Just another Day on the Farm

Elderberry Syrup -Putting up for winter use

Posted on August 29, 2016 by Just another day on the farm

This weekend, we needed to stop at bulk barn and always I am amazed at the prices of things, a tiny bottle of Elderberry Honey Cough Syrup was closer to 20 Canadian then it was to 15 a bottle At 16.99 for a tiny bottle, it seemed quite high, but to be far when I looked at the next store where we needed to mail out a letter, it was inline with commercial cough syrups and in some cases a bit less.

I love having the control of everything from the plant to the flowers to the berries to how they are picked and processed to how they are stored.. its gives me a piece of mind.. I know what is in that bottle..

Its been a very poor year for the berries, first the flowers were so tiny and small compared to normal due to the drought but we got rains at just the right times and the elders went into fruit production and while they were again much smaller and drier than normal, they were coming in..

And then the birds came.. O my the birds.. I headed out with buckets to my favorite picking area’s and came back empty-handed to say the least.. even on my own food forest, the birds where picking them clean.. the only bushes that produced are my very few yard bushes where the farm cats made sure that other than the geese and chickens getting the very lowest berries, the rest where left alone..

I got my lowest Elderberry yield in 12 years, only 6 pints of finished product to put into the pantry, It’s enough for the medical uses but it’s not enough for many extra’s with it, that’s for sure..

Elderberry Syrup Just Another Day on the Farm

If we go by the cost in the store, boy o boy does it have value though.. 6 pints at the store prices of that company that I saw in Ontario, Canada worked out to 272 dollars worth, and normally health food stores are more than the bulk barn is.

Now assuming you have more berries this year and you want to figure out a few uses for the juice or syrup you are putting up.. here are a few for you!

A few idea’s on how to use this syrup.

Hot Elderberry Tea

2 TBS of Syrup
One cup boiling water

Sparkling Elderberry

3 TSB Syrup
Ginger ale or sparkling Water

Can be used on Pancakes, or drizzled on fruit or cooked meat, or one bagel with cream cheese etc.

You can take 1/4 cup syrup, mix with ginger and tsp of red wine vinegar to make a quick and tasty sweet/sour sauce, you can mix it with vinegar and drizzle on for a salad dressing

Posted in Life moves on daily | Tagged elderberries, Elderberries Black, Elderberry Flowers, Elderberry juice, Elderberry Syrup, Growing Elderberries on the homestead, Home Canning, Homestead Medical Plants, Making Elderberry Syrup, Using Elderberry Syrup in winter time | 1 Comment

Destemming Elderberry video for juice making

Posted on August 28, 2016 by Just another day on the farm

This works well fresh or frozen, make sure the bunch is placed in the same direction as they are growing down so they will pop off very easily, use the solidness of your hand to help but it should not be any true pressure. If you are getting a number of very tiny branches, go gentler on the pressure.

Posted in Life moves on daily | Tagged destemming elderberries, elderberries | 1 Comment

Keeping it real on the farm- Grapes in the food forest

Posted on August 28, 2016 by Just another day on the farm

These are not wild grapes, they are eating and jelly grape vines that were carefully selected for our area but they were allowed to run wild, they were planted into the food forest and they were allowed to climb a support tree there, and climb it they did..

Grapes gone wild in the food forest

The grapes are hanging well over our heads, some are ten plus over our heads, most will be able to be gotten with the ladder in place.. at least 50 percent of the harvest could be harvested from the back side of the tree, the non-sun side. where the grapes were just hanging in little clusters down.

Patrick thinks he can help harvest the grapes above our head if he hits them with his paw!

The Leaves took a heck of a beating, hey all have tons of little holes in them, the best leaves to harvest for canning are a vine that grew up and out and found a spot along a fence line, it raced off and while it is young and did not produce any fruit, it has lots of great looking leaves for me to harvest and can up..

These grapes have amazing depth of flavours this year in the drought

We picked two huge bowlfuls of grapes, and filled the Juicer to the full line and let it go.. beautiful quarts of outstanding juice to be made into syrup or jellies.. The juicer makes the flavour so deep and rick compared to the simmering I am used to, so clear as well..

