tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43812656941309908332024-02-20T13:26:36.578-05:00Peters Creek FarmDiane Hienerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05649831014902716355noreply@blogger.comBlogger111125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4381265694130990833.post-5248788718653544282017-03-20T20:15:00.001-04:002017-03-26T10:00:54.393-04:00Winter to Spring : Take 2<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Ah yes, the long neglected farm blog. Seems as though I had good intentions to restart the blog in spring of 2015 and seems as though I did not follow through. I had my reasons though however none of them were very good. Most of reasons had to do with incredibly poor weather conditions in 2013, 2014 and 2015. Bad summer weather (cool and muddy) really wears on the mind and who wants to write in a blog week in and week out that the weather sucks. Fortunately Mother Nature was much kinder to us in 2016. So with a renewed spirit I sit here ready to tackle the farm blog once again.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>The winter of 2016-17 was certainly unique. It was mostly a winter that cycled through wildly weird ups and downs. We would get a good amount of snow that never lasted more than a week or two and then it would melt. This cycle played itself out over and over again. February was way warmer with than normal. I think we even set the record for most consecutive days above 50 degrees. The old record was 8 days. We set a new record for highest temperature in February ever. I forget the exact number but somewhere around 73 degrees. Then because Mom Nature likes balance, she has been giving us a colder and snowier month of March. The up and down cycle keeps on keeping on.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>So I thought I would just put together a collection of photos from the past winter that highlight the ups and downs.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>December 10, 2016</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Our biggest snowfall of the winter season. The snow filled up the bed of the pick-up truck in 2 days.</b></span><br />
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<b style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">December 25, 2016</b></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Yes we had a white Christmas but you can see the snow had been melting. Santa showed up in our woods on Christmas Day. He looks a little deflated after pulling an all nighter.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>January 10, 2017</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>The first week of January was pretty snow-free and then it all came back again. We had a problem with deer this winter eating every last one of our Brussels sprouts and all of our kale. That has never happened before.</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFp4-tSijAHNFWix2Y08RVALeAsPxffYnoIjWhIc8Ib1imFmKFTzLAQ9tdMIu5KshQAif395Csp_qK89Svxd6Zw_-MKNhB1aj2VsJWT5mRY2v0BgDYwYgR7drptkLZNseJRgqgadUfuaqw/s1600/20170110_142051.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFp4-tSijAHNFWix2Y08RVALeAsPxffYnoIjWhIc8Ib1imFmKFTzLAQ9tdMIu5KshQAif395Csp_qK89Svxd6Zw_-MKNhB1aj2VsJWT5mRY2v0BgDYwYgR7drptkLZNseJRgqgadUfuaqw/s320/20170110_142051.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>January 12, 2017</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Mother Nature had one of her bipolar mood swings and all the snow melted. Peters Creek then become Peters Lake in the backyard. This happened multiple times over the course of the winter.</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhBia_dTB6bT1GNdHSMQbkRLcxrQu3uL3Xjc4NjTROdoXfAR4gqHFltiTCwnKDSlysnS7l3VEQTTxlF_dH_NPmgRlq1fFe25nW7S0UllNpfxunxMEy0GGVB3hx0IbeD6ABtLfdeGCrL133/s1600/20170112_081622.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhBia_dTB6bT1GNdHSMQbkRLcxrQu3uL3Xjc4NjTROdoXfAR4gqHFltiTCwnKDSlysnS7l3VEQTTxlF_dH_NPmgRlq1fFe25nW7S0UllNpfxunxMEy0GGVB3hx0IbeD6ABtLfdeGCrL133/s320/20170112_081622.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>January 23, 2017</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>The deer were enjoying the snow free days and cleaning up any remnants in the produce field. An early shedding buck left something behind.</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY091UIXBqWMnGiQApHJTPtpk511hDk-nuaBn-xl4Koeswj12MX-F8BrCaIoVS7c4wKhdjUp5NSOyuPZpnaKtZQ-iF-9QelbSYehLXimSHyHtgfPzn-JY-Psh50853vXNZO1rAs0VQTklZ/s1600/20170123_112112.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY091UIXBqWMnGiQApHJTPtpk511hDk-nuaBn-xl4Koeswj12MX-F8BrCaIoVS7c4wKhdjUp5NSOyuPZpnaKtZQ-iF-9QelbSYehLXimSHyHtgfPzn-JY-Psh50853vXNZO1rAs0VQTklZ/s320/20170123_112112.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>January 31, 2017</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>It snowed again.</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh584AOk8mASjxvFOYuSyyBNRmJwxzyF1kSNXNWz_h8iv7M5ildlCBjW19HhF7xU8DVjCzMtR3iIUeWUIYCSseDgwU21y24BI5UMYel4ptf-bMHf3vlwKHmctjtPDwWgVdKFDUC__a8PfA2/s1600/20170131_081349.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh584AOk8mASjxvFOYuSyyBNRmJwxzyF1kSNXNWz_h8iv7M5ildlCBjW19HhF7xU8DVjCzMtR3iIUeWUIYCSseDgwU21y24BI5UMYel4ptf-bMHf3vlwKHmctjtPDwWgVdKFDUC__a8PfA2/s320/20170131_081349.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>February 11, 2017</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Snow disappearing again. The "under the bird feeder" clean up crew was out and about again after being cooped up for a week and a half.</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoeUiXeGno4JijWjy7iYO9nFgfTiaPTu3AT74FvsdVy0dN1k-ZFtvksdK1IcINrEeH5J9s8K6u6stLmXEaZrl-Kj_GK-gIQh8g_ZTcETTGjOSjVliDgSv_Wl4Vt4jq9mZejvtKyhUWo3kK/s1600/20170211_082516-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoeUiXeGno4JijWjy7iYO9nFgfTiaPTu3AT74FvsdVy0dN1k-ZFtvksdK1IcINrEeH5J9s8K6u6stLmXEaZrl-Kj_GK-gIQh8g_ZTcETTGjOSjVliDgSv_Wl4Vt4jq9mZejvtKyhUWo3kK/s320/20170211_082516-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>February 13, 2017</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>The rest of the snow is gone. More shed antlers showing up in the produce field. This time in the section where the Brussels sprouts and kale were planted. </b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-XiSH7B4ZZ8RYbef5tiGir8bc8W97EM-NMDJQbiFXuLFleChCTwpTCev5mxaDzlniZ_DH2DLnx7eIFNm08eZm3GfjCrtrHg-UL04RG_9-L2skMEcrVOS3WMcV8ZIG-3AUcjSyqtsmAsDc/s1600/20170213_152000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-XiSH7B4ZZ8RYbef5tiGir8bc8W97EM-NMDJQbiFXuLFleChCTwpTCev5mxaDzlniZ_DH2DLnx7eIFNm08eZm3GfjCrtrHg-UL04RG_9-L2skMEcrVOS3WMcV8ZIG-3AUcjSyqtsmAsDc/s320/20170213_152000.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>February 20, 2017</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Right in the middle of our record breaking string of 50+ degree days with several of them 60-70+ degree days. The dogs sure were enjoying themselves. A tired dog is a good dog.</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjln_xmXjY591GKWSOE6NP3F2OLw4zVZikUN3Rah_2QkuxC7iM1J1qFwZgmuN1rK70j5RbhYsa3XbwBQ6Ip3-vdQDyMR3gQPbhBHWnQnTTrAoQ1w5Qi-ph0XwJjGxzHXvmjhLvFfKlwrwF/s1600/20170220_162048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjln_xmXjY591GKWSOE6NP3F2OLw4zVZikUN3Rah_2QkuxC7iM1J1qFwZgmuN1rK70j5RbhYsa3XbwBQ6Ip3-vdQDyMR3gQPbhBHWnQnTTrAoQ1w5Qi-ph0XwJjGxzHXvmjhLvFfKlwrwF/s320/20170220_162048.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>March 3, 2017,</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>It snowed again.</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZkzYCH_RP6_rk-JIQL_4rW_0stDsF25E2WQPt60fp8bs3yj_qtECqVeGA1VZ2BxqJmhrH3WuwU4dSkeKCug_ls-AyMopMRtSEBK4xAbueQZgJLHk_tdW1WXQ5GwVZ7i3OY0sm46QbKZmK/s1600/20170303_080320.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZkzYCH_RP6_rk-JIQL_4rW_0stDsF25E2WQPt60fp8bs3yj_qtECqVeGA1VZ2BxqJmhrH3WuwU4dSkeKCug_ls-AyMopMRtSEBK4xAbueQZgJLHk_tdW1WXQ5GwVZ7i3OY0sm46QbKZmK/s320/20170303_080320.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>March 12, 2017</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Mike and I immediately left town after the last snowfall. We were enjoying ourselves out west while a huge windstorm tore some siding loose from the house and snowmageddon hit the east coast. Perfect timing!</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhOakyzMD9Souf0ZY3jc5Vf70nNHq1MtquOsP2atMwcC52NsxxfF8ME9GQS9ficCTHDzsSBjw_pGsRKVBzOOQqU4SVzhIDWh-Wsbl66bBcHANRInLRi7RjRt9MV5q5UOdXN-e0vmgcTyHr/s1600/20170312_120309.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhOakyzMD9Souf0ZY3jc5Vf70nNHq1MtquOsP2atMwcC52NsxxfF8ME9GQS9ficCTHDzsSBjw_pGsRKVBzOOQqU4SVzhIDWh-Wsbl66bBcHANRInLRi7RjRt9MV5q5UOdXN-e0vmgcTyHr/s320/20170312_120309.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><b>March 19, 2017</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Home again and winter is loosening its grip once again. The repeated times with no snow were a blessing for the chickens. We've had past winters where they have remained indoors for 2 months or more with no breaks. They sure enjoy life outside.</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmLDKfjJnUebz4JW_ruXMh2evXiq1im8dcQfsCrCPjiM4TQExWxgLCCV2b9W59sXgb0nGAFPy8Zhr5J4znjXdwvskVg1aT-UldPNHtgwt47UK5uC0IHZ81-3UDLzAUkUzENvNm79MEPOUU/s1600/20170319_175740.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmLDKfjJnUebz4JW_ruXMh2evXiq1im8dcQfsCrCPjiM4TQExWxgLCCV2b9W59sXgb0nGAFPy8Zhr5J4znjXdwvskVg1aT-UldPNHtgwt47UK5uC0IHZ81-3UDLzAUkUzENvNm79MEPOUU/s320/20170319_175740.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>Diane Hienerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05649831014902716355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4381265694130990833.post-17653982766919819422015-04-04T14:20:00.000-04:002015-04-04T21:37:23.782-04:00Winter to Spring<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the best parts of living on a farm is being exquistely immersed in the changing seasons. When I lived in the city, I never paid much attention to the outdoors especially in cold wet weather except when a weekend outing would take me to the woods. During the week if it were rainy or cold, the outdoors was a place to dash through from my car to the classroom or from work to the car and then back into the house. But now here on the farm, I am outside much more often. Even though in the coldest months the chickens live in the shelter of the barn, I am still outside carrying water and feed between buildings and hauling manure to the compost pile as needed. Being outdoors every single day I get to see the seasons change day by day. At times the changes are nearly imperceptible, but then there is March. This year it seems as though winter does not want to leave but as the days get longer and longer, there is no choice in the matter. Winter ends as spring arrives. Because each year is just a little different than the last, I thought I would go through this year's transition. We are probably a good week behind last year and several weeks behind 2012 the year of the early spring and summer drought. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So here goes the chronicle of winter to spring 2015:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Looking back through my pictures, I must have sensed a change was coming because on March 8th I took a picture of Peters Creek from the vantage of the culvert that runs underneath the tractor road that goes to the field. A thin strip of open water can be seen where there once was only snow. At this point we still had about 2 feet of snow on the ground.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On March 9th, the sun was shining and a small bit of grass started showing on the path I walked every day from the driveway to the barns. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The opening to Peters Creek was a little wider.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By March 11th, the sun was working as hard as it could against the reflective powers of the snow. Peters Creek opens up a bit more. On March 12th, the redwing blackbirds returned to the farm.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Three days later on March 14th, the snow melt was happening more quickly now. We were fortunate to have no torrential rain to add to the snow melt. The snow melt was enough to make Peters Creek spill out of its banks and flood the bottom land. Although this picture is taken from the exact same spot as all the others, it almost doesn't look like the same creek.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Also on March 14th, there were large enough patches of grass showing up in the yard that the chickens actually wanted to venture out of the barn. They spent a little over 2 months straight locked up in the barn this winter thanks to a persistent ground cover of snow up over their heads.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By March 21st, the farm pond was still frozen solid, but I found the first evidence that groundhogs were waking up from their winter slumber underground. The wild turkeys started to leave their wintering grounds across the road and showed up on the farm. Right on cue, the turkey vultures returned on March 22nd. Although they did not stop this year, I heard the swans pass by after dark on March 22nd.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On March 29th I heard the first woodcock singing its "peent" call in the pasture and on March 30th, the farm pond, although still covered in ice, had a rim of open water along its edge. Last year the pond was completely ice free on this date.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On April 1st, the wild honey bee hives that live in the old chicken coop became active. It was nice to know that both hives survived the winter. Official "ice out" of the farm pond came on April 2nd. That same day I heard the chorus frogs for the first time and on April 3rd they were joined by spring peepers.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The extreme cold of this past winter has made me hoping for an early spring but nature as always doesn't care what I want. Even so, try as it might, winter cannot hold us in her grip forever. The transition is underway.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Diane Hienerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05649831014902716355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4381265694130990833.post-51172664620578419072015-03-01T17:03:00.000-05:002015-03-01T17:03:58.256-05:00February 2015: One for the record books<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>The results are in and it's official. February 2015 just set the record for the coldest February ever in these parts and the second coldest month ever. The coldest month on record was January of 1977. So in honor of a record setting month, I figured a little documentation was in order.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>We were cruising along through January with a little snow here and a little snow there. It was cold but not unbearably cold. By February 1st the base layer of snow was around 6-8". Not too bad. Then the first week of February we had a foot of snow on a day when 2" of snow was predicted. Then three days later we had another foot of snow. The first foot of snow looked like this:</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>A few days after the second foot of snow I turned the beagles loose in the pasture to get some exercise while I did barn chores. That one small act turned into a bit of an adventure. The dogs ended up finding rabbit tracks back by the high tunnel. Of course they wouldn't come when I called them so off I went to round them up. I was also concerned about the weight of all the snow on the high tunnel roof so I grabbed a push broom from the barn. I figured if I was going to trudge all the way back to the high tunnel to get the dogs, I might as well be useful and knock some of the snow off the roof. Trudge does not begin to describe what happened next. Figuring the creek would be mostly frozen over, I decided to take the direct route to the high tunnel. That meant crossing through the creek bottom land which I discovered acts as a big bowl when it snows. The knee deep snow in the pasture behind the barn was bad enough. The creek bottom crossing turned into wading through crotch deep snow. I suddenly realized how people who get trapped in a snowstorm in the wilderness become exhausted and die. But since I had a job to do, I kept going. By the time I got to the high tunnel, my legs were jelly and I was sweating profusely. Looking on the bright side, it's always nice to find a way to burn a lot of calories in the winter.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>After spending some time knocking the snow off the high tunnel roof and turning my arms into the same jelly-like condition as my legs, I thought I would take a break by getting a picture of the produce field in winter. Since the Brussels sprouts were about the only thing tall enough to be sticking out of the snow, that's where I set my sights. Halfway there I had to cross over a large rutted wet spot at the edge of the field. Of course it all just looked like flat snow, but when I stepped into the wet spot, I was reminded how well snow insulates the ground. Instantly I sank through the snow and down into a deep rut and ended up with my boot stuck in the half frozen mud and standing crotch deep in the snow once again. OK that was not going to work. I got my foot extracted from the mud and used an old physics trick to get to the Brussels sprouts. I distributed my weight over a larger surface area so that I would not sink through the snow. This is the principle behind snowshoes of which I had none. Instead I crawled the rest of the way on my hands and knees. Success! The produce field in winter.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>The fact that I am typing this shows that I successfully managed to make it back to the house. But that little adventure was worth several pieces of peach cobbler.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Then Mother Nature looked out across the land and said "I have given you lots of snow. What can I give you next?". She gave us cold.