Yesterday was the three year anniversary of this blog. I started soon after we signed the sales agreement on our new property and wanted to chronicle our life here as we began our little farm.
In three years I have published 278 posts. Considering that I have never been able to keep a journal for more than a month I think that's pretty good. It helps to have children away at college or living far away. And other relatives across the country can keep up with what is going on here too. My husband also likes to show friends at work what projects he is working on.
Hopefully we have at least three more years of blogging to go!
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Austrian Winter Peas
I spent some time on the internet trying to figure out when exactly would be the best time to cut down my Austrian Winter Peas. I read in a few places that the most nitrogen fixation occurs at full bloom. A few flowers have just begun to open so I will wait it out a little bit longer.
I found a great post about a "cocktail" mix cover crop of rye, Austrian Winter Peas, oats and Crimson Clover, vetch and lupines. The colors of everything blooming are just wonderful. Now that I know that the rye and peas bloom about the same time and the clover is still going strong with its bloom I definitely need to do some combo cover cropping.
Monday, May 18, 2015
Grafted Tomatoes
We have a great Mennonite nursery nearby that specializes in pepper and tomato plants. They have 200 varieties of hot pepper plants, some that they have developed; and over 100 varieties of tomato plants. They also grow and sell vegetables and we got the first strawberries of the season on Friday from them.
The past year or two they have sold grafted tomato plants. This year I decided to try two of the grafted Cherokee Purple, my favorite variety. Grafting is supposed to increase resistance to late blight which has really cut into my tomato harvest for the last few years. If grafting does in fact decrease late blight I may need to learn how to graft!
The grafted plants were beautiful. Nice and bushy with strong stems. I just wonder how the size of the plant will compare to an ungrafted Cherokee Purple tomato. My plants usually grow about six feet tall. We'll find out in a few months! Has anyone ever grown grafted tomatoes?
The past year or two they have sold grafted tomato plants. This year I decided to try two of the grafted Cherokee Purple, my favorite variety. Grafting is supposed to increase resistance to late blight which has really cut into my tomato harvest for the last few years. If grafting does in fact decrease late blight I may need to learn how to graft!
Sunday, May 17, 2015
Moving the Ram Lambs to New Pasture
We spent a part of the past few days getting things ready and then moving the ram lambs. We moved the calf hutch to the pasture on the other side of the stream. Good thing we have the crane attachment for the tractor.
Then we strung up temporary fencing.
Yesterday afternoon Maddy and I were able to coax everyone mostly everyone over the bridge and into their new pasture. Ram 004 made it on to the bridge then decided he would rather stay in the old barn. Alan ended up picking him up and carrying him to the new pasture.
Once everyone was in the new pasture they took to eating right away. After a while they went into the calf hutch and saw they had feed and water and hay in there. Of course, we had our first rain in over 3 weeks that evening and they stood outside and got completely soaked. Good thing, though, as they are very dirty.
They seem to have bonded into their own little flock and all the head butting and posturing has stopped. And everyone tested the fence, some a few times, and we had no escapees over night. So far it has been a successful move!
Once everyone was in the new pasture they took to eating right away. After a while they went into the calf hutch and saw they had feed and water and hay in there. Of course, we had our first rain in over 3 weeks that evening and they stood outside and got completely soaked. Good thing, though, as they are very dirty.
They seem to have bonded into their own little flock and all the head butting and posturing has stopped. And everyone tested the fence, some a few times, and we had no escapees over night. So far it has been a successful move!
Saturday, May 16, 2015
The Finished Bridge
Alan was able to take a day off this past week and finish the carpentry on the bridge. Then we bought a gate and hung that, and found the old planter we had floating around. Today I planted petunias and alyssum in the planter and we can now call the bridge finished!
It's very sturdy and hopefully will outlast us. We even were able to coax the ram lambs across it this evening, with the help of a scoopful of feed. The bridge is actually a very pleasant place to listen to the birds and the stream in the shade.
Friday, May 15, 2015
Weaning the Rest
Last night we put the younger rams, 0004 and 0006, in with rams 0001 and 0002. Well, that didn't go well at all. The older rams, who really aren't much bigger, gave the younger rams no peace at all. The pounding was made all the more pitiful with the younger rams' crying for their flock. I knew I could never sleep worrying about them so we let the younger rams back in with the flock.
This afternoon I decided to give it another try. But first I closed the older rams up in their outer pen. Then I decided to also put Clara and the two younger rams into the older rams indoor pen. I figured maybe the greater numbers would help with the scuffling. After the three younger lambs had been in the indoor pen for a while I let the older rams into the indoor pen and closed the door to the outside pen. I read that it is better to have rams get used to each other in a more confined space so they don't have as much force behind their battering.
Well, there was a good bit of posturing and head butting. But everything went so much better than last night. Here we are winding up:
Contact!
And after a good sniff of everyone's privates:
After nearly three hours the noise has finally died down. You would have thought we were torturing them before. I guess, in a way, we were!
This afternoon I decided to give it another try. But first I closed the older rams up in their outer pen. Then I decided to also put Clara and the two younger rams into the older rams indoor pen. I figured maybe the greater numbers would help with the scuffling. After the three younger lambs had been in the indoor pen for a while I let the older rams into the indoor pen and closed the door to the outside pen. I read that it is better to have rams get used to each other in a more confined space so they don't have as much force behind their battering.
Well, there was a good bit of posturing and head butting. But everything went so much better than last night. Here we are winding up:
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
Mid Spring Cover Crop Update
The cover crops have taken off! The winter/cereal rye is just about ready to cut.
The best time to cut is when they are shedding pollen. The rye is starting to make its flower so it should be shedding pollen soon.
Once the rye is shedding pollen it gets cut, then the roots sit for 2 weeks. I am going to try transplanting right into the decomposing roots as in Cindy Connor's book "Grow a Sustainable Diet".
I am very interested in the results and will post them here.
The crimson clover that made it through the winter is beginning to bloom as well.
According to SARE, crimson clover flowers are great food for many beneficial insects and do well interplanted with winter rye. I definitely need to think about some cover crop mixes next.
My poor maligned Austrian Winter Peas have really come on strong with the heat. And don't seem to be minding the lack of rainfall. I take back just about every negative thing I said about them before.
All in all I can safely say I am happy with the cover crops I have grown so far. I have a big bag of buckwheat seeds waiting for cover cropping and I will definitely be using fall oats and radishes in my garden this year.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
I am very interested in the results and will post them here.
The crimson clover that made it through the winter is beginning to bloom as well.
My poor maligned Austrian Winter Peas have really come on strong with the heat. And don't seem to be minding the lack of rainfall. I take back just about every negative thing I said about them before.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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