A Wom(hen)'s Prerogative, lessons learned, and a promising experiment!

 Well she changed her mind.  Yes, our little broody hen has decided not to brood after all.  At least she did it early on.  We think the reason was having to share a nest with other hens.  It doesn't matter that we have another nesting box available.  The other hens HAD to use the one she was in.  As a result two eggs were broken.  Knowing the eggs she was sitting on were now messy, she moved to the other nesting box to sit on clean eggs.  That's what we think.  She might have done okay with those, but we aren't needing more chicks and she wasn't too determined.  We'll see what happens in the near future.  

So now on to the experiments I tried this season.  I always try new things if I'm not gong to be out much.  It's a way to learn, and perfect skills.  This season I tried two different experiments.  

1) Allowing my tomato plants to remain uncaged.  I did have some caged, but I ran out of cages and just let the rest go to see how they'd do.  I was thinking I liked uncaged better, but when all was said and done; caging is best.  In a pinch though, uncaged still works.  Caging did make it easier to view the tomatoes as they ripened so I could get them before they went bad.  However, with indeterminate tomatoes, their continued growth can become too heavy for the cages, so have some good sturdy cages when you do.  The advantage of uncaged tomatoes is they lay down more roots as they spread making an over all healthier tomato plant.  However, the disadvantage is they are so thick I can't see where the tomatoes are.  It's literally a jungle.  Both experiments had yellowing lower leaves.  However it took longer to get the yellowing leaves on the uncaged plants. Still, if I can't see tomatoes, that's a problem.

2)  Elderberry Branches as pest control.  The second experiment was the most promising of the two.  I'd seen a lecture on the benefits of Elderberry plants.  I've known about the benefits from the berries, but this lecture covered the whole plant.  During the course of the lecture, he spoke of Elderberry leaves being good for pest control.  We'd had a storm take down some branches off my Elderberry bushes; so I tried it out by laying the downed branches around my beans and squash plants.  I'm not out anything except branches that were broken off anyway.  I've dealt with Mexican Bean Beetles every year for the past 29 years we've lived here.  Every.  Year.  Today I saw one; middle of growing season, and my bean plants are almost done.  One.  That one was found on the very first bed of beans I planted, and the one bed that had no Elderberry branches placed.  I did find some squash borers on my yellow squash, but it was after the plants were finished producing.  I'd not put more branches around it in weeks, probably longer.  So while my proof is anecdotal, It's enough where I plan on doing that again next year.  I've included a link to the video if you're interested.

Here's the link

So last but not least is my lesson learned.  Do not attempt to trap Japanese Beetles or June Bugs.  The scent will draw every single Beetle/Bug in the surrounding area to YOUR GARDEN!  I chose to stop putting out traps this year and have seen very few of these insects.  The ones I've seen I can easily knock off into soapy water, and give them to the chickens.  NO TRAPS!   Learn from my past mistakes.  Just say NO!

So what experiments have you tried?  

It's been a while, and a lot to tell you

   

So I know I've been AWOL for a few weeks now.  Like I said before, this time of year is the greatest time for content to write, and the worst for having time to write.  I can't lay it all at the feet of my little farmstead.  A little over a month ago my brother in law unexpectedly passed away.  In my opinion, it shouldn't have happened.  That and a buck fifty will get me a coffee at Denny's.  All I will say is I have no trust in our healthcare system.  GET A GOOD PRIMARY, and allow only him to prescribe, order tests, etc.  If you have another specialist, take their recommendations to your primary before agreeing to anything.  I mean a good primary.  I don't mean a nice primary.  A doctor can have a great bedside manner and be a terrible doctor.  QUESTION EVERYTHING!  TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS!  If something feels wrong it probably is.  HAVE AN ADVOCATE!  Preferably someone with a little medical experience, but at least have someone there who knows you and your wishes.  If I'm not careful I'll go on a tangent.  So I'll stop there.  This may be a longer post later.

In addition to that, and being there for my sister; our grandsons came to stay for 5 days.  While they were here we had a heat wave come through.  Oh boy!  So there wasn't the ability to do much more than pick stuff out of the garden then.  When we were in the house there wasn't much time to concentrate on writing.  

