tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72112310999144832692024-03-12T21:26:09.793-04:00A View from the Green BarnDonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16831577769797947426noreply@blogger.comBlogger82125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7211231099914483269.post-76436641908839048492010-04-10T19:36:00.007-04:002010-04-11T05:55:14.213-04:00Ten Dollar Bathroom SinkTen Dollars can go a long way. My daughter Lesley and I were "barn <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">saling</span>" and we stumbled on a great sale where someone had literally cleaned out an old barn and wanted to get rid of a lot of stuff. I bought this black drop-leaf table for $10.00. Later, I got the sink from a nice family in East Lansing through the local <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error"><a href="http://www.freecycle.org/"><strong>Freecycle</strong></a></span> Yahoo Group. If you don't know about <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Freecycle</span>, then you need to go and learn. The sink (circa 1920) came with a really cool pedestal, but our plumbing was so ridiculous that I decided I was in no mood to re-plumb everything. Ruth had the idea of cutting out the inside of the table and inserting the sink into it. Voila! We think it is really cool and will look perfect in our 100+ year old farmhouse. (are we delirious?)<br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S8EMXCJrzrI/AAAAAAAABMI/8Oca-E6yMQQ/s1600/sink.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 332px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458657813203766962" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S8EMXCJrzrI/AAAAAAAABMI/8Oca-E6yMQQ/s400/sink.jpg" /></a> The above photo was taken in the barn and NOT the bathroom!</div><br /><br />The photo below is of one of the original faucets on the sink. It is probably original and we plan on re-building the insides and using it. Since the sink <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">pre</span>-dates modern bathroom plumbing fixtures, we will use the mix and match faucets that came on the sink, but try to find the ceramic handles like the one pictured below.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S8EMW7-NUeI/AAAAAAAABMA/CZ2sCXDGw2c/s1600/sink+handle.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 256px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458657811545018850" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S8EMW7-NUeI/AAAAAAAABMA/CZ2sCXDGw2c/s400/sink+handle.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#003300;">Duckies Update!</span></strong><br /><p><span style="font-size:130%;color:#003300;"><span style="font-size:100%;color:#000000;">Don't they look cuddly?! They are really bonded and are never more than three inches apart. When one of them eats, they all eat. When one of them drinks, they all drink. When one of them... you get the idea. They are growing so fast. </span></p></span><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S8EL_EM0MyI/AAAAAAAABL4/t9F-_jKNxlE/s1600/duckies.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 242px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458657401436910370" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S8EL_EM0MyI/AAAAAAAABL4/t9F-_jKNxlE/s400/duckies.jpg" /></a><br />You can see one of the chicks I hatched in my classroom about 6 weeks ago keeping watch over the flock of duckies by night. The eight little chickens I hatched think they are so tough and try to boss the duckies around. They usually succeed. I have a feeling a week or two will see some "changing of the guard" as the duckies gain a little confidence.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S8EL-6RKzjI/AAAAAAAABLw/hZkNrKRNYIc/s1600/duckies+with+chicken.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 324px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458657398770814514" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S8EL-6RKzjI/AAAAAAAABLw/hZkNrKRNYIc/s400/duckies+with+chicken.jpg" /></a><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#003300;">Hot Chicks<br /></span></strong></div><div>I bought 35 chicks the other day to replenish my layers and to fill some meat bird orders, and saw these bantam chicks and I just could not resist! I don't know what breeds they are, but I do know that they are pretty danged cute!! I am going to do some research and see if I can figure out what I have. <a href="http://ruthie822.blogspot.com/"><strong>Ruth</strong></a> took some photos for me. </div><div> </div><div><br /><br />Enjoy the pics!<br /><br /></div><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S8EL-oJUjLI/AAAAAAAABLo/7GTAekiOu3k/s1600/banties.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 264px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458657393906060466" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S8EL-oJUjLI/AAAAAAAABLo/7GTAekiOu3k/s400/banties.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S8EL-dcGcTI/AAAAAAAABLg/WE7baNLY-tM/s1600/bantams+in+hand.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458657391032037682" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S8EL-dcGcTI/AAAAAAAABLg/WE7baNLY-tM/s400/bantams+in+hand.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S8EL-Gq92TI/AAAAAAAABLY/9ZoVSpRWldw/s1600/bantam+chicks.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 345px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458657384920373554" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S8EL-Gq92TI/AAAAAAAABLY/9ZoVSpRWldw/s400/bantam+chicks.jpg" /></a><br /><br />I want geese!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div>Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16831577769797947426noreply@blogger.com95tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7211231099914483269.post-73978629585142650662010-03-28T09:59:00.005-04:002010-03-28T10:47:57.076-04:00Things Are Just DuckyI have resisted getting ducks until now. I am not sure why I didn't get any before, maybe I didn't have the mental energy or something. I have a little woodland pond that I am sure they will discover and enjoy until it dries up in late August. I bought nine little ducklings, three each of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Rouens</span></span>, White <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Pekins</span></span> and Indian Runners. My plans for them are mostly farmyard ambiance.<br /><br /><div align="center">Now that is quite a face right there!</div><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S69jbE3utwI/AAAAAAAABLQ/8d5qukFPLZI/s1600/ducky.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453686990584067842" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S69jbE3utwI/AAAAAAAABLQ/8d5qukFPLZI/s400/ducky.jpg" /></a><br />I have a one gallon <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">waterer</span></span> for them and they go through that twice a day. I think I am going to have to give them the five gallon container! It is amusing to sit and watch them in the brooder box go from thrusting their heads all the way under water and then waddle over to get a mouthful of food and then head back to the water.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S69jawxyRtI/AAAAAAAABLI/TLSvAS71AHk/s1600/ducky2.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 385px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453686985190426322" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S69jawxyRtI/AAAAAAAABLI/TLSvAS71AHk/s400/ducky2.jpg" /></a> This is the little "crate" in which they came home to the farm. They didn't want to stay in that for one minute longer than necessary. They spent their first two days in a 20 gallon aquarium in my third grade classroom and created quite a stir. We had lots of visits from other classrooms, and most of the younger kids at my school got a chance to hold one of the ducklings. After getting a chance to hold and cuddle with one of the ducklings, I had a little six year old tell me, "This baby needs a mommy and that mommy needs to be me!" I didn't point out to him the obvious, but that was a nice moment. My school is in a suburb, and most of the kids only have contact with dogs and cats, so a few moments watching chicks hatch, of holding and naming a duckling can be a good connection back to our roots; back to days when we had gardens and animals because we needed them in order to survive.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S69jahEX9uI/AAAAAAAABLA/PmmErsdWE4g/s1600/ducky1.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453686980973426402" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S69jahEX9uI/AAAAAAAABLA/PmmErsdWE4g/s400/ducky1.jpg" /></a><br />Sitting and watching these ducks is so fun! They have such little antics. I am going to let each of the students name a duckling. This will be interesting as some ducklings will have multiple names. However, I want to help them make a connection with a little life that is different from anything they have experienced. Maybe we will write in our Reflection Journals about how it feels to name a creature that will live forever in our memories.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S69jaC6HU3I/AAAAAAAABK4/eCCnlJkGWNc/s1600/ducky5.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 278px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453686972877329266" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S69jaC6HU3I/AAAAAAAABK4/eCCnlJkGWNc/s400/ducky5.jpg" /></a><br /><br />"Take a good look," I told my class as they were leaving for the weekend. "These ducklings will be all feathered out and look very different the next time you see them."<br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S69jZ4nqOpI/AAAAAAAABKw/ZROxBQ2smcY/s1600/ducky3.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453686970115570322" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S69jZ4nqOpI/AAAAAAAABKw/ZROxBQ2smcY/s400/ducky3.jpg" /></a><br />After school on Friday, as I was getting the ducklings ready to go home, three 15 year-<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">olds</span></span>, whom I had in class 6 years ago, came into my classroom for a visit. I realized that the words I had told my class earlier takes place with people too.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div>Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16831577769797947426noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7211231099914483269.post-74665355002956300772010-03-06T16:23:00.007-05:002010-03-07T10:33:45.351-05:00Maple Syrup<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S5OZVTDYJ0I/AAAAAAAABKo/klU65B2scD4/s1600-h/in+jars+005+web.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 266px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445864965591803714" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S5OZVTDYJ0I/AAAAAAAABKo/klU65B2scD4/s400/in+jars+005+web.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Saturday was a beautiful day to be outside and boil sap. The temperature was in the mid-forties (F) and the sky was as blue as it could be. I put together a little outdoor sugar shack and boiled the ten gallons of sap I had collected last week.<br /><br /><br /><div>First, I collected a good supply of firewood. Next, I took my bonfire ring and put it on the gravel driveway and set up some concrete blocks to make an outdoor stove. I have several sturdy grill tops that I set across the fire pit and put my trays of sap on them so the fire could get to work boiling away the sap.<br /></div><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S5LIZKI8DPI/AAAAAAAABKA/WXO64yWPpzQ/s1600-h/3-6-10+boiling+outside+010+crop.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 222px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445635233988480242" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S5LIZKI8DPI/AAAAAAAABKA/WXO64yWPpzQ/s400/3-6-10+boiling+outside+010+crop.jpg" /></a><br />And the sap cook looked upon what he had wrought and said, "it is good enough."<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S5LIYlU9KmI/AAAAAAAABJ4/4HGL3V4M5ww/s1600-h/3-6-10+boiling+outside+016+WEB.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 266px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445635224106773090" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S5LIYlU9KmI/AAAAAAAABJ4/4HGL3V4M5ww/s400/3-6-10+boiling+outside+016+WEB.jpg" /></a> </div><br /><div>Now all I had to do was tend the fire, keep adding sap, and wait.</div><br /><div><br /></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S5LIZYn3QHI/AAAAAAAABKI/qljOFgfT64Y/s1600-h/3-6-10+boiling+outside+019+web.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445635237876285554" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S5LIZYn3QHI/AAAAAAAABKI/qljOFgfT64Y/s400/3-6-10+boiling+outside+019+web.jpg" /></a> And wait...<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S5LIZhwBy7I/AAAAAAAABKQ/WjCYVWxKU1s/s1600-h/3-6-10+boiling+outside+007+crop.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 354px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445635240326450098" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S5LIZhwBy7I/AAAAAAAABKQ/WjCYVWxKU1s/s400/3-6-10+boiling+outside+007+crop.jpg" /></a> And wait...<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S5ORttWfeZI/AAAAAAAABKY/hnuwMOVOTps/s1600-h/3-6-10+boiling+outside+029+crop.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445856588875135378" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S5ORttWfeZI/AAAAAAAABKY/hnuwMOVOTps/s400/3-6-10+boiling+outside+029+crop.jpg" /></a><br />And wait...</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>(March is "Reading Month" and I got in several hours of reading Sherlock Holmes)</div><br /><div><br /></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S5OTSufarhI/AAAAAAAABKg/KpXNpVyAnjo/s1600-h/3-6-10+boiling+outside+040+crop.