tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7249696421082365552024-03-18T19:50:39.868-07:00Homemade HarvestEllen Rathbonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684750034177425795noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-724969642108236555.post-61029052522008913672013-05-01T08:29:00.000-07:002013-05-01T08:29:15.877-07:00Plantin' Time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The weather has been keeping us on our toes here. It'll be cold and rainy and snow for a week, then one day the rain stops, the sun comes out, and the next day it hits 70, only to plummet below freezing 24 hours later and more rain and snow falls. I keep telling folks that this is what it means to be spring, but everyone wants it to be summer and call that spring. </div>
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Anywho, a couple weeks ago, on one of those rare sunny warm days, I grabbed the seeds and headed out to the garden. Peas, I said, peas and greens are cold-hardy - I'll get them started. </div>
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Last year the rabbits did a number on the peas. Now that the dog is gone, I will have to be more vigilant in my garden patrols, and I will have to make some amendments to my fencing. In the meantime, I thought that perhaps the row covers might add a little bit of protection while the seeds sprout and seedlings start to grow. I hope. <br />
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While I was busy planting, and schlepping compost, and raking the beds, the mail carrier stopped up at the house - "You have some bulbs here," she called. "It's my onions!" I called back. And sure enough, my onion order had arrived. So, peas, greens and onions went it. Must've planted 150+ copra and maybe 50 walla-wallas. Had terrible luck with onions last year...maybe this year will prove better.<br />
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I also got in a few rows of nasturiums and cosmos as companions to some of the peas. Several years ago, when I put in my first veg garden in Newcomb, I diligently planted all sorts of flowers and herbs as companion plants - the gardens was lovely and full off buzzing life. By last year my companions were essentially non-existent. I vowed this winter to make a better effort...I missed all the color.<br />
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I also need to expand the garden - there's just not enough room for everything I want to plant. This year I'm only doing basics: peas, beans, carrots, greens, onions, butternut squash (but not as many as last year) and corn. It's not much.<br />
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I've passed on the potatoes this year - a difficult decision since I love my German butterballs, but the Colorado potato beetles were just too much for me last year - and the potato harvest was poor (and my storage was awful - lost most of what I grew). <br />
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I still haven't started any tomatoes yet, either...and it's almost too late. Didn't order any tomato seeds this year - figured I have plenty from past years still in the fridge. Maybe this weekend I'll try to start a few, and perhaps a handful of peppers - I still have great hopes for the chocolate peppers.Ellen Rathbonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684750034177425795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-724969642108236555.post-49430955610999906122012-12-18T11:35:00.001-08:002012-12-18T11:35:45.513-08:00December Diggings<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It was Saturday. Another chilly, grey day was coming to a close, and on a whim I decided to dig up a few carrots when I got home from the Christmas Bird Count. I was down to one carrot from the grocery store, and about four tiny ones from the garden - time for a few more.</div>
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Boy was I pleasantly surprised at the size of the carrots that came up with the third and fourth spading of the fork!</div>
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Every year I seem to get a handful of giant carrots, but this year I had the King of Carrots: <br />
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This root was so impressive that I had to weigh the silly thing - I simply couldn't get over its size. And how much did it weigh? Over a pound!!! <br />
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I know it's hard to see, but the scale says one pound and 3/4 of an ounce. That is one huge carrot.<br />
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And it's been tasty. Toby enjoyed part of it for two nights, and the rest went into the roasted veg. mix I cooked up on Sunday.Ellen Rathbonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684750034177425795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-724969642108236555.post-86229283545418004192012-11-10T13:51:00.001-08:002012-11-10T13:51:53.225-08:00More on Sustainable Foods<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/4EUAMe2ixCI" width="560"></iframe>Ellen Rathbonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684750034177425795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-724969642108236555.post-8735357042670117232012-10-26T07:16:00.001-07:002012-10-26T07:16:39.434-07:00Where Does Your Food Come From?<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/uem2ceZMxYk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Ellen Rathbonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684750034177425795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-724969642108236555.post-80831042625187498242012-09-18T09:07:00.002-07:002012-09-18T09:07:35.619-07:00Nearly Fall in the Garden<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Things are winding down in the garden. </div>
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I'm always amused when movies or TV shows indicate that garden harvest(s) take place all at once and must be done in a day or two. Perhaps some fruits have such a narrow window, but MY garden has harvesting being done all the time. </div>
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I finally stopped picking the pole beans - I'm letting them dry. The
dry beans will soon be ready to shell...I can't wait to try my own
home-grown kidney beans in chili! I need to find a better way of trellising beans for next year.</div>
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The onion harvest was very disappointing: </div>
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But, as though to make up for it, the butternut squash harvest is going to be phenomenal! <br />
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I've picked three watermelons to date - one nearly grocery-store-size! Found three more in the garden last night without really looking hard. <br />
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Three more roma tomatoes were plucked from the vine last night...nearly ripe. Plenty of unripe ones remain...maybe they'll ripen before frost? I'm not going to hold my breath, but it'll be too bad if the don't, for these are WONDERFUL 'maters. They might be Grandma Mary's paste tomatoes, or they might be Amish Paste...I just don't remember which of the vines was the one that survived! <br />
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The scarlet runner beans are still blooming in quiet profusion. I never eat these...the pods are a bit to fuzzy for my taste. They might be less fuzzy as very young beans, but this year I might try some of the dried beans...along with the other dry beans I'm intentionally growing. <br />
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So...if I don't eat them, then why do I plant them, especially in the
quantity that I do? Because they are great for attracting pollinators,
and the hummingbirds like them, too.<br />
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Soon it will be time to dig the spuds...see if any actually survived the CPB onslaught. And the garlic needs to be planted for 2013. Ellen Rathbonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684750034177425795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-724969642108236555.post-67205351243204062682012-09-18T07:06:00.001-07:002012-09-18T07:06:12.241-07:00Bee Deaths linked to GMOs<table border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" style="width: 406px;"><tbody>
<tr><td align="left" colspan="2" valign="top"><span class="xc_largetext"><b> </b></span></td><td align="left" colspan="2" valign="top"><span class="xc_largetext"><b> </b></span></td><td align="left" colspan="2" valign="top"><span class="xc_largetext"><b>Stop the Mass Death of Bees!</b></span>
<br /><span class="xc_largetext">Tell EPA and USDA to ban Bayer's insecticides & Monsanto's GMOs!</span>
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<table align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 5px; padding-top: 3px; width: 100px;">
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<tr><td align="left" class="number" nowrap="nowrap" style="white-space: nowrap; width: 100%;"> Take Action Now!</td></tr>
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<span class="xc_maintext"><div>
<img alt="Poland GMO Protest" height="200" src="http://www.digitaljournal.com/img/3/4/5/1/7/1/i/1/0/9/p-large/poland2-karina-karin.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 10px;" width="343" /><br /><br />Monsanto's Mon810 corn, genetically engineered to produce a synthetic version of the insecticide Bt, has been <a href="http://www.poland.pl/news/article,GMM_and_GMO_in_Poland,id,470898.htm" target="_blank">banned in Poland</a>
following protests by beekeepers who showed the corn was killing
honeybees. Meanwhile, commercial beekeepers in the U.S. have filed an <a href="http://www.beyondpesticides.org/pollinators/CFS-Clothianidin-Petition-3-20-12.pdf" target="_blank">emergency legal petition</a>
with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to suspend use of a
pesticide that is linked to massive honey bee deaths. The legal
petition, which specifies Bayer's neonicotinoid pesticide clothianidin,
is backed by over one million citizen petition signatures.<br /> <br />Poland
is the first country to formally acknowledge the link between
Monsanto's genetically engineered corn and the Colony Collapse Disorder
(CCD) that's been devastating bees around the world, but it's likely
that Monsanto has known the danger their GMOs posed to bees all along.