Once they left my focus had to turn to getting the run completed for our Jersey Giants  While still small babies, at 5 weeks old they are more in line with a laying chicken at 8 or 9 weeks.  I did finally get it completed 2 days ago.  I have a couple of aesthetic things to do to it, but structurally it's done and they love it.  Pictures to come later.  

I also finally have our new side deck!  We're thrilled!  For the past 29 years we've had this little 4x4 "landing" for lack of a better word, that was half rotted.  Now we have THIS!

So yesterday was my final "have to" outside.  That was to pick all the produce that's accumulated while I was completing the run.  Hubby was off yesterday so he joined me outside and we picked for 2 hours!  I shutter to think how long it would have taken with just me!  Then yesterday afternoon was spent processing what we picked.  I put up 7 pints of blackberry syrup, 2 quarts butternut squash, and 4 quarts of tomato sauce.  My counters are full of tomatoes still to process, but they aren't quite ready, and I have cucumbers I need to do something with.  The rest of the summer will be light maintenance, and picking.  No other big projects are on the list until we process all but one of the roosters from our meat birds in August.  

We have a broody hen in our layer coop, currently sitting on 8 eggs.  We don't want to break her brood, so we've marked the eggs to keep them separated from the other hens eggs, and the plan is to sell the chicks once they're 5 weeks old.  That's if she makes it to hatch them.  Sometimes hens change their mind.  The instinct to brood is bred out of chicks you buy at the store.  My thought is it isn't so much "bred out" as it is they aren't taught.  Store bought chicks experience no mothering in their early life.  At birth they don't imprint on anyone or anything.  As a result they don't fully understand the concept of brooding and being a mother.  It takes them a few trial and error times through before they get it down.  Sometimes they never do.  With the exception of these meat birds, we stopped buying from hatcheries and instead allow a hen to brood if she wants to.  Those chicks will be mothered for 5 weeks, and will learn how to be a mother as well.  The baby roosters will learn from the father rooster what he needs to know.  We have a great daddy rooster that cares for his chicks very well.  He does so because his daddy rooster did the same for him.  Our plan is to exchange meat bird eggs for any egg layer eggs a broody hen wants to sit on.  While our meat bird hens are figuring it out, we will still be able to continue our flock of meat birds through our egg layer mamas.

I think I've covered the big happenings around here.  I have some posts in mind for the future.  Just have to get some pictures to help cover them.  I plan on doing better in the future writing on my blog now that I have my head above water.  Thank you for your patience.  

Now back to the fun stuff!

 I know it's been like crickets chirruping on here for a few weeks.  That's because I've been racing the clock, and weather.  We had new baby chicks to be delivered this past week and we had to be ready for them.  That meant an overhaul to our current chicken set up.  The plan is to have our normal sized eggs layers in the front coop/run, and the meat birds in the back, larger coop/run.  I'm still not finished, but was caught up enough to move the layers to the front so we could temporarily house the babies, who arrived yesterday.  They can stay in the larger back coop while everything is revamped around them.  Then, by the time they're out and about, their home will be oh so so!

These are called Jersey Giants.  They're a heritage form of meat bird.  While they don't look that giant at the moment, from what I've read that will change.  From what we've read males can get up to 13 lbs. with hens getting up to 10 lbs.  So far we have 25 chicks.  We ordered 24 and the hatchery, Murray McMurray, threw in an extra one just in case we were to lose one.  So far they seem to all be doing well.  This is our foray into raising meat sustainably.  We hope.  The plan is to keep one rooster and all of the hens to keep this flock going.  The rest of the roosters from this bunch will be processed, we hope around 12-14 weeks. We would still get eggs from these hens; maybe not as many as the layers, but still.  Any future roosters would be processed for meat.  Extra hens would be sold.  Sometimes a rooster would go with hens, but that doesn't always happen.  If it does, we're happy to do it.  Below is what they look like all grown up!

We still have some major work to do for the back coop and a little more for the front coop.  I'm pretty happy with what we've done to date.  Still need to paint the new gate and house.

 

All that being said, chickens aren't my only concerns, as the garden is going great guns with all the rain/ breaks of sun, we've been having.  It's like the perfect combo of rain and sun.  My plants are going great, but so are the weeds!  Now that we have a break in the rain; it'll be another marathon to catch up before the rain comes back in:  Picking, weeding, planting, etc.   Fortunately I have my sweet hubby to help!  Check out what came in over the past two days!

