What I've Been Doing

I've been a little aloof lately and I apologize. It is one of those times where I want to post about everything but never get around to posting any of it.

I spent a lot of the weekend making invitations for my cousin's baby shower. I made the cutest ones to tie in with our frog theme. They are all done and mailed out - what a relief!

I also got the long garden almost completely weeded and mulched. All the is left are two empty spots where I didn't plant anything. I need to pull all the weeds and mulch those areas so they're ready for next year. Also, the corn is very weedy again and I think I need a hoe for it this time. It isn't growing very well (maybe due to weed pressure, maybe not enough rain) and I think I planted it a little later than my neighbors. Hopefully it will still produce enough corn to can and some popcorn for the winter.

I'm about berried out. Blueberries, cherries, mulberries, oh my!

I planted 50 strawberry plants awhile ago so maybe we'll have some of our own next year. So far they're doing good, just need to be mulched.

I've been knitting up a storm. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, I'm now on Ravelry as MarriedToTheFarm. If you're on there look me up! I didn't think it would be nearly as cool as it is. I've been starting new projects left and right since we've got 2 weddings coming up plus it seems like everyone we know is pregnant. Of course Christmas is coming too and like Dave Ramsey says: Christmas is a craft this year. Homemade canned goods and/or knitted stuff for everyone.

Brian has been spending all his evenings and weekends working on the semi. It apparently didn't come with wet lines which is the part that allows it to work with a dump trailer. We haven't bought a trailer yet but he made arrangements to borrow a set of doubles for the wheat harvest. Brian and our neighbor, Ken, might get in to wheat this week! Once that is done we're going to tear down our old garage (it is so ugly!) and put up the new building for cattle. Things are rolling right along around here.

I'll try to get some new pics up soon so you can see all of this activity! Hope things are going well for everyone else, I'd love to hear what you're up to.

Growing Challenge Check-In: Planting

My garden isn't small but I didn't have any room to plant corn. Our neighbor Jeff was kind enough to come by with his tractor and rototiller and make the above long strip of garden for me. It is between the pasture fence and the road. We had to put the fence far off the road to make room for snow in the winter but can still use the space all summer.

I planted 5 different kinds of corn the first day. I still had some room so in went 2 packets of sunflowers, hopefully to use in granola bars this fall. Well, there was still a ton of room left so I just kept planting. All the peas and beans went in. Then watermelon, zucchini, and squash. There is still room so I added eggplant seeds and may stick in some eggplant seedlings to fill it up. I'm trying to plant less valuable crops there since I wouldn't put it past some idiot to drive through it or pick from it. The tomatoes and other crops will stay in the main garden. Plus, now there is room in the main garden for pumpkins!!

Here's the complete running list, new additions in bold, the rest are updated.

Seedlings still under light (they really need to get outside but the weather is poor):
Amish Paste Tomatoes
Green Zebra Tomatoes
Waltham 29 Broccoli
Ping Tung Eggplant
Long Purple Eggplant

In the main garden:
Red pioneer potatoes- 10# - growing well, need straw
Red onions - 8-10" tall
Dwarf Grey Sugar Peas (hybrid) - 1 20' row - 8" tall
Asparagus - mostly gone to seed, some still coming up
Black seeded simpson lettuce - 1 20' row - up
Black seeded simpson lettuce - 1 20' row planted 4/27 - up
Sugar Ann snap pea - 1 20' row planted 4/27 - 4" tall
Victoria Rhubarb - approx. 25 seeds planted 4/27 - didn't come up, disappeared!
Amish Paste Tomato seedlings - 10 planted out 5/25 - 2 died, others holding on

