I slowly digested Ten Acres Enough by Edmond Morris in the summer of 2018. Reading a few pages while I ate lunch or found I needed to sit down for a break. As I read, I often felt renewed energy and motivation to continue, keep on with the tasks at hand staying focued with the big goals.
The end of 2020 is approaching. I find myself looking back at what I accomplished and what goals I want to set for 2021.
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Current horse pasture, but may serve a new function as the year unravels.
I gained a new perspective for the property I live on reading thorough Ten Acres Enough. My view shifted. Instead of seeing it through the eyes of where a horse barn, shelters, and pasture could go, I began to see where blueberries, grapes, and garlic might produce the best.
Click on the picture above to purchase your copy of Ten Acres Enough
The mistaken ambition for owning twice as much land as one can thoroughly manure or profitably cultivate, is the great agricultural sin of this country.
At times, this homesteading journey can feel a bit lonely, but reading Ten Acres Enough I found a kinship with a man and his family now passed. After living and owning a business in the city for 20 years, he fulfills a longtime dream of owning farm ground in the country.
His farm, he purchased in the 1850’s. This is no typo. Nor is the price he paid, $1,000.00 for 11 acres, with a house and barn on it. The land I have is 11.7 acres and believe me the price was well above $1000.00.
I found myself inspired as I read Edmund’s account of creating food and an income to support his family by farming 10 acres of land.
The words he used to share his story have added to my vocabulary. Some I have never heard in this day and age and likely will not.
This book provided me with a new view of our land and produced many new ideas to ponder on. I intend to reread Ten Acres Enough, as I plan for 2021. In the coming months and years I will reference certain practices mentioned though out this book
It takes a man a great while to learn the way of Providence, and to understand that things are better contrived for him than he can can contrive for himself.
I recommend this book to any and all who desire a homestead lifestyle. If you read or have read this book, I would be trilled to hear what stood out to you.
Warm, summer months, fondly reminds of time spent in, on, or at a body of water, be it lake, river or stream. What a better way to shop in the summer, than at Culver’s Farmers Market located on Lake Maxinckuckee in the lovely town of Culver, Indiana. One fact I like about Culver is the small town feeling and the locally owned business that line the street across from the lake shore. A public beach and boat launch provide opportunity to enjoy the water in a way that suits you best. Here every Saturday morning from 9 am to 1 pm and Tuesdays from 5 pm to 7 pm.you will find local farmers and artitisans displaying their wares and produce. Not only does this add to the old time feel of the town, but it provides the opportunity to purchase locally produced food and art. The health benefits of locally produced food last longer than the delicious taste in ones mouth all while supporting a local family and business. CG Heartbeats Farm is happy to be a vendor for the summer of 2019. I can tell you first hand the breezes of the lake have already proved better than any air conditioner I have encountered, but then I do prefer fresh air over air conditioning. In this post, we are going to meet the hard-working folks that bring their unique products to the Culver Farmer’s Market.
Market Days
Tuesdays from 5 pm to 7 pm
Saturdays from 9 am to 1 pm
The Shook Shack
Do you enjoy baked goods such as homemade bread, cookies, pies, and cheesecake? Stop by the pink tent to find a local delicious favorite treat and visit with Tara.
Rebecca brings a variety of in season fresh locally and
organically produced fruits and veggies, along with fresh flowers. You may also
purchase her local produce at their farm stand open on Tuesdays from 9 am to 12
pm and Fridays from 4-7 PM located at 2366 700 E, Akron, Indiana 46910
Do you like local fresh farm eggs? Chickens from CG Heartbeats are fed Non- GMO feed. Maria enjoys painting birdhouses. You will often see her painting at the market. She also brings fresh garlic, tomatoes, onions, and other seasonal items. New for 2019 she is bringing Glass Gem popcorn and Jacob Cattle Beans (a pretty soup bean). CG Heartbeats Farm focuses on raising heirloom plants working toward increased sustainability.