I have a lot of extra grape vines, I intend to cut them this fall and make a few grape vine wreaths for the farmstead.. how often do you prune your grapevines in the food forest, every year like you would for the main gardens or every second or third year.. Do you let them climb up the tree enough to need a ladder?

He is a total tree cat! Where we go.. he must follow!

Posted in Garden harvest | Tagged farm cats, Grape, Grape Juice, grapes, grapevines, harvesting grapes in food forest, havesting grapes, homestead, pruning food forest grapes, Using a Steam Juicer | 7 Comments

Crash, and its gone

Posted on August 27, 2016 by Just another day on the farm

A unnamed purrpot or pots, I was downstairs , they were up, decided that the table cloth was a grand toy. sadly my laptop was on the table an it did not take the chance to learn to fly well and gravity did the rest..

So my fairly new thankfully cheaper laptop got replaced with another back to school special, its bigger, heavier and they say more ruggedly made, we will see.. but it was very reasonable an then some.

After getting some extra shopping done, having company an such, I have been hiding from the crazy afternoon heat and spending three hours or so, getting it all set up and that includes getting the blog up and logged in for posting. So this is my test post 🙂

Love this photo despite the eye goop, he had been playing in the hay, keeping it real on the farm, he caught his first mouse. They took away my way to post in the format I am used to, so it will interesting to learn the new one or figure out how to get the old settings back.. here goes!

Patrick

Posted in Life moves on daily | Tagged farm cats, farm cats purrpots, just another day on the farm, keeping it real on the farm, living my dream life on the farm, new computer for the homestead, wordpress | 2 Comments

An the Camera came with..

Posted on August 22, 2016 by Just another day on the farm

Well my local garden elderberries are starting to be ready, so normally that means that my wild forage patches are ready to help fill a 5 gallon bucket or two for processing, so we headed out to get it done..

Nope, not only was the yield down due to the drought, which I expected, the bird has all got there first, for every clump, there might have been 5 or 6 left max. we did pick one of the forage apple tree’s and there was a nice batch of blackberries that were ready for picking, so our trip out was very worth it but I will be sad to see that I will only have enough elderberries this year from the farm cat protected bushes, even our bushes in the food forest have been bird raided and are almost nothing..

the Litchi tomato’s are riping at a nice rate but still the tops are in bloom and growing well.. a very interesting little fruit.. I do not really taste tomato nor do I think of them as a fruit.. really seedy.. will do a post on what I decide to do with them.. so far I have had fresh eating and tried them dried.. I think I will deseed them and try them in a jam next.

Bullwinkle has been moved from the baby pen in the front farm yard to the joining the horse herd for the day in the pastures and at the hay feeder, he gets put up at night into his own pen in the barn where he gets his extra rations and I know he is safely tucked up, chewing his cud, then let back out for the day, I hope to continue this training till its cold, its important for him to learn the routine.

He ripped out his tag from his ear, and did a right muck job of it, that poor ear is split sideways, I have been treating it and its healing up nicely but I was so sad to see it.. at least I found the tag, which I will need for processing time but its not going back into his other ear until its needed.

The twin bucklings (that are weathers, as they were both altered) are growing well, they are very dairy, they are surely not big nice meaty type, but they are so easy to get along with, friendly as can be.. gentle and sweet.. the big boy in the front of this photo is sold and will be heading to his new family soon enough, the just slightly smaller boy in the back will stay with us for another couple months before he will be butchered, I will be sad to see him go, but I am looking forward to having a small amount of goat meat in the house and I have plans for his hide as well.. I have to remind myself of it.. in truth to start to settle my mind that way as they grow bigger.

Jack my young buck is looking awesome, he is a smaller buck, I picked that, for a few reasons but he is a stout gent, he is gentle and friendly but with respect, he is smart and willing but has trained to his routine very well, I like that I can touch him without him having stress, and he likes to be around us but he is good about keeping that little bit of space, Ideally I will be able to keep that for many years to come. I also think he will help create some very pretty babies with Juno.

