Big Changes Underfoot!!

Long time not blogging here on this particular page. The website has not gotten its fair share of updates either. This past season has been keeping me tied to the fields and animals. I hope to update frequently during the coming months. Weather patterns are changing. I don't care what climate change debaters say. I see it in the field; scorching heat waves in May and two months of drought followed by up and down temps, then a killing frost on October 13th followed by almost 80 degree days!

The farm is undergoing exciting and important changes! We are expanding here at home and no longer farming away. This consolidation should increase productivity, efficiency, and product offerings. Fiber and yarn will continue with our exquisite mohair offerings. Organic pastured eggs are also sharing the spotlight. Ahhh, looking forward to good stuff.

Merviglia Venezia Italian pole bean. Beautiful to gaze upon and
even better to eat. Meaty yet tender and so flavorful.

Cucuzza (pronounced googootza) is an Italian squash but so much more and the vines are crazy long....25-35 feet!! The fruit can grow over 6'. Botanically it is considered a gourd, but used like zucchini. The texture is wonderfulnot at all watery, more velvety and dense. This means it holds up in slow cooking or on the grill.

Yellow Crookneck summer squash
These were so perfect no matter how I prepared them!

 

What Happened??

My poor gander is all alone now. His mate was brutally killed by a predator, as were all my poultry. A coon is the prime suspect. Fox is a suspect in the killing of a Bronze hen turkey, found across the road in my neighbors lane with her head off. Fifteen ducks, thirty-three chickens, the hen turkey and the goose, a hard economic loss for an operation my size. There is now an electric top and bottom wire on our perimeter fence. I can only hope............

A bright spot to help recover our poultry losses turned out to be Angora goats. These curious creatures are 4 months old and covered in lusterous curls. Goats have odd looking pupils, horizontal bars instead of the round type found in humans, cows, and dogs. In October the fleece is shorn to be spun into luxurious Mohair. Kid mohair, has an extremely fine micron count.

This is the doe, Beauty. Her face is serious, not sugary cute. She carries a colored gene. Colored angoras come in shades of silver, black, cocoaKnown as Red and spotted. Her sire has magnificent fleece, so I have high hopes for her fiber.

These two seem to be having a convo on their new surroundings. "Well what do you think of this place"? Haha

One of the wethers, Miridian. He is very bossy!

Red Gold potatoes, a superb golden flesh that needs no butter.

Northwest side of garden. Finallly after all these years of no water we have access to a hydrant 300' away!

Beaver Dam hot pepper, excellent for stuffing with cheese or meat.

Jaunne Flame and Arbason tomatoes. I have never grown hybrid tomatoes, but this year decided to try Arbason, an organic seed. WAY expensive and way tasty too, I might have to grow this one again.

Belstar Broccoli has set heads despite terrible weather conditions.

Beatrice eggplant, a real beauty that has set lovely fruit this season.

Wooly weeds in the smaller plot. Ah well there is always next year to have the perfect garden.

April Turned Into July

Yup, it has been awhile! A one woman show has limitations, sad but true, all of it I can not do. That said, I try like crazy anyway. Sooooo, after a record breaking Wet Spring we did manage to get stuff in the ground, and later to market.

The sugar peas surprised me at their longevity and superb quality, note to self: grow more. Pea tendrils are elevating sandwiches, omelets, salads, and whatever is in the fridge. Of course garlic scapes make fast friends at the market table. These ephemeral delights cause some unusual gushing, ooohing and aahhing over their flavor. Lettuce, radishes, beet greens, and carrots all made an appearance.

Failures occured. The first planting of beans were so stunted I pulled them out. Two plantings of spinach were lost, first to leafminers, second to bolting during 2 weeks of mid 90 temps. YUK! Two plantings of carrots were lost to dry weather, I mean bone dry down 6".

The weather is always a priority topic. After waaaaaay to much rain we had burning waves of heat for 2 weeks, complete with suffocating humidity. And NO RAIN!! For several weeks. Nice start to the growing season.

Thank you to all the CSA members who signed up this year-your support is crucial for our little farm. I have the privilege of working with two young women who aspire to farm on their own. Emily who is returning from last season, and Clara; two bright lights of intense quality. They help with weeding, planting, seeding, and just about any task that needs to be done.

I have much to be thankful for, indeed I am.

Where Is Spring????????

