The calendar says fall begins on Sept 23rd and ends on December 20th. Our northern Indiana weather apparently did not get that memo. Often the coldest temps do not arrive until after Christmas, but certain it is common to have snow in long before then. When I think about fall, I think September, October and maybe if we are lucky into November. I certainly remember snow in October living only an hour or so north of here in southern Michigan. I always feel like it is a race against the weather to get fall projects wrapped up.
Move outdoor chicken pens
I have found the chickens to be great sod killers. Except for the most frigid of temperatures I house some groups of chickens in temporary outdoor pens. Here they contribute to the homestead by not only getting rid of the majority of the grass, but adding fertilizer to the soil. To date I move the pens twice a year in the spring and the fall. I also added a couple pens in the last year. I have a Lemon Cuckoo Niederrheiner pen, 4 pens of Swedish Flower Hens and a temporary turnout pen for when I am cleaning an inside pen or want a group of birds to get outside. I plan to move all of these this fall and begin working the soil.
Plant garlic and onions
I intend to plant 4 varieties of garlic: German, Montana, Music, Spanish Rojo this year along with a new variety, Elephant. I plan to try a homestead onion. This onion begins growing a bulb on top of the stalk, the weight of it falls over. Once it hits the soil it grows its own roots and thus these onions replenish themselves. A down side to them is that they do not store as well or get as big as some other varieties.
Garden Prep
At the growing season winds down, I will be removing garden plants. Work needs to be done in beds near house. Trees seem to pop up around here on a whim and unwanted trees need to be removed.
Fall Harvest
There are Sweet Potatoes, red potatoes, white and yellow onions, carrots, Jacob Cattle beans, butternut squash, and Glass Gem Popcorn to be harvested. Of course, the tomatoes will likely produce until a killing frost.
Work in container garden area
Last spring I started working on an old slab of cement to convert it into a container garden area. I hope to continue working on that project this fall. I will be setting up either a new container garden of deepening the existing one. As I dump the buckets of potatoes I add to or create container gardens. This is going to include some clean up of dead grasses and organization of boards I have stored there.
Transplant fruits: Blackberries, Red raspberries and Black raspberries
A friend and myself plan to transplant Blackberries and red and black raspberries from her current location to her new residence. In exchange for helping, I will be brining home a portion of what we removed from where she is currently living.
Grape Plants
I am feeling motivated to get a support structure in place for the grape plants largely due to the growth on one of the plants. It is definitely ready for guided growth. I want to prune its vines and start new plants from those to be planted next spring.
Chicken pens
Cleaning chicken pens is a job that doesn’t end, but I especially want to go into winter with all the pens clean. Winter cleaning is difficult and depending on the weather, near impossible. I also will be setting up winter pens. The weather determines when I bring in my chickens that live outside.
Hatch chicks
I intend to hatch some chicks this fall. Cisco and Clinch will be joining the Lemon Cuckoo Niederrheiner hens around the first of November. As I right this, those hens are molting and not laying eggs. They may or may not lay well this winter. If they do lay eggs, well, those are marked for the incubator.
As I started this post today, I set Silver Gray Dorking eggs and Swedish Flower Hen eggs from the Trio pen.
Preserve food
The heirloom tomatoes produced well for me. For the first time ever, I canned tomato juice. First time I have canned in 20 years, too. I hope to make and can ketchup and perhaps more tomato juice
Plant flowers
I ordered a new to me flower that blooms in the spring. In my minds eye, it will look pretty with the pink and purple tulips. I am reminded that with Sage no longer with me. I want plant flowers in the center of the circle drive.
Dreaming
Here I share the goals that seem a bit impossible this fall or out of reach. I long to purchase a cow, put up fence, and dig up sassafras roots for tea. I miss playing the fiddle and hope I make time to pick it up again in the coming seasons.
I have plenty to keep me busy here on the farm. I plan to attend indoor farmer and craft markets although that schedule is to be decided. Of course, all of this needs to be balanced with caring for my health that at times requires extra rest. This happens randomly where I simply have to stop and rest.
What are your fall projects? Leave me a comment below.