Man, I am not believe we needed to crack out the round hay bale feeder but it was time, its one thing to haul the hay daily for the sheep flock but with the pasture done, to hand do each load for everyone was just a bit over the top, so we rolled out 900 pounds of hay and we are letting the horses, goats, and Bullwinkle self feed, both in the pastures and here..

As we have had three, count them THREE rains in two weeks, my pasture and yard is green again.. but other then for a few hours two or three times a week, I am keeping the sheep off the pasture. I need the time to let them out to give their area a cleanout, I am raking up the extra’s and removing the poo for composting.

So far, we have lowered the sheep flock numbers in 2016 by three adults, and five lambs to date.. more to do but as I am doing the butcher work myself, while keeping up with the gardens and farm, I have only time to do one at a time and then process it.

I forgot to get a photo for you, will at a later point, my wonderful turkey hen sat faithfully, and hatched me wee baby turkeys, sadly we lost al but two to the coon.. so they have been moved to a new pen and hopefully its secure enough to do its job. but despite the loss, the breeding pair did their jobs.

Well, I had better get back to it.. Everyone have a grand day..

Posted in Life moves on daily | Tagged This and that post! | Leave a comment

No Squash for you!

Posted on August 19, 2016 by Just another day on the farm

Well, Its not really true, I will get a limited amount of squash this year, just like in 2012, the hugelbed pumpkins are growing like a house of fire and they are a heritage French pie storage type.. so we will have a good amount to put up.. I grew a version of them last year.. Only a 50 Percent loss from what I should have.

and we have a few plants tucked in here and there that are slowly thiving and they have flowered and produced fruit, now the question is, will they be able to push that fruit in growth enough to reach even the first stage, I do not need them to have a full rind, I can take them in and process them into canning or drying for future use.. but that means I lose the ability to save seed from them..

I will have to buy to replace them, but that is fine.. it not idea an I do have a number of squash seeds collected from 2015 that can be used but a few of the more rare ones, where new and they were all started out this year..

However my two biggest main stays, that being the first eating of the acorn squash, not a one survived that I am aware of, and for my butternuts, well I do have a few but its going to be just that.. a few at best.. at least a 90 percent loss from what is expected.

I was reminded of a good lesson this year.. again.. what will work on a wet year is different then what works on a average year vs what works on a dry year..

I need to work on creating a deeper dug garden that is created to help hold moisture, I need to create more swells in the gardens, I do have that in many of the gardens but I am using a raised bed with a swell walk way, and I am going to create at least one area that is a in ground bed with just at slight raise (four to six inches) with the depressed swell walk ways.

And for the second one.. I need a green house! yup.. really its on the list, its been on the list for years but I need a greenhouse.. I think it would make a huge difference to extend the seasons even more so then I already do.

So the staple crops that are doing ok, the corn is about half the size but its there , the potato crop is looking good, but lots of very small spuds at the moment, hopefully they will keep growing over the next weeks, the tomato are loaded but splitting.. the beets are good, the climber beans are doing ok, the rest.. well the rest.. not so much!

Squash is normally more then just a staple crop for me, it normally feeds us for months but it also helps feed my livestock.. not this year.. What we get will used for us humans.. the livestock will need to make do with corn stalks, and a crazy amount of pig weed..

That is my best “green” seed crop of the year.. good things young tender flesh pigweed is a delightful crop, because its going to be my regular green for the winter for both us and the livestock.

We did get rain this past week, once on the weekend, and once during the week, both were so very needed.. both will go along way to helping everything, my brown pasture greened back up.. things that were so droopy, picked back up and the rain collection systems filled and then overflowed!

Such a good thing for my heating up and composting of my piles.. they have been so dry this year, not much as been happening in them.. this will be a very good thing indeed.

Posted in Life moves on daily | Tagged Garden Update | 5 Comments

Multi-Gen Household to be..

Posted on August 18, 2016 by Just another day on the farm

I tried to write about other subjects but just sat there with titles and the words would not flow, so clearly until I get this out.. I will not be writing the other things that I have already started..