I don't know. It slips around here like a cat. Now you see her out of the corner of your eye, turn your back and no sign exists of her former presence. Bullied by freezing rain, soggy soil and COLD, I seed inside. There is only more grey. For one fleeting day the sun appeared along with 78 degrees. Then it was gone.

Mud Sale

They don't call them mud sales for nothing! I promptly got stuck the minute I drove onto the field to park.
All sorts of stuff gets auctioned off. From broom bottoms with no handle to combines.
This little FARMALL A sure got lots of attention. It's perfect for produce with its belly cultivators. I have a great appreciation for these tractors. Not really interested in owning one, I aim to walk behind Halflingers.
OLD OLD OLD!!!
One thing about mud sales.......................tables are full of homemade donuts, pies and other baked delights. It was very cold so 2 kinds of homemade soup were offered. The Ham 'n Bean
was perfection.
Now here is something I seriously coveted. The makings of an Eggmobile right in front of me!!
They say there is a lid for every pot, and judging from the bidding I'd say that is true.
A collection of scales. Ronald said when he was growing up they would weigh hay bales on them and sometimes themselves.
Yes, seeding is underway while the wind howls outside. These flats are destined for the unheated high tunnel. Thick mud is preventing access to our plot, as an E-150 van is worthless in the stuff. We are working hard to stay on schedule, insuring a successful harvest for CSA deliveries. Check our website for CSA details and brochure.

The most recent storm had strong winds and plenty of ice, which brought this tree down on the barn roof. The ridgeline is still intact due to the way it fell, feeling thankful.
We have two hens that lay enormous eggs. The one on the left is 3" x 2"
Here is a preview of what is coming to the farm!! Too cute Angora fiber goats. I have not decided if I will take a doe and her kids or wait until the flock is weaned and then choose. The fleece is called mohair and is pure luxury.
This little sweetheart has been a regular visitor during the months of December and January. She is becoming less shy and playing with our 2 mousers.
Over the last few weeks I have been sorting through boxes of recipes I collected since 1973. One box was very special, having been my grandmother's. Among her recipes were a collection of my great grandmother's clippings and composition book filled with handwritten favorites. Her handwriting was exquisite, especially considering the ink pen she had to use. Penmanship was truly an art back in 1800's. Click on the photo to see better the recipe for cold water soap.
Many little treasures were tucked in among those antique recipes. It was quite common for companies to print up recipe booklets aimed directly at housewives, to showcase their products. Everything from shortening, baking powder, evaporated milk, Velveeta, oil and other staples.
General Electric published a handsome booklet of substantial size for the purpose of convincing the "modern" housewife that she must go electric and get rid of her old fashioned gas range or cookstove.

All this filing of memorabilia made me crave homemade bread.
Dough was slathered with butter, brown sugar, raisins, walnuts and cinnamon. Then I rolled it and cut slices for buns.
One of the best all around hand tools is the bench scraper. It does "101" jobs.
Dough after 2nd rising, ready to divide.

Back In The Saddle!

SNOW and more snow. January has been defined by the stuff. The ducks, geese, turkeys and chickens have been surviving storms with temps in single digits. I keep thinking I will find frozen poultry in the morning. They have a shelter, but I see them hanging around outside most daylight hours.
Ugh, the huge bags of Fertrell organic potting soil was frozen solid under a foot of snow. So unthinking of me to have forgotten to bring it inside before the weather turned. Aaron shoveled it out and dragged it into the house. Thankfully it thawed and we can seed onions and flowers.
Here is another snow lover! Max is like a child, just does not want to come in, even after hours of lounging belly down on the frigid piles. He makes me cold looking at him. Finally, after I can't stand it anymore, I muscle him indoors.
This poor Black Crested duck was found stuck in the ice and snow. Somehow it got wedged between the pen and barn wall. I don't know how long he was caught but he had signs of struggling fiercely to free himself. His bill and wing feathers were rubbed raw and bleeding. I didn't know if he would make it. After 4 days of ICU in the laundry he rejoined his flock.
The original water is in service as I can not keep the lines to their automatic water thawed. There is no electric to the barn or coop. Anyone know of a solar livestock tank heater?
View off the front deck. No matter the time of year, Lancaster county is beautiful.
Ducks and geese in their new fenced area.
Back view.

All sunrises are special. This is the view from the kitchen sink. In only a few moments I can literally watch it rise over the woods in the neighbors field.


We are ready for another season of growing produce. How quickly the weeks pass. May we grow for you? If you are interested check out our website for the 2011 CSA shares.