In the long garden:
Country Gentleman sweet corn - 1 packet - planted 5/25
Golden Bantam 8-Row sweet corn - 1 pkt. - planted 5/25
Carousel mini ornamental corn - 1 pkt. - planted 5/25
Strawberry popcorn - 1 pkt. - planted 5/25
Japanese White Hull-less popcorn - 1 pkt. - planted 5/25
Mammoth Grey sunflowers - 1 pkt. - planted 5/30
Buff Valentine (Contender) bush bean - 3 pkts. - planted 5/31
Sugar Ann snap peas - remainder of 1 pkt. - 5/31
Laxton's Progress 9 garden pea - 3 pkts. - 5/31
Tall Telephone garden pea - 1 pkt. - 5/31
Blacktail Mountain watermelon - 1 pkt. = 5 hills - 5/31
Butternut Roosa squash - partial pkt. = 2 hills - 5/31
Black Beauty zucchini - partial pkt. = 2 hills - 5/31
Ping Tung eggplant - partial pkt. = 2 hlls - 5/31

Around the farm:
Heritage Raspberry - 4 canes planted 4/26 - doing great
Strawberries - a few blossoms, only half dozen plants survived winter without mulch
Gooseberry and Currants - 2 of each - planted last year - huge w/ small berries forming!
2 Red Haven Peach trees - planted - all fruit trees are healthy and green
1 Harrow pear tree - planted last year - only tree with blossoms
1 Bartlett pear tree - planted
1 Montmorency Cherry tree - planted
1 Gala apple tree - planted
1 Golden Delicious apple tree - planted
4 blueberry bushes - planted last year - greening up
Mature apple trees - small apples forming!

Here's a pic I snapped from where I sat planting the endless patch.


Also, this is the broken hoe that I've repurposed to help me plant. It makes a great little tool to cut rows in the soil. Then I just drop the seeds in and pat over them with my hand.



I've enjoy reading many of your garden updates and how everyone's plant are flourishing. What's your favorite garden tool? How do you plant your seeds?

Sunday Stroll: Garden Update

I have been taking a stroll around my yard every morning and evening lately. There is a lot of activity to keep up with! All of these pictures are from the garden today. I thought I would combine the garden update and Sunday Stroll this week to keep things simple. Plus, I have a lot of other things to post about this coming week.

Potatoes are finally up! Yay!!

I have picked and picked, eaten and shared, and yet till - the asparagus is going to seed.

The first row of peas is really growing. The second row is up and about 1-2" tall.

My little bitty lettuce. This was one of the first things I planted. It is growing very slowly but I'm just glad it lived.

The onions have doing great all along.

The garlic is huge!

I saved the best for last. Check out the blossoms on our new pear tree! This is the one that I just planted a few weeks ago. The pear tree that I planted last year has a lot more leaves but no blossoms yet. I can see this little blossoming tree from my window.

See who else is strolling on Sunday over at Quiet Country House.

Growing Challenge Check In

Here's what I'm growing so far:

Seedlings under light:
Amish Paste Tomatoes
Green Zebra Tomatoes
Waltham 29 Broccoli
Ping Tung Eggplant
Long Purple Eggplant

In the garden:
Red pioneer potatoes- 10# - planted
Red onions - 2-3" tall
Dwarf GreySugar Peas (hybrid) - 1 20' row - just up
Asparagus - up and growing
Black seeded simpson lettuce - 1 20' row - some up
Black seeded simpson lettuce - 1 20' row planted 4/27
Sugar Ann snap pea - 1 20' row planted 4/27
Victoria Rhubarb - approx. 25 seeds planted 4/27

Around the farm:
Heritage Raspberry - 4 canes planted 4/26
Strawberry - nice and green
Gooseberry and Currants - 2 of each - planted last year - doing great!
2 Red Haven Peach trees - planted
1 Harrow pear tree - planted
1 Bartlett pear tree - planted
1 Montmorency Cherry tree - planted
1 Gala apple tree - planted
1 Golden Delicious apple tree - planted
4 blueberry bushes - planted last year - still alive

Farm Update

I'm still here! Haven't posted much this week due to the time change (I think!). I seem to be stuck in my old schedule and going to bed much later which means I've been dragging and tired all week. We've also been pretty busy, so I thought I'd fill you in with what we've been up to:



I know the video is a little dark but can you hear the little lamb sounds!? We had twins born yesterday. The mama had me worried as she started to have a vaginal prolapse a couple weeks ago. We fitted her with a harness truss, which is basically baling twine tied around her in a way that encourages her insides to stay in. The harness truss worked well, so well in fact that it was trying to hold the babies in! Brian came home to find feet poking out, cut the twine, and helped to deliver the first baby. Then, when he had me on the phone, another set of feet appeared! Both mama and babies are doing great, and she is showing great natural mothering instinct.