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>The first egg from our pullets decided to show up during this time. Every year I anticipate that first egg. Well this first egg was laid early in the morning several hours before I got out to the barn. When egg meets cold, it freezes and cracks and ends up in the trash. Still it is a picture worthy event.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b> Oh yes the cold. There was February 16th:</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Followed by February 17th:</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>And just to add a little flare to an already cold winter, we had February 20th:</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>After February 20th, all the lows temperatures below zero became pretty mundane but we had several more lows in the minus single digits and minus teens. Ho hum. How boring.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>We made it through with frozen pipes (thankful for no busted pipes) and lots of calories burnt due to a broken snow blower. Time will tell what this will mean to the farm. Our biggest concern is the blueberries which is the only fruit we raise commercially. Last year's cold winter damaged our peach trees, apples trees and blackberries and we had no fruit on any of those, but the blueberries were fine. I feel very bad for the local fruit growers and I'm not sure how this will impact the grape growers that had severe losses after last winter. Our other concern is our pond which is small. Last winter some of the small farm ponds in our county experienced 100% fish kill. We just stocked our pond last spring. </b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>All of this is just life on the farm though. Last night was a beautiful sunset on the farm. Time to start looking forward toward spring.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>Diane Hienerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05649831014902716355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4381265694130990833.post-33613645450709811642014-12-29T18:52:00.000-05:002014-12-29T18:52:27.278-05:002014 review in pictures and a few words<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Time to sit down and write up the annual year in review blog. Once again, like 2013, not a whole lot of blogging going on this past year. While 2014 wasn't quite the disaster that 2013 was, it was not far behind and once again I was trying to avoid doom and gloom blogging. You know, it is quite difficult to fully grasp the concept of global warming when you live day in and day out with colder and wetter conditions than normal. A warmer December doesn't mean much when there are no crops growing. A warmer summer would be nice. But there were a few bright spots along the way and it is always nice for me to be able to look back through the blog to remember when things got planted (or not).</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">January was a cold cold month. We had a polar vortex visit us, one of several that visited during the winter of 2013-2014. My January picture file has no farm pictures. This was however the first winter that we sold frozen produce and that went very well. In spite of the cold weather, I was able to get out and do some hunting on the farm. We eat a lot of wild game such as wild turkey, deer, rabbit and squirrel in addition to the chickens we raise in the summer. My hunting photos from January contain lots of layers of clothing and trying to look happy even though I was freezing.</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">February brought more cold although for a farmer that is not all bad. The colder it is in the winter, the more bugs that are trying to over-winter in the soil are killed. The local deer herd took every advantage of visiting the produce field for leftovers. There was a lot of napping in the house. And Mike showed off his cooking skills by making a very delicious frittata.</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">March continued with cold weather and more single digit temperatures. The pond was still frozen solid on the 23rd of the month but a warm up in the last week brought official "ice out" one week later. We were very happy we did not stock the pond with fish last fall as several area pond owners report 100% winter kill in their smaller ponds.</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></b><b><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There is still not a of farming to be done in April, but nature slowly started to emerge from a frigid winter. Hibernating critters started to come out and about. The pond got stocked with bluegill and bass and I had fun identifying the various toad and frog egg masses that were laid in the weeds around the edges of the pond. The new batch of pullets were moved from the grower pen to their home in the main chicken barn that has access to the outside. And I spent one whole day being terrified at a chainsaw safety class that ended with me successfully felling my first tree.</span></b><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>May was a very scary month. This is normally when planting begins, but in 2014 it rained and rained and rained some more. The first picture is a collage of farm fields from the area that I took the third week of May. No one had put a plow in the field yet and lots of standing water. There was lots of farmer anxiety in these parts. Then on May 25th the party started. First was discing of the old biodegradable plastic mulch followed two days later on May 27th with chisel plowing of the fields.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>It took all of June to get the fields ready to plant. Rain would put a halt to everything. Then it would dry out just enough to start working in the field again for one to two days. Then it would rain again. Highlights from this month include a rare appearance of yours truly working in the field both on the plastic laying machine and the transplanter. The first batch of meat chickens were moved out to pasture. We had our first known visit to the farm by a black bear. And the last week of the month we had a Deja Vu all over again flood similar to 2013.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>July was more continued stop and go but we were able to finish planting (and I think we were done earlier than good ol' rainy 2013). The first picture from July 12th is of the final flats of plants waiting to be transplanted. The second picture was the produce field on July 21st. As you can see, the crops were not very far along at all. July ended up being the third coldest July on record and with all the added rainfall, many of the transplanted plants drowned. What wasn't killed by the cold and rain was horribly stunted. The last picture is of the celery root to show that we had pretty much had non-stop standing water in between the rows of crops all month long.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>The first part of August brought a nice dry patch of weather and there was a glimmer of hope. The early sweet corn ripened so I froze some for the winter. The county fair was the second week and I won some ribbons for my baked goods and Mike won some for his produce. And then it started raining again on August 13th and that put an end to our optimism for an average year.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>September was more of the same. It would dry out and then just when things were looking brighter, it would rain. I don't have any pictures from the farm in September except for some jars of green beans so we must have had green beans to pick and sell. Most of the broccoli, melons, cauliflower and cabbages approached a 100% loss.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>When crops do not get planted until July, October turns out to be a big month for harvesting. The celery (and later the celery root) was one of the shining moments from 2014 and we had a couple large orders leave the farm. The turkeys were growing out in the pasture pens and the soybeans got harvested on October 25th.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>November pretty much brings an end to the farming season. There are always a few cold tolerant plants that can be harvested (such as kale and cabbages). We had a very snowy middle of the month. And of course November saw the turkeys being taken to the processor for Thanksgiving dinner and pumpkins were turned into pumpkin puree and then into pumpkin pie.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>December has been much warmer with very little snow compared to years past. The laying hens sure do appreciate not being "cooped" up for extended periods of time. We are in the middle of the indoor winter farmers market season and Mike did gear up by getting a much larger variety of frozen produce ready to sell. And Christmas always brings with it a feeling of peace and remembering that in spite of all the trying times, we have many many reasons to be thankful. And the end of the year always brings renewed hope for a wonderful new year.</b></span></div>
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Diane Hienerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05649831014902716355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4381265694130990833.post-37056236872666772632014-06-15T09:42:00.000-04:002014-06-15T09:42:41.787-04:00Goodbye barn. Hello grass.<span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Yesterday was moving day for the meat chicks, but I thought I'd take just a moment to catch up on the 2014 farming season so far.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>It's been quite the spring farming season. The weather, as usual in farming, has dominated what has been happening, or rather the lack of what has been happening. In a repeat of last year, the skies have rained and rained. We have had standing water in the fields since June of last year. In a so called "normal" year, we would be starting field work in late April or early May. A short recap of this spring's activity goes like this:</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>May 27th was the first day it was dry enough for a plow to touch the ground.</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>May 30th tomatoes went into the high tunnel.</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>June 1st the first sweet corn, peas, green and lima beans were planted.</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>June 3rd onions planted.</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>June 4th the soybeans got planted.</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>June 8th we had an all day rain that totaled just a little more than an inch. </b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>That little event on June 8th brought everything to a screeching halt. June 11th would have been dry enough to do some light field work and then it rained. June 12th we had a little more rain. June 13th was deemed dry enough to start tilling. Mike and the girls were just ready to start laying plastic and then it rained. The ground will now need tilled again before any plastic can get laid.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Back to the chickens. Their move to pasture was delayed as well. The target date to move them was June 8th, but that was the day it rained over an inch. The entire next week the weather service was predicting the possibility of thunderstorms and I certainly did not want to introduce them to the outside world and then have them sit through a storm their first night out. And so I waited. And waited. But yesterday was the day. Almost always I will have the pasture pens ready to go and just have to get up in the morning and move the chicks. But all last week it rained or the wind would blow or both and so yesterday I had to prepare the pens, move the chicks and the feeders and waterers. Along the way, I took some pictures.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The pasture pens are based on Robert Plamondon's hoop house. You can find more information about them on his web site: <a href="http://www.plamondon.com/hoop-coop.html" target="_blank">CLICK HERE.</a> They are floorless pens that are 8 feet X 9 feet in dimension. This allows the chicks to have access to the grass. In the winter, they sit out in the grass all naked so yesterday's first job was to get them dressed.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>"Dressing" involves several tarps and lots of bungee cords. I always seem to be tarping up the pens by myself which is why I had to wait for a day with light winds. I've done it before in the wind. It doesn't work well and when doing this job by myself in the wind, the words "flying solo" come to mind.</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXnpKsaofQwqxydn9XXFNzQ4vavANMIRmjrbrG1fKVvNj3gDcXPxrIVH3ErTpVOuSx0nbw1dE2pkwCs3E4xJCENODFtr18sD5wuWiUD8AOT4S0MR8nyrGQfb1ON-opaCvyiZnh297Oq9bs/s1600/2014-06-14+08.10.12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXnpKsaofQwqxydn9XXFNzQ4vavANMIRmjrbrG1fKVvNj3gDcXPxrIVH3ErTpVOuSx0nbw1dE2pkwCs3E4xJCENODFtr18sD5wuWiUD8AOT4S0MR8nyrGQfb1ON-opaCvyiZnh297Oq9bs/s1600/2014-06-14+08.10.12.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Next job to move the chicks. This part is good exercise. My brooder pen is about 12 feet by 12 feet. I built it in the bottom of our bank barn with scrap wood that had been left behind by the farm's previous owners. One wall is plywood. One wall is pressed fiberboard. One wall is T-111. You get the picture. For some reason that escapes me now, I built a 4 foot high and 4 foot wide ledge that runs the back of the pen. It creates a space for the chicks to try and hide from any human trying to catch them and makes the human chasing them have to crouch down and waddle like a chicken. Humans are not meant to crouch down and waddle like chickens. Thus, this part is good exercise. After numerous leg squats, all chicks were rounded up and transported out to the pasture pens and divvied up between the pens.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Next I had to go get the feeders and waterers. Even though they are on grass where they get to eat plants and bugs, they still need some chicken food. These are fast growing eating machines. Plus it takes them a little bit to figure out grass and bugs are food.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>And a final view of the pens with my little red tractor with my little red wagon that I use to haul feed and water out to the chicks. We'll be butchering them in 4 weeks. Fast growing little buggers.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>Diane Hienerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05649831014902716355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4381265694130990833.post-75406532023465504732014-04-06T11:20:00.000-04:002014-04-06T11:20:20.706-04:00Ice out and other signs of spring<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The farm pond is officially one year old and last weekend was its first official ice out. It happened fast too. On March 23rd, the pond was frozen solid. I'm sure I could have easily walked across it.</b></span><div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>7 days later after a couple days in the 50's and 60's and some rain, I wandered back to the pond and except for a small raft of floating ice that the wind had blown to the far southeast side, the pond was free of ice.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>It was a chilly but sunny day and the dogs and I took a nice 3 hour walk around the farm. Peters Creek was wide and spilling over the bank that day. A pair of mallards has been visiting the creek daily and if you look carefully at the picture below, you can see them just on the horizon as they took flight off the creek as I walked by.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Even though the ice is off the pond, the ground is still quite frozen. When it warms up during the day, there is a thick layer of squishy slick mud on top, but underneath the goo on top, the ground is still quite firm. So it will be some time yet before plow meets earth around here.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Last weekend also brought about a long overdue project. Last fall, I started a new batch of laying hens. They came to the farm as day old chicks during the first week of October. I set them up in the 8'X12' brooder pen where I start my meat chicks in the summer. Starting the pullets in the brooder pen meant I could let my older layers and roosters have full run between both pens in the layer barn. This gave the older chickens more room during the snowy months when they don't have a chance to go outside in 2 feet of snow. Most winters we will see some sort of brief January thaw and I figured that would be a good time to divide the two pens in the layer barn and move the young pullets over just before they started to lay their eggs. Well this winter wasn't like most winters. We never had a thaw and the weather stayed cold and snowy. It was too frozen to try and strip pens and get the pullets moved over. And so the pullets stayed in the brooder pen. I moved a bank of nest boxes over when they were ready to lay eggs. The brooder pen does have fold down roosts for them, but they are less then adequate for long term use. Then as the snow started to melt I started having issues with water coming in the brooder pen. Issues that I never have had in the summer with the meat chicks. That was a pen management nightmare, but I was able to keep on top of things for the most part. FINALLY last weekend I was able to strip out the pen in the layer barn and move the pullets to their new abode. Their tiny little chicken brains were totally freaked out by the move, but after one week, I think they are finally adjusting. Another week or so and they will get to start free ranging in the yard with the older birds.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>This past week also brought the first groundhog sighting of the year. OK, it was down the road a bit, but I'm sure a few of the farm residents are out and about too. Two nights ago, I did evening chores to the sound of spring peepers. Yesterday, a walk back in the field found the garlic shoots starting to emerge. Spring is progressing step by step.</b></span></div>