The biotech giant recently <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/richard-schiffman/the-fox-monsanto-buys-the_b_1470878.html" target="_blank">purchased a CCD research firm, Beeologics</a>,
that government agencies, including the US Department of Agriculture,
have been relying on for help unraveling the mystery behind the
disappearance of the bees. <br /> <br />Now that it's owned by Monsanto,
it's very unlikely that Beeologics will investigate the links, but
genetically engineered crops have been <a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/05/08/what-biotech-company-blamed-for-bee-collapse-just-bought-leading-bee-research-firm.aspx" target="_blank">implicated in CCD</a> for years now. <br /> <br />In
one German study, when bees were released in a genetically engineered
canola field, then fed the canola pollen to younger bees, scientists
discovered the bacteria in the guts of the young bees took on the traits
of the canola's modified genes. That proves that GMO DNA in pollen can
be transferred to bees though their digestive system.<br /><br />Many bee-keepers have turned to <a href="http://news.mongabay.com/2012/0405-hance_colonycollapse_pesticides.html" target="_blank">high-fructose corn syrup</a>
to feed their bees. High-fructose corn syrup is made from Monsanto's
genetically engineered corn and that corn is treated with Bayer's
neonicotinoid insecticides.<br /><br />Bee colonies began disappearing in
the U.S. one year after the EPA allowed these new insecticides on the
market in 2004-2005. Even the EPA itself admits that "pesticide
poisoning" is contributing to bee colony collapse. <br /> <br />One of the
observed effects of these insecticides is weakening of the bee's immune
system. Forager bees bring pesticide-laden pollen back to the hive,
where it's consumed by all of the bees. Six months later, their immune
systems fail, and they fall prey to natural bee infections, such as
parasites, mites, viruses, fungi and bacteria. Indeed, pathogens such as
Varroa mites, Nosema, fungal and bacterial infections, and IAPV are
found in large amounts in honey bee hives on the verge of collapse.<br /><br />
Three recent studies implicate neonicotinoid insecticides, or "neonics"
for short, which coat 142 million acres of corn, wheat, soy and cotton
seeds in the U.S. alone. They are also a common ingredient in a wide
variety of home gardening products. As detailed in <a href="http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2012/04/09/mystery-of-the-disappearing-bees-solved/" target="_hplink">an article published by Reuters</a>,
neonics are absorbed by the plants' vascular system and contaminate the
pollen and nectar that bees encounter on their rounds. Neonics are a
nerve poison that disorient their insect victims and appear to damage
the homing ability of bees, which may help to account for their
mysterious failure to make it back to the hive. <br /><br />This was the conclusion of research which came out in <a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/content/early/in" target="_hplink">the prestigious Journal <em>Science</em></a>. In <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22292570" target="_hplink">another study</a>,
conducted by entomologists at Purdue University, the scientists found
that neonic-containing dust released into the air at planting time had
"lethal effects compatible with colony losses phenomena observed by
beekeepers." <a href="http://news.mongabay.com/2012/0405-hance_colonycollapse_pesticides.html" target="_hplink">A third study</a>
by the Harvard School of Public Health actually re-created colony
collapse disorder in several honeybee hives simply by administering
small doses of a popular neonic, imidacloprid.<br /><br />Learn How to Protect Your Neighborhood Bees:<br /><a href="http://www.honeybeehaven.org/" target="_blank">http://www.honeybeehaven.org/</a></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
[This article is from www.organicconsumers.org] </div>
</span>Ellen Rathbonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684750034177425795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-724969642108236555.post-5689689763938329752012-08-14T07:31:00.001-07:002012-08-14T07:31:08.446-07:00A Bit o' Rain<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
At last! Thursday last week we woke to rain...and it rained for three whole days! I got about an inch and a half out at the house, although just a few miles north of me they had over three inches! Still, I'll take it. It started off as a heavy rain - so heavy, in fact, that when I drove thru Napoleon on the way to work Thursday morning, there was a lake in front of the gas station and a whirlpool circling the drain in the road (in truth, some of this might have simply been the result of ground too hard from drought to soak up the rain as it fell). By late morning, however, it had let up, and for the next two days it was mostly misting - light rain that could soak in.</div>
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I picked more corn - and more beans. That's what's producing right now. <br />
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I was very excited to find one blue kernel on one of the ears of Painted Hills. <br />
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Watermelons are growing on the vines - how does one know when they are ready to pick, though? And if the squash beetles leave 'em alone, I should have lots of butternut squash this fall. <br />
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The spuds have tried to rally - they are sending out some new leaves, but with them are coming a new batch of CPBs. Grrr. I may have to give up potatoes. :(Ellen Rathbonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684750034177425795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-724969642108236555.post-55056123514488133132012-08-02T06:26:00.001-07:002012-08-02T06:26:33.849-07:00Better than Peas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The silks were brown, so I figured it was time to harvest some of the corn. Oh, my goodness - just look at 'em! That's Painted Hills on the left, Ambrosia in the middle and the two on the right are Fleet.</div>
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First, there was some disappointment. Below is what the Painted Hills, an heirloom variety, is supposed to look like. Its claim to fame is its beautifully multi-colored kernels. Mine were all just white. Hm. Did they send me the wrong seed? Nope - what I planted was multi-colored. Could it be the poor soil here affected the coloration? I have no idea, but I was disappointed. (Reading thru the description on the FEDCO <a href="http://www.fedcoseeds.com/seeds/search.php?item=616&index=3&listname=BACK%21&" target="_blank">website</a>, they say the ears have mostly white kernels, with other colors interspersed. Maybe some of the other ears will be more colorful.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-WWiR2OfbL4YN-T8KcxQfYEJzEUjBo31xMt-5VUBw9Py4hGeyBNkSQfdR-_lmEgYEsCQXu_GUsr6WrvvjV7UVmxm7LNK3LlKODclVFZt8-8iGMyC6JnDWsQvbvE2-Ldo154IhYFaO8Uwq/s1600/painted+hills.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-WWiR2OfbL4YN-T8KcxQfYEJzEUjBo31xMt-5VUBw9Py4hGeyBNkSQfdR-_lmEgYEsCQXu_GUsr6WrvvjV7UVmxm7LNK3LlKODclVFZt8-8iGMyC6JnDWsQvbvE2-Ldo154IhYFaO8Uwq/s400/painted+hills.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"> Painted Hills Sweet Corn | Photo credit: we'moon in the woods, Flickr, Creative Commons, </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">via Frugal-Cafe Blog Zone</span></i></div>
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Still, I cooked 'em all up and while watching the final episode of the first season of <i>Torchwood</i>, I enjoyed the best corn I've ever grown. Yum. <br />
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The (few) leftovers went into the freezer.Ellen Rathbonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684750034177425795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-724969642108236555.post-47869550938633423752012-08-01T07:27:00.002-07:002012-08-01T07:27:36.741-07:00Drought and the Garden<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The peas have given up the ghost - and who can blame them in the heat and drought we've had this summer! I'd almost give up on the beans as well, which seemed to be producing a few flowers, but no actual beans...until this week. Huzzah - the rattlesnake pole beans have finally started to produce!</div>