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 266px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445858324347792914" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S5OTSufarhI/AAAAAAAABKg/KpXNpVyAnjo/s400/3-6-10+boiling+outside+040+crop.jpg" /></a><br /><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Ahhhh</span>, but this is definitely worth the wait. I ended up with about 7 cups of pure maple syrup. I expected it to be a little darker, but I do like the nice light amber color. Depending on the sap flow, I will be out there for the next two Saturday mornings boiling and reading. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Come on over, and let's have a little book club while we watch the sap boil.<br /><div><br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S5LIYR3XZKI/AAAAAAAABJw/77ZxfIXg4ZU/s1600-h/in+jars+011+crop.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 234px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445635218882389154" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S5LIYR3XZKI/AAAAAAAABJw/77ZxfIXg4ZU/s400/in+jars+011+crop.jpg" /></a><br /><div> </div></div></div></div>Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16831577769797947426noreply@blogger.com43tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7211231099914483269.post-59904481928352019632010-02-27T15:44:00.005-05:002010-02-27T15:56:32.494-05:00Sugar SugarIt is nice to have rather <a href="http://www.sugarbushsupplies.com/"><strong>inexpensive resources</strong> </a>like these bottles with lids to make my maple syrup look pretty cute.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S4mFksS_UgI/AAAAAAAABJo/Y0BS_mkpoKo/s1600-h/maple+syrup+lid.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 304px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443028490066547202" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S4mFksS_UgI/AAAAAAAABJo/Y0BS_mkpoKo/s400/maple+syrup+lid.jpg" /></a><br />Now, THAT is what I'm talking about!<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S4mFkEgDXYI/AAAAAAAABJg/egkSk5GD-rQ/s1600-h/first+maple+syrup.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 257px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443028479383920002" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S4mFkEgDXYI/AAAAAAAABJg/egkSk5GD-rQ/s400/first+maple+syrup.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div>The maple sap run has bogged down here in Michigan due to cold weather. I had a few gallons of sap collected and boiled it down Friday night. I was able to fill a few bottles with some very nice, light-colored syrup. The temperature is in the upper thirties (F) today, and the sap has started running again. I am hoping for a few weeks of weather like this so I can collect 30-40 gallons of sap. I am going to construct a temporary outdoor stove so I can boil five to ten gallons at a time in large, flat pans. I have a nice pile of firewood to use a heat source. </div><div> </div><div>My next post will have photos of my outdoor <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar_house"><strong>Sugar Shack</strong></a>.</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div></div>Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16831577769797947426noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7211231099914483269.post-46441370493263431282010-02-21T16:52:00.009-05:002010-02-21T20:35:21.584-05:00The Sap is Running!OK, I am not running in the photo below!<br /><br />The sap in the maple trees is running and I spent some time today tapping my trees. Maple sap has been used for hundreds of years by <a href="http://www.maplemuseum.com/indians-and-early-maple-sugaring-process">Native Americans</a>, and they taught the colonists how to do it. I find it incredible to read about how the Native Americans tapped trees, and found ways to use the slightly sweet liquid. I brought a small jar of sap in and passed around small samples. We toasted Mother Nature and swigged the clear liquid down. Hmmm, I'm not sure I would call the sap exactly sweet, but as Peter, (my son), just said, "There was a suggestion of sweetness."<br /><br /><br /><p><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S4GvCmiCgDI/AAAAAAAABJI/D3RrrDZsF0o/s1600-h/maple+syrup+079+web.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 266px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440822284078186546" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S4GvCmiCgDI/AAAAAAAABJI/D3RrrDZsF0o/s400/maple+syrup+079+web.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#003300;"><strong>Tapping a Maple</strong></span></p><p>You want to make sure you are actually tapping a maple tree! I'm not sure what oak syrup tastes like, but it isn't exactly a popular item. I selected four large maples and drilled a 3/8" hole two inches deep, about four feet from the ground in each of them. Three of them immediately started dripping sap. The fourth one didn't drip at all, so I plugged the hole with a stick, and tapped a different tree, which began flowing immediately. I have seven large maple trees, and feel fortunate that someone had foresight over fifty years ago to plant them.<br /></p><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 266px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440820855956343346" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S4GtveXQijI/AAAAAAAABII/kznT7njhA1w/s400/maple+syrup+092+web.jpg" /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S4GtvuGsGjI/AAAAAAAABIQ/uZBVlOd3Qpo/s1600-h/maple+syrup+128+web.jpg"></a> </p><p>After drilling the hole, I gently tapped in a spile so it is nice and snug. Don't hit it in too far, or you will split the tree and cause a large opening that will lose a lot of sap and perhaps allow insects inside.<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S4Gub-eNpNI/AAAAAAAABI4/Zt4ZNM6P0lI/s1600-h/maple+syrup+128+web.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440821620489692370" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S4Gub-eNpNI/AAAAAAAABI4/Zt4ZNM6P0lI/s400/maple+syrup+128+web.jpg" /></a><br /><br />The sap immediately began to flow and drip into the bucket. I have lids for the buckets to keep out precipitation and other stuff. The drips were falling at approximately one per second. One of the trees was dripping at twice that rate.<br /></p><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S4GrlGIsmSI/AAAAAAAABIA/0aPwd1gOeTE/s1600-h/maple+syrup+037+crop+web.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 369px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440818478630869282" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S4GrlGIsmSI/AAAAAAAABIA/0aPwd1gOeTE/s400/maple+syrup+037+crop+web.jpg" /></a><br />Ruth captured all of these photos. I especially like the one below showing the sap in mid-flight. The sap is slightly sweetened water, chock full of <a href="http://www.massmaple.org/nutrition.html"><strong>minerals</strong></a>.<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S4GtwGFw9KI/AAAAAAAABIY/tcuSzd5g6xY/s1600-h/maple+syrup+043+crop+web.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 350px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440820866620388514" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S4GtwGFw9KI/AAAAAAAABIY/tcuSzd5g6xY/s400/maple+syrup+043+crop+web.jpg" /></a><br />Watch the sap falling into the bucket! Each tap will produce about 10 gallons of sap. It takes between 30 and 40 gallons of sap to boil down into pure maple syrup.<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S4GubvjenAI/AAAAAAAABIw/DnLT_m_bxGg/s1600-h/maple+syrup+127+web.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 266px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440821616485243906" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S4GubvjenAI/AAAAAAAABIw/DnLT_m_bxGg/s400/maple+syrup+127+web.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div>I love the way this bucket looks on my maple tree. I am only putting out four taps, hoping to end up with about a gallon of syrup. I may add more, but I don't want to get overwhelmed!<br /><br /><br /></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 272px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440821610438165970" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S4GubZBvhdI/AAAAAAAABIo/JKUELZ-Rrls/s400/maple+syrup+024+web.jpg" /> <span style="font-size:130%;color:#003300;"><strong>Get to Work!</strong></span></div><div></div><div>I politely asked the maple trees to share their sap with me. I will have to come up with a way to reward them for their gift.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S4HD4MNs-6I/AAAAAAAABJQ/0BpJkiMjgUs/s1600-h/maple+syrup+108+crop+web.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 266px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440845194959059874" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S4HD4MNs-6I/AAAAAAAABJQ/0BpJkiMjgUs/s400/maple+syrup+108+crop+web.jpg" /></a> </div>Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16831577769797947426noreply@blogger.com38tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7211231099914483269.post-84647353274374069632010-01-24T19:40:00.007-05:002010-01-24T20:24:12.222-05:00Son of Khan<span style="font-size:130%;color:#003300;"><strong>Changing of the Guard</strong></span><br /><br />This is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squanto"><strong>Squanto</strong></a>. He is the son of <a href="http://aviewfromthegreenbarn.blogspot.com/2008/11/green-barn-basement.html"><strong>Khan</strong></a>, my original rooster. Khan was a Cuckoo <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Maran</span> who was the king of my barnyard for about two years. He overstayed his welcome by getting mean and aggressive. I have lots of kids roaming the farm from time to time and didn't want to worry about a ten pound rooster attacking little kids! I had to end his reign and did so in a dignified and painless way. Khan was buried in the woods. I named him Khan because of my deep interest in Central Asia and all the powerful leaders who controlled vast areas of Asia.<br /><br />Ruth named Squanto today, after snapping this picture. His coloring reminded her of Native Americans and she wanted a solid name for him. Squanto was the Native American who helped the Pilgrims during their first few years in the New World. I'm sure we owe Squanto and his People much more than the naming of a rooster, but it is an honor to call him Squanto.<br /><br /><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Squanto's</span> mother is a Partridge Cochin, maybe Broody, the hen who hatched him! I want to believe that, so I will say that is true.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S1zqchMvW1I/AAAAAAAABHg/bRHdz6FATJo/s1600-h/misc%2520008%2520work%2520crop%2520web%5B1%5D.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 364px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430473026371017554" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S1zqchMvW1I/AAAAAAAABHg/bRHdz6FATJo/s400/misc%2520008%2520work%2520crop%2520web%5B1%5D.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#003300;"><strong>Thinning the Herd</strong></span><br /><br />I sold 19 hens and a rooster on Saturday. That leaves me with 23 hens and Squanto. I tend to dislike roosters, but I am taking a different tack with Squanto. I pick him up several times per week and walk around with him. He doesn't like that at all, but I want to see if he'll end up being less aggressive than his poppa.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S1zpysRUzgI/AAAAAAAABHY/m6yjtzeJ1js/s1600-h/misc%2520008%2520work%2520web%5B1%5D.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 392px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430472307788533250" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S1zpysRUzgI/AAAAAAAABHY/m6yjtzeJ1js/s400/misc%2520008%2520work%2520web%5B1%5D.jpg" /></a><br />I had 43 hens. That felt like too many to me. Each spring I hatch out a batch of chicks in my classroom and wanted to have the room for the newbies. A friend of mine let me know of a family that lost their whole flock recently and wanted to buy mature and productive hens, so I took the plunge and sold 19 hens and one rooster. It was really fun to watch the young boys race around the barn trying to catch chickens. If you have never tried to catch a chicken, you have got to put that on your life's to-do list. </div><div> </div><div> </div><div></div><div>Should I hatch out Green Barn chicks?, or should I order some interesting eggs from a hatchery? </div><div></div><div><br /></div><div></div>Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16831577769797947426noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7211231099914483269.post-64617402945583921942010-01-10T10:49:00.005-05:002010-01-10T12:29:47.215-05:00The Seven Month ItchI'm not sure if the number seven is the right one, but it sounded close. I am ready to get the garden going right now! I have plans to add additional beds and improve the existing ones. I have a ton of nicely composted chicken coop litter that I mixed with some grass clippings and maple leaves. I plan to mix that into the beds as soon as the ground will let me. I put some "raw" chicken litter on the beds last fall and hopefully that will mix in nicely and not be too "hot."<br /><br />Are you feeling the same as I am? I know many of you have kids still living at home and they can really keep your mind occupied with all of their busy-<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">ness</span>. However, for me, I have a 28-<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">ish</span> year old daughter living in New York City, and a 27-<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">ish</span> year old son performing on a Princess cruise ship bouncing around the Hawaiian Islands. That leaves my wife Ruth and me probably a little more time to goof off than those with children responsibilities.