homestead Archives - Page 3 of 5 - A Country Girl's Heart -Beats that Matter

November 9, 2018November 13, 2018

Concord Grapes

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I first learned how I enjoyed Concord grapes in 2015. While competing in the 2015 TCA Thoroughbred Makeover, I went grocery shopping at local Walmart near the Kentucky Horse Park. I devoured the grapes in a matter of days. They may have been the same variety my Grandma used to make grape juice with. The desire to grow my own was fueled when I could hardly find them anywhere.

I researched online and in person. Some plants were priced as high as $40 and others as low as $8. I learned Concords were not known to produce themselves correctly via planting seeds. The best way to get new plants was by using a vine of a healthy known producing plant. In my conversations I found that a new friend at the time was willing to share cuttings of her Concord Grapes with me. I was again like with the sweet potatoes, unsure if this would really work. From reading articles online, I learned that grape cuttings could be placed in water or in soil and then would produce roots. Seems amazing doesn’t it? It was suggested to cover the cut part of the vine that was being placed in soil or water with a root hormone to help it grow. I am all about doing things as natural as possible and choose to go the tougher route without any root hormone.

A few weeks after placing my first cuttings in water I began to see changes, the stems developed what is called callouses, then roots, and eventually some leaves. I like to try new things and I think I prefer starting the cuttings in water so I can see the changes. After all, if the vine is buried in soil, I just have to wait, wait and see only looking at the vine from the surface. It is like have a horse breed and not having her checked to see if she is pregnant. She will show no outward signs for at least 7 to 8 months. While the grapes may produce leaves sooner (2-4 months), I still prefer to see the roots developing in the water.

My first time starting new grape plants from vine cuttings was a crash course for me. I only ended up with a few that made into soil. I do not remember numbers, I think I may have had 6 – 8 and perhaps one or 2 made it into a pot. I did not watch the water levels in the jars and several died when they dried up due to lack of water. At the time those that survived were ready to plant the weather was too cold to plant them outside. I must have cut the vines in October or November, if I remember correctly. I tried cutting vines again and late winter/early spring. These too, I neglected along the way and only had a couple plants to show for it. I remember thinking the temperature may have dropped to abruptly where I had the cutting sitting and caused them to die. I had several irons in the fire and in the course of my days the animals came before my ‘experiments’ with plants. I often struggled with energy levels and while the process of caring for the grapes was not exceeding difficult some days once I had finished what had to be done…I was done for. This is by no means an excuse or a pity party, simply the reason I neglected to care for the grape starts to standard. I remember not being 100% sure as to why some of them did not make it some consideration was temperature and of course hydration. I was able to share one plant with a neighbor and she has happily planted on her property. One lived for a long time and I may have either over or under watered it at one point. It did not make it.

In the late winter or early Spring of 2018, I once again trimmed vines at my friends and put them in glass jars with water.

When the weather was warmer, I determined this year (2018) I was going to get some plants in the ground this year.

Potted in the house from my first cuttings.

I think it had been potted for a year and half at least. I found a spot on our 11.7 acers where I believed the grapes would flourish the best. I researched online for info on the best place and how to plant them.

Pictured below show how much the above pictured plant grew indoors for a year and a half.

Finally! I planted my first Concord grape plant.

About a month later my Dad planted the four that were doing well from the 2018 cuttings. These four went directly into the ground from the glass jars. This is now my preferred method as I have less of chance of forgetting to water them and it eliminates the step of potting them inside until the weather is nicer.

Here it is fall of 2018 and I wanted to help my friend prune her grapes. I hate to see anything go to waste so on the spur of the moment, I took a big bunch of the pruned vines home with me. After all she was going to burn them. Snipping and cutting the vines into smaller sections, I soon had around 40 starts in 8 glass jars with water.

These grapes belonging to a friend of mine, have not been pruned for quite some time. (The property is new to her) This was the first round of what will include more pruning sessions as we work back the vines.

My thoughts went something like this:
Oh, what was I thinking? Here I was going into winter with all these grape starts. I now needed to make sure the water levels stayed high enough or plant all that grew roots and keep those potted grapes watered properly until next spring.

My response to my thoughts and doubts went like this:
You are simply going to have to stay on top of caring for them. It is a simple matter of making it a part of your daily routine like caring for the animals. It will need to become a part of your chores. You have less places you have to be than in previous times and you’re are feeling better. This is what you do and you are going to do it!!! Have confidence that you will see this project through.

Now I do not expect every one of the 40 vine cuttings to become a plant. If I end up with 20 plants, I would be excited. It seems by my experience so far not every cutting grows roots. Perhaps I would increase my success if I used a root hormone. I recently learned from a follower on the farms FB page (A Country Girl’s Heart ~ Beats that Matter) that a willow branch is a natural growth hormone inducer and specifically with grape starts it will promote root growth. I am still researching, but I intend to try it at some point.

To date I have spent $0 on the grape project. I will be most rewarded the day I actually harvest my own grapes. I will savor that first bite!! I might make jelly or grape juice (frozen or canned). What is your favorite way to enjoy Concord grapes? Leave a comment.