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But the plants are not thriving. A) The twine I've been using for trellising keeps breaking - I never had this kind of problem back in NY, and b) something is eating the plants. The bush beans (dry beans) have struggled and I don't think I've seen a single blossom there. The culprit? You tell me:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif1keVixIJ5pb42iuKKmexKgc9pid4ZioJukK8RBX6p6NstJYq-2JpTC86NxSto9I9cu33BB6xBGHp0OZMMR89rBJ5vSJE-5Tqj72gxa1ql0RiTYkUOJcGXL1svwSUxl3ADnrP6DoDRQi4/s1600/hole+under+fence.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif1keVixIJ5pb42iuKKmexKgc9pid4ZioJukK8RBX6p6NstJYq-2JpTC86NxSto9I9cu33BB6xBGHp0OZMMR89rBJ5vSJE-5Tqj72gxa1ql0RiTYkUOJcGXL1svwSUxl3ADnrP6DoDRQi4/s400/hole+under+fence.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Yes...that's a hole dug under the fence. I found that last night. I've seen rabbits in the garden, and certainly have seen the damage they've done to the beans. I never had rabbit problems in NY. The worst I had was the CPBs and the year the voles (?) ate the carrots.<br />
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Now, <i>this </i>hole is suspect belongs to the 13-lined ground squirrel. I've seen one in the yard, and recently found two dead in the road, but otherwise they've been pretty secretive. I don't know if they damage crops or not, but they are definitely living in my raised beds...almost as bad as the moles.<br />
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The corn, while crowded, is actually looking pretty good.<br />
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In fact, there are quite a number of ears this year, and many of decent size! I'm really looking forward to harvesting these...if I can get them before the raccoons. Based on the crop at the moment, this is the best luck I've ever had with corn! <br />
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The butternut squash is going great guns! It got off to a late start, but it seems to be making up for lost time now. <br />
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I've also got some watermelons planted in there - and look! A melon is in the works! I'm not the biggest melon fan, but I like the idea of growing them. <br />
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So, the garden tools along...hopefully the beans will produce enough to freeze for the winter, and I'll beat the varmints to the corn. I've squashed a few batches of squash bug eggs, so maybe I'll dodge that bullet, too. The spuds are starting to releaf - maybe there's still some hope for them. The onions, however, I fear are not going to be robust - not like the ones I had in NY. The tops look good, but the bulbs remain small. We'll see what happens come harvest time.<br />
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<br />Ellen Rathbonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684750034177425795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-724969642108236555.post-46022070121742452462012-06-24T12:48:00.003-07:002012-06-24T12:48:48.008-07:00Progress Report<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Here it is, the near end of June. While some rain has fallen, most has fallen around my address, not at my address. Things are still quite dry. Still, with carefully applied water from the hose, it looks like we will have some veg to harvest yet.</div>
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I think the corn will definitely pass "knee high by the 4th of July" - it sure looks promising. This is actually the best-looking corn I've ever grown!<br />
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The assorted pole beans are starting to climb - a good sign. <br />
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The carrots...well...I have yet to master carrot-planting. They always come up in clumps. I've had some success transplanting, but it's a tedious chore. Right now I'm working on battling the weeds that are also growing with the carrots. <br />
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Peas have been blooming for two or three weeks now, although most of the plants are under two-feet tall! Runty - lack of rain. <br />
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Never the less, there are lots of pods filling up! Should be able to start harvesting in a week, I should think. <br />
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The paltry few onions are doing well, too - maybe next year I'll try planting seeds again. <br />
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The spuds are looking great for the most part...and the CPB apparently think so, too. I must've squished well over a hundred of the beggars the other night, and last night it looked like I hadn't touched a one of them! Must go on a rampage tonight...or I won't have any plants left at all! <br />
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Tomatoes? Only two plants remain, and they are struggling. <br />
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But the squash and cukes are coming up - so that's a plus. <br />
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I have yet to get the sweet potatoes planted...perhaps tonight. And it's time to make another batch of mozzarella!<br />
<br />Ellen Rathbonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684750034177425795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-724969642108236555.post-60378255794308129022012-06-19T05:50:00.001-07:002012-06-19T05:50:22.481-07:00It's Cheese!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
For a few years now I've wanted to play around with cheese-making. I'd read that mozzarella is one of the easiest cheeses to make, but was never brave enough to try it. It didn't help that I went to a cheese-making workshop and their mozz failed.</div>
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But several times I've been in stores over the last couple of years and saw cheese-making kits - everything you need but the pan and the milk. I finally bought one, and a gallon of milk, and yesterday I attempted to make some mozz.</div>
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First, you need a steel or enamel kettle, a gallon of milk (pasteurized or raw, but NOT ultra-pasteurized), a couple measuring cups, some measuring spoons, a spoon to stir with, and a knife. (Ignore the butter and oranges - I have very limited counter space in this kitchen, so things are cluttered and crowded.) </div>
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From the kit you dissolve one -quarter table of rennet in one-quarter cup cool water and set aside. You dissolve 1.5 tsp citric acid in one cup cool water and put this in your kettle with the one gallon of milk. <br />
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You turn on the stove and start warming it up - 90 degrees F is your target, while you stir "vigorously." When you hit 90, you remove the kettle from the heat and pour in the rennet, stirring in an "up and down" motion (careful you don't end up wearing your mixture). You then cover the kettle and wait for the curds to form and the whey to separate out. This should take five minutes - I ended up waiting closer to half an hour, and it still didn't look like the photo. <br />
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Then you are supposed to use a long knife and cut the curds (mine looked more like ricotta cheese floating in yellowish water, so it didn't cut well). You put the kettle back on the stove and reheat to 105 degrees, stirring in an "up and down" fashion.<br />
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When you reach 105, you remove it from the stove and drain the whey. It was only after I had completed my cheese and was cleaning up that I remembered the cheesecloth, which was out drying on the clothesline - had to be washed first. Without this for draining the liquid from the "solids," I resorted to using a spoon and trying to pour off the whey - a lot of curds went down the drain. Lesson learned. (In my defense, the directions didn't say to use the cheesecloth for the draining.) <br />
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Here are the curds sitting separated in a bowl. <br />
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Next, you stick the bowl in the microwave for a minute, then drain off more whey. Return to microwave for 30 seconds, and start to fold the curds into a single unit of soon-to-be cheese. This is also when you add the teaspoon of salt, if you so desire. My cheese still wasn't looking very good. <br />