Are you looking for a custom corn hole game? Be sure to
check out the variety of options, or chat with Jim about a custom-made
game. If you just want to spend time
enjoying the market, they always have a set out for all to enjoy. Grab a few friend or family members and play
a quick game at the market. One of many
ways to enjoy Culver Farmer’s Market.
Along with other craft items, you will also find Yardzaee, a yard game
that is a spin-off of Yatzee.
Are you looking for locally raised grass-fed beef and local raised pork? You will find it at the Amor Farm vendor tent. A family farm located near Culver and made up of 3 generations. Eldon and Sandra Sr. their sons Eldon Jr. (wife Sandy Jr.) and Paul (wife Andi) and grandson Wyatt started coming to the Culver Market 4 years ago as Wyatt had extra produce left from his 4-H projects. As of a year and a half ago, they bring meat and jerky from grass feed beef.
Two Acre Farm
You can not miss the creative birdhouses hanging and sitting at the canopy of Two Acre Farm. They offer other uniquely crafted items.
A ten-year vendor of Culver Farmer’s Market, Chad is in charge of managing not only Hole in Woods Farm, but also running the market. His wife, Xenia, creates beautiful jewelry in part from repurposed items and pressed flowers. You can find her booth under the pavilion alongside their locally produced fruits and vegetables. Sometimes they may even have a goose egg or two. Their Culver, Indiana farm is Certified Naturally Grown.
Michelle brings locally raised honey, farm fresh eggs and other handmade items. She makes cute, uniquely shaped treatments for cast iron. I vouch for their effectiveness as I have used them myself. Here you will also find hand made creations by Mary.
Specializing in sales of historical images from Culver,
Marshall County and the surrounding region, they use creativity and imagination
to make stunning framed artwork for area images and found objects including
local postcards. All are carefully UV protected before final assembly. Need
artwork or pictures framed be sure to find Matt set up near the railroad
station. To reach him outside of the market,
call: 574-842-8864
Barb’s Place
Barb brings unique jams to the Culver Farmer’s Market along
with homemade dog treats, and peanut butter brittle.
Culver Creations
Find uniquely painted furniture in a variety of options. Ask for custom options.
Debra Imhoff
Check out the homemade baked good at Debra’s table under the
pavillian.
Lisa Goble
Lisa makes hanging towels, aprons (including child sizes),
and various sizes of hot pads. Get you
kitchen up to date with her matching sets.
If you don’t see what you are looking for, be sure to ask her for a
custom set.
Maxinkuckee Corn
Find many flavors of popcorn at the market. It is a must have like cotton candy at the
county fair. This way you can snack
while you shop.
Zen Farm
This is your one stop shop for all soap needs, shower and
bath too!
Union Church of the Brethern
Find pretty, woven rag rugs.
Long before repurposing was popular this was a way to put older material
to good use, such as cloths belonging to
a loved one passed away. Today, they are
still a pretty way to decorate a home.
110 Blackberry Farm
Check out the delicious healthy blackberries that are lower in sugar, higher in vitamins and minerals. Yum, the blackberries are so good!!!! Brian brings other fruits to the market for purchase as they are seasonally available. I thoroughly enjoyed strawberries earlier this summer.
Julie creates beautiful arrangement with succulents, air plants and fresh cut flowers. She continues to expand her inventory with new creative ideas. This summer she can be found at the Tuesday Culver Market from 5 pm to 7 pm.
Connect with Julie on Facebook at her page Blooms on 800.
Taco Truck
A favorite of the Tuesday markets, Las Palmas provides authentic Mexican cuisine. Check out their menu below:
Non Profit Groups at the Market
Friends of the Library
This group brings older books to sell and gives the profits to the local library. Look for them set up on a picnic table. Pictured below are a few of my finds.
Lions Club
Freida, faithfully attends the market to sell nuts and brooms for the Culver Lions Club. She has proven to be an inspiration to me. At this past winter market, I found my table next to hers some weeks. During these times, I found myself challenged in listening to her stories.