<br /><br />Ruth bought me a Gardening magazine the other day and there are some nice articles on pairing plants together, bed rotation plans, ideas on what to grow and how to keep the garden relatively pest free without dousing it with Dow Chemical products.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S0n3eu9lCYI/AAAAAAAABHA/Dsn_SZTwjj4/s1600-h/seeds+plan+004+web.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 273px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425139333518920066" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S0n3eu9lCYI/AAAAAAAABHA/Dsn_SZTwjj4/s400/seeds+plan+004+web.jpg" /></a><br />I spent a few productive hours perusing the <a href="http://www.johnnyseeds.com/">Johnny's seed catalogue </a>and made a list which will require another farm! I will probably add and subtract from this list as the next few weeks go by. I want to grow a lot of vegetables this summer, especially green beans, cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes. There are about twenty other vegetables, herbs, etc. on my list, but I don't want to bore you.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S0n3eWp2I9I/AAAAAAAABG4/Ij_HgZzvZ_o/s1600-h/seeds+plan+002+web.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425139326993703890" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S0n3eWp2I9I/AAAAAAAABG4/Ij_HgZzvZ_o/s400/seeds+plan+002+web.jpg" /></a><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#006600;">The Kitchen Garden in Winter</span></strong><br /><br />There are eight nice beds in this garden, which is between our house and the barn. I plan on extending all of them by four feet or more, and maybe adding two other 4' x 8' beds in-between some of the beds. This garden is surrounded by a circular driveway and a "still-not-completed" fence. I plan on covering the fence with climbing vegetables like beans, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">cukes</span> and peas. It may end up looking a bit untidy, but hopefully it will yield lots of meals!<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S0n3ebBph5I/AAAAAAAABGw/pUWnkkfXmTs/s1600-h/011010+snow+morning+sun+009+web.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425139328167282578" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S0n3ebBph5I/AAAAAAAABGw/pUWnkkfXmTs/s400/011010+snow+morning+sun+009+web.jpg" /></a><br />Like me, the garden needs a little bit of a slumber to get re-energized for another year of productivity. I am going to test the pH this year and see what exactly is going on out there.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S0n3eKkcVAI/AAAAAAAABGo/ZAJ-JmMAhts/s1600-h/011010+snow+morning+sun+006+web.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425139323749815298" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S0n3eKkcVAI/AAAAAAAABGo/ZAJ-JmMAhts/s400/011010+snow+morning+sun+006+web.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://faq.gardenweb.com/faq/lists/teach/2003045238014436.html"><strong>Three Sisters Garden</strong></a></div><div></div><div>Since I live in Michigan, and the <a href="http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~minatam/">"Three Fires" Native Americans </a>lived in this vicinity, I am thrilled to use their way of gardening on land they once roamed. We have a little woodland, spring-fed pond and I want to believe that it was used by the Potawatomi and the Ojibwa. Ruth, Peter and I picked a lot sweet corn last summer and I am going to plant way more of it this year! The squash and beans did not do very well in here, but I plan on making a few changes this year to try to help them a little more. (2009 was a poor year in Michigan for all squashes!). I left most of the corn stalks in the ground. I couldn't bear to lose them last fall and they looked rather decorative for all of the Fall holidays.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S0n3dxSznkI/AAAAAAAABGg/l5uUk7nPK0s/s1600-h/011010+snow+morning+sun+005+web.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425139316964957762" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/S0n3dxSznkI/AAAAAAAABGg/l5uUk7nPK0s/s400/011010+snow+morning+sun+005+web.jpg" /></a><br />When will you begin your garden planning? Maybe most of you are way ahead of me!!</div><div></div><div>Well, I'm off to find all the stuff I'll need to start seedlings in March and April. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Hmmm</span>, lighted Plant Cart, seeds, good starter mix, watering can. It was 2 degrees F (-17 C) last night and we have 7 inches of snow on the ground. </div><div></div><div>I may be just a tad early? Maybe you need to just come in for some hot coffee, or perhaps a spot o' tea?<br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div></div></div>Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16831577769797947426noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7211231099914483269.post-33770004311509775922009-12-12T16:22:00.003-05:002009-12-12T18:35:05.847-05:00A Winter's TaleEven though we are nine days away from the official start of Old Man Winter, he has let us know that he is not to be confined by any old date. He will not be controlled.<br /><br />My flock of chickens has prepared for his coming by moulting in October to replace the feathers Khan (former rooster, now organically merged with the forest), removed during his lustful moments. I now have a total of 41 hens, and two roosters. They are learning to fluff up their built-in down jackets as they roost for the night. The <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Cochins</span> have become popular roost partners as they are very fluffy. Last night as I went in to turn off their light and do a head count, one of the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Aracaunas</span> actually had her head buried in the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">poofy</span> feathers of Broody, (Partridge Cochin). It wasn't even that cold! (13 degrees F)<br /><br />We now have about 5 inches of snow on the ground. It is nice to walk around the fields and woods and see the different sets of tracks in the snow. I am amazed at how busy one squirrel can be!<br /><br />A flock of sparrows, (English, I believe), has discovered that the Green Barn is a great place to get out of the weather. Bishop the Barn Cat has taken a great interest in hanging out in the barn as well. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">Hmm</span>, I sense a connection here.<br /><br />I forgot to bring in the last three pumpkins of the season and they have frozen in the barn. I wonder if I can still salvage some golden puree from them? You know I'm gonna try!<br /><br />I managed to seal up 27 bottles of home-made vanilla today. Ruth and I will decide to whom we will give a little Holiday cheer. I know, I am going to randomly draw a name from all who comment here and send you a bottle of my vanilla. If you read this boring post, you deserve a chance at something of interest. I will draw a name next Saturday.<br /><br />As I sit here typing, I am losing the fading light of today and will not get photos if I don't get out there. OK, I just decided that I am going to post a no-photo update today.<br /><br />Thanks for reading today. I hope you are having a great day.Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16831577769797947426noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7211231099914483269.post-31300367590996212442009-11-08T15:01:00.006-05:002009-11-08T18:58:34.466-05:00Pumpkin PureeWith the Holidays fast approaching, I wanted to get a little <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">head-start</span> on "pie time."<br /><br />These are called sugar pumpkins. They are small and easy to work with. Apparently they are one of the best pumpkins to use for baking. I harvested some French pumpkins and will give them a few more weeks before I see how they look inside.<br /><br />Step 1: wash your pumpkins.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/SvckeSHjGXI/AAAAAAAABGY/L_47e7TRzZk/s1600-h/110809+007+web.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401826380732373362" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/SvckeSHjGXI/AAAAAAAABGY/L_47e7TRzZk/s400/110809+007+web.jpg" /></a><br />Step 2: cut the pumpkins into smaller pieces for cleaning and cooking. Keep the seeds for baking and also for planting some of the seeds next spring. To preserve for next spring, wash the seeds and let them dry. Place into paper envelopes and store in a canning jar in a cool dark place.<br /><br /><br /><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/SvckeKUp5dI/AAAAAAAABGQ/HupU5HSc5Rg/s1600-h/110809+008+web.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401826378639861202" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/SvckeKUp5dI/AAAAAAAABGQ/HupU5HSc5Rg/s400/110809+008+web.jpg" /></a> Step 3: Scrape out all the stringy gook. My chickens didn't like the gook.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/SvckIlN7aNI/AAAAAAAABGI/_F00eKHxgEc/s1600-h/110809+011+web.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401826007902283986" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/SvckIlN7aNI/AAAAAAAABGI/_F00eKHxgEc/s400/110809+011+web.jpg" /></a> Step 4: Cook the pumpkin. You can microwave it, steam it, or bake it. I baked it for an hour in Le <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Creuset</span> pans with lids on. Put 2 cups of water in the pans. Bake at 350F (200C).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/SvckIRRrb8I/AAAAAAAABGA/B3uP8mnoG4U/s1600-h/110809+014+web.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401826002549305282" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/SvckIRRrb8I/AAAAAAAABGA/B3uP8mnoG4U/s400/110809+014+web.jpg" /></a> Step 5: After washing the seeds, dry them thoroughly. Spread them on a baking sheet, add 3 T melted butter, garlic to taste, 2 T <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Worcestershire</span> sauce, salt to taste, stir into the seeds. Bake at 275F until golden brown. (about 15 minutes, check and stir often!)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/SvckIYwoLXI/AAAAAAAABF4/Spks1x-3598/s1600-h/110809+016+pic+web.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401826004558163314" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/SvckIYwoLXI/AAAAAAAABF4/Spks1x-3598/s400/110809+016+pic+web.jpg" /></a><br />Step 6: After the pumpkin has baked and is cooked, place into a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">colander</span> and allow to cool so you can peel it.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/SvckILzfV6I/AAAAAAAABFw/CIuX2MF7muo/s1600-h/110809+018+web.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401826001080506274" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/SvckILzfV6I/AAAAAAAABFw/CIuX2MF7muo/s400/110809+018+web.jpg" /></a> Step 7: After peeling, puree it by whatever method you prefer. I used a hand mixer and finished it off in the blender. Place the puree into freezer bags. I measured out 1 1/2 cups per bag, as that is how much Ruth needs for her pies.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/SvckHzklAwI/AAAAAAAABFo/A2B-DcjyMbs/s1600-h/110809+019+web.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401825994575512322" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/SvckHzklAwI/AAAAAAAABFo/A2B-DcjyMbs/s400/110809+019+web.jpg" /></a> </p><p><br /> </p>Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16831577769797947426noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7211231099914483269.post-69548481656539900972009-09-20T10:51:00.003-04:002009-09-20T11:40:31.563-04:00Harvest<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Harvesting my own crops is so fulfilling. I love picking things for dinner. We had many meals this year where everything on the table was something from the farm. Grilled chicken, corn on the cob, fried green tomatoes, raw zuchinni, green beans, ripe tomato slices, green onions, pickled beets, chicken and noodles, (store bought flour, homemade noodles), eggs, etc. <br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I am rather new to gardening and have a much better idea for what I will do this fall and next spring. I ordered garlic and am going to plant it in about two weeks in the pepper bed. I also have loads of composting coop bedding and some "fresh" coop bedding which I will cover all the harvested beds, and till it in a little. This will provide my beds with lots of good organic material and also some good chicken poo. Letting it sit over the winter will allow the "hot" poo to break down into usable fertilizer. <br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here are some of the things I am harvesting this year! <br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">Sweet Corn</span></b><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Wow! This is the "Three Sisters Garden" and I will definitely do this again next year. I need to be more diligent with fertilizer so the cobs will get a little larger. However, the corn was superb. I also harvested many meals of green beans from this bed and there are 6 pumpkins scattered throughout this bed.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/SrY29R8urrI/AAAAAAAABFg/HH7M-lhncuA/s1600-h/sweet+corn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" iq="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/SrY29R8urrI/AAAAAAAABFg/HH7M-lhncuA/s320/sweet+corn.jpg" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">Tomatoes</span></b><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I love vine-ripened tomatoes. This is a Pink Brandywine ready to come in for a visit. The tomatoes grew so huge that I had to use fencing instead of stakes or wire cones to keep them upright. This didn't help too well as many branches bent over and pinched themselves to death. (all the brown leaves)<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/SrY1W0GY40I/AAAAAAAABEg/f4-VZkPLYOs/s1600-h/092009+004+web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" iq="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/SrY1W0GY40I/AAAAAAAABEg/f4-VZkPLYOs/s640/092009+004+web.jpg" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">Pumpkins</span></b><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I have two types of pumpkins: Jack O' Lanterns and Cinderella. This is a litlle dude hanging from some corn. I have a feeling it doesn't have enough time to be succcessful.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/SrY2k_7LpLI/AAAAAAAABEo/BinzR5JL-1Q/s1600-h/baby+pumpkin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" iq="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/SrY2k_7LpLI/AAAAAAAABEo/BinzR5JL-1Q/s320/baby+pumpkin.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The interesting markings on this pumpkin were made by free-ranging chickens! The little boogars! <br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/SrY2tpGFnZI/AAAAAAAABFI/QR-w6MemqIM/s1600-h/chewed+pumpkin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" iq="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/SrY2tpGFnZI/AAAAAAAABFI/QR-w6MemqIM/s320/chewed+pumpkin.jpg" /></a><br />
