Day 150 of 365

Humid. Rain in the early morning and early evening hours. Thunder now.

• Low: 71 F
• High: 84 F

Rainfall: 0.5"

Planted:

• sweet pepper plant
• sweet potato slips

Harvested:

• cabbage
• strawberries (a handful)

Seeds gathered:

• hull-less oats
• pak choy
• Siberian Dwarf kale

Baby chicks arrived today! Two days early! Pictures will be here.

Made our season's first cole slaw. It was so good.

Did some weeding (ongoing)

Day 118 of 365

Another beautiful day.

• Low: 44 F
• High: 74 F

Planted:

• okra, Clemson Spineless, saved seed
• eggplant, Florida Highbush, Sustainable Seed Co.
• eggplant, Florida Market, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds
• sweet pepper, California Wonder, Pinetree Garden Seeds
• winter squash, Orange Cushaw, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds

Turned the working compost pile; looking good.

Mulched a second potato bed.

Nov. 13 - 19, 2011

Temperature Range:

• lows: 29 - 63 F
• highs: 49 - 68 F

Rainfall: 1.95"

Harvested:

• green tomatoes
• green peppers
• collards for the goats
• rosemary
• kale
• Hutterite soup beans (last of)
• Christmas limas (very scant)
• radishes
• lettuce

Gathered:

• pecans
• persimmons

Preserved:

• 1 hard cheese
• 7 qts. green tomatoes
• froze sliced green peppers

Egg Counts

• Sun. 1
• Mon. 1
• Tues. 0
• Wed. 0
• Thurs. 0
• Fri. 1
• Sat 0
• Week's Total: 3

Observed & Accomplished
Sunday

• day of rest

Monday

• Rearranged pantry. Again.
• Dan put down some flooring in the attic for storage

Tuesday

• shelled pecans & popcorn
• I think the Ameraucanas are hiding their eggs. But where???
• sprinkle of rain

Wednesday

• rain
• made yogurt
• made cheese
• put empty canning jar boxes in attic
• canned green tomato slices for frying
• sliced & froze the last of the green peppers

Thursday

• still raining in a.m. then turned colder
• picked last of Hutterite soup beans
• picked Christmas limas, very poor production
• rain knocked almost all the leaves off the trees

Friday

• opened last jar of 2010 pizza sauce
• had one of the last tomatoes for lunch

Saturday

• gathered pecans & persimmons
• both patches of wheat are growing well
• ate the other 3 red tomatoes in salad for dinner

Nov. 6 - 12, 2011

Temperature Range:

• lows: 31 - 54 F
• highs: 54 - 68 F

Rainfall: 0.05"

Harvested:

• rugosa rose hips
• sweet peppers
• green tomatoes
• broccoli thinnings
• calendula flowers
• volunteer potatoes

Gathered:

• pecans
• persimmons

Egg Counts:

• Sun. 1
• Mon. 1
• Tues. 1
• Wed. 1
• Thurs. 0
• Fri. 2
• Sat. 1
• Week's Total: 7

Accomplished & Observed
Sunday

• day of rest
• picked up several pocketfuls of pecans
• found a few more persimmons
• gathered rugosa rose hips
• noted fresh deer tracks in the garden

Monday

• sorted and packed sweet potatoes

Tuesday

• finished scattering compost over wheat
• 2nd patch of wheat sprouting
• processed persimmons with food mill & froze pulp

Wednesday

• still picking up pecans
• cleaned out goat stalls & started new compost pile
• thinned broccoli & steamed for dinner

Thursday

• a sprinkling of rain
• gathered more pecans & persimmons
• started shelling popcorn

Friday

• killing frost this a.m.
• harvested all the tomatoes, peppers, & potatoes
• found 9, gallon glass jars at the thrift store for $1 each

Saturday

• made mozzarella out of 1 gallon. Didn't turn out so put it in the press

Oct. 30 - Nov. 6, 2011

Temperature Range:

• lows: 33 - 49 F
• highs: 56 - 64 F

First Frost: Oct 30

Rainfall: 1.2"

Planted:

• 2nd section of wheat (total 46#)

Harvested:

• green peppers
• green tomatoes
• thyme
• spearmint
• calendula blossoms
• Hutterite soup beans

Gathered:

• pecans

Egg Counts

• Sun. 2
• Mon. 2
• Tues. 1
• Wed. 1
• Thurs. 1
• Fri. 0
• Sat. 1
• Week's Total: 8

Accomplished & Observed:

