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Garden Spider
Garden Spider

Okay, so I'm not a real fan of spiders but since it is the month of Halloween I thought I'd show you a picture of one that made itself at home on the outside of my greenhouse late August and into September.  It actually produced two egg sacks.

One of the two egg sacks
One of the two egg sacks

I looked up what type of spider it was because to tell you the truth, it was pretty big and as I said before I don't really like spiders.  I didn't do much research other than to learn that they are fairly common here in Maine and hopefully she was eating a lot of mosquitoes.  It is so magnificent though how God put the big "face" on the back of the spider to scare away predators.

I know it has been a long time since I have added a post.  I apologize.  Since it has been a couple of months I thought we could revisit some of the plants from the last post just to see the progression of the growing season with the perennials and some other plants around the homestead.

Lilac
Lilac

Here is our lilac plant, as you can see it has gone to seed.  I think it is pretty in it's own right at this stage.  There is just not the heavy perfume in the air as with this plant in the spring.  Even though there is no food produced for us from this plant it is one of the first to bloom in the spring and therefore it provided food for our bees as well as the butterflies and other insects.  I actually couldn't imagine a homestead without this very old and traditional plant if you can grow it in your area.  If you ever visit a old homestead site you might find just the remains of the foundation of the house but you will find the lilac and asparagus patch still growing, amazing.

The raspberries were all picked, although it wasn't a very big crop, we had enough to eat fresh.  I really need to move the bushes to a sunnier spot but I haven't figured out where that will be just yet.

Highbush Cranberries
Highbush Cranberries

The highbush cranberries have all matured.  I waited until after the first frost to pick them.  They are in my refrigerator now as I try to figure out what to do with them. Highbush are not exactly the same as the lowbush variety that are grown in bogs and we see made into commercial cranberry sauce.  Although I think that is what I am going to do with my harvest.  I'm going to look for recipes and see what might be fun to make for Thanksgiving.

We got a really great harvest from our grape vine in the front yard.  Since I didn't have time to process the grapes we picked them by the cluster and put the clusters directly into freezer bags.  Later this fall or during the winter when I have less outside things that need to be done I will extract the juice and make grape jelly with it.  This is the first real harvest that we have taken from the grapes.  Since we fenced in the front yard the chickens do not get to eat all of them.  I'm looking forward to fresh baked bread toasted with grape jelly this winter.  Yum!!!

Elderberry
Elderberry

The elderberry are such a beautiful color when ripe.  There were only a few clusters on the plant this year and I really didn't know when to harvest and before I got to it the berries matured and fell to the ground.  Then I discovered on the side of our driveway a huge wild elderberry plant.  It's funny but the plant has been there for years and I didn't know what it was until I compared it with the one planted in the yard.  I had read that wild elderberry grew in our area but I hadn't paid too much attention to the plant other than the fact that it had pretty white flowers on it in the spring.  I don't think I even noticed the berries in the fall.  So even though we had berries I didn't get any harvested this year.  My plan for next year is to dry the berries and have them on hand to make a syrup for general health and to ward off the nasties that can come about during the winter.  I'll let you know more when I do that.

We had a wonderful harvest of our blueberries again this year.  We picked every few days for a couple of weeks to pick as they ripened.  I put them in the freezer to use as needed for various baking projects.  I like to spread them out on cookie sheets and freeze them before putting them into the freezer bags.  This keeps them from sticking to each other which allows me to take out just the amount that I need for my recipe.

The strawberries, on the other hand, were terrible this year.  It was mostly because I didn't get time to weed them and the weeds won.  This is one part of the perennial front yard that I am going to have to revamp.  Since I really don't have time to weed a bunch of planting beds I'm going to have to figure out how to keep the strawberries from getting invaded.  The best way for this is mulching.  I have though about using a weed block product but because of the shape of the beds that I build that would be difficult.  I think I am going to reshape the beds to make them more rectangular rather that the curved beds they are now.  I also need to revisit the border for the beds.  Right now they are bordered with stone which is abundant on the homestead.  The problem with stone is that weeds can grow up between them and they are hard to control.  I need something more definitive and straight that I can use a week wacker or mower on the outside of to control those weeds.  I think I will just go with typical raised planting beds using wood.  Just one of the lessons learned.

