Farm Archives - Page 3 of 7 - A Country Girl's Heart -Beats that Matter

August 19, 2020August 19, 2020

How to Can Dill Pickles

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The two Tokyo Green Cucumber plants produced over 20 cucumbers in 3 days. I decided to can dill pickles. Knowing the increase in harvest would happen soon last week I had looked up various recipes and methods. I chatted with friends to hear their process.

This is my first year raising Tokyo Green cucumbers. They were gifted to me from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. Read about all the other new garden plants I am raising here at CG Heartbeats Farm by clicking below.

Plant Trials on a Homestead

Memory Lane

I recalled my grandma’s crocks of marinating cucumbers beside the stairs to the clean basement. Oh, I almost smell the scents that rose up where my grandfather created anything from furniture to trinkets out of wood.

I learned folks used to soak cucumbers in lime or allum to crisp up the future pickles. I decided I would omit this part based on my desire to keep my process as healthy as possible. It seems many do not use this method now.

Before I started, I reached out to my aunts to find out if they had a recipe for my grandma’s bread and butter pickles. I was rewarded with a photo of my grandma’s hand written recipe card for bread and butter pickles. I want to try my hand at those next week.

NOTE: This page or post contains affiliate links. When you click and make a purchase I earn a portion of the money you spend at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you for your support.

Ingredients for Dill Pickles

Water
Vinegar
Salt for pickling
Dill Seed
Garlic
Onion

Tools

Glass Canning Jars
Canning Rings
Water Bath Canner
Jar Lifter
Stock Pot
Table or counter top
Stove

Preparation for Dill Pickles

Saturday, I purchased dill seed, and onions recently, and had a stash of wide mouth lids I have been intentionally accumulating. Also on Saturday, I harvested 10 cucumbers and stored them in the refrigerator. The day I canned, I harvested 14 additional cucumbers. I used around 20 cucumbers to make 14 pints of dill pickles.

I washed 7 pint jars to begin and placed them in a stock pot on the stove to warm them. You may desire to sterilize them in this manner, but I did not heat the jars hot enough for this.

Rather my goal was to reduce the amount of time they needed to reach the boiling point in the water bath to promote crisper pickles.

While the jars heated in the water filled stock pot, I cleaned and prepped 2 bulbs of garlic raised here on CG heartbeats Farm

Spanish Rojo Garlic smaller in size has an earthy flavor.

Metechi produces slightly more oil when pressed.

Montana Garlic has a mild flavor and 6 cloves per bulb.

Majestic

Click on the garlic of your choice to pre-order your selection.

Music Garlic is mild similar to Montana in flavor.

Elephant is known for its mild flavor as it is actually from the leek family.

German Garlic provides a strong flavor for stews and other cooking projects.

Limited availability of all varieties

My Process to Can Dill Pickles

First, I placed 1 tablespoon of dill seed in each jar.

Second, I chopped 2 cloves of garlic into each pint jar and added around a tablespoon of salt.

Third, I sliced Tokyo Green cucumbers into spear shapes filling the seven jars.

I filled the jars half full with apple cider vinegar and added hot water to just below the threads.

I pressed the top of the cucumbers with a plastic spoon to release air bubbles.

After, wiping the rim of the jars clean, setting the lids in place, I turned on the metal rings. Note: I often heat the lids prior to setting them on the jars, but skipped this time due to time and space constraints.

I felt excited to place the prepared jars into the water bath canner. I turned up the heat and waited for the water to boil.

Noting the time when I seen the water had a heavy rolling boil, I waited ten minutes. At this point, I started removing the processed dill pickles to cool. I like to set the jars on towel and often cover them with a towel to keep the heat in. A habit I picked up from watching my grandmother can food in her blue kitchen.

Checking for Sealed Lids

Is there any sound so sweet to a homesteader’s ears as the pop of a jar sealing? I heard the distinct pop a few times in the course of setting jars of dill pickles out to cool. A streak of excitement flowed through me every time!

I waited until the next day to inspect each jar lid to know for sure they were sealed. To my delight all 14 had sealed.

Do you know how to tell if a jar has sealed? Look at the next pictures for examples of sealed jars and jars which have not sealed.

Sealed and Unsealed

No bubble in the center of the lid. This jar is sealed.

Notice the bubble in the middle of the lid. This jar is not sealed in the picture. It sealed later.

Any jars found to have not sealed properly need to be placed in the refrigerator and eaten in the coming weeks. Dill pickles keep for at least 4 weeks under refrigeration. Other canned foods will have different times limits before spoiling.

Other Variations of Dill Pickles

In the second set of 7 pints I canned I added white onion to 5 of the jars and instead of cutting the cucumbers into spears, I sliced them. Searching for a knife to cut them in fancy ripples, I discovered I do not have one.

My two Tokyo Green cucumber plants will be producing cucumbers for weeks to come. I think I will make bread and butter pickles, perhaps relish, and additional dill pickles for they are quite easy to make. Or, I might try adding red bell pepper to add a pretty red color.

What other variations and ideas do you have for preserving cucumbers? I would love to hear your thoughts. Leave a comment below.

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August 10, 2020August 10, 2020

Tomato Juice: How to Prepare and Preserve

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To my recollection, the last time I canned anything was around 20 years ago. As I am producing my own food, canning is one of the homestead activities I want to incorporate back into my life. One family branch has a tradition of eating tomato gravy at Christmas gatherings. I have been blessed with a wonderful crop of heirloom tomatoes. In August of 2019, I decided to make tomato juice for my own consumption and as a base for the tomato gravy this coming holiday season.

List of Supplies

Clean pots
Sharp knife
Scrap bucket
Pan with water
Jars
Lids
Rims
Stomper/Colander
Pan/pot for juice to drain into
Water bath canner or pressure cooker
Ladle
Funnel
Measuring cup

Food Ingredients

Tomatoes
Garlic
Onions
Water

Before I share my personal experience making tomato juice, do you want to learn other ways to begin living a homestead lifestyle? Click this link to learn other ways to start living a homestead live-style.

Prep Tomatoes for Tomato Juice

First, gathering a knife, a pan of cool water, 2 clean pots, a scrap bucket, and of course a five-gallon bucket full of tomatoes, I sat on the front porch of my neighbor’s house and cut up tomatoes.

What I started with
Pan with water. I changed the water once when I was halfway through.
Clean pot to cook the tomatoes in.
Srapes or waste left from prepping the tomatoes to cook.
For the fun of jumping ahead: the result. From a heaping 5-gallon bucket of tomates I now have 6 quarts of tomato juice and 7 pints.

I removed any bad spots and the cores. These large, heirloom tomatoes filled 2 pots. I spent 30 to 40 minutes cutting these up.

Before I started cooking the tomatoes on the stove, I cleaned up the jars I wanted to use. My basement has become dirty over the last few years. So, I cleaned them outside with a hose, before cleaning them again inside.