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I ended up doing the 30-second microwaving three times, because the recipe said it had to be 135 degrees in order to stretch properly. At this point, you are supposed to pull it like taffy. At 135 degrees, this wasn't going to happen - not without asbestos gloves! So, I just used my spoon to fold and fold the cheese, which at last was starting to look like mozz! <br />
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You then form your cheese into whatever final shape you want. I made three round balls. You plop these into a cold water bath for about five minutes. <br />
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And then you transfer them to an ice bath for about 15 minutes. This is to cool the cheese down. <br />
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My cheese was still warm when I wrapped it. One ball went into the fridge, and I had some of it this morning in my omelet, and the other two balls went into the freezer (it's supposed to freeze well).<br />
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Despite a dubious start, I'd say my first foray into cheese-making turned out well! A gallon of milk doesn't yield a gallon of cheese, but it's still cheaper than buying it in the store! And, if all goes well, it only takes about half an hour to do. I'm looking forward to my second try.Ellen Rathbonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684750034177425795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-724969642108236555.post-78936461026658200902012-06-09T11:37:00.002-07:002012-06-09T11:37:53.811-07:00Up and Growing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The garden is starting to actually look like a garden now. Last weekend was spent trellising. Actually, I did some two evenings, and the rest on Monday - my only day off in the last two weeks. There's something about the trellises that just make a garden seem complete.</div>
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The beans sprouted so quickly: one week and they were up! If they all survive (and there are a LOT of vole and mouse and mole tunnels in the garden), I should be all set for beans (snap and dry) this year. <br />
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Also within a week the corn was up! Amazing. Three varieties this year: some colorful sweet corn, as well as Ambrosia and Fleet. I never have a whole lot of luck with corn, but hope springs eternal. <br />
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The peas have been going great guns. Again, if they all survive and produce, I should have plenty of peas to get me through the winter. Last year was a bust for peas - the groundhog got the plants. So far this year things look pretty good. I've got my fingers crossed. <br />
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I transplanted the tomatoes and peppers on Monday - I think all the peppers perished, though, and of the remaining 15 or 20 tomato plants (out of over 100 that sprouted), I think only three are still hanging on. I've never had such trouble with tomatoes before! <br />
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The onions are hanging in there. I miss the onion harvests I used to have in Newcomb - they were great! I bought seeds this year, but never got them planted. I had also ordered some starts, but not too many came. Even if they all survive, it's only going to be a handful of bulbs. I wonder if it's too late to start some seeds.<br />
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I also got the spuds in a week and a half ago. I had cut them up so spread the wealth (1-2 eyes on each piece), but they started to mold before I could get them in the ground! Ack! Even so, this morning when I was out watering before coming in to work I could see most of them are sprouting. Hooray! Now if only I can keep the potato beetles off them (I've already crushed many eggs). <br />
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Even the carrots have sprouted in record time - a week! Usually it's 3+ weeks before I see any sign of life from carrot seeds. We've been lucky with a long stretch of simply beautiful weather - cool nights, warm days, but not hot or humid. The downside is that things are incredibly dry!!! As in parched! We haven't had any rain worth mentioning in weeks. Temps supposed to be near 90 today and well into the 90s this weekend. Ugh. I worry about the well - how much water is down there? No snow to speak of this winter, and a dry spring - this does not bode well.<br />
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I still have things not planted: squash, sweet potatoes, cukes...and I'm out of space! I was going to take advantage of a plot at the Community Gardens at work, but the offered plot needed a lot of work before it could be planted, and I can do that at home just as easily. Maybe that's what I'll do this weekend, before the heat rises too much.<br />
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Harvested my first lettuce and spinach yesterday! Must plant more.Ellen Rathbonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684750034177425795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-724969642108236555.post-19908736413433067202012-05-18T14:23:00.001-07:002012-05-18T14:23:19.837-07:00The 2013 Season is Underway!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It's mid-May already, and time has gotten away from me. Like much of the northern part of this country, back in March we had an incredible warm spell that got gardeners and plants all excited to start growing NOW! Wild plants went ahead and started blooming, some nearly a month early, much to their ultimate chagrin, because after about two weeks the weather returned to "normal" and many blooms froze. Just ask the cherry growers up in the northern Lower Peninsula!</div>
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I was sorely tempted to start my indoor seeds at that time, and to plant peas and greens, but fortunately I didn't. April, however, found me getting the tomatoes and peppers started indoors. The tomatoes were doing great...right up until I transplanted them (it was a little too soon, but it was a nice day and I was eager to move them into soil rather than starter mix). Over 100 tomato seedlings were transplanted. Here are all that remain - note the large number of empty cells. I lost over half of them - mostly because when I moved them from the table to the floor, I forgot to water them one week and they dried out under the grow lights. </div>
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But the good news is that I didn't really need 100 plants, I don't have room for 100 plants, and those that remain seem to be doing very well. </div>
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The peppers, however, are another story. They were planted at the same time and here they are, still just two leaves! Maybe they need to be moved to real soil...get a few nutrients and that might make them grow.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQUzegEepneKAwJp6PGUGrpeCK_UwkzFdso6X6k87amUXWnMuXbOdkY7pSKD3lpryigc-Me8dzQsACxCxg4rI0ignp-_wIbJ5pQLXNn4Q8MYgIaxzmcHrwb7Q1jypx5t9UAz6vOTTVsPX0/s1600/DSC_0069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQUzegEepneKAwJp6PGUGrpeCK_UwkzFdso6X6k87amUXWnMuXbOdkY7pSKD3lpryigc-Me8dzQsACxCxg4rI0ignp-_wIbJ5pQLXNn4Q8MYgIaxzmcHrwb7Q1jypx5t9UAz6vOTTVsPX0/s400/DSC_0069.JPG" width="265" /></a></div>
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A couple weekends ago I got my act together and planted the peas. It's really almost too late in the season, for peas are cold-hardy, but between work and weather, I just had no opportunity to do it sooner. I was concerned that critters would eat the seeds or pull up the shoots, but they've started sprouting and so far (!) they look pretty good. I also planted the first wave of greens. The plan is to plant greens every two weeks, which should assure a regular supply of lettuces and spinach well into the season. The greens are planted on the north side of the peas, so the peas should shade them from the mid-day sun come summer. It <i>should</i> help prevent early bolting. <br />
