The Great Butternut land Race Growout 2015- The Seeds are in my hands

Posted on March 1, 2015 by Just another day on the farm

I got my seeds on Saturday feb 28th, I have been gifted with 80 seeds. see my general instructions below.

I have sent you a mix of seeds for short season butternuts to be grown out and selected for best fruit. Within this are some of my own seeds that have already gone through one season of selection but there are other varieties including Greta’s Canadian Crookneck and so forth.

For those of you that have less experience growing butternut, they are a good storage squash, with medium hard skin and solid stems resistant to squash vine borer and fine sweet flavoured flesh. Some are used as a zucchini such as trombocino (I didn’t include these seeds as it’s a separate project but could be a side observation for those interested). They have a reputation as fruiting later than some of the other species but grow well for me in this climate.

Plant after last frost in warm soil or pre start no more than 4 weeks early I’d say if you have issues with soil or pests that would warrant that. I have not done any fertility amendment with mine but started with bermed beds so there was inherent fertility. I also rotate where I grow my vining crops. My squash are usually in the soil by late May (weather dependent) but I know some of you may not be able to get them in the ground until June so you might want to give them a few weeks headstart or do half and half to see if direct seeding is a priority for your purposes. As plants will vary in size, I can’t say exactly what spacing should be but at least 4 feet.

Please include your goals but I’d say the first goals are:

a) ripening

b) good shape for use

c) storage

d) disease resistance

e) sprouting in cool soil potentially for some of you.

Pictures throughout the season would be GREAT! That way if you have questions or issues, we can comment on them and also as a way of documenting your growing techniques.

At the end of the season, post a picture of your harvest or send in any info you may have collected including date of sowing, spacing, seeds sown, germination rates, growth rates, flower dates, fruit set and so forth. We’ll also keep a record of weather. Also record your soil type or any other about your growing conditions such as whether they were grown in part sun (urban consideration) or were irrigated.

Send back about the same amount (or a larger amount if possible) of seed you were given from a mix of your best fruit. So best to wait until you have used all your best fruit and collect the seeds from them, dry really well and then put in a jar to mix them around. Try to rouge out any seed that is damaged, diseased or empty.

Thank you!!! Looking forward to doing this project with all of you.

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No Buy Feb 2015- week 4 overview

Posted on March 1, 2015 by Just another day on the farm

This last week flew by, it was very busy, nothing really new compared to last week, overall it was just move along nicely.. I made a nice turnip soup, a half fresh grated turnip-carrot- apple salad, I made oven roasted veggies, the green box took the pressure off.

Saturday was eco farm day and I did enjoy coffee, apple juice, lots of water, the muffins were good, and lunch was included, some was very good, a carrot salad and the greek salad very nice, wonderful fresh bun with fab cheese, the rest that I tried.. eh and the beef was truly yuk to my taste buds being used to my own.

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I know that the above seems a bit negative but as a farmer, as a garden and often in life to give yourself the freedom to know that the first and or last plan is wrong and will need Ajustements is gold!

The company was lovely, and I even got to travel with someone this year to and from and that was great fun.. Got seeds for the great growout

Gifts this week

One cup of to go tims large coffee

Money that was saved

  • Regular allowance for both him and her -20
  • ebooks- 10
  • Movie allowance normal got every two weeks, split into weekly-20
  • Church basement-5
  • Coffee out- 2
  • Grocery- 50

Total Savings to date : 408 dollars in total.

 

 

 

Posted in No Buy Feb, raw milk | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

A new note to the song that is the farm

Posted on February 26, 2015 by Just another day on the farm

 

O yes, I stepped out to do something outside again, for the 5th or was it 8th time and heard it, that pure sweet sound.. a new note on the farm song.. I froze… and waited and it came again.. pure and sweet, heart warming and uplifting,

Now I have a better sense of where and eyes started scanning that big old tree.. and there is was… a spring bird, early for sure (good thing I have food out) high up and as my mind went…

Spring, he opened his beak and out poured the most beautiful rift, once, Twice and a third time he sang out and the whole farm held their breath an movement.. and it held…  well that is different for everyone, spirit, magic, soul, peace…

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Baked Rabbit on a bed of Dates and Onion.. Flash Back Fridays Recipe

Posted on February 26, 2015 by Just another day on the farm

Looking for a interesting way to use up a nice big old rabbit leg with thigh attached, this is a lovely way to do so, serve with a side of mashed, or green salad or mixed fresh veggies..