Cook Tomatoes

I added a glass of water to the smaller pan, and 2 glasses of water to the larger pan. I realized later I did not need to add that much water. While I have canned food before, tomato juice is a first for me.

Cut tomatoes in pot — The tomatoes are starting to cook down in this picture.

My plan was to work with my friend, but she needed to be elsewhere. I knew I needed to process those tomatoes or I would end up not getting it done. Feeling excited and a bit unsure, I decided I would move ahead one step at a time. I expected her to return home while I was cooking the tomatoes off, however as life happens, she was unable to be there as early as she thought. I looked up online how long to water bath tomato juice.

Cooked tomatoes — Ready to make tomato juice.

As the tomatoes cook, I prepared candy onions and garlic to add to the tomato juice. I added two onions and a garlic clove to one of the pots as the tomatoes cooked for an experiment of sorts.

Stomper and pan where the tomatoes are pressed for juice — Colander to press cooked tomatoes into tomato juice.

I phoned another friend of mine. I felt a bit unsure. After our chat, I felt more confident. I decided how I was going to add the garlic and onion. I would place one garlic clove and a small onion or a portion of an onion in the jars, for additional flavor. Oops, I realized by that point that I added more water than I needed to. The additional veggies would give the juice additional flavor. Thanks, Dolli!

Tomato juice with onion — The garlic sank to the bottom of the jar and the onion floated to the top.

A closer look at the lids and rings I had found new in their package in my basement, showed me the lids were definitely not fit to use. When the tomatoes were sufficiently cooked, I ran into town to buy new lids.

Stomp Tomatoes to Make Tomato Juice

Using a large pan and stomper, I set out to make my first tomato juice. I pictured myself pouring the contents of the pan (cooked off tomatoes) into the stomper. I seen myself making a huge mess. Instead, I used a ladle to place the cooked tomatoes in the stomper.

Making tomato juice — All that remained after one pot of cooked tomatoes was pressed

My mind wonder as I pushed out the juice to the days of my past. I remember making applesauce in my grandma’s kitchen using similar tools. I am quite fond of applesauce. Remembering fond memories of my youth when member of the family would work together preserving food, feelings of nostalgia lurked in my mind. Despite beginning to get tired, I felt excited to be canning again. Canning touches the creative side of me.

Jars

Inside I rinsed and dried 6-quart jars and 7-pint jars in hot, hot water. I allowed them to air dry on a towel. I again used a ladle to dip the juice from the pan into the jars.

When my friend returned home, I ask her, “do you have a faster way to do this?” We laughed as she said, “oh yes, I do. What was I thinking?” That certainly sped up the process. She handed me a funnel and measuring cup. The measuring cup had a handle and a spout to pour out of. Perfect!

With the jars full, I cleaned of the rims of the jars. The things that come back to me as I went through this process. I remember my grandma using this little sauce pan to heat the lids before placing them on the jars. I am quite certain I have that little pan somewhere, or one like it. For this process, I skipped that step.

Canning Process

Placing lids and rims on the 6-quart jars that I had cleaned the rims into the canner they went. We used her tap water to fill the canner (water bath). The water almost reached the top of the jars. I waited until the water was at a rolling boil.

I took note of the time and made a metal note of what time the jars would be done. During this time, I continued stomping the second pot of cooked tomatoes. I had enough to fill the 7 pint jars I had cleaned. When the pints were filled, clean and covered with lids and rims. I washed up as many of the dishes as I could.

There was only a small amount of waste from all of the tomatoes that were cooked and stomped. To take a guess, I would say it would not have filled a quart jar. Her chickens would get them for a treat. The waste from cutting the tomatoes before cooking went to my house.

Six quarts of tomato juice waiting for water to boil — Six quarts of tomato juice ready to be canned.

When the quarts were done cooking, I ran home to get my own canner. Returning, I took the 7 quarts home in that and later that night I canned those. A side note here: I used water purchased in town to process the pints at home. The tap water left a residue on the quart jars. The purchased water did not.

Cool

I removed the quart jars from the canner placing them on a towel on the counter. I covered the 6 jars with another towel. Some of the jars had already begun to seal. They sat on my friend’s counter for a couple days until I could get back over to pick them up.

Tomato juice waiting to be processed — These 7 pints of tomato juice waiting to be processed.

Storing Tomato Juice

On Tuesday, I stored them in my basement. Here they will sit for future use. The 6 quarts are for making tomato gravy at one of the family Christmas gathering. Yum, I feel hungry thinking about the delicious taste. Have you ever eaten tomato gravy? Leave me a comment below to let me know.

I skipped the part where I write the date on the lids. If I can more, I will go ahead and date them.

Yield

I was rewarded with 6 quarts and 7 pints.

Did this inspire you to preserve food? Are you looking for other ways to live a homestead life style? Use this link for more ideas: 10 Ways to Begin a Homestead Life Today.

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July 15, 2020July 20, 2020

Seasons ~ Summer 2020

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Summers bring heat and humidity to northern Indiana. While I enjoy warm sun on my skin, I do not like the sweat, dripping days of high humidity. I have high expectations for summer 2020 homestead goals I want to complete no matter how I try not to.

My biggest health challenge in summer involves drinking enough water, napping and resting when I need to in order to feel good enough to work hard. Perhaps I need to define good enough. I need to be able to function with out getting light headed every time I squat down and stand up or running out of breath after only working for 30 min.

To complete a task, I must not be exhausted when I begin. If I am exhausted after, well now, I joyfully see a job complete and happily rest. I bring you my list of hopeful goals for the summer of 2020 at CG Heartbeats Farm.

Animals in Summer 2020

Chicken Goals

Work projects for the chickens involves cleaning, cleaning, cleaning. Here is the list:

Pen cleaning
Deep clean incubators
Clean empty brooders

Continue reading to learn where I moved roosters, hens and grow outs into new pens. I have a few Swedish Flower Hen chickens who I will be moving in the coming weeks.

Hatching plans are limited to am going to setting a few Lemon Cuckoo Niederrheiner eggs and Silver Gray Dorking eggs through the month of August. I may make a few exceptions, but I will be cutting back on the number of chicks I hatch until September

Lemon Cuckoo Niederrheiners

Sadly, I lost 2 of my 3 remaining hens leaving only one hen here with Cisco and Clinch. I added the 2 cross bred hens to their pen for at least the next couple months. The crossbred hens lay a completely different egg to make keeping the eggs separate easy. Knowing which egg a hen lays preserves the breed integrity.

Combining the pens reduces chore time. I took a planned trip the beginning of July and wanted to make chores easier for those kind people caring for the animals and gardens while I was away.

Silver Gray Dorkings

The Silver Gray Dorkings have shown little fertility this year so I switched up the rooster with the Silver Gray Dorking hens. I have not updated the web page yet, but here is the new pens info.

