Green is the New Silver (Lining)

Been keeping busy here on the homestead, as one does, since the work just won't wait.

In addition to the post snow-melt clean up and the incoming-spring-growth projects I have been working with the team at discoverpermaculture.com which is simultaneously exhausting and inspiring. Check out what we're getting up to over there:

This is only the first of the Master Class videos on offer, and the discussion in the comments is both robust, and active.

Signs of Spring

Radish and vetch

Cover crops coming up, temps rising too.  Birds hatching, birds brooding, rabbits shedding... time to get back to work. Spring is here.  Before you know it, it will be winter all over again. (continued)

Pork Roast By the Numbers

Step 1:  Pork

Never Enough

The literal fruits of our labors and the inevitable trying to keep the literal spoils to a minimum.

It's hard not to love this time of year.  Warm days, cooler nights, produce and the signs of a productive season tripping you in the garden and falling from the sky... yeah it's a good time.

Of course that doesn't mean I have anything like enough time to appreciate it.  Today's accomplishments included (yeah, just Sunday), tweaking and testing a yellow summer squash pizza crust recipe (5 qts shredded squash, who knows how many pounds) which was a great success, a full oven of overloaded cookie sheets covered with roasting peppers (because even after being frozen, they're ROASTED PEPPERS mmmMMmmmm), elderberry kombucha (so good even Mrs. Farmer likes it), another 7 quarts of processed tomato sauce and another pot of chopped tomatoes in the pipeline for the next batch... and no doubt stuff I'm forgetting now.

By the time you're done accounting for all of that, the animal chores, the prep and processing for what we ate today (all fresh of course), and a little of the "ugh tomorrow is Monday" last minute catch up chores... we're done. Good night.

Having a Hutch, it's Not All Intuition

Oh yes, "wascillwy" indeed.

We have had rabbits for 16 months or so now, since April 2014. Within that time there is a story of lessons we didn't know money we tried (and sometimes even succeeded) to save and time.  It doesn't seem like so much when I just say it has been almost a year and a half but it feels like a lot longer. I have managed to mention them previously.

The full story, with all the lessons and trials and problems (and interesting bits) will have to wait for another time.  I'm not sure when I'll have the energy to power through it all in one sitting but even touching so briefly on it now I know for sure I do not want to make the attempt today.  Which means we fast forward, for now and I tease the full story until "someday".

After 16 months and a lot of learning we have 15 rabbits here on the farm.  I am grateful to have so many, and also frustrated because it should be a great deal more. (continued)

Recipe Card: Oven Pickles

Oven Pickles, a Retrospective

2015's storage pickles are starting earlier this year.

Last September we talked about oven pickles but I never did some back to talk about how good they were.

The answer, of course, is they are excellent. Even now, 11 months later they have lasted well in the pantry if they have lost just a touch of their original crispness. The only reason they lasted this long at all is because we buried a few jars otherwise in this house pickles go fast. Very fast.

Which is one reason why we're meeting our early cukes with extra Ball Jars. (continued)

Decking the Halls

My very favorite seasonal decorations.

Depicted here:  Argentina Peppers, basil, mullein

A Softie?

Going outside in the morning to check on the animals is NOT a time when I want surprises.  Too many of them have been bad over the years.  Sometimes though I find something interesting, and that is always worth sharing.




Normally an egg like this won't last long in the bustling community nest many chickens share.  My girls are no exception waiting (only occasionally patiently) for their chance to add their egg to the growing pile in the corner of our cook.  Trading places, rolling eggs and otherwise stomping around of all those chicken feet would spell almost instant disaster for a soft shelled egg like this, at which point the girls would literally snap up the evidence so that nothing goes to waste. (continued)

And so it Rained

It Rained today. (continued)

Garden Bed FarmVid

After moving compost and manure for yet another double reach bed I decided that taking a walk to appreciate the work done past and present was a good idea.  Sharing seemed like a good idea too.



With appearances by:
Porkchop & Tenderloin

You will be able to see quite clearly that our beds are not straight.  This is intentional, the shape of the hill is not straight and it makes much more sense to follow the lay of the land than taking out a carpenter's square and trying to impose straight lines and angles on the landscape. (continued)

A FarmVid Update

A few minute "look" into some of the goings on today.



With appearances by:
Baby birds (5 weeks old), baby bunnies (5 weeks old), a mama bunny (Gold Doe)... and just a peek at baby bunnies (5 minutes old), Lily, Geordi

Finally time for Manure Therapy

Something in the compost is even more interesting
than fresh grass... I don't wanna know.

So much changes with the beginning of spring.
Soon the animals will move from winter housing to a more spread out (less messy) set up.  Soon the gardens will be planting and I'll be building more beds to make up for all the over estimating we have done with our seeds and starts this year.

But before that though, as soon as the piles can be pitchforked and there's a spot of grass clear it is time... to start the compost! (continued)

Carb Therapy For Cabin Fever

Learning new things was never so tasty.
20° with heavy winds today... better bake more *sigh*

In which I wish there was no mention of snow.

We're running out of room above the snow line. Soon we'll be living in tunnels, devolving into sad blind creatures surviving on nothing but hatred, darkness and ice. Or I suppose spring will eventually come. I'm saying it now: next year can we spread out the misery some please? 5+ feet of snow fall in only 2 weeks time proves your point, mother nature. Business as usual would be appreciated.  Just saying. (continued)