End of September Update

     We've had a stretch of very pleasant fall weather which has eased the workload on both me and the chickens.  As you can see the chickens have been cleaning up the south garden while I've been working on the rest.

Tomato Patch Update

     I've tilled up all of the East Garden except the area under the low tunnel.  The wind blew the cover loose, and as we're not expecting more frost for at least a week, I removed the cover completely.  By the time frost comes again, we'll have all the tomatoes we care to save on the porch or in the garden shed.  We've canned 12 quarts and 7 pints as of now, and have enough for another canning session tomorrow.

     In the lower right hand corner of the photo you can see where I weeded the strawberry bed.  Never had much luck with this patch, but I'm going to douse it with some well rotted manure, mulch it and hope for better things next summer.

Central Garden Update

     We've harvested and tilled the Central Garden except for the kale which we're still using, and of course the perennial chives and asparagus.  The beets that we didn't already eat became 5 pints of beet pickles, a must for every holiday dinner.  The Yukon Gold and red potatoes didn't do so well, but we do have 30 or 40 pounds of Kennebec to take us into winter.  I haven't completed digging the carrots in front of the greenhouse yet, but judging from the one row I have dug, we should get a total of 25 to 30 pounds for winter storage.  On the other hand the pumpkins, squash and sunflowers all made a poor showing.

     The trailer in the photo is filled with the two cubic yards of well rotted manure that I bought on Saturday, yet to be unloaded and spread to supplement the poultry manure produced here on the farm.

Guinea-Peafowl House

Closed for cold weather

     My thanks go to my two grandsons, Alex and Aaron, who were here today and helped me hang the sliding wall on the guinea and peafowl house.  I still have some adjustments to make, but the other building repairs and painting will have to wait until next year.

Open for pleasant weather

Dream a Little Dream

New North Garden?

     I saw an ad this morning for a Case tractor at a reasonable price.  The tractor was almost as old as me, but serviceable.  I know it could pull a two bottom plow, a small disc and a harrow.

     I then went out to look at our land north of the existing garden.  hmmmm.............  Well, maybe not this year.