Diane Hienerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05649831014902716355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4381265694130990833.post-44560332579450862772014-03-23T20:38:00.000-04:002014-03-23T20:38:16.330-04:00Supposedly spring<div>
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i>You know it's spring when ...... your local farmer who has been hibernating all winter thinks about starting up this year's blog.</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i>You know it's spring and it's still cold when ..... your local farmer has time to sit down and write in the farm blog.</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i>Spring equinox arrived last week. Although there have been a few "warm" days thrown into the mix, spring so far has been what can only be described as a continuation of one helluva a winter. The weather service tells us we aren't even close being the coldest winter on record, however it certainly has been the coldest in recent memory. The number of sub zero degree readings and the weeks of sub-normal temperatures have been amazing. January temps were 6 degrees below average for the month. February temps were 6 degrees below average for the month. March is a little over 5 degrees below normal for the month so far. And on it goes. We are hopeful that all this cold weather killed a lot of bugs that feed on vegetables. Thinking positive here.</i></b></span><div>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i>Needless to say, outdoor work that normally takes place in March is not getting done. So sorry, but I am not going out and pruning the blueberry bushes when it is 20 degrees out with single digit windchills like it has been today. (Normal high is 49 degrees). Just ain't happening.</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i>Indoor work is going on. Seeds have been ordered and the UPS truck is making regular stops at the farm. Some of our seeds have been started in greenhouses. Hints that someday it will be warm or at least that's the rumor.</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i>And in spite of the cold, spring is here. You have to look no farther than the birds. They have no choice. Nature dictates that for the most part, their behavior changes as the length of daylight gets longer and longer. Three weeks ago the redwing blackbirds arrived. Two weeks ago a few turkey vultures and a few robins showed up at the farm. Last weekend, we were blessed by the tundra swans migrating through and making a brief rest stop on the farm. In years with more open water, they sometimes say longer, but this year I heard them for three days in a row and then they were gone. I was able to get a few pictures of them at the far end of one of our picked corn fields.</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i>And on Friday, the day after the spring equinox, I stepped out of the house in the morning and was greeted by the song of a woodcock in the pasture. And Friday evening as we were loading the car up for Saturday's farmers market, a turkey gobbled from the woods across the road. The birds know spring is here. Now Mother Nature just has to turn up the thermostat.</i></b></span></div>
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<b style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>The farm pond: March 23, 2014. Ice, ice Baby.</i></b></div>
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Diane Hienerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05649831014902716355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4381265694130990833.post-62571887185403817202013-12-09T15:54:00.000-05:002013-12-09T15:55:03.013-05:002013 review in pictures and few words.<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>As you can see, I haven't done much blogging this year. For those who wanted to know what was happening on the farm that probably wasn't a good thing. For those of us living through the disastrous farming year of 2013, it meant less time writing depressing news in the blog. Heck who wants to read about doom and gloom all summer long anyway. But I thought I would do a year end wrap up by pulling a few farm pictures from each month of the year. I was kind of chuckling as I worked my way through the year. I organize all my pictures by the month they were taken. The first half of the year I have a good amount of farm pictures, but as the year went on there were fewer and fewer pictures of the actual farm. You'll see what I mean as I go forth in remembering 2013.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>January didn't start off too bad. We had snow of course. Duh! The fields were covered, but alas under all that snow were the cold hearty Brussels sprouts. It is always a treat to have fresh produce in the middle of winter. Well it is a treat for those eating them. Not so much for the farmer picking them.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>February we had snow too. Shocking I know. This is the time of year that the words "cooped up" have true meaning here on the north coast. As you can see the chickens are feeling it as they stand at the edge of the barn door looking out into a world of white. I never did have a chicken that would step outside in more than a dusting of snow. And </b></span><b style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I don't take many pictures of the sky on purpose but I came across one of the February full moon. We don't take clear skies for granted around here as we live in one of the cloudiest locations in the United States.</b><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>In March I dug up some carrots that had overwintered in not too bad of shape. Their tops had all be eaten off by the deer, but the roots made for a tasty meal of cooked carrots. And surprising as it sounds, we had snow in March too. The chickens were surely getting sick of being in the barn because I found some tracks from a few adventurous chickens.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>April gave us the pond project as part of our irrigation grant. We sure could have used the pond during the drought of 2012 but by gum, we were going to have a pond for 2013. The irrigation project became a huge joke later on in the fall as we laid drip line in the mud. But I am getting ahead of myself. In April the pond got dug and before the creek dried up like it does every summer, a huge pump was brought in and the pond was filled in about 3 days.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>May started off in fine shape. At one point it was actually getting a bit too dry, but overall things were going well. Ground was getting plowed and disked, the high tunnel had plastic laid by hand and tomatoes and peppers were planted and rows of plastic were being laid in the field.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>In June our farm season fell apart. We had the beginning of what turned out to be 16 straight days of rainfall. I thought about writing a blog entitled "It rains 16 days what do you get" to be sung to the tune "16 Tons", but it was just too depressing. June is our planting season. The yard flooded. The fields flooded. Our namesake Peters Creek that flows in between our house and our field should have been on its way to being a dried up trickle of water, but as you can see, it became more like a lake. In between rain drops, we tried to plant in the mud and we did get some things planted, but because it never dried out the rest of the summer, most of our early planted transplants died.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>July I have no pictures of the crops. That's because there were no crops other than flats of plants that had not been planted or rows of transplanted plants that were rotting in the field. I do however have a couple pictures that were taken in July. Our broody hen Mama Buffy was showing her chicks how to forage in the yard and I took a picture of our employee parking lot in the pasture.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>August brought the infamous "Tractor Stuck in Mud" picture. What is striking about the picture is all the green in picture. Look closely at not only what the green is that is growing, but notice how uniform it is and look for what is missing. That green in the picture is spike rush which is an aquatic plant that grows in ponds. Yes, we had a field of pond weeds. As for what is missing, well, there is no pigweed or lamb's quarter or ragweed or smartweed or any one of a variety of weed's that grow up in the field between the rows every summer. And for the farmers that are reading this, you should know that our fields have been tiled. If they were not tiled, we would have never had anything planted this summer. Oh and in my August folder, I also have quite a few pictures of the neighbor's cows across the road. They presented a much prettier picture than the horror that was behind our house in the fields.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>In early September we actually picked some beans. They weren't plentiful, but they were more plentiful than the early plantings of beans that all drowned and died. I was able to get a dozen or so quarts canned and we sold a few too. We also had our first frost on September 17th, but fortunately it was contained to the low lying areas by the creek and did not harm anything back in the fields.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>October brought wonderful fall colors. The late plantings of cold tolerant plants such as broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts were actually growing. They did not over-perform, but we got enough off those plants to salvage something from an otherwise disastrous year. The red maple that sits behind our house lit up the scenery as it does every year. And we had our first snowfall on October 24th.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>My November file has slim pickin's for pictures of the farm. About all I have is one lonely picture of a head of broccoli that I took in the pitch dark with the flash from my cell phone. It was nicer to look at the fields in the dark anyway. We did sell a good bit of broccoli, cauliflower and celery root in November. Rabbit season also started in November and the dogs and I were able to get a couple of rabbits for the dinner table.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>So here we are in December wrapping up 2013. In spite of all the bad that happened, there were bright spots as well. We had an awesome group of CSA member's this year. We thank you all for your patience as we worked our way through the growing season. As usual we had a great time selling at the Countryside Conservancy farmers market at Howe Meadow in the Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area. Mike is already getting seed catalogs in the mail. Soon we will be placing orders for the 2014 growing season. Farmers and Cleveland Browns fans have a lot in common. We all know there is always next year.</b></span>Diane Hienerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05649831014902716355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4381265694130990833.post-68299433639840781342013-10-07T14:38:00.001-04:002013-10-07T14:38:56.818-04:00Stuffed Bell Peppers<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's been quite a few months since I have wandered over here to the farm blog. The biggest reason is that I have been doing weekday "Morning Farm Reports" on the Facebook page so that has taken away a chunk of time. The second reason though is that it has been a nightmare as far as weather on the farm this year and Mike and I are just about ready for the 2013 growing season to be done with. I am however planning on putting a post together of some of the highlights or more like lowlights of the season, but that comes later.</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today is about food. Since it is October, we finally have an abundance of bell peppers coming on (that should give a clue as to the kind of year it has been). Last week I made some stuffed bell peppers and have a few requests for a recipe so the ol' farm blog seems the most logical spot for easy access by all.</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As the song goes, there must be 50 ways to leave your lover and I'm sure there are as many ways to make stuffed bell peppers. I guess the classic way is a ground beef and rice mix, but you can use pretty near any type of meat you would like or even go vegetarian. You can use rice of any variety or quinoa or orzo or any other small grain or pasta. I make them with a tomato based flare, but I've seen them with broccoli and cheese or wild rice and herb flavored. Pick a combo, any combo.</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the peppers I made last week, I choose ground venison. Either my husband or myself usually harvest one or two deer off our farm every year so we eat much more venison than we do beef or pork. The starting point of my recipe is one pound of ground venison that has been cooked and set aside (I did this the day before).</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cut the tops off 6 bell peppers, remove the core and seeds, wash and set aside.</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Put a large pot of water on to boil. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next is the rice. I am a big proponent of making things from scratch and not using store bought mixes full of ingredients I can't pronounce. However, when time is a factor as it sometimes is, I occasionally resort to store bought mixes. If I had been making this totally from scratch I would have caramelized some onion, celery and carrot to use in a homemade marinara sauce that I would have mixed with some brown rice. The easy way out was to buy one of those dry spanish rice mix packages that is more pasta than rice and use that. Hey I was in a hurry. I put the rice mix and the amount of water called for on the package in a skillet.</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To the skillet I also added:</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 pint jar of my home canned tomatoes (drained)</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tsp minced garlic (dang I should have added more)</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tsp dried oregano</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 tsp dried basil</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And maybe something else, but that's all I can remember.</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I then cooked the rice/pasta and tomato mixture. When finished cooking, mixed with the ground venison and set aside.</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next I boiled the bell peppers in the pot of boiling water for 5 minutes. Took them out and cooled them by running under cold water in the sink. I suppose you could skip this step, but I've always done it this way and it does speed up cook time.</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next I stood the peppers upright in a foil lined baking dish. They JUST fit in my 7"X11" baking pan (my 9X13 was in use for something else). Then I stuffed them with the rice/meat mixture. Added 1 tsp of sugar to 1 8oz can of tomato sauce and drizzled over the six stuffed peppers. Covered the peppers with foil.</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Baked at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Removed foil and sprinkled cheddar cheese on top of each pepper. Baked 10 minutes longer uncovered. Done.</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSD2STHIdf6xEPSalGhDk_Oyxtx5uqJV_19oFhl4u-642tIoqnWZIPu17enxwiA7YX5vW3gR9OREvlwMHtsA2Qel5MRo8rTh2t08mUUEa50m1uYpzL0Q27cC3nV9vEJUPm9zC64jLAju5M/s1600/2013-09-30+19.15.23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSD2STHIdf6xEPSalGhDk_Oyxtx5uqJV_19oFhl4u-642tIoqnWZIPu17enxwiA7YX5vW3gR9OREvlwMHtsA2Qel5MRo8rTh2t08mUUEa50m1uYpzL0Q27cC3nV9vEJUPm9zC64jLAju5M/s320/2013-09-30+19.15.23.jpg" width="320" /></span></b></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They make great leftovers for lunch too! </span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> </span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Diane Hienerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05649831014902716355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4381265694130990833.post-49381236265850768782013-06-09T08:24:00.000-04:002013-06-09T08:24:39.477-04:00Chick, chick, chicken<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijpb-tax07MNPbMbF7x8V05EFtuxED_TsSGh1GZtCyaKlzL5STy-BYTebLRCP-6zgFR6_SwPlfQTPj9kSUMB9nzKz2WVz0N0Yb9j8UZkEvC2sDRVIAyANEAPH-BHx5J3PWX3Opojw9w7bE/s1600/2013-05-07+18.29.39.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijpb-tax07MNPbMbF7x8V05EFtuxED_TsSGh1GZtCyaKlzL5STy-BYTebLRCP-6zgFR6_SwPlfQTPj9kSUMB9nzKz2WVz0N0Yb9j8UZkEvC2sDRVIAyANEAPH-BHx5J3PWX3Opojw9w7bE/s320/2013-05-07+18.29.39.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Summer chicken season is here. That means I've got meat chickens here on the farm as well as the layers. The first batch of meat chicks actually got here the first week of May so they are well beyond the cute fluffy chicks that were delivered to the farm in a box from the US Postal Service. </b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibV6DZNClWptpgCs5GeuUN3CIEAl9Lm_04xEN46iYp6as9_onnc9sQbo10-3oct2BHYTrE6uyAiCQ3avF01vXXFBMHJFbyavD78itpmsZu_7MxQb6Z-w-bS8v7F_FZbdybF_NcEw8vyxCw/s1600/IMG_4098.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibV6DZNClWptpgCs5GeuUN3CIEAl9Lm_04xEN46iYp6as9_onnc9sQbo10-3oct2BHYTrE6uyAiCQ3avF01vXXFBMHJFbyavD78itpmsZu_7MxQb6Z-w-bS8v7F_FZbdybF_NcEw8vyxCw/s320/IMG_4098.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Last Monday the 4 week old meat chickens were moved out to their new home on pasture. My goal is always to get them out there at around 3 to 3 1/2 weeks, but the weather never seems to cooperate. I always like to have a couple days of dry sunny weather strung together when I first move them out. Truth is they are much easier for me to care for when they are in the brooder pen vs out on pasture so I never grumble about moving them a little later anyway. My mind and body always seem to object to having to get up a little earlier for those first few days of taking care of them on pasture, but after I adjust, I really enjoy my time outside in the mornings. Bird song fills the air and each sunrise is unique and beautiful. The young rabbits are out and about in the yard and everything is green and lush. My mornings taking care the birds out on pasture become one of the favorite parts of my day. Well after I adjust to getting up earlier.