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</div><div style="border: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">Banana Peppers</span></b><br />
</div><div style="border: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">I don't know what I was thinking when I planted eight of these plants. We hardly eat them and there are probably over fifty of these waiting for chili or something. What do you recommend?<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/SrY2nVMm40I/AAAAAAAABEw/m4AXOpUiJBk/s1600-h/banana+peppers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" iq="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/SrY2nVMm40I/AAAAAAAABEw/m4AXOpUiJBk/s320/banana+peppers.jpg" /></a><br />
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</div><div style="border: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><b>Basil</b></span><br />
</div><div style="border: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Boy do we love basil. Ruth makes the best pesto and we faint with the taste of freshly made basil pesto. I have three different kinds and they are flourishing. I took a bouquet of them and surprised my principal with them and the whole school office was rich with the aroma of basil.<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/SrY2p6KxkEI/AAAAAAAABE4/ffxyL1Il2CE/s1600-h/basil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" iq="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/SrY2p6KxkEI/AAAAAAAABE4/ffxyL1Il2CE/s320/basil.jpg" /></a><br />
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</div><div style="border: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><b>Black Peppers</b></span><br />
</div><div style="border: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">This is a pepper, (not the kind you put in a grinder), which I intended to grow for my daughter's wedding bouquet. However, the Michigan weather didn't cooperate and it is just now (6 weeks late) coming into its own. The leaves are black and the peppers will turn a cherry red. I think they are beautiful, but probably won't grow them again. They need lots of hot weather. <br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/SrY2rtB--9I/AAAAAAAABFA/aGIEJE4kltk/s1600-h/black+peppers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" iq="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/SrY2rtB--9I/AAAAAAAABFA/aGIEJE4kltk/s320/black+peppers.jpg" /></a><br />
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</div><div style="border: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><b>Popcorn</b></span><br />
</div><div style="border: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">I am trying this out because I thought it sounded like something cool to do. The cobs are all a really nice size, and now I just have to wait for the husks to turn brown. I plan on giving some of this as Xmas gifts.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/SrY2yonTWXI/AAAAAAAABFQ/TWoOFKtNqfk/s1600-h/popcorn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" iq="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/SrY2yonTWXI/AAAAAAAABFQ/TWoOFKtNqfk/s320/popcorn.jpg" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><b>Zuchinni</b></span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I planted one zuchinni this year and it just keeps on producing! I must have picked 20 already and there are another 10 getting ready. This is one crop that can make you feel like a successful farmer.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/SrY23pkHjgI/AAAAAAAABFY/fMjDp38723M/s1600-h/zukes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" iq="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/SrY23pkHjgI/AAAAAAAABFY/fMjDp38723M/s320/zukes.jpg" /></a><br />
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I am thinking about next year and what the garden will produce. If you have something you grew this year and want to recommend, please let me know. I may name the raised bed after you!Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16831577769797947426noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7211231099914483269.post-152029839861782572009-09-13T10:32:00.004-04:002009-09-13T10:56:04.773-04:00I can't catch you up!Well, I decided to just post some words today.<br /><br />I have been busy this summer getting my daughter married off on the farm. Then I jumped back into my routine of spending a lot of time in August getting ready for the new school year. Add to that a new computer and a more complex waay of getting Ruth's photos, and I have fallen off the blog cliff.<br /><br />I miss all of my blog pals!<br /><br />Green Barn Update<br /><br /><ul><li>I have 44 hens busily laying eggs and eating grass. You can see from my sidebar the different breed I have. I have opinions about breeds and which ones I would recommend, but you don't want to hear that now.</li><li>I don't have any roosters now. I am not sure if I will ever have one again, but never say never.</li><li>I have seven turkeys. I had to butcher one that got injured. After spending two hours doing that job, I am definitely happy to pay the local butcher $7.00 to do that. I have an appointment on November 25 to have the remaining seven "processed."</li><li>My garden has done a great job! We have been eating lots of sweetcorn, tomatoes, green beans, peppers, zucchini, yellow squash, fried green tomatoes and various herbs. </li><li>I just received my order of garlic bulbs to plant soon. If you live in a cold climate, order your garlic NOW and get it planted around the time of your first frost.</li><li>My pumpkin production is way down! I have about a dozen pumpkins in various stages and none of them look all that great. Did anyone have good luck with pumpkins this year?</li><li>I have several piles of chicken coop bedding composting away right now. I am planning on giving them a few more turns and then I will cover all my beds with about six inches of it and till it in for the winter. I would be happy to give you a bushel or two of coop bedding! C'mon out and get it. BYOBB (bring your own bushel baskets)</li><li>If anyone is planning on a Hawaii cruise between now and next summer, my son is playing his guitar on the Princess cruise! Let me know and I can hook you (or your cute daughter) up with him! ;)</li><li>I have vanilla still brewing in the cupboard. I ordered cute little amber bottles to put it in. Nice gifts!! </li><li>Another Green Barn gift (hopefully) will be popcorn. I have about 100 popcorn stalks out there and it looks like a bumper crop! I hope to fill pint jars with it. Stay tuned.</li><li>Maybe I need to have a November drawing and give some vanilla and popcorn away.</li><li>I love beets! I grew one row and they went absolutely nuts. I cooked them and canned them and wish I had five rows. No, I won't give this away.</li></ul><p>I need to go blog visiting. I hope to see you soon on your blog!</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16831577769797947426noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7211231099914483269.post-73330216890745174172009-08-09T12:13:00.002-04:002009-08-09T12:36:48.807-04:00A Green Barn WeddingI am sorry to have left blog world for a few weeks, but I think I am on my way back. <br /><br />We had a wedding last Saturday. Our daughter married a wonderful young man from Texas. If you have been involved with weddings, you know there are a gazillion details that need to be dealt with and another fifty that you will miss. However, the wedding was beautiful, fun and full of love, family and friends. Despite the rain, ( it started ten minutes before the ceremony and ended about fifteen minutes after the ceremony), we had a grand time.<br /><br />We wandered around the farm, playing with the chickens and turkeys, sitting around cute tables supported by straw bales, sipping glacier water, home-brewed beer, two buck chuck, and I think there was a clandestine bottle or two of Highland Park going around. Before dinner, we had <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">hors</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">d'oeuvres</span> to nibble on while we chatted and watched the bridal party get all the photos snapped.<br /><br />We had a lot of help getting ready. You need to go see my wife's blog <a href="http://ruthie822.blogspot.com/2009/08/wedding.html"><strong>Synchronizing</strong></a>, to get a better overview.<br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#006600;">Bride with papa</span></strong><br /><br />I planted a lot of sunflowers around the farm to give it a good ol<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">d</span> country feeling. These were planted to be the backdrop for the wedding ceremony<br /><br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367998948877272466" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/Sn72mmaABZI/AAAAAAAABEQ/4SffmfYNpLU/s400/les+wed.jpg" /><br /><br />The green barn makes a nice backdrop for our family and friends who came to celebrate and witness Lesley's and Brian's vows. People travelled from Idaho, Georgia, Florida, Texas, Illinois, Alaska, New York, Ohio, and of course, Michigan.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/Sn72m8lTerI/AAAAAAAABEY/3RoR9Aon54Y/s1600-h/Les+wedding+misc+252+web.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367998954830265010" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/Sn72m8lTerI/AAAAAAAABEY/3RoR9Aon54Y/s400/Les+wedding+misc+252+web.jpg" /></a><br /><div>The best man at our wedding, (right) back in 1978 smokes a cigar with me at midnight. The bride and groom have been taken away by a pumpkin. It was a grand evening.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/Sn72mTf5LSI/AAAAAAAABEI/maEVcFlDEVY/s1600-h/Don+and+dennis.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 302px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367998943801716002" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/Sn72mTf5LSI/AAAAAAAABEI/maEVcFlDEVY/s400/Don+and+dennis.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div>Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16831577769797947426noreply@blogger.com39tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7211231099914483269.post-82085895478188321252009-06-24T22:06:00.006-04:002009-06-25T07:00:42.755-04:00Vanilla Extract<div>I like making stuff. During the winter holidays, we do some baking and always go through lots of vanilla, so after seeing several bloggers make their own, I decided to join the fun.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Vanilla beans come from an orchid. It is originally, like pumpkins, corn and turkeys, a "New World" food. It can be grown in most tropical regions, and is now grown throughout the world. Madagascar has in recent years taken over as the world's production leader.I'm afraid that vanilla bean production is a labor intensive job. It takes many steps to get it to market, including needing nine months on the orchid plant!<br /></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>I bought 25 Madagascar Bourbon vanilla beans. They were soft and pliable.<br /></div><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351080982839611026" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 276px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/SkLbzXqAzpI/AAAAAAAABDo/pdyYz1AXrSU/s400/misc+571+web.jpg" border="0" />I carefully split them and then took a butter knife and scraped out as much of the caviar (goo) as I could. I then put the goo and the chopped up pods into one quart canning jars. The next step is to fill the jars with either vodka or rum. I chose vodka. The alcohol extracts the vanilla flavor, and mostly cooks off when you bake.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/SkLbzl8SI1I/AAAAAAAABDw/RGIPYJLy7cE/s1600-h/misc+575+web.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351080986674340690" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 398px; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/SkLbzl8SI1I/AAAAAAAABDw/RGIPYJLy7cE/s400/misc+575+web.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />After pouring in the vodka, I needed to find a nice, dark cupboard in which to store these jars for at least six weeks. I take them out three or four times each day and give them a good shaking. I found a web site that sells four ounce amber jars. Sometime in August, I'll strain the vanilla extract and pour it into the small jars. I luckily have a live-in artist who might be cajoled into coming up with a label for the jars. In the meantime, I will start making my gift list. Hmmmm, who has been naughty this year?<br /><div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351216675100518834" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/SkNXNsuDabI/AAAAAAAABEA/QwOMt5NJh_I/s400/misc+595+web.