vegetables Archives - A Country Girl's Heart -Beats that Matter

August 5, 2019August 5, 2019

July on CG Heartbeats Farm

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As I look back at July 2019, I cringe I have not posted on this blog. I written bits and pieces, taken pictures and shared a glimpse on Instagram and Facebook. What have I been doing?

I enjoyed time with family and took a business trip where I met up with other bloggers. I have been living a life that allows me to focus on my health.

Chickens

I received my Indiana farmer’s market egg license, and NPIP recertification keeping the farm up to date. I am looking into becoming Certified Naturally Grown and still learning about the process.

I lost a pullet and six 5-week old chicks to racoons. Not everyone agrees on how to deal with predators. There are different ways to address the problem. Let’s look at a few of them. Hopefully, you will either avoid the issue all together or have a plan in place to limit the loss of life to your chickens.

Trap and remove the predator
Increase the strength the chicken pen
End the predator’s life

I lost the only Lemon Cuckoo Niederrheiner rooster I had, but now have 2 Lemon Cuckoo Niederrheiner cockerals from another farm.

Meet Clinch and Cisco. Clinch the quicker of the two to be in charge, and lighter in color. Cisco, with a darker color has a sweet personality.

I took a break from hatching eggs, but I plan to start setting a few select eggs this month. A Swedish Flower Hen went broody so I have new chicks despite my break from using an incubator. This hen is three years old and this is the first time she has went broody. This is my second Swedish Flower Hen to go broody this year.

Cherokee growing up last fall. His girls hatched from Pen # 5 earlier this year.

Two evenings after moving Cherokee in with his pullets from Pen # 5, I found Cherokee overheated. After working with him to cool him down, he was able to once again stand and walk with out assistance. I probably spent 30 minutes helping him. It is a good feeling to know you likely saved one. It doesn’t always turn out good working to save an animal, when it does it makes up for all the times I tried and did not.

Earlier this year I met Maddox when he and his mom picked up chicks. Fast forward to the Marshall County Fair where he showed 2 (rooster and pullet) in an exhibition class. His face when he showed me the first place and grand champion ribbons radiated his joy. I must say I was trilled for both him and the fact the chickens had hatched at CG Heartbeats Farm from a pen I had put together from chicks I had hatched here. I was seeing the fruits of my breeding program.

Farmers Markets

Culver Farmers Market located on the beautiful Lake Maxinkuckee occurs Tuesdays from 5 pm to 7 pm and Saturdays from 9 am to 1 pm. Bremen Farmer’s Market happens on Wendesdays from 4 pm to 7 pm.

If I am to continue attending the 3 markets, I believe I need to find additional produce/crafts to bring for the value to be worth the travel and time involved. These markets provide me a place to learn about what is selling. I also see them as a place to be creative with ideas of what a buyer might be interested in. I enjoy attending farmers markets to be clear.

Vegetables and Fruits

This year I added a new garden space with additional garlic, large, heirloom tomatoes, and a 3 sister plot, made up of glass gem popcorn, Jacob cattle beans, butternut squash, and sugar baby watermelon.

To date I have harvested the 4 varieties of garlic: Music, Montana, German, and Spanish Rojo. At the moment it is hanging to dry, but it will be available to either order online or at the local farmers markets

2019 Garlic Harvest.

I am looking forward to planning and planting even more for 2020.

These plants are heirloom, as you can save seeds from them, and they will yield the same produce year after year. Working toward increased sustainability, one of the goals at CG Heartbeats Farm, includes planting and using seeds that will reproduce themselves and are not genetically motified.

As July has been a much drier month, I have needed to start watering the plants, fruits, and garden. There is a large amount of rust in our water. I did not see a sprinkle a good option as it would spray rusty water all over the plants. I found a soaker hose and gave it a try. Another downer to the rust is that it seems to plug the holes in the soaker hose. I have at times stood with the hose nozzle on shower and low to the ground while watering it myself. Does that make me the sprinkler? I have been known to carry water in buckets to the grapes, and potatoes planted in buckets.

What I have learned:

Pay better attention to the lack of rainfall and water the raspberry plants quicker. I pruned the black raspberries, but not set up ropes or wires to keep the plants in check. Picking would be considerable faster and easier if I had.

I tried planting candy onions in between the rows of garlic, but that did not work out well. The garlic grew much faster blocking the sunlight to the garlic or perhaps the onions needed moisture at the time when garlic did not. What ever the cause I will not try this next year, unless I plant the garlic much farther apart. I found it hard to stay off the onions when harvesting the garlic as close as they were planted.