</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDlC2QkMgUuBj_HmJ8Slfa9ojfuVTqN2niuh4TRCiGAy1V6sc9PxgMTbQFC6ptf-WIYdDSMEnbADKuFXXkvFNhHwFvX8suz0vZELgi90kpOSuqHpOx912V_N_8Xnj-Gaovhoc571wSBPY0/s1600/IMG_4095.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDlC2QkMgUuBj_HmJ8Slfa9ojfuVTqN2niuh4TRCiGAy1V6sc9PxgMTbQFC6ptf-WIYdDSMEnbADKuFXXkvFNhHwFvX8suz0vZELgi90kpOSuqHpOx912V_N_8Xnj-Gaovhoc571wSBPY0/s320/IMG_4095.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Although I would love to raise meat chickens in larger numbers, the fact that I have a full time job off the farm limits how much time I have to care for them so I only run two pens of 20-25 chicks each at a time. I am always amazed how I can take 50 chicks that have been living together in the brooder pen, split them into two different pasture pens and each pen takes on a different personality. I had three kind of runty chicks this time around so I put all three of them in the south pen so I could keep tabs on them. They all seemed to perk up and start doing better on pasture, but I did have to put one of them down this morning when its legs gave out. That is a job that I will never get used to. The other two have taken off though and are almost caught up to the others. The south pen is a little bit dumb about walking along as I move the pen each morning but they are pretty calm. The north pen on the other hand are my flighty chicks. Every time I walk in the pen to feed they all go scampering toward the back of the pen in a fit of panic. But when I move the pen, they eagerly walk along with the pen and run into the fresh grass. Two pens of chicks, two different personalities.</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCxq_RmT6hKQ96CwgteVDGp3xdQWS9kKfqOr37V2DqgyEa9SLtzST3lL-7WFQpnPvfbBaXLmJGHLP7AxntzlatSCA0XwF4cSCF80A7hOCZaX59DL9HNSUUuo6YW8N1VjbM3kraFDycKOyi/s1600/IMG_4087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCxq_RmT6hKQ96CwgteVDGp3xdQWS9kKfqOr37V2DqgyEa9SLtzST3lL-7WFQpnPvfbBaXLmJGHLP7AxntzlatSCA0XwF4cSCF80A7hOCZaX59DL9HNSUUuo6YW8N1VjbM3kraFDycKOyi/s320/IMG_4087.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The other poultry news on the farm is some new additions thanks to a broody hen. I almost always raise production type brown egg layer hens and while they are egg laying machines, these hens do not stop laying to sit on a clutch of eggs, ever. Even some of the standard dual purpose breeds that I have raised in the past, like Barred Rocks and Rhode Island Reds, will sit on eggs only rarely. Several years back I did have a Barred Rock hen that went broody every summer and I let her hatch some eggs. Then the last of my roosters died so that ended that. And Mama Chicken as I called her finally died last summer. When it came time to order some new layer chicks, I ordered a couple roosters and a few Buff Orpington pullets as Buff Orpingtons tend to be one of the more broody standard sized brown egg laying breeds. Last month one of the hens did go broody on me and I set some eggs under her. I had moved her into her own pen and in hindsight, I think I chose a bad location for her to set and I THINK she probably had trouble keeping the eggs at an even temperature. Even so, she hatched out 4 chicks and they are so stinkin' cute. I really enjoy having a mama and some chicks on the farm again. I'm hoping another one or two of my Buff Orpingtons will want to set this summer so I can hatch out a few more.</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgap5AzMyLYisQbg5Bx_l3b__mqfOO7-P7JQBL9Dx83TyfqxIrYwx_JIwi2Hiiengk7Ukt8BJQH37O5pLD_Na5JvH8A1EFi7Ytw5FMCpmF9COz48Hk-u66LVdV7kgl6ajHlQuTRpRKFZcIi/s1600/IMG_4045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgap5AzMyLYisQbg5Bx_l3b__mqfOO7-P7JQBL9Dx83TyfqxIrYwx_JIwi2Hiiengk7Ukt8BJQH37O5pLD_Na5JvH8A1EFi7Ytw5FMCpmF9COz48Hk-u66LVdV7kgl6ajHlQuTRpRKFZcIi/s320/IMG_4045.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The rest of the layers are going along doing their thing. I try to keep two age groups of hens and my older hens are really starting to slack off on the egg laying. They are destined for the stew pot this fall and new layer chicks will be ordered to replace them. The chicken cycle continues. I'll end the blog with one of my handsome roo's out in the grass. I love the cock-a-doodle-doos that serenade me every day when I am outside doing chores.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>Diane Hienerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05649831014902716355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4381265694130990833.post-51472420007570510692013-06-03T17:32:00.001-04:002013-06-03T17:32:33.445-04:00Full speed ahead, for the most part.<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b><i>Lots of pictures in this one!</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b><i>The month of May was a pretty good month for the most part. The best part is that the entire field got prepped this month. Quite a difference from last year when we were still pulling plastic mulch up in late June. Or who could forget 2011, the year it wouldn't stop raining, when the field looked like this on June 29th.</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b><i>But lo and behold the first plow went in the ground on May 2nd of this year.</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b><i>And by May 20th, the entire vegetable field was prepped and some sections were even planted. It really helped out that we switched to using biodegradable mulch last year for the most part and only had a few small sections of plastic mulch that needed to be pulled up.</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b><i>Some of the earliest plantings were the onions and shallots. Mike had been brainstorming over the winter to figure a way to put the onions on plastic since they always grow with so many weeds around them. He came upon a yard aerator that was on clearance. With a little shifting of this and that, the aerator is perfect for poking lots of evenly space small holes in the plastic mulch perfect for planting onions. All this was accomplished on May 9th.</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b><i>Next up was getting early sweet corn and green beans planted under plastic. Last year Mike grumbled a lot about the learning curve of planting and laying plastic over sweet corn as the clear plastic has the consistency and tangle-abilty of plastic kitchen wrap. This year I heard a lot less grumbling. On May 9th we had sweet corn and green beans in the ground. A new record!</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b><i>By mid May, Mike was able to go down to southeastern Ohio to bring home the tomatoes and early broccoli that his mom had started for him in her greenhouse. Our yearly rotation of hay wagons filled with flats of plants sitting in our yard has begun.</i></b></span><br />
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<b style="color: #990000; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><i>A few days later most of the tomatoes and some peppers were planted in the high tunnel. This picture was taken on May 20th. They look a little scraggly in the picture because they were just newly transplanted, but today they are growing and all the tomatoes have been staked. I suppose I need to wander back in my spare time and take a more up to date photo. Might be awhile.</i></b></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b><i>Also on May 20th (or actually the day before I think?), the plastic was cut off the corn and the beans. At this point in the month the fields were really dry and we were hoping for a tad bit of rain to help things along. I checked back in last year's blog and the early sweet corn is a few days ahead of last year's schedule.</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b><i>Shortly after the pictures from May 20th, we started getting some rain. The last two weeks have been a lot of start and stop. All the lettuce got planted right before Memorial Day weekend. Then we had three days in a row with freeze warnings posted. (Yes folks this is a fairly common occurrence for us to have frost right up to June 1st.) For 3 days we had frost and were kind of worried about the beans and the corn. They got a little stressed, but they did survive. Mike was able to get a bunch of plastic laid and now we are on hold due to some fairly heavy rain this past weekend. We've had a couple days of dry though and so fingers crossed that planting will resume tomorrow.</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b><i>There is the month of May in a nutshell. Way ahead of schedule compared to the last 2 years. Onward to June!</i></b></span>
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>Diane Hienerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05649831014902716355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4381265694130990833.post-29856557122032244032013-05-22T21:28:00.000-04:002013-05-22T21:28:55.797-04:00The Pond<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>I have designated this week "catch up" week on the farm blog. Farming has been rolling right along this spring (for a change). Last year we were still pulling up old plastic mulch in late June. Right now the fields are completely plowed and disked and the rototiller was suppose to be in action today, but I haven't found Mike yet to ask him today's details of what happened on the farm while I was at work in town. Although it is getting close to 8pm, he is still in the fields working. That is farming this time of year.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Since there is so much different stuff to catch up on, I've decided to tackle one subject at a time to make it easier to check back in the archives from year to year and because if I put too much in one blog, well, it's just too many words and I have trouble keeping things on track as it is.</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>This is how bad the "keeping on track" has become. Two days ago I started writing this first "catch up" blog about the pond. I've wanted a pond for a long time. Every nature lover out there would surely agree that a pond adds a richness to the landscape. Food and water perpetuate life and if you have both then you are surely rich. All this deep thinking got me remembering my college days when I used to pull out my copy of Henry David Thoreau's <u>Walden</u> and would read and dream about a life outside of the city. Our farm's new little 1/2 acre pond is a puddle compared to Walden Pond, but for me it takes me back to my youth when I was learning to love and embrace the natural world. It has been many many years since I picked up and read from <u>Walden</u>, and so two days ago when I started writing this blog, I thought "I bet I can find a nice quote from the book to include in the blog about our new pond". Jumping back into the present, I got online and took to looking through the Wikiquote pages on <u>Walden</u>. As I was reading, I was finding out that Mr. Thoreau had some not so nice things to say about farmers. Well, at least I don't think they were very nice. He chastised farmers for only caring about what money their crops could bring them and not caring about how their farm fit into the natural world. Kind of ticked me off a bit since I now live on a farm and while making money is part of it, I care very deeply for nature. All of this led me to continue reading more from <u>Walden</u> and before I knew it, I had to leave for an evening meeting. End of writing session. And this is why I never seem to get blog posts written these days and I swear it is getting worse as I get older.</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>But as much as Mr. Thoreau's views of farmers got me a bit agitated, I still do appreciate his writing and what he was trying to accomplish. So it is appropriate that I include one of his quotes to start my pond blog.</b></span><br />
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<i style="color: blue;">“A lake is a landscape's most beautiful and expressive feature. It is Earth's eye; looking into which the beholder measures the depth of his own nature.” </i><i><span style="color: #444444;">Henry David Thoreau</span></i></h1>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Since the last time I blogged, the pond has been both dug and filled. The two bulldozers worked in tandem and it was fun watching how efficient the guys were at piling up the dirt.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Seems like it was no time at all until the dozers were disappearing deeper and deeper into the earth.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>In the end, we had a big hole in the east end of our meadow.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>The next step was to take full advantage of several days in a row of rain, a nicely flowing Peters Creek, a big diesel powered pump and lots of hose. A couple days of running the pump 24/7 and our big hole was now officially a pond.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>The big pump.</b></span></div>
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<b style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The pond. Ta da!</b></div>
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<b style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And since this is an irrigation project first and foremost, Mike and the irrigation guy are now in the process of getting all that equipment set up. The sand filters are up and we are waiting on the irrigation guy to return with some missing parts.</b></div>
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<b style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">For my part in all of this, evenings such as the ones in the picture below are why I have always wanted a pond.</b></div>
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Diane Hienerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05649831014902716355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4381265694130990833.post-37316680361282687542013-04-16T20:23:00.000-04:002013-04-17T21:09:38.289-04:00Irrigation project underway!<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>A farm project that has been in the works for at least two years is finally getting underway this week. *insert happy dance and shouts of joy here* Since this is Mike's project and I have not been intimately involved with all the details, I am unable to recount all the boring details and twists and turns that have led to where we are right now. I do remember standing in a cold rain out the middle of an old meadow and talking with the excavators while we planned where to dig a pond that would serve as a water source for irrigating the vegetables. That was somewhere around November-December of 2011. Yep, 2011. The sun has come up and gone down many times since then. The bright red flag that staked out where the pond was to start has turned to light pink. We would call the excavators and they would say they would be coming, but then they never would. But we know these folks and they do a great job and we have used them before, we wanted to give them our business and so we waited. And actually, it didn't really matter that the pond wasn't getting dug because the other part of the project was not getting anywhere either.</b></span><br />
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<b style="color: #351c75; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">The other part was securing grant money to install the field irrigation system. The endless paperwork, changes in policies, waiting for other people to do their part of the work, waiting and waiting some more. *insert twiddling thumbs here* There were so many starts and stops it wasn't funny. Well actually it was funny. You know. One of those situations where if you didn't laugh you would probably cry. And so the irrigation system that we THOUGHT would be in place by spring of 2012 was not even underway. No pond. No grant. No nothing. And then we lived through the drought of 2012. Now wouldn't an irrigation system have been a handy thing to have as we watched plants wither in the summer drought? Yeah.</b><br />
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<b style="color: #351c75; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">The project wheels are finally turning though. The sand filter, pumps and various hoses were delivered last week. While they are crucial to the project, those items are quite boring. However this week there was much more excitement to be had on the farm when the track hoe showed up to dig some test holes for the pond.</b><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>Nothing like a big ol' track hoe to cause some serious equipment envy. After the test holes had been dug and all was quiet, Mike and I HAD to go back to the meadow later that evening to pay a visit.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>The smaller of the two dozers that are going to be used got delivered as well. The bigger one was supposed to come this morning, but it thunderstormed all morning long. Even so, just having some of the equipment sitting on the ground at the site of the future pond is a sure sign that this project is finally happening.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b><br /></b></span>Diane Hienerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05649831014902716355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4381265694130990833.post-16789848349524913802013-04-07T13:48:00.000-04:002013-04-07T13:49:16.212-04:002010-2012 Peters Creek Farm Foodie Index<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Coming up on April 27th, Mike and I have been invited to be speakers at <a href="http://freshforkmarket.com/" target="_blank">Fresh Fork Market's</a> <a href="http://freshforkmarket.com/2013/03/27/farm-fair-2013/" target="_blank">"Farm Fair"</a>. Farm Fair is a "One Day Crash Course in Urban Gardening" and in addition to Mike and I, there will be 10 other speakers sharing their farming and culinary knowledge. Definitely going to be a lot of fun. My talk is on freezing and canning and as I was sitting down preparing for my talk this past week, I realized that I already have somewhat of a collection of canning, freezing and cooking recipes right here on the ol' blog. The problem is that I have no index (well other than labels, maybe) to sort through the old blog posts. So this blog is dedicated to indexing all my past postings that include anything to do with canning or freezing or other cooking or baking recipes. Some of the posts are pretty detailed. Others have very little detail except maybe an external link to a recipe. If the post contains just an external link to a recipe I put that in the notes next to the blog post link. If the full recipe is actually printed in the blog text, then there is no mention of an external link. All the posts are directly about preparing food. So here we go.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #073763;"><i><a href="http://peterscreekfarmblog.blogspot.com/2010/06/rescue-mission.html" target="_blank">Rescue Mission</a> </i></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #073763;"><i> Contains the link to "To Die For Blueberry Muffins" with my minor change to the recipe amounts.</i></span></b></span><br />
