Radish Report

     

I should have been a weatherman.  I can smell frost in the air even if it is 2 o'clock in the afternoon and it's 70 degrees outside.  I knew frost was coming last night.  Had I gotten in too big of a hurry and planted my tender plants, cukes, beans, squash etc. too soon?  The beans and squash have just set on the second true leaves and are a couple of inches above the ground.  I plant the squash deep in the hollow of the row to help protect it.  The beans are intensely planted in wide rows and are more susceptible to frost. The cukes are just barley breaking ground so they should be fine.  As I walk the gardens this morning the beans leaves are covered with a thin layer of ice, but the stems are not frozen.  They should be o.k. I hope.  The hoses are frozen, but I can't start water until until it warms up anyway.  Today I will be planting the fall crops, turnips, parsnips, more beets, kale, found another bag of potato seed so I will plant a few more potatoes.  The small greenhouse has lost it's plastic covering so I will plant it with more greens and cover the arches with shade cloth.  It's Monday, a new week, my agenda is full of projects for the boys and I to accomplish, life is good!

Bringing in the Harvest

Spent the last few weeks finishing all the projects before winter sets in,-----finally got the hay tarped, the last of the potatoes dug, the remaining squash taken out of the hay bin and put in the house, got the butchering done (thanks to my cave-man hubby) and even hauled a little wood.  Had a nice warm fire last night.  There is nothing better than warming your hands over the wood stove after your fingers have turned blue from the cold. 
Gathered  several pounds of pine gum and will be rendering the fat from the animals to make pine gum salve.  This is my favorite time of year.  I am busy squirreling away the harvest from the garden.  Stocking the shelves with preserved vegetables and fruit.  Filling the freezer with animals I know were raised humanely and with care.........but my absolute favorite thing about this time of year is..........

                                   SOUP FOR BREAKFAST
                                   quite frankly,  I am getting just a little tired of eggs, eggs, eggs!

                         Winter has officially arrived when running water freezes in it's tracks

                                            What have you been squirreling away for the winter?

Radish Report/ CSA Delivery

1 potato
2 potato
3 potato
      4
FarmHer  Jill's a plantin' taters
and A LOT more.

Busy week.  Got the squash patch tilled-------almost  ----well half at least.  Planted a large variety of both winter and summer squash.  Hopefully in the next two days the gardens will be in.  Why plant so late you ask?  Well this picture should explain.  This is what happened when I turned on the water this morning.  June 8th.   

                             And some hoses were frozen so hard I couldn't get any water through them

Should be only one more week of these hard killing frosts --- no more frost pictures I promise-- and then just light ones after that till the end of the month.  Why don't I move somewhere warm to garden?   Believe me, I have often asked myself that question.  I guess I am just a glutton for punishment, but most of all I think I enjoy the challenge of getting the harvest in and the reward of hard work and  the effort it takes makes it worth it.  Besides I can grow the best potatoes, warm days  --cold nights-- and the greens produce all summer long.


CSA DELIVERY   June 9th

Tomatoes
beans
carrots
onions
elephant garlic
chard
broccoli leaf
celery
cherries
apricots
herb salt
chives
baby greens--maybe--
Anasazi  bean soup mix-recipe below

I have 5 regular season (june 16 thru sept 29) CSA shares still available.  Information  at my booth  (Cricket Song Farm) in the North East corner of the square at the St. George Farmers Market.



Anasazi Bean Soup
-------------------------

Rince beans in cold water.  In a crock pot add 1 quart of water to the beans.  If desired place a couple of ham hocks in with the beans.   Cook on low for 10 to 12 hours.  Watch and add more water if necessary.   Remove meat from hocks and take the bones out of the soup.  To thicken, mix 2-3 tbs. corn starch with 1/4 cup water and add to beans.  Add seasoning packet.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Serve with crusty bread.

Radish Report/ CSA Delivery

ice crystals--aren't they beautiful

Well, I  think this picture just about describes how my week has been.  Lots of covering and hoping the plants survive.  I wish I had a better camera because they really are beautiful.  The frost Wednesday morning took out several tomato plants from the cold-frame.  Yes, this is typical weather for us.  Just wait til I show you frost pictures in JULY and AUGUST!

                        Thursday morning (May 31) this is what I found out by the far west hydrant

                                                            yip, they are ICE- CICLES



                                      So  I put the boys to work making some more cold-frames.  

                                                         Notice it is a 2 coat kind of day

                                           but it did eventually warm up to a one coat day


                                     Sure am glad I live in Southern Utah where it's WARM

Glen got a lot of tilling done so I can plant more potatoes.  Moved the tiller down to the house and I will begin tilling the notorious squash patch.  Should be able to plant all tenders,  beans, squash, etc. in a couple of weeks.  Everyone keep your fingers crossed.


CSA DELIVERY
tomatoes,
carrots
beans
lettuce
onions
zucchini                            Amount of veges and fruit will vary according to share size
yellow squash
chard
green garlic
tarragon
cherries
apricots
eggs

Thanks again Shelly for helping with this week's delivery.  It sure is nice to have a sister who lives in Southern Utah where it really is WARM

Garden Journal

inside cover of garden journal

I began journaling my garden years ago as a means to keep track of plantings, the
 production of vegetables, the weather, crop rotation and future goals for the farm.

Over the past years I have used art sketch books, notebook paper held together with
 a zip-tye, backs of used manilla envelopes, but I won't show you those.  The journal
 I am sharing is from 2010.  I purchased a brown  paper sketch book at the local
 discount store.  It is hard bound and very sturdy.

Front Cover




 To record seeds planted, glue both sides of  a packet of seeds on a page.  The back will give you a lot of information and the picture on the front helps remind you what you planted while you impatiently wait for the vegetables to grow.

Make drawings of your plantings so you can keep a current rotation schedule for next year's planting.

Paste in newspaper clippings, have friends and neighbors who come to visit write advice about gardening,  write down the funny things your kids say about gardening, record animal births etc.

Keep track of the weather.   

CSA Membership invite for 2010

 

Write down by the seed packet, the dates you planted the seeds, how many days to germinate, how many days to harvest, how long the harvest season lasted, and how many pounds you harvested per plant, this information helps you decide in future years what to grow. 

Draw or doodle or take pictures of your farm and animals and glue in.

 Try keeping a journal this year it's good reading during the long days of winter.

Green House

Our weather is unpredictible and subject to frost every month of the year.  This past summer I only had 3 weeks without frost and a green house really comes in handy.  My neighbor Bob Bang created a line of greenhouses that hold up to our 100 mile w-i-n-d-s (I don't even like to say the word out loud so I spell it) our crazy -40 below winters and the hot sunny days we get during the summer.  It is double layered with a fan that blows air inbetween the 2 layers of plastic. I can grow almost year round.  We picked chard and aragula over Christmas and will be planting broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower the end of February.  Having a green house is the only way I can grow tomatoes.  I am hoping to get several more so I can offer a bigger variety to my CSA customers.