I remember as a child a long row or two of raspberries in my Grandpa’s garden. If I remember correctly, he had black and red raspberries. I recall how the row had T-posts at each end and along the strip every so often. In between there was string tided at two levels to support the shoots and keep them from falling over. I do not recall being a big fan of the fruit eat fresh, but I always enjoyed the black raspberry jelly made and canned by my Grandma. I remember eating that yummy jelly with butter on bread.
As I have slowed down the last couple years and given attention to what is happening on this 11 acres, I discovered black raspberries growing freely. I enjoyed a bowl of fresh fruit a few seasons. In the fall of 2017 my Dad helped me transplant 7-9 plants that were growing along the house. We may have removed half of what was growing there. The crazy thing to me is that I did not plant them. Actually that area had been more or less let go and the black raspberries had come up on their own. I had decided to plant my own little patch in the intended garden location. We dug up the sod, drove fence posts and planted the pruned black raspberries.
Do you want to learn how to prune your Black Raspberries? Get your FREE printable of How to Prune Black Raspberries today!
Fast forward to last summer, 2018. I had begun attending a local farmer’s market
in Bremen, Indiana. Giving thought to
what other items I had to sell at the market, I decided to begin picking the
black raspberries growing on the property. I knew they seemed to thrive along
the woods. I found two spots where the plants were abundant. One spot in
particular produced the largest, sweetest berries. The few plants my Dad and I had transplanted
a couple years past were only a drop in the bucket compared to all the plants available
to pick from last summer.
Before
After
I did in fact take some berries to market to sell. I spent a
bit of time sharing the company of my parents as we picked one afternoon and
enjoyed sending them home with the bounty.
I even froze a few small containers of them to savor at a later date. They proved to be a delicious treat in the heat
of August, pulling out whole frozen black raspberries to cool down on a hot,
humid day. I stretched out eating of the
last container of them well into January.
As you can see, over the last year black raspberries have
made a delightful impression on me. I
observed where the larges berries developed.
I remembered hearing my grandfather speaking of pruning black
raspberries. I researched information as
to how exactly this pruning is to be conducted. I learned that pruning black
raspberries takes place in March and April.
As side note: Black Raspberries and Red Raspberries are pruned differently. Red Raspberries can produce 2 times a year
based on how they are cared for. These
past couple weeks I begin the process of pruning Black Raspberries here on CG Heartbeats
Farm.
The plants located in various places around the property had been growing unattended for a few years. Even the ones I had transplanted received no pruning after transplant. The info I found on pruning raspberries seemed to assume the plants had been pruned previously or at least where for a younger stage in the plant’s life.
A black raspberry plant grows at its tips and grows ‘branches’ as these extend, they fall back down to the ground. They will grow roots where they hit the ground. A wonderful creation of continued life. I am conducting a bit of a trial to see how this works going forward.
Do you see the dead cane or stalk on the left?
In this picture the dead cane has been removed at the base.
I trimmed the canes and removed dead ones. A black raspberry cane lives only 2
years. I am experimenting as I said. I
left the shoots that had fallen to the ground and grew roots. I am hoping these
will form new plants to be transplanted this fall.
I am looking forward to picking black raspberries, having fresh fruit and taking their bounty to the farmers market. But I might be even more excited to eat frozen ones in the heat of summer. I was dreaming of eating delicious black raspberries, along with memories of days gone by, I pruned black raspberries.
Do you want to learn how to prune your Black Raspberries? Get your FREE printable of How to Prune Black Raspberries today!
If you have been following this blog over the past few months, I shared that I had attended 2 different indoor farmer’s markets local to my area. I wrote about the Culver Farmer’s Market and the Indoor Holiday Market in Bremen, Indiana. On March 30, 2019, I attended a third, new to me, indoor farmer’s market, the Kosciusko County Farmer’s and Artisan’s Market. I had wanted to attend in February, but I did not make it happen. This market has existed for 40 years.