Those stalks are rhubarb.  It's the only thing I've canned so far.  Everything else has either been eaten fresh, or is currently fermenting.  I've made a batch of fermented salsa (some store bought ingredients), fermented Latin sauerkraut, and fermented green beans.  I'm waiting to get enough cucumbers in for fermented pickles.  The potatoes have been washed and are currently curing on my counter before cold storage.  

WEEDS!  Thought I'd end this with a little info for weed control.  It's not perfect, but it beats Round up.  

WEED KILLER

1 gallon white vinegar 

1/4 cup dish liquid

2 cups salt

Mix well until salt dissolves.  Pour into a sprayer.  Spray on a sunny day.  Avoid your garden plants!

I only use this in my walk ways between the beds.  I don't want to risk the plants I want to stay by either spraying them by accident, or rain washing the salt into soil where my plants roots are!  This does cut down greatly on having to weed.  Time saver!

LADIES! (only)

 So if you're a guy and want to read this; I guess I can't stop you, but be aware this post talks about female medical stuff so beware!

So it's official.  I am now post menopausal!   YAY!  I say "yay" because it was a rough road getting here.  Many of you are aware that I had a heart attack in 2018, 7 years ago this coming August.  My total cholesterol was 146 total then.  That's a cholesterol people would love to have, but I was put on a statin and was told they wanted it lower.  I asked every doctor if my heart attack was related to hormones since my cholesterol was so low, I was at the best health of my life, and there were no blockages.  Not to mention the heart attack struck 2 days before my cycle was to start.  I was told "no".  Isn't she cute thinking she can play doctor!  I was on to something even then.  Found out today from my Primary that total cholesterol lower than 150 increases all cause mortality.  Dually noted.  From 2018 on, however my cholesterol began to climb.  It currently sits at 223, down from 299.  Triglycerides were fine.  Below is a list of things I've dealt with over the past 7-8years.  See if any of these sound familiar if you're in your 40's or 50's. 

Weight Gain, especially around the waist, despite best efforts.

Migraines( and along those lines throw in a heart attack for good measure)

Insomnia

Increasing cholesterol levels

Irritability

Insulin resistance

Joint pain

Low sex drive

Restless Legs (or shoulders)

Memory Loss/ Inability to concentrate/ Brain fog

Nocturnal trips to the bathroom( that doesn't help the insomnia)

Irregular cycles

These are a few of the things I personally dealt with, but many things women deal with in their 40's and up can be laid at the feet of our hormones or lack there of.  While I knew to expect some of these things, many I did not.  Unfortunately neither did the doctors I was seeing.  I was pleading for answers with every doctor I went to.  I've come to the realization that there is an age and fat bias when it comes to doctors and patients, especially when those patients are women.  I wasn't old enough for the age bias, but I did get the fat bias, I believe.  Rather than seeing the 63 pounds I had lost, they saw  a woman who was off her "diet" gaining weight back and wanted to justify her lack of will power.  Only will power had nothing to do with it.  They never seemed to want to look any further to see if maybe there was something going on.  That is until my current Primary.  He did look further and has been trying to help me through this, but couldn't do much with hormone therapy until I was menopausal.  So YAY!

 This isn't the whole list, so if you're nearing that age of 40's and 50's, find yourself a good OBGYN that specializes in women's hormones; bioidentical hormones, not the synthetic kind( IMO).  Another reason to say "Yay!"  is because, now that I'm post menopausal I plan to go on hormone therapy.  Everyone should do their own research and do what's right for them.  I've been told, many of my issues may resolve with this therapy.  So I'm not just a "yea", I'm a Heck Yea!

So if you're "at that age", and your doctor is blowing off things that concern you or lecturing you because you're gaining weight, cholesterol is up, etc.  Find a new doctor!   Second opinions are great things!

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The Benefits of Weeds

 Good morning all.  We had a cool May morning today with our low being in the 46-48 degree range, depending on who you asked.  Fortunately my plants remained unfazed.  My morning consisted of harvesting more asparagus and strawberries, but my main thing was weeding.  Hence the title of my post.  