Sunday
• day of rest
• first frost
• picked frost damaged green peppers
• green tomatoes still look okay
Monday
• sliced & froze those peppers
• planted most of the rest of the wheat
• sprinkled compost over most of that
• shelled pecans
• noted frost damage on tender plants but everything seems to still be alive
• watered Egyptian onions, mangels, broccoli, lettuce, radishes
Tuesday 
• made & froze banana bread & muffins from bag of overripe bananas 
Wednesday
• made mozzarella (1 gal milk)
• made hard cheese (1.5 gal milk)
• gathered a few handfuls of pecans & hickory nuts
• gold Ameraucana is starting to lay again
Thursday
• rain
Friday
• more rain
• the wheat is up! (1st planting)
Saturday
• gathered more pecans

October 9 - 15, 2011

Temperature Range:

• lows: 50 - 61 F
• highs: 62 - 73 F

Rainfall: 0.95 inches

Harvested:

• collard greens
• green pepper

Collected:

• pecans
• poke root

Preserved:

• 1 ice cube tray of whey, frozen
• 1 hard cheese

Egg Totals:

• Sun. 2
• Mon. 1
• Tues. 0
• Wed. 2
• Thurs. 1
• Fri. 2
• Sat. 2
• Week's Total: 10

Accomplished:

Sunday
• day of rest
Monday
• drizzly day
Tuesday
• rain
• made cheese
• took basil cuttings to root for next year's plants
• sampled a couple of our almonds
Wednesday
• collected pecans
• fed old beets to goats
Thursday
• light rain
• gathered pecans
• made yogurt cheese
Saturday
• gathered pecans
• worked on clearing corn field

Sept. 25 - Oct. 1

Temperature Range

• lows: 46 - 70 F
• highs: 64 - 82 F

Rainfall: 0.15"

Planted: Nothing this week

Harvested

• spearmint
• horehound
• beets
• radishes
• sweet pepper

Preserved

• 3 cheeses

Egg Counts

• Sun. 5
• Mon. 2
• Tues. 1
• Wed. 2
• Thurs. 1
• Fri. 2 (I think Mrs. Gold Ameraucana is hiding her eggs again)
• Sat. 1
• Week's Total: 14 

Accomplished:

Sunday
• day of rest
• checked soil in corn field, very muddy
Monday
• started cucumber pulp for seeds
• made cheese
Tuesday
• made cheese
Wednesday
• weeded herb garden and trimmed border beds
• harvested new growth of spearmint & horehound
• started cutting corn stalks in corn field
Thursday
• thinned a few things in fall garden
• 1st steamed beets & greens for dinner
• 1st fall radishes
Friday
• nothing in garden, ran errands & worked on house
Saturday
• made one more cheese

Sept 18 - 24, 2011

Temperature Range:

• lows: 57 - 66 F
• highs: 68 - 82 F

Rainfall: 4.75 inches

Planted:

• broccoli, Waltham 29, saved seed
• cabbage collard plants, purchased
• radishes, China Rose, packaged seed
• Kale, Siberian Dwarf (Baker Creek)

Harvested:

• Swiss Chard
• popcorn
• buckwheat for hay
• green peppers
• tomatoes
• watermelons

Seeds gathered:

• buckwheat
• 4 o'clocks
• popcorn
• pole beans

Preserved:

• 2, half-gallons goat milk, frozen

Egg Counts:

• Sun. 2
• Mon. 2
• Tues. 3
• Wed. 2
• Thurs. 3
• Fri. 3
• Sat. 2
• Week's Total: 17

Accomplished:
Sunday

• day of rest

Monday

• cleared more summer garden beds
• planted broccoli, radish seeds & cabbage collards plants
• harvested popcorn
• saved popcorn stalks for goats
• cut buckwheat for goats (hay)
• watered fall garden
• watered hazelnut trees

Tuesday

• planted kale
• husked popcorn

Wednesday

• Rain! Welcome rain! No gardening activities.
• froze 2 more half-gallon jars of milk

Thursday

• more rain
• worked on shelling turnip seeds

Friday

• more rain

Saturday

• harvested watermelons
• deer track noted in buckwheat
• ground too wet to do anything
• noted fall seeds coming up!

