The Farm is Growing!

Well Shmarmers, we have been busy and wet!  Rain, rain, rain, equals a WHOLE lot of mud!  But the garden seems to enjoy it, so I'll quit complaining and let my garden grow.  Since we had a little break between thunderstorms today I went out, did a little work in the garden and took some pictures.

 Here are the beans, arching out of the ground.

 Growing a little bigger...

And now enjoying their nice, mulched beds.

We are also growing some...

 Tomatoes

 Peppers

 Beets

 Lettuce

 Swiss Chard

 Radishes

 Zucchinis

 Watermelons

 Cucumbers

Garlic and Onions

And here are the bagged potatoes

They seem quite happy in their new home!

Over the rest of the garden we planted a cover crop of buckwheat.  It started out like this:

And now looks like this:

The chickens seem to enjoy it!

The other project we've been working on is our brooder.  When you raise baby chicks they need to be protected from predators and they also need to be warm and protected from the elements.  So they are raised in a brooder.  Hoping to soon start a large laying flock, Micah built this:

The four walled base is an upcycled garage door.  The wood is just 2x4s.  To finish it off Micah ordered metal roofing and for ventilation he filled the sides with chicken wire.  Here's what it looks like now:

(Wouldn't mind putting some of our own kids in there.)

Around the base is chicken wire so that animals don't try to dig their way in and grab our babies.

The hens will be in here for about 3 weeks and then out to pasture.  Sure is easier than raising your kids for 18 years and sending them to college, huh?

We've had some nice visitors...

And they add a nice soundtrack too!

We've even been able to enjoy some of what's growing!

That's purslane.  It's a succulent weed (I found this batch in my garlic) that spreads like crazy.  But if you harvest it, it is DELICIOUS!  Wonderful in salads and stir-frys.  Here's what the internet has to say about it:

• This wonderful green leafy vegetable is very low in calories (just 16 kcal/100g) and fats; nonetheless, it is rich in dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
• Fresh leaves contain surprisingly more omega-3 fatty acids (α-linolenic acid) than any other leafy vegetable plant. 100 grams of fresh purslane leaves provide about 350 mg of α-linolenic acid. Research studies show that consumption of foods rich in ω-3 fatty acids may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, and help prevent the development of ADHD, autism, and other developmental differences in children.
• It is an excellent source of Vitamin A, (1320 IU/100 g, provides 44% of RDA) one of the highest among green leafy vegetables. Vitamin A is a known powerful natural antioxidant and is essential for vision. This vitamin is also required to maintain healthy mucus membranes and skin. Consumption of natural vegetables and fruits rich in vitamin A is known to help to protect from lung and oral cavity cancers.
• Purslane is also a rich source of vitamin C, and some B-complex vitamins like riboflavin, niacin, pyridoxine and carotenoids, as well as dietary minerals, such as iron, magnesium, calcium, potassium, and manganese.
• Furthermore, present in purslane are two types of betalain alkaloid pigments, the reddish beta-cyanins and the yellow beta-xanthins. Both pigment types are potent anti-oxidants and have been found to have anti-mutagenic properties in laboratory studies. [Proc. West. Pharmacol. Soc. 45: 101-103 (2002)].
  
  
  I copied all that from http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/purslane.html
  
  
  It was too much to type after thinning and weeding all day.  My fingers are sore.  
  
  
  And when it's all done, we get to sit back and enjoy the view! 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Hope you're all out there enjoying your summers!
  
  P.S. I put a little video of the cows mooing. Could y'all watch it, or did it not load?

As I Ran Through My Woods

As I ran in my woods the sun was just rising,
the air was already warm,
the sky light with anticipation.

As I ran in my woods the birds sang,
oblivious of me,
high in the treetops.

As I ran in my woods I read a map of footprints in the mud,
showing last night's visitors,
like a youtube channel.

As I ran in my woods I startled a raccoon,
he stopped drinking from his puddle,
and scurried halfway up his tree.

I stopped running to enjoy this brief,
and one-sided connection I felt,
with this other warm blooded mammal.

As I ran in my woods I felt webs brush and cling,
the feeling was unnerving,
but too small to slow me down.

As I ran in my woods I felt how little I have truly run in my life,
how my body ached for it,
how my body ached from it.

As I ran in my woods I knew my form was awkward,
as were my knee socks protecting me from tics,
it didn't matter.  No one would see me.

As I ran in my woods I marveled at my namelessness,
Not Mama, wife, sister, daughter, friend,
Not Jew, hippie, farmer, girl.

As I ran through my woods the sun began to peek through the trees,
and leave tantalizing golden trails
that begged for faeries.

As I ran in my woods I began composing this poem,
words feeding on words,
and I listened,
knowing that one day,
I will run through my woods,
and be but footsteps on an empty path.

Shmarmers are Farming!

Today has been a real Farm day!  We started out by milking the lovely goat.  Then we came home and ate homemade maple nut granola with fresh goat milk.  I can't remember loving a breakfast more.  After some school work and art, we had lunch.  Lunch's dessert was organic strawberries, nectarine and, you guessed it, more goat milk.  Sooooo good!  

And here's the main event, our garden plot finally got tilled!  By this great old white bearded guy named Jim.  Jim, you rocked it today!

Well now that that's done, it is WORK time!  We marked off the 50ft by 60ft plot we'll be planting this summer and started making our rows.  In more than 3 hours we got ONE row finished.  We're picking out rocks and making mounds.  And Oh My G-d my back is killing me!

Sarah Leah, our summer live-in sweat right along with me.  Thank G-d!

Meanwhile Micah is cutting, cutting, cutting away at all the brush and trees along the fence line we hope to get up soon.  I'm pretty sure he's covered head to toe in poison ivy, so I'll be avoiding him for the rest of the night.

It's alright.  He's got great company.

Now it's dinner time, followed by books and then bed.  But I'll probably go out and see if I can't plant my little row tonight so I can get a head start on tomorrow.  

Goat Sitting

We Farm Shmarmers are doing something new.  We're goat sitting!  And a bit of poultry sitting too.  It's so much fun.  Here's the birds.

There's a great big mix of hens, roosters, ducks and turkeys.  And boy do they make noise!  

The kids were a little skittish at first.  Mostly because of this guy...

Meet Popeye.  Big boss around here.  But really just a sweetheart full of air!  

When we finish feeding them and letting out of their coops (three coops in all) we went to visit the goats.  But first Micah stopped by the cutie ponies to give them some grass.  They were grateful.  

Here is Emma.

She is a sweetheart who loves a good scratch behind the ears.  And here is her daughter, Ella.

They have the sweetest faces and always seem to be smiling.

And Doby is the milking nubian.

She is very tolerant of us as we learn the ropes.  

When she's all done we give her a good rub of coconut oil and send her outside to enjoy the day.

The other girls come out and join her.  But first Ella and Nisayah have a little playtime.

Look out! 

And now we're done.  The milk is so delicious!  The kids can't get enough.  It goes straight into everything from our granola to the coffee.  It's great by the glass too.  See you tomorrow ladies!