So big things are heading to the farm.. part of me is very excited! part of me is steady as she goes and part of me is “whoa girl.. what are you thinking”

Our Family is growing!

Let me explain.. unless something changes (and life is full of change) my mom in approx late winter-early spring of 2017 will be moving to Ontario and to the farm..

We will join a growing trend, we will become a multi gen household.. I did a little research and this is a hot growing trend, it makes sense in so many ways.

My Step-dad passed away coming on two years ago and while she has done well in her home, but for a number of reason’s that I am not going into here, but it can be summed up with.. Does not want to live alone..

I was excited at the idea that she would move to Ontario and my local area, I was surprised when she asked if we would be open to her moving to the farm, but after we talked it over, it made a lot more sense then us, trying to help her with a small house, yard, snow removal and so forth 20 to 30 min from the farm.

The house does have two extra bedrooms, one is used at the guest room and the other is normally a storage room.. we are planning on some Reno’s to create the most positive and creative use of space to give both of us their own area’s and at the same time share the main parts of the house. (more on that as it happens)

There will be challenges that for sure.. my mom keeps a very clean house, I do my best, my mom loves a traditional grass lawn with pretty flowers, I am very free-flow and much more permaculture leaned, mom loves looking good, curled hair, makeup on and she has outstanding taste in cloths.. me.. when I am home, I am in one of my o so comfy farm dresses..

But at our core, we still hold the love of the farm, garden and family, but the most important thing is that we can talk.. we are able to talk about it, we can listen and find a middle ground.

It will be challenging, and wonderful all in one!

Posted in Multi-gen household | Tagged Multi-gen household | 10 Comments

Drought -Pastures 2016

Posted on August 16, 2016 by Just another day on the farm

Well, the 2012 drought did a number on the pastures an I struggled to seed and frost seed it back into a reasonable working pasture, I used dry lots to create a better pasture for rotation and it all helped..

But the pasture was unbalanced, I had too much clover and I worried about it, both for the sheep (bloat issues) and the horses as well..

I seeded out with whole oats, barley and other quick-growing grains to put a push on the area and to have them come up over the clover and to make sure that the grazers were getting a better mix in their bites.. It worked for a temp measure.

This year, the pasture came up and I had three things that were clearly pushing forward.. White Clover, a local grass and more thistle then I am used to seeing..

and then came the drought and the wow.. do we have a drought.. it’s the worst in our area since the mid 1800’s.. we are losing plants, tree’s, creeks are running dry and my pasture is dead.. I mean in a one square foot, 80 plus percent are dead and what is left is clover.. lots and lots of clover..

We had to go to full-time hay feeding again at the start of Aug this year and this drought will affect our pastures and our feeding for the pasture critters for the next two years at a min.

I am going to have to bite the bullet and change some things up, part of it will be turned over to grow fodder beets and turnips and carrots..

the rest will be lightly turned, cleaned, fertilized with homemade compost and it will need to be heavily re-seeded out into a properly done seed mix at a couple hundred per year for two years to get the balance back into the pasture..

Its going to be costly, in terms of money and time.. I need to build a bigger outside paddock for dry lot, as I will need to use it a lot, other than when pressure grazing with electic fencing, then I will need to pay for more straw as bedding, more hay to feed out, more gear, I will need to set up a new roof water collection system to help keep it full and haul in the rest.. I figure I will buy at least two thousand gallon collection ones that can then be used to feed the tank to help reduce the water load.

then there is the cost of time in cleaning that pen, it has to be done and regular all season long, plus at least for the horses, they will need bigger turnout or walks or rides to keep them mentally healthy.

Then I will also have the cost of doing the pasture itself, however the one good bonus is that we can do any required repair work on the pastures and the fences and have the pond worked on.. as well as bring in a load or two of gravel for the paths, normally the idea of getting my pasture cut up is enough to make me cry but if we have to turn the soil anyway, we can get the rest of the things done while it will not hurt anything in the end and we can get things ready for the next ten plus years.