Peppers in the greenhouse
Peppers in the greenhouse

So, my pepper plants love the greenhouse.  I have never been able to get peppers to mature for me outside.  I know many gardeners here in Maine do but I never could.  this year my plants have gotten 2-3 feet high and I have a lot of peppers. They are actually still growing since I am closing the door at night.  We have gotten a couple of very light frosts but the greenhouse is enough to protect the peppers from that.  I am going to harvest soon.  Now that I have a good harvest, what to do with the peppers?  Some of the hot peppers will get canned to use on nachos and in my Mexican and Southwest cooking.  The sweet peppers I am going to dehydrate so I can throw some into soups and stews during the winter.  Finally the Anaheim peppers will get roasted before they get canned.  If you have ever bought the little can of green chilies in the store that is what they are, roasted canned Anaheim peppers.  It is going to be so fun to have all these to use this year.

Here are some of the other things that have happened since we last talked.  Our new batch of laying hens have begun to lay very cute little eggs.

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They are small at first and over the next couple of months they will get up to regular size.

Our turkeys are growing well.  We have put them out on grass for the first time this year.  It seems to be working out great.  They love to eat the green grass and seeds that they find and I know it has cut down on the amount of feed thet we are buying for them.  We will be moving them into the barn soon though because the house that we are putting them in at night is getting to small for them now that they are getting so big.

Our beautiful German Shepherd Zoe had to have surgery.  She tore a ligament in her back leg and it had to be replaced.  Absolutely amazing that they can do that. Our vet, Dr Nesin is wonderful and he took such good care of her.  She is doing very well and will have her stitches out next week.

Well, I better get to my chores, need to do dishes, hang out some laundry and muck out the turkey house.

Blessings,

Merrie

Compost Gold
Compost Gold

Well, we finally had a warm enough day to get the barn mucked out from the winter.  We do a good cleaning when it starts to get cold in the fall.  From there on out throughout the winter we just keep adding shavings as needed to keep a clean surface for the chickens.  Over the years we have found that leaving the shaving and chicken manure  in the coop over the winter actually creates a little heat for the birds.  I'm guessing that even though it is cold there is a little composting going on with the various layers of materials.

Since most of our compost is made up of what we clean out of the barn and those things are seasonal we keep several piles going at a time.  Each year there is a new pile created and we work on about a 5 year cycle.  That means that we have five piles going at once.  We have a spot on the property where the piles are lined up along the woods road.  It is pretty easy to tell which is the new pile because it is the lightest in color.  These in the picture are ready to be turned.

This and last years compost piles
This and last years compost piles

During the winter the piles just sit and do their thing because there is no bucket on the tractor we cannot turn them but once we take the snow plow off and put the bucket back on we turn the piles on a regular basis.  Early in the winter when we get our first few snowfalls the piles melt really quickly and you can see the steam rising out of them.  We know they are doing their thing.

Unfortunately for us we do not have a lot of green material to go into the pile.  It is mostly shavings and manure which means that it does not break down as fast as it might.  There is usually plenty that is ready to go from several years back when the spring comes and I want to put some around the fruit trees and again in the fall when I put it on the garden as it is put to bed for the winter.

I did take advantage of last Sunday afternoon to can some beans and pea soup.  We had one of our hams for Easter so I used the bone and some of the leftover meat to make a pea soup.  It is so convenient to have soup on the shelf if you need a quick lunch or dinner.  I know on days when I'm working but my hubby is off he likes to have soup for his lunch.

Besides the pea soup I also canned some black beans and ranch beans.  The black beans were just plain and we use them for tortilla soup, nachos and any thing else that they work for including salads.  The ranch beans are pinto beans with spices in them.  Chili powder, cumin, etc which makes them great as a side dish to almost any meat from the barbeque.  In fact I think we will have some tonight with the steak we are planning on having.  Yes, we splurged and bought some beef from a local farmer.  It is the one thing that we do not raise but enjoy once in awhile.

Here is a sneak peek at my seedlings.  I got then started about 10 days later than I would have liked to but we had a family funeral and time just got away.  These are the broccoli and cabbage.

Broccoli and Cabbage seedling
Broccoli and Cabbage seedling

I'll thin them in a few days.  These should be able to go out into the garden as soon as I can work the soil a little.  They don't mind cool weather.  I'm hoping that I can harvest before it gets too warm then I'll be able to plant something else in their place.

I have started several types of peppers so I need to get out and get the greenhouse set up for them.  Hopefully there will be a pepper harvest on the homestead this year.  We use a lot of pickled jalapenos and I am looking forward to canning our own.