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div>Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16831577769797947426noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7211231099914483269.post-12457938368150808932009-06-16T20:59:00.002-04:002009-06-16T21:12:59.706-04:00Where Have I Been?I have been very neglectful of the blog world! I have been a little overwhelmed with the ending of school and all that I have to do for that, as well as the stuff around the farm that has been keeping me hopping.<br /><br />I am planning on getting back into gear. I need to get caught up with all of my great blogger pals.<br /><br />I just took 28 chickens to my (my?) Amish butcher up near <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Gladwin</span>, MI. His wife and children do all of the work with the butchering. I wish I had taken some pics, but I think they wouldn't have liked it so much. The Amish farm has some modern additions, like a big diesel engine that runs a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">de</span>-feathering device, but for the most part, the Weavers live pretty true to their convictions. They charged me $1.50 per bird to do the complete butchering process. They also cut them up, as many of the birds were too large for the gallon freezer bags.<br /><br />I have another thirty broilers going to the butcher on June 26. Looks like we'll be making lots of chicken and noodles and chicken salad sandwiches!<br /><br />I hope they are tender! The six month old roosters I butchered last fall were very tough!<br /><br />Broody is back at it. Tomorrow is hatch day. I can hear peeping coming from the eggs, so I think we (she) will have some success. I made the mistake of leaving her nest in the coop, and she has gone from the original 8 eggs, to an astounding 38 eggs. I am sure they won't all hatch, but to help Broody with the hatching, another partridge <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">cochin</span> has been sitting alongside her for the past week to make sure the eggs all get good coverage. I don't know what will happen when the eggs hatch. Who will get to be the mom?<br /><br />I am rambling away here.<br /><br />My veg garden is starting to look like a garden. Practically everything is up and growing! Some of the seeds I planted didn't germinate, so I will have to make do without some things, mostly squash and chives.<br /><br />The blackberries are going absolute bonkers. I can't believe how many canes I have and they are all loaded with flowers.<br /><br />OK, I have to go out and do some chores, but I am going to post this boring thing anyway.<br /><br />Thanks for reading this far!Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16831577769797947426noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7211231099914483269.post-82690820863850194732009-05-17T12:10:00.004-04:002009-05-17T12:55:35.257-04:00Five Weeks Old<strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#009900;">New Meat Locker</span></strong><br /><br />That sounds really crass! I predator-proofed the middle section of my barn this past week and moved 45 chickens and 7 turkeys in, (all of them about five weeks old). They were a little overwhelmed with all of the space at first, but are now happily nosing around in all of the new corners.<br /><br />The white birds in the photo below are the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">cornish</span> X breed. These guys are twice as large as the red broilers I am experimenting with. I have heard that the red broilers are tastier, even though they don't grow as quickly as the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">cornish</span> chicks. I bought the red broilers from <a href="https://secuservices.com/ideal/newideal/Products.aspx?Category=Broilers%20-%20Meat%20Birds"><strong>Ideal Poultry</strong></a>, and they are growing well. I am going to try to give them a little outside time and see how they like that. Last fall, I butchered out some extra, (annoying) six month old roosters, and they were as tough as shoe leather. I think the free-ranging gave them a little too much body-building time.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/ShA7QpiApXI/AAAAAAAABDI/DGGBvtprpjg/s1600-h/misc+297+web.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336830715646485874" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 248px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/ShA7QpiApXI/AAAAAAAABDI/DGGBvtprpjg/s400/misc+297+web.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>In the photo below, you can see three white turkeys and a bronze at the far right. They are very curious and like to follow me around. I am glad I found a butcher, because I am not enjoying the "processing" part of raising chickens. </div><div> </div><div>The two very dark chickens in the photo are <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">barnevelder</span> hens. They will lay very dark brown eggs, beginning sometime in late August.</div><div> </div><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/ShA6dnENveI/AAAAAAAABDA/30DExkdl00w/s1600-h/misc+292+web.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336829838811315682" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 314px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/ShA6dnENveI/AAAAAAAABDA/30DExkdl00w/s400/misc+292+web.jpg" border="0" /></a> This turkey hung around Ruth while she snapped photos.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/ShA6dpv7H2I/AAAAAAAABC4/wfmxUXJ7QCg/s1600-h/misc+289+web.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336829839531515746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 310px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/ShA6dpv7H2I/AAAAAAAABC4/wfmxUXJ7QCg/s400/misc+289+web.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Don't look closely at the chicken wire! I discovered that I am really bad at getting it straight. After I made that discovery, I started to not care too! So, the coop is secure, but certainly not a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">mona</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">lisa</span>. (This is a short-term coop anyway!) There, that makes me feel better.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/ShA6deQdbTI/AAAAAAAABCw/YHxsNhr97-4/s1600-h/misc+285+web.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336829836446756146" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/ShA6deQdbTI/AAAAAAAABCw/YHxsNhr97-4/s400/misc+285+web.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><div>To make the coop look even better, I only had four foot chicken wire, and overlapped it. Then I ran out of chicken wire altogether and didn't feel like buying more, so I cut a section of hardware cloth to fill in the last little opening. I connected them with nylon zip ties. Wow! I'm thinking "coop of the year!"<br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/ShA6denxc_I/AAAAAAAABCo/cjoBt76wtOI/s1600-h/misc+249+web.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336829836544537586" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/ShA6denxc_I/AAAAAAAABCo/cjoBt76wtOI/s400/misc+249+web.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Poopy</span> eggs</div><div> </div><div>The nice man who gave me the blue slate turkey eggs pictured below reminded me that washing them would be bad for the developing embryos, so I didn't. Aren't they just lovely? That is a nice mixture of mud and poo. I hope THAT isn't bad for the developing embryos too!!</div><div> </div><div>Hatch day is Wednesday, May 20!<br /></div><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/ShA6dMWtKHI/AAAAAAAABCg/iQqmrFUoA0M/s1600-h/misc+242+web.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336829831641114738" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 224px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/ShA6dMWtKHI/AAAAAAAABCg/iQqmrFUoA0M/s400/misc+242+web.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div>Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16831577769797947426noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7211231099914483269.post-92199562331843958552009-05-05T23:03:00.005-04:002009-05-06T08:00:04.255-04:00TurkeysTurkeys are a "New World" creature. All of the domesticated turkeys were developed from the original wild North American strain. I find it interesting that most of the domestic turkeys were developed in Europe or Asia and then introduced back to North America as imports. In my research about turkeys, I read that most of the domesticated turkeys are unable to breed on their own. I then saw a "Dirty Jobs" TV episode that showed Mike Rowe artificially inseminating white giant turkeys.<br /><br />So, imagine my surprise when I found a Craig's List posting with Blue Slate turkey eggs for sale. I contacted the owner and he ended up giving them to me as I am using them with my students. I now have seven turkey chicks in the coop, and 16 Blue Slate Turkey eggs in the incubator. Hatch date is May 20.<br /><br />If I get a decent hatch rate from these turkey eggs, I will have more turkeys than I planned on having! They will probably not have too much difficulty in finding a Thanksgiving dinner invitation.<br /><br />I candled several of the eggs last night and they looked like they were doing <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">ok</span>. So, I guess there are some domesticated turkeys that can still do the hokey <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">pokey</span>.Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16831577769797947426noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7211231099914483269.post-61409437828682560412009-04-19T17:02:00.005-04:002009-04-19T18:22:17.270-04:00Let's Get This Garden Growing!I really enjoy thinking about things I want to do. I like it even better when I start doing them. I inherited a plant growing cart, complete with lights and trays. As you can see below, I have it fully stocked with some of the plants/seeds I want to grow this summer. Being rather new to the gardening obsession, I probably am off to a later start than the seasoned pros. I was leery of having the plants get too leggy.<br /><br />I planted tomatoes, lettuce, pole beans, pumpkins and loads of coleus, ranunculus and sunflowers. I am going to get some other things started in the next week and move things in and out of some cold frames I have in my brain.<br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326512406797205682" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 266px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/SeuS0BrbwLI/AAAAAAAABB8/yIwRetsVcMo/s400/seeds+004+web.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><p align="center"><strong><span style="color:#006600;">Plant Growing Cart</span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#006600;">Brandywine Tomatoes</span></strong></p><br />I did a little <a href="http://www.victoryseeds.com/information/craig_brandywine.html"><strong><span style="color:#cc0000;">research</span></strong></a> on this tomato and discovered that it is one of the tastiest, but also one of the most mysterious. Apparently an Ohio man inherited some seeds from a lady whose family had grown them for almost 80 years, and he is credited as the one who preserved this variety. But there are many varieties of tomatoes that call themselves "Brandywines" and some are excellent and some are not. I hope I have the excellent ones! (duh)<br /><br />I am looking forward to (my) still-warm-from-the sun, garden-fresh, sliced tomatoes with hot, buttered sweet corn. I might toss in a Wisconsin bratwurst to make it a complete summerfest.<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/SeuS0UpfnbI/AAAAAAAABCM/p2RuM3l_qlg/s1600-h/small+012+web.jpg"></a><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/SeuS0XYdjBI/AAAAAAAABCE/1wO4CaTaos8/s1600-h/small+005+web.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326512412623211538" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/SeuS0XYdjBI/AAAAAAAABCE/1wO4CaTaos8/s400/small+005+web.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong><span style="color:#006600;"> Brandywine Tomato Seedling</span></strong></div><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#006600;"><strong>A Rose is a Rose</strong></span><br /><br /><a href="http://juliekingart.blogspot.com/"><strong><span style="color:#cc0000;">Julie King</span></strong> </a>and <a href="http://ruthie822.blogspot.com/"><strong><span style="color:#3333ff;">Ruth</span></strong></a> both had the same idea for a name, and I felt like the name Rose was a great fit for this Black Minorcan hen. Julie, if you read this, I am planning on sending you some sort of prize, (if you are interested in receiving some sort of prize, email me with your address!!).<br /><br /><div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326517738955677906" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/SeuXqZhFINI/AAAAAAAABCU/R9ZH0a8g4AE/s400/misc_217_web.jpg" border="0" /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff6666;">Rose</span></strong></div>Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16831577769797947426noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7211231099914483269.post-25364114186318267242009-04-12T06:15:00.010-04:002009-04-12T18:57:52.813-04:00To List or Not to List<div align="left"> Where does all the time gone? </div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left">I am not one who usually makes to-do lists. When I do make them, I often misplace them, or forget that I made them, and then find them a year later and wonder why I took the time to make that list. (Ruth is great at making lists and then actually getting everything accomplished. If you ask her, she'll make you a <a href="http://paris-deconstructed.blogspot.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">complete itinerary</span></a> for two weeks in Paris, complete with walking tours!) However, with that being said, I must get on with making a to-do list for this spring and summer.