Sept. 4 - 10, 2011

Temperature Range:

• lows: 57 - 72 F
• highs: 64 - 89 F

Rainfall: 1"

Harvested:

• green beans, KY Wonder
• bell peppers
• tomato
• field corn, Truckers Favorite
• corn silk
• amaranth (volunteers)
• Red Pontiac potatoes
• calendula
• watermelon, Small Sugar

Preserved:

• 1 hard goats milk cheese
• 1 quart okra, frozen
• sweet pepper, frozen, a handful
• milk, dozen 1/2-pints frozen

Seeds saved:

• pole beans, Kentucky Wonder
• okra, Clemson Spineless
• Mirabilis
• calendula
• Hutterite Soup beans

Egg Counts:

• Sun. 4
• Mon. 4
• Tues. 2
• Wed. 4
• Thurs. 3
• Fri. 2
• Sat. 2
• Week's Total: 21

Accomplished:

Sunday
• day of rest
Monday
• rained all day
Tuesday
• more rain
Wednesday
• harvested field corn and green beans
Thursday
• made hard cheese
• harvested field corn
• started shucking corn
Friday
• harvested field corn
• husked corn
• build corn crib
Saturday
• finished harvesting field corn
• turned goats into the corn field
• finished husking field corn
• dug potatoes (disappointing)
• harvested green beans & okra
• gathered seeds for saving

July Wk. 4: 24 - 30

Temperature range:

• lows: 69 -74 F
• highs: 93 - 98 F

rainfall: 0.2"

Harvested:

• watermelon
• green nutmeg melon
• tomatoes
• cucumbers
• cowpeas
• okra
• scallop summer squash
• green beans
• green peppers (2 small)
• oregano
• thyme
• rosemary
• sweet basil
• figs

Preserved:

• pizza sauce, 18 pints canned
• okra, 3 quarts frozen
• okra & tomatoes, 6 qts canned
• mozzarella, 7 pizzas worth
• green nutmeg melon, 1 pint dehydrated
• 1 ice cube tray of whey

Eating our own:

• fresh goats milk
• yogurt
• ricotta
• mozzarella
• sour milk (pancakes)
• fresh tomatoes
• fresh eggs
• fresh herbs
• fresh watermelon (not quite ripe)
• fresh green nutmeg melons
• fresh green beans
• fresh summer squash
• fresh cucumber
• lacto-fermented Swiss chard
• lacto-fermented sour dill pickles
• canned pickle relish
• canned pizza sauce
• canned figs
• frozen bell peppers

Egg Counts:

• Sun. 2
• Mon. 3
• Tues. 6
• Wed. 5
• Thurs. 3
• Fri. 3
• Sat. 4
• Week's total: 26

June Wk 3: 19 - 25

Temperature Range:

• lows: 61 - 71 F
• highs: 79 - 95 F

Rainfall: 1.3"

Planted:

• sweet basil plant (garden center)
• sweet pepper plant (garden center)

Harvested:

• peaches
• cucumbers
• dill
• calendula flowers

Preserved:

• 2 gallons milk as 2 mozzarella cheeses (shredded & frozen)
• 5 half-gallons milk, frozen
• 11 pints dill pickles, Di-Lish Dill pickle recipe

Seeds gathered:

• peas
• lettuce, Romaine & oak leaf type

Eating Out Own:

• fresh eggs
• fresh potatoes
• fresh cucumbers
• fresh peaches
• fresh goats milk including:
• yogurt
• yogurt cheese
• cheese
• sour milk (cake)
• mozzarella (pizza)
• whey (pizza dough)
• canned blueberry jam
• canned cucumber relish
• canned dill pickles
• canned green tomato salsa
• canned apple butter
• canned pizza sauce
• frozen cantaloupe (smoothies)
• frozen potato soup
• frozen bell pepper
• frozen okra
• dried cantaloupe
• lacto-fermented Swiss chard

Egg Counts:

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

Accomplished:

• compost applied to comfrey plants
• raked more leaves for mulch
• defrosted chest freezer

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 4: 22 - 28

Temperature Range:

• lows: 60 - 68
• highs: 73 - 93

Rainfall: 0.8"

Planted:

• pole beans, Kentucky Wonder (in the field corn)
• pumpkins, Small Sugar (in the field corn)
• sweet peppers (2nd try), Chinese Giant
• yellow cosmos

Transplanted:

• dill volunteers, to sweet potato beds

Harvested:

• peas
• 1 lone potato
• garlic
• yarrow
• sage
• oregano
• thyme
• Swiss chard

Seeds Collected:

• radish (variety unknown)
• shell peas, Wando
• calendula

Preserved:

• 6 pints strawberry jam

Eating Our Own:

• canned green beans
• canned green tomato salsa
• canned sweet potatoes
• canned pizza sauce
• canned Swiss chard
• goats milk including:
• cheese
• yogurt
• yogurt cheese
• whey (in muffins)
• fresh eggs
  
• fresh peas
• fresh strawberry jam
• fresh Swiss chard
• stored potatoes
• stored carrots
• stored pecans
• frozen blueberries
• frozen cantaloupe
• frozen strawberries
• frozen bell peppers
• frozen eggs
• dried herbs