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November 5, 2018July 22, 2020

Garlic: Year 3

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This fall marks the third year I have planted garlic. The first year(fall of 2016) I planted about 6 cloves of 3 different varieties for a total of 18. When I harvested in 2017 I kept what I raised to either plant or use. Year #2 (2017) I planted around 18-20 cloves (each) of the same 3 varieties. I only sold a few of the 2018 crop choosing instead to save most of the bulbs harvested to plant and use personally for human consumption and for putting in the chickens water. If you are unfamiliar with planting garlic, one planted clove grows into a bulb of garlic. Each bulb has 4 to 9 cloves depending on the variety.

Using what I have:

The entire homestead project has been largely using what I have available. Although some money has been invested along the way, most money has been invested into the chicken project. I have looked and continue to look for heritage vegetables that are sustainable and do not require seeds to be repurchased every year. One of my biggest struggles has been ground to plant in. Yes I have 11 acres at my disposal, and it grow grass abundantly. The grass has a fantastic root system that makes gardening a challenge for me. At this time I have not found a local person to turn the sod for me(with a plow). I will need to invest in a tiller of sorts, sooner than later as I grow the garden project. I do not want to fight weeds and grass roots with only my energy (which seems lacking) and a shovel. Even in the large flower bed, it is the grass that has taken over. I had a help a couple years in a row and still the grass returned. The benefit was that at least the ground had been worked in the flower bed and was easier to dig in compared to the lawn. This was where I planted my first garlic, a small section of what was previously a flower bed. My Dad helped me prep the ground the first year. We went over the ground with spades, removing as many of the roots as we could. It was a project that took approximately one afternoon. 18 cloves of garlic planted!

Area where garlic was planted in 2016 and harvested in 2017. The space was probably less than 3 ft. by 3 ft.

Year 2: I spent more time prepping the ground, but had not started early enough as cold weather was upon me. Hardneck Garlic needs to be in the ground before the ground freezes. While I did work to remove more of the roots, I knew I left some. It was either leave some roots and not plant the garlic in time or I would miss getting it planted altogether. I tripled the amount planted and was able to spare a few to select customers in the summer of 2018. I share the planting process and more about the first and second Garlic seasons in a previous blog post titled: Garlic

Year 3: This year I added a forth variety called Spanish Rojo or Spanish Red. The other three varieties remain the same as the past two years: German, Music, and Montana. As I have said, this marks the 3rd fall I am planting garlic. I intend to again increase numbers planted to about between 10 and 140 cloves. Of course I need more room to plant the higher numbers. After consideration I decided to once again use the flower bed expanding the area, and add another spot on the farm as well.

Garlic beginning to grow in the early months of 2018

This spring, in a section next to the garlic, I worked removing grass, roots and a few weeds. Here I planted four tomato plants. I did need to weed a little from time to time, but as the tomato plants grew they provided enough ground cover to keep the unwanted growth at bay. These produced many little tomatoes both grape and super sweet varieties. I took some to the farmers markets and shared with friends. I also enjoyed many delicious tomato sandwiches, even though they were the small tomatoes.

In the last couple weeks as I began to prepare the ground to plant garlic I have certainly seen a reduction of roots, weeds and grass thanks to the ground cover provided by the tomato plants.

Instead, I found myself picking up an extreme amount of tiny tomatoes to avoid the seed springing to life new tomatoes plants next year. I am sure I did not get every single one. Should they appear in the 2019 growing season I have a plan. I intend to feed the young plants to the chickens who I learned enjoy eating the tomato plant leaves. A bonus use of unwanted plants in my opinion.

Beginning to prepare the soil in the fall of 2018.

The picture below shows last years space and the additional space in the flower bed. This picture was taken before transplanting some of the Day Lillys.

I had a chicken pen that was approximately 5 ft x 5 ft where the sod finally appeared to be almost non exsistent this fall. I moved the panels to a new location giving the chickens new ground and the homestead an additional place to plant. With the sod almost completely gone I began turning the dirt over. Trilled with how soft the soil, I did find some roots under the surface.

No matter, the work proved considerably easier compared to digging up sod. If I did not share previously, I currently have not a plow or cultivator. My ‘tools’ consist of myself, a shovel, wheelbarrow and other non-motorized gardening implements. I also have almost no money invested in the garlic venture, only the initial garlic cloves. The chickens did a wonderful job and by next year they will have removed more sod for me to increase the garden. In 2017 I set the chicken pens up specifically where I want a garden. It has felt like a long process, but I was hesitate to leave the chickens out for any length of time. Now that I have housed select pens outside I am seeing much faster progress in sod removal.

The pen in its new location and the dirt turned in the old location.

For the 2019 growing season I will plant garlic in the 5ft. x 5 ft. space the chickens cleared for the homestead.

About half of the garlic is planted in this picture.

As I have in years past after the garlic is planted I cover with hay chaff. (Using what I have) and later in the season as wood chips become available from the wood shed I added wood chips all to help reduce the unwanted plant growth among the garlic plants.

Garlic Scapes and Pesto

I want to add that this past growing season(2018) I made use of the garlic scapes when I removed them from the plants in June. I made pesto from the scapes. All who enjoy the taste of garlic gave the pesto positive reviews.

