We are paying attention to the soils and the way different areas handle rain or dry. There is a surprising amount of variation on this farm. The chicks are turning into teenagers and the hens are cutting them loose! Well except one hen who now seems to care for all of them!
Auntie Turkey still watches out for her 6 chicks and if you see her you can be sure the chicks are close by.
Some of our experimental plants are turning out to be most interesting. The Litchi Tomato for one. The literature said it had thorns....its like the hawthorn of the tomato world!
They are stocky, sturdy plants and are supposed to reach 5 feet in height, they are setting lots of tomatoes, no ripe ones yet. They are supposed to be like a cross between cherries and tomatoes.
I have been processing apples, the Three Stooges, Blackback, Spike and Trainwreck are a big help! They took shelter with me during a heavy rain and it was like farmers at the feed store, they did discuss the weather!
Our crazy corn selection is doing well despite the wind blowing it around. One day it leans south, the next north, it is quite straight between storms and some is well over 6 feet tall. The Country Gentleman and the Oaxacan Green have two and the odd one three, cobs per stalk.
The herb garden is a joy, I have to say it is such a convenience to go out and get fresh herbs to cook with, that is when I can get into the garden without sinking in the mud! One of the turkey hens was up to her dainty little ankle's in it the other day and made us laugh when she came out with mud up her legs then she looked at her feet!
July 2nd, Herb Garden.
The basil's are tasty additions, so far I find the best and least bolting to be the Lettuce Leaf basil, the Sweet Genovese and the Spicy Bush. I love the Sweet Genovese but the Lettuce Leaf comes in a close second. The Thai Basil, Lime and Cinnamon basil's went to seed so fast in the heat it was frustrating.
July 6th, Herb Garden.
Of course it wouldn't be right to have a post without chick pics! They are dong so well and are out and about the second we open the door in the morning. They forage for bugs and are not a bit shy about being around us, not as tame as the originals that were hatchery chicks but quite friendly but more independent. The hens raised them that way and they never spent any time penned, not one pecking incident or pasty butt! It is an enjoyable way to watch chicks. Now we can tell the crosses.
The Buff X Australorpes are quite lovely and have more of the Buff disposition. The Buckeye X Australorpes are quite the individualists and are an interesting color, mostly black with very deep mahogany tints if the sun is right. They have Black combs. They are also very hard to get photos of!
A Buff X Australorp pullet.
The Buff hen who baby sits the chicks. This is the every day ritual preen on the steps of the deck, it is like they wear watches because it is within minutes of 8:40 each morning!
Now I have to get the Apple Butter canned and another batch of apples in the dehydrator. Apple pie filling is on the too do list and I think we will have an apple salad for lunch!
The rain is coming in again so we are catching up on house work and shop projects but the gardens are going to be jungles if it doesn't ease up soon. It is the most frustrating thing, some people are struggling with too dry and we have water to share. The way growing things has been for eternity!
God Bless you all and stay safe!
We had a long dry June but July has been stormy and wet. Go figure!
ReplyDeleteWe are learning it can go from dry as a bone to monsoon mud in 3.2 seconds!
DeleteYou two have accomplished wonders since moving to your new property. It's amazing to look back over all you've done.
ReplyDeleteIt must be very satisfying to look out over your land and see everything just the way you wanted it. I know it has been for me up here in the mountains.
Just as an aside, I don't think I would want to weed the part of the garden that had the tomatoes from hell in it. Those are some thorns.
We are gaining. It helped a lot that the property had been a working farm for a long time, I found the original owner and phoned her (her husband died in 2005, she sold the 150 acres in 2006). They raised cattle, hay and tobacco. She gardened, she asked about the blackberry trellis in and grapes. The land was timber and not much else when they bought it. She is 82.
DeleteAs to the thorny tomatoes, I think they would be a great security fence! Ralph thinks he will wear his leather jacket and welding gloves to pick them!