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<a href="http://peterscreekfarmblog.blogspot.com/2010/06/converting-blueberries.html" target="_blank">Converting Blueberries </a></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b> This blog also has a link to "To Die For Blueberry Muffins" along with the picture of the finished project. The fact the I blogged about the recipe twice in one week will tell how good this recipe truly is. </b></i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWjY93AHf8zOC5Re_ezxnna5zD_FSc3QncLLSWrcg5GQyEnnufrRlcTQKmhsaZ0M5P8Bxkq8S-6ibknz8FKcHegu1Yy5qAKJjT20cKc217ULZJsydobmxvXnS5zhHB9OLFHGzMlc9reZ46/s1600/IMG_1540.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWjY93AHf8zOC5Re_ezxnna5zD_FSc3QncLLSWrcg5GQyEnnufrRlcTQKmhsaZ0M5P8Bxkq8S-6ibknz8FKcHegu1Yy5qAKJjT20cKc217ULZJsydobmxvXnS5zhHB9OLFHGzMlc9reZ46/s200/IMG_1540.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b><a href="http://peterscreekfarmblog.blogspot.com/2010/08/easy-like-sunday-morning.html" target="_blank">Easy Like Sunday Morning</a></b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> <b>My recipe for whole wheat buttermilk blueberry pancakes. *mouth is watering as I type this*</b></i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-gXClkGx9ZcvREp0DGDJd3vIwe5UIuv6dv7YG5X47ELJZdbNbgRJwrEf77XnllFVM2Qq3ZteqK6PI0g76c15kZLVwkOE5cMwANtK6fNQNzvzwQUCJ9w5foeA1vgcGz1VIh3QDLShIQqiU/s1600/IMG_1766.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-gXClkGx9ZcvREp0DGDJd3vIwe5UIuv6dv7YG5X47ELJZdbNbgRJwrEf77XnllFVM2Qq3ZteqK6PI0g76c15kZLVwkOE5cMwANtK6fNQNzvzwQUCJ9w5foeA1vgcGz1VIh3QDLShIQqiU/s200/IMG_1766.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b><a href="http://peterscreekfarmblog.blogspot.com/2010/08/this-past-weekend-was-start-of-my.html" target="_blank">Freezing Sweet Corn</a></b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> <b>Now there is an original name for a blog post. Bet you can't guess what this one is about? This one is a fairly detailed write up of how I freeze sweet corn.</b></i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6chqiOe-p8aeLBq_BEhTPR0NEXSe2hfBFeqR2myzl4QalRLHks5BayNN0_WUaifQ7PbSXpByOAk1duANJSRcymykVrHCBhKv_97viFRhCIfp7gPp6Dd0DwNudCtQ4sI7CMQ02y0crSIPk/s1600/IMG_1892.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6chqiOe-p8aeLBq_BEhTPR0NEXSe2hfBFeqR2myzl4QalRLHks5BayNN0_WUaifQ7PbSXpByOAk1duANJSRcymykVrHCBhKv_97viFRhCIfp7gPp6Dd0DwNudCtQ4sI7CMQ02y0crSIPk/s200/IMG_1892.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b><br /></b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b><a href="http://peterscreekfarmblog.blogspot.com/2010/09/greenie-beanies.html" target="_blank">Greenie Beanies</a></b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> <b>While this one doesn't include details of how to use a pressure canner, it does have step by step pictures through the process of canning beans. As a bonus, there is a paragraph about how I freeze whole peaches.</b></i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC_IDjZ8xboM8EHKqwfNTRaIQCfysYEP1YOBOKjzVWhKORPcSpUALDzsxpRlY-7nUlzxvwIbqi99W-tkO_N2-FGNRw_yTv-KKoJ9bluyfiM1aBVCiF9BRuJb6LjsBNmT7l8UtxEwn9LHgg/s1600/IMG_1964.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC_IDjZ8xboM8EHKqwfNTRaIQCfysYEP1YOBOKjzVWhKORPcSpUALDzsxpRlY-7nUlzxvwIbqi99W-tkO_N2-FGNRw_yTv-KKoJ9bluyfiM1aBVCiF9BRuJb6LjsBNmT7l8UtxEwn9LHgg/s200/IMG_1964.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b><a href="http://peterscreekfarmblog.blogspot.com/2010/09/brownies-and-big-bus.html" target="_blank">Brownies and a Big Bus</a></b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> <b>This post contains my recipe for whole wheat brownies.</b></i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-jvWJ56E8M9NZzsNXfkZo8OIm7L0NdZfF6gIoKUI_n5i7PpdbPBJ-XDeT-UgVioa1i4Q0rNFh4j3wvUl39dNhtWP0RLYGWhonabTfSlqqh3p8smo7miBoBw_Tq7PVU8fCRsQrcVHd94QE/s1600/IMG_1997.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-jvWJ56E8M9NZzsNXfkZo8OIm7L0NdZfF6gIoKUI_n5i7PpdbPBJ-XDeT-UgVioa1i4Q0rNFh4j3wvUl39dNhtWP0RLYGWhonabTfSlqqh3p8smo7miBoBw_Tq7PVU8fCRsQrcVHd94QE/s200/IMG_1997.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i></i></span><br />
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<b><a href="http://peterscreekfarmblog.blogspot.com/2010/09/monday-apples.html" target="_blank">Monday Apples</a></b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i> Here are the details of how I make and freeze applesauce. There is also an external link to a recipe for "Maple Apple Crisp"</i></b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFpqY8pDUWbcRZOpMYmRuRQvkaY861eFN7BYDDHitCsU8UTsLlTEG8Fw6WydPwZY-LyoFPAtWBQ1H5vYl86_SkAgNhRazyYhSi1ZbBQTN6U9UW1PjKc6bKZQdLSYvmxnaeN61hMdSSdkzD/s1600/IMG_2050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFpqY8pDUWbcRZOpMYmRuRQvkaY861eFN7BYDDHitCsU8UTsLlTEG8Fw6WydPwZY-LyoFPAtWBQ1H5vYl86_SkAgNhRazyYhSi1ZbBQTN6U9UW1PjKc6bKZQdLSYvmxnaeN61hMdSSdkzD/s200/IMG_2050.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b></b></span><br />
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<b><i><a href="http://peterscreekfarmblog.blogspot.com/2010/10/kicking-off-soup-season.html" target="_blank">Kicking Off Soup Season</a></i></b></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i> Basic directions on how I use an old stew hen to make homemade stock and use the stock to make chicken noodle soup.</i></b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQsK2gRJ5URuD9O1bLcm53jgWTW-J6dFqrZBgO-zTAgCGbKDLvD3dk_mxLxt1xVajBYc-aEHNEualy1MZRKPm7TslAtulkZNBZFVe6cmM4r0akfIRBBc_Jkhc4cqWrYHZERp0GY6VxMxt9/s1600/IMG_2069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQsK2gRJ5URuD9O1bLcm53jgWTW-J6dFqrZBgO-zTAgCGbKDLvD3dk_mxLxt1xVajBYc-aEHNEualy1MZRKPm7TslAtulkZNBZFVe6cmM4r0akfIRBBc_Jkhc4cqWrYHZERp0GY6VxMxt9/s200/IMG_2069.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b></b></span><br />
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<i><a href="http://peterscreekfarmblog.blogspot.com/2010/10/and-then-there-were-eight.html" target="_blank">And Then There Were Eight</a></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i> This one contains an external link for "Cream of Celery Root Soup" as well as how I loosely adapted the recipe to fit the ingredients I had on hand.</i></b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8vluTypbM2Pdjw5TGwJ7afcgEpLQs7sGTFV9aOwvOyuMAeiPOIrHZlkvAPrQOxu4yR69PGD9THqbBY17ho9WISOjPIdXgv8-NUSypLbqVz78RH85OFFyq8BFhF15JELGt38gNlDyx58AC/s1600/IMG_2166.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8vluTypbM2Pdjw5TGwJ7afcgEpLQs7sGTFV9aOwvOyuMAeiPOIrHZlkvAPrQOxu4yR69PGD9THqbBY17ho9WISOjPIdXgv8-NUSypLbqVz78RH85OFFyq8BFhF15JELGt38gNlDyx58AC/s200/IMG_2166.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i><a href="http://peterscreekfarmblog.blogspot.com/2010/11/pumpkin-puree.html" target="_blank">Pumpkin Puree</a></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> <i>Once again an original title for a blog post. Yep, this one details how I make pumpkin puree from scratch. It can be easily frozen to be used for pies and other recipes all winter long.</i></b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqvdqHCDJ1_eiHEWCJMcF8HDCL9r4kZbkRldZh0N6FOdnk_OpV_hSD-6t4C9GNghHskwP2C3JmRk_ScYzx_sOAQ68EeYbGZrdRjUjQAfWcrh8tXpkj8Z19h6bbAvKfDbAs_qt6XYeIM5zR/s1600/IMG_2181.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqvdqHCDJ1_eiHEWCJMcF8HDCL9r4kZbkRldZh0N6FOdnk_OpV_hSD-6t4C9GNghHskwP2C3JmRk_ScYzx_sOAQ68EeYbGZrdRjUjQAfWcrh8tXpkj8Z19h6bbAvKfDbAs_qt6XYeIM5zR/s200/IMG_2181.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i><a href="http://peterscreekfarmblog.blogspot.com/2010/11/rabbit-dogs-and-easy-baked-rabbit.html" target="_blank">Rabbit Dogs and Easy Baked Rabbit</a></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i> Yes, another title that will leave you guessing. This one contains my own recipe for slow baked rabbit.</i></b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtPmUjezwoSN6NXZM5HIN719Q3ThTwmlahlpqXikwLOI-OrNIQcUUooOkTLuyVwH5Tp9mwTw2x8Z6hvsA5qmnzTHa-vGRUNRZIBY6C3guoYG4GLQcckBkLNLi-NlRy3_cwl50Qp_kHRwDL/s1600/IMG_2284.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtPmUjezwoSN6NXZM5HIN719Q3ThTwmlahlpqXikwLOI-OrNIQcUUooOkTLuyVwH5Tp9mwTw2x8Z6hvsA5qmnzTHa-vGRUNRZIBY6C3guoYG4GLQcckBkLNLi-NlRy3_cwl50Qp_kHRwDL/s200/IMG_2284.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i><a href="http://peterscreekfarmblog.blogspot.com/2010/12/snow-storms-chili-and-chocolate.html" target="_blank">Snow Storms, Chili and Chocolate Raspberry Cream Cheese Pie</a></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i> Nothing like a good old snow storm to keep me in the house making food all day. This one has two recipes. One for White Bean Squirrel Chili and one for Chocolate Raspberry Cream Cheese Pie. Oh yeah!</i></b></span></div>
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<i><a href="http://peterscreekfarmblog.blogspot.com/2011/01/1065-inches-of-snow-and-counting.html" target="_blank">106.5 inches (of snow) and counting</a></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i> Two recipes, both are links to external web sites. "Whole Wheat Banana Bread" - a quick bread and "Four Grain Bread" - a yeast bread</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Then in 2012 I really slacked off the foodie postings or at least any with any detail or links. But I've already put one up in 2013.</i></b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg78-_KJCZy1Xc2PBzClRFQj9UJwzkLJk0syjW2Fl0XdHYpctD11sTD9o9KkzzOhhpTTCL3RgQ2p2XA92l2Cdvd-LS_v6TQo6ybV5sYnnJy3czO7Lrw1Dyr1xSmKlCzPOb1ZjZaghLhxWR_/s1600/IMG_3954_small.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg78-_KJCZy1Xc2PBzClRFQj9UJwzkLJk0syjW2Fl0XdHYpctD11sTD9o9KkzzOhhpTTCL3RgQ2p2XA92l2Cdvd-LS_v6TQo6ybV5sYnnJy3czO7Lrw1Dyr1xSmKlCzPOb1ZjZaghLhxWR_/s200/IMG_3954_small.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i><a href="http://peterscreekfarmblog.blogspot.com/2013/03/rabbit-ragu.html" target="_blank">Rabbit Ragu</a></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i> This one has a pretty detailed step by step directions as well as the external link for the recipe I used as a base.</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>So hoping all my links work correct. Whew!</b></i></span></div>
Diane Hienerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05649831014902716355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4381265694130990833.post-65078589267907571972013-03-24T20:58:00.000-04:002013-03-24T20:58:56.357-04:00Spring carrots<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Two weeks ago there was no snow on the ground. Two weeks ago we had a wonderful weekend with temperatures that soared well above the normal high of 48 degrees and landed at 65 degrees on Sunday afternoon. It seemed that spring was indeed right around the corner. I took my usual walk around the farm with the beagles and along the way I passed through the old carrot patch. Everything that was green in the garden has been thoroughly eaten by all the deer that forage their way through the winter months. We had pretty much written off the carrots, but as I walked across the bare dirt, I noticed something. There WERE carrots in the ground. Lots of them. The tops had been eaten off and sometimes a chunk of the carrot itself had been bitten off right at the level of the ground. I started pulling up carrot after carrot after carrot and they didn't look bad at all. The ground had preserved them in very good condition. It felt good putting my fingers into the wet earth and pulling out my prize. It was like finding hidden treasure. This time of year nearly all the vegetables we eat are ones that I have either canned or frozen from our farm. The thought of fresh from the ground carrots was making my mouth water. I took my prize back to the house and gave them a good scrubbing. </i></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Within a short time I was eating a plate full of cooked carrots seasoned with just a little butter and salt. What a treat for this time of year.</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Mike and I are still discussing if we should pick some for market. We can certainly trim up the munched on ends, but traditionally carrots are sold with the green tops on. I'm not sure anyone would buy them without the tops. It seems sad that all these carrots should go to waste because the tops were there to feed the deer.</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Mother Nature has decided to make sure though that we don't have to worry about harvesting carrots from the ground. Last Saturday it snowed. Then on the first day of spring it snowed. And the next day it snowed more. For going on two weeks now, our high temperatures have been running at least 15 degrees below normal. Most of the days this past week, our high temperature did not even reach what our normal low temperature should be. Snow this time of year is like some cruel hoax, but there is nothing to do but take a big sigh and know that spring will be here eventually. In the meantime, the snow does make for some pretty scenery.</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>The big maple tree behind our house in the early morning light.</i></b></span><br />
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<b style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Peters Creek</i></b><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Our dairy farm neighbor's granary</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Wild growing apple tree looking like it was sprayed with foam</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Another view of Peters Creek with our barn in the background</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>Diane Hienerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05649831014902716355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4381265694130990833.post-82996579371906887602013-03-04T21:12:00.000-05:002013-03-04T21:12:09.227-05:00Rabbit Ragu<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Living here on the farm, we eat a lot of wild game as part of our diet. We have three beagles that love to chase rabbits around the farm and we have lots of rabbits that love to eat our vegetables. And so it is that the dogs and I get some exercise during rabbit season. I shoot a few rabbits to keep the population in check a bit and to keep some lean healthy meat in the freezer. Truth be told, I exercise the dogs way more than I actually shoot any rabbits, but a few weeks ago the rabbits ate every last bit of our spinach and radishes that were growing in our high tunnel. Last weekend was the last weekend of rabbit season and I thought I had better take advantage of the last opportunity to thin out the rabbit population.</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Every once in awhile I come across a recipe that deserves an inclusion in the blog. </i></b></span><b style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>I've been looking for something different to do with the wild rabbit meat I have on hand. Seems like I've been kind of stuck in a rut ever since I came up with a rabbit and gravy recipe that I really love. A couple months ago I came upon a recipe for rabbit ragu. I've been wanting to try it ever since and this weekend was the perfect opportunity. I browsed the internet for more rabbit ragu recipes and I finally settled on one from Emeril Lagasse via www.foodnetwork.com. It is called <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/rabbit-ragu-with-pappardelle-pasta-recipe/index.html">Rabbit Ragu with Pappardelle Pasta</a>. Of course I made a few minor changes, but the inspiration certainly came from this recipe. This recipe was certainly somewhat of a labor of love and definitely not something that could be put together for a weeknight dinner, but you could certainly do the long steps ahead of time and crockpot the rest. Today though I had some time and so this is how it went.</i></b><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>I took two wild rabbits and deboned the meat and cut it into chunks. I even removed the silver skin off the loin muscle. Probably not necessary but I did it. Actually I have not deboned a rabbit before and I have to admit it was a bit tedious. I think I actually like better the method of cooking it until the meat is tender and then pulling it off the bone. But I do see an advantage of deboning first. There were no shards of bone in the meat like there sometimes are when pulling off cooked meat. I also did this step the day before so that was a time saver today.</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Then I seasoned the meat with salt and pepper and tossed the meat in flour (sorry Emeril, I just used plain ol' all purpose flour).</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Next I browned the meat in a little olive oil, about 10 minutes, until browned and nearly cooked through. Removed the meat from the pan and set aside.