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Yesterday was onion day! I have never had luck growing onions from seed. I've planted hundreds of onion seeds, and they sprouted and grew, but then they fizzled and the ones that made it into the garden just withered and died. So, I order starts - a cheat, but it seems to work for me. This year I have just one type: copra. These are a pretty good storage onion and I've had good luck with them in the past (in the Adirondacks). We'll see how they do here. Last year I had Stutgarters, and they did not do terribly well. I have high hopes for the copra. Maybe this weekend I'll get the spuds in the ground, too.</div>
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The soil and mulch piles have hearty growth. I tackle the weeds every time I walk by the piles, but I think the weeds are winning.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyiKYi_r6e19MSx7LPa8chg1ObQLo7REijnX7U7t7cjTtcoElsCrtNhGQE-BwG5xuida9yhWTeeEUqoqq_hiOWRMX6r0fjwZo7en04SoxZIxgWdcN6JuWWFZmHNYdDn5fjnwyJZcF5037m/s1600/DSC_0059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyiKYi_r6e19MSx7LPa8chg1ObQLo7REijnX7U7t7cjTtcoElsCrtNhGQE-BwG5xuida9yhWTeeEUqoqq_hiOWRMX6r0fjwZo7en04SoxZIxgWdcN6JuWWFZmHNYdDn5fjnwyJZcF5037m/s400/DSC_0059.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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All gardens need a little encouragement. <br />
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Earlier this spring the local Conservation District had its annual tree sale - lots of little tree seedlings for cheap prices. I was there with a colleague who wanted to pick up stuff for his home, and that's a dangerous place to go (shopping for plants) because I can never leave without getting something. I walked out with three witch hazels, two ninebarks, five white oaks, five white pines, two sargent crabapples (I thought these would have good wildlife value, but after reading up on them, I think they were a mistake to buy), two black elders, and two white flowering dogwoods (which were of dubious quality when I picked them out and I don't think they are still alive). I got the elders, witch hazels and crabapples planted, and promptly mowed over the witch hazels. They don't look like a recovery is in the works. The rest of the plants I heeled into the ground, but now that several weeks have passed and I'm no where closer to getting them planted in their permanent spots, I decided I'd better pot them up, so I did this week. I also inherited eight more white pines left over from an award ceremony. So, here is LN's Tree Farm:</div>
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Last weekend was the first Open House at our favorite wild plant nursery: <a href="http://www.wildtypeplants.com/" target="_blank">WildTypes</a>. Bill, who's business this is, collects seeds from local wild native plants and grows them for resale...it's a labor of love. What's great about his business is that the plants he grows are mostly local genotypes, meaning they are from here. Why is that important? Because these plants are adapted for the climate and soils of this part of Michigan...the ultimate native plants! As a result, they have the best survival rate (provided you plant them in the right location).<br />
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So, about 100 people and I drove up to Mason for the opening day of the open house season (he has three weekends in May and then one in August - the rest of the time you have to call, place an order, and arrange to pick it up - no browsing). A major rain storm came pouring down on us. Most of the folks huddled under the one covered portion of the nursery, but I was on a mission and so I sallied forth, getting thoroughly soaked (and chilled). I wheeled my 5' long cart up and down the aisles, loading it with plants like monkeyflower, three-lobed coneflower, maidenhair fern, and yellow giant hyssop. It was a rude awakening at the checkout, but I figure it's a good cause: returning native plants to the landscape helps not only the visual appeal to my property, but benefits local birds and insects - a mark on my side for good karma.<br />
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But what was I going to do with all these plants? I had great plans for turning the spot of grass next to the back deck into a native plant garden, but I did not want to spend my time digging up the grass and all that - I did that back in Newcomb for three years - it got old really fast. So, this time I took the cheater's way out: I sprayed the grass (and weeds) with RoundUp. I used to swear I'd never use the stuff, but conservationists use it all the time to get rid of invasives, so I bit the bullet and bought some. The latest version of RoundUp is rain-proof in 10 minutes, and you can plant the area the next day (or so the label says)! I waited nearly a week before planting the precious natives I'd spent all my money on. And here they are, all nestled in the ground with their blanket of mulch:<br />
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If all goes well, in a year or two this should be a beautiful garden full of native bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. Hooray! <br />
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The remaining natives I bought were planted out front under the maple, where I have the other woodland plants growing. What was added this year? Jack-in-the-pulpit, maidenhair fern, and wild ginger. <br />
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What made this all possible was the serendipitous delivery of woodchips from a local tree service that has been chopping up branches and stuff a couple miles down the road. They brought me two truckloads (I can use much more with all the plans I have). Ten wheelbarrow loads went onto the new native plant garden. MANY loads will go on the paths around the veg garden, and the rest (if any is left) will be used to make walking paths around the property. I actually started making the paths the evening the first load of mulch arrived (photos to come).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVgNOLHgGGCZuBAW4PUPiU2u6xqxa-zO_sblUKCvhq32RQSv9C_XELHg7GaWok-RrTn9DDgZLlqh28xBcD-wdx3F-G_CYCZzfdvwUidBiHwl_jfypFZvOIlYXzgEYIAfcryxWAuQR_bkDo/s1600/DSC_0058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVgNOLHgGGCZuBAW4PUPiU2u6xqxa-zO_sblUKCvhq32RQSv9C_XELHg7GaWok-RrTn9DDgZLlqh28xBcD-wdx3F-G_CYCZzfdvwUidBiHwl_jfypFZvOIlYXzgEYIAfcryxWAuQR_bkDo/s400/DSC_0058.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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So things are finally underway to a) get the veg going for another year of fresh produce, and b) begin transforming the property from a YARD to a "restored" habitat. Next on the agenda: mulch the garden paths, mulch the property paths, hire a burn outfit to come out and burn the back field so I can start the restoration work there, get a chicken coop and then (at last) raise chickens (meat and layers), and (finally) put in a small pond. Lots of plans. Might a pig be on the horizon, too? Who knows...but I sure like the idea of raising my own fresh pork!Ellen Rathbonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684750034177425795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-724969642108236555.post-36980753374782791022012-04-05T14:21:00.000-07:002012-04-05T14:21:21.404-07:00Subversive PlotMy friend Willow over at <a href="http://willowhousechronicles.wordpress.com/">Willow House Chronicles</a> always finds the BEST videos! (Which I subsequently shamelessly steal from her blog to post on mine.)<br />
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Here's a great on on why more of us should be growing our own food.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Ezuz_-eZTMI" width="560"></iframe><br />
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You don't need to farm to grow your own food. Even the smallest yard can produce produce. And if you don't have any yard (or balcony) at all, look into a community garden plot - most cities have them these days!<br />
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Get out there and GROW!Ellen Rathbonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684750034177425795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-724969642108236555.post-17819664921433007002012-02-28T07:31:00.000-08:002012-02-28T07:31:01.779-08:00The Demise of the Carrots<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8I8fRwSNepQDVXlMSluWlFj3ojcOVWCE4JM8ie0aejSWo4LS3apM2pxO6QGZD4AJtPPa2SKAtbhRx5ZWSX0oT_UFujQCvm2Q3oti3m9P1qZCDn5dqsHpSZs2iCYBUlCLku7z_90mr4xAB/s1600/DSC_0230.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8I8fRwSNepQDVXlMSluWlFj3ojcOVWCE4JM8ie0aejSWo4LS3apM2pxO6QGZD4AJtPPa2SKAtbhRx5ZWSX0oT_UFujQCvm2Q3oti3m9P1qZCDn5dqsHpSZs2iCYBUlCLku7z_90mr4xAB/s400/DSC_0230.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