</div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left">First, I need to explain why I feel the need to create a to-do list. Our <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=92368"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">daughter</span></a> is getting married on our little farm on August 1st! That is a pretty good reason to get after things in an orderly manner. Secondly, I have some vegetable gardening goals. Third, I have over 100 chickens and turkeys who all need to be cared and planned for. </div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Hmmm</span></span>, I am starting to feel a little overwhelmed!</div><div align="center"><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323935492100821554" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 261px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/SeJrH2XDkjI/AAAAAAAABBk/Anu7zdgORkg/s400/science+fair+chickens+002+web.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;">This is where the wedding ceremony will take place. I am planting several hundred sunflowers as an additional backdrop. The Yucca is moving. Any takers?</span></p><p align="center" style="text-align: left;"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#006600;">Wedding to-do list</span></strong>: (not in order of priority, Ruth will do that in a minute)<br /></p><div>1) painting: studio roof, corn crib roof, deck rails, trim three outbuildings, stairway in the house</div><div>2) plant 2000 sunflowers</div><div>3) plant black pepper plants, coleus and other various flowers for decorations and bouquets</div><div>4) plant 20 pounds of wildflower seeds</div><div>5) lay new linoleum floor in downstairs bathroom</div><div>6) talk to neighbors on both sides about parking</div><div>7) finalize plans for the specially brewed beer for the reception</div><div>8) finish patio between the shed and the studio</div><div>9) tidy all the buildings</div><div>10) power wash the house</div><div>11) refinish the deck</div><div>12) scrape and paint the front porch floor and rails</div><br /><div></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;color:#006600;"><strong>Vegetable Garden List</strong></span>:</div><br /><div></div><div>1) remove existing grass from proposed veg patch</div><div>2) till the ground thoroughly</div><div>3) build 6 raised beds</div><div>4) fill beds with nice garden soil and compost</div><div>5) start seedlings indoors</div><div>6) plan and install watering system</div><div>7) build fence and three gates</div><div>8) remove perennial bed from the "Three Sisters" circle</div><div>9) plant seeds </div><div>10)construct cold frames</div><div>11) plant seedlings at appropriate times</div><div>12) etc.</div><br /><div><span style="font-size:130%;color:#006600;"><strong>Poultry List</strong></span>:</div><br /><div>1) build another brooder</div><div>2) prepare the middle barn room as another coop (build 3 doors, three walls, install chicken wire, move two lights, etc.)<br />3) other things I can't think of right now</div><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">What am I doing with over 100 birds?</span></div><br /><div>Original Flock: 25 Hens</div><div>1 Rooster (Khan)</div><div><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Broody's</span></span> Babies: 7 (hatched on January 13, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">gendering</span></span> still incomplete at this time)</div><div>Science Project 22 (hatched on February 13, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">gendering</span></span> still incomplete)</div><div>Red Broilers 30 (freezer date: early June)</div><div>White Broilers 15 (ten for nephew, 5 for donation to food bank)</div><div>New Pullets 7 (2 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">aracaunas</span></span>, 5 w<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">elsummers</span></span>)</div><div>Turkeys 7 (3 bronze giants, 4 white giants, Thanksgiving for various families)</div><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323935497002977346" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 277px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/SeJrIIn0iEI/AAAAAAAABB0/Qj07CS9Bo04/s400/science+fair+chickens+016+web.jpg" border="0" /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Science Fair <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">hatchlings</span>. The white ones are Light Brahmas, Rhode Island Reds and a Black Sex Link, from <a href="http://www.eaglenestpoultry.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Eagle Nest Poultry</span></a>.</span><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div>Three or four of the as-of-yet non-gendered roosters are destined for new homes, (people have asked me for a rooster or two). All other rooster will head to the Amish butcher sometime in June. So, by mid-June, I will be down to 7 turkeys, 1 rooster, and between 40 and fifty layers. </div><br /><div>If you are still reading this, thank you, but I am sorry for the tediousness. </div><br /><div>This list will be much more difficult to lose!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323935487681966434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 266px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/SeJrHl5hMWI/AAAAAAAABBc/1GDqdeU3ZQM/s400/Kaeley+%26+chick+Easter+2009+012+web.jpg" border="0" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">My niece holding and adoring Jinx, a red broiler. (no. I didn't tell her!)</span></span></div></div>Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16831577769797947426noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7211231099914483269.post-76926467927167503442009-03-31T22:26:00.009-04:002009-04-05T08:00:31.723-04:00In Their FootstepsI posted this today at a blog that is written by a co-operative of writers. I discovered this <a href="http://simple-green-frugal-co-op.blogspot.com/"><strong><span style="color:#006600;">Simple, Green, Frugal</span></strong> </a>site while reading my friend <a href="http://down---to---earth.blogspot.com/"><strong><span style="color:#006600;">Rhonda's blog</span></strong></a>. "We all have our own personal blogs but we have joined together with the hope of providing a helpful reference point for those living simply and sustainably."<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">My wife claims I was a farmer's wife in a previous life. I make artisan breads, I can or freeze everything I grow, I preserve four kinds of jams and jellies, I raise up baby chicks . . . and I love every minute of it.<br /><br />It might be as mystical as a past life, or it may be as simple as following a trail.<br /><br />My grandpa (Guy) was born in 1898 on a farm in Pennsylvania, USA. He was one of twelve boys. He decided early on that he wanted to build things, so he did. He worked on some pretty cool buildings in his day, from the tank plant in Warren, Michigan, during WW2 to Cobo Hall in downtown Detroit. During the hardest days of the Great Depression, Guy never forgot his family, and never forgot his farming roots. He would take my 8-year-old father with him, drive out to a local pig farm, buy ten feeder pigs, load them into the trunk of his car, and drive all over Michigan dropping the pigs off at his brothers' farms. In exchange for Guy buying the piglets and grain, he would return later in the year and receive part of the harvest: corn for feeding his city flock of chickens, wheat for grinding into bread, and best of all, several hundred pounds of home grown pork. My father has lots of childhood memories of not only helping out with the butchering, but holding half a hog in the back seat of his dad's Buick all the way home.<br /><br />My father (Lawrence) carried on the traditions of his father, except for the pigs. He also became a builder. He built department stores, shopping centers and factories all over the American Midwest. As he built stores, at home he built gardens. He was a master gardener and preserver. I have years of memories of my dad peeling and chopping, canning and freezing. Everything from tomatoes to green beans. If he picked it, he canned it. He even had a small flock of chickens, which he skillfully butchered himself. He would share his eggs, meat and vegetables with needy folks at church or in the neighborhood. At the age of 80, Lawrence is still tending a garden in northern Michigan, and among other good deeds, he gives ten bushels of apples each fall to a large family, who wouldn't get fruit otherwise.<br /><br />The trail I follow is well-marked.<br /><br />Even though I was mostly raised in cities, I have a strong and undeniable urge to grow my food and preserve it for winter months. Even though I am not a builder of structures, I am a builder of a different sort. (I help build kids in my third grade classroom.) My goals for this year on our small farm include: raising at least sixty meat birds (chickens and turkeys), maintaining a flock of thirty-five layers, and growing a large variety of fruits and vegetables on my five acres. But I hope to do more.<br /><br />One of my nephews has four children and they have a standing order for ten meat birds whenever I get a batch of chicks. I hope to expand that to other family members. I also have over thirty customers for my farm-fresh eggs, (and I can't keep up with them presently). I am planning on raising twelve turkeys this year. I want to keep a cool-looking pair around to give the farm a "farmy" feeling, but will butcher out the rest to give to family members and friends for their Thanksgiving feast. I also want to give a few turkeys and chickens to some local families. We have a local food cupboard that allows folks in the area to come in and receive food and clothing at no charge, and I plan on furnishing it with as much as I can spare.<br /><br />I am just getting started on the</span><a style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: rgb(204,0,0)" href="http://aviewfromthegreenbarn.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:arial;"> farm</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"> and welcome any ideas you all may have on how to not just provide for my family, but also give to people who can use a little sharing in my local area.<br /><br />What part do you play?</span>Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16831577769797947426noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7211231099914483269.post-89759312659780726352009-03-28T16:58:00.004-04:002009-03-28T18:23:07.915-04:00Variations in Green<span style="font-family:arial;">Usually Ruth takes all of my photos, but today, I grabbed her camera and started snapping. I am grateful for her help in processing the photos and getting them ready for posting.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#006600;"><strong>Name Me!<br /></strong></span><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/Sc6QSmiN7cI/AAAAAAAABBE/IXKOFxoAaLc/s1600-h/misc+217+web.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318346859227246018" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/Sc6QSmiN7cI/AAAAAAAABBE/IXKOFxoAaLc/s400/misc+217+web.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#ffffff;">-</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The above photo is of my Black Minorcan hen. She doesn't have a name. If you have a suggestion, please let me know and I will select it from all the entries I receive this week. If I have difficulty deciding, I will let you vote on it next week. This is a really nice hen. She is friendly, let's me pick her up, and best of all, lays a big white egg just about every day. She also has a man-sized comb and red hangy things! (commonly known as wattles, OK, that's not all that common of a word.)</span><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#006600;">This Week's Theme</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:arial;color:#006600;"></span></strong><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">I have been challenged to be a much better caretaker of everything around me, from my lovely wife and children, to the things I am accumulating, and to this great planet we live on. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">One way I am working on taking care of my share is to produce food right here on our little farm. We have a vegetable garden in the works, and I plan on growing a nice variety of things to eat. If I can keep the wattles out of the raised beds, we should have some measure of success. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Another way is through the raising of hens for eggs, and meat birds for... meat. Earlier in the year I posted about Broody, my Partridge Cochin, and how she hatched out seven chicks in the dead of winter. A few weeks after that, I hatched out 22 "store bought" chicks for a science project at my school. This hatching out of chicks has got me thinking about how I can perpetuate a solid flock that can keep me and my friends in eggs, as well as produce enough meat so I don't ever buy chicken from the store. I wonder if it is possible to manage a flock that will hatch out enough quality chicks to keep the eggs and meat going, without ordering chicks from a hatchery? I am assuming that I will occasionally need to add a rooster to the mix who has good genetic stock to keep my layers of choice "happy." I like the idea that my hens can hatch out their own heirs, and that my flock can take on a life of its own. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#ffffff;">-</span><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/Sc6QSgxMhSI/AAAAAAAABA8/Njz6EmAdWDM/s1600-h/misc+233+web.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318346857679455522" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 284px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/Sc6QSgxMhSI/AAAAAAAABA8/Njz6EmAdWDM/s400/misc+233+web.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-family:arial;">These are the chicks Broody hatched out. </span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;">I still can't quite tell the hens from the roos.