We recently purchased a used chipper/shredder to chop up leaves in our backyard. The shredded leaves will be used in our compost as the carbon source. We waffled on getting this tool given the expense, use of fuel, etc. but in the end decided to buy a used one in hopes that it helps us […]
Category Archives: at the homestead
What’s up at the farm? Well, we have been in planning mode with one night a week devoted to planning what to plant, when to plant, how much to plant and where to sell. It’s pretty exciting and the initial planning session outlined our primary goal of being able to grow to sell next season. […]
08
Nov
Nov
A few months ago, I noticed some of the arugula in our raised bed had gone to seed. I cut the plants with seed pods and put them in a paper bag to dry. Today, I found them in the cupboard and decided to see what they looked like. The pods and the stems were […]
02
Nov
Nov
Orange is the color for fall….food, that is. With all the squash that’s coming from the garden and is available at the farmer’s market, it’s easy to make a colorful fall meal. This year we bought a pumpkin, but never got around to carving it. This is a great link to how to prepare a […]
02
Oct
Oct
Over the weekend, we finally got the BCS out with the rotary plow attachment and decided to put it to use on our front lawn. Who needs lawn anyway? Gotta mow it every week in summer and reseed it when it dies off….what a pain! So, we dug some up as another experiment. Our garden […]
30
Sep
Sep
well, the potato tower did not produce that much. in fact, it was quite disappointing, but i think we learned some valuable lessons and we are not so upset that we won’t try again next year. i think we planted them a bit late. we planted in may and they should have been planted in […]
16
Sep
Sep
the strawberries are out of control. despite ordering 50 plants, only about 5 survived and we lamented the fact that this experiment was unsuccessful. however, we forgot about the runners….the strawberries have multiplied and now fill the planter and continue moving outside the boundary of the pyramid. my solution is to dig up the lawn […]
16
Aug
Aug
The abundance of tomatoes has led us to a salsa frenzy. I used to live in MD with a dear friend whose mom makes the best salsa, so I asked for her recipe. Memories of hers are still fresh in my mind, and I am so pleased with the results of our own efforts. Good […]
26
Jul
Jul
it all started as a tiny seed in our basement on january 25th….and finally the waiting is over….fresh tomatoes – taste of summer! we have about 20 plants that are producing and have been enjoying cherry tomatoes for about 2 weeks now. gotta dig out that salsa recipe…..
21
Jul
Jul
it’s been a mild summer so far…..here’s how the plants like it….