Animals
- Lots Of Dogs, Lots Of Spuds!
No, we still have the same crew of dogs.But for the rest of this week, our dogs have guests. Their uncle and aunt have come to stay at the farm this week.Actually, Hubbs' parents are here for a farm visit with their two labs, (Uncle) Ferdinand ...
- The End Of Summer
Today is the last day of summer. Just when things were starting to get really beautiful in the garden... The vines are full and blossoming... something for which I have waited the entire summer. And with one frosty nightit will all begone. Until next...
- Autumn Harvest
Sadly, the summer gardening season is coming to a close...quickly!We are having nights in the 40's now.Frost is just around the corner. Our hay is cut and drying. If only the weather would cooperate.(It is to rain for the next few days.)Hopefully...
-
Outdoor work is difficult these days.The heat is oppressive, the humidity high.I spend my early mornings getting the animal chores done.My evenings are spent in the garden.By seven, the sun is behind the woods and the garden is in shade. Watering and...
- Autumn Gardening
Amazingly, it is mid October and soon the end of this year's gardening season.You wouldn't guess that, though, if you looked at my garden.So much of it is still going strong. The garden fences are totally covered in flowering vines and gourds...just...
Animals
Spuds
Last year's garden boxes yielded an impressive harvest of sweet potatoes.
Considered a "super food", this yummy root packed with beta carotene
is one of my family's favorites.
This is just a small sampling of our yield.
Planting our garden above ground in boxes gave us the best
harvest we have ever had.
I planted sweet potatoes in each box...
between the other vegetables.
While the other veggies were flourishing above ground,
the sweet potatoes were growing big and nutritious below.
A large harvest left me with the problem of how to preserve these
nutritious spuds.
Because we don't have a root cellar, per se,
I had to come up with another idea.
Follow me downstairs to our basement...
When we built our home,
we kept a small room in one corner to use as excess
pantry storage.
We left the heat ducts out of this room, so that it would
maintain a constant temperature in the 50's.
It is here that we have our freezers,
and our home-canned goods, along with other
grocery items.
Our frozen and preserved vegetables have gotten us through the winter.
The sweet potatoes I washed, dried and packed in plastic totes
filled with clean fresh pine bedding.
I placed each layer of potatoes in the bin
so that they would not touch each other.
Then I covered them with more bedding
so that none were exposed to the air.
We have eaten them all winter long.
5 months after I dug them up
they still look as good as the day they were harvested...
free from decay; and no eyes have formed.
This idea has been a winner for us.
I plan to do the same this summer.
Oh, and how excited I am for gardening season,
aren't you?
- Lots Of Dogs, Lots Of Spuds!
No, we still have the same crew of dogs.But for the rest of this week, our dogs have guests. Their uncle and aunt have come to stay at the farm this week.Actually, Hubbs' parents are here for a farm visit with their two labs, (Uncle) Ferdinand ...
- The End Of Summer
Today is the last day of summer. Just when things were starting to get really beautiful in the garden... The vines are full and blossoming... something for which I have waited the entire summer. And with one frosty nightit will all begone. Until next...
- Autumn Harvest
Sadly, the summer gardening season is coming to a close...quickly!We are having nights in the 40's now.Frost is just around the corner. Our hay is cut and drying. If only the weather would cooperate.(It is to rain for the next few days.)Hopefully...
-
Outdoor work is difficult these days.The heat is oppressive, the humidity high.I spend my early mornings getting the animal chores done.My evenings are spent in the garden.By seven, the sun is behind the woods and the garden is in shade. Watering and...
- Autumn Gardening
Amazingly, it is mid October and soon the end of this year's gardening season.You wouldn't guess that, though, if you looked at my garden.So much of it is still going strong. The garden fences are totally covered in flowering vines and gourds...just...