I made a bad choice. The carrots had been keeping so well on the back porch that I became lazy and didn't finish freezing them. Nor did I store them properly (in moist sand in bins in the root cellar). I did finally put them into ziplock bags and place them in the fridge, but it was too late - the white fuzzy mold was established.<br />
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It's a pity, too, because most of the really good carrots (as in long and carrot-shaped) were in this batch of remainders. But, there was nothing for it - they had to go into the compost. :(<br />
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The moral of this story: there is a reason why our ancestors didn't just leave their veg out all winter. Follow the books and time-tested methods for preserving your harvest(s), and you will have veg all year.Ellen Rathbonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684750034177425795noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-724969642108236555.post-46865176639417421262012-01-28T11:53:00.000-08:002012-01-28T11:53:33.691-08:00A Good Read<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6NvvxX3NX34PcoVjSrPmJJULmOATEhB8rkTB0L6t358BnDD3BveiobD4kp0fPiXgaw8cIb0H8Z71J3Sg3_84Bxe0EHKvMQ332fNFE8O4VnDH0Lh5TYCIC4jwKk1HIrkTuoom6uLRdSOJK/s1600/DSC_0253.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6NvvxX3NX34PcoVjSrPmJJULmOATEhB8rkTB0L6t358BnDD3BveiobD4kp0fPiXgaw8cIb0H8Z71J3Sg3_84Bxe0EHKvMQ332fNFE8O4VnDH0Lh5TYCIC4jwKk1HIrkTuoom6uLRdSOJK/s400/DSC_0253.JPG" width="265" /></a></div><br />
For anyone who would like to know a little more about the current state of agriculture in this country, and why there is a local food movement afoot, I highly recommend this book.<br />
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Joel Salatin is considered by many to be the guru of the farm movement. And while his farm may not seem small to a person who has a few chickens, a few sheep, and maybe a horse or goat, by industry standards, it is.<br />
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More importantly, he shows us how the industrial giant that is the food industry ("industry" being the operative word, and yes, I'm using it repetitively on purpose) is doing its best to control everything we eat - not just their corner of the market (their corner, of course, being over 90% of what we eat).<br />
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He also highlights the nutritional merits of normal food vs. industrial food. Why do I want to have my own chickens? If having FRESH eggs wasn't enough of an argument, or having more flavorful, more nutritional eggs wasn't enough of an argument, how about the fact that eggs purchased from the store are required to be bathed in chlorine before they can be sold? Eggshells are permeable, folks - let's think about this. (Chlorine is a poison - just in case you didn't know.)<br />
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Now, I may not agree with the man's politics, nor with all his thoughts on how wild areas are under-utilized, he makes a good number of salient points.<br />
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I don't offer this book up for your consideration to try to change your opinion. I offer it to further the cause of education. You can make whatever decisions you want - just be informed before you make them, that's all I ask.Ellen Rathbonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684750034177425795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-724969642108236555.post-28770417755082112252012-01-28T11:37:00.000-08:002012-01-28T11:37:45.459-08:00Another Reason To Raise My Own<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/TbqyAemRlno" width="420"></iframe><br />
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I know this will make some folks say "see - organic food is no better than regular, only they charge you more." It's things like this (when we find out the facts) that give organic such a bad rap.<br />
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Buy local.<br />
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Know your farmer.<br />
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Raise your own.Ellen Rathbonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684750034177425795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-724969642108236555.post-91562756097251347662011-11-16T11:12:00.000-08:002011-11-16T11:12:35.884-08:00Putting Food By<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfSbmX7oFeU_neiaEN4oV71KAShliGgFXbnbh_oqvQiQ9F8_GBmpS1ULls1waJ6vHz8k3IIHz430-W2GYCY6aa261TN6eH3e9TqXS3YeR-wfIq54mXQqi-FgBO-uTDxH8DYisgLuuw2iTQ/s1600/DSC_0043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfSbmX7oFeU_neiaEN4oV71KAShliGgFXbnbh_oqvQiQ9F8_GBmpS1ULls1waJ6vHz8k3IIHz430-W2GYCY6aa261TN6eH3e9TqXS3YeR-wfIq54mXQqi-FgBO-uTDxH8DYisgLuuw2iTQ/s400/DSC_0043.JPG" width="265" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Sunday's chores.</div>Ellen Rathbonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684750034177425795noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-724969642108236555.post-83034510697037398242011-10-22T12:15:00.000-07:002011-10-22T12:15:26.834-07:00But Wait, There's More!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Just when you think the garden had given up its final ghost, you remember the sweet potatoes that are lurking under the row covers. I had dug a sample from the sweet potato bed back when I dug my other spuds this fall, and the scrawny little roots left a lot to be desired. So, I essentially wrote them off as a lost cause and not something I would plant again.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But Tuesday when I got home from work, I decided to dig the rest of them up. Maybe, just maybe, there would be a sweet potato or two worth the labor.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Boy, was I mistaken!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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It's hard to appreciate the harvest there in the wheel barrow. I had planted just shy of a dozen slips, which were not in the best of shape when they arrived from Maine this spring. My first sampling did not improve my impression of these veg, but when I stuck my spading fork in and forked up the first plant, I was shocked and amazed to see sweet potatoes of colossal size (pictures do not do them justice): <br />
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The harvest directions I found for sweet potatoes say to leave them out in the sun on a screen for a day or two after you dig them so their skins can harden, and then let them sit at about 80*F for a few days to continue developing tough skins for storage. Yeah, right. It started to rain as I forked over the last bits of the garden, so I dumped the buckets of spuds into the wheel barrow and rolled the whole thing into the covered back porch, where they have sat all week as it rained and barely reached 50*F - forget 80.<br />
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Still, this was a nice surprise. I wonder if really big sweet potatoes are woody and awful, like big radishes, or if size doesn't matter with taste and texture. I guess the only way to know will be to cook 'em and have a taste. Until then, I've decided that sweet potatoes may not be so bad to plant in the garden here after all. I wonder how I save slips for next year...Ellen Rathbonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684750034177425795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-724969642108236555.post-49335472714046931972011-10-18T10:24:00.000-07:002011-10-18T10:24:04.071-07:00Late Season Gifts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">J</span></b>ust when you think you won't have any more tomatoes, despite the many green ones still clinging to the tomato plants, you get a week of warm weather, and your row covers add a touch more warmth, and voila! you are swamped with ripening tomatoes! (The apple is just there for scale.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJpX0TDsWF9PFzQKkbzYx6_YZK55V6MYLkGXEnxGKTdORo9pqtU0Tc22HiI60DNw7YJqPypc3n-0N0wLnKLAi4hOAs2uae2jAgZAOOjIq3Tn52CCNjhP-mf7oP7eIqR_nO8j7-WvC6mMRd/s1600/DSC_0353.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>I don't recall which variety this tomato is, but many of the bright yellow fruits (I know, they look orange here, but they are really yellow) are quite large, and unlike Brandywines, they don't split! <br />