<br /><br /><br /></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;">"Hey Beverly, can you believe this spa? It's so <em>filthy</em>!"</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">"I know, sweetie, how can all this dirt make me feel so squeaky clean?"</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;">-</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#ffffff;">-</span><br /></div></span><div align="left"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318347358482506962" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 166px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/Sc6QvqZ8pNI/AAAAAAAABBM/GJF6hUuE0tg/s400/misc+246+web.jpg" border="0" /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">This is a photo of Khan, the father of Broody's brood.</span> </div><div align="left"><span style="color:#ffffff;">-</span><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/Sc6QR4DOhPI/AAAAAAAABAk/tw8b8xBxrHY/s1600-h/misc+261+web.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318346846749230322" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 324px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/Sc6QR4DOhPI/AAAAAAAABAk/tw8b8xBxrHY/s400/misc+261+web.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#ffffff;">-</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Our lights are going out in a few hours. I hope you all had, or will have, a chance to participate in <a href="http://www.earthhour.org/home/">Earth Hour</a>. The only light I will leave on is the heat lamp for the chicks. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">If you are growing vegetables, what are you looking forward to the most? I think I am looking forward to the whole process of gardening. The idea of starting my own seeds, using grow lights, building cold frames, raised beds and mini <a href="http://www.earthworksstalbans.co.uk/gardens.html">polytunnels</a>, having a <a href="http://faq.gardenweb.com/faq/lists/teach/2003045238014436.html">Three Sisters </a>garden and eating veggies that are still warm from the sun are all contributing to me looking forward to spring more than I ever have.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Go Green!</span> </div>Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16831577769797947426noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7211231099914483269.post-81395571615540111042009-03-22T20:02:00.006-04:002009-03-23T12:49:12.958-04:00Growing Up<div><div><div><div><div>On January 13, 2009, Broody, my Partridge Cochin hen, hatched out 7 chicks. Well, here they are at about ten weeks, getting all grown up. They moved in with the main flock and are merging quite well. They get a quick nip on the back if they hog the goodies, but generally they stick together and sleep in various places. One of them actually snuggles up with the mighty Khan each night. </div><br /><div></div><div>Another group that I am watching grow up is my third grade class. I have included some of their poems, written after studying "Purple Cow" by <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Gelett</span> Burgess.</div><div></div><br /><br /><div align="center"><em>"I never saw a purple cow</em></div><div align="center"><em>I never hope to see one</em></div><div align="center"><em>But I can tell you anyhow</em></div><div align="center"><em>I'd rather see than be one"</em></div><br /><div align="center"></div><div></div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316424874115550002" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/Sce8QWC1SzI/AAAAAAAABAc/EatrwzRFtho/s400/Poems+007.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/ScbR7H1hlzI/AAAAAAAAA_0/6SJMLqmgJDE/s1600-h/misc+200+web.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316167223803483954" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 234px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/ScbR7H1hlzI/AAAAAAAAA_0/6SJMLqmgJDE/s400/misc+200+web.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316424854644367538" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/Sce8PNgioLI/AAAAAAAAA_8/d4DLKiWH4_E/s400/Poems+002.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/ScbR6jtKZDI/AAAAAAAAA_s/j_zHVA1BnrQ/s1600-h/misc+177+web.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316167214104732722" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 315px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/ScbR6jtKZDI/AAAAAAAAA_s/j_zHVA1BnrQ/s400/misc+177+web.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316424860310911426" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/Sce8PinjOcI/AAAAAAAABAE/Ym2GBmtHbkc/s400/Poems+004.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/ScbR6NNOUsI/AAAAAAAAA_k/SghAzMI4qx8/s1600-h/misc+173+web.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316167208065192642" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 375px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/ScbR6NNOUsI/AAAAAAAAA_k/SghAzMI4qx8/s400/misc+173+web.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316424869609004706" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/Sce8QFQY3qI/AAAAAAAABAM/CWvWt_ti8ZM/s400/Poems+005.jpg" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316424869712589394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/Sce8QFpFclI/AAAAAAAABAU/xFz-Fn1vm2U/s400/Poems+006.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/ScbR5VBpZ8I/AAAAAAAAA_c/gmgvYetXku4/s1600-h/misc+170++web.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316167192984250306" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 311px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/ScbR5VBpZ8I/AAAAAAAAA_c/gmgvYetXku4/s400/misc+170++web.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Chickens and children are poetry in real life.</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16831577769797947426noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7211231099914483269.post-70057397238455648542009-03-15T12:25:00.016-04:002009-03-15T15:56:40.521-04:00Hybrid Seeds or Heirloom Seeds?<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/Sb09YovsgzI/AAAAAAAAA_U/MpfDb4TxslE/s1600-h/seeds+-+garden+005+crop.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313470628830675762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 384px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/Sb09YovsgzI/AAAAAAAAA_U/MpfDb4TxslE/s400/seeds+-+garden+005+crop.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div><div>There is a huge debate out there in the gardening world that swirls around seeds and their origins. As you can imagine, there are large groups of supporters on both sides of this argument, and I doubt if there is a clear winner. This is by no means a complete definition of either side of the seed argument, and I'm sure there are tons of details that can be added. Please add some!!</div><div><br /><span style="color:#336666;"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Hybrid Seeds</span></strong><br /></span><br />Hybrid seeds got their start in the 1920's by a man named Henry Wallace, a professor at the University of Iowa, who founded a seed company called The Hi-Bred Corn Company. This company later became <a href="http://www.pioneer.com/web/site/portal/"><strong>Pioneer Hi-Bred Seed Company</strong></a>, a subsidiary of DuPont Chemical Company. Wallace wanted to help out with the food supply and had the idea to create a corn that would grow prolifically and provide an abundance of food for America and the world. It is interesting to note that Wallace later became the Secretary of Agriculture under President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Wallace became Vice President under Roosevelt from 1940-1944. Friends in high places? I digress...<br /><br />Hybrid seeds are created by finding parent plants that have the desired traits for the hybrid seeds and then, they are matched to produce the seeds. <a href="http://www.livinghistoryfarm.org/farminginthe30s/farminginthe1930s.html"><strong>Farmers </strong></a>were convinced to buy these seeds in order to produce higher yields, and they did. <em>Before</em> this new "technology" farmers would save enough seeds from their crops to replant their fields the next year. The new hybrids began a cycle forcing farmers to purchase new seeds each year, as they could no longer keep seeds due to the nature of the hybrids.<br /><br />Not only were <em>farmers</em> buying hybrid seeds, but the nation's gardeners began doing likewise. These varieties were selected for their productivity, their ability to withstand mechanical picking and cross-country shipping, and their tolerance to drought, frost, or pesticides. One of the traits of hybrid seeds is they are "high response" seeds. They require a lot of fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides and a great deal of water to achieve their high yields. This is how the chemical companies got involved in the farmyard. If you'll recall, Wallace's seed company is now owned by DuPont Chemical. Another well-known chemical giant, Monsanto, the world's largest hybrid seed company, also is the creator and producer of Roundup, and is the leader in bovine growth hormones.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#009900;"><strong>Heirloom Seeds</strong></span></div><div></div><div>People who have a great interest in Heirloom seeds and their plants are attracted to them for many reasons. Some are interested in growing the same plants that were grown for hundreds of years. Some are attracted by the idea of being connected with their forefathers. While others believe that the Heirloom plants are simply natural and lend themselves to organic gardening much better than hybrids. <strong>Most of us believe they just taste better!!</strong></div><div><strong><span style="color:#ffffff;">-</span></strong></div><div></div><div>Heirloom seeds are also known as "open pollinated" seeds. Unlike hybrids, which are pollinated mechanically and under tightly controlled conditions, heirloom plants produce seeds that mimic the parent plants. Gardeners save seeds from their best plants and store them for the next planting season. Heirloom plants tend to have much more flavor than hybrids, but often have irregular shapes, or don't transport as well. Producers of hybrids have discovered that it is far easier to breed plants for size and shape. Flavor is a mysterious thing! Another aspect of heirloom seeds is that they are dynamic. This means that the plants are able to adapt to their local environment, whereas hybrids are pretty much static.</div><div><span style="color:#ffffff;">-</span></div><div></div><div>I was recently reading a magazine called <a href="http://www.hobbyfarms.com/popular-farming-series.aspx"><strong>Heirloom Farm</strong> </a>and came across an article about <a href="http://www.americanprofile.com/article/2028.html"><strong>William <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Woys</span> Weaver</strong></a>, author and seed collector. Weaver, an avid gardener, discovered a collection of seeds in baby food jars in his recently deceased grandfather's freezer. He learned that his grandfather collected seeds from his gardens and replanted them into next year's garden. Weaver donated some of these to the collection at <a href="http://www.monticello.org/gardens/vegetable/index.html"><strong>Monticello</strong></a>, as well as several collection sites in Europe. Weaver has written a book called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Heirloom-Vegetable-Gardening-Gardeners-Planting/dp/0805040250"><strong><em>Heirloom Vegetable Gardening</em></strong></a>, and it is on my list of must-get books. </div><div><span style="color:#ffffff;">-</span></div><div></div><div>I am planning to grow mostly heirlooms this year and will change over completely next year. I have a gazillion sunflowers to plant, and they are all hybrids. I am going to try to plant some of their seeds and will let you know what develops!!</div><div><span style="color:#ffffff;">-</span></div><div></div><div></div><div><span style="font-size:180%;color:#ff0000;"><strong></strong></span></div><div><span style="font-size:180%;color:#ff0000;"><strong></strong></span></div><div><span style="font-size:180%;color:#ff0000;"><strong></strong></span></div><div><span style="font-size:180%;color:#ff0000;"><strong>Farm Update:</strong></span></div><div></div><div><strong><span style="font-size:180%;color:#ff0000;"></span></strong></div><div></div><div></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;color:#009900;"><strong>Garden Site</strong></span></div><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ffffff;">-</span></strong></div><div></div><div>This is a photo of the inner circle of the driveway, where I am planting the veg patch. It will be fenced to keep out critters, and I plan on building a series of raised beds. The soil is gravelly and sandy, and the raised beds will allow me to create nice soil on a much smaller and more controlled scale.</div><div><span style="color:#ffffff;">-</span></div><div><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313470607527769970" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 284px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/Sb09XZYr93I/AAAAAAAAA-8/u4U-r_IrO_M/s400/misc+090+web.jpg" border="0" /></div><div></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;color:#006600;"><strong></strong></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;color:#006600;"><strong></strong></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ffffff;"><strong>-</strong></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;color:#006600;"><strong>Chickens on a Sunny Day!