Egg Counts:

• Sun. 4
• Mon. 5
• Tues. 5
• Wed. 5
• Thurs. 0
• Fri. 6
• Sat. 5
• Week's Total: 30

Accomplished:

• watered herb garden & corn field
• watered fall garden & Brandywines
• cardboard mulched side of garden by corn field fence
• tried bunches of sage as fly repellant
• tried bunches of thyme too, but the goats ate them
• scythed part of hay field
• transplanted volunteer dill plants to sweet potato beds

Observations:

• daylilies, daisies, & hydrangia blooming

May Wk. 1: 1 - 7

Temperature Range:

• lows: 37 - 63
• highs: 68 - 83

Rainfall: none

Planted:

• white broom corn (Baker Creek)
• okra, Clemson Spineless (saved seed)
• eggplant, FL High Bush (Seed Savers)
• habanero peppers (Pinetree Garden)
• cosmos (saved seed)
• black oil sunflowers (feed store)
• summer squash, Bennings Green Tint (Pinetree Garden)

Harvested:

• lettuce
• strawberries

Egg Counts:

• Sun. 5
• Mon. 5
• Tues. 6
• Wed. 4
• Thurs, 4
• Fri. 6
• Sat. 6
• Week's Total: 36

Eating our own:

• fresh lettuce
• fresh goats milk
• fresh eggs
• fresh beets
• fresh carrots
• fresh strawberries
• canned green beans
• canned tomato soup
• canned pizza sauce
• canned dill pickles
• frozen summer squash
• frozen okra
• frozen green pepper
• dried cantaloupe

Accomplished:

• continued mulching strawberry bed
• fenced off corn field

Observations:

• pea pods filling out
• corn coming up!

March Wk 4: 20 - 26

Temperature range:

• lows: 35 - 67 F
• highs: 52 - 81 F

Rainfall:  2.05"

Planted:

• sweet pepper seeds (indoors)

Potted:

• horseradish root
• Dan's olive tree (into larger pot)

Transplanted:

• 1 sassafras tree
• 2 redbud trees
• 1 Sargent crabapple
• violets
• daffodils
• strawberries
• 1 crepe myrtle
• forsythia

Harvested:

• beets
• lettuce
• broccoli
• carrots

Egg Counts:

• Sun. 6
• Mon. 5
• Tues. 5
• Wed. 4
• Thurs. 5
• Fri. 6 plus a stash of 5
• Sat. 3
• Weekly Total: 39

Eating Our Own:

• fresh beets
• fresh turnips
• fresh lettuce
• fresh carrots
• fresh broccoli
• fresh eggs
• stored potatoes
• canned strawberry jam
• canned blueberry pie filling
• canned dill pickles
• canned cucumber relish
• canned applesauce
• canned tomato relish
• canned blueberry jam
• frozen hash browns
• frozen blueberries
• sauerruben

Feeding to chickens and goats:

• amaranth
• sunflower seeds
• cabbage leaves
• Swiss chard
• overripe buttercup squash

Accomplished:

• measured & staked new permanent garden beds
• pulled cabbage plants except those going to seed
• moving strawberries to new double dug rows

Observations:

• Sprouting:
• St. Johnswort seeds 
• Roma tomato seeds 
• Spearmint 
• creeping thyme
• pyrethrum
• volunteer calendula coming up 
• strawberries flowering
• fig tree beginning to leaf out
• blueberry flower buds forming
• azaleas blooming
• robins everywhere
• lots more rain on Saturday

Nov. Wk. 1, (31st) - 6th

Temperature Range:

• Lows: 34 - 52 F
• Highs: 50 - 71 F

Rainfall: 0.4"

Planted:

• annual rye (green manure)
• winter wheat (2.25 lbs over about 120 sq ft.)
• rutabagas, purple top  
• parsnips, Harris Model

Harvested:

• tomatoes
• sweet peppers
• green beans (last of)
• Swiss chard
• popcorn (missed a few the 1st time)
• buckwheat
• turnips

Gathered:

• pecans

Preserved:

• dehydrated Swiss chard

Accomplished:

• tilled lower half of garden
• tilled old cucumber patch
• pulled the rest of the bush beans
• pulled popcorn stalks
• pulled most of the pole beans
• applied compost to cabbages
• applied compost to old cuke patch
• started new compost pile
• planted annual rye for a green manure cover crop
• planted an experimental patch of hard winter wheat.
• Joined our area food co-op
• Fri. pm, covered toms & peppers in preparation for frost

Noted:

• mesclun coming up
• radishes coming up
• garlic coming up
• broccoli starting to head
• ate our last mess of fresh steamed green beans for the year

