Lynn is getting about 10-15 eggs a day now from her hens and we will soon put up a sign and start selling eggs. Right now they are still small to medium in size with just a few large size starting up and we have been giving them away to family members and friends just to get rid of them all.
Our garden has done poorly again this year so all we have canned has been purchased from the local Amish farmers. To help build the soil we have just purchased 6 bunnies,
hoping that their droppings will accumulate enough over winter to help boost our poor garden soil next year. That and of course our chicken manure and bedding in the compost pile, hopefully will be enough. We are trying to stay away from chemical fertilizers.
This year I had tried 2 new crops, one failed miserably and the other was a failed success. I was trying to grow buckwheat for my brother-in-law and sister-in-law, both who suffer from celiac disease. I planted a large patch out by our old orchard and it grew, however, the deer kept it well mowed down so I have nothing to harvest. But I am hoping to be able to harvest one of the mowers during deer season. Since our apple crop was destroyed by our late frosts this spring, my buckwheat patch is all I have to attract them. The crop that failed completely, surprisingly, was dandelions. The ones that grow in our yard do not produce large enough leaves to harvest before they flower and become bitter. I purchased seed of a large broad leaf variety for eating purpose and not a one grew out of 250 seeds! The ones that grow in our lawn did very well though. Just goes to show you that the ones you plant are NOT weeds!
I can't believe that summer is all but gone already. And I have gotten so little done of what I had wanted to accomplish. Now I will have to get busy preparing for winter.
Here is a photo of the sunset after our last rainfall, but the photo doesn't do it justice.
Well I guess it's bedtime already, we just finished cleaning up after canning our last bushel of tomatoes and are now done canning for the year! Whew!
2 comments:
OK, you are probably the first person living outside of New Mexico, it seems, that has had failed crops and no crops of apples this year.
We had a late frost and several hail storms in May and June.
None of our apple trees, peach trees or apricot trees produced one lick of fruit. Wah!
It absolutely kills me seeing so many blogs stuffed full with gorgeous photos of their beautiful produce.
I'm surprised that you had trouble growing dandelions, though. I thought they grew like, well, weeds! hehe
Here's to better luck....and weather, next year, eh?
:)
~Lisa
Twinville; yes I was amazed at that failure too. But as you say better luck next year. I think that I will forgo the dandelions and try a few other new crops instead. I forgot to mention that I also grew lentils this year but the chickens got them too. I want to try Mung Beans next year to make my own bean sprouts with.
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