So, we only have one ewe left to lamb and I think she's getting close. She showed some aggression towards the other lambs so right now I have her in a lambing pen while the other mothers and babies can be together in the main pen. I hope that she is gentle with her own lambs or we may have some problems.

Today I went to my Dad's for a family gathering and bought a great little flatbed trailer from him. It will make a perfect base for an eggmobile. I'm expecting my order of heritage chicks in May which we will add to our layer flock. I also need to get in gear and build a pen for some broiler chicks, I've been talking about it for a long time and have a lot of interest already.

Brian is working like mad on the burnt shed now that warmer weather has come. He already filled one dumpster himself and is working on another. At first he planned to burn the old, singed lumber in his shop wood stove. Unfortunately, the foam they use to put out the fire also doesn't allow the wood to burn. He called the foam manufacturer and was told that the foam is biodegradable so no special disposal is necessary. I can't believe how much progress he is making! Right now we're still unsure of exactly how we want to rebuild but plan to put a new roof on the entire building, rebuild and expand the lean to on the back, and then add siding later on. We're still unsure if we're going to use the excess insurance money to build a separate building for livestock or use it elsewhere and then build as we can afford it.

Brian is also getting ready to start conventional farming for the year. He spread some fertilizer on our wheat this morning and has more to do when he gets the time. We're still not sure how much corn to plant since corn prices are soooo low, the current prices barely cover our expenses. We still have 3,000 bushels of corn from last fall that we've haven't sold yet. This is also the first spring we've had square bales of hay left. We have about a 1,000 to sell and have had a lot of calls from one little ad on craigslist.

I've been knitting like an addict in my "free" time. I have the tote bag for Brian's Mom done and one of the two handles knitted. Now I just have to finish the other handle and felt it! I have a lot of work to do on Brian's slippers yet and have started a pair of socks for him as well. It is such a great hobby - I highly recommend it!

I've also borrowed a lot of books on Once A Month Cooking from the library, went grocery shopping today, and plan to make a bunch of meals to freeze tomorrow. The idea has interested me for a long time so I hope it works out. Any tips from the pros?

Even with the joys of spring I feel a teeny tiny bit sad that the lazier days of winter are over. There's nothing lazy about summer on this farm! What about everyone else - are things getting hectic yet?

Git 'Er Done Update

I got quite a bit done during the week to make up for not doing much last weekend. We had a nice day where I opened up all the windows and stained a new batch of trim in the basement. Then I took advantage of the nice weather this weekend and took all that trim out on the porch to polyurethane it. Today I finished the trim in the kitchen, all but one piece that I need to do on a jigsaw so it fits around the countertop.

Speaking of the countertop, Brian & I finally put the endcaps on. Now you can't see the old butcher block counters that are underneath.



It doesn't quite cover everything from this angle but unless you're 3 years old it looks pretty good when you walk through the kitchen. It was not a fun project - you have to cut and file it to fit and then heat it up so it sticks. I have enough pictures to do a step-by-step tutorial, let me know if you need that info.

Remember me talking about painting the window frames? Here's a pic of what I painted (the reddish brown part).


Now here's how it looks with the new trim instead of the old stuff with 10+ layers of paint.


The original trim was a funny two piece configuration that was quite wide. To buy real trim that wide would have cost a fortune. Instead, I'm using 1x3 boards and then adding what they call "cove moulding". This means that I basically have to do everything with the boards, then go back and do it all with the edging again. Here's the edging I'm talking about.


