Man, I'm starting to really love this whole partial quarantine thing. The weather here has been amazing, things are growing, I'm meeting my neighbors, we're spending time as a family, I'm spending tons of time in the garden. The only thing that's missing is some introspection, but it'll come. Or it won't.
View out the kitchen window
This is the garden spot that is right outside the kitchen window. The old ratty coop and run used to be here and it was depressing to Melissa. Now theres a little garden space thats really vibrant and popping. Inside the log outline we've planted green beans along the outside border. The inner parts are planted with okra and mammoth grey stripe sunflowers. Theres more green beans planted around the whole property, but this specific spot is planted for melissa to easily harvest from.
Up above that spot, there's the little corn patch. Four twelve foot contoured rows that, if each plant yields one ear of corn, will yield 25 pounds of corn flour.
Cleavers, after tincturing
I'm still making medicines of course. The cleavers tincture I started a while back came up ready and this is the plant matter at the end. Almost all the pigment ended up in the tincture! As the cleavers came up, it was time to start the pine pollen.
Pine pollen catkins
Our pine trees arent pollinating as much as others in our neighborhood, so Sam and I went for a drive to ask our neighbors if we could harvest from their trees. We found three places, but only the last one answered the door. She was an artsy old gal that said "hell yeah, go for it!" when I ask permission to harvest in exchange for some of the finished medicine. Some of the catkins went to waste because I didn't use them in time and they molded quickly, but I've got two pints tincturing now.
Corn rows, plum tree, comfrey
I love this little view here. This was early in the week, and things have nearly doubled since then. I can't believe how much the corn is loving this sunshine!
Oak microgreens
The oak trees are really coming up! I didnt plant these, but they serve a great purpose. These trees can be used for a lot of things around here when they're bigger, so I'm letting them grow like a carpet across our yard. Right now I'm using plum prunings as garden stakes, and I imagine some of these mighty oaks will serve that purpose someday in a few years.
Chicks on grass in the tractor
This was one of the last days we had these chickens. I'm taking a year off from animals right now, after this flock got Mareck's disease, a virus that causes paralysis, blindness, and tumors on every tissue in the birds. This flock was culled, as every bird quickly became symptomatic. In the future, we'll have to have birds that are vaccinated, as it'll be in this soil here forever.
I don't know if it's related, but I think it's time to separate my garden from any financial matters. These chickens were supposed to be for feeding us and bringing in a small bit of homesteady side money from eggs and meat. I don't have a heart for business type ventures right now, so I'm separating money from my garden. I'll sell nothing, but will gladly trade my excess with my community. No money allowed here.
Potato patch
I don't know how to grow potatoes, but we had some in the pantry that sprouted roots and planted them this winter. They're bushing up well in a bed where I was going to grow other things, but they're making food, so yay! Happy accidents everywhere.
Farmer Sam and I with a load of compost
With no chickens taking my energy and attention, and not having to go to work, I'm able to focus on other things. I've decided to turn the sharing garden into a community garden area with raised beds. Within two hours of posting in my neighborhood Facebook group, I had two people on board to plant their extra seeds there! I'm going to set up probably three beds for now, being careful to leave room to drive through to the back yard and room for people to park when we have guests. I pray it is a productive space for my community.
Rotten pumpkin exploding with life
Over in that northeastern part of the yard, we left one pumpkin that wasn't fed to the chickens. It's starting to sprout now with a couple dozen plants. I'll thin them out as they grow, but this spot is now being dubbed the punkin' patch. I've told the neighborhood that they're welcome to the harvest, as we've got several volunteer pumpkins popping up all over. I'll probably keep a couple, but last year's squash takeover has left me with some serious winter squash PTSD.
Wild blackberry flowering
The wild blackberries we transplanted last year are flowering this year. The thornless varieties haven't flowered yet, and I'm wondering if they needed a deeper winter like the apple trees that aren't flowering yet either. The apples and blackberries didn't even lose all their leaves this winter, so I don't think they got their proper dormancy period.
Before the first compost load
Last spring, I added a truck load of hay here, and this fall I put down leaves on top of that. This year, for the community garden, I put composted horse manure on top of that and I'm hoping we can plant into it.
After the first compost load
This bed took two truck loads to cover the whole 4x30' (1.3x10m) bed. I laid it on pretty thick here, and it's raised up about halfway to my knee. Plenty of worm food :)
First two beds in the community garden
The second bed is 4x20' (1.3x7m), and only took one load. I don't know if I want one more bed or two, we'll find out how I feel sometime soon. With another week off work, I might just turn the whole damn place into a foot deep compost bed.
Green glow of the corn and clover
This painted mountain corn was planted on February 17th. Being an 85 day corn, it should be ready around May 12, about a month after most folks are planting their corn here according to frost dates. I think we had one freeze right after planting, but that's it. A long season this year I hope. Average last frost here is April 1, which is what we had last year. @bobydimitrov says the cooler planting time will likely add time to the maturing, so we'll see how accurate that 85 day figure is.
Next week we will be planting out Hopi blue corn, allowing time between sowing so that these two varieties won't cross pollinate. I'm hoping to save a pound or two of seed from each corn so I can plant even more and share some seed locally next year. Bioregional seed independence is something I'm becoming more aware of and more active about. This year we're starting with half a pound of each seed. If Melissa will let me, I'd like to work the front yard into a good size corn patch where we can grow several hundred pounds of one variety. We'll see how that goes though, I may just need to lease a neighbor's yard area.
Elecampane from @sagescrub's seeds
On a yard walk and planting expedition yesterday, I found this little elecampane coming up from one of the seedlings that I sprouted from @sagescrub's seeds. A reminder of resilience, as I thought all of those plants had died. This one came back from it's roots to bring me a little encouragement.
So many seeds got planted this week; green beans, okra, cucumbers, Tulsi, elecampane, St John's wort, spilanthes oleracea, luffa gourd, amaranth, sunflowers, and probably more that I'm forgetting. And theres more to plant! I haven't even started most of my medicinals yet. Motherwort, ashwagandha, tobacco, and more! It's busy season.
That wraps up this week's post! More to come soon of course. For now I'm off to bed, it's late.
Hope everyone is staying safe and healthy.
All action for the good of all
Nate
Wow, I'm really jealous of how far along everything is. It's looking amazing. As a rule of thumb, most things don't go into the ground here until after Mothersday.
And wait, what? You don't have work? I thought you were pretty sure your number wasn't up for a lay off?
Either way, sounds like you are living it up, which is how it's done.
I'm safe from the layoff, but the whole place is off for corona furlough til the 6th. A week of unemployment, so it's not so bad. It's actually kinda freaking awesome.
After mother's day! That's waaay too long lol
Yay! Farmer Sam photos! Things are doing well all over your little homestead!
Plant things, anyways. It's all so greeeen!
sorry to hear about Mareck's. Everything looks beautiful.
It happens. I'm okay without the stress of getting birds and setting up for them for now. Plenty else to do of course lol
Hey Nate ❤ Great to see you blogging. Awesome efforts towards your garden and positive vibes for your family and community. All the best with your growing endeavours!! And, i am sorry to hear about your culled chickens. What a bummer and complicated situation ☀️
Much Love! 🙏☘🐝
@trucklife-family here there is nothing more therapeutic than being out in your garden growing your own food. I have enjoyed this extra time to focus more on my as well. Great to see all the progress in yours Nate.