CG Heartbeats Farm’s vendor table
The morning dawned crisp with a colorful sunrise. The air was sharp, but fresh. I arrived and found a friend Julie, who was there with her succulent and fresh flower business, Blooms on 800. She, not only, showed me where to get the provided table, but helped me set it up. The room was large. After setting out the wreaths, birdhouses, and signs, I took a look around at some of the other offerings.
Are you interested in making a shift toward living a sustainable, homestead lifestyle no matter where you reside? Get your FREE list 10 Ways to Start Homesteading Today.Several of these ideas can be done with out spending a penny.
Take a closer look for your self by viewing this short video
showing many of the options to purchase that day.
I chatted with a woman who, along with her husband sells pasteurized goat milk. It was most interesting conversation as I grew up drinking raw goat milk until I was around 11 years old. It is good to hear others stories. I made it back to my table and began painting.
Two of the ‘new’ wren houses I will be painting. They will be covered with protective coating so they can actually be used outside!
I had brought a couple of the new actual bird houses that are for real wrens to use. They are super cute and as I write I am feeling excited for the ways I can paint on them. I will then coat them with a clear protectant to allow them to stay ‘pretty’ when used outside and exposed to the weather.
I played around with black and white to come up with this roof color. I have really enjoyed mixing colors for the unique individual results I end up with.
On that day I choose to paint a decorative bird house with a
similar picture I had done at the last Culver Market (Culver, Indiana). The final product pictured below.
Another vendor approached me with a request for a custom
order. A painted bird house that would have the ability to hold business cards
on their vendor table. The conversation provided interesting information about producing
corn and other non-GMO vegetables while not cross pollinating with area crops. I
look forward to working with that family to fill their request. One of my favorite parts of the market was
the young ladies who hung out with me to watch me paint. I believe in the importance of investing in
future generations. I want to plant
seeds of inspiration even when I may never see the full development and effect.
As the market wrapped up for the day, I took a spin of the
wheel at the Kosciusko County Master Gardeners Association. It landed on the question: What is the state
tree of Indiana? I was happy to see a
multiple-choice answer. White Ash, Tulip
Tree or White Oak were my choices. I
choose Tulip Tree and won a pack of carrot seeds. Yeah!!!!
I like seeds! You never know what
fun you will find at a farmer’s market.
This indoor winter market was held in Warsaw, Indiana every
third Saturday of the month. I happened
to attend the last one, but they have a great (so I have been told) summer
market that is held on an actual street.
I like that. It has an old world
feel to it. Do you agree? Check out the summer market details below.
Location: Downtown Warsaw, Indiana between Buffalo and Lake Streets
Date: Every Saturday beginning May 4, 2019 through October 26, 2019 rain or shine
Time: 9 am to 1 pm
Cost: $0 to attend
Farmer’s Markets provide a place to connect with those who
produce your food in a local area. Some even provide live music which is my
icing on the cake. May I challenge you to look for markets local to your area
and support the local economy? Who knows?
You make new friends, find a healthier way to eat, enjoy good music and teach
the younger generation by example.
A new year has begun.
I for one am excited for the blank slate a new year appears to
provide. I have many ideas that have
been floating around in my head for the last few years. Projects I have started, that I will build
upon and a few new ideas for later in the year. I to take time to look back at
what I did accomplish in 2018. I also took a not so pleasant look at the
challenges and problems that arose, some still in need of resolution and
answers. These are common approaches to
a venture such as homesteading and many other walks of life. One benefits from taking time to reflect and
evaluate progress and problems.
Now officially winter, the weather has stayed pleasant. By pleasant I mean often temps are above 32 during the day. A warm winter by northern Indiana standards. I plan to use this time of slow down to work on this website, plant seeds indoors, work in my house, hatch chicks and plan for the coming growing season outdoors.