Brian got a lot done too, he actually filled a 20 yard dumpster by himself this weekend. The weather is finally nice enough to start cleaning up the burnt part of the shed so we can start rebuilding. I'll post more about that (& pictures) later.

Here's a simple little change that makes a big difference:



That slimy soap bottle was driving me crazy! I was trying to hold out for a great find at a resale shop but my friend took me to Walmart before the knitting class and convinced me to buy that green bottle. It was $1.88 and made in China. Eww, but I have to admit it does match my kitchen pretty well.

Okay, just one more and then I'm done:


Finally, something a little more fun! I decorated our bedroom a little bit. My cousin got us this great frame for a wedding present and had a lot of the guests sign it. It is nice to read all the well wishes when I'm falling asleep.

So, I made progress on bedroom: decorate, kitchen: finish trim, and back room: new trim. Plus I can cross these off my list - kitchen: end caps on countertops & paint fridge.

How are your projects coming?

Git 'Er Done 2009

As many of you know, Brian & I bought his family's farm around Labor Day of 2007. We've been working on the house and yard since the early spring of that year, even before we bought it. Things are far from finished as we start 2009, and I don't want to deal with this again in 2010.

I've made a detailed list, room by room, of what projects need to be completed this year. I first posted about all this work in this post. I wanted to share my list but wasn't sure how to set it up. After reading over at Green Resolutions I really like the way she sets up her checklist and shows updates. I've decided to use a similar format for my project list. Thanks for the inspiration GR!

I'm going to title this segment "Git 'Er Done 2009". This will mostly be for my benefit, to keep me motivated and accountable. I'll try to include some before and after pictures and maybe even offer some good how-to advice. I avoid debt like the plague so these will all be pay as you go projects.

Feel free to read along. If you would like to join in, go ahead and grab the doodad, link over here, and post your updates whenever. I'll be doing most of my work on Saturdays. I started out working all day Sunday too but got burnout very quickly. I would recommend limiting yourself to one full day per week or a few hours here and there. You don't have to renovate your whole place, maybe you just have one small project you want to stay on track with.

In any case, I hope this is a valuable addition to the blog!

Okay, here's my master list. Red = done last year. Black = to be done. Blue = done in 2009.

Bedroom:
New bedding (received as wedding gift)
Paint walls & ceiling
Move closet (tear it out and rebuild in a different spot)
New TV (flatscreen - eliminated stand and gave us more floor space)
Mount lamp on wall
New trim
New curtains
Add 2nd clothes rod in closet
Cover hole for access to pipes (we cut this when changing plumbing in bathroom)
Rewire (and new switches/covers)
Decorate!
Curtain on closet
New light fixture
Headboard
Paint window frames

Bathroom:
Paint walls & ceiling
Eliminate old rust stains
New faucets/hardware
New shower curtain & rod
New curtain over window (in shower)
Curtain around base of sink
Refinish cabinet
Get a quote for recoating the tub
New trim
New lighting
Replace mirror (or make it look better)
Decorate!
Rewire (and new switches/covers)

Office
Find Brian a desk
Get a deal on a desk chair
Organize/rearrange
Paint walls & ceiling
Decorate!
New lighting
New curtains
Rewire

Kitchen
Removed wallpaper/patched/painted (Thanks Mom!!)
Refinished cabinets/rearranged them
New countertops
New trim (started)
New stove
New (used) dishwasher
New faucet
Paint window frames
Curtains in front of sink/trash
Finish trim
Baseboard for long cabinet
End caps on countertops
Paint baseboard on sink
Paint fridge
Hook up range hood
Rewire
New lighting

Back Room (entryway):
Paint walls/ceiling
New trim
Paint window frames
Refinish cabinet door
Build/buy a bench/shoe rack
Coat rack
Rewire
Clean off/organize stair shelf

Living Room
Paint walls & ceiling
Refinish trim
Decorate!
Have floor refinished
New area rug
Furniture
New light fixture
Curtains
Rewire
Make slipcovers for couches

