Well today is Easter and the first day I have had away from my "outside" job in a while. I figure this morning will make a lovely time to catch up on my blog before hitting the ground running and getting some outside work done today while I'm home.
I have finally gotten all the raised beds built for this year. I'm starting with just 3 large ones and one smaller one for this year. I'll see how I like them and maybe add more next year. I have yet to fill them, but at least they are ready for it.
Manure has been added to the garden soil; just need the time to get it tilled in with my new tiller that my wonderful husband bought for me. I did one tilling already just to break up the soil before putting in the raised beds - nice tiller for sure.
The potatoes are the only thing I have planted so far. I doubled my raised potato planters from 3 to 6 and planted .....potatoes this year. These planters worked really well last year and were very cheap to make as I had the burlap on hand and a bit of extra fencing. Composted and semi-composted manure works awesome as a filler/growing medium in these planters.
I did end up adding 4 assorted blueberry bushes to the homestead. They were planted on the south side of the house and are going to be used as a foundation cover. We have about a 2 to 2-1/2 foot Styrofoam basement foundation. It was lemon yellow when we purchased the house but we painted it brown for aesthetic purposes, but paint doesn’t adhere well to Styrofoam and the chickens seem to like to EAT it. Anyhow with our small acreage anything that can do double duty is a plus.
All the indoor seeds have been planted. The tomatoes have had their first transplant into Styrofoam cups. After starting the seeds in the little peat pellets I transplant them into cups when they are bout 4-5 inches tall. When transplanting them I plant them deeply into the cup so that their root system becomes bigger – tomatoes will grow roots from their stem if covered in soil. Then I bury them just a bit deeper when transplanting them into the soil outdoors for an even better root system. This seemed to work excellently for me last year, for even with minimal care and watering we ended up with a decent crop of tomatoes!!
I’m trying something new with my corn this year. I’m starting my plants indoors. Perhaps if I have a nice crop I will be able to save some of my own seed this year. I am within a few hundred feet of a “charming” field of GMO corn. (**BLECH**) If I can get my corn started and pollinated before that corn is ready to pollinate perhaps I have a chance of getting decent corn for saving. You know, I’ve seen people actually BUY started corn seedlings for a ridiculous price. Come on – two seedlings for $1.50? I can buy two whole ears of corn for less than that!! I’ll let you know how this endeavor works out for me.
Sadly I have to say I don’t see much action coming from my red raspberries that were planted last year. Out of about 25 plants that were given to me from a friend, I can find only three so far. My purchased berries seem to have fared only marginally better as I see about 45-50% of them returning this year. I think the chickens are primarily to blame for this lack of success.
Speaking of the chickens and their love of new shoots and scratching….I think I got my herb and asparagus garden fenced in time to save any major damage this spring. The cheap fencing I tried to use last year, just didn’t keep the chickens out towards the end of the season and I’m sure I lost my Bloody Sorrel and a few strawberry plants. My Egyptian Walking onions, peppermint and spearmint are coming up wonderfully so far this year. We did build a chicken pen last year to contain the chickens from time to time. It just isn’t big enough for a full time pen, besides ever since I have owned chickens I’ve been a firm believer in free range. I guess I’ll just keep fencing in all the important plants. Luckily Bailey and Buddy keep the chickens away from most things near the house.
Icee and Reign were introduced to chickens yesterday. I’m afraid this may be a long road to success. Reign listens infinitely better than Icee when I holler NO. Maybe Icee is just a bit too much puppy yet to be able to resist a running chicken. However she doesn’t try and catch it and maul it or anything. I used my favorite and tamest hen to work with the dogs. She lays down when I go after her, so once she went down the dogs just sniffed her. I tried a rooster for the dogs to check out, but he flies too well and bailed quickly over the fence!! There used to be a small chicken hole for the chickens to freely come and go from the goat pen, but I had to close that up to keep Icee from using it when be brought her home! I have to say, the pen is much cleaner when the chickens are allowed to freely roam within it.
Waiting for breakfast, such patience.
The soon to be "New Kid" on the block.
The Cornish Rocks are quite large already, looking mighty plump and juicy looking if you ask me. I haven’t been able to figure out a place to allow them out to roam as they are still young and the other adult chickens like to pick on them. Next year I think a chicken tractor for the Cornish will be a good idea. The little “red chickens” I bought this year are feathering nicely and I’m debating on when to mix them with the other girls. They are either Isa Browns or New Hampshire Reds – I really don’t remember. I suppose I didn’t really need 10 more pullets as I already seem to have more eggs than I need. But on the flip side of that, if we find ourselves able to go forward with the CSA in 2013 we will be all set on the eggs.
I really need to get my money invested in a new dehydrator (the last one finally died) so I can start working on dehydrating some eggs. Besides I have enjoyed my dehydrated mushrooms, tomatoes and herbs from last year and look forward to doing even more of my garden harvest in a dried form this year.
Babies are coming soon!! Lily is due in 7 days, Penny in 10 and Snapdragon in 16. One of Lilies doelings already has a deposit on it. If she has only bucklings, those are also spoken for – one in our freezer and an acquaintance has requested one for their freezer. I am seriously hoping for a nicely colored (spotted would be GREAT) doeling out of Snapdragon or Penny. I really would like to keep one here on the farm. I plan to keep at least two nicely put together doelings from this crop, Penny is my favorite so I’m hoping she kids out at least two really nice ones. I keep saying I want one of Lilies doelings for a second milk goat, but when I get the cow she will be obsolete so I will most likely just offer any additional doelings she has up for sale. I’ll give the girls a few more days and then will be separating Penny and Lily into their kidding pens.
Penny actually looks like the babies are already starting to move into position!!
It's always hard to get a good shot of an overly friendly goat, but here is Snapdragon and she is MUCH wider in person.
I am hoping that Lily gives us at least twins again this year. She holds her babies well hidden and I would have never guessed she's have two good sized babies last year. She looks about the same as last year so probably not the triplets I was dreaming of.
Abra the pig is also due sometime this month but that is just guessing. She looks quite large but I haven’t notice any ‘nesting” going on yet. I have decided to leave the boar and sow together. We have two nesting areas available and I have noticed that they will sleep apart. One area is set up better for piglets (slats available for little ones to move away from mom and not get rolled on). This is my first experience having a farrowing pig, and I’m sure I’m going to make mistakes, but I’m hoping that this isn’t one of them. Our summer pen for the pigs should be large enough to give everybody their separate space. We’ll keep updating on the piglet status as we go. 
If anybody tells you that AHH won't root - just smile and nod becuase YOU know better.....
I have found out something interesting. The less time I have to do things, the more I get done. I think last summer I just kept saying things like – I’ll do it tomorrow. I’ll do it later. I’ve got all week to get it done. Well when it came to taking the horses out and riding, I hardly rode at all last year. This year already I’ve been out almost as much as I went out the entire year last year! I come up with a chance to ride and now I say – Grab it and go!!
Well, the cinnamon rolls are done and I’m ready for breakfast. Then I’m off to enjoy the day, perhaps I’ll finish my rototilling then head out for a nice ride.
I hope you all enjoy your Easter!!
Until next time……..
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