Rooster Cogburn joined his daughter who hatched in January 2019. A younger son of his joined the SGD hens of Pen # 1. I lost both Mr. and Mrs. McLintock earlier this year. I am excited about testing the eggs in a few weeks.

Did you know I wait 6 weeks after switching roosters to incubate the eggs? Unless a hen or hens did not have a rooster with them for the previous 6 weeks, in that case, I do not wait.

Swedish Flower Hens

I am excited to announce a new pen of Swedish Flower Hens here at CG Heartbeats Farm. I am currently deciding on a name for the rooster and the web page is only started. Check out the video showing the pretty flock of blue based Swedish Flower Hens making up pen # 11

Apache, the rooster of pen # 8 passed earlier in 2020, but not before I hatched a son to take his place. At the moment I am unable to offer crested Swedish Flower hens until Apache’s son grows up enough to cover the hens. I hatched and raised an additional hen from Pen # 7 to join pen # 8. She is a pretty black based hen with sno leopard highlights on her neck.

Aneta

My Great Pyrenees puppy brings joy to my life. She rarely is unhappy, wagging her tail, appearing to smile broadly in welcome. Her puppy behavior includes chewing on anything in her reach, but she barks deeply, as if already an adult.

Aneta is not allowed to run unattended, but on a couple occasions her collar came loose. I walked outside to find her hanging out on the farm. I am happy to say she did not run off. At 4 months old she is still a young pup. Behaviors may change and I continue to learn and enjoy her.

She is not especially fond of a bath. Ah, it looks like we will be training for bath time this summer. She certainly needs them after her digging exploits. The first bath removed much of the hidden dirt. A week later she appears to be in need of bath number 2.

Horses

Drifter, Bo, Cider, Rosie, and Dusty continue to enjoy life living a horse’s life out to pasture. I desire to ride again this summer, but I have not figured out how to fit horse time into my schedule.

Gardening Summer 2020

As the Black raspberries began to ripen, I have enjoyed picking and depositing directly into my mouth, thus far. When I had enough picked, I froze all I did not eat for later use.

Garlic Scapes

Raising food in summertime requires watering, weed pulling, and monitoring plants as the grow and produce. Harvest and food preservation happen during summer months too. I almost daily inspect the gardens for plant development, and of course pull weeds. I do not seem to ever pull all the weeds, but I celebrate those I do.

For the first time you may order garlic online to be shipped in September. Click on a variety of your choice to begin the process.

Spanish Rojo Garlic smaller in size has an earthy flavor.

Montana Garlic has a mild flavor and 6 cloves per bulb.

Click on the garlic of your choice to pre-order your selection.

Music Garlic is mild similar to Montana in flavor.

German Garlic provides a strong flavor for stews and other cooking projects.

Limited availibility of all varieties.

Grapes

I watched tiny grapes appear and disappear on the grape plants this past spring. Something removed them. An insect? What ever the culprit, I only have 3 grapes ripening on the largest of the grape plants. I am disappointed as I crave those delicious Concord Grapes. You can bet I am going to savor the 3 I hopefully eat.

I know I want to make the task of setting up a trellis a high priority this fall. The grape seedlings I planted are currently leafless. I hope the roots are growing and will survive. I plan to continue working with the grapes for a future harvest. In the mean time I will also eat the wild grapes growing around the farm.

General Farm Work and Area Clean Up

There are always areas around the farm that need to be cleaned up. The heat of summer does not lend to daylong outside work for me. While I desire to tackle these projects, truthfully, they may get put on the backburner for the pressing jobs like weeding, watering, harvesting and preserving. Fence building and pasture maintenance fall into this time slot as well.

Transplanting Trees

I had a few crab apple trees pop up around the current tree. I want to transplant a couple one to the center of the circle portion of our driveway.

Online

Because a part of my homesteading journey includes sharing my journey homesteading with a chonic illness, I want to tell you about my website summer 2020 homestead goals.

Chick Hatching Practices

In the coming 2 months I plan to complete the finishing touches on the digital course Chick Hatching Practices teaching folks new to hatching chickens how simple and easy the process can be.

Updating to breed and pen page info

Changes to the different pens of Swedish Flower Hens, Silver Gray Dorkings, and Lemon Cuckoo Niederrheiner create a needed update to the differnet website pages.

You Tube videos

I want to continue adding a weekly video to the CG Heartbeats Farm You Tube Channel. Use the link below to subscribe so you do not miss a video. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6vCR-u2f0ucynCHJWylqVw

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May 18, 2020May 18, 2020

A Livestock Guard Dog

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I am about to embark on a new adventure. First, let’s start at the beginning.

On the morning of May 12, 2020, I discovered the gruesome sight no chicken owner wants to see. An unknown predator killed 2 of my grow out roosters that spent that night in a wire dog kennel with 3 others. I immediately took inventory and thankfully both pullets were present and unharmed.

NOTE: This page or post contains affiliate links. When you click and make a purchase I earn a portion of the money you spend at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you for your support.

I dreaded the task of sitting up late waiting for the creature to return so I could make sure no further attacks happened. Now I know why the faithful heeler barked incessantly last night. He is getting on in age and I do not allow him to run at night. I fear for his life in a fight with a coyote.

Earlier this week, I had all but decided I am too busy to undertake training a puppy in the coming months. I know the kind of time, commitment and patience it takes to train a faithful loyal dog. Seeing the feathers, a single chicken foot and the other with its head eaten off still laying in the cage changed my mind.

I cautioned myself though, because I have exhibited a tendency in the past to make a decision when an emotional event prompted allowing it to override the big picture. I would ask my spouse to gain a different perspective.

He said something to the effect of how we had been talking about it. He affirmed and reaffirmed when I raised my objections. He believed a livestock guard dog was a good next step.

I readily agree a pup had been on my radar this year. I feel apprehensive of the undertaking. Is it the time involved or that I have refused to become friends with another dog since needing to lay Ringo to rest in 2015?

At 15 and a half years old, he had proved his love and loyalty. A new puppy seems to me a bit of disloyalty to him. Of course, we generally out live our dogs or when truth be told we hope to. He was the first dog I raised from a pup, trained and shared all those years full of change and struggle with. I still miss him.

I also bemoaned the money it would cost for a new puppy and that I was not sure I wanted to spend it that way. An investment, he said, “You are protecting your investment in the chickens. How much money do you lose when something kills a chick?”

I guess… I will figure how to carve out the time to learn about training Great Pyrenees and implement what I learn. I connected with a local farm who has pups available Tuesday night to set up a time to see her pups.

For the first time this morning, I felt excited about the coming plans to visit and potentially pick out a female puppy. Let the research begin.

I spent around an hour or more reading online about the Great Pyrenees breed. I wanted to learn the traits in a puppy who will develop into a working livestock guard dog. I never came across a specific guide to help me decide.