Evaluating and planning chicken breeding pens for all breeds
Swedish Flower Hens currently are by far the most prolific of the three breeds. I am seeing excellent fertility in the eggs I am hatching. I have 2 breeding pairs, 5 breeding pens, and a trio of this breed. My breeding goals continue to be the same as posted. I have plans to add an additional line to include crested Swedish Flower Hen.
The Silver Gray Dorkings are fertile, but it does seem to drop off this time of year. I will continue to hatch as many as I can. I intend to add a line from another farm this year.
The Lemon Cuckoo Niederrheiners have proved to be the breed I am struggling with the most. I really like them, but need to figure out why the fertility has been low. I intend to add a line from another farm for this breed as well. I like the eggs they lay and the size of the roosters and hens.
Deciding on locations for garlic, garden space, and fruit bearing plants.
I am super excited to have connected with a neighbor who will be able to plow up ground, increasing garden space and breaking up sod in areas where fruit and garlic will be planted. I am going to be in need of a roto-tiller now with all of the added garden space. I planted around 150 bulbs of garlic this year. This all fit in approximately 100 sq. feet. I would like to plant 1/8th of an acre this year if not more. I intend to plant all the Concord grape plants I can start indoors over the winter. Right now, I have around 25.
A few of the potted grape starts to be planted outdoors in the spring.
One of my goals includes growing blue berries, at least for my own enjoyment. I know the perfect location on this homestead for them to thrive, but right now that ground is a part of a pasture. Fencing changes need to happen in order to proceed. There are existing apple trees and a pear tree that I need to learn how to manage. The raspberry plants will need to be pruned in the spring. I am giving thought how to manage the raspberries in order to make picking a bit easier, without completely moving them. They do well where they are located. I would like to plant strawberry plants this year. I will be researching both what variety and best growing habitat before moving forward.
I intend to plant sweet potatoes in buckets again. I have a small container garden that will provide a place to plant some type of vegetable. I am working on the details of where the main vegetable garden will be located and how large (or small) it will be. I do not have a final list of vegetable to be planted. These decisions will be made in the coming weeks.
Adding additional farmers markets to this year’s schedule.
Last summer I got my feet wet when it comes to attending a farmer’s market. I am excited to build on that in 2019. I would like to include a display on a regular basis to share where the eggs are coming from. This will also raise awareness at a local level that I breed, raise, and sell 3 rare breeds of chickens, hatching eggs and chicks.
One day at a farmer’s Market….
I plan to take many of the same items this year to the market I took last year. I want to plant specific items that may not have been in regular supply at the market last year. The list of what the farm will produce this year is a work in process. I immensely enjoy attending the farmer’s markets.
Planning this year’s web site goals.
I am super excited to be working on updating the pages that share info about the chickens I am raising. I am also excited to be finishing the course on hatching eggs in an incubator. My goal for a release date is the end of Jan or beginning of February. Yes, I am giving myself a bit of wiggle room. Beyond that I intend to continue to bring you a weekly blog post and perhaps two.
If you would like to join a wait list for this course please click on the following: Hatching Course.
I would love to hear what topics you would like to hear about. Leave a comment or send an email to share your ideas.
With the garlic planted, I was ready to turn my attention to the upcoming Indoor Farmer’s Market and cweek to prepare for the first Indoor Market in Bremen. Knowing that the hens were molting I wanted to have more to take than eggs, if I would have any. Egg production drops off when the hens molt. I contacted my Mom and she was trilled with the idea of making crafts for the sale. Earlier in the fall I had looked over boxes of craft items my Mom had stored for future creations. The only item I was sure she had was A LOT of fake evergreen.
She had many birds, little wooden bird houses, other wooden pieces, ribbon, beads, fake snow, bows, and other pieces to create to our hearts content. I picked up some paint and found more in my own craft supplies. I probably have not even looked into my craft boxes for over 5 years.