Fiona - your garden looks fabulous regardless of dry/rain/dry and then lots more rain. the chicks are pretty cute too! fresh herbs are the most awesome thing - so many vitamins and nutrients in such small leaves. i try and grow herbs all year round in order to enjoy them fresh. your corn looks great for this time of year....we tried growing corn one year but it is waaay too windy here and our growing season just makes the cut. it is on our plans for next year...we will fence a small section and try to grow corn.
ReplyDeleteit sounds like you both are really enjoying your land and all it provides - it's a lovely feeling eh?
sending much love to you both! your friend,
kymber
I sent you an email with a corn that might suit your area. I never ha much luck with corn on my old farm...too windy and a short season. I am excited about this corn....especially my pick, the Oaxaca Green!
DeleteWhat a rain storm! I loved seeing the turkeys taking shelter with you, and the rooster too. I've never heard of thorny tomatoes. Love your farm!!
ReplyDeleteI love to share our farm, the turkey's thought the rooster was an idiot heading out into oncoming rain, the three of them lay down about 5 minutes after I took the video, they like apple seeds.
DeleteThat's the wildest tomato I've ever seen! Everything looks great!
ReplyDeleteNot as tidy and organized as your lovely farm!
DeleteWe are amazed at the thorns...we didn't think they would be that long or as many and everywhere....the Chickens don't go near the row of them! I sure hope they taste good....
OUCH! Thorny tomatoes! They better taste really, really good.
ReplyDeleteFunny turkeys. Aren't they wonderful? We love our turkeys.
The garden looks wonderful and that was some rainstorm! Wow!
We had another one just like it today. The ducks are loving being able to swim in the driveway!
ReplyDeleteAs to our turkeys...they are like slightly disobedient dogs. They are NOT stupid at all.
It's still too dry here, I'm struggling to keep the Doyle blackberries watered enough so that the berries don't dry into little rocks, right on the vine. They will do that. This variety ripens so much later than the natives, but in a good year, they are so productive and the fruit is so big and juicy, that I'm torn as to whether to grow it.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this post, love reading about all the interesting things you and Ralph are doing. I never heard of tomato plants with thorns. Let us know what the tomatoes look like and how they taste, OK? Hugs xoxoxox
Are the Doyle the thornless blackberries?
DeleteThe Amish tore out all the trellised Blackberries Mrs. Glass had established and the grapes too.
We are going to report on the thorny tomatoes the minute we get one!
Everything looks so lush and green! We have not had measureable rain for weeks and weeks, as all the storms went north or south of us. Isn't it fun to have 'helpers' on the porch? I can just imagine the conversation. It IS amazing how fast you and Ralph got that place producing. Just goes to show you that good planning pays off!
ReplyDeleteI have been cowardly and not posted the things that have not gone well...like the Johnson grass overwhelming the potatoes so we cannot find them...it was too wet to weed and man that grass grows. Then there is the arrival of the last shipment of sweet potato slips when we just had 3 inches of rain and simply cannot get into the garden to plant them.
DeleteI will say though we knew what we had to do and wanted to do and set to it with a will. You know how it goes, at least plans give you a framework. I wish we could send rain your way!
Oh we also have friends visiting from Canada today....our first overnight guests and I had no idea how much that takes out of your schedule even though it will be wonderful!
The view from ‘Your Farm’ is always interesting. Sorry I’ve not been around much lately. I remember when you were still looking for a place and look at you now! Experimenting, raising poultry and crops and canning the goods!
ReplyDeleteWell done!
I am so glad you stopped by. Do not apologize for not being around, you have much on your plate! Finally having the farm is just so wonderful and we love sharing it as we can. Do take care.
DeleteWe we getting a little worried when the pastures started drying up, but thankfully the rain came.
ReplyDeleteLovely gardens :)
Dry pasture is a scary thing, the land here needs a lot of rain and it gets rock hard and brown quickly but it also recovers amazingly fast. We hope you weather treats you properly for the rest of the year:)
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