Rabbit Room aka Guest Bedroom
Paint walls & ceiling
Furniture
Reorganize
Move rabbits out
Fix window screen (where rabbits chewed through it)
Touch up paint on trim
Decorate!
Rewire

Basement
Start cleaning/getting rid of everyone's junk
New washing machine
Buy laundry tub
Build corn storage bin
New corn stove
Finish cleaning
Install laundry tub
Install shower
New cabinets/tables/shelves (build or buy)
Dust/vacuum rafters
Clean out cistern (Baxter thinks it is his litterbox...gross)
Curtain @ base of stairs
Paint?
Rewire

Outside
Landscape around 1/2 house
Plant 2 pear trees (one died already)
Create garden
New porch roof
Tear our overgrown bushes
Repaired bad spot in shop roof
Built lean-to on back of shed (burned)
Get rid of lots of junk/scrap that is filling backyard
Install fence/plant pasture
Finish landscaping
Plant more fruit trees
Paint foundation of house
New exterior doors on house
Shutters?
Farm sign/flagpole/strawberries?
Flowers by mailbox/along road
Repair shed fire damage/build new
Finish/repair fences
Tear down little red barn
Paint new OSB on shop ceiling
Paint small shop door
Tear down garage?
New stonecrete in driveway?
Better plan for black walnuts (help!?)
Plant corn & pumpkins
Improve pasture
Poultry tractors/fence

I put question marks next to things that I'm not sure we'll get to or things that need more thought put in to them. I'll try to add links to specific posts as I go. You can always click on the above doodad on my sidebar to pull up all related posts.

Thanks for putting up with these long posts. I think this will really help me! I'd love to hear about your own home improvements.

Checking In

I'm still here, I promise! :) I've been a little busy this week but will have a more substantial post up soon. Work for me has been very busy this week due to the schools' mid-winter breaks. Brian isn't feeling the best, and last weekend was full of things to do as well. I have a few posts up my sleeve: I want to share about the knitting class I'm taking, talk about joining Farm Bureau, and post about how we're preparing for lambs. Hopefully I'll have some cute lamb pictures to share before too long!

As for mid-winter break, forget that. I think it should be spring-is-on-its-way break, because if we are only midway through this mess I'm moving!

Our 1st Farm Truck

I try to plan for big purchases. This year it was going to be a toss-up between a loader for the JD 4010 (or a separate loader tractor) or a farm truck. Brian found a pretty decent farm truck for sale nearby and we were planning to test drive it this spring. It is the kind with the cab and the box all on one chassis, I don't know the length.

Of course things never go as planned. Brian talked to my cousin on Christmas, heard about a different truck, and went and bought it this week. We didn't think about it nearly long enough for my taste but it was quite a deal.

The truck has some sentimental value for me. My aunt and her husband were killed about 5 years ago and this truck belonged to them. It has been in a storage yard since then and my cousin finally got all the paperwork done so he could sell it. It is a '98 Freightliner and came with twin 28' flatbed trailers and a dolly. We have the trailers and dolly for sale and think we can sell them for at least half of what we paid for the whole thing.

The truck is in excellent condition. It is newer than we needed but cost less than most older trucks. My cousin set the price low because he didn't know if it would run after sitting so long. Brian determined that it needs a water pump and a couple small things, but it does run.







Brian said it is a genuine "Michigan special" which means the frame is reinforced and will hold up really well even if we drive it right in the field. I can't wait to see our logo on the door! I'm also excited to learn to drive it. I didn't want to try it with our friends' trucks but now that we have our own I'm determined to learn.

So I can cross one thing of the list... of course we have nothing to pull behind it! ;P

Farm Update

No particular topic today, just thought I'd fill in with the latest happenings in our life. I thought this blog would be more of a day to day journal of the farm but it seems like every time I sit down to type I feel the need to find a specific topic. Well, not today.