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I decided to pull a few more carrots, too, this weekend, not that I had time to actually process them or anything. <br />
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This one was so big, and had such a grip on the soil, that I had to use the spading fork to dig it out - it wasn't going to let go on its own. <br />
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Neither was this one...or is that two? Possibly three? <br />
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Most of these carrots are still in the bowl on my kitchen counter, with a damp paper towel draped over them to keep them from going limp. A few (including Brutus, two pics up) were diced into a pot of chicken soup I made later that day to combat the cold I've been fighting for about a week now. <br />
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And just to prove that miracles do happen, here's what I saw yesterday afternoon: <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBy3ZeLpario2TQw1J0H9WzTd5TOOy2mcZqXE7Rg-L_nJN4J81ml7OrszW9uTsyanRkNd-MihNtS1ACwhbEC6VmeT0oU0PnkywfO8ZdLZ_LnyU045ZEns69cKXGxXLRpxe_i1rVQFMDnls/s1600/DSC_0390.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBy3ZeLpario2TQw1J0H9WzTd5TOOy2mcZqXE7Rg-L_nJN4J81ml7OrszW9uTsyanRkNd-MihNtS1ACwhbEC6VmeT0oU0PnkywfO8ZdLZ_LnyU045ZEns69cKXGxXLRpxe_i1rVQFMDnls/s400/DSC_0390.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Yes, that's Pumpkin on the left, and Idefix on the right. Sleeping. Together. Unbelieveable. No fur flying, no claws swiping, no hissing or spitting or growling. Amazing.<br />
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Of course, later that night things reverted to normal, but now there is a glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, these two will eventually get along.Ellen Rathbonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684750034177425795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-724969642108236555.post-74536028179872775012011-09-26T08:15:00.001-07:002011-09-26T08:15:37.861-07:00Colorful Carrots<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFaVMLKrSugvIcFY06bz8suYqa0UIsscp5EojEeF-7rVLtC5INED3dxBacGeMSgkU0ypuQ7ujfdOQ9ZlU8kGyW7PJukCddBsbHxEoQg0aAZtbmSMg0iQr2WzKfAcCAdtyN8hS1078146g4/s1600/DSC_0188.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFaVMLKrSugvIcFY06bz8suYqa0UIsscp5EojEeF-7rVLtC5INED3dxBacGeMSgkU0ypuQ7ujfdOQ9ZlU8kGyW7PJukCddBsbHxEoQg0aAZtbmSMg0iQr2WzKfAcCAdtyN8hS1078146g4/s400/DSC_0188.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Ellen Rathbonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684750034177425795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-724969642108236555.post-1539210099131817552011-09-16T14:47:00.000-07:002011-09-16T14:47:35.850-07:00A Good Day for Gardening<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div> Things are winding down in the garden. Or maybe that's falling down! With all the winds and rains we've had lately, the 12' tall sunflowers have about had it, taking out the remaining pole beans in their descent.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjZ5R9VEDEvd6DO7s8aA7KVghujf_2pqXbuTZaQq73REEeibnT5UgjJRxD1hpTJ0iN_N3d2SWvkDGSuATWg8bp2eHppkfYNxUttz64P6IwzegKMfCywh82tu9jLFCmh7zC7HzR5e3D0-Qh/s1600/DSC_0128.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjZ5R9VEDEvd6DO7s8aA7KVghujf_2pqXbuTZaQq73REEeibnT5UgjJRxD1hpTJ0iN_N3d2SWvkDGSuATWg8bp2eHppkfYNxUttz64P6IwzegKMfCywh82tu9jLFCmh7zC7HzR5e3D0-Qh/s400/DSC_0128.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Frost was in the forecast for last night (already!!!), so I took the afternoon off and spent it at home putting row covers over the tomatoes and sweet potatoes.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjfxbKNBbR8fMJlYsQQ5SjT9LM7t4d1xhlTPO3syMgKMxAuuLweWUsS1c_YVSGIpL7sgmQei_t_WiHJ8EK0Q6QTeKB51I2PxTzi2dIX1-i2KIE5vpTn_ScplMEBW6qkfjuedDki6Qdu7lz/s1600/DSC_0126.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjfxbKNBbR8fMJlYsQQ5SjT9LM7t4d1xhlTPO3syMgKMxAuuLweWUsS1c_YVSGIpL7sgmQei_t_WiHJ8EK0Q6QTeKB51I2PxTzi2dIX1-i2KIE5vpTn_ScplMEBW6qkfjuedDki6Qdu7lz/s400/DSC_0126.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
While I was out there, I tackled the weeds in one of the unused plots (that I just didn't get around to preparing last spring). Once it was weeded, I figured I might as well move the soil over - better now than wait until next spring.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpB9lUspWyvB430XS5vml13tWbvnoehjmAlrxZInjtRJtzYvqp4fyMbNLnWOFWYz8j28RGUP38z5j2qU4pyvPG2dHyCGRy9S4aqs3OO9mFfQ1qCj4IKG5ljUcr_7qfVsqnDuPcb8yr537j/s1600/DSC_0127.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpB9lUspWyvB430XS5vml13tWbvnoehjmAlrxZInjtRJtzYvqp4fyMbNLnWOFWYz8j28RGUP38z5j2qU4pyvPG2dHyCGRy9S4aqs3OO9mFfQ1qCj4IKG5ljUcr_7qfVsqnDuPcb8yr537j/s400/DSC_0127.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Doesn't it look lovely? Now that I have a load of compost (leaves from the streets of Jackson) to add to the horrid "topsoil" I got this spring, I'm hoping I will have better growth next year. It certainly seems to be nutritious compost, for the weeds are phenomenal on the pile! I weeded a section before mixing it with the "topsoil" (the pale pile on the right), but both are so full of roots that I suspect this isn't the last I'll see of the weeds. One bed done, four to go...and then I can work on fixing the beds I did this year. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQfxzVjTeVaL-VB_wliGjkEZD5rPea3Nfd270iVJwEhQVPNh_v91rTaqGIkH09m-ug7uG9y3TGWNa1augGrdEZ0NckrJuGA228foWGkoF_2cuephyphenhyphen8iL6PfYLg3UqchX4WmJ5YT7E8QnBc/s1600/DSC_0129.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQfxzVjTeVaL-VB_wliGjkEZD5rPea3Nfd270iVJwEhQVPNh_v91rTaqGIkH09m-ug7uG9y3TGWNa1augGrdEZ0NckrJuGA228foWGkoF_2cuephyphenhyphen8iL6PfYLg3UqchX4WmJ5YT7E8QnBc/s400/DSC_0129.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
While working in the garden, I saw this fellow snoozing in the corn:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfYHw9MHhhVUjCqNJcBQFTZPHEIVGC2lP9j3oOAiRmdgulWQ8Z4lpCGtPKIziXu-JvpoAfh2bGZemOOxvjr6OQi21Nb_G9NCDpmklAqL7I60f-ekLzQiqLLTllCWsHzDdY-fSgunx22Nrc/s1600/DSC_0079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfYHw9MHhhVUjCqNJcBQFTZPHEIVGC2lP9j3oOAiRmdgulWQ8Z4lpCGtPKIziXu-JvpoAfh2bGZemOOxvjr6OQi21Nb_G9NCDpmklAqL7I60f-ekLzQiqLLTllCWsHzDdY-fSgunx22Nrc/s400/DSC_0079.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
...and another in the sweet potatoes: <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyJx1gkR49kzbEJ0Rj2CnK8kUyGpppUq9hbai7EAtpg3qVhafoqJEhZqL8luf8QG2j9I1jVGeWbPXhGanm5oVKvIfnm5jFo1HlnD6tYewDEdkbM0ft22NTeWJggejq4J4-zXDjJkzAaO0h/s1600/DSC_0085.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyJx1gkR49kzbEJ0Rj2CnK8kUyGpppUq9hbai7EAtpg3qVhafoqJEhZqL8luf8QG2j9I1jVGeWbPXhGanm5oVKvIfnm5jFo1HlnD6tYewDEdkbM0ft22NTeWJggejq4J4-zXDjJkzAaO0h/s400/DSC_0085.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>I just love these little frogs. They are grey tree frogs. I know what you are thinking: grey? They're green! But, grey tree frogs have the wonderful ability to change their color. Gotta love 'em. <br />
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Meanwhile, as I was yanking out weeds, I disturbed not only this worm, but the mother spider who's also in this photo. See the white thing? That's her egg sac, which apparently VERY recently hatched since she was still attached to it. And on her back are all her little ones (except for the few that were scuttling around on the soil). <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6A7026St_yLyFywP_UxdjW9PVHOTz8I7e9QJl7MRaTOEBVVBNECsa7dxb4P8GmX4zW-zXWO7tXHaEfzeOvV492fhCzmDm6Ml8aN_qHXLdlbXU0evXe2B7OKpKK1aw-18cVOOh8dJX8MhI/s1600/DSC_0123.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6A7026St_yLyFywP_UxdjW9PVHOTz8I7e9QJl7MRaTOEBVVBNECsa7dxb4P8GmX4zW-zXWO7tXHaEfzeOvV492fhCzmDm6Ml8aN_qHXLdlbXU0evXe2B7OKpKK1aw-18cVOOh8dJX8MhI/s400/DSC_0123.JPG" width="400" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>And here's a sweet potato flower...just in case you ever wondered what one looked like. <br />