</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>I added a little more olive oil to the pan (just enough to coat the bottom). I find it hard to believe the recipe calls for about 1/2 cup of olive oil at this step. Wow! That seems like it would be an oily mess. Whatever. I then added the 2 cups of minced onion, 1 cup of minced celery and 1 cup of minced carrot. Pretty colors!</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>This next step is definitely the "labor of love" part. I don't think I have ever caramelized vegetables to this extent. One time I made a deep dark caramel colored roux for a gumbo recipe and I remember that took a long time. I read up on caramelizing veggies and it convinced me that this was a step that needed to be taken seriously. And so, 50 minutes later I ended up with some beautiful caramel colored vegetables. Perfect!</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>For the next part I added 2 pint jars of home canned whole tomatoes with the water/juice. I mashed them in the pan with a hand potato masher. Add to that the 1 tsp dried oregano and about 2 teaspoons of fresh chopped garlic (I like garlic more than 1 tsp worth), 1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme, 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (I had no red pepper flakes), no rosemary (I hate rosemary) and no bay leaves. I also added 1 cup of red wine and cooked this for another 30 minutes, reducing the liquid a bit.</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>After this, I added the browned wild rabbit meat, the tomato/veggie/wine sauce and only 1 cup of broth (I used homemade turkey broth because it is what I had on hand) and put this all in the crockpot. 30 minutes on high and then 5 hours on low. When it was time for dinner, I got the handy dandy potato masher out again and used it to break up the chunks of meat a bit. Served over pasta.</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>I really really REALLY liked this recipe. Mike thought there was too much heat from the cayenne, but he does not like spicy food much at all. I thought it was just right. A slight touch of heat/flavor without being too noticeable. Maybe next time I will try it without the cayenne, but it will need more salt or garlic or something else if the cayenne is not there.</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>Diane Hienerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05649831014902716355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4381265694130990833.post-85225337423152582632013-02-25T12:14:00.000-05:002013-02-25T12:14:04.519-05:00The semi-myth of those stand up egg whites<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>The "kids" grow up so fast it seems. Only 8 months ago, they were little egg-sized balls of fluff. Now they are cackling and crowing young adults. It's probably a good thing that we don't have any real close neighbors because when all the girls (and the two boys) get to "talking", the noise level in the chicken barn is quite loud. So far this winter has been bearable. We've had stretches when the ground is covered by snow, but we've also had several mid-winter thaws that have taken us back to green grass a time or two. The chickens love being outside when the snow is gone.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>But when the snow is on the ground, they excitedly run to the barn door when it is opened and promptly come to a screeching halt at the edge of the concrete. Sometimes there is a major chicken pile up with the ones in the back plowing into the ones in front at the edge of the snow. Except for a few brave older hens, most of my chickens will not step foot on snow.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Right now we have about half of our older hens laying as well as the majority of the 8 month old birds. I even bought a few Americaunas for the first time and their green eggs are a big hit with the kids that show up at the farmers market with their parents. And talk about a variety of size. When chickens first start laying eggs, the eggs are small. Gradually the eggs increase in size. My older hens are laying a lot of extra large eggs right now while the younger hens eggs are more medium in size.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Now that the "youngsters" are laying regularly, I finally have the opportunity to write about the semi-myth of stand up egg whites and what that says about the age of an egg. First you need to know there are actually four parts to the egg white. Two of those parts are closely associated with the yolk. The other two parts are the egg white that is seen when you crack an egg open on to a frying pan. There is a thick gel-like part closer to the center and then a thin watery egg white that spreads to the outside. As an egg sits in your refrigerator, it gets older and as an egg gets older, that thick gel-like part of the egg white gets thinner and flatter. Therefore it is often written that if you crack open an egg and the egg white is watery and does not stand up tall then that egg is old. This is true for store bought eggs that are graded when they leave the farm. But there is a HUGE exception to this rule of thumb that is often seen in eggs that come from small backyard flocks. These are the eggs that will often be for sale at farmers markets.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Several years back I had a customer complain that the eggs I was selling were old because the egg whites were very watery. That is what he had been told and probably what he had experienced with his store bought eggs. Well we sell out our eggs every week at the summer market so the absolutely oldest egg is seven days old. I collect them, I wash and sanitize them and into the refrigerator they go. So why would I be selling eggs with watery egg whites? The answer is that I have hens in my flock that are much older than in commercial flocks. As hens get older, egg whites have more and more of the thin watery part and less and less of the thick gel part. Some hens have eggs that do this more than others. When I look at my eggs in the egg basket, I can tell you which eggs will have thick stand up egg whites and which ones have thin watery egg whites. Since there is no difference in flavor or nutritional value in eggs from older hens, I choose to keep my hens for an extra laying season compared to the big egg farms. It is what I do.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>And for a demonstration, I recently cracked open two eggs into a fry pan when I was making Sunday breakfast. Both eggs were less than 24 hours old. The egg on the upper left came from one of my old hens. The egg on the lower right is from one of the young hens.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>So there you have it. If you buy eggs from someone who has a small flock of chickens and happen to get some eggs with watery egg whites, those eggs are more than likely not old eggs. They are just eggs from old hens. Same farm fresh tasty goodness.</b></span></div>
Diane Hienerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05649831014902716355noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4381265694130990833.post-39812968752949126232013-02-04T21:04:00.000-05:002013-02-04T21:04:23.366-05:00A little education. A little bit of local food movement.<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Winter on the farm may not involve much work in the field, but there is a lot of behind the scenes work going on. Last week Mike went to his third vegetable grower conference of the winter. This one was in Hershey, PA and he got to spend the week learning all sorts of new things and eating chocolate. What sort of things do vegetable farmers learn at conventions? Some examples from the Hershey conference were seminars on storing vegetables for winter markets, growing sweet potatoes (haven't done this yet but are planning for this coming season), and field tests on growing seeded and seedless watermelons side by side.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj83AterONoPyvdrko5ILQuiXVyaBQ0lRTIwQZ3euZviwUmHhoQm_MGreFSQOBNvKwhEdm1mEyFwxpeD0D9JhdXZt7v_5syFMNq4AK8KZopHivdbmhFuhtiaTIfkY9llphwPsTwRbCcKSGw/s1600/~HersheyShow2013Pies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #990000;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj83AterONoPyvdrko5ILQuiXVyaBQ0lRTIwQZ3euZviwUmHhoQm_MGreFSQOBNvKwhEdm1mEyFwxpeD0D9JhdXZt7v_5syFMNq4AK8KZopHivdbmhFuhtiaTIfkY9llphwPsTwRbCcKSGw/s320/~HersheyShow2013Pies.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Around mid-conference, I asked Mike to send me a picture of the conference so I could post one to the farm's Facebook page and this is what he sent. The man does love his pie. He also seemed quite fond of letting me know what he was having for dinner each night. Tuesday night was especially memorable because the text message he sent couldn't have been timed more perfectly. I had worked a little later on Tuesday and didn't get home until close to 7pm. The temperature had been above freezing for the second day in a row and it had rained most of the day. I was in a hurry to just get out to the barns and get chores done and over. As I crossed the driveway and headed to the chicken coop, the light rain became a steady downpour. As I walked through the yard, I could feel my feet squishing in the muddy muck of all the snow melt and then realized that I had forgotten to switch into my rubber barn boots and instead had on my suede boots that I wear to work. I was not going back to the house at this point though. That's when I heard the text message tone on my phone. I got to the barn and was thinking that while the chicken pens would be dry, I would be walking through wet shavings and bits of chicken manure near the doorway. My poor suede boots. Once out of the rain, I pulled my phone out to read my husband's text that read "Sitting in the nice restaurant here waiting for my steak. Butter and chocolate flavored butter came with the bread.". Lovely. I'm soaking wet and my feet are covered in mud and chicken poop. Yep, timing is everything or so they say. The following day there were texts about French toast for breakfast and later about Yuengling beer, meatloaf and mashed potatoes. At least I knew he was eating good while he was gone.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1rSO17vkAysDPTJYg9RuLocYrhRzIfOXX5QWW1Aefh0D-CZXE_HkibJeZ0AxhvzdLUcym6V8WUVDt5tX-r1J_g8mXwhJPZ5Pv-M9A02-P-H9gCGWeBUYumk4dhbAsjvgyU4nJnr4H-cXx/s1600/IMG_3841.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #990000;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1rSO17vkAysDPTJYg9RuLocYrhRzIfOXX5QWW1Aefh0D-CZXE_HkibJeZ0AxhvzdLUcym6V8WUVDt5tX-r1J_g8mXwhJPZ5Pv-M9A02-P-H9gCGWeBUYumk4dhbAsjvgyU4nJnr4H-cXx/s320/IMG_3841.JPG" width="320" /></span></a><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The other happening last week was a local meeting to promote the local food movement. The meeting was hosted by Mark Winchell, executive director of the <a href="http://www.visitashtabulacounty.com/">Ashtabula County Convention and Visitors Bureau</a> and Dave Marrison, Ohio State University Extension Educator based in <a href="http://ashtabula.osu.edu/">Ashtabula County</a>. A fine looking duo to be sure (that is Dave on the left and Mark on the right). Anyway, the purpose of the meeting was to network local farmers with local restaurants. Mark has a lot of ideas for promoting local Agribusiness and his enthusiasm for this project was fun to see. Normally Mike would be the one to attend meetings like this, but since he was out of town eating chocolate flavored butter on his bread, he sent me. This alone is kind of scary because while I claim part ownership of the farm, most of my farm duties involve taking care of the animals that live on the farm. When it comes to the vegetables, I am best at cooking them and eating them. Half the time I don't even know what is growing out in the fields. In spite of my lack of knowledge, I went (armed with a notepad page of facts about our vegetable farm - Mike made me write this down ahead of time) and just had fun. I got to talk to the chefs of several local restaurants as well as meet other farmers from all over the county. One of the hardest parts of being in the business of farming is marketing one's product. Us farmers are busy sorts and it is often hard to find the time to reach out to potential customers. So a big thanks to Mark and Dave and the local restaurants that attended the meeting.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That about sums up the farming for the week. Mike was planning on taking inventory of the Brussels sprouts still in the field. All the snow melted while he was gone and all the snow came back on the day he got home so a thorough inventory will have to wait. I'll leave this blog post with a typical winter scene from the farm. Little ol' Peters Creek is slowly freezing over once again. This is the view of the creek as it runs through our pasture and our high tunnel can be seen in the upper right hand corner of the picture.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Diane Hienerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05649831014902716355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4381265694130990833.post-91594517997658495692013-01-28T21:18:00.000-05:002013-01-28T21:18:29.808-05:00Happy New Year: Let's Do This Again<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Really? I have not blogged since last October? But I guess the real question is can I re-commit to the blog in 2013. And since it is still the first month of the year, I feel like I am OK to say "Happy New Year" for at least a day or two more.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>January is the best time for summing up the old year and looking forward to the new year. As for 2012, it is gone. Some good and some bad just like every other year. We were challenged by the drought just like every other farmer in the Midwest. We were challenged by a family illness and death, but that is the unfortunate part of everyone's life. On the plus side, the new high tunnel came through with flying colors. Mike has decided that the tomatoes in the high tunnel were so superior to the ones in the field that all the tomatoes in 2013 will be grown in the high tunnel. We are still working on the irrigation project though. That project seems to start and stop so often that is seems like it will never become reality. But it will. Eventually.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>The highlights of 2012:</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Who could forget the giant broccoli plant? In case some aren't familiar with the story, Mike and our farm workers were out picking broccoli for one of our customers. These plants did produce some really nice heads of broccoli, but then there was this one head. It was the only one out there that reach this mammoth size. Not quite sure what happened here, but I ended up blanching and freezing the entire head (which weighed around 8-10 pounds). </b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><b><b><b><b><b><b>As usual, <a href="http://www.cvcountryside.org/">Countryside Conservancy Farmers Market</a> in Peninsula, Ohio is always on our list of highlights. It is such a well run market and has such a variety of vendors. Not only do we sell produce there, but we shop there too. Mike buys a loaf of bread from <a href="http://www.greatlakesbakingcompany.com/index.htm">Great Lakes Baking Company</a> nearly every week and I will sometimes put an order in for some cheese or raspberries or whatever else we don't grow here on the farm. And the Countryside Conservancy market is where we met up with <a href="http://www.chefrusty.com/">Chef Rusty Hamlin</a> and sold him the produce used at the <a href="http://www.zacbrownband.com/">Zac Brown Band's</a> Eat and Greet at Blossom Music Center this past September.</b></b></b></b></b></b></b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNUvyxOPUxnzOu1A_ev5CRTcIhI2HSMaSubKddweL-Xqm8L4DlE7v6wdJtihu9sn8u88kD17dYa6vJLhoD0rJqRaWnKj-Ims6wTzEo-SlYNSb-Q8jl_muhsLiITxVhq0NKAQ22YwrDWrpe/s1600/IMG_3569.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNUvyxOPUxnzOu1A_ev5CRTcIhI2HSMaSubKddweL-Xqm8L4DlE7v6wdJtihu9sn8u88kD17dYa6vJLhoD0rJqRaWnKj-Ims6wTzEo-SlYNSb-Q8jl_muhsLiITxVhq0NKAQ22YwrDWrpe/s320/IMG_3569.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>We were thankful once again to be part of the supply chain for <a href="http://freshforkmarket.com/">Fresh Fork Market</a>. Mike was very thankful for the loading forks he bought when he bought the front end loader for one of the tractors. Now we have an ever rotating supply of pallets in our barn as well. Sure beats the old method of loading one box at a time on to the truck for things like boxes of eggplant or even better, one head at a time for things like broccoli that are loaded in bins.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>And this kind of flows into this year, but when you live where the winters are cold and snowy, you kind of appreciate global warming or whatever weather phenomena is causing some milder spells in the winter. The cabbage patch lasted well into December and even in the last two weeks we sold 900 whole Brussels sprout plants wholesale and 30 quarts of Brussels sprouts at last week's farmers market. The Brussels sprouts patch in the garden was a bit snow covered last week.</b></span><b style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> It was a balmy 15F degrees outside the day that Mike picked the sprouts for the farmers market. Bless is hands because mine would have been frozen in about 3 seconds.</b><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>But the end result was some quite nice looking Brussels sprouts.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>So onward into 2013 we go. We have some great new and exciting things in the works for this year. And I am ever hopeful that I will remain motivated to keep the blog more up to date than I did last year. Time will tell.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><br /></b></span>Diane Hienerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05649831014902716355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4381265694130990833.post-24674168143343909272012-10-13T10:03:00.001-04:002012-10-13T10:03:52.218-04:00First frost<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>I am thoroughly enjoying what is kind of a rare Saturday morning for me of late. I am off work from the clinic, I have nothing planned, Mike is selling at the farmers market and I am at home alone. It was glorious sleeping in until sunrise and not having to get up and stumble around in the dark. It's kind of funny, but as I laid in bed enjoying the sunlight coming in through the window, I could hear the sounds of guns going off. It got me thinking that if I were in the city I would probably be having some kind of anxiety attack hearing that. But here on the farm, I know today is the opening day of goose and duck seasons and so the gunshots were registering in my brain as normal background noise. We had a good hard frost last night. The garden made its way through two light frosts earlier in the week, but I do believe that the more tender plants like the peppers and eggplant will be done now. With temps hovering right around 30 degrees all night, the cold tolerant plants such as cabbage and Swiss Chard and broccoli should be just fine.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>The beagles are out in the pasture between the house an the high tunnel and even with the windows closed and the furnace running, I can hear faint sounds of baying. This past week, my neighbor moved his dairy cows to his pasture that is directly adjacent to our pasture. The cows grazing, the morning sun, the grown up pasture behind the barn and the fall colors all are joining in this morning to near perfection.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Last week, I sent Mike on a mission to buy some of the season's last raspberries from one of our fellow vendors at the farmers market. My supply of jam was a little on the light side and because of the drought this summer, I did not get around to making my usual batch or two of strawberry jam. And so, I am glad I now have some raspberry jam to add to the canning shelf. Speaking of the canning shelf, mine is looking quite colorful this year. I love to can and wish I had more time for it, but whatever little bit gets done will surely be enjoyed all winter long. Add to that the fruits and veggies that are frozen instead of canned (corn, broccoli, blueberries) and the two of us should be all set.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>And so today is going to become of day of doing some outside work around the barns and yard to get ready for winter. October 13th. First frost. Yep, the official end of the growing season, but there is plenty of work to be done. Life is good today.</b></span></div>