The latest trend among gardeners and you tube homestead influencers is landscape fabric.  I'm afraid they're a day late and a dollar short.  Contrary to popular belief; just because one has a you tube channel, doesn't make them an expert.  Many of us have already traveled the road they're on, only we're too busy with everyday things to stage, film, and edit our tasks.  Do I sound snarky?  I don't mean to.  It's just a lesson I had to learn myself.  Don't get me wrong, I have channels that I follow just like everyone else.  Only I follow more for the personality of the you tuber than anything I can glean from them.  I have learned something.  I take that back.  I learned about putting the cracked egg in the hole for planting tomatoes trick.  I learned that from a personality in Kentucky who learned it from old timers in the area.  Meaning it's nothing new, just new to me.  

So I've tried landscape fabric....Twice.  Once with a cheaper version I could afford, and another from a more top of the line brand.  Both failed, and both failed in the same way.  See there's these pesky things called birds, and wind that move seeds around.  Once the seeds get some water, they grow on top of the landscape fabric, sending their roots through the tiny holes in the fabric and into the ground.  This makes it impossible to get the root out, and if you get some of it, you can't get all; so it grows.  Other disadvantages of landscape fabric: fire ants love to build their nest under it, you can't cultivate, and soil gets compacted cutting off air flow to the roots of your garden plants.  Each time I've tried landscape fabric I've thrown it away and gone back to cardboard topped with wood chips( not green wood chips).  

So while I was weeding I was thinking about these things and decided to write this post!  Weeds do have positive side affects.

1)  Exercise-  Weather cultivating to get weeds out or pulling weeds out you are engaging in activity outside in the sun.  You're reaching, bending, stretching, and pulling.  You're hauling the weeds out of the garden.

2) Aerating the soil- Each weed that you pull away from your garden plant loosens the soil allowing fresh air to get to the roots of your plant.  This makes for a happy plant!

3)  Food for chickens!-  Many of the weeds in your garden are a favorite of chickens.  Just toss the whole pile in there.  They will eat what they want and the rest will compost into the ground.  Stinging Nettle and Dead Nettle are two favorites of my hens.  Plus those plants increase egg production.  

4)  Fodder for the compost pile-  If you have a compost pile, you have free organic fodder to toss in.  

5)  Some of these weeds can be edible and medicinal.  Do your research on this one.  Don't just start grazing.  LOL.  An example would be dandelions.  

I know weeds are a pain, but I just wanted to point out there are benefits too.  

Genesis 3:19-  By the sweat of our brow you will eat your food, until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken.  For dust you are and dust you will return.  

Even in the middle of man's fall and expulsion from Eden; it's nice to know that God saw fit to give benefit to our work.  If we could ever solve the weed problem, then we'd have a pest problem.  If we solved the pest problem we'd have a water problem.  See what I mean?  God's word doesn't change.  Frankly I don't want it to.  There is a sense of satisfaction in battling weeds, pests, drought, etc and still bringing something to the table.  Not gonna lie.  Gardening is work, but it's work that is worth while.

So while I have you here, may I present my garden picture for 2025.  My tomato plants are still small, but I'm thrilled with the garden itself.

It really is the little things

 Yes, yes.  I know.  I'm late AGAIN!  Between gardening, Easter, and my birthday it's been some crazy times.  Now that my plant sale is somewhat over, all of my own plants are wanting to get put into their own garden.  I've been scurrying around finding spots for, not only my own plants, but ones left over from the plants sale.  So when I say "somewhat over", that means I still have folks coming to shop from what I have left.  

One such person returned recently to get more plants, and her daughter had crochet me a chicken!  Cutest thing, and that she would want to do that for someone she barely know is so special.  

As if planting wasn't adventurous enough, I've begun to harvest!  Yay!  Harvest 2025 is underway!  Todays harvest consisted of Beet greens, garlic scapes, asparagus, Cilantro, and strawberries!  Beet greens are a healthy alternative to lettuce in a salad.  Down the line I'll use the actual beet root.  Garlic scapes are the single flower that begins to emerge from the center of the garlic plant.  These can be harvested and used to replace fresh garlic.

