Chickweed
We have chickweed growing all over our garden. The chickens love it and we use it in our smoothies and salads. Here is a link to more information on Chickweed… https://www.nybg.org/blogs/plant-talk/2012/03/tip-of-the-week/eat-the-weeds/
Making Honey Bee Swarm Traps (Layens Bait Hives)
We currently have one Langstroth style bee hive in the orchard, but we would like to have a few more hives. We can buy a packaged box of bees that includes a queen for about $125. However, we may be able to catch local honey bees that are swarming, usually in the Spring. There are
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Shiitake Mushrooms In Winter
This past spring we inoculated about a dozen red oak logs with a cold weather shiitake mushroom strain called Snow Cap. They have been fruiting all winter long! We also inoculated logs with a warm weather strain called Halo. Between the two we should be harvesting mushrooms more regularly throughout the year. Picked almost a
2020 Garden Seedlings
We are already getting our seedlings started inside for the spring garden. For these seedlings we’re using a standard set of 4 foot LED lights as grow lights…nothing special. We also use a couple thermostatically controlled heating mats to help some seeds germinate. A 10″x 20″ flat of brassicas (brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and broccoli) planted
Winter Bees Flying In Loaded With Pollen
It was a warm day for the end of January and the bees were out and about. We were shocked to see them flying in with pollen. I thought the bees were done collecting pollen until spring, but on January 27th some bees were loaded with pollen on a warmish day.
Making More Raised Garden Beds
We had a nice open area where the harbor freight portable garage was, so we made some more raised beds. These garden beds are made from cedar slabs, or first cuts from the chainsaw mill. I’ve been saving the good ones that have significant heart wood for building projects like this. The finished beds. 1/2
Elderberry Cuttings and Tincture
We harvested 2 lbs. of elderberries from seven young elderberry plants last year. We made elderberry tincture from the 2 lbs. of berries. We put the destemmed and rinsed elderberries in 1.5 litres of 100 proof vodka and let them sit for 2-3 months. Then, we strained out the berries and stored the finished elderberry
2019 Garden Harvest Top Ten Totals
We weigh all of the fruit and vegetables that we harvest from our garden, with the exception of some herbs that we pick for cooking. This year we grew 1260 lbs. of food, which is over 250 lbs. more than last year. Our biggest crop by far was tomatoes, which we canned the majority of
Happy Thanksgiving!
We hope everyone spends a day with loved ones and is thankful for all of the family and friends in their life. Apple pie that Abby, Mitch and Sarah made….it was freakin’ yummy.
Recovering an Old Harbor Freight Portable Garage
We purchased a Harbor Freight Portable Garage that we used as storage when we first moved here. The tarp covering eventually deteriorated to the point where even copious use of duct tape was not going to fix it. Fortunately, all the stuff inside could be put in the workshop, a utility shed or donated to
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