I arrived to meet the pups armed with an abundance of questions about the parents, the breed in general, and my unanswered question of the day, ‘What puppy traits indicate a quality working livestock guard dog’?

I ask questions. I listened. I learned about the parent’s background, how the owner kept her dogs and her experience with the breed.

At last, I met 2 puppies. I set to choosing and asking questions. One female demanded attention the other hoovered in the background. In the recesses of my mind, I recalled Rhingo, too being a shy puppy. Side note: He became a wonderful protector to me, but he was a Blue Heeler with different genetics. I feel keenly aware of my need to learn before I teach.

I found myself attracted to the shy puppy. I voiced my concerns about her not wanting me to touch her back. I looked at the poop in the pen. I watched her urinate. I tried forcing her to allow me to pet her. I went into the large dog house with her only. She seemed curious about Brian.

Over an hour later, I stood to leave. She made eye contact with me ever so briefly and wagged her tail. In that instant, I said, ‘I will take her’. I did not even think before I spoke the words. I simply knew. She would go home with me. In that instant she stole my heart.

As a breed the Great Pyrenees like to wonder and in all I read no one shares a way to train them to the yard. A fence or shock collar, or wondering dogs sum up the only info I am able to find. Yet I struggle to believe no one has figured out how to teach them to stay home. To me, the desire to wonder compares to a Heeler’s desire to herd (i.e. chase livestock), yet, they are trainable. Be forewarned, I am on a mission.

Survey
I like to climb
A happy girl
First day off leash

She has a name as of today. Follow her on Instagram as I document her story. Click on the following link:

https://www.instagram.com/aneta.pyr

Do you have any advice or experience to share with me? Please leave a comment below.

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April 25, 2020April 25, 2020

5 Reasons to Shop Local Farmers Markets

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I recently learned of a story telling how a great uncle hauled cucumbers into a local town about 7 to 10 miles from the homestead. Here sat large wooden barrels where cucumbers soaked to be hauled off on the train as pickles.

A picture of the place my great uncle hauled pickles. I wonder if my Grandpa did too.

It must have taken an entire day to drive with horses pulling a wagon loaded with cucumbers almost 10 miles, unload the cucumbers and drive home. Imagine the time involved in hand picking all those cucumbers before somebody in the family needed to spend an entire day hauling a load to town. Yet, in those days it was worth it? Our American society needs were different during that time.

I heard my great uncle had the following to say about hauling pickles:

“He said his Dad was one best pickle sorter and the pickle factory knew it. They always had him unloaded ahead rest of the wagons they knew he always had the best sorted pickle.”

These ‘days gone by’ marked the beginning of the industrialized and global market we know today. While some changes are good, others sadden me. Why does a farmer today need money from the government to survive when he or she produces one of the most important commodities for human life: food?

In our current crisis why does a farmer find themselves reliant on a global economy for income when neighbors need to eat? These same neighbors purchase food that may or may not have even been produced in our own country.

Why Local Farmer’s Markets Today

CG Heartbeats Farm table at a 2019 Market

Here is where I see a huge value in a local farmers market, not only do you support families in the community where you live, you are also able to gain first hand knowledge of practices used to produce the food you eat.

I am not sure how you think about this, but I hate it when I read ingredients on a package to realize there are several that I do not know what they are or why I want to put that inside of myself.

Does it take longer to cook your own food? Maybe, but not always. It is rather, a mind set shift. I would like to use garlic as an example. Until I began raising my own garlic, I always used the dry stuff that came in a shake out container.

Fresh Garlic vs. Dried Store Garlic Powder

Easy to open the cupboard and dump. But not much more work to use real garlic once you have a process in place. Mine looks like this:

Granted this does involve a few additional steps. Key in this process is a good garlic press. I have tried a few different ones. I highly recommend a quality hand garlic press to help the process go smoothly. The whole process takes me less than 5 minutes.

We just decided that it takes about 5 minuets or less to use real garlic, so what is the motivation behind adding a few more minuets to cooking a meal?

Health Benefits and Flavor

Health benefits first prompted me to start growing my own garlic. I found that it grows well here at CG Heartbeats Farm and most varieties grow rather large.

Order Garlic

Grown with no chemicals at CG Heartbeats Farm

Excited to offer shipped garlic.
Now order and pay for online.
Garlic ships in September and October
Limited to the lower 48 states in the US.

**Click Here** or on **above picture** to order / pre-order garlic. 2020 garlic crop ships in September or October.

Order Today

Using fresh food enhances flavor dramatically. This applies anytime a person uses a fresh food, even home processed (frozen, canned, or dried) over some similar product processed in _______ (Who knows? Fill in the blank.)

These days I find it most unfortunate the difficulty of knowing truly where food came from. A label may only read a location in the United States where a package was distributed from. I feel a disappointed at the lack of disclosure on several different factors of many food options today.
~ M. Graber

5 Reasons for Shopping Local Farmers Market

Here are my top reasons for choosing to shop at local farmers market. We can all utilize our local markets as often as possible.

What reasons would you add to what I listed above? Leave a comment sharing why you find local farmers markets important.

Shop Online at Local Farmers Market

Relevant to our current call to social distance, a new way to shop at local farmers markets has emerged. Online shopping with local pick up. One market in Culver, Indiana uses a web company called Local Line. CG Heartbeats Farm now offers online ordering as a part of Culver Farmers Market. Check it out if you are in or near Marshall County Indiana as this site is for local sales ONLY! https://www.localline.ca/cg-heartbeats-farm

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April 17, 2020April 17, 2020

Hatching Baby Chicks

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Do you know what you need to hatch your own baby chicks? If not, read on. If items you will need may be obvious, may I encourage you to give thought to a few details when preparing to incubate chicken eggs.

4 Items to Hatch Baby Chicks

Hatching Eggs
Egg Candler
Incubator
Brooder (for chicks after they hatch)

Hatching Eggs

Yes, to hatch chicks you need hatching eggs. I am sure you all are aware. Let’s consider, for a minute, where you will get chicken eggs.

4 Places to Obtain Fertile Hatching Eggs

Hatcheries
Private Breeders
Local Private Breeders
From your own Chickens

Hatcheries

Commercial operations often offer many different breeds to choose from, both hatching eggs and chicks. If you are looking for a variety to hatch, here is where you often get the most choices. Sometimes the quality of the breed may not be top notch as hatcheries often go for quantity over quality. If you are not planning to show your birds, or breed your birds to a breed standard and want a pretty back yard flock, consider this option.

Private Breeders

Private breeders offer a smaller selection of breeds., but there may be several to choose from. Another option is ordering from different smaller breeders. This can be coordinated so that the hatching eggs arrive at the same time.

