Missing Willow Farm

This is half of a raised bed’s worth of soybeans that we harvested this morning.  We cut off the roots and brought the entire plants up to our back porch where we could work in relative comfort.  They were harvested, rinsed, and boiled in their pods for 3 minutes.  Then we took them out back again and removed the beans from the pods.  Those were then divided into meal-sized freezer bags and stashed in our chest freezer for the winter months ahead.  We’ll need to do it again tomorrow.

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Again.  Pickling cukes, of course.  I’m thinking we might just take 2017 off from growing cucumbers.  We’ll surely have jars left next year.   The magic seeds are called Snow’s Fancy Pickling Cucumbers in case anyone is thinking about growing their own.  We bought them from Seed Savers Exchange, but I’ve seen them other places.

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Our cucumber vines continue to amaze us.  They have stretched across the cattle panels we have situated between raised beds and hang down for easy picking.  I’ve ventured away from my mainstay dill pickles and in the past two days have made sandwich slices, cornichons and started sweet gherkins, which has a six stage process spread out over three days.  I almost hope we hate them so I don’t have to make them again.  🙂

I took a fun class from my friend Lora over at http://cackleandhoot.blogspot.com/ .  We made spool fairies, which are made by decorating vintage images, painting on striped tights, adding butterfly wings then putting them on fancy wooden spools.  That jaunty guy in the center on the top level is mine.  The front of his spool holds a military-style medallion with the words “Hello Gorgeous” on it.  So much fun!

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We planted a few half beds of cucumbers this year and I think every single seed has become a thriving plant.  The vines are starting to creep up over the cattle panels arched between two beds, which means those cukes will be super easy to find.  The ones near the center of the cucumber jungle, not so much.  Brian and I both spend about 15 minutes hunting in there every morning.  I have already put up 22 quarts of dill pickles so far and these beds are just getting started.

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This raised bed of soybeans looks really healthy, right?  That’s just until you peek inside to see the destruction a baby bunny is causing.  We’ve chased it out of the garden three times and it keeps finding a way back in.  I guess it’s smarter than we are.

We’ve been picking blackberries right off our back deck.  When champagne is involved, they get plopped right in the glasses.  We believe the birds are responsible for giving these plants their start, cuz we surely didn’t plant them.  Not sad about it.

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Our well pump has been replaced and our well has been shocked with chlorine.  We just need to wait a bit until our water is drinkable again.  We’ve been focusing of late in the garden digging potatoes, harvesting shallots and weeding.  We’ve just started the annual fight with squash beetles.  I’ve ordered a new organic insecticide on Amazon, it can’t get here fast enough!

We’re on day #4 without water here on the farm.   Our well pump is broken  which means we’ve been buying drinking water from WalMart, showering next door and hauling pond water to our animals.  Fingers crossed it gets replaced today.

Health check day starts by herding the sheep into their feeding pen, which is never a problem.

Augusta and Beatrice were shorn last weekend. Both are full blooded Texels. They are very happy with the result, it’s hard to wear a fur coat in the summer.

Everyone got a vaccination, hoof trim, parasite check and, when, required, tick removal. Nobody ever said having animals is always fun!

Jack happily assisted with moving them to a new pasture.

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