Here is the ingredient list I used:

garlic scapes chopped
parmesan cheese
coconut oil
salt and pepper to taste

The scapes, removed usually in June, allow the energy of the plant to grow bigger bulbs. Below is a picture of the flower that develops into seeds if the scapes are not removed.

I am looking forward to next years harvest garlic harvest. I think the harvest is the most exciting part for me. The Spanish Rojo smelled good and I am certain I will enjoy eating it next year. I feel pretty happy when planting the cloves too.

Preparing the ground is a bit of a drag for me and the hardest work of the whole process. As I write this I have about half of this years garlic planted. My progress this past week came to halt as probably close to 2 inches of rain has fallen. I am waiting for the ground to dry out. When I see the forecast includes lows in the 20’s for 3 nights in a row, I plant the garlic despite unwanted roots and moisture.

Please share your experiences with fresh garlic in the comments below.

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October 24, 2018

Seasons: Fall 2018

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Most farmer’s markets ended in our area with the month of September. The Fall Season officially started on Saturday Sept. 22 this year. Changes are in the air!! A look around for the first two weeks showed only the beginning of the transformation yet to come. The fun of each season: Even though they repeat every year no two are alike. At first temperatures were warm with many a sunshiny day. This weather pattern changed and as of mid October highs have been in the 50’s with lows in the 30’s and 40’s.

Some flowers are dying off in the late summer(September)while others are only beginning to bloom indicating the changes to come.

I recall as a child enjoying horseback rides along the dirt back roads enjoying the colors fall brings. Lately I have not been riding as often, but I still enjoy the colors. I recently took the short drive down one of the few dirt roads left from my childhood I used to ride on. Many memories can be recalled from era spent on horseback along this dirt road of my life. One of the first was my sister and I getting bucked off our pony, Glady, while riding double. Another involved riding Glady in tight circles at a walk envisioning that myself a barrel racer at a rodeo. The third was driving our pony Rebel Breeze when snow covered the road in a stone boat with a bale of hay for a seat. The landscape has changed in the last 25 plus years, but the feeling of a dirt road, lined with majestic trees displaying pretty fall colors consistently brings a peaceful feeling to my heart.

Blooming flowers around the farm and down local roads this year are pictured through out this post.

I recently visited Pigeon Forge, TN and the Smoky Mountains. Some of the same flower that grow here were also in blossom in the State Park in both TN and North Carolina.

I welcome the sometime cooler days and even the rainy one. By this time of the year I find myself over the humid, hot air I welcomed only a few months earlier. How fickle I am.

Hard neck garlic is planted in the fall before the ground freezes. Not to be confused with a frost as we sometimes experience many frosts before the ground actually freezes. My thoughts have turned to where the garlic will be planted this year. I am going to be planting more than I have in the past so new ground needs to be prepared. The soil needs to be worked, weeded and prepared where the garlic was planted last year. I intend to include a larger area there as well.

I recently finished harvesting the sweet potatoes I grew in buckets. The crop was not as productive as it has been in the past. While a few were large, many did not grow as big. Perhaps I did not leave enough time for the root development in the water this spring to allow for larger root development before planting. Note to self: Start indoors earlier and plant outside earlier. I used the same general process as I have in the past. Want to read about my previous experience with planting sweet potatoes. Click on the blog post titled: Growing Sweet Potatoes in a Bucket. I get excited to think that most people, no matter how large or small their property is, can grow sweet potatoes. Even someone who owns a small lot or has patio access with adequate sunlight has options using buckets and fertile soil.

I enjoy fresh air, kittens playing, kittens playing and horses in all their displays of beauty, beautiful fall colors at the moment, pretty flowers and the way I see the homestead SLOWLY making process. Fall brings a different smell to the air, the rustle of leaves falling in the woods, and the sound of farm machinery harvesting and drying crops.

I like how fall tickles all of my senses

The feel of a cool brisk morning air and the warmth of afternoon sunshine. The gritty dirt in hand as I work preparing soil for planting.

The sight of pretty colors developing and eventually, for a short time, vivid display of all that is fall.

The sound of combines and crop dryers running both near and far sometimes late into the night. Birds chirping, the rustles of leaves when walking in the woods and the sound of leaves falling when the wind blows.

My favorite flavor has been baked sweet potatoes smothered in butter and salt. I seem to enjoy coffee more as the weather turns colder, chi has been another fall favorite hot drink of mine this year.

The fall season has a smell all its own both in the woods and across the farm and country air. It seems clean and fresh despite the fact we are facing the inevitable coming black and white of winter months.

How do you enjoy fall with all of your senses? Be sure to leave a comment below.

Life on the farm this 2018 Fall Season

This morning dawned with pretty sunshine and the second (or third) hard frost of the season. I am looking forward to digging into an outdoor project this afternoon. I recently listed the projects I want to work on before the ground actually freezes and the snow flies. Some must be done and others have less importance. I was brain dumping and they are in no particular order.

Have you read my previous blog on seasons?

Check it out by clicking below:

Roots and Wings: Seasons

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September 19, 2018February 9, 2022

Farmer’s Market ~ Bremen, Indiana

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As I mentioned in a previous post (Local Farmer Markets), earlier this year I needed to find an additional outlet for eggs that I was not selling as hatching eggs or hatching myself. As I looked at options, I decided to try a local farmer market located in Bremen, Indiana.

