Feeding Cows Burdock

I grabbed a bunch of Burdock leaves to feed the big Mama cows.

I got their attention.

Their large tongues tug the burdock right out of my hand and they munch it up within seconds. It is a pleasant sound listening to them crunch. They are so gentle and sweet.

nom nom nom!

A Beautiful Day

Crook sprawled out, absorbing the sun!

Work in progress.

The garden is full and gorgeous! I could never have a summer without growing food ever again.  I see myself always working on a farm, or helping my own little garden grow...or maybe...owning an organic farm of my own someday.  Either way, I have to have my hands in the soil somehow.

Rainbow Chard.

Chard for dinner!

Little apples.

Little pears.

Little squash.

Blackberries are almost ready!

I spotted a little skunk. I got so excited and started to follow her until I remembered they could spray me. I had a terrible image of everyone on the farm laughing at a stinky me.  I decided to let the skunk go.

Sewing a Miniature Me and Harvesting Chamomile!

I am almost near being finished with the first page of my book!  It has been a ton of fun working with my massive collection of fabric scraps.

Irises! So beautiful.

The Chamomile was not welcome in the hoop house so I harvested the flowers and tore out the plant. 

I am drying the flowers to make Chamomile Tea and Chamomile muffins!

We planted a whole bunch of peppers the other day.  We laid drip tape (irrigation) down the middle, then black plastic mulch on top to heat the soil for the peppers (they like it hot) and to cut down on the weeds.  We put cages on them so that they will grow upright.  18 inches apart, staggered, 2 rows.  Mmm mmm peppers!

The babes!  They have little feathers on their wings now.

And....the rooster.  I only post this image because so many wonder what he looks like.  He is a jerk and doesn't deserve to be named.

Garlic and Cows

Yesterday I cultivated the garlic, which means I broke up the soil. I brought the hoe through the rows to break up any roots of weeds. Hoeing also kills seedlings of weeds that have not appeared yet. The bed of garlic on the left has been cultivated. The bed on the right has not been.

Garlic cloves are planted in the late fall of the previous year. The hay is placed over the beds of garlic to keep them moist, protect them from the cold winter and moderate weeds. Garlic doesn't handle weeds well. We took the hay off the garlic to hoe the beds and to let the plants soak up a ton of sun. We will put the hay back over the soil of the garlic beds soon.

I can't wait for garlic scapes!

The cows came this weekend. Momma cows and their babies. They graze all day long and poop all day long nourishing the land.

Yesterday I caught this moment of a cow and a chicken contemplating one another's existence. They stood there looking at each other thoughtfully for about 5 minutes.

"You're really big..."

"You're really small..."

Transplanting in the Green House

Today I did more transplanting in the green house since it was raining outside.

These are little pepper plants.  Jay started them from seeds back in early March.  He kept them under lights because they enjoy 70 degree weather. 

I took each individual pepper plant and placed them in another tray. This makes it quick, clean and easy to transplant them in the ground.  When they are ready and the weather is right for peppers we can transplant them outside.

Little pepper plant.  We trim the roots a bit to encourage them to grow more.

And eggplant!

This is the mix in the trays.  Worm castings, coconut coir, and vermiculite.

I finished my 29 chicken feet made of twigs and branches.  Now I need some red yarn and I will be able to show the finished product!

Transplanting Chard and New Kitties

Today I transplanted Rainbow Chard into the ground. Jay started their seeds in trays in the greenhouse a couple months ago. This way they can grow in stable conditions and have a better chance of thriving when they are put outside.  Also, you can get sprouts ready when the weather is still too cold to plant so that once the weather is good you've got a head start.

Rainbow Chard sprouts in their tray before I placed them in 3 rows with a foot apart.

I transplanted brocoli as well!  2 rows, a foot apart.

And for lunch, golden yolks from happy chickens. 

Jay surprised me with getting two kittens today for the barn.  Toonces from last year ran away, never to return so they needed some cats to collect mice and chipmunks around the farm.  This is Jem. She and her brother hid for most of the day.

I read my book in the studio to get them comfortable around me.

Finally Jem and I became friends.  Chester is still hiding from me.

So You Wanna Be a Chicken Lady!

Here is how to be a chicken lady...

This is where the chickens live.  In the morning you can hear them clucking because they want out to eat!

I go inside to grab a big scoop of grain for them and they know it.  I pour an 8 foot line of grain in the road.

I open their tiny door and the race to food begins.  Every single one tries to get out at the same exact time.  This is my favorite part.

Three chickens do not fit through this door...

Maybe two will fit...

They get in line to eat the grain, their fluffy bums in the air!  So beautiful!

Then I go back inside to collect their eggs.  I reach in under their fluffy bellies to grab their warm eggs.  A chicken can lay one egg a day.  They don't like this and usually peck my hand but it doesn't hurt.  You have to be gentle and do not hesitate.  I talk to them softly and say thank you.

Sometimes I am lucky and there isn't a chicken in the box.  There are 6 nesting boxes.

Fresh eggs!

I put them here until I fill the whole thing.  It takes 2 to 3 mornings to fill it.  Then I take them to the kitchen.  An egg can stay out of the fridge for a month.  Once they are cleaned they have to go in the fridge.

At night they roost here.  They are not all in yet but this is most of them.  The little rooster, Mr. Daisy, is on the far right!  Their tiny door gets closed and they are safe from predators...hopefully.

Goodnight ladies and Daisy!