Day 113 of 365

Mostly sunny but kinda looked like it might rain.

• Low: 51
• High: 75

Applied compost to comfrey. Planted 4 comfrey crowns I had stashed in the refrigerator. All but one of the ones I planted last fall made it, so I'm happy about that.

Started to mulch the strawberries with the leaves Dan and I raked and piled near the garden. I got about half way done, but the problem was that the mulch pile was loaded with ants. As are the strawberry beds. After getting about 20 bites, I decided to go finish taking down and folding the laundry.

Truth be told, I didn't get a whole lot done because Lily kidded today! That's a heads up for those of you who read my garden journal. :) Look for photos and details on my homestead blog tonight, scheduled to publish at midnight.

Harvested:

• strawberries.

Preserved:

• strawberries, freezing

Eating:

• milk kefir
• milk
• water kefir
• lettuce
• goat cheese
• eggs
• parsnips

Day 80 of 365

Overcast most of the day with a 100% chance of rain forecast.

• Low: 48
• High: 62

Never did rain.

Weeded one of the front yard herb beds, added compost, planted the peppermint plant I bought yesterday, and mulched with wood chips.

Turned the newest compost pile. It amazes me how quickly it can dry out even when it's covered.

Coming up: comfrey, peas, radishes, & (I think) pak choy.

Feb. 19 - 25, 2012

Temperature Range

• lows: 32 - 55° F
• highs: 38 - 74° F

Rainfall: 0.25"

Planted:

• 30 comfrey crowns
• white Dutch clover

Harvested:

• broccoli
• kale
• collards
• cabbage collards

Gathered:

• acorns

Preserved:

• 2 dozen eggs, frozen in muffin tins, 2 eggs per cup

Egg Counts:

• Sun. 6
• Mon 8
• Tues. 5
• Wed. 8
• Thurs. 7
• Fri. 6
• Sat. 8
• Week's Total: 48

Observations & Accomplishments
Sunday

• day of rest
• rain
• high temp was in the am

Monday

• icy this morning
• Dan finished the blueberry bush fence
• worked a little more on threshing wheat

Wednesday

• planted 30 comfrey crowns
• very windy
• thunderstorm at bedtime, but only 0.2"

Thursday

• applied bone meal to broccoli, kale, & beet beds
• sowed Dutch white clover seed around the new comfrey bed
• Japanese magnolia is blooming

Friday

• applied blood meal to the wheat

Saturday

• Dan rented a skid loader to scrape the saplings, poison ivy & ground clover vines from the back field

Feb. 12 - 18, 2012

Temperature Range:

• lows: 18 - 53° F
• highs: 41 - 63° F

Rainfall: 0.1 inch

Harvested:

• cabbage-collards
• kale
• lettuce

Gathered:

• acorns for the goats

Egg Counts:

• Sun. 5
• Mon. 7 - 1 = 6
• Tues. 9
• Wed. 5
• Thurs. 5
• Fri. 6
• Sat. 6
• Week's total: 42

Observed & Accomplished:
Sunday

• day of rest
• 1st dip into the teens this year
• cabbage collards wilted most from the freeze

Monday

• hauled more logs out of the woods for garden terraces
• completed one more terrace
• caught one of my Barred Hollands eating an egg! It'd better be the only one or she's a goner. 

Tuesday

• wet, chilly, indoor day
• 100% homestead dinner: slow cooked chicken, steamed cabbage collards, baked sweet potatoes, & salad of lettuce, kale, radishes, & pickled, hard-boiled eggs
• made more pickled eggs

Wednesday

• Dan worked on fencing for the blueberry bush

Thursday

• cold and rainy

Friday

• my comfrey order arrived

Saturday

• bought hay
• Dan worked on gate for blueberry corral
• so far, no more egg eating by chickens
• experimented some with wheat threshing
• started raining again around bedtime

June Wk 1: 5 - 11

Temperature range:

• lows: 62 - 69 F
• highs: 89 - 96

Rainfall: 1.1"

Planted:

• summer savory (2nd try)
• 4 O'clocks (Mirabilis)
• 2 hybrid bell pepper plants (feed store)
• St. John's wort (2nd try)

Harvested:

• peaches
• strawberries (handful)
• comfrey (for the goats)
• cucumbers (1st two)