Opening night of the 2018 season stands out as the favorite of the entire summer. Having 11 doz. eggs to part with I set a sale price in order to move them. I did indeed part with all 11 dozen. Happy as I was with that fact, the best part was the enjoyment that occurred on my part. A guest musician played old country and gospel favorites, music filled the air, but not in an overbearing manner. I learned at 6 pm each evening a church tower in town rang out familiar tunes. Again, music filled the air, at this point I breathed a sigh of contentment for a cool breeze flowed on the night air and all felt peaceful and right in my world. Here I am getting ahead of myself in the telling of the evening.

I was not as early as I had hoped to be and felt a rush of anxious thoughts coming on as I droved as rapidly as the speed limit allowed. The afternoon had sped by rapidly as I hunted out items make this first farmer market a success. What did I have to use as table and chair? What about signs? What could I sell besides eggs? How to price for sales? All to soon the time indicated I needed to leave and make the best of the first night. I had wanted to wait until the next week to attend. I had been encouraged to attend that week so I decided to do my best and go with what I had.

I chased away nervous thoughts of self-doubt. I was going to at least be present and consistent. An important part of starting business and getting one’s name out to the public, I continued to hear from those more experienced than myself in start up operations.

Finding Gayle, the coordinator, I chased away self-defeating thoughts. She was warm and generous finding me a bit of assistance in unpacking my car and setting up. As I sat down in a chair I had won several years back barrel racing Roses Casino, I resolved to enjoy my evening despite no canopy or cover, a small table and simple signs. I say simple as they were made of index cards printed on with markers pinned to a small bulletin board I had in the house. I did not have much more than that for my first event. I used the backs of previously printed Eagle Equine business cards to share this website and reach new readers.

For me, the evening was almost perfect. I enjoyed meeting new people of my nearby town and hoped to see familiar faces throughout the summer. I felt pleased meeting many of the vendors. Some would not stay the entire summer, others would become friends. That first night I started thinking of ways I could improve my sales, other produce I might have available through out the summer, and items that would be nice and some necessary to add to my simple display. This first event began my learning process.

Click on the photo above to order soap or contact Sue via a FB group.

As the summer went on I sold black raspberries, garlic, garlic scapes, fresh cut flowers, small tomatoes of 2 different varieties, early summer squash, seedling trees and perhaps I will yet sell sweet potatoes depending on the harvest yield. I wrote down produce I was ask for and multiple ideas I had as they came to me throughout the summer. I started giving thought to what preparations I wanted to make for next year.

I added new items. Some purchased out of my earnings and others contributed by the support of my spouse. A canopy was the most expensive investment, perhaps the most appreciated when the rain fell or the sun beat down with added almost unbearable humidity. I retired the small wooden table for a card table that served different a purpose in my house. It was easier to transport and larger. I have given thoughts to a display involving both in the future as I add more items. Attractive Longaberger baskets I had on hand, a small chalk board, a small wooden box, chalk signs and a toy easel with white board on one side and chalk on the other all became new tools for displaying various items.

One of the best parts of being a vendor has been making new friends and seeing familiar friendly faces of returning customers. I have gained new friends and acquaintances as I learned to know different vendors who have also attended through out the summer. I am grateful to the many people in the community who visit and purchase from various vendors. There are some who seem to find a way to show up every week and shop the market.

There are only two more weeks left for the Bremen’s Market in 2018: tonight and next week. The last week promises to be special too. Bremen carries the nickname “Mint City” due to a history of producing mint. The theme for the last market of 2018 will be mint.

Bremen Farmers Market

Where: Located on the corner of Jackson and Main Street downtown Bremen, Indiana near the historic water tower.

When: Every Wednesday from 4 PM to 7 PM May through September

Who: Anyone who finds value in home grown food, locally crafted wares, delicious baked goods, potted flowers and plants. These events are free and open to the public. Take the family out for an evening of fresh air, delicious eats, treats and while shopping for local produce and eggs.

What: Vendors have varied throughout the summer. Leather crafts, home knitted mittens and hats, honey, maple syrup, produce, eggs, baked goods, fresh cut flowers, plants, mums, tree seedlings, homemade soaps, local raised grass fed pork, breads, fruit, and herbal tinctures make up most of what has been offered at the Bremen Farmer’s Market. Tonight, a new vendor, Poppin off Popcorn will be attending with specialty popcorn flavors.

Stay connected online with the Bremen Farmer’s Market on FB: Click on Bremen Farmer’s Market

History

Bremen’s Farmers Market started in 2015 to provide a place for local producers to present their wares to the general public.

Have you ever attended a Farmers Market? Leave a comment with your experience.

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September 11, 2018September 11, 2018

Granary Road

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This past summer I enjoyed the privilege of visiting an upscale farmers market in Alberta, Canada. I continue the series of blog posts on Farmers Markets to share my experience at a market with a different twist. Please, (if you have not already) check out my first post in this series titled Local Farmers Markets. Look for future posts sharing my experience as a vendor at farmers market in northern Indiana.

Our party visiting Granary Road consisted of 9 children (age 2 -13) and 4 adults. It might seem a bit crazy to plan a day trip to an upscale market with many kids in tow. This venue is special as a child finds themselves catered to with a section all for their own special experience.