I considered titling this post "The Downside of Farming" because things haven't been the greatest around here lately. Brian found 7 baby Holstein calves for sale last week and we bought them. They were cheap and we thought it would be nice to have some calves around again since we still don't have a place to bring our bigger cattle home to. Anyway, cheap isn't cheap when they all die on you. Brian's sister took 2 and we kept 5, but we only have 2 left. The other 3 basically died of scours which is a broad diagnosis in calves. I fought hard to save the last one, taking his temp and tube feeding him milk and electrolytes. Didn't work. I am pretty sure now that they probably never received any colostrum which gives them very low chances of survival. They remaining two are doing okay although the one acts like he may have pneumonia. I'm going to call our large animal vet tomorrow and try to get an antibiotic injection for him. I hate using antibiotics but don't much like watching them die either.

I have mentioned before (to Brian) that I would like to eventually start a small herd of cows and raise our own calves that way instead. It is hard to justify that when there is such a surplus of Holstein steers in our area. In any case, we both agreed not to be tempted to bring anymore calves home until we can find an honest, reputable farmer to deal with. It is too hard and too disappointing to lose them, and it isn't helping our financial situation much either!

Our 4 ewes have been doing well. They are full of energy. It is very heartwarming to watch them jump around like babies when it is time for dinner. However, there is bad news there too. One of the ewes we purchased at the MSU sale developed a few wart-like lesions on her face a couple weeks ago. I initially thought it was either a pyoderma (bacterial infection of the skin following mild trauma) or a papilloma virus (causing warts). I'm still not exactly sure what is going on but when I inquired about it to the previous owners they "mentioned" that she had a case of sore mouth as a lamb so it could possibly be that. Sore mouth is a very contagious sheep disease that can spread to humans and can be life threatening for lambs. This is obviously a big concern since all 4 ewes are (hopefully) due to lamb in the spring. I am still not convinced that she has, or every did have, sore mouth. The signs seem more consistent with a papilloma virus. I'll update here when I figure out more.

On a lighter note, the chickens are continuing to lay very well despite this cold weather. We get 5 or 6 eggs a day from 6 hens! I've been sharing the eggs with our friends and family since we have too many for us but not enough to sell.

It is always hard to post about the negative side of farming because A) I don't want people to think badly of us, and B)I don't ever want to come across like I'm asking for sympathy. However, I know that we all make mistakes and face hardships. It has really helped me to follow other farming blogs and see that even when you are uber prepared, animals still get sick and things happen. Check out my sidebar if you'd like to see the obstacles others are facing.

Thanks for reading! :)

Our Winter in Pictures!

I'm away from home at the Michigan Vet Conference this weekend. I want to get a post up but don't feel like saying a lot so I thought it would be a good time to post some pictures. These are all from the last few months (some are from fall). I'll take advantage of the hotel's wireless and upload these now instead of fighting with my connection at home. Enjoy!

Brian's grader, our grain setup in the background.

Our first batch of Seventh Generation TP, Maci apparently wanted it out of the box!

The TP neatly stacked in the cabinet. We really like it BTW.

Sam doesn't help much when I'm sewing.

Our Christmas tree with all western ornaments this year.

It is hard to see but look close: you can see Maci's paw about to clock Baxter upside the head, and him about to fight back. They box all the time!

He crammed himself behind the printer to recuperate.

And they're friends again...usually not this cozy.

This is from early fall. Brian built this calf shelter in one day. I had mixed feelings about treated lumber and decided it is better for us than replacing/rebuilding every few years. I was so proud of him. :)

My first every meat loaf. I'll post the recipe someday. It was a special request from Brian when I announced that I'd like to start making a meal plan. He said it "tasted like meatloaf" which is what I was going for!

Our new logo, many hours in the making. What do you think?

An interesting pic I thought, it shows how badly we need to insulate around our basement.

Brian's latest project - a new sheep feeder!! We used the plans found here and he made it in just an hour or two. Works great and saves a lot of hay waste.

Rocky & Shady, our two Arabians.