This is as easy as it gets, take a baking dish just as big as needed to fit your rabbit legs, put a layer of dried dates down, lay your thawed or fresh but aged rabbit legs over top of them, peel and slice big thick onion and layer it one top, add enough water to cover the dates, salt and pepper the dish, cover and bake till the meat is well done, take out and mash the dates/onion together, leaving the liquid in the baking dish, or about half of it anyway.. serve as the bed, and then put your rabbit leg on top, drizzle with the liquid on top and serve with your choosen side dish..

Not raising your own rabbits, just a touch to costly for you given the size of your family? No worries, I got you covered, how to take two legs and feed alot more folks coming up next!

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Sweet Treat.. Fast = Tarts..

Posted on February 26, 2015 by Just another day on the farm

So when I was home at my moms last fall, I saw a tv ad that had a phone call from mom and she would be there in n hour and the daughter has nothing to serve with tea and reaches for a cake mix..

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well, lets be honest here, you can whip up a from scratch cake in the same time but having said that I do have a cheat on making a fast treat, I like to keep a package of prepare tarts in the freezer..

Here is the easy as it gets, dessert and or tea treat.. preheat oven or even better, piggy pack making these when oven in use or if you have a bake feature in your toaster oven use it, It will cost less to  heat the space.

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Take out as many tarts as you will need for the visit, dig out your best jams or fruit butters, one heaping teaspoon in each tart and into the oven it goes for 12 to 18 min till golden brown and filling is bubbly, ideally let cool and set up for five but can be served warm or cold..

if you want to get fancy, make up some fluffy whip cream and place a dollop on each one, but its really not needed.

 

 

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How to get your birds out of a tree!

Posted on February 25, 2015 by Just another day on the farm

If you have had chickens or fowl of some kind, it happens to the best of us.. we teach them to come when called, we train them to go into the coop at night, we round them up and chase them in with brooms, arms and in my case the help of either DH or the hounds..

While I do need to be picky on who I ask for help from, I have some mighty fine bird helpers in my four legged hounds.. turkeys or ducks or geese are so much easier then chickens but they all have their challenges

But still.. one day, you will go.. o no I am missing blue fluffy butt hen and you will look around and finally, you will look up.. and sure enough that hen, or duck or turkey hen or whatever will be sitting in a tree, looking down at you..

They will always be in a tree you can not climb, and if they start low enough that you might be able to grab them with the net, they will move higher and out of reach..

What to do.. what to do.. well if its dark.. you leave them for the night and hope that they will be alive in the morning and looking to join the flock but what if you get that bird that goes up and will not come back down..!

No problem.. Decoy to the rescue!

if you know who your in the tree bird likes to hang out with, this helps but if not, just grab a bird of the same species and pop them into a big wire dog crate and stick them say.. five to ten feet from said tree.. and then them kick a fuss.. for at least ten min and the settle down..

That is a key.. that bird in the tree will NOT come down till the bird below is calm as well.. so once they calm down and make, I am a happy bird sounds, not AH, I am stuck in a crate sounds..

Head back out and put fresh food and water in the crate.. and I mean the good stuff here.. if your birds love scatch or meal worm or fresh carrot peels, whatever makes sure it end up in that other birds bowl..

Then put out fresh water and food just in front of the crate and leave to go watch.. as the bird in the crate starts eating, she will be talking a mile a min.. making all kinds of .. o, this is so good sounds..

The bird in the tree will come down, branch to branch, slowly but surely or it might just fly down once it thinks its all clear.. and it will start eating and talking back..

At that point, you head out.. all calm and steady like you do any other day but with the bird net at the side and you catch your tree bird, give it a wing trim! and back into the flock..

I can honestly say that this has been learned the hard way over the years, the get the ladder way, get the climb the tree way.. that never works, they just climb higher and onto branches you can not follow..

But this way.. its proven and proven time and again..  have a great day folks.

 

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March Pantry Challenge 2015- 30 days of War Time Meals

Posted on February 24, 2015 by Just another day on the farm

Normally march challenge is us living out of the pantry but the truth is we just did that for a month of no buy feb  As always I invite others to join me if they want.. even if you only want to do one meal a week or just share your families favorite recipe.