I was excited to check out what this market offered, being that we were visiting Canada. All visits to farmer markets up until this point had been local markets in the United States. The younger group looked forward to playing in the ‘large’ playground, if you will. There is a charge to ‘play’ outside at the many activity areas, priced lower for kids and a few dollars more for adults. I choose to spend my time checking out the indoor market and hanging out with my Mom.

Two outdoor patio areas in the back provide many table with chairs and wonderful fresh air. The day we attended, Alberta experienced the haze of smoke from the British Columbia fires. The air was not so fresh. The picture above shows the back of the indoor market. A young lady graced the atmosphere with lovey violin music.

After checking out the gift shop while the others purchased tickets, I found my Mom a place to sit. Now, I began my exploration of the market. A deep breathe slowly expelled, I felt as if I was on an adventure as grand as if checking out a new hiking trail, trying new foods and reading about the early settlers of the exact ground we were on.

Poster sized displays framed in what appeared to be old barn wood hung on the walls. They provided an education on topics from bees to gardening and a bit of the history of the man who originally homesteaded the property. A few of these I have posted pictures of through out this blog post.

My attention became captivated first by the story of a man who owned Thoroughbreds in Canada. He turned out to be the homesteader of the property Granary Road sits on. An overview of his life can be read in the following photos. I found I felt a new connection with this place as I too enjoy horses. Thoroughbreds being one of the breeds that have greatly impacted my life in their own way.

Vendors offered clothing, food, wine, specialty meats in the form of jerky and sausage, coffee, smoothies, and a new sports cream.

Check out Brenda’s web site by clicking on this picture.

Oh, speaking of the sports cream. I received a complementary massage with Muscle Check. I could still feel the benefits the next morning. I had spent the afternoon prior relaxing in a hammock under popular trees. The hammock material and position I was in left me with a sore upper back for the current delving into Granary Road. I felt blessed and full of gratitude for the massage. My painful upper back disappeared and creating greater enjoyment in the rest of my day.

I seen a green house located separately from the main building. I was looking to learn any bit of info that I might be able to use in my future gardening ventures. Initially, I found myself disappointed, observing an area where a business had or would be, but not currently operating and the back part of the large green house served as a maintenance building for Granary Road.

A kind gentleman stopped me as I completed my exploration and ask me if he could help me. I learned Granary Road was owned by his son. He offered to send me info to increase my gardening knowledge. I learned where the original homestead building used to stand on the side of a hill near by. The spot overlooked the valley where Granary Road is nestled. I say nestled for as I mentioned Alberta was experiencing a large amount of smoke from British Columbia that day producing approximately 1 mile visibility. I might have felt a tiny bit of disappointment that the current owner of the beautiful property and facility had no blood connection to the original homesteader. My romantic side always likes to see land stay in a family. He did share a few of the intended additions to the property: A terraced garden to create a beautiful venue for weddings, and other events, and acreage devoted to producing local grains and vegetables.

While various vendors provide delicious menus from which to savor special flavors, our group opted to pack in a lunch. A wonderful option for those like us operating on a smaller budget. We enjoyed the outdoor air while we ate. I especially found pleasure in listening and watching my 9 nieces and nephews interactions. These two cousins found the flowers. Innocent little girls, acting out their attraction to beauty, found pretty flowers to pick and carry. Oh the simple, sweet, delight of children untainted by expectations! I felt a bit of remorse informing them they needed to stop picking flowers in order for others to enjoy them in the future. I admit I gathered a bit myself, in picture form: 2 cousins with their collections sharing a connection with each other and beauty. I will share only one of the many I have stored for future recollection.

One added experience to our day was fording a creek. Yes that is correct. I did not get a picture, so it is with words I will attempt to share the process. The road we were on at one point drove down to a river bed and crossed a small river whose current low level allowed for safe crossing. Instead of building a bridge over the river, a cement pad had been laid in the river bed providing a solid surface for crossing. Of course when the river depths increased the river ford would have been unsafe to cross. I felt a bit like a modern day pioneer, fording a river bed to and from a farmers market. My soul was delighted!

While I have given a look through my eyes, if you find yourself in Alberta, Canada be sure to make Granary Road a stop in your travels. The delights abound for those looking to broaden personal experience, both the young and the young at heart!

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August 1, 2018September 26, 2018

Local Farmer Markets

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While in the process of promoting, marketing, and establishing the 3 rare chicken breeds raised here at CG Heartbeats Farm, I found the number of eggs produced greatly exceeded the eggs being sold. Given the cost of feeding locally sourced Non-GMO and organic feed, the “chicken project” was costing as much as feeding 5 horses. I knew I needed to find an outlet for the eggs. I struggled wanting to question the path I have chosen to incorporate a homestead lifestyle and still find away to earn an income.

It has been a journey these last 4 to 8 weeks from contacting local food banks to last Saturday when I turned a customer away because I had sold out of eggs. I have looked at different ways to market egg for consumption and learned of Indiana’s regulations for eggs sales. I looked into having signs printed to sell from the farm and selling to others who already had a customer base. I found an answer in becoming a vendor at first one (Bremen Farmer’s Market)and now two (Nappanee Farm and Flea Market)local farmers markets.