I've  managed to get everything I HAVE to get in the garden.  Now my focus is on finding spots to throw an extra tomato plant here and there, as well as volunteer marigolds and Zinnias.  Soon I will post a picture of the garden for 2025.  I have to say I'm quite thrilled with it.  Now ask me in July when the weeds are in charge because it's too hot to go outside! 

We finally have the mower working.  I'd like to say I did it by myself, but I can't.  My dear friend helped me replace the deck belt, and sweet hubby mowed the grass today.  What a blessing.  It's so nice not having grass up to ones knees.   

Another friend gifted me a few gallons of milk.  I have rennet and am going to embark on my first attempt to make mozzarella cheese probably tomorrow.  I'm excited and terrified.  We'll see.  If I can do it, I'll be sure to write about it.  If I can do it, we'll have pizza tomorrow night!  

Fast forward to tomorrow and I DID IT!  I made mozzarella cheese for the first time in my life.  It wasn't too hard.  I'll do a post down the line on how to. We are having pizza tonight!

So now I'm off again to get back to work in the garden.  This time of year is super busy!  Isn't that funny.  In the winter when I have time to write, there isn't much to do, and in the summer when I have all kinds of things to write about; I have no time!  

What cool things are going on in your garden, kitchen, homestead, life ?  

Canning Mode!

 You know the saying "Why put off until tomorrow what can be put off until the next day"?  We'll that's me.  I'm notorious for putting things on the back burner.  Problem is there are only so many back burners.  So today is the day to take some of those things off the back burner, and address them.  So we will now enter 

CANNING MODE!

I have Blackberries that need to become juice or jam.  Tomato sauce to can.  Ham bone broth and Chicken bone broth that need to be canned, and jalapeno peppers that need to be made into cowboy candy.  These are from last season, but I've had them frozen, waiting to have them dealt with.  Today's the day.  Getting all of these things out of my freezer leaves only some whole chickens, a brisket, a turkey, ham, and pork roast.  Fresh strawberries will be coming in soon.  Having room in the freezer to simply wash and freeze these strawberries is awesome!

In addition to all that; I've begun harvesting my herbs, asparagus, and spinach.  The herbs are taking their turn in the dehydrator and the asparagus and spinach are in the fridge.  It's a good feeling to shop from the back yard.  

Don't be intimidated by canning, and don't think you need all the latest gizmos.  Canning can be as simple as water bath canning.  Water bath canning is simply having your jars covered with water about an inch over the tops in a large stock pot.  Bring the water to a boil and start your timer.  You don't need a pressure canner for water bath canning.  You simply need a deep stock pot.  Water bath canning will be how the blackberries, jalapenos, and tomato sauce are processed today.  Pressure canning is what I'll do for the broths.  Jars are a necessity, either way.  However, and at the risk of endorsing a brand, Walmart has a Mainstays brand of jars that are very reasonable, and actually cheaper than the jars found at Goodwill.  I always recommend anyone wanting to start canning to simply start with a deep stock pot and begin canning jams, jellies, fruits, and pickles.  Even tomatoes can be water bath canned.  There is such a wide array of food items that can be water bath canned; one can get used to canning before dipping their toe into pressure canning.  

Aside from space in the freezer; canning a good portion of items normally stored in the freezer, allows them to be shelf stable and therefore immune to a power outage ruining my frozen items.  I'm entertaining the thought of taking the plunge and canning the meat I currently have frozen.  All I can say is let me get through this stuff first😁 .  

Okay.  Fast forward to afternoon and I managed to get 7 quarts of chicken broth,7 quarts of ham broth, and 5 pints of blackberry juice concentrate canned.  The blackberry concentrate will be used this summer in Blackberry tea.  It's a simple matter of brewing ice tea and adding the blackberry juice to the tea.  Very good, and can be done with juice concentrate from the store.  I recommend not using juice concentrate that is sweetened with high fructose corn syrup.  I use cane sugar to sweeten ours.  Not wanting to toss the left over pulp from all of those blackberries; I made a fresh fruit crisp for tonight's dinner.  I also made one loaf of banana bread from some frozen bananas.  I still have enough blackberry pulp for a second crisp, but that is another nights dessert or I may use it to make cereal bars, which are a fan favorite.  Unfortunately the cowboy candy and tomato sauce will need to be done tomorrow.  It has to be because it's thawed now!