Seeds gathered:

• peas, Wando
• turnips, purple top white
• radish, variety unknown
• broccoli, Waltham 29

Preserved:

• milk as 2 hard cheeses
• 3/4 gallon Swiss chard, lactofermented

Eating our own:

• frozen okra
• frozen bell pepper
• canned green tomato salsa
• canned blueberry jam
• canned strawberry jam
• canned figs
• canned pizza sauce
• fresh eggs
• fresh peaches
• fresh cucumbers
• fresh goats milk including:
• yogurt
• cottage cheese
• cheese
• yogurt cheese
• whey
• dehydrated watermelon
• dried herbs

Egg Counts:

• Sun. 4
• Mon. 4 + stash of 4
• Tues. 6
• Wed. 5
• Thurs. 5
• Fri. 3
• Sat. 7
• Week's Total: 38

Accomplished:

• raked leaves for mulch
• watered new plantings
• watered strawberry & asparagus bed

Observed:

• echinacea blooming
• hardy hibiscus blooming

May Wk 3: 15 - 21

Temperature Range:

• lows: 47 - 61
• highs: 60 - 88

Rainfall: only sprinkles

Planted:

• sand cherry bushes (Burgess)
• butternut squash (saved seed)
• borage (Pinetree Gardens)
• field corn, Truckers Favorite (Shumway)
• black oil sunflowers (feed store)

Harvested:

• peas
• Swiss chard
• yarrow
• calendula
• comfrey leaves

Eating our own:

• fresh strawberries
• fresh peas (in salad)
• fresh Swiss chard (in salad)
• fresh goats milk, including:
• yogurt
• cheese
• whey
• fresh eggs
• canned strawberry jam
• canned sweet potatoes
• canned Swiss chard
• canned green tomato salsa
• canned dill pickles
• canned cucumber relish
• canned pizza sauce
• frozen bell pepper
• dried wild onions (in rolls)
• dried figs (in cake)
• stored pecans & hickory nuts (in salad)

Egg Counts:

• Sun. 5
• Mon 6
• Tues. 5
• Wed. 4
• Thurs. 5
• Fri. 5 + stash of 3
• Sat. 5
• Week's Total: 33

Accomplished:

• mulched early potato beds
• finished planting corn field
• watered main garden

Observations:

• fall garden is a weedy mess

May Wk 2: 8 - 14

Temperature range:

• lows: 46 - 67
• highs: 77 - 88

Rainfall: several days worth of sprinkles

Planted:

• potatoes, Red Pontiac (saved)
• sweet potato slips, Porto Rico (saved)

Harvested:

• English peas
• strawberries
• yarrow
• comfrey leaves
• poke root
• broccoli

Egg counts:

• Sun. 5
• Mon. 5
• Tues. 4
• Wed. 4
• Thurs 5
• Fri. 4
• Sat. 5
• Week's Total: 32

Eating our own:

• canned pizza sauce
• canned strawberry jam
• canned sweet pickles
• canned dill pickles
• canned turkey/sausage gumbo
• fresh carrots
• fresh strawberries
• fresh carrots
• fresh broccoli
• fresh peas
• fresh eggs
• fresh goat milk plus
• yogurt
• yogurt cheese
• whipped cream
• cheese (1st attempt)
• frozen okra
  
• frozen chicken

Seeds saved:

• turnips, purple top
• lettuce from mesclun blend

Observations:

• magnolias blooming

April 15, 2010

Temperature:
~ low 52 F
~ high 77 F

Planted:
~ 30 Roma tomato seedlings
~ 5 Chinese Giant sweet pepper seedlings
~ 5 sweet basil seedlings
~ the rest of the comfrey
~ marigolds

Notes on planting tomato & pepper seedlings:
~ Found some 9-12-12 tomato fertilizer in the cabinet and added a spoonful of that to each hole
~ made a newspaper cutworm collar for each
~ planted marigold seedlings in between each tomato plant

April 14, 2010

Temperature:
~ low 54 F
~ high 72 F

Harvested:
~ turnips - 21 ct, 9.3 oz

Planted:
~ comfrey crowns - 19 of 33
~ pyrethrum

Sprayed:
~ cabbage & broccoli with Pyola