A local farmers market provides a place to connect with customers who share a knowledge of the importance of eating fresh, locally sourced food and knowing just what goes into the food they are eating. While buying from a vendor at a farmers market does not guarantee you are buying organic or non-GMO products, it does provide an opportunity to ask questions about the food you are buying. Often there are various options to choose from depending on which vendor you choose to make your purchase. Since I am already using eggs as an example, I will continue that line of thought. Some vendors provide farm fresh eggs that are fed a commercial feed, and free ranging a certain number of hours a day. Others simply live in an outdoor pen with a chicken coop or shelter attached. A third option might include birds that are fed specialty feeds such as whole foods, organic, soy free or non -GMO feeds. Any one or more of these husbandry practices may go into the eggs acquired at a farmers market. A wonderful aspect of a farmers market provides the opportunity to ask questions and decide exactly what aligns with your health and food consumption goals.

While a vendor at a farmers market, I truly like to hear someone say they own chickens and produce their own eggs. I am encouraged to hear about others raising and producing their own food eggs, vegetables, meat and herbs, ect.

I am also happy to be able to produce local options for those who can not for various reasons and still find value in locally produced food. In my case, locally produced food that has little to no chemicals or hormones used in its production.

People

One of my favorite aspects of the farmers markets has been meeting new people, from vendors to customers and those who are enjoying the atmosphere. New found friends both on and off line give me a greater sense of community.

I have enjoyed having conversations with people from other states who were visiting family in town and local residents who have or still do own laying hens. On occasion a person may be interested in learning about the different breeds that produce the eggs they are eating. I have had fun connecting with people. I learn from their stories and sometimes share a part of mine.

Products

Every local farmers market delivers a special list of products depending in part on state regulations and exactly what local farms are producing in that area. I have been to farmers markets in certain states to see whole milk being sold for human consumption while in other states that is not allowed.

Some local markets feature homemade crafts along with food and antiques and collectibles. Sweet treats seem to be a big hit at almost all farmers markets.

Who doesn’t enjoy home baked goodies such as cupcakes, decorated cookies, and macarons to name a few?

How they Work

Vendors, usually local, pay a fee to set up in a certain space. Visiting a farmers market is a free event for those interested in purchasing products and checking out the sights. One market in particular, Bremen Farmers Market, provides live music in the background as a you browse.

Farmers Markets seem to be gaining in popularity in many areas across the country. Often a quick online search either through a search engine or social media will display local farmer market info such as dates, location and time. Many small towns across the country provide a farmers market on a given day of the week. Larger towns and cities may have a daily market and some places have them in different locations. For those who patronize farmers markets, thank you for buying local. Did you know there are health benefits to eating local food? If you have not been to one, be sure to find one in your area.

When traveling I like to find local farmers markets to attend. Have you ever attended a Farmers Market either as a customer or as a vendor? Drop a comment below and share your experience.

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May 28, 2018June 1, 2018

Pryor Mountain Horse Range ~ Part 2

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In 2015 I found myself living out a dream that had only birthed the previous week as I traveled along the edge of McCullough Peaks. Realizing I was close to where there were wild horse herds, I recalled parts of the PBS Series on Cloud, a mustang stallion. His young life had been documented with pictures and videos and the series continued as he aged. ‘How cool would it be to hang out with a herd of wild mustangs’, I thought to myself. My life felt disrupted in many ways and the thought filled me with a peaceful feeling. The first part of my desire can been seen and read here. What follows is the second part:

I did not think I could top the exhilaration of standing my ground in the path of a wild mustang stallion. I did in a way that I could not fully appreciate in the present moment. While at some level I understood the uniqueness of the that space in time, I feel the specialness more now.

A few more pictures of me on this special trip taken by Denise. They had plans for the evening and we had a 2 – 3-hour return drive. I did not mind our time on the mountain was considerably shorter than the time spent driving. The experience made it worth every bumpy mile!

A short distance back to the first watering hole we noticed more vehicles parked along the way. Certain this indicated more horses at this location we stopped.
This was what we found.

Cloud, the wild stallion, made famous by the PBS 3-part mini-series hanging out with another bachelor stallion. These videos share part of the story of his life from the time he was foaled.

Cloud had recently (in the last year) lost his band of mares.

He was around 20 years old here when these pictures were taken in July of 2015.

As I knew my companions were needing to continue home, I satisfied my heart knowing that I had seen and photographed Cloud. This trip gave me considerably more than I had expected. I ran up the hill from the watering hole. Surprised at how easily I accomplished that feat even in the high altitude, I simply felt an exhilaration and peace for my time spent ‘hanging’ with the wild mustangs. This seemed to trump the physical struggles I had been having. The mind is a powerful tool!

The last anyone seen of him was in the fall of 2015. I might find myself tearing up a little when I realize I seen him in later part of his life. Yes! A special moment realized at a deeper level after the fact.

I would love to explore that mountain top and other parts of the Pryor Mountain Mustang range. Perhaps one day I will camp up there. I think I would enjoy that!!!