Pistol & Pooh Bear, relaxing in the sun.

They have hay 24/7. That is how they stay warm. They have been doing great even in this extreme weather, with only a couple wind blocks. The four of them can eat a round bale in 2 or 3 days in this kind of weather.

This is a typical Sunday, when we're lucky.

Funny, I have similar pictures in all four seasons now. Don't believe what you hear - chewing is not always a phase!! :)


I hope you enjoyed getting a glimpse in to our life during the past few months. It can be kind of crazy around here but we (usually) think it is worth it. How do these pictures compare to scenes from your own life? Which pictures do you like and want to know more about/see more of?

I'll have a more substantial post up sometime soon!

Back 2 Basics and Other Challenges

I've decided to start the Back 2 Basics Harvest Keeper Challenge for 2009. Chicken eggs will be the only thing on the list for now but I am excited to see things rack up once spring arrives. This will be very good for me because I kept no records from all of the farming and canning I did last year. Check out my sidebar if you're interested, and go visit Farm Mom for a better example.

Other challenge updates:


We haven't been using our corn burner at all due to it malfunctioning and refusing to keep a fire going. Brian is trying to track down the problem but in the meantime we're blowing our budget with all the fuel oil we're burning. So much for keeping track of the corn we use! We do keep the thermostat set low (58-62 F) and I finally found the controls for our dual heated blanket so we use that every night to take the edge off. I covered most of our windows with the clear plastics kits in the fall and although I don't how much that is helping I do like that I can't feel a breeze when I walk by the windows! I'd like to make some insulated curtains with my new sewing machine. I hope to make them this year because fall is a busy time for us and I'm sure I won't do much sewing over the summer.


1. Plant something: not much of that going on here. Check out the next update for more info.
2. Harvest something: while there is nothing left outside to harvest I got a thrill out of using some of the carrots I stored away in the fall.
3. Preserve something: We reorganized our freezer and Brian filled it with venison from his hunting trip back in December.
4. Prep something: I have been spending all my free time researching poultry breeds and other topics in preparation to order chicks and expand our flock. I'd like to include some day range broilers this year and have enough eggs to sell. Right now we have plenty of extra eggs but not enough to market them.
5. Cook something: I have been trying a lot of new recipes and Brian is grateful, I think. First I made Parmesan Chicken then Buttermilk Baked Chicken, both of which I really like and can't wait to make again. Today I made Beef Stew, plus I've been using that great new bread recipe. I tried to make homemade potato chips too but still have some work to do there.
6. Manage your reserves: Our pantry is overflowing, we are definitely going to need more shelving! I've been making homemade garlic shells a lot with dinner so I scarfed up a 5 or 6 month supply of shells on sale last week. It is going to take a lot of finagling to get those to fit in the pantry. :)
7. Work on local food systems: for those who remember my post about the food co-op presentation I went to, I have an update. I did communicate with Dr. Schilling again and apparently there has been no further interest in a local co-op. I was hoping to hold a planning meeting and am a little disappointed that no contact information was collected at the presentation. I'll continue to seek out interest and may pursue a co-op more in the future. If anyone in the Michigan Tri-Cities or Thumb area is interested in a food co-op (as a producer or consumer) please let me know!


My seeds from Baker Creek have arrived! I also purchased a grow light and two bulbs in preparation for starting seeds. The next step is to check out my old ingredients for soiless potting mix and see if I need to buy fresh for this year. I think of have plenty of peat pots left to use initially but I may get some of a larger size (4" or so) for when the seedlings get bigger. How exciting!

Just Checking In

No real great content here, just checking in. I've had a very enjoyable weekend with 4 days off in a row. The only downside was that Brian was gone hunting in the U.P. but I did get in lots of quality time with the dogs. Today the 3 of them plus me and the cat all crashed out on the couch for a long nap. All I had to do was make the 20 ft. walk out the back door and gather the chicken eggs. The sheep and chickens are pretty easy to take care of this time of year, just have to refill the feeders and waterers every couple days.