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The sunflowers are about exhausted. Bees still visit, but most of the blooming is done and now the seeds need to ripen.</div><br />
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Watching someone weed and haul soil is not very exciting. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHkOeUxKN3be8HsrLmkskY692Ef9YzJDgfP-DymXMPfo-5WYoIRFpH1AajH4KnK9vSwfcNX1QxOSIHEbSygcDuzwoG71iYgTdSXfN-4pzErT8VkVpa4Jwt5s5l0xfSQXhDCtDZME9oEL3S/s1600/DSC_0109.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHkOeUxKN3be8HsrLmkskY692Ef9YzJDgfP-DymXMPfo-5WYoIRFpH1AajH4KnK9vSwfcNX1QxOSIHEbSygcDuzwoG71iYgTdSXfN-4pzErT8VkVpa4Jwt5s5l0xfSQXhDCtDZME9oEL3S/s400/DSC_0109.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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</a></div>Ellen Rathbonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684750034177425795noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-724969642108236555.post-61989407080025459442011-09-07T10:03:00.000-07:002011-09-07T10:03:43.667-07:00September GoodnessMonday was labor day, and for many folks that's just a day off from work. For me, well, it was a regular day off, by I put myself to work, laboring in the garden. It was time to dig the spuds.<br />
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It's not been often this year that I have been impressed with the results of the garden, but the potatoes made me a believer. Only two of the three varieties made it - the Adirondack Blues were mostly rotted before they went into the ground, but the German butterballs and purple vikings did great.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqcr8bpi_OBTh6TxZBbM8uEBzOUPTvP3KWEOK2NZS5hwlxQm8VYpLTbHKjCx96mFIeaWgFA9wm_gfN9Sg2kp1zE4RbpzNAUAPYqzJ1q_yeVMV2q2R3W_DwmtdBvkVnpEVf8N_wrwyMbwXh/s1600/20110905_2.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqcr8bpi_OBTh6TxZBbM8uEBzOUPTvP3KWEOK2NZS5hwlxQm8VYpLTbHKjCx96mFIeaWgFA9wm_gfN9Sg2kp1zE4RbpzNAUAPYqzJ1q_yeVMV2q2R3W_DwmtdBvkVnpEVf8N_wrwyMbwXh/s320/20110905_2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>A whole bushel of spuds!!!</i> </div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjLV2Tm00mi9sw4GnzrZlR7VvIlgFXfN8R9P7-QWJqXFEumIhFuLw4SQD9i7gUL5pmIQkxp4ZFpWx1FFtnS0TZ5j3el8ksIp18zFYV-TW2-ucpGeU79qV4pMD1TBZZchOdC0eksciTJHDd/s1600/20110905_3.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjLV2Tm00mi9sw4GnzrZlR7VvIlgFXfN8R9P7-QWJqXFEumIhFuLw4SQD9i7gUL5pmIQkxp4ZFpWx1FFtnS0TZ5j3el8ksIp18zFYV-TW2-ucpGeU79qV4pMD1TBZZchOdC0eksciTJHDd/s320/20110905_3.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Just look at the size of this baby! </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> I've never had German butterballs this big.</i> </div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXLPIyjl-2uJ1uo6kAsU59NWXcQ_GOmf0u_EX7Mm0ustxCU3PJIerKBEHKNGBjqVcPF7OxSgq9egZnw6lH6w_9Adi5m1k4aUag0oVs-xmmUp-_twalJJ-dbExA820cobRMuaeOBtksf8iv/s1600/20110905_6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXLPIyjl-2uJ1uo6kAsU59NWXcQ_GOmf0u_EX7Mm0ustxCU3PJIerKBEHKNGBjqVcPF7OxSgq9egZnw6lH6w_9Adi5m1k4aUag0oVs-xmmUp-_twalJJ-dbExA820cobRMuaeOBtksf8iv/s400/20110905_6.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Some grew in some pretty interesting shapes.</i> </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhH4NaR6TC8aZMy4jBSP9pDBNsbJbyyygMjoS4IpL7Ds43lY0wZERxObU0KJlplaosDEzfvGGgPSk-Twwo_58JyZ4MS_zQak-lWVmBpgM5w5otW8RKEwJwZVJAF5mqkZeh_n45SZkjgvkr/s1600/20110905_11.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhH4NaR6TC8aZMy4jBSP9pDBNsbJbyyygMjoS4IpL7Ds43lY0wZERxObU0KJlplaosDEzfvGGgPSk-Twwo_58JyZ4MS_zQak-lWVmBpgM5w5otW8RKEwJwZVJAF5mqkZeh_n45SZkjgvkr/s320/20110905_11.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <i>And just look at these purple vikings!</i></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFVjY3sHLC5cWHY3MeW2sGB0VPv_MQz_RkjtszcavSuF27vzzNk53zeM8D6e0jOZpp2_ML6JT7pp_aTnR61z5Y08HqMXeFCL6QcYIShGvEEOj-sSCQd8edek_Sm1Y0j-DRJXt_RwbO2dxu/s1600/20110905_13.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFVjY3sHLC5cWHY3MeW2sGB0VPv_MQz_RkjtszcavSuF27vzzNk53zeM8D6e0jOZpp2_ML6JT7pp_aTnR61z5Y08HqMXeFCL6QcYIShGvEEOj-sSCQd8edek_Sm1Y0j-DRJXt_RwbO2dxu/s400/20110905_13.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>These have got to be the biggest potatoes I've ever seen!</i> </div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU116YTxgTuq84KXji7QRr_r_pWT2JHs02bvcSCztWA1RIHLQ9IgdoTb3E64TrcEVnVnE5hQeuy1UCRs9Zs1CIcQuZGZHv-ovK6HW0Vj76bH8hzTZmxg9onaEJZFP6bExB4r-zpq5UEDcD/s1600/20110905_31.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU116YTxgTuq84KXji7QRr_r_pWT2JHs02bvcSCztWA1RIHLQ9IgdoTb3E64TrcEVnVnE5hQeuy1UCRs9Zs1CIcQuZGZHv-ovK6HW0Vj76bH8hzTZmxg9onaEJZFP6bExB4r-zpq5UEDcD/s400/20110905_31.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Here we are, finally, all sorted by size or variety.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">All spuds are now on the back porch curing. This should toughen up their skins so they store better. And now that I have an actual root cellar, I'm looking forward to seeing how the do beyond a regular basement.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i> </i></div><div style="text-align: left;">I also dug up one of the sweet potatoes, but although the roots were awfully colorful, there was not a sweet potato to be seen. Some of the roots had swellings that might've eventually become "potatoes," but they were too small to bother with now. Bummer. So, that vine is going to be composted and I will leave the rest in the ground for a few more weeks in hopes that they will mature.</div>Ellen Rathbonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684750034177425795noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-724969642108236555.post-72175093778244511132011-09-06T15:06:00.000-07:002011-09-06T15:06:36.491-07:00Here's Why I Want Chickens and Pigs<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/aMfSGt6rHos" width="560"></iframe><br />
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(Thanks to Jenna at Cold Antler Farm for posting this - I, too, love this ad.)Ellen Rathbonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684750034177425795noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-724969642108236555.post-75251837377242741902011-08-17T06:43:00.000-07:002011-08-17T06:43:07.002-07:00Talkin' ChickensFor several years now I've wanted to keep chickens. The idea of having fresh eggs available right out the back door is very appealing. And with backyard-chicken-keeping being the latest craze, it is easy to get sucked into the whole process.<br />
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So, what is stopping me?<br />
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First, I didn't have a place where I could keep chickens (zoning). Now I live in farm country and have neighbors with chickens. That excuse is no longer valid.<br />
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Then there's the set-up: I don't have a coop. I'd have to purchase or build something. Funds are getting low, and I don't really have carpentry skills. This is not a huge hold up, but something to consider.<br />
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I've worked at places where we raised chickens. They aren't all fluffy, friendly, funny little birds. Some are aggressive, some are henpecked. There are diseases, parasites, and predators.<br />
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Would I raise 'em just for eggs, or would I also do meat birds? Would I have the guts to slaughter 'em myself (I've been involved with chicken processing, but never had to wield the axe), or would I pay to have someone else do it? Then there's the winter care of the birds.<br />
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When one really puts one's mind to it, one begins to have doubts. Still, I really do like the idea of providing my own eggs and meat. It's one less thing I need to purchase from someone else, and I'd know how the animals are raised and cared for.<br />
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"They" say that chickens are the easiest of the livestock animals to raise. Maybe I could just start out with some meat birds...they only hang around for a few months before it's time to do 'em in. Less of a commitment. Something to think about.<br />
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Ellen Rathbonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684750034177425795noreply@blogger.com3