My main hay supplier is doing the same thing this year, over half of his hay pastures have died to the point that he is turning them under and re-seeding them out.. that had the possibility of effecting my hay quality for the next two years, one because the drought hit pastures that are left, will have a loss of what they should have, as some plants are more easily killed. and the new pastures will also be lacking, as it takes one and up to two years to get them up into proper production..

It means more tracking and studying to make sure that I have the correct extra’s in place to keep the health of the different critters on the farm.. Farming in so many ways is about science and gut feelings all rolled up into having the eye and the grit to go with it!

Posted in Life moves on daily | Tagged drought effected pastures, drought on the farm, effects of drought long term, fixing drought effected pastures | 3 Comments

It you make it, they will come.. 5 years strong..

Posted on August 15, 2016 by Just another day on the farm

This past week has been Busy! It all started around six years ago, a group of like-minded homestead-folks that prefer to be prepared where chatting online and they said.. we should get together locally and network.

and I waited.. and then I waited and then said.. coffee and the first get together was a lunch and coffee meet and greet.. and there is nothing wrong with coffee or lunch to meet folks but running the farm and such, it’s not really something I do often..

so I thought well if we are going to get together, let’s make an event of it, let’s make a day of it, and lets share knowledge, an I will give a huge thank you to some of the folks that have been supportive every single year since the beginning!

The basic outline is four “talks” seminars a potluck, and a visit and a few goodies given away an such..

Jump forward and this years event was our Fifth year! Wow, time fly’s by.. the five-year mark! the longest running every year meet of its kind in Ontario.. We had folks come from Ontario and Quebec, we had close folks and we had folks that drove hours to make it

We had a local campground where some of the folks stayed and it was a delight to get to close out the days sitting around a campfire and have a relaxed visit, I was running for a few days before and for the time the event was on.. I had some amazing help and they made things move so much smoother..

My presenters where outstanding this year, and it was the first year that I was not giving a talk myself, but I was busy enough regardless, we had beekeeping 101, we had pruning, we had hatching eggs and we had two amazing ladies show how to turn raw wool into yarn on a drop spindle.

So my next speaking event is not until Sept.. if you are local and want to learn about canning, drop me a note in the comments, I have a amazing sponsored event that is free to those that come that get me teaching water-bath and pressure canning and answering questions for the afternoon.. would be happy to have you there!

I could tell you that is a lot of work (and it is) I could say that I need to give my head a shake at times putting that kind of time, energy and money into holding the event each year.. and I am sure that some would..

but instead I am going to be honest..

I have made some amazing friends from the event..

I have had support from awesome people each year and some of them from the very beginning

I really like doing something real for my community, I think its important to find a balance in regards to online community and in person community 🙂

Its worth it! I hope that all my dear readers have something they feel strongly enough to that they reach out and attend events and that if there its not in place.. consider stepping up and making it happen.. There might just two or three or five others or more that are just waiting to here that its going to happen and will be there to give you a hand.

As always a huge thank you to my Dear Hubby, he puts up with the planning, the extra box’s and gear and he helps load and unload, he holds the farm down when I am gone for 14 plus hours at a time.. You are the best!

Posted in Life moves on daily | 2 Comments

Meat Pies- A easy one pie plate meal

Posted on August 12, 2016 by Just another day on the farm

This recipe turned out to be just yum!

I made my regular pie crust but with a touch more salt then normal in it to go with the meat.. I cooked up half a pd of pork/half a pd of lamb, one big onion (grated), 1/4th a med size head of cabbage, one cup of mixed peppers red and green, spices where a mixed bag but for ease, I would say just use montreal steak spice, with a touch more garlic, along with a half tsp of cinnamon and 1/4th teaspoon of fresh grated nutmeg..

If you wanted to play with it, go half fresh cabbage and half crout, and if you wanted to really add a little “bang”, dice and add two large dill pickles.

Served with a nice side salad and its a complete meal

I cooked the meat mix and set it in a bowl, made the pie, and put the cooked filling in and then baked in a 350 oven till golden brown on bottom/sides.

This was taken to a potluck supper and got rave reviews!