I've started looking in to our options for rebuilding the barn, including hoophouse type structures. I'll be sharing what we learn about their pros and cons here, plus I just finished You Can Farm by Joel Salatin and started Keeping a Family Cow, so there should be some book reviews coming soon.

I hope everyone enjoyed the holiday weekend! :)

Independence Days Challenge Update

Okay, time for an update:

1. Plant something.
Well, I should be planting garlic. Instead, I'm about to order some. I kind of forgot now was the time to plant it until I saw the post about it over at Children in the Corn. So that's next for planting.

2. Harvest something.
We've been busy lately harvesting our cash crops (soybeans & corn currently) and doing all the fun stuff that comes along with that, such as paying crop insurance and deciding when to sell our bounty. Crop prices have been a big roller coaster with the economical issues going on lately.
In my home garden I have vegetable spaghetti that needs to be picked and probably some peas. Our apple trees are finally done.

3. Preserve something.
Ugg. I didn't know canning season was so long. I've made a big dent in my apple stores but bought some more the other day. I've got 2 dehydrators going making apple chips and their is no room to even make a sandwich on the counter with all the cans of applesauce and pie filling. The end is near, I hope. Then I'll be canning pumpkin.

4. Prep something.
I finally got Brian to find a little time to help me build a new chicken coop. The dogs (specifically the puppy) launched 2 major attacks on the chickens this summer and successfully cut the size of the flock in half. She almost got one of my hens this weekend so that was the last straw. The new coop will be much more secure and more suitable for winter. I'm still wondering if I will need to supply the hens with a lamp to keep them laying all winter. They stopped for 2 or 3 weeks and I thought that was it but now they've started again and are up to 5 or 6 eggs a day, which I think is really good for 7 hens. I'm still looking at waterers for the winter, any suggestions? What works for you in freezing temperatures? I've looked at the metal kind with a separate heated base but I'm worried about that base sitting on the floor with the bedding.

5. Cook something.
I'm still trying to find a better bread recipe. I'd like something soft enough for good sandwiches. I bought cream cheese on sale last week so I can try Farmer's Daughter's Butternut Squash Cheesecake.
Last night I tried a new recipe from Brian's mom. You mix 1/2 cup melted butter with 3/4 cup crushed graham crackers. Add 2 cups powdered sugar and press in to the bottom of an 8x8 pan. I would suggest using more graham crackers (maybe 1 or 1 1/2 cups) because mine didn't quite cover the pan. Then melt chocolate chips and spread on top. Chill for 1/2 hour in the fridge and you'll have one big peanut butter cup! Brian really liked it, it was a little rich for me.

6. Manage your reserves.
With all this canning I've been doing I have lots of jars to label and arrange downstairs. I've been trying to slowly replace things we buy with homemade alternates. I made some homemade granola bars that we both loved and I've been taking homemade popcorn instead of potato chips when I want something salty. I'd like to buy some more potatoes to store for winter, I didn't get many out of the garden this year.

7. Work on local food systems.
I've been trying for months to get some flour from Hampshire Farms. I finally was able to place an order but have yet to receive it. I'll let you know how that turns out!
I also put in a call to a local church that is supposed to be affiliated with the Food Bank. I have some body wash and other supplies to donate and would like to talk about preserving some of the pears off of a large tree in the church's yard. I watched them all rot this year and I found that sadly ironic considering they work with the Food Bank. I'd like to volunteer to teach people to can, but of course no one has called me back.
I'm not making a lot of headway in this area, but I'll keep trying! :)

I'm Back! I'm Back!!!

Yay! Although I have been actively lurking (if that makes any sense) I haven't been ready to jump back in to blogging until now! Things were so crazy all summer planning the wedding and then playing catch up. I started making a list everyday of 3 or 4 things I wanted to get done that day and updating here finally made the list. I spent most of the time making the new banner at the top and updating the sidebar but I just wanted to post quickly and let everyone know that I'm back!! Look for a more compelling post soon.