Local Private Breeders

If you find a local private breeder producing the breed of chicken you are looking for, you will not have to have your eggs shipped. This should potentially should increase the number of chicks hatched. Shipping hatching eggs can reduce the viability. The local breeder hopefully will package the eggs similar to if they were shipping them. Even a car ride can cause the eggs to be shaken up a bit.

From your own chickens

If you have a rooster, most likely you will have fertile eggs, needed to hatch chicken eggs. It is possible for a rooster to be infertile, but if so, you have the option to find a different rooster. The way to find if your rooster is fertilizing eggs is incubate them.

If you would like to learn more about hatching chicken eggs amd other homesteading practices consider joining the Facebook group, Hatching Eggs, Ideas, and Homesteading Practices.

NOTE: This page or post contains affiliate links. When you click and make a purchase I earn a portion of the money you spend at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you for your support.

Incubator

Incubators imitate a broody hen to the best of technologies ability. There are many to choose from in today’s market. Some are produced in the USA and others are imported. Incubators come with different prices tags and corresponding functions. Often the more automated the process the higher the price. Particular brands carry a higher price, but with that comes an expectation of superior performance.

If you are interested in hatching a large number of eggs at one time as in hundreds, investing in a cabinet incubator may be the route you choose to go.

Features of Incubators: Air quality, humidity, and turning the eggs are all critical for proper incubation.

Fans

Forced air meaning an incubator has a fan moving the air around in the incubator. This feature promotes incubator air to be a consistent temperature throughout. It also pulls in air from any available air vents.

Humidity

The humidity levels are controlled by adding water. Tools are available to automate that process. Or another feature may be a exterior port to add water so the incubator does not need to be opened when adding water. A hen will generally get off her next one time per day so I am not convinced that opening a lid to add water is a terrible detriment to hatching success. In fact, there is a newer incubator on the market that can be programmed to intentionally cool the eggs one time a day.

Turners

A tray attached to a motor will turn eggs for you. If an incubator does not have an automatic turner you are responsible for turning the eggs approximately 6 times a day. Many incubators can be fitted with a turner. However, a draw back is the number of eggs that can be fit into the incubator at one time. As an example, one of the incubators I use is set to turn around 9 eggs, but I can fit around 25 eggs with out the turner

Egg Candler

From setting the eggs to trouble shooting a hatch once it has ended, an egg candler with be most useful. When I started I used a bright small flashlight and went to a light marketed for the sole purpose of candling eggs. I am all about using what you have and when I started a small bright flashlight was what I had. A candler plugs into an outlet instead of using batteries as a small flashlight would. I now use a small bright flashlight once again. I have at times used the light on my phone. If you are interested in saving money, use what you have on hand.

Brooder with Food and Water

Once a chick hatches and dries, they will need to move into a brooder. Brooders come in different forms, material and shapes. On a homestead they often are a product of using what one has available and develop out of creativity. There are commercial brooders that can be purchased at stores. They all serve the same purpose, to provide dry shelter, heat, food, water, and protection from predators.

Newly hatched chicks need to be provided with a heat source of 95 degrees in a shelter safe from predators. Dry clean bedding, clean fresh water, and chick starter should be in place near the heat source. The temperature in the room needs to be a match for the heat source. A pen that meets the above criteria will qualify as a brooder. What creative ideas have you seen, thought of and possibly used for a brooder? Leave a comment below.

Purchase now and receive the E-book, Plan Your Hatch as a bonus.

The course content is already available with additional videos, resources, and printables to be added soon. Begin today!

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April 5, 2020April 5, 2020

Seasons ~ Spring 2020

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As I wrote the seasonal farm update, I found a few additional words relevant to the current world crisis. I share a little of this past weeks emotional struggle and growth.

Looking ahead to the coming three months, I see uncertainties. Wondering how long self-isolation will be suggested. What changes will be in places after this is over? Will it be over in the next 3 months? How will income be impacted in the coming months and years? Will I be infected, if so, will I be one that can not fight it off since statistically I am in a at risk group? These questions stem from fear of the unknown, I believe.

Here are a few other questions I am asking myself as I think further. How am I able to help others during this time? What seeds do I need to plant now to best serve my local community? What is the best way to connect with those in need of food and resources that I am able to offer? What are the best resources I am able to offer? How do I connect with others who need the information and may not be local? What shifts do I need to make to accommodate the fact my spouse does not get up and go to work every day? What does the Lord want me to do with my resources during this pandemic to serve His purposes?

All these questions float around in my head daily or some version of them. What follows is a list of my human ideas that I hope become seeds themselves as I look for ways to answer the above questions in the coming months. Feel free to chime in with your thoughts using the form below. I will share the form again at the end of this post.

Seeds from Baker Creek

Baker Creek Seeds generously allowed me to choose 10 seed packs last fall. I am going to plant and document their planting, growing, and harvesting progress. What ten did I pick?

Be sure to subscribe to CG Heartbeats newsletter so you do not miss a blog post when I share my experience planting and growing these seeds. There are a few cool freebies available when you do.

Planting Indoor Seeds

I sorted through my seed packets choosing which need to be started indoors and which will be sown directly outdoors. Most of what I want to start indoors are herbs.

Planting Outdoor Seeds

It is too early based on the average last frost date in northern Indiana, to plant seeds outdoors. My indoor ‘greenhouse’ space is limited. I am about 6 weeks away from the middle of May which is the recommended time to plant in our area.

Garden Spaces

I feel super blessed and excited to know I have additional garden space to begin the growing season this year. Close to 3 times last year space along with 3 times as much garlic planted as I planted last year.

This year you have the option of ordering garlic online.

Grape Plants

I intend to prune a fledgling grape vine, using those cutting to produce additional plants. The time has arrived to install a trellis to support the growing vines. Heartbeats Farm has 5 total grape plants started. I lost 2 last year and added 2.

Garlic and Wood Chips

I may not have enough wood chips from the wood shed area to cover all the garlic gardens. If not, I guess I will be pulling more weeds in the coming months.

You will be able to order garlic and have it shipped to you this year. It will ship in September and October. Here is the link to one of the varieties I have set up now.

Container Garden Area

The designated container garden area needs grooming in the worst way. Additional containers will provide space to plant seeds. I think a few of the seed varieties from Baker Creek will be a good fit for the container garden area.

I would like to create at least on covered container garden, but that project is still in the works.

Pruning Black Raspberries

The time of year has arrived when the Black Raspberries need pruning. Want a FREE printable on how to prune Black Raspberries, click below.

Do you want to learn how to prune your Black Raspberries? Get your FREE printable of How to Prune Black Raspberries today!

An Online Farmers Market

At least one local farmers market I have attended in the past now offers an online buying option with a local pick up time. I like the idea of a shorter window to be available for folks. It will better utilize my time, but it sadly will take away from a customers ability to pick out their products and limit customer conversations. In this current situation, not a bad thing, but that is one of the best parts about the market, personal conversations.

