Larsen Poultry Ranch - homesteading journey

[SageHill]

This is from my Ball Canning book --- (and no coconut!)

 

[Ridgetop]

I am not a banana person, but the ripe bananas will keep it sweet even with the reduced sweetner. Let us know how it turns out.

 

[Bruce]

peanut m&Ms just didn't taste right

No loss there , they give me migraines. Not sure why, I can eat regular M&Ms and I can eat peanuts.

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

Peanut m&Ms are my favorite. I have to hide them from myself or risk eating the entire container in just a few sittings.

Didn't make the jam/butter yet, but I have all the ingredients, I think. Husband and munchkin keep stealing the bananas from the project zone. Going to have to buy more since the recipe calls for 5 bananas. I even bought a separate bunch for them to eat, bananas are a favorite around here.

New garden fence is supposed to be done, but need gates to be hung up and visual blocker attached with metal ties instead of zip ties. The zip ties I used on the one section I had installed previously all broke in the last big windstorm. I hope I can start moving plants soon and get them all on drip lines.

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

While the fence is done, the gates are not hung or are being left open. Apparently deer like tomato greens, they've been chomping the tips off the sun gold tomato. Grr.

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

Mom came over Saturday and helped watch munchkin and sort out the old garden. I was able to get him down for a nap shortly after she arrived, so we got a good hour or two in before extended in-laws arrived and he was up again. We weeded and rearranged so I can reach all the plants now to water everyone. There were some that died and others looked terrible but I think if I keep after the watering they will come back.

She also helped me move the more deer proof plants into the new garden zone, apparently I have a lot more lavender and thyme than I thought. I know a bunch of it is from the wedding centerpieces, as I did living plants since I hate wasting cut flowers. I wish I'd thought to tag them so I could be sure and keep them as special. Oh well. My two barbeque rosemary are still alive and actually looking decent. I know they will take off once I get them in the ground, just need to figure out where.

So many plants are needing bigger pots or put in the ground. Nearly all the figs couldn't be moved as they have grown through, but a lot had fruit on them so I might actually get a harvest, at least enough for a snack or two. The elderberry (firmly rooted through its pot) has flowers so there's a chance I'll actually get some elderberries this year. The crazy peach? rootstock (also very firmly rooted) which is several inches across the trunk at the bottom, has tiny fruit on it. No clue if it's good or not, I'm just going to let it do it's thing and hope I can move it this winter when it's gone dormant. Not sure if I should try to graft at the same time or wait another year and graft after I know it survived the move.

Hubby spent a lot of Saturday weed eating and visiting with the in-laws. I was very sore Saturday evening but I am feeling ok now.

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

Sunday I had changed my alarms and actually got up in time to make breakfast and try to get to church on time. Still was late but I'm glad munchkin and I went as we got to visit with several people. I had brought my extra tomato plants and gave them to friends, then followed one back to her house where she gave me some zucchini cut straight from the garden (I think it will be fantastic grilled) and dug up some of her extra pumpkin starts. There's an orange pumpkin and a blue one, unfortunately I didn't track which container had which, but I have 7 of one and 3 of the other, if they live. They got a bit wilty in the car ride home, but I think most had perked up once I got them into water and then into pots. She also gave me some 10 pound cans of rice and wheat, they received for helping another member move. We chit chatted for a while and I think we might be able to plan or bug someone into planning a canning party. We know a bunch of ladies who want to learn to can, or who don't like canning by themselves, plus a bunch of ladies with a ton of experience canning. I think if we have a party where everyone helps we can all learn and get more confident in our skills.

Hubby stayed home from church and worked in the yard more. He weed eated in the new garden and tried to till, but the ground was too hard. He watered a bit and said he will try again later once the ground is a little softer. He also put his new wheel hoe thingy together. He was very excited to try it out on the corn row he started a few weeks ago. I'm pretty sure the deer, or perhaps the wild rabbits/ground squirrels are slowly eating all his corn plants but I warned him that would happen if he planted along the driveway. He says it's a learning experience and he's going to get more corn seeds for next year.

My new big shade cloth arrived this week, so I put it out where it'll go on the structure, but haven't attached it yet. It looks like the right size, and will work great for getting the last seedlings out of the house and into the ground. We are repurposing the harbor freight 10*20 structure that used to house the rabbits prior to their upgrade, the metal is kinda flimsy but plenty strong for a shade cloth, definitely won't bend like it did with the tarp being full of water from rain storms. I think if we leave the upper portion on the ground without legs, it'll be way too short for the deer to get underneath from the ends to chomp anything, then by the time the plants are tall enough they need more space, the outer fence should finally be deer proof.

The weather the past few days has been mostly overcast, but still hot enough to require the swamp cooler for the rabbits. Great sun burn weather. I got a light burn on Saturday but it's already turning into a tan. It almost looks like it's going to rain today, of course now that I've got several loads of laundry on the drying lines. If it rains it can just stay there till it finally dries. I'm tired of the high electric bill.

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

Nothing much planned this week except to try to find a animal sitter for a weekend where we'll be gone Friday through Monday. I'm hoping someone from church has a kid who'd be willing. They'd just need to check the rabbits and chickens, I'm going to try to get everything cleaned up and easier to manage.

Why is it we suffer through half-butt limp-along fixes for months or years but finally fix it correctly when it might inconvenience someone else for a day or two??

 

[Bruce]

Apparently deer like tomato greens, they've been chomping the tips off the sun gold tomato. Grr.

JUST the tips? That seems weird. Maybe a game camera out there to verify it is deer?

 

[Ridgetop]

I think if we have a party where everyone helps we can all learn and get more confident in our skills.

If you can borrow the church kitchen so everyone has plenty of space, it may work better. Not many people have enough space for a "canning party" or lessons. Not to mention stove space for doing jam, making the syrup for fruit, or brine for pickles.

I'm pretty sure the deer, or perhaps the wild rabbits/ground squirrels are slowly eating all his corn plants but I warned him that would happen if he planted along the driveway. He says it's a learning experience and he's going to get more corn seeds for next year.

Poor DH. Tell him Ridgetop's DH will share his pain if something eats his sweet babies..