So this year I need to do a different March Pantry Challenge, the question really is what to do.. it must be food related.. it must be somehow related to my pantry, storage or putting up of food, or frugal food.

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After thinking about it, I decided that this year, I would do a World War 2 and ration Meals in honor of my step-father Ken, he was raised though it and I remember some of the stories he told..

After some reading and digging around, its going to be a mix of wartime info, rations info, and wartime food recipes. A mix of information between Canadian and England at the time.. I am not sure where we will end up on any given day but I am looking forward to the challenge.. I think having talked to hubby that we are going to follow week to week how the rations were applied during and after the war.

If this is successful and of interest to my readers, I might take a trip into the big city to get to library Canada and do some digging and do a summer version as well both in regards to rations but also to the victory gardens etc

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Posted in Depression meals, frugal, March Challange | Tagged , , , , , | 12 Comments

March Photo Challenge 2015

Posted on February 24, 2015 by Just another day on the farm

Challenge #1

March photo challenge is simple on the face of it, one to six photos each day.. snapshots of things on farm, the critters and or us..  Photos will always be one day behind

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Beefed up Corn Pudding Recipe with Mashed!

Posted on February 23, 2015 by Just another day on the farm

Beefed up Corn Pudding recipe Inspired by Kodi’s Aunts Recipe but also by a recipe found in Fat-Back and Molasses, a collection of favourite old recipes from Newfoundland and Labrador.

  • 1 onion-Peeled and finely diced
  • 1 cup cooked and diced Leftover Beef
  • 2 cups of canned corn (drained)
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 tbsp of olive oil
  • 1/2 cup of flour
  • Salt, pepper, basil and diced winter greens (about 1/4 of a cup)
  • Baked in a bunt pan at 350 for 25 min till golden brown and firm.

Start with your oil, and eggs, beat them together till a nice light yellow color comes, if you want your onion, soft-you will need to precook it, I like the crunch so it went in raw, then the beef, corn, greens and the seasonings went in, mixed well, sprinkle the flour and beat in, then pour evenly in the pan, it filled it about half way, check it with a wooden toothpick to come out clean. Allow to sit for a just a min or two and then flip it out, let it sit and with a little bit of luck, it will come out whole.. Serve hot ideally but can be successfully re-warmed. I recommend it with mashed, a drizzle of homemade gravy with a side of colslaw or carrot salad, but green would work as well if you prefer. Or Go J’s way, mashed, gravy on its own will do just fine thanks…

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No Buy Feb 2015- week 3 overview

Posted on February 22, 2015 by Just another day on the farm

As promised at the rules and plans, we did get our green box on weds and I was thrilled to see a pound bag of carrot per box, remember we get a box per person. The apples will go to miss puddin as she needs fresh eating not just her vit water for health.

I was not quite as happy to see 4 more huge turnips but fresh is fresh..

The biggest want this week was a new dvd player, I do not have tv but I do I went our like my movies and my dvd player died this week, so I have been reading even more then normal but even I can read so much..

went with a girlfriend on Friday, she got me a coffee, so it was a gift but I still  consider it a tiny cheat but on my big day out at the equine day, I faithfully packed two sandwhiches, canned fruit, and premade jars of coffee or hot chocolate, just add water and heat, it was a very heavy snow day and the roads were very bad indeed so I was gone even longer then planned.

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With the birth of a number new lambs this week, I finally have fresh milk back in the house.. well I will but this week has been about putting the good stuff away just in case. this week I will be able to start milking share programs and start bringing in enough for cooking, yogurt an cheese making soon

Gifts this week

Valentines gifts- two fluffy stuffie sheep, one white, one pink

One cup of to go tims large coffee

Savings this week.. the same as last week..

Money that was saved

  • Regular allowance for both him and her -20
  • ebooks- 10
  • Movie allowance normal got every two weeks, split into weekly-20
  • Church basement-5
  • Coffee out- 2
  • Grocery- 50

Total Savings to date : 306 dollars in total.

only one more very short week to go, and we are holding.. hubby says I need to re think march challenge as we are doing it pretty much in feb no buy and he does not want to do eight weeks.. will give that some thought, he has a point.

 

 

Posted in No Buy Feb, raw milk | Tagged , | 5 Comments