We had quite a wet spring but thanks to my brother Dave, the entire farm is planted (he’s on the 9N in the pic below). I couldn’t have done it without him, he’s the best brother a guy could have.
How is your garden coming along? How’s your weather? We had over 6 feet of snow this winter and I’m predicting a hot, dry summer here in the Midwest. Then again we just had a thunderstorm that dumped a couple of inches this morning. It hasn’t really rained in 3 weeks though….
Our new crop this year (drum roll please) cotton! I got a couple of packs of seeds from Baker Creek Seeds. A wonderful company who donates seeds every year to our non-profit Project Garden Share. Speaking of Project Garden Share, if you’d like some free heirloom seeds sent to you, contact me! All we ask is that you plant one for yourself and one for PGS (so you can donate it to a local food bank for those in need.)
Here are some pictures of everything from pumpkin mounds, bonfires, happy chickens and a bean trellis made from tree branches that will be covered by pole beans soon (‘How to’ Post coming soon). We are also trying out weed blocking fabric this season, I’ll let ya know how well it does…..
Just a simple growing update from the farm. Lot’s of gratuitous glamor shots all from the farm, except the last 2 I took at a local winery…. A special thanks to Brother Dave for helping out so much this season….. How’s your season growing so far?
The good news is, we got everything planted last weekend with help of friends. The bad news is, we got a frost the other night and it wiped out half of the plants. Thanks Mother Nature, you’re a wonderful lady. Of course it’s back to the mid 80’s this week.
It’s back to planting today to replace our little plants that didn’t make it. Have a Happy and Safe Memorial Day everyone!
Want to start your growing season early? Maybe extend in into the winter months? Then build a cold frame or sometimes called a mini greenhouse. A cold frame is 4 walls that secure heat and protect plants from the elements and a top that allows light through.
Step 1) Find a good location that gets lots of sunlight and faces south.
Step 2) Build the walls. I used straw bales. They’re great at holding in heat and no tools are needed.
Step 3) Use some old windows to put on top. I used some storm windows I found in the trash at a local church.
Step 4) Fill with plant trays full of seeds.
Step 5) Keep an eye on temperature, moisture and airflow. Open up the lid a few inches to circulate fresh air in.
Step 6) Acclimate your seedlings by taking the lid off when they get bigger.
I was hoping to trap a raccoon that’s been trying to get into the chicken coop but instead, I caught this little guy. I also made a 34 second video of his catch and release below the facts part.
I didn’t know much about these marsupial creatures so I looked up some facts about them:
The word opossum refers to the North American species (those found in other areas are called possums)
The Virginia opossum is only found in the United States
Opossums are related to Kangaroos, Koalas, Tasmanian Devils, and Brazilian Short-hair Pigmy Possums
Opossums help gardens by eating snails, slugs, insects, snakes, rats and overripe fruit.
Opossums are highly resistant to diseases such as rabies because of its efficient immune system and lower body temperature.
Opossums are not a public health threat.
There is far less of a risk of infection from opossums than from house pets.
The opossum’s greatest enemies are cars and domestic pets.
Another predator of opossums is people, who hunt them for food, sport, and pelts.
Other enemies include owls, foxes, and larger wildlife.
Opossums compete with sheep and rabbits for food.
Opossums have more teeth than any other North American land mammal (50).
Opossums are not territorial and move to wherever food is available.
Opossums cannot hang upside down by their tail, but use their tail to climb.
Marsupial refers to the reproductive system, which entails the very young embryos being born and attaching to the mothers nipples
Opossums do not have good eyesight or hearing — they rely mainly on their sense of smell.
Opossums are very clean animals and groom themselves much like a cat does.
Opossums are also found in Australia and South America
The population of Monarch butterflies has dropped 59% this year. This is the lowest population ever recorded. Scientists attribute the drop to the destruction of breeding habitat in the U.S., due to commercial farming practices involving herbicides and genetically engineered crops.
What does this mean to you? Everything! If these native pollinators are dropping in record numbers, so are other pollinators. But there is something you can do about it. Make a small rest stop (or waystation) for the butterflies to help increase their numbers. This is a quite simple thing to do.
To create a habitat for monarchs, you need to provide milkweeds for the larvae, nectar plants for the adults, and sufficient vegetation to provide shelter for the larvae, pupae and adults. This all comes in a small kit for $16 here at Monarch Watch Stop.
How to Build a Monarch Waystation and lot’s of other useful links:
I’ll be building a Monarch Garden this spring and I’ll keep you posted on how it’s going.
Let’s help our little orange and black friends….before it’s too late. If you’ve created a garden already, please pot in comments and offer some advice to others. Spring’s almost here and I can’t wait! Happy planting!
Congratulations! Send me your address and we’ll send you your prizes. $20 Gift Certificate to The Zoey Zoo (great 1 of a kind whimsical illustrations with themes such as animals, insects , vegetables and more!) and 5 packets of heirloom seeds from Baker Creek Seeds. Runner up will receive a prize as well.
Thank you for everyone who sent in a pic for our 1st Ever Ugly Tomato Contest. Please view the pictures below and vote for your favorite-most ugly tomato. The winner will receive a $20 Gift Certificate to The Zoey Zoo (great 1 of a kind whimsical illustrations with themes such as animals, insects , vegetables and more!) and 5 packets of heirloom seeds from Baker Creek Seeds. Runner up will receive a prize as well.
Vote as often as you like. Post on Your Blog of Facebook Page and get voting. Winners will be announced in two weeks on September 23rd. Just click on the poll with the number of the picture you like. You can vote for up to 3 tomatoes at once. Good Luck Finalists!
When Should I pick edamame or soybeans? Harvest soybeans the moment you see the bottom leaves start to turn yellow but the rest of the plant is green. The entire plant will turn rapidly so don’t waste any time because the beans will be too tough to eat. Pick em fast (see pics below) 1 day and they can turn brown.
How do I store fresh picked edamame or soybeans? Here are some easy steps to save edamame:
1. Bring pot of water to a boil. Boil beans for 5 minutes – This stops the enzymes and maturation process.
2. Remove from water and dry with a paper towel – By drying them they won’t all be stuck together in the freezer.
3. Place beans in freezer bag and store in freezer.
Two Barn Farm 