So much is happening, I can tell that it's Spring! Definitely a lot more farm related projects in the spring!
The ducks and chicks have sure grown! As a matter of fact, the ducks have grown so much it has prompted us to think about what is next. So I bought the ducks as I have always pictured ducks growing up on our pond, with a floating house in the middle that I could tether to the shore to collect eggs and check it. Last Friday night (date night), I asked my husband if he would build a floating duck house with me for date night. He obliged, so with him at the circular saw and jig saw and me at the compound miter saw, we set about building my vision of a floating duck house. As a frugal person, I was determined to build it out of scraps in the workshop. I thought I wanted one in the shape of a hexagon that had equal sides, but when I finally figured out the equal sides, drew it and cut it out (of bargain wrapping paper on clearance sale for fifty cents), I looked at it, blinked, and realized I had actually cut out an octagon. . .After a moment, I said, "I love octagons!" lol.
We have two big gardens, one of which we call the "chicken garden" because we started it to grow chicken feed. This year, we have a row of zinnias towards the house (looks great, provides great cut flowers, and draws in pollinators), then two rows of black oil sunflower seeds (also loved by the cattle and yellow goldfinches who show up to tell us it is time to harvest before they do), four rows of corn, two rows that are waiting for okra, and our cool weather crops towards the woods line of spinach, lettuce, snow peas and garlic. The corn in the chicken garden is interesting this year, as we didn't have any leftover corn seeds. I figured what the heck, I will try the deer corn that we had bought for the chickens. I didn't expect it to work since we have tried it before and had zero germination, but, oh my goodness, it came up in droves this year. $7.50 for a fifty pound bag is not too shabby for seeds. . .
Our big garden is all planted. It is so nice to see so many young plants coming up! We have three rows of beans, pole, bush and lima beans. The corn is up, our 9 rows of potatoes are up, the carrots are almost ready to be thinned, still waiting on the pumpkins and melons to show. The tomatoes and peppers, and cucumbers and squash are all in.
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| Beets are growing in 2 rows |
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| Carrots ready to be thinned |
I am in anticipation of yummy fresh vegetables.
We are currently raising 38 Cornish Cross chicks for our freezer. They sure are growing fast. This is only the second week. They are out in the chicken tractor which has already been moved once to fresh ground. We usually gather them into a tub and move it at this stage to make sure no one gets caught in the move. My husband is raising the brooder for me to take the picture.
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| Blocked out while we are working with saws |
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| No No! Not mama's chair! |
Our dogs are doing great. They try to help with everything. They are up all night guarding the garden, the chicken coop and the farm. They help us sleep at night knowing the security is taken care of. One of them found their way into the greenhouse and was taking advantage of mama's chair. . .
The asparagus is still feeding us. Yesterday we had asparagus quiche. They remind me to embrace eating seasonally. The frog pond is full of tadpoles and the Siberian iris is blooming. The fig tree here got hit by the frost but is coming back from the ground. We are hoping to have a good fruit year.
The raspberries and elderberries are coming along nicely. We have a couple of elderberry plants that got bit by the frost and are now a little iffy, but all of the new raspberry plants have leafed out. The cattle are lazing about in the pig pasture. They always seem to pick the middle of the buttercups. It reminds me of the scene from The Wizard of Oz in the poppy field. We try to get rid of them by mowing before they can seed, but I wonder if there is something about them that the cattle actually like?
There is so much more, but for today, I will leave you with this little story. When my husband and I started dating and it was time to meet his parents, they had us over to dinner. I was so impressed as his mom is a very good cook. After the meal, I looked out the back door and there on the bird feeder was a piece of chocolate cake. I remarked, "Oh my goodness, even the birds here get chocolate cake!" Of course, laughter ensued as this was part of a cake that didn't get eaten soon enough and it ended up on the bird feeder. We have been trying to think of ways to help his parents not be bored during the Coronavirus when no one can visit by sending masks, or sending pictures. Here is the next picture to go out in the mail.
The ducks and chicks have sure grown! As a matter of fact, the ducks have grown so much it has prompted us to think about what is next. So I bought the ducks as I have always pictured ducks growing up on our pond, with a floating house in the middle that I could tether to the shore to collect eggs and check it. Last Friday night (date night), I asked my husband if he would build a floating duck house with me for date night. He obliged, so with him at the circular saw and jig saw and me at the compound miter saw, we set about building my vision of a floating duck house. As a frugal person, I was determined to build it out of scraps in the workshop. I thought I wanted one in the shape of a hexagon that had equal sides, but when I finally figured out the equal sides, drew it and cut it out (of bargain wrapping paper on clearance sale for fifty cents), I looked at it, blinked, and realized I had actually cut out an octagon. . .After a moment, I said, "I love octagons!" lol. 
We have two big gardens, one of which we call the "chicken garden" because we started it to grow chicken feed. This year, we have a row of zinnias towards the house (looks great, provides great cut flowers, and draws in pollinators), then two rows of black oil sunflower seeds (also loved by the cattle and yellow goldfinches who show up to tell us it is time to harvest before they do), four rows of corn, two rows that are waiting for okra, and our cool weather crops towards the woods line of spinach, lettuce, snow peas and garlic. The corn in the chicken garden is interesting this year, as we didn't have any leftover corn seeds. I figured what the heck, I will try the deer corn that we had bought for the chickens. I didn't expect it to work since we have tried it before and had zero germination, but, oh my goodness, it came up in droves this year. $7.50 for a fifty pound bag is not too shabby for seeds. . .
Our big garden is all planted. It is so nice to see so many young plants coming up! We have three rows of beans, pole, bush and lima beans. The corn is up, our 9 rows of potatoes are up, the carrots are almost ready to be thinned, still waiting on the pumpkins and melons to show. The tomatoes and peppers, and cucumbers and squash are all in.
The asparagus is still feeding us. Yesterday we had asparagus quiche. They remind me to embrace eating seasonally. The frog pond is full of tadpoles and the Siberian iris is blooming. The fig tree here got hit by the frost but is coming back from the ground. We are hoping to have a good fruit year.
The raspberries and elderberries are coming along nicely. We have a couple of elderberry plants that got bit by the frost and are now a little iffy, but all of the new raspberry plants have leafed out. The cattle are lazing about in the pig pasture. They always seem to pick the middle of the buttercups. It reminds me of the scene from The Wizard of Oz in the poppy field. We try to get rid of them by mowing before they can seed, but I wonder if there is something about them that the cattle actually like?
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