can all take baby steps forward. Let's encourage one another by sharing what we are doing to move forward in this quest for healthy living. It would be helpful if you would leave a comment, either on this post or the other post, to explain further the steps you are taking in your homes. Thanks, everyone!

Grow Lights Are Ready

2010-03-24T21:16:00.002-04:00

I know that many of you have your seedlings started already, but I don't think that I'm too late even now. I had been waiting for hubby to buy the materials to hang the lights and now he has found the time to get the job done. I certainly couldn't have done it without his help!

Here are some pictures of my workspace in the basement:

(CLICK on photos to enlarge)

My husband hung a couple of fluorescent lights over an old table I have in the basement. It's the perfect spot for planting the seeds.

Over the past year we have saved some paper coffee cups and egg cartons to plant in.

I was inspired by Sheryl at Providence Acres Farm. She is also planting in coffee cups, but added foil to catch the water and used the lids that came with the cup to keep the humidity in, but I will use plastic cling wrap. Please have a look at her blog post for a cute gift idea!

I have also saved several plastic tubs that baby spinach or salad mix comes in. I have the lids, as well, so that will act as a little greenhouse for the seedlings.

We don't buy soft drinks but I got my hands on some plastic bottles that I cut in two. It will make a good cloche to cover the plants outdoors on nights when there is a chance of frost.

I bought this potting soil at the nursery. They told me that it's the same mix that they use for their plants, so it should be good.

So now I have my lights hung, and all the materials I need. Next step: GET PLANTING!

Stay tuned for the pictures...

Over-eager?!

2010-03-23T17:26:00.007-04:00

I was rummaging in the basement this afternoon and came across a board that I thought I'd have a little fun with. Even though my chicken coop is still a dream and we don't yet have any avian tenants, I thought that I would "hang out the shingle" for them! I'm not an artist, but here's the sign that I prepared, lol! It will hang on the hens' new abode:

The drawing on the left shows an egg frying in a pan, on the right a chicken...in case you couldn't tell!
The poor hen doesn't have much of a back end, as I ran out of board!

The upcoming post on grow lights and hoop house still in progress (smile).

Coming Soon In Next Post...

2010-03-23T11:26:00.003-04:00

Grow lights, and hoop house plans! When I get some time I will post, hopefully by tonight, Lord willing.

Thanks so much to the most recent followers of this blog: A Country Homemaker and Musings Of A Gem! Thank you both for joining us. Most, if not all, of you know much more than I do...I'm more of a haphazard, flying-by-the-seat-of-my-pants type gardener! Come to think of it, that's the way I cook, too! Lol. Anyway, knowing that you're all keeping an eye on me will, hopefully, spur me on (smile).

My Backyard Farmyard

The Rabbit Who Thought He Was A Sheep Dog

What To Look For When Buying Land

Kitchen Innovation

Celebrating The Snow...While It Lasts!

January Update: chickens, fluoride, new home...

Homemade Soap by Marlene Kimball

I've Been Hacked!

First Snow Day!

Chickens And Rain Don't Mix

A Surprise Package!

The Back To Eden Film

Around The Homestead On A Cold And Blustery Day!

My FIRST Raised Bed Row Cover

The Sweet Potato Famine of 2011

Becky's No Crock Sauerkraut

It's Harvest Time!

A Fermenter's Fridge!

My *SHEEP* Dog

Six Tips for No-Stress Canning

Cooking and Canning!

Protective Instinct

A Year Of Firsts

Kale Chips, yum!

How To Can Pickled Beets

Five hens, Five eggs!

Chicken Entertainment

I Have A New Blog

Garden Update: Before and After Pics

Fermenting Foods Webinar: TODAY!

Horsepower Farm

Morning Panic!

Around The 'Stead

For The Love Of Bear...

My Back Deck Gardens

Garden Update: Planting

Saying Good-bye

Garden Update: Breaking New Ground

Agrarian Declaration Of Independence

Muddy Days In The Chicken Run!

Mystery Weed: Mystery Solved!

First Egg!

Chickens: Not What I Expected!

Bok, Bok, Bok, Baaawk!

Anticipation

Bunny's Day Out

One Step Closer To Chickens

Kitchen Literacy: Do we know where our food comes from?

Gardening With Chickens

Do You Name Your Chickens?

Why You Should Add Salt To Your Food Storage

Preparing For The New Additions!

The Farm, Our Schoolmaster

Free Range Chicken Song

How To Survive What's Coming Next

Goji Berries: Grow Your Own!

I'm Back!

Taking A Break and Garden Update

Dare To Be A Laundry Activist!

Uncle Sam Expects You To Keep Hens

Simple Beauty

First Harvest

Relaxing In The Shade With Bunny, and more...

A Hot Day In May

Rabbit Cages

My Exciting New Venture

Strawberry Patch Surprise!

Sundry Updates and a Farm Adventure!

Coming Soon...

Garden Images...and Memories

Mystery Weed

Free Range Chicken Song

Garden Report: April 8, 2010

More Finds...Container Gardening

Weekend Finds

Foraging

I Hope It Was Quick And Painless!

Heirloom Seeds

My New Poll

Grow Lights Are Ready

My SHEEP Dog