Going Forward

I have shared the highlights of life on CG Heartbeats Farm in the month of July. For the month of August I plan to share a weekly blog post of daily diary entries of what my life has been. I strive to be open with this. You may or may not agree with it all and at times farm life is not rosey. But if you like the truth, you will appreciate my honestly. I am completely open to your thoughts on the format and opinions. I look forward to hearing any questions you may have.

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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 26, 2018January 1, 2019

Farmer Markets – Nappanee Farm and Flea Market

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In July, I began attending a second weekly farm market and what follows tells a bit of my experience.

As I have shared in my previous post about the Bremen Farmer’s Market, one of the fun rewards of attending included making new friends. Julie attended the Bremen Market bringing beautiful fresh cut flowers and displayed them in a unique way. Setting up next to her one Wednesday evening I believe the first words out of my mouth were, “I love your cart. It is so cute!” I adored her the way she presented her flowers. I learned it was an old, repurposed fire hose cart with wooden boxes added to sell from.

We chatted throughout the evening and she gave me information about a market in a near by town where she also sold flowers. I had not sold all my eggs that week and was of course gaining more by the day. The hens were busy laying at that point in the summer. I decided to give the Nappanee Farm and Flea Market a try.

At this point I still had no canopy and the sun was hot a few of those summer mornings. I recall the good feeling of adding a second market to my week. It was a few weeks later I found myself blessed with a canopy. I enjoyed the cover from the hot sun.

I met a few people that were visiting from other states. Texas and California are two places that immediately come to mind. These conversations interest me as I learn about what others are doing around the country. Hearing their food and other lifestyle goals provide insight to what people value. Taking few minutes for true human connection seems to be a rarity in today’s social media society. This is what makes farmer’s markets enjoyable to me.

Take a look around the market on July 28, 2018

Ashley and her family joined us in Nappanee a few times with their local raised grass-fed pork. For the months of July and August various vendors attended.
This past summer I have learned much plan to share more about that in a future post. Hoping to gain repeat egg customers I believed in my commitment of showing up consistently. As it turned out on several days I was unable to attend. I was gone on vacation in August and as September rolled around I found many of the hens were going into molt leaving me with less eggs. I regrettably had little to take to the Nappanee Market as most of what I had to sell, I sold at the Bremen Farmer’s Market on Wednesday’s. This will need to be resolved for markets next year as I look at what other items I plan to raise for my own consumption and to take to markets.

Click on the picture to connect and order your own local raised heritage breed pork

I feel thankful for a place to sell eggs for human consumption and happy to provide local food as an option for purchase. I have enjoyed meeting new people at Nappanee’s Farm and Flea Market just like I did at the Bremen Farmer’s Market. As the season closes and I look forward to next year’s plans, I see that I need to add additional items if I am to grow my income.

This coming Saturday is the official last market of the 2018 season in Nappanee.

Nappanee Farm and Flea Market

Where: the north east parking lot at Coppes Commons in Nappanee, Indiana

When: Saturdays 9am to 1pm

Who: For all who find value in locally sourced food, enjoy items from the past, and crafts of today, pretty flowers, and potted plants. You will find something for your table and perhaps other places in the house as well. These events are free and open to the public. Take the family out for fresh air, and face to face interactions while shopping for local produce and eggs. Check out all Coppes Commons has to offer inside while you are there.

What: A place to connect with vendors who provide fresh vegetables, crafts, eggs, antiques and flea market items, seedling trees fresh cut flowers, home sewn clothes, and locally raised grass fed pork.

What are your favorite items to shop for at a Farmer’s Market? Leave a comment below to share or send an email.

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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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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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February 16, 2018February 17, 2018

Choosing Garden Vegetables

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When it comes to eating, we all like different foods. What goes into a garden is much like planning menu for a week or month. Choosing what we plant and how it develops may actually influence our food menus in coming months, based on what choices we have available.

We have many options when it comes to producing our own food, no matter if we live in town or city, suburbs, or way out in the country . There are wonderful options for apartments, a city lot, 1, 5, 10, 20 acres or a large farm. Almost everyone has options when it comes to producing at least some of their own food if given the correct information. Sometimes, a bit of creative ingenuity will be required.

A financial investment up front is needed(there are ways to reduce the costs), in some cases more than others. The end result lowers the grocery bill and may improve ones health reducing medical costs in the future. Check out Dr Caroline Leaf’s book Eat and Think Yourself Smart for data links and informational ideas on how our diet effects our health. I read this book a couple years ago and will be posting a review link in the future. Click here.