</strong></span></div><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ffffff;">-</span></strong></div><div>The Buff Cochin, (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Bev</span>), is leading the charge to find some good stuff to scratch around in. </div><div><span style="color:#ffffff;">-<br /></span></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313470616617795154" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 281px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/Sb09X7P6vlI/AAAAAAAAA_E/T3cuHUTQ4-U/s400/misc+102+web.jpg" border="0" /></div><div></div><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#006600;"></span></strong></div><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#006600;"></span></strong></div><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ffffff;">-</span></strong></div><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#006600;">The Great Escape</span></strong></div><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ffffff;">-</span></strong></div><div></div><div>Steve McQueen would have been proud to see the chickens sprinting past the unsuspecting Bishop, (the barn cat). I kinda have the feeling that not much gets past her, including a group of loud and boisterous chickens heading to a dust bath!</div><div><span style="color:#ffffff;">-</span></div><div></div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313470621311560738" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/Sb09YMu_7CI/AAAAAAAAA_M/Ev2vpEYnvcM/s400/misc+114+web.jpg" border="0" /></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><span style="color:#ffffff;">-</span></div><div>I hope you are having a nice day! </div><div><span style="color:#ffffff;">-</span></div><div>It is somtimes easy to focus on negative things. </div><div><span style="color:#ffffff;">-</span></div><div>Ruth and I are focusing on positive thoughts. </div><div><span style="color:#ffffff;">-</span></div><div></div><div><em>(The photos in this post were taken by Ruth.)</em></div><div></div><div></div><div></div>Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16831577769797947426noreply@blogger.com51tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7211231099914483269.post-46314278792198170462009-03-08T19:38:00.011-04:002009-03-08T21:27:47.136-04:00The Chick's First AdventureOne of the students at my school took some of the chicks (from last week's post) home for the weekend and had a little fun. The results of that fun is the slide show below. This was actually a Powerpoint with lots of cool colors, but Powerpoint doesn't like Blogger very much.<br /><br />The music is a song by my son <a href="http://www.myspace.com/thebandmeridian">Peter's band</a>: Listen to Your Breaking Heart.<br /><br /><OBJECT class=BLOG_video_class id=BLOG_video-c7e3ef6d23a01f12 height=266 width=320 contentId="c7e3ef6d23a01f12"></OBJECT>Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16831577769797947426noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7211231099914483269.post-36240892337650166742009-03-01T08:31:00.005-05:002009-03-01T09:57:52.517-05:00The Stars Are Out<div align="center"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/SaqdxOM2W1I/AAAAAAAAA-k/v_c_YcHhNN8/s1600-h/black+sex+links+056+web.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308228579760692050" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 355px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/SaqdxOM2W1I/AAAAAAAAA-k/v_c_YcHhNN8/s400/black+sex+links+056+web.jpg" border="0" /></a> Five Days Old<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/SaqdwBa9uAI/AAAAAAAAA-M/ZBuyDOeZzmM/s1600-h/black+sex+links+038+web.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308228559150364674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 302px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/SaqdwBa9uAI/AAAAAAAAA-M/ZBuyDOeZzmM/s400/black+sex+links+038+web.jpg" border="0" /></a> Black Sex-Link Rooster<br /><br /><div align="left">It is difficult for non-professional breeders of chickens to figure out the gender of chicks. I have heard of several ways to determine this, but unless you have been trained and do hundreds or thousands of "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">sexings</span>" your success rate isn't going to be that great. One way that I was told to try is to take a chick that is 2-4 days old and hold it by the scruff of the neck (like a baby kitten) and let the bird dangle. Roosters supposedly <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">spaz</span> out with their feet and raise them up to try to push off your hand, while the hens just dangle there looking helpless. I tried this on the chicks I am going to describe below and it worked every time!</div><div align="left"><span style="color:#ffffff;">-</span><br />I chose three breeds and hatched them out at school. We had a four hour power outage at school one evening and I thought I would lose them all. However, I ended up with 22 chicks hatching out of 36 eggs. (8 Black Sex-Links, 7 Light Brahmas and 7 Rhode Island Reds)</div><div align="center"><br /><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308228570165924642" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 282px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/SaqdwqdR0yI/AAAAAAAAA-U/gu4mTD5R-mA/s400/black+sex+links+047+web.jpg" border="0" />Black Sex-Link Hen<br /><br /><br /><div align="left">The Black Sex-Links (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">BSL</span>) are a cross-breed between a red rooster, usually a Rhode island Red or a New Hampshire, and a Barred Rock hen. The chicks hatch out black, but the males have a white spot on their heads. The hens will have a black head. (When I tried the procedure described above to determine their gender, the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">BSL</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">roos</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">spazzed</span> and the hens dangled!) The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">BSL</span> chicks are very active and when the hens are about four months old, they will begin laying nice, big brown eggs. The roosters are good meat birds. I ended up with 2 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">BSL</span> hens and 6 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">BSL</span> roosters.<br /></div><div align="left">Other names I have come across for the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">BSL</span> breed include: Rock Reds and Black Stars. </div><div align="left"></div><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308228573023969202" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 243px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/Saqdw1GsH7I/AAAAAAAAA-c/n0m8fJXqMhg/s400/black+sex+links+030+web.jpg" border="0" /> Rhode Island Red and Light Brahma (five days old)</div><p>By the way, the chicks were the <em>hit</em> of the Science Fair at school last week! No big surprise. The bubble gum testing was pretty good too.</p>Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16831577769797947426noreply@blogger.com37tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7211231099914483269.post-64155353530325578262009-02-21T15:04:00.003-05:002009-02-21T16:02:31.477-05:00Farmer MacGregor must have really been somethin'<div align="center"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#006600;">Vegetable Garden Plans</span></strong></div><br /><span style="color:#000000;">Between our house and the green barn, we have a circle drive and in the middle of the circle drive I am going to develop a vegetable garden. The drawing below basically shows the curve of the driveway as it comes from the road to the right of the drawing and then bears to the left. The drive is actually an oval as it circles the drawing below. To the left of the proposed garden, we have a sixty foot Norway Spruce that takes up about a twenty foot diameter. Otherwise I would use the entire oval for the garden. Is that as clear as mud?</span><br /><br />As you can see, I am being fairly basic this year and not stepping too far out of the ordinary. Each of the burgundy rectangles will be an 8' x 4' raised bed. We have such sandy soil that I am going to have to import some decent, loamy dirt to fill all of these beds. Later, I will add my own composted materials, which the chickens are at this very moment helping to create! I took 6 wheelbarrows of really good straw/manure out to the compost heap. I will focus a little more energy on creating a better compost system this spring/summer.<br /><br />We want to freeze a lot of things this year so we can enjoy the garden well into next winter. We will have lots of green beans, and I saw a lady freezing tomatoes, instead of canning them. That looked easy and time-saving. We have a prolific pear tree and we are determined to can ALL of the pears this year. The grape arbor is a steady producer of three types of grape that I cook down and make juice. I then can this juice and as needed, I make up a batch of grape jelly. Another nice feature of the farm is an old crab apple tree that gave me 2 bushels of beautiful red apples last year. I still have several jars of that jelly down in the cellar. We also have our wild blackberries and raspberries that will be made into jams and syrup.<br /><br /><div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305344590330916242" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 288px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/SaBey8W27ZI/AAAAAAAAA9s/WudZW1UKFxs/s400/seeds+-+garden+008+web.jpg" border="0" /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#006600;">Three Sisters</span></strong></div>Please note the green circle that says "3 Sisters." Native Americans planted these circular patches all around their villages and planted corn, climbing beans and squash together. The corn would go in first and as it started to get tall, the pole beans would go in. As the beans grew, they would climb up the cornstalks. The beans not only provide good food, but they put nitrogen into the soil. A week after the beans have started to grow, squash is planted around the edge of the circle and the runners are encouraged to grow into the circle. The squash, as it matures, has large leaves that keep weeds from taking over the garden. So, these Native Americans had some excellent thinking going on here! I am going to have three different squash plants growing in my circle: <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">cinderella</span> pumpkins, acorn squash and butternut squash. I have sweetcorn and several varieties of popcorn that I am going to try. The circle will be approximately 15' in diameter. (The drawing is not to scale)<br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#006600;"><strong>Sunflowers Galore</strong></span></div><br />Our daughter, Lesley, is getting married in our orchard this summer! As you can imagine, we are very excited!!<br /><br />One of the projects she has requested is that we have lots of sunflowers on hand to help celebrate this great day. So, I have ordered 2,500 sunflower seeds, and I am going to plant every last one of them! This will take some planning, and some plowing. I am going to start about 200 of them in the basement under the grow lights, so we get an early start on the ones that will be planted as a backdrop to the ceremony.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/SaBezEqS1TI/AAAAAAAAA98/ge3uWbkP3K8/s1600-h/seeds+-+garden+002+web.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305344592559920434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/SaBezEqS1TI/AAAAAAAAA98/ge3uWbkP3K8/s400/seeds+-+garden+002+web.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />I also have orders to grow some black pearl peppers, (which have black leaves and little black peppers that turn scarlet when ripe.), as well as a lot of coleus. I will plant these things everywhere and when the time comes for decorating and making things for the wedding, Lesley and Ruth (and no doubt moi) can get out the scissors and cut away to her/their/our/my heart's content!<br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/SaBey6w_QmI/AAAAAAAAA90/jIjMK9qNyWY/s1600-h/seeds+-+garden+005+web.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305344589903643234" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 318px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/SaBey6w_QmI/AAAAAAAAA90/jIjMK9qNyWY/s400/seeds+-+garden+005+web.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#006600;"><strong>Six Weeks Old</strong></span></div><div></div><div>This is a Cochin/<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Maran</span> combo. I have a feeling it is a rooster, as there are little nubs on the insides of the legs, which probably will be spurs. This little guy is so cute! He was docile and content to sit on my hand and look around at all the wonders that are outside of the brooder box.<br /><div><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305344592427433442" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 278px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-kevZ7JEsRU/SaBezEKtPeI/AAAAAAAAA-E/IRNwL-wgE4w/s400/chick+003+web.jpg" border="0" /><br />Monday is hatch day at school where I have an incubator containing 37 eggs. Our school had a power outage one night for three hours, so I am not hopeful for a great hatch. I expect about 50% of the eggs to hatch, but you never know! I candled the eggs and every one seemed to be doing well. So, either this is a miracle batch, or I am really bad at candling. One of my students and I made a candler out of a powerful flashlight, but we found that the computer <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">presenter's</span> light was way better! I hope to gain a good number of brown egg layers from this batch. If not, then I will try again. $5.00 per dozen for the eggs, plus a small shipping fee! The eggs are Rhode Island Reds, Light Brahmas, and Black Sex Links, (or Black Stars).</div><div></div><div> </div><div> </div><div>I'll let you know!!<br /><div></div></div>Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16831577769797947426noreply@blogger.com45