Chicken Pens

Tis the season to once again relocate the outdoor, semi-portable chicken pens. Once again, they will be providing a valuable service of killing off the sod to create garden space while enjoying life outdoors.

Cutting Scrub Trees

I do my best to stay away from using roundup. At the same time, I have not done the best job of keeping new grow removed in various areas. The result has been unwanted trees growing. It is once again time to remove them. We worked on this last fall, but did not get them all. With Brian off work, this is an excellent time to tackle this job.

Emotions

Being completely honest here, I struggle to gather thoughts and words to describe what plans I want to formulate for the coming months, based on the unknowns I mentioned in the first and second paragraph of this post. I believe there is potential with our current world events to step up and make a difference. I daily pray over where He is calling me to do to serve.

Emotions Take 2

I took the last 2 days to first, rant at my husband (that did not last 2 days), followed by (yes 2 whole days) of prayer, praise, and soul searching. I spent time working outdoors soaking up sunshine (see the link below on Instagram). I sat by the campfire last night and relaxed more than I have in weeks. I finally found peace in my heart and words to share a good part of what I was thinking with my spouse this afternoon.

Amazing to me is the fact that I purchased a book last summer titled Joy in the Midst. An 8-week Bible study on Philippians that I started in January. I like to take my time with my studies and soak in the truths I am learning. Right now, I am looking at how to handle conflict the way God intended. I peeked ahead to the coming days. Why was I surprised the lessons looked at worry? I need to study this right now in the middle of the struggle.

I did not orchestrate or plan this, but I am thankful for it. I have carried a belief for the last 3 to 4 weeks a few layers deep from all my surface thoughts. A belief that there is opportunity happening all around me. I need to be looking for it and responding when I see it. Opportunity to help others, to grow personally and grow my tiny little business. Opportunity to shift my way of thinking, opportunities to let go and create space for new. I do not know what they all are, but I do not want to be full of worry and uncertainness missing out on the possibilities.

On a practical note, I took a look around me as I spent time outside. I took mental inventory of the available resources. Here are additional updates I may make in the coming months.

Providing Locally Raised Food

A roadside stand to sell produce, eggs and perhaps a few crafts may meet the needs of a local market. An online store with local pickup may be another option. At least one local farmers market has already made this shift.

Logging out the Woods

Finding ways to bring in unconventional income in the coming months. This would provide an additional one-time income.

Current Conclusion

In closing, I do not need to look far and see the abundance of ways to be thankful. First and foremost, I am thankful for the work of the Word of God in my life. The growth and opportunity might not be obvious if I allow my thoughts to dart back and forth in worry. However, that deep seated belief keeps pushing up like a planted seed, opportunity awaits.

Where do you see opportunity for good around you?

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March 25, 2020March 25, 2020

Seasons ~ Winter 2020

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The first day of Spring came and went with out a thought in my brain that I should write a post about winter accomplishments and progress and a second post sharing the goals here at CG Heartbeats Farm for spring. I enjoy looing back to find encouragement and I get excited thinking of the next 3 months to work, plant, and all of the beauty that comes with spring.

Hatching Eggs

I set hatching eggs the last week in November and really have not slowed down since. I plan to stop setting eggs in June. I had a few hatches that did not go well in terms of numbers. One hatch only resulted in one chick. I felt disappointed, but I learned.

I started looking closer at the size of the air pocket as that can be affected by humidity levels. As I seen a rapid change in the air pockets, I added a small amount of water to the incubators. My hatch rates improved. I have since went back to completely dry hatches. I will continue to do better at monitoring the air pockets of the eggs and humidity in the hatching room.

For those who follow this blog and have inquired about Lemon Cuckoo Niederrheiners and Silver Gray Dorkings, no good news, yet. The Lemon Cuckoo Niederrheiners hens have not started laying yet. The Silver Gray Dorking eggs remain infertile. I may need to switch out roosters for a younger one. I hate to do that as Rooster Cogburn has developed into a beautiful boy.

In March, the first crested Swedish Flower Hen chicks hatched from Apache’s Pen. I am looking forward to watching them grow. I picked out 4 crested from the 7 chicks and 4 weeks later I was right on. As to whether they are male or female, well I am not as proficient at that.

If you want to learn about the crested pen at CG Heartbeats Farm use the link below:

Swedish Flower Hen ~ Pen # 8

Hatching Course

I worked hard over the last few months to finish writing and setting up a course Chick Hatching Practices, to teach others to hatch chicken eggs. I struggled with a title at first. Hatching chicks does not happen perfectly every time, similar to all ventures in life there is always more to learn. This course teaches the basics with worksheets to help each person meet their personal chicken goals.

Purchase now and receive the E-book, Plan Your Hatch as a bonus.

The course content is already available with additional videos, resources, and printables to be added soon. Begin today!

The material is available now, but I will be adding additional worksheets, printables and videos to what is already there. A huge benefit to purchasing Chick Hatching Practices now includes a low price of $19.99 and immediate access to a Facebook group that allows for space to ask questions of myself and others taking the course. If you are planning to hatch eggs in the coming weeks for the first time or know someone who is, check out Chick Hatching Practices for yourself or share with a friend.

Singing

In January I enjoyed the fun of singing with my Mom and Shelia Mullet at a local Jam. It was a lot of fun to spend time with my Mom while praising and worshiping the Lord.

Fiddlin’ Around

I came across an old fiddle and zither online that was for sale. It was a bit of a spur of the moment purchase, but I was intrigued with the zither and the fiddle seemed to call my name. Turned out the fiddle was ¾ size not a full. My fiddle is a full, but I hope the ¾ size may be easier on my neck and shoulder. Time will tell.

The fiddle has gone for needed repairs, but I am told it is finished and plays nice. I look forward to trying it out myself. In the meantime, I have begun playing my full-sized fiddle again. Practicing describes the activity in a better light. I am in need of a rebuild myself when it comes to playing a fiddle.

Chicken Pens

Our rather mild winter, here in northern Indiana, allowed me to leave chickens in the outdoor pens much of the time. The result? More garden space. I am excited to plan just where I will be planting seeds in regard to shadows, sunlight, soil type, and drainage.

My Dad offered me a pen he no longer used and wanted to get rid of. He even delivered it and helped with the toughest part of setting it up. I am thankful for another pen to kill sod and a place to house chickens outdoors.

Garlic

As I write this post the garlic is up 3 inches in most places. Over the last few months, I have kept the hay chaff hauled out of the barn onto the garlic gardens. I did not get many woodchips out there yet. But there are more to haul.

Horses

Rosie, who turns 25 next month, came through winter. I debated last fall if she could. Last Saturday, I turned her and Dusty in the yard to eat a bit of spring grass that has started growing. She took off galloping. That did my heart good and put a big smile on my face.