Here a few websites to learn more about Pryor wild mustangs and other mustang herds in the United States. The mustangs on the Pryor range are closely monitored by volunteers who name and document the bands, stallions, mares and foals. They keep track when a one stallion steals another’s mare(s). I find this fascinating? Do you?

http://www.pryormustangs.org/

https://www.thecloudfoundation.org/

Facebook page for Pryor Mountain Mustang Center

Facebook page for the Cloud Foundation

Denise and her husband kindly transported and shared this adventure. Denise takes beautiful pictures and owns a better camera. Generously, She allowed me to use photos of me shot the day we experienced this story. Credit for her photos are noted under applicable pictures. Every year she offers calendars for sale featuring Wyoming wildlife. To order your own beautiful calendar, email her at:

dconnelly1970@gmail.com

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April 10, 2018February 9, 2022

Roots and Wings: New Life ~ Horses

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Continuing the story concerning my passion for new life, this post shares briefly on the journey as it relates to horses. I say briefly because the experiences and stories might make up a small book. I am limiting my sharing to this blog post with no comment on the possibility of future stories. If you have not seen the first or second you may click on the underlined words to view.

Our pony, Glady, foaled when I was thirteen. This is where my love of new life birthed in a new species, horses. I remember sleeping in the barn a few nights to hopefully catch her foaling. I slept with blankets on bales of hay, NOT comfortable, but at 13 years old, it was an adventure. I must be getting soft, because my idea of adventure has shifted slightly. I can not say with certainty I would not sleep in a cold barn to watch a mare foal, cause likely I would. I simply much prefer a camera to view, a warm room and softer sleeping arrangements these days.

Life became busy in my teenage years and it was after my high school graduation that I was again blessed with a foal, re-kindling a flame.

The arrival of Roses Casino, out of a mare named Mismatched, created a story its own. While her arrival has a story to it, her impact on my life is currently an on going story.

Alas, it would be 5 more years until I foaled another mare of my own when Brave the Cold gave me Brave Diamond Dust. This time I had the privilege of studying the Book Blessed are the Broodmares by M. Phyllis Lose . I learned a lot. However, I had no experience knowing the difference between a tired pregnant mare resting at night and a mare actually foaling. I faithfully checked her during the night for close to 6 weeks. My excitement and anticipation for this foal, driving me to wonder about the meaning of her every move. One night I was certain something might be going on and called the only person I knew to ask, my farrier. Our families were friends and often his wife would invite us over for supper. But, I think he found me a bit overzealous to be bothering him in the middle of the night. Lesson learned! I smile at the memory! My consistency paid off and I was rewarded with being present for her foaling, a filly I called Dusty. This was the beginning of developing my eye for foaling and only added more to my passion for new life. To be honest, I have been fooled since thinking a mare was foaling when she wasn’t. However, it takes a bit more to fool me now. I would rather check on a mare and be wrong, than miss a foaling.

I was given the opportunity to spend time on a farm that foaled a few mares each year. Here I would trapes out in a 10 acre pasture to find the mares and look them over. I once found a foal stuck in the mud and pulled it out to return it to its mother. I was only gone for the evening and knew she was close. I checked her and found the foal. I guess by then I was getting a bit better at knowing what was a true sign and what was my anticipative thoughts. That said, I remember years later a mare I looked at that had NO bag, No softness under her tail, the slightest bit of change under her tail perhaps, but not presenting a picture of a mare ready to foal. Everyone was surprised she foaled that night. Now in this case, she did not even get her milk in for over 24 hrs after the foal was born. If I recall correctly, it was drug (hormone) induced.

Oh, do you see what I mean? I could share for days the stories I remember! I moved from this place with a bit more knowledge and a growing love for foaling out mares.

I spent the next 5 to 10 years focused on barrel racing and a bit of team roping. During this time I had only occasional reason to be involved in foaling out mares. One time, my mare who pregnant with twins lost them about 7 months. Another involved a friends 4 yr old Arabian mare who lost the foal due to a red bag. Several of us pulled for over an hour to remove the dead foal. The education I gained that day saved another foals life years later.

When I learned a veterinarian I had recently ask to work on my horses was involved in opening a foaling barn, I could not resist asking about the progress every single time I spoke with him. You see I had given thought to taking a job on a ranch in Wyoming to be in charge of foaling operations. I decided against it. Now a foaling barn would soon be in operation, locally. Offered a job there cleaning stalls, I took it. Employed there for 5 years, I gradually was given responsibility for overseeing the foaling mares. I loved watching the mares shape up to foal. Each one was different and I learned to expect the unexpected. Oh wait! In some ways I was that way from the beginning, perhaps the years of seeing goats do unpredictable things when kidding. They are different in some ways goats and horses. But then again new life is new life when it comes to the beauty of it and unpredicateble timing of arrival.

I probably do not even consciously remember all the mares I seen foal at the foaling barn. I often operated on 3 to 4 hours of sleep for months during the foaling season. There are some memories that stand out where I learned a new lesson or encountered a special moment. I could write a small book on those experiences alone. I grew my knowledge base of foaling out mares. The opportunity to see a wide range of breeds and sometimes special cases like a mare that was partially paralyzed allowed me to learn in a way no book can.

It has been almost 5 years since I ended my employment at the foaling barn. This was where my focus started to shift in a different direction. But last year I was ask to help foal out mares at another local barn and sure enough, my passion for foaling mares has not left me.