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Diane Hienerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05649831014902716355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4381265694130990833.post-22191804495002262682012-09-30T18:23:00.000-04:002012-09-30T18:24:33.228-04:00Zac Brown Band supports local farms<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><i>Yeah, yeah I'll get to the fun part of yesterday soon enough. But stay with me for a moment while I give a few words of thanks to those who make it possible for my husband and I to make a living doing what we love.</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><i>There has been a lot written in the past couple of years about the local food movement. For those of us who own and operate small farms, the attention being given to locally grown food is a good thing. Big farms can fill orders for big companies and they have the employees to execute picking and packing and shipping. All of that is much more difficult for the small produce grower. But through outlets just as farmers markets, CSA programs, and selling to local restaurants and schools, the small farmer can eke out a living. The customer benefits too by getting produce that is better quality (fresher) and has less fuel costs associated with it. Plus buying local strengthens the local economy. But while gaining some strength, I feel the local food movement is still in its infancy. There are so many hurdles for us small farmers to jump over and perhaps getting our message out to the consumer is one of the biggest. Fortunately there are quite a few really good people and organizations out there that have been willing to support local farms and to talk about it. They are our voice. They support what we do and they have the ability to connect with consumers in a way that we cannot. I know I am speaking for most if not all small farmers when I say that we truly appreciate this support. And so while this blog post is about a day of fun and adventure in the lives of two people who own a small vegetable farm, it is also about ALL the organizations that are willing to speak the message of the small farmer for nothing more than a "Thank You". </i></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>The first time I met Chef Rusty Hamlin was in the summer of 2010 in Fort Wayne, Indiana. My girlfriend Valerie and I took a whirlwind one day road trip there to see the Zac Brown Band at a concert. It's a 5-6 hour drive and we left at 10am the morning of the show and got home at 4am the next morning. And I had to go to work that same day after the show. It was painful but worth every memory of that day. The band was just starting to headline its own shows and Zac Brown had come up with the idea of doing "Eat and Greets" for the fans instead of the typical "Meet and Greet". At these "Eat and Greets", fans and band members sit down and eat together before the show. As a fan, it truly is a unique and amazing experience. Zac, a chef himself, has a deep appreciation for really good food and so he teamed up with Chef Rusty Hamlin who provides the culinary magic so to speak at the eat and greets. Through a newspaper article, I had read about how Chef Rusty had been supporting local farms by purchasing food for the eat and greets from farms near the venues where the band was playing. For the show in Fort Wayne, I was able buy a couple of tickets to the eat and greet and Val and I had an amazing time meeting the band, sitting down for dinner at a table with Joey and Rory, and eating some REALLY good food. After dinner I decided to introduce myself to Chef Rusty and he told me if the band was going to be playing near our farm to let him know and he would be willing to purchase produce from our farm. A couple of months later, the Zac Brown Band came to Blossom Music Center and the rest is history as the saying goes. You can read about that day in my blog post <a href="http://peterscreekfarmblog.blogspot.com/2010/08/those-extraordinary-days.html">"Those Extraordinary Days"</a>.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>I've seen the band many many more times since then, but all of the shows were out of town or at a time of year when we didn't have any produce to sell. Eventually though the timing worked out for another chance for our farm to provide produce for a Zac Brown Band Eat and Greet. And the timing couldn't have been more perfect. The fields are finally starting to produce after the large set back of Drought 2012. Add to that the show was going to be on a Saturday and that meant that Chef Rusty could pick up at the farmers market where we sell produce every Saturday morning. The market is less than 10 minutes from the show venue. As perfect as perfect could be.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>For the past week, my computer and phone had been a hub of activity to set everything up with Chef Rusty. Emails, phone calls, text messages galore to make all the plans. On Friday the day before the show, I was not able to help in the fields like last year, but Mike along with a couple Amish girls that live down the road were able to pick and pack all the produce for Saturday's market plus for the the Eat and Greet.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Saturday morning, Mike and Steve left early for market with the truck and trailer. I left later so I could tend to all the animals. The farmers market opens at 9am and so when I got there around 9:15am, the guys were all set up and starting to sell to the early customers. Those guys do such a great job of setting up the Peters Creek Farm / Covered Bridge Gardens produce stand at the market.</b></span><br />
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<b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">About 10am, Chef Rusty showed up to pick up the produce. Cauliflower, golden zucchini, white sweet corn, garlic and cherry tomatoes would all be used in the chef's creations that evening. Mike and I had fun chatting with Rusty and catching up. And we had some fun posing for pictures at the market too.</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhblr9_okWdLhW2TGfLbJ8JoyLs586DDCYcYTQtSiKGPG_OaE1g0jtzJ_x7jWsRKxxQy76fkkyDamfZ38DOPUoEu1q80DdxqPt__f5V8IDhJjpWiY9OcOSTYvyKpoaaQ-6gxgfd8KRyA72n/s1600/IMG_3622.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhblr9_okWdLhW2TGfLbJ8JoyLs586DDCYcYTQtSiKGPG_OaE1g0jtzJ_x7jWsRKxxQy76fkkyDamfZ38DOPUoEu1q80DdxqPt__f5V8IDhJjpWiY9OcOSTYvyKpoaaQ-6gxgfd8KRyA72n/s400/IMG_3622.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Oh yes, there were more traditional posed pictures too.</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqmjpIOsZHgYv9nlUkR8U1vvRuCH80HzDftZlObRRhk5qsUGKpc1czJLqZXSmCbs1zFbYp2d9kaT-XPdGfBzqHPFxiEMYtIlG1Yi0ym1qM5wUYOQNsz4Dr2aD1Tv1jSZuGtaKzz4slPBdB/s1600/IMG_3623.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqmjpIOsZHgYv9nlUkR8U1vvRuCH80HzDftZlObRRhk5qsUGKpc1czJLqZXSmCbs1zFbYp2d9kaT-XPdGfBzqHPFxiEMYtIlG1Yi0ym1qM5wUYOQNsz4Dr2aD1Tv1jSZuGtaKzz4slPBdB/s400/IMG_3623.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Then I took the chef over to meet Bob the owner of <a href="http://www.cvcountryside.org/profiles/seville-berry.php">Seville Berry Farm</a> and to purchase some raspberries that would be used on the dessert that evening. (I also placed my order for Bob to bring me several quarts of raspberries to next week's market so I can make some jam. Oh yeah!)</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>After Chef Rusty left, I finished helping the guys at the market which is something I really don't ever do. Thankfully the people I waited on were very patient with me since I was really clueless, but I managed to muddle my way through.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>After a small lunch and a quick nap and some visiting with my brother-in-law and my niece, Mike and I made our way over to Blossom Music Center for the show. Through Chef Rusty's generosity, we were able to attend the Eat and Greet, say hi to the band members and enjoy some beyond describable good food. </b></span><b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Both Zac Brown and Chef Rusty always give a little speech about the food before dinner. </b><b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">They thank the local farms where they bought the food and they encourage everyone at the eat and greets to support their local farmers. I can tell you it is very rare for us small farmers to feel a bit like celebrities, but for a brief moment in time these guys make it happen. Mike and I</b><b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> got to tour Chef Rusty's new custom built semi trailer where he and his staff cook all the food. It was AMAZING. No, beyond AMAZING. What a change from 2 years ago when everything was carted around in a basic small trailer pulled behind a regular sized truck. </b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>There is a tent that comes off the side of the trailer and that is where the tables for the guests at the eat and greet are set up. This is a little farther back view of the tent that comes off the semi trailer.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>We then made our way over to our seats which we didn't hardly use as the entire crowd stood for the entire Zac Brown Band show. As a fan of country music, I can tell you is not very often that the ENTIRE crowd stands for the ENTIRE show at a country music concert, but Zac Brown Band is far from a typical country music concert.</b></span><br />
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<b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And so once again, I find my self sending out a HUGE thank you to Chef Rusty Hamlin and the Zac Brown Band organization. Their support for local farmers is just amazing. I encourage everyone to go visit Chef Rusty's web site at <a href="http://www.chefrusty.com/">www.chefrusty.com</a>. There are some recipes as well as links to his restaurant that is down near Atlanta, Georgia. </b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>And now it is back to normal farm life, but yesterday's memories will last forever. </b></span>Diane Hienerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05649831014902716355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4381265694130990833.post-56379577652031731462012-09-17T20:20:00.000-04:002012-09-17T20:22:59.834-04:00Late summer evenings<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>It's been nearly a month since I wrote in the blog. A lot of good has happened in that month mainly in the form of rain. Not that all the bad from the drought has been erased, but at least some of the vegetable plants are really starting to look good. It is this time of year that my husband and I enjoy walking the field in the evening and look at the results of the last 4 months of hard work. The evenings are cooler and this year especially the bugs are minimal. An idyllic setting for a nice evening walk.</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Yesterday I was outside doing poultry chores and just thoroughly enjoying the late afternoon. Directly across the road from our chicken barn is our neighbor's cow pasture. Years ago when I was a youngin', I used to do a little bit of work with dairy cows. Occasionally I miss being around them, but with a dairy farmer as a neighbor, I get to enjoy watching the cows without any of the work. I like this arrangement. Best part is that in the summer, the cows give birth out on pasture so every once in awhile I will catch a view of a cow and calf before the farmer makes it out to the field to take the calf away. There ain't nothing much cuter than a baby cow.</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>And an equally fun part of cow watching is that they are so darn curious. It doesn't take much for them to walk up to the edge of the pasture and watch the human that is watching them.</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>After chores were done, Mike asked me if I wanted to walk back to the garden with him. On such a fine evening, there was no way I could say no. I had already turned the beagles loose in the pasture behind the barn about an hour earlier and they were happily baying and trailing rabbits round and round. That is a sound I never get tired of hearing.</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>The cabbage is looking very good. I particularly like the Savoy cabbage. The plants are beautiful and the heads of cabbage that form are just as beautiful. There are banana peppers to the left of the Savoy cabbage. All is well in this part of the garden.</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>The purple bell peppers are doing well too.</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>And the eggplant is doing very well. Somehow Mike has become the king of eggplant. He jokes about it because neither one of us likes the taste of eggplant at all. But he has a knack for growing gorgeous eggplant that is in high demand.</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>We spent a good bit of time walking up and down the rows of cauliflower searching for signs they were forming heads. The plants are tall and gorgeous, but only a couple of plants have formed cauliflower heads so far. It is a little bizarre to see these beautiful plants not doing what they are suppose to do - an effect of the drought for sure. On the other hand, as miserable looking at the first planting of broccoli turned out, the next planting of broccoli is turning out some awesome looking heads. These are a few that went to market last week and tonight for dinner, I steamed an equally beautiful looking head of broccoli. Good stuff right here.</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>And at the very back of the garden, the soybean field starts. The beans are starting to turn and in spite of the mild weather, this is a sure sign on the farm that fall is just around the corner.</i></b></span>Diane Hienerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05649831014902716355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4381265694130990833.post-54555955407856124052012-08-18T23:54:00.001-04:002012-08-18T23:54:28.598-04:00Drought 2012 and other challenges<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We have had a lot of people asking us how the drought has affected us this year. Well it hasn't been good, but I can say it's been somewhat better than some of the pictures I have been seeing from farther out in the Midwest. We have had three rainfalls since early June. 1.6 inches on July 3rd, 0.4 inches on July 19th and 1.5 inches on August 10th. It's pretty bad when you can remember when it rained and how much it rained for the last 2+ months. The July 3rd rain really saved the day for a lot our plants that were newly transplanted in the ground. However, the plants that got transplanted after July 3rd only had that little bit of rain on July 19th so they are pretty stunted. In fact walking back through a good bit of the vegetable plants gives the feeling that I am walking through the land of the Lilliputians. Mike was not thrilled when I said I was going to be posting some of these pictures but I told him that this is the year of the drought and people should see what challenges farmers face in dry years. Now some of the vegetables are doing halfway decent and I'll save those for future blogs, but here is a tour of how the drought has affected our vegetable farm.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These celery root plants were planted about a week or two after the July 3rd rain, so they have been in the ground for over a month. They are still smaller than my cell phone.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The broccoli plants themselves are not too bad size-wise, but they are either not forming a discreet head, more like a cluster of little shoots like in this plant</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Or if they are forming a head, the broccoli heads are very small.