South Gate Crossing

My friend Julie from Blooms on 800 and I attended a training (Growing herbs and Patio Plants) put on by Bushel Craft Farm at South Gate Crossing. Ginger was on the list for discussion. I have been wanting to plant ginger since last summer. I had no idea I would end up taking some home to plant.

I learned a bit about growing ginger and we each left with a start of Ginger and Jerusalem Artichoke.

To date only the Jerusalem Artichoke sports green shoots, but I gently pulled back the dirt around the ginger finding that it too has begun growing beneath the surface.

A Changing World

Who know a month ago how rapidly our world would seem different? We are in the midst of it now. I hope. My days remain relatively the same. I have chickens to feed, a website to blog on and run, horses, cats and a dog to care for. I refrain from my occasional neighborly visits for now. I probably check in with family a little more often.

The green grass is starting to grow and that looks like money in the bank to me. The faster the grass comes in the sooner I need to feed and purchase less hay.

This morning I took a walk in the woods and along the creek. All is as it should be with spring coming on. There are tiny green plants starting to emerge on the floor of the woods. Water continues to sing as it flows along. The birds sang and the raspberries snagged at my cloths as they always do. I felt peace.

In January I started a workbook study of Philippians titled Joy in the Midst. I am learning and growing although for now it is likely beneath the surface. These past 3 months were good ones and I am thankful for the opportunity to live them.

NOTE: This page or post contains affiliate links. When you click and make a purchase I earn a portion of the money you spend at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you for your support.

Read in this blog post about my go to incubator in 2019. I include tips I use with this incubator.

The Janoel 12 incubator with chicks I hatched from Pen # 7.

Click on either picture. Purchase your own.

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January 13, 2020January 10, 2020

A Homestead Vision for 2020

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Honestly, I intended to write this post last week. It did not happen; in that regard I am getting a slow start to my 2020 planning. I do have quite a few ideas bouncing around in my head and heart. In this post I am going to combine looking back at 2019 and what progresses were made her at CG Heartbeats Farm to build on goals for 2020

On the Website

Hatching Course

The idea to teach others how to hatch chicken eggs came to me as early as 3 or more years ago. I have always had a passion for baby animals. I wrote about that in blog series titled ‘New Life’. I actually put pen to paper or rather started typing on my computer in early 2018. I am committed to finishing this in the coming weeks.

The Practice of Hatching Chicken eggs is just that practice. I will continue to add to the course titled ‘Chick Hatching Practices’ sharing new information as I learn it.

Garlic Purchase

I am in the process of setting up product pages for garlic that I raise to make it available to those who are not local. Garlic ships and keeps well. Here at home, I use the previous years garlic well into the March and sometimes even April or longer.

Order and Pay for Hatching Eggs, Chicks and Birds

Hatching egg purchases, chicks and birds paid for through the website is in the works. I always encourage anyone with questions to reach out via email using maria@dontclipmywings.com. I do my best to respond to each question or comment as soon as I possibly can. Planning ahead helps everyone get the best results.

Stories of Farm Life

I shared the first story from the homestead titled Beats that Matter. My goal is to share this type of story every Friday. These will be heartwarming and heart wrenching stories. Important to life, the little moments that touch us deep down.

There are joys and sorrows in life, no more than on the farm caring for animals. I am excited to encourage others to use the hashtag #beatsthatmatter on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Each week I will share some of the moments or the #beatsthatmatter captured on film.

In Addition

I am working on ideas to bring FREE information, checklists and printable forms relevant to homesteading. One goal of the website is to encourage others to produce their own food where they are, using what they have.

On The Homestead

Chicken Pens

Last year I went from 2 outdoor pens to 6. I desire to increase that number this year. All of the current outdoor pens are portable to kill off sod, creating garden space. My goal for this year is to create 2 permanent outside pens complete with runs.

Gardening Space

I have already increased the gardening space, but with the chicken pens moved to a new location this past fall I will be adding another 10’by 20’ space in time for planting. The pens will be moved again in the spring increasing the space again this fall. I planted 350 bulbs of garlic nearly tripling last years crop and the plan for this year is to triple that number again.

I have 10 seed packages from Baker Creek Seeds to try out this coming season. One of them is Kentucky peanuts. I am excited to try these and to grow sorghum and flax. These last 2 may help me raise my own chicken feed in the future. That is a big expense here, purchasing feed. The more I can grow myself the better for the birds and the pocket book in my mind. To be tested out in the future.

Breeding Programs

Lemon Cuckoo Niederrheiner

The Lemon Cuckoo Niederrheiners continue to challenge me when it comes to producing chicks. The hens are 3 years old. The current roosters Cisco and Clinch show promise. I did produce a group of chicks from the hens late last summer using a Swedish Flower Hen rooster. That was largely to prove to me that the hens could in fact produce a chick. Now I wait for the hens to start laying again. I lost 2 hens from this group in December. The are getting older and hope to hatch replacements or purchase more this year. I am not ready to give up on them yet.

Swedish Flower Hen

The fertility in the Swedish Flower Hens has not been an issue at all and are rather easy to add to the flock. I often use incubators, but have raised chicks with broody hens as well. My goals for this breed vary a bit by pen. Cherokee has been chosen to add size to his flock, while other pens are grouped for different reasons.

These 2 beauties are a part of Shoshone’s Pen or Pen # 5

Silver Gray Dorking

This year the Silver Gray Dorkings also lack good fertility, although that has not been the case in the past. The parent stock are just over 3 years old and I wonder if the roosters are falling off in their fertility as they age. I will be switching out roosters with a younger one to see if that improves fertility. I will be looking to add additional Silver Gray Dorkings from another farm.

Container Gardens

I used buckets last year to grow sweet potatoes. I will do the same this year and plan to grow other vegetables in containers as well.

A Cow

I have been casually looking for a cow for that last 3 years. A big goal this year is to actually purchase one. I have changed my mind from a Scottish Highland to a Jersey with the intent to breed for a mini Jersey.

Livestock Guard Dog

While predator loss has been minimal, I also would like to add a livestock guard dog to the homestead. The coyotes seem to be rather brave and I would feel better with a LGD on the loose. Champ, the heeler is gaining in age almost 10 and he will be needing assistance in doing the great job he has so far.

Additional Fencing

I have supplies accumulated to improve current fencing and add more. What I have lacked is energy to complete the project. I know I felt better over all in 2019 compared to 2018 so thinking positive, I have fencing on my list again for 2020. I intend to not only improve existing fence, but construct new fence lines creating additional pasture space.

Barn Renovations

The one barn here either needs to come down or be renovated. I prefer the latter, but the more time that passes the harder time I have seeing that a worth while venture.