Here is one more sign of spring here in Maine.  The lady bugs are in the house. So far it has only been a few but some years there are so many that you have to vacuum them up.

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Happy Spring everyone.

Blessings,

Merrie

 

Last years baby turkeys
Last years baby turkeys

Well, you know spring is in the air, even if it is 10 degrees outside, when the hatchery catalog arrives.  We order our layers and meat birds as day old chicks from Hoover's Hatchery in Iowa.  They are mailed to us the day that they are hatched and arrive a couple of days later.  There is nothing like getting the phone call from the post office at around 6:30 in the morning asking you to come pick up your peeping box.

Chicks are hatched with reserve nutrition stores so they don't have any problem surviving for a day or two without food.  The first thing though is to get them a drink of water after their trip.  I do this by dipping each chicks beak into the water when I am putting them into the brooder from their travel box.  We get the brooder ready the week before they are due to arrive.  The brooder is a simulation of what the momma chicken would do for the chicks.  The biggest part being keeping them warm.  Chicks need a very warm environment for the first few weeks.  We accomplish this with a closed box and heat lamps.  The new babies actually like it 90-95 degrees for their first week.  You can lower the temperature at the floor by 5 degrees each week until is is around 75 degrees.  This is accomplished by raising the light farther from the chicks.

We do provide the chicks with a starter food that is medicated.  This is the only time we give any medicated food to our chickens.  We have chosen to do this due to the stress of travel and the fact that we want to keep all disease off our homestead if at all possible.  It also helps to start the chicks out with a little boost.  After that we feed nothing medicated.

After the chicks develop their regular feathers they are put down on the floor of the barn.  For about a week or so we still provide them with the heat lamp if they feel they want to get warm they will gather under the light.

The arrival time of the chicks is based on a couple of things.  Since we have our baby layers and broilers arrive together part of the timing is when we want to butcher.  Since we have started raising the Red Rangers it takes 10-12 weeks until they are ready for butchering so that is taken into consideration.  We like to have them in the freezer before summer is done.  Layers also take 20-24 weeks before they start laying.  This will mean that they will have a couple of months before the cold starts to set in to get the laying routine down.  You need to plan all this also since it takes around 21 days for chicks to hatch so that you give enough lead time to the hatchery to be able to have chicks hatched when you want them.

This year I have ordered two breeds of laying hens that I haven't ever had before, the Golden Lace Wyandotte and the Silver Laced Wyandotte.  Both are supposed to be very cold hardy and that is important where we live.  I'll have pictures for you when they arrive in early May.

Red Rangers about half grown
Red Rangers about half grown

Raising chickens is fun and very rewarding in both eggs and meat.  We like to know what we are eating and when we are able to know what our birds are eating and how they are processed it makes all the difference in the world.  It is not too difficult to get started and so worth it.

Blessings,

Merrie

 

 

Bee hives wrapped for winter
Bee hives wrapped for winter

I know it is only the end of October but it is time to get the homestead ready for winter and all that means.  Here in the northwoods it means cold temperatures and snow, sometimes a lot of snow.  There will come a point when the daytime temperatures do not get above freezing for days on end.  At the heart of winter in January and February we can get below zero here at the homestead.

This week has been very busy with several projects getting done in preparation for winter.  As you can see from above one was getting the bee hives wrapped with tar paper.  I know it is not pretty but it serves the purpose.  On the left hive you can see the hardware cloth over the lower entrance.  This is to keep mice and voles out of the hive.  They would love to nest in the cozy warm hive with free food during the cold.  The tar paper keeps the wind from being able to get into the hive where the different super boxes meet.  Cold wind can kill a hive very quickly.  The black also helps to absorb what heat the sun will provide on cold days.  At the top you will see another small upper entrance.  When the snow gets deep the bees are still able to exit the hive to do a cleansing flight if we have an occasional warm day.

Bees only leave the hive when the outside temperatures get above 45 degrees or so.  That means that they are retaining all their excrement until such a day.  When there is a winter day that is warm enough they will all make a run to the outhouse.  The snow around the hive will be dotted with hundreds of brown spots where the bees have been able to relieve themselves.  To me as a beekeeper this is a welcome sign, it means that the hive is still alive and has made it through the winter, at least to that point.