Day 1:
Armed with my hot glue gun, a few bottles of paint, along with purchases I had recently made, I set out on an almost 2-hour drive to spend an afternoon painting little decorative bird houses. My Mom had come up with the idea to make the bird houses as if they were gingerbread houses, but first they would need a base paint. These cute things were no taller than 4 inches. I had purchased brown paint to hopefully resemble a gingerbread house.
After painting a few brown ones, I wanted to play with the red, green and white I had brought along. Time flew by that first afternoon. My mom and I had planned to take a break and make a short trip for coffee and donuts (for Mom) and food with more substance for me. A special way to spend time with family hanging out and expressing our creative side.
Day 2:
I looked out my window to see a whole bunch of white covering the landscape in the beautiful way only fresh fallen snow can. The drive took longer, but the pretty view along the way left me feeling like I arrived in no time. I sat down and went right to work with a paint brush. I seemed to move from one to the other thinking on ideas of what I wanted to create on a previous house as I worked. I switched from painting to work on a wreath. I needed to take a break from the brush. As I worked my thoughts went from gingerbread houses to a winter scene with snow covered pine trees. Humm I wonder…. if I could paint a pine tree….?
I recalled a time in fourth grade, that I had sat down with a blank piece of card board and various colors of chalk. I had messed around a bit with drawing, as a child might, but not with any flow or success. Drawing usually felt like a struggle, something that I had to think hard about. This day I was recalling, the picture began to appear beneath the splashes of chalk. I was looking a painting of 3 collie dogs, but drawing in chalk. I sat alone in our living room, mentally tuning into a creative, artistic zone. I heard the voices of people working in our house trailer that day as if they were a TV playing in the background. In reality, there was many who had come over to clean up a big mess, made when I had unleased an entire fire extinguisher on a single electrical outlet. The act alone, I was told, is why there was a heavy covering of dust like material in the entire house trailer. Had I not acted quickly, there would have been NO house to clean. I felt terrified when I saw flames coming from the outlet. Looking back, I now believe the drawing of the collie dog provided an outlet for emotion overwhelm. That day, the face of a collie seemed to me to simply appear from the strokes of chalk, there was a flow I had never felt before. I struggled many times after that as I attempted to draw pictures, but rarely, if ever, felt the synchronicity of seeing with my mind and creating with my hands. On the day in my memory…I wondered, ‘Could I draw the face of a collie with those pieces of chalk.’ I had found them when working to clean up the mess.
Back to the current day, sitting with a paint brush in hand I again felt the flow from my mind to the picture that appeared as I painted. The fact I was feeling a similar connection between my hand creating and the picture I was seeing in my mind had reminded me of the day of the fire.
Market Day
The day of the market arrived. I made use of the option to take items in the day before, so set up was fast on Saturday morning.
Having been a vendor at Bremen’s summer Farmer’s Market, I enjoyed seeing familiar faces of both vendors and customers alike. This time I sat painting, while chatting with people new and old. I enjoyed this version of a market. There were new to me vendors attending the indoor market, such as Millers Goat and Garden.
This of course caught my attention since I grew up around goats. A bit more about my child hood in the blog post titled: Roots and Wings: New Life ~ Goats. Word has it, a Valentine’s Day Market is in consideration for February. Be sure to visit and like the Facebook page for Bremen Farmer’s Market for updates using the link posted below.
And stop by the CG Heartbeats Farm Facebook page for farm news, local market updates, new blog posts and other interesting bits of info.
In summary, Bremen’s event, A Holiday Farmers Market, was a success for me. I sold a few things, and conversed with people in the community I had not met before. I also had reason to spend 2 days with my Mom as we prepared. Simply put: A Holiday Farmer’s Market equaled a fun time! This years indoor market was a first time event for Bremen, Indiana. A first of many, I hope!!
A big thank you to Yoder’s Bremen Hardware in downtown Bremen, Indiana for providing the venue along with chairs and tables for the event.
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.
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
The garlic plot in the fall of 2017
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.
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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