Oct. Wk 3, 17th - 23rd

Temperature range:

• lows: 46 - 59° F
• highs: 71 - 77° F

Rainfall: 0.1"

Planted:

• garlic
• China Rose winter radishes
• mild mesclun mix

Harvested:

• zucchini
• Pink Beauty radishes
• Swiss chard
• oregano
• sweet peppers
• state half runner beans
• last black turtle bean plant
• watermelons (last ones)
• baby beets
• baby turnips
• baby carrots
• tomato - 1 ripe Roma

Preserved:

• pickled beets using this recipe

Accomplished:

• thinned beets, turnips, & carrots
• fed tops to goats & chickens (llama wasn't interested)
• applied compost to new beds & broccoli
• started mulching potatoes
• pulled old dill plants, noted lots of new volunteers
• watered zucchini, sweet peppers, cabbages

To Do:

• plant parsnips & more beets?
• finish packing & labeling saved seeds
• finish organizing pantry
• harvest herbs
• clean out front flower beds

Oct. Wk 2, 10th - 16th

Temperature Range:

• lows: 46 - 60
• highs: 70 - 82

Rainfall: sprinkle

Harvested:

• last of black turtle beans
• state 1/2 runner bush beans
• last buttercup squash
• Swiss chard
• zucchini
• sweet pepper
• sweet basil
• dill seed

Preserved:

• froze 4 quarts potato soup
• 13 quarts canned sweet potatoes
• froze 2 doz. eggs
• froze sweet pepper, both green & ripe
• dehydrated bananas (store bought)

Accomplished:

• shelled beans for seed & soup
• finished pulling black turtle bean plants & buttercup squash vines
• watered fall garden
• pulled out blackberry vines & as many weeds going to seed as possible
• husked amaranth & stored in trash cans for chicken feed
• pulled out okra plants
• cleaned out chicken coop & spread litter lower 1/2 of garden

To Do:

• finish goat fencing
• finish organizing 2010 saved seeds
• thin beets
• thin turnips
• thin carrots
• finish harvesting bush bean seeds
• till
• re-pot aloe vera

Oct. Wk 1, 3rd - 9th

Temperature Range:

• lows: 44 - 54° F
• highs:  66 - 80° F

Rainfall: none

Harvested:

• sweet peppers
• Swiss chard
• beet greens with baby beets 
• dried State 1/2 runner beans (for seed & soup)
• buttercup squash
• dill seed
• sunflower seed heads (last of)

Preserved:

• froze sweet pepper
• froze eggs

Problems noted:

• black rot(?) on curing sweet potatoes

Accomplished:

• started removing amaranth seed from heads
• pulling dead bean plants
• pulled out the last of the dead sunflower stalks
• thinning beets & eating steamed thinnings
• hilled fall potatoes (mostly volunteers)
• sprayed zucchini plants with Soap Shield (copper solution) for powdery mildew
• cleaned out old cantaloupe bed, pulling dried vines & weeds with seed heads
• fed weeds to the goats (much appreciated)
• working on new fencing mostly
• husked popcorn
• shelled dried sweet corn for seed

To Do:

• finish amaranth seed
• get something to store amaranth seed in
• mulch fall garden
• work on fall fruit tree & shrub nursery order
• finish pulling out dead squash and cucumber vines
• clean out chicken coop & spread on garden for tilling
• till summer garden
• plant green manure cover crop of annual rye

Homestead Cuisine:

• baked chicken, steamed baby beets with greens, potato salad with pickle juice in mayonnaise and ripe sweet pepper

Sept/Oct Transition Week (Sept 26 - Oct 2)

Rainfall: 3.1 inches

Harvested:

• zucchini
• black turtle beans
• sweet peppers
• buttercup squash
• sunflowers

Problems noted:

• powdery mildew on zucchini
  

Preserved:

• froze 1 pint pumpkin
• froze eggs
• froze sweet peppers
• cured sunflower heads

Accomplished:

• Sorted stored potatoes. Some going bad, all sprouting
• Composted bad potatoes
• cleaned out pantry fridge for sprouting potatoes
• made potato soup (it's getting to be that soup time of year)
• pulled black turtle bean plants & sunflower stalks
• shelling saved seeds: radishes, turnips
• Finally visited my area food co-op and got a one month trial membership. I will probably join.  They do buy produce from members so maybe this will be an outlet in the future. They also told me about an area locavore group. It's good to be finding some area resources.
  

To Do:

• spray zucchini for the mildew
• sort sweet potatoes for storage
• shake seeds from dried amaranth heads
• finish cleaning up garden
• plant more radishes
• mulch fall garden