Fall 2020 comes to an end as I finish up this post. I want to share quarterly progress on CG Heartbeats Farm and future goals with those who like to keep up with the happenings here.

Progress as of Fall 2020

New Garlic Varieties

I picked out 2 new garlic varieties to add to CG Heartbeats Farm this fall from Keene Garlic out of Wisconsin. This coming year, I may have Metechi and Majestic garlic, the new varities, available, based on the amount I save back for seed from the 2021 crop.

Chicken Barn

My parents came a few times this fall for farm work days. We cleaned chicken pens as one of our projects.  I find satisfaction in keeping the floor swept indicating a shift in my perspective of my homestead lifestyle.

I notice a confident feeling which has not come easy based on the adjustments I have made over the last few years.  All the new projects bring inevitable error as I learn. These have often left me questioning my abilities and, at times, lacking a sense of pride in my daily tasks.

Moved Pullets and Roosters

I moved pullets I raised to replace or add to current pens. You will find new pullets in Pen 8 and Pen 5. I also replaced Rapheal in Pen 6, Shoshone in Pen 5 and Larry in Pen 1.

I will be updating these pages with pictures of the new additions to the above mentioned pens. Be sure to subscribe to CG Heartbeats Farm email list using the form below to learn more about the chickens at CG Heartbeats Farm.

Gardens

I am cheering to have finally removed all of the dead plants from the summer gardens. I used much of the cleared garden space to plant 720 garlic cloves, carrots, and onions. Now onto planning for 2021 gardens.

Set up Bird Feeder

I was gifted a bird feeder and have set it up for winter use. I also added 2 stakes with hooks to display items yet to be decided.

The Container Garden

I added additional dirt to the container garden as I harvested the Sweet Potatoes. I want to create a small hoop and cover this area with plastic. To start plants earlier in the spring.

Tokyo Green Cucumbers

One of my biggest garden surprises this year was the amount of cucumbers produced from only 2 Tokyo Green Cucumber plants. I did not actually count the number of cucumbers harvested, but I canned over 30 pints of both Dill Pickles and Bread and Butter Pickles.

Harvest

Sorghum

My other big surprise was my fun I had the day I harvested the Sorghum. The smooth feeling of the seed attached to the tassel left me happy.  Check out the pretty bouquets I quickly put together. I look forward to adding colorful Sorghum to future creations, as well.

Flax

The pretty flax plants and flowers were enjoyable to view, and I discovered the chickens enjoy eating flax. Flax also adds beauty to a bouquet.

Glass Gem Popcorn

Glass Gem popcorn is always fun to grow for the variety of colors on each cob. Of course, it is fun to eat too. This year the neighboring farmers planted soybeans so I could save seeds for future planting seasons.

Kentucky Red Peanuts

Another plant I enjoyed growing was the Kentucky Red Peanuts. They are currently await processing to actually eat. I need to conduct a bit of research to learn how I want to process them (decisions) and if I will be using processed or un processed for planting next years crop. My guess is to plant unprocessed, but I welcome any thoughts or experience you can share in the comments below.

Goals

Grapes

I was excited my Dad put in a post for me on one of our work days.  I will need to add one or two additional posts and wire of some kind for the grapes to vine on. The grapes are another one of my ongoing projects.

I will be pruning vines and starting new grape plants to add to my current (small) arbor.

Move Chicken Pens

In the fall and spring, I move the outdoor chicken pens to new ground.  This bare ground from where the chickens lived provides additional garden space. I happily added 2 new outdoor pens this past year bringing the total to 6 pens. The space in which I set the pens is approximately 36 feet by 10 feet.

I will need to decide where I want my next garden area(s) to be established.  Currently many of the chickens are living in the main barn in their pens waiting for me to move their pens next week.

I look forward to seeing them on fresh ground and enjoying the remainder of last summer’s grass.

Plant Winter Onions

I have one variety of onions I want to try over winter.  They will make early, delicious green onions.