A part of shifting my focus involved starting to live a homestead life style on almost 12 acres. My love of new life has manifested itself in the form of hatching chicks. Stay tuned for New Life- Chickens.

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March 28, 2018April 11, 2018

Roots and Wings: New Life

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Almost all of my life, I found time standing still for the presentation of new life in animal form. I have not kept track of the times I have observed, and sometimes assisted, in animal births. I am pretty sure the list includes goats, pigs, cattle, dogs, cats, horses and chickens. From an early age the process has inspired me, leaving an almost spiritual experience impression on my heart. Now to be sure the few times a mother’s life was lost in the process damped my enthusiasm, but has not eradicated my love for the process of new life appearing to the world. Oh yes, I have been privileged to observe the appearance of human babies on 3 occasions, but with an almost tear in my eye, never my own.

New life in the form of animal and human births present like the beauty of a new day, a sunrise, a new start, a new journey. Maybe that lies at the heart of my passion for the birthing process. Beautiful expectations for all the untapped possibilities, dreams and discoveries of potential capabilities envelope new life. I often felt a bit of anxiety and fear as well. Knowing the importance of timing for everything to go right leaves me feeling I witnessed a miracle. New life amazes me for all the development that occurs out of sight with a mothers womb. Aside from a larger abdomen and some rapid belly movements there is no outside indication of the inside growth and development. I think God works in our lives that way from the inside out. He speaks to our hearts and helps us make these little changes that over time appear in big ways. I suppose, truthfully this process might lead us the other direction if we are giving an ear to the devil. Makes a pretty strong argument for the importance of learning to know the voice of Lord.

On a complete side note: As I was writing this last paragraph I heard the distinct chirp of a baby chick from the incubator. No visible pips yet, but there is a definite chirp coming from across the room…New life! My heart leapt and I felt compelled to put the computer down to have a look. I could not find a single pip, perhaps it is out of sight or not quite through the shell. Fitting for the current topic!

Spring represents new life. Flowers, and plants begin pushing new growth up through the soil. Trees grow new leaves. Spring commonly presents the time frame for animal births too. While I have been present for the birth of several different species, I am going to speak to the three most common in my life: goats, horses, and chickens. This post is the first in a short series of 4 where I will be sharing a few stories of my animal birthing experiences.

To be honest, there are a few times the stories sadly ended in the loss of life. In those hard moments, I have questioned if I ever wanted to be present for another birth. The truth is, the good out weighs the bad for me. I would not trade the moments of joy just to avoid the painful ones.

Have you ever experienced the birth of an animal? If so please leave a comment telling about it. Would you like to see a chick emerging from its shell? Use the form below to receive a free video of a chick hatching.

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March 8, 2018March 8, 2018

Planting Seeds Indoors

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I found a neat planting calendar on The Old Farmers Almanac, www.Almanac.com to enter ones location and view the suggested times lines for planting various garden vegetables. Here I discovered that tomatoes, onions, lettuce and peppers need to be started the first to the middle of March (if starting indoors). Actually, onions could be started as early as the first of February, but here we are, the first part of March already. The first of March it will be when I start my onions.

Indoors or Outdoors?

Why start seeds indoors? I would like to give my garden vegetables a head start for the growing season. Our season here in northern Indiana is long enough to produce vegetables with out starting them indoors. Plants started indoors will be available for harvest sooner then seeds started outdoors. If I choose to start seeds both inside and out, I will have a longer time for harvesting and eating fresh from the garden. I like this line of thinking!

The Dirt

Take a walk with me out to the manure pile and previous manure pile location.

I am about ready to start a new pile, but want to use some of the dirt generated from the old pile before I do. The process of composting both animal and plant waste products produces wonderful rich soil from which to grow vegetables.

I am going to bring soil inside in a 5 gallon bucket to use for starting my seeds. Now one can purchase potting soil and do the same thing. I am all about using what I have available and for me compost is free. If you do not personally have the option of composting, sometimes a farm will allow you to get compost from their manure pile. A word of caution here, if wanting to keep everything organic, it would be important to know if drugs and/or antibiotics where used on the animals who produced the manure. I know I use a limited amount and so my compost is as close to organic as I can get it. I am ok with that for the time being.

Planting Seeds

Now is the time to place some of the soil into small containers. I have saved some of the pictured egg cartons to act as a green house for starting seeds. They trap the moisture, but once a seed is sprouted the lid needs to be opened. I have found they do best if transferred into a bigger container soon after sprouting.

After watering to make the soil moist, seeds may be planted shallowly. In this example I am planting onion seeds. I used my finger to hollow out a small spot in the soil to drop the onion seed into. After placing the tiny seed, I gently covered the seed with soil.

Now aside from keeping the soil moist and warm enough for the seeds to sprout, there is not much to do, but wait for the tiny little green sprouts of a new plant to poke its way up through the soil. These are due to sprout in 10 to 15 days so I added it to my schedule to check them on March 15(10 days) and March 20(15 days). Check back on A Country Girl’s Heart ~ Beats that Matter FB page for updates those days on the onion seeds progress.

This project has cost me nothing aside from the cost of the seed and a bit of rather easy work. I am always looking for ways to repurpose items like manure piles and egg cartons. What items to do have around your house that would allow you to start seeds with little to no cost to you?

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