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I couldn't find any good comparison pictures of an individual broccoli head from past years, but here is a picture of some large bins of broccoli that we sold in 2010 (These bins are the size of the big bins that you often see watermelons stored in at the grocery store). A big difference in size to be sure.</span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then here are some green beans that are out in the field right now. The plants are not much bigger than this water bottle and they are starting to flower and will be forming pods soon.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then there are two different patches of sweet corn that were planted at approximately the same time. The first patch should be taller than this, but it is growing in the wettest corner of the field and actually produced pretty well for us. This is the corn that my mom, my sister and I put up in the freezer last week to enjoy all winter long.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And there this is the patch that is planted in a drier area of the field. This sweet corn variety normally produces plants that are about 7 feet tall but they are tasseling and are not even waist high. I have no idea why I am smiling in this picture because I really really REALLY love this variety of sweet corn and it is sad to see it like this.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mike has replanted some of the cold tolerant plants such as carrots, spinach and beets and is hoping for a late frost. Those seeds are just starting to come up. All of the earlier plantings died in the ground due to lack of rain.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And since the blog is entitled "Drought 2012 and Other Challenges", I thought I would show a few pictures of how wildlife can impact crops. We actually have not had too many problems with raccoons in the sweet corn until just this past week. Perhaps it was because we wiped out the family that decimated the early blueberry crop and it took awhile for new ones to find their way over here. Who knows, but they are here now. We are tolerating the damage right now, but will have to start setting traps again if the problem escalates.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And then last but not least is a look at the soybeans planted this year. The bushel per acre yield will be lower than average but so much better than what has been happening in the hardest hit drought area of the Midwest. Overall the plants do not look too bad.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But you don't have to look far to find areas of the field that sit next to a groundhog den. Pretty impressive groundhog damage shows why farmers hate groundhogs. From standing in waist high beans in the previous photo to standing in beans that aren't even knee high.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I asked Mike if he thought last year's disastrous year when we had over 2 feet more rain than normal was better or worse than this year and he said it was too early to tell. It really depends on what happens with all the late plantings of vegetables.</span></div>
Diane Hienerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05649831014902716355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4381265694130990833.post-47326233164001928772012-08-06T11:06:00.000-04:002012-08-06T11:06:39.859-04:00The Yard Aquarium<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>My husband likes to refer to our chickens as "the yard aquarium". I think that is a very fitting description. The laying hens especially provide as with ample entertainment as they get to free range in the yard most afternoons as long as the snow is not piled chicken-deep on the grass. Our amusement comes from two sources. One is that they are chickens and we are people. So often we are left wondering exactly why they do what they do. The second is that because they are chickens, they have tiny little brains. They have a hard time finding solutions for obstacles in their lives. So this blog is a collection of minor happenings in the lives of the chickens on our farm. It is the reason we have a yard aquarium.</b></span><div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Meet Lucy. She is one of our laying hens that work for a living. As such, until about a week ago, she did not have a name. Names are generally reserved for those lucky few hens that get elevated to pet status, but sometimes a working chicken does something special to distance herself from the crowd. About a week and a half ago for no apparent reason, Lucy decided that she did not want to go back into the barn to roost at night with the other hens. She's a skittish little thing and I don't know if you have ever tried to herd a chicken across the yard, but it is very difficult. And so it came to pass that I just decided to let her do her thing. It took a few days, but I finally found where she was staying at night which was tucked in behind some old railroad ties that are stacked behind the chicken coop. Every evening I would tell her she really should go to the barn because she was in danger of being eaten by a variety of predators that wander through the night, but being a chicken she could not grasp the concept of something she could not see right then and there. Well that and she doesn't understand English. Every morning I would start my morning routine by walking to the chicken coop saying "here loose chicken, here loose chicken". She would come out of her hiding spot and I would feed her some vegetable scraps or a little cracked corn. It didn't take long for "loose chicken" to become "Lucy". And that is how a working chicken manages to snag herself a name. This behavior lasted about a week. Then 4 nights ago Lucy went back into the pen with the others to roost. 3 nights ago, she stayed outside by the railroad ties all night and now the last 2 nights in a row, she has gone to roost with the others in the barn. Crazy little chickens.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Leaning up against one of the barns is a collection of old pipe gates that are not being used right now. A few weeks ago I was walking out to the barn to lock up the chickens for the night. It was just starting to get dark and as I passed the front corner of the barn where the pipe gates are standing, I heard a long pitiful "bawwwwwk". I looked over and there was a chicken wedged between two of the pipe gates. Probably in the quest for finding the best bug or worm ever, the hen had walked in between the gates until she could go no further. And because she is a chicken with a tiny little brain, she could only think of one solution to her problem and that was to go forward. And in her attempt to go forward, she found herself trapped with her wings awkwardly wrapped around the rungs of the gait. All it took from me was to gently push her backwards about two chicken sized steps and she was free. She must have been there for some time though because the first thing she did after she was set free was to run to the waterer and drink for several minutes. Tiny brains.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>One of the other big jobs I finally got done last month was the summertime stripping of the laying hen pen. With the hens being outside most of the time and the hot weather we have had this summer, I put it off longer than I should have but I finally got it done. I always wait until late afternoon to do this chore. By that time the chickens are done laying for the day and they are out in the yard foraging. It really messes with their tiny little chicken minds to be in the barn while I am shoveling, scraping, sweeping and using the shop vac. But the confusion for them does not end when the pen is clean and the brand new wood shavings are spread across the pen floor and all is quiet. Wood shavings that are months old and mixed with chicken manure and dander take on a very drab gray-brown color. Brand new wood shavings are bright in color with almost a pinkish hue. Mix together a sudden change in floor color with a very stupid animal that can see in living color and it becomes rather amusing. The nighttime going to roost isn't too bad as colors are subdued in the fading light. However morning is a different story. When I walked into the barn the morning after I cleaned the pen, almost all the hens were still on the roost even though it had been light for a good hour. You should have heard are the squawking and carrying on they were doing. The color change was too much for them to comprehend. They acted like they new shavings were hot coals. If one of them happened to teeter off the roost and land on the new shavings, it would set of a commotion of wing flapping to get back on the roost as quick as possible. Every time I do a major clean out of the pen it is the same. Fortunately it only takes a few hours and the girls do figure out that the new shavings are not dangerous. It can be tough being a prey species thinking everything is out to eat you. Tiny little brains.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>The new layer chicks are five weeks old today. Last week I finally started introducing them to food items other than the chick feed they have been eating. First up, zucchini. This is always a favored treat among the hens. The chicks on the other hand have only ever seen feeders filled with crumbled feed so squash is a foreign object to them. At first as usual, the sight of squash sent terror into their minds and they all huddled in the back of the pen. One brave Americauna chick did finally come to "look" at the dreaded zucchini before retreating to the back with the others. I never did see any of the chicks peck at the squash while I was in the barn, but by morning it had disappeared so they figured it out. Since then they have enjoyed watermelon, tomatoes, spinach and apples. Each new food item is getting less scary. </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>It won't be long until I toss some scraps into the pen and a feeding frenzy will ensue like it does when I toss treats to the hens.</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUeTi5trM0m6pTYYJwJCNdIB6-X7CZH5OD60U_XMzZ3X91wP2yGmwJcTSiTIfgM4wxCZV2hxA3QfSjvezXY6y6Art1i2MoyS7sEOdmVlAViAu3AqxeVjBYbFNLolaJ05antwWNFe2CRSAB/s1600/IMG_3450.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUeTi5trM0m6pTYYJwJCNdIB6-X7CZH5OD60U_XMzZ3X91wP2yGmwJcTSiTIfgM4wxCZV2hxA3QfSjvezXY6y6Art1i2MoyS7sEOdmVlAViAu3AqxeVjBYbFNLolaJ05antwWNFe2CRSAB/s320/IMG_3450.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>And so the yard aquarium continues to make me smile. I get such a kick out of looking out the back window to see chickens hanging out on the back deck. Even chicken droppings on the front porch make me smile. The chickens act happy and they make me happy. And although I don't have the room or the time to have a larger flock, it's nice to know that my chickens are feeding a few families with their eggs. For that I am thankful.</b></span></div>Diane Hienerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05649831014902716355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4381265694130990833.post-9031350516127964602012-07-11T20:37:00.000-04:002012-07-11T21:30:45.058-04:00The year of the varmint<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyOJLEj8RHgQKlo67ljr_XF5f1YdZFkvJKWgsU1e5IYu7QA6EUDv5DBtqrjLgC3Qo6q5W4GqXl3_VVHV-BsFDuPyXSr6DQrL5VudlkdipSanmpv_zJQR0A8KmhtV8Kvk9nnSJ6NGirMHog/s1600/IMG_3416.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyOJLEj8RHgQKlo67ljr_XF5f1YdZFkvJKWgsU1e5IYu7QA6EUDv5DBtqrjLgC3Qo6q5W4GqXl3_VVHV-BsFDuPyXSr6DQrL5VudlkdipSanmpv_zJQR0A8KmhtV8Kvk9nnSJ6NGirMHog/s320/IMG_3416.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The most significant event that has happened since the last time I blogged was that it rained. That event was most significant indeed. Just like a good chunk of the Midwest, we have been lacking moisture in the form of either rain or snow since the beginning of the year. We had some planting delays this year but most of it was more of a personal matter than a weather related matter. With the warm dry spring, most farmers around us were well ahead of their normal planting schedule. But a couple weeks ago, Mike and the crew were going full tilt getting the flats of vegetables planted. And then things started looking desperate back in the fields. The unplanted flats of vegetables by the barn were getting watered daily. The newly planted vegetable plants in the field were withering from the heat and lack of rain. The soil was getting drier and drier and we have no water source for irrigation. The house water well was on the verge of giving out as well. We were in severe water conservation mode. The animals got first priority and the unplanted flats of vegetables got second. I even took a trip to the laundromat instead of doing laundry at home and I was showering at work. And then one week and a day ago it rained. Blessed rain. It rained slow and it rained all day. At the end of 24 hours, we had 1.6 inches of rain. Without it, those newly transplanted plants would have surely died. In the nick of time is an understatement.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>With disaster at least temporarily averted, the last week has been spent tending to other threats to the crops namely varmints. My evolution into a varmint hunter has been an interesting journey but the scale of the damage these critters have caused this year is reaching epic proportions. Sometimes necessity takes over.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>There are all sorts of reasons why I should not be out in the fields with a gun chasing after small furry critters. I grew up in a middle class suburb and was schooled in the ways of Bambi and Lassie. I developed a strong love of animals and loved every encounter with every raccoon and squirrel and snake or whatever I would come across in my romps in the woods behind the house. Then I harnessed that love of animals and became a veterinarian with years of training to keep animals alive and healthy. But life is full of twists and turns and the desire for a rural lifestyle and marrying a farm boy brought me to living on this farm. Along the way I came to embrace the thought that man is just as much as part of the natural world as any other living thing. We must be careful to not take too much, but taking some from nature is, well, natural.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>That brings us to varmints. When I first started to hunt, I said I would never kill an animal that I didn't intend to eat. However, all it took was a raccoon trying to break in and kill my chickens to change my views. Mike grew up on a farm so shooting varmints that damaged crops is second nature to him. It's not that he likes doing it, but it is necessary if to protect crops and make a living. And now I have been absorbed into the farm lifestyle. We enjoy wildlife watching immensely, but the line is drawn when they start causing damage. Raccoons in the woods are fun to watch. Raccoons in the chicken barn are unacceptable. And as Mike and I learned late last week, raccoons in the blueberry patch are unacceptable too. </b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The only critters that we have had to keep out of the blueberries are the birds and that has been easily accomplished with bird netting over the bushes. That is until last week. On July 4th I took a stroll past our early variety of blueberries to check progress. Most of the berries were ripening and all was looking good for our first picking to go to Saturday's farmer's market. On Friday evening, I was unloading bags of chicken feed and Mike walked back to the blueberries. As I finished my job and pulled my car around into the driveway, I heard Mike screaming. I looked back to see him standing by the berries. I heard "bring a gun" and "raccoon". I ran and got a gun and some ammo and hopped into my car and drove back to the blueberries. Mike said when he got back there, a young raccoon had run out from under the bird netting but another young one was sitting still in the middle of one of the blueberry bushes. Mike shot that one and then we set a trap for the other one which we ultimately caught and killed the following day. The damage? In the three days since I had last checked the blueberries, those raccoons had stripped all the early bushes of every bit of ripe fruit. It was a total loss. We have later varieties of blueberries that will mature in a few more weeks and we did what needed to be done to protect them.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>That brings me to the garden. Mike and the crew have planted broccoli in the rows that run along the fenceline with the neighbor's. The neighbor's field on the opposite side of the fence from us is a hayfield. We know there have always been some groundhogs living along the fenceline and for the most part, since they have not caused too much damage, we have left them alone. However, with the super dry conditions, the hayfield has turned brown after it was cut for hay. The groundhogs have been looking for better food and have found the broccoli. The rabbits may be helping a little bit, but I have seen a groundhog carrying nearly an entire broccoli plant in its mouth and seeing is believing. The groundhogs must go.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>This is a picture of a row of cauliflower about 4 or 5 rows from the fenceline.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>And here is a row of broccoli 2 rows closer to the fenceline.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>And because of this I hunt the broccoli eating varmints.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>I have not quite come to full terms with eating a groundhog however. Oh, I have heard it tell they are quite tasty and they probably are. But on the farm, there are others that need to feed their children and so I am more than happy to help them with a few handouts. Nothing in nature ever goes to waste.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>Diane Hienerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05649831014902716355noreply@blogger.com0