Tidy the Property and House

In my focus on other areas last year, I look around and see many places that I have not kept up on when it comes to de-cluttering, organization, and clean up. This applies to house, barn and yard. I want to focus on that in 2020, as well. There are projects started that need to be finished. It seems that a few goals from 2019 carry forward to 2020. That is ok. Progress was made last year with out a doubt and I will celebrate that.

Farmer’s Markets

I took a break from attending markets in the last quarter of 2019. I believe I need to focus on working on the homestead itself in at least the first quarter of 2020. At that point I will evaluate where I am at. I truly enjoy the markets, but currently have little prepared to take. My time needs to be focused on the above-mentioned tasks for the first quarter at least. What are your plans for the coming year to shift to living more of a homestead lifestyle? Producing your own food? I would be excited to share in your goals, dreams and progress.

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January 1, 2020January 1, 2020

Fall 2019 ~Looking Back

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I am good at coming up with ideas, as many are. I simply do not accomplish everything I think up. Nor would it be wise to pursue every idea. I admit I struggle at times knowing which one is the best to pursue. Looking back at the last 3 months, the first thing that comes to mind is all I did not get done.

If I think a little harder, I realize I spent hours learning. Learning about how to improve this website and create a unique homestead.

One day, stands out as I spent time with my Dad working outside. With his help, several tasks were accomplished. In recent weeks I spent time connecting with family who are in the area for 5 weeks. Never wasted time in my opinion.

While composing this post I looked back at Fall 2019 where I shared my goals for the upcoming season. I found myself surprised at all I did complete and feeling good about it.

Completed Fall Projects

Moved 4 Chicken Pens

The chickens have proved faithful in dulling sod growth and killing it off to create garden space. If I get a bit creative, I might be able to use the horses for that purpose, too, for a larger area of ground.

This fall I moved the 4 outdoor chicken pens constructed of dog kennel panels and netting with odds and ends as entertainment and shelter in the pens.

Planted Blackberries

I am excited to now grow black berries here at CG Heartbeats Farm. They were a gift of sorts. I dug them up at a friends house who is moving.

When not pruned they mulitlply quickly. Oh, how I know this as I neglected to prune the black raspberries I have until this past spring.

Planted Red Raspberries

While I had a few red raspberries last summer, I went from 3 plants to planting almost 20 this fall. Actually, my Dad helped me greatly that day. He dug the holes and we both filled the dirt in around the Raspberries plants. I added compost from the pile to the hole, serving 2 purposes. The compost soil provides nutrients.

I did not work the ground before planting the berry plants, the compost added a fluffier soil for the roots to take hold in. I have read there are benefits for garden dirt be turned over and to opposite that the soil becomes disrupted when turned over.

To be honest, I did not work that ground before planting for the simple reason of time and energy. I suppose come spring I will know for sure how the berry plant roots did over the winter.

Planted 350 Garlic Cloves of 5 Varieties

I found hard neck garlic does well here when planted in high well drained ground. German, Montana, Music, Spanish Rojo, and, new this year, Elephant. I look forward to offering garlic here on www.dontclipmywings.com for purchase. Garlic ships well and will be ready in September on a yearly basis.

I have started hauling hay chaff from the barns to the garlic beds. I cleaned up where the wind had blown hay over time outside of the paddock where the horses eat. I find the need to become creative in finding cover for the garlic beds as they are larger this year.

Planted Egyptian Onions

In October I planted Egyptian onions for a first on CG Heartbeats Farm. I wanted to plant these for over a year. I feel excited to have obtained starts this year from Heirloom Solutions.

Hatched Chicks

Two batches of Swedish Flower Hen chicks arrived in December. Both 6 in number for a total of 12 chicks. I used the Janoel 12 incubator to hatch chicks from Cherokee and his ladies.

The first chicks from their pen arrived the end of September. I tried hatching Silver Gray Dorking eggs from the pair, with no fertility showing up. Most of fall, the older hens were in a molt. I only recently started incubating SGD eggs from pen # 1.

Chicken Pens

I cleaned the 3 of the 5 brooder tanks and all 3 are currently in use. I will continue to work on cleaning indoor pens. Cleaning the floor and walkways of the chicken barn is an ongoing project.

December 26, 2019 the temps were around 60 degrees. My heart full from a beautiful time with family on Christmas, I woke up ready to get to work. Brian and I worked together to replace the leaking water hydrant by the chicken barn.

I reconstructed the Lemon Cuckoo Niederrheiner outdoor pen. Days like this are on my top ten list of favorites.

Plant Flowers

The flower bulbs I ordered became unavailable. I found a sale at our local Tractor Supply Company. I plan to plant them this week. The ground still unfrozen allows for planting bulbs. What did I pick out? Daffodils, Anemone, and Crocus.

Carryover Projects:

Grapevine Post

One Concord Grape plant has grown large enough to begin training it to a wire. In this area I am going to train one vine upward (perpendicular) on several wires. In the future, side branches will be trained along the wires paryell to the ground. For now, the next step, putting in posts. Stringing the wire happens after the posts set. At a different place on the property I hope to one day have an arbor to walk through under grape leaves.

Fence Construction

I have material and plans to improve existing fence lines and install new ones. In the past I did most fence work in the fall. Zero fence work was completed in Fall of 2019. I keep reminding myself this homestead is a marathon, not a sprint.

Sassafras

I mentioned I wanted to dig up Sassafras trees to use the roots to make tea. That did not happen, yet! The trees are still out there. I intend to have sassafras tea in my future.

Clean up Around Barns

We started this project by cutting down the unwanted trees that popped up. The remainder will wait or perhaps the weather will provide a day or two in the next couple months to sneak a bit of ‘warm weather’ work in. The temps were near 60 degrees on December 26^th.

A prickly bush needs to be removed, the container garden area project near the chicken barn seems ongoing.

Moving Cement Blocks

I started a container garden 3 years ago by dumping the sweet potato buckets into it as I harvested.

With the amount of dirt I dumped this year, the raised bed is ready for an additional row of blocks.

Barn Roof

One barn roof, long overdue for repairs did not receive the required attention this year. I feel disappointed and want to see that barn addressed this year.

Fall Harvest

I completely enjoyed the beauty of Fall 2019. The day I harvested sweet potatoes, onions, and carrots I watched our first snow fall of the season. I became chilled, but pressed on taking time to snap picture of the pretty scenes.

That day was not the only day I enjoyed fall but I think it was the most memorable. All of my senses came alive. I smelled wet soil as I dumped buckets harvesting the sweet potatoes. I intentionally breathed deeply inhaling the odor only onions produce. I felt the dirt dry my hands and stick under my nails. I looked around at the display of color enhanced by the white of falling snow. I created a bit of art as I hung the onions to dry before taking them inside. I heard roosters crow and hens cackle as I worked. I listened to the quiet that encompassed my work as the rain that turned to snow softly fell. I did not actually taste any of the food I harvested, but imagined I did. I felt blessed as I worked.

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