Here are a few guidelines I consider as I decide which seeds I am planting this year

What and where is my available planting space

I have not worked up the ground here for a garden with the exception of where the garlic is planted. I have plans for some ways to prepare the ground for a garden space, but until I do, I am going to use mostly container gardens. I have been offered to share garden space by two of my neighbors. I like my neighborhood!! I am not sure yet, how much extra space that will give me. Renting or sharing garden space is definitely an option for those living in an area with little or no ground of their own. In my case, I simply have not prepped the ground for lack of tools to make it easy and lack of energy to get it done the hard way.

What are my favorite foods

Peas, green beans, lettuce, both sweet and red potatoes, spinach, heritage and cherry tomatoes, different varieties of onions and lettuce, bell peppers of any color, squash

What vegetables do I desire to store for the next winter

Peas, green beans, sweet and red potatoes, onions, tomatoes (for ketchup and tomato Juice)

What tools will I be using I currently have

Tools I will be using include:

Cracked/broken buckets, shovel, small spade, cultivator, various sizes of plastic containers I have been washing and saving for seed starting,

What do I need to purchase and corresponding cost

I have a wish list of products I would like to try, but they are likely going to wait until next year. Items I would like to purchase are:

a warming mat for seed starting $15 – $90
a grow lamp/light(s) $ 20 – $170(+)
a small green house, possibly partly underground to utilize the earth’s heat $80 – $10,000(+)
self propelled gas tiller (Depending on model) $450 – $1,000(+)

We will be discussing the how and when to start a vegetable garden in future blog posts.

What vegetables do you desire to grow this year?

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October 13, 2017October 23, 2017

Growing Sweet Potatoes in a Bucket

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My Mom, seen my sprouting sweet potatoes on the counter and exclaimed, “You know you can grow sweet potatoes from these”? She had given them to me, purchased locally to her house. I had not eaten them all. Intrigued, I ask her for more details. This is how I began growing my own sweet potatoes.

She clued me in to the procedure. Showing me how to twist off the sprout at its base, she said, “If you stick them in water they will grow roots like crazy and make sure you keep adding water”. Excited to see this process for myself I set up two glass jars. I since learned there is also another way to start sweet potatoes. One can place a cut section of a the potato in water and it will grow both roots and a vines. This too would be planted in soil to grow sweet potatoes.

I set them near a window to allow them access to sunshine. Over a period of several weeks I did indeed have a sweet potato plant ready to place in soil.

I started some in smaller pots of dirt before moving to a permanent growing pot. Unless the weather has not warmed enough to safely leave the plants outside, I would recommend planting directly into the container or ground where you will be growing the Sweet Potatoes.

I learned through a FB group that sweet potatoes could be grown in buckets. One of my goals, as I began exploring how I was going to live a homestead lifestyle, was to use what I have. Remembering I had saved cracked water buckets, I happily located them. Some had cracked from water freezing in them and others had not survived the pawing of a horse. They were going to be perfect for allowing the soil to drain.

For soil, I went to what was left of a horse manure pile from several years past. Bits and pieces of decomposing shavings left among the decomposed manure created a small amount of aeration. How cool! What was once horse manure was now a nutrient rich soil available for me to grow food in. Ah Ha! The horses do have a part in this homestead. They are producing potting soil.

Once planted, regular watering(if there is not adequate rainfall) and keeping the weeds picked out are the only needed work til harvest. These plants grow a rather large leaf base so after they are big enough the weeds are less of a concern.

My first year growing sweet potatoes I did not know what to expect at harvest. When the weather was forecast to be below freezing in a few nights I knew the growing season was coming to an end for the potted plants. The beauty of raising potatoes in pots is dumping them to harvest the potatoes. No digging!

I remember looking at the top of the bucket, seeing some potatos and hoping they were big enough.

I also recall turning the bucket over. Much to my delight I found my worry had disappeared for all I could see through the crack across the bottom of the bucket was one large sweet potato!

I was impressed with the size of the sweet potatoes.

One of the best parts of this process was that I had produced food with out spending any money. While not everyone can initially start for free, there are ways to start with only a small investment. Anyone can raise sweet potatoes even if living in an urban environment. Every year save some potatoes for sprouting for the next year. This is one way to produce food, with the health benefits of eating local food, for minimal to no cost.

I cook them wrapped in tin foil, baked in the oven until soft(about an hour) and topped with salt and real butter…um, YUM! Of course there are many recipes for sweet potatoes, but this option meets the requirements for my current health challenges. What are your favorite sweet potato recipes?

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