Ken and I are really excited to attend the Maine State Beekeepers Association's annual conference in a couple of weeks.  It will be our first time attending and we hope to glean a lot of wisdom from much more experienced beekeepers.

We did the hives late in the week but the week started out with processing our broilers.  Again we had 25 Red Rangers on pasture from mid July.  I kept two of the hens and put them in with my layers.  One I call Buffy, she was an unusually light color so I wanted to keep her.  The other was just so she would have a familiar face when they were integrated into the laying flock.

The broilers that were processed earlier in the summer were all frozen whole so we decided that these would be cut up and frozen in pieces.  I packaged side breasts, leg quarters and wings.  It is a little more work but the packages sure take up much less room in the freezer than the whole birds.  I think we will like having the variety of chicken to choose from.

Part of why it was nice to have the chickens take up less freezer space is that this week was also when the pigs were delivered to the processor.  Although we process our own chickens we have not yet taken the step to do our own pigs.  Besides that we had FIVE this year.  That is a lot of pork.  Some were raised for other folks but we will still have plenty to fill the rest of the space in the freezers.

Getting livestock into the stock trailer does not always go as planned.  Thank the Lord that we were able to borrow a large stock trailer with two sections from a friend.  We knew that five pigs, all weighing over 250 pounds, were not going to fit into the two horse trailer that we own.  It is funny but each animal has their own personality and right from the beginning we had one that we called Lazy.  She would not go out into the yard when the rest did and she preferred to take more naps that the others.  Don't get me wrong, she ate just as much as the others but she was not as motivated by food at the other four.  There is the dilemma.  With a couple cans of food and a few apples the other four happily jumped up into the trailer to get their breakfast.  Not Lazy.  Fortunately the trailer had a middle divider that could be closed.  We closed the four into the front part of the trailer and started the long process of trying to convince Lazy that she also wanted to get into the trailer to get breakfast.

Long story short, and just to point out that animals cannot always be convinced to do what you want, we ended up having to dispatch Lazy, bleed her out, load her in the trailer with the tractor and take her to the processor that way.  This is not the way we would have chosen but sometimes you have to do what is necessary to take care of business on the homestead.

Homesteading is not for the faint of heart and sometimes you have to do things that you would rather not in a way you would rather not but that is the way life can be.  Do what needs to be done and move on to mucking out the turkey pen.

 

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Well, it is finally here....Fall.  We had our first hard frost last week where it hit 24 degrees and we have had frost every morning since with the exception of the morning it rained.  Fortunately it is getting into the 50s during the day which is really nice if it is not too windy.  So the woodstove has been keeping us cozy on these chilly nights.  My husband is happy to see the frost come since it pretty much eliminates the pollen that causes his allergies.

Fall is a busy time on the homestead there are so many things that need to be done before the days do not get out of freezing temperatures and the snow flies.  This week the pigs will go to the butcher and we will be butchering the final batch of broilers for the freezer.  The pigs have grown very well and we feel blessed that our freezers will be full before winter.

We will have a good amount of pork this year and I think I will can some of it for instant meals.  Rich meats like pork and lamb when canned almost make their own gravy and are delicious in soups and stews.  I confess that sometimes I make a quick soup or stew when I get home from work by using one jar of canned meat, a jar of canned broth and one bag of frozen mixed vegetables.  This cooks up in less than 30 minutes and I can flavor it with the dried herbs and spices that I want.  I may also throw a batch of biscuits in the oven or toast up some sourdough bread and have one great comfort food meal.

We got 10 heads of cabbage out of the garden and so there will be a couple of large jars of sauerkraut fermenting in the very near future.  I will be adding just a little bit of purple cabbage from our last CSA pick up to our green cabbage and the sauerkraut turns out to be the most beautiful shade of pink.  To some that may sound weird but it doesn't change the taste at all.

Of course after the pigs and chickens are processed we have to clean out their pens and get those areas clean and dry for winter.  The pastured poultry electric net fence will have to be rolled up and stored for next year.  That was a investment that needs to be taken care of but it worked really well being able to move the pastured chickens several times during the season.

The fall weather gets me is a baking mood too.  I made my first apple pie with apples from the orchard that we picked up last week.  There is nothing better than a hot slice of apple pie with a scoop of ice cream on a chilly evening.  Unless it might be hot spiced apple cider which is one of my favorites.

Well, so much for talking about what needs to be done, time to get to it.  I'll visit with all of you soon.