Rooster Harvest

I took 5 roosters in for processing. One is 50 % Lemon Cuckoo Niederrheiner and 50 % Swedish Flower Hen.  The other 4 are Swedish Flower Hen roosters.  They will provide a means to create healthy bone broth and food to eat.

Create with Sorghum

I want to add sorghum to grapevine wreaths along with other natural wild vegetation found here at CG Heartbeats Farm.  

The task of removing the Sorghum seeds from the tassel I have found to be time consuming. Do you have any ideas on how to remove them? Or how you would use Sorghum in a craft project? 

I have made a couple beautiful bouquets. 

I took part in a Wreath Tour on Instagram. Here I found inspiration and encouragement for my grapevine wreaths. I would like to craft a few more before the snow flies.

Further my Education and Experience of Training LDG

One fine fall day the fact Aneta has hit her adolescent behavior stared me right in the face. She wears her emotions, her aggravation, fear, and a silly look of crazy adventure plainly for me to observe.  Oh, I know just the look. I might have felt the way she looks once or twice in my life.

On this pleasant day, I had already called her back from clearing the woods of a deer she seen. I observed an expression of delight combined with a desire I was unsure of, but soon learned.

She took off into the woods again. I could not see what she was after this time. I followed as best I could calling her name. Through the brush I briefly made out her standing on the edge of the road. “Aneta,” I called again. Nope she was out of sight.

By the time I made it to the road she was no where to be seen. To read more about this adventure with Aneta click below.

In short, I realized a need to become better educated so I may improve my ability to teach and communicate with her. I take responsibility for her success. She is an intelligent pup who has a desire to please.

I found a 4 Facebook groups on training LDG and joined. I started reading to further educate myself. Until I have long term plan, my short term plan is she stays on a leash and we go for walks. I will teach her the command to heel. Further working with her on sit and stay. As she improves on a short leash, I will graduate her to a 20 foot lunge line to test her ability to follow my commands.

In the mean time I am going to educate myself, learning all I can. After all, isn’t that what a leader does.

Move Tree Seedlings

We have several oak tree and crab apple tree seedlings I would like to replant on our property.

Set up Incubation Station

I have an idea for an incubation station to store egg incubators, tools and a place to hatch in the cooler months. It is a vision still developing in my mind and subject to change.

Purchase a Tiller

I am looking for a tiller to add to CG Heartbeats Farm. I intend to continue companion gardening, but would like to till the ground once when I first start using a garden. Once the ground has been worked one time planting stays quite easy.

Fencing

The pasture fences seem to be an ongoing project that takes a back seat to other projects of late. New fence construction, weed and brush removal along old fence lines, and replacing posts all await attention.

Online

Update Breed Pages

I am in the process of updating breed and pen pages. In 2020, I lost a couple of my favorite roosters. It is a part of animals, but I am always sad and dissappointed to loose any animal under my care. 

In short, I have replaced Raphel with one of his sons. I found him dead one day. I am unsure the cause. He had appeared healthy prior.  The plan was to replace him eventually as a way to breed away from the sprig he presented.

I was most disappointed to find Shoshone had died one day. He had sustained a wound earlier in the summer but seemed to be recovering.  Unfortunately, I did not have one of his sons to replace him so for now the new rooster, who hatched from Pen 10, pictured below will attempt to fill his role. I may change roosters for Pen 5 down the road.

I also added two new pullets to Pen 5 who hatched this year from Pen 2. 

Pen 11

I created Swedish Flower Hen Pen 11 using pullets from Cherokee’s pen with a rooster from Pawnee’s (Pen 10) I call him Shawnee.  They recently started laying eggs I am excited to set eggs from a complete blue based pen for the first time. You may read more about these parings using the link below.

As Fall 2020 comes to an end, my remining days of this year will be spent preparing and planning for 2021, enjoying the holiday season, overseeing the 3 incubators filled with 35 eggs, and counting my blessings from 2020.  Look for a post sharing my goals for winter and 2021 in the coming weeks.