6/11/09 01:50 pm - SOTM- The "Where the hell have YOU been?" edition
Greetings LJ'ers and friends abroad . . . yes, it's been a while. What can I say? Went through a time where I just. . . didn't have the urge to write.
Kentswold farm is doing pretty darn well this year. Garden expansion is going well, thanks to the valiant efforts of yours truly, the lovely wife and the Semi-Sister and Semi-Brother-In-Law who are now housemates. I figure about 3000sq ft is in tillage this year. Tomatoes, Potatoes, Peppers, Peas, broccoli, cabbage, kohlrabi, onion and radish are in, corn is getting replanted after the chickens got into it. Asparagus is doing well in its second year. . . ate a few spears here and there. :)
The fowl flock this year got bigger. A lot bigger. At present we have the solid laying flock of 16 hens and the roo, 6 more chanticleer chicks in the raising, 2 golden comets, one or two turkey (haven't seen one in the last 2 days) and 10 eggs in the incubator, but those are for the wife's boss. (Silky eggs those are) In the shed, and about to move into the electric net paddock are 38 cornish cross meat birds after 7 deaths. All in the first week and a half. . . some hard handling those got I think. They're 5 weeks along, and I expect only another 2 or 3 weeks and it'll be time to process them for the freezer. Might do the largest of them, and leave some of the smaller to bulk up a bit.
Bees also took a bump this year, with 2 hives from swarms I or bee mentor Karl caught, and one from a package swarm. Collecting another colony out of a house on Tuesday, which will make 4 total hives, but that hive or one of the current is definitely going to a friend's house.
A local business has reopened as a local goods consignment shop, and Kenstwold honey, and some of the eggs are moving pretty well there. Selling my 8oz jars for $3, the 12 for $5 and the quarts for $12. I'm about to add comb honey I got from the mentor who is prepping to move, which had been asked for. . . so we'll see how that does! Also making creamed honey right now with some of his leftovers that naturally crystallized at the perfect rate.
And finally, we planted the orchard and vineyard this year we've been threatening. 25 grape vines in 6 varieties, and a dozen mixed fruit trees, including a pair of PawPaw. Then a bunch of Douglas Fir for holiday trees, and a mess of new berry bushes. 15 cranberry and 30 new early and mid season blueberry went in to the berry patch as well. The strawberries are spreading themselves just fine, last year's 1 and a quarter 15 foot rows are now 2 rows well established and a third that is just started this year. Let me tell you. . . pulling flowers and fruit set from your strawberries is just heartbreaking, but it's good for them to get a year to establish roots before they have to bear fruit. AHHH well.
Ok. . . when you write it all out like that. . . wow. We did all that this year? Holy moly. No wonder I feel the overwhelming urge for a beer and a porch swing! :)
Keep the mugs full ya'll . . . Ciao! I'll try not to be quite so much of a stranger.
Kentswold farm is doing pretty darn well this year. Garden expansion is going well, thanks to the valiant efforts of yours truly, the lovely wife and the Semi-Sister and Semi-Brother-In-Law who are now housemates. I figure about 3000sq ft is in tillage this year. Tomatoes, Potatoes, Peppers, Peas, broccoli, cabbage, kohlrabi, onion and radish are in, corn is getting replanted after the chickens got into it. Asparagus is doing well in its second year. . . ate a few spears here and there. :)
The fowl flock this year got bigger. A lot bigger. At present we have the solid laying flock of 16 hens and the roo, 6 more chanticleer chicks in the raising, 2 golden comets, one or two turkey (haven't seen one in the last 2 days) and 10 eggs in the incubator, but those are for the wife's boss. (Silky eggs those are) In the shed, and about to move into the electric net paddock are 38 cornish cross meat birds after 7 deaths. All in the first week and a half. . . some hard handling those got I think. They're 5 weeks along, and I expect only another 2 or 3 weeks and it'll be time to process them for the freezer. Might do the largest of them, and leave some of the smaller to bulk up a bit.
Bees also took a bump this year, with 2 hives from swarms I or bee mentor Karl caught, and one from a package swarm. Collecting another colony out of a house on Tuesday, which will make 4 total hives, but that hive or one of the current is definitely going to a friend's house.
A local business has reopened as a local goods consignment shop, and Kenstwold honey, and some of the eggs are moving pretty well there. Selling my 8oz jars for $3, the 12 for $5 and the quarts for $12. I'm about to add comb honey I got from the mentor who is prepping to move, which had been asked for. . . so we'll see how that does! Also making creamed honey right now with some of his leftovers that naturally crystallized at the perfect rate.
And finally, we planted the orchard and vineyard this year we've been threatening. 25 grape vines in 6 varieties, and a dozen mixed fruit trees, including a pair of PawPaw. Then a bunch of Douglas Fir for holiday trees, and a mess of new berry bushes. 15 cranberry and 30 new early and mid season blueberry went in to the berry patch as well. The strawberries are spreading themselves just fine, last year's 1 and a quarter 15 foot rows are now 2 rows well established and a third that is just started this year. Let me tell you. . . pulling flowers and fruit set from your strawberries is just heartbreaking, but it's good for them to get a year to establish roots before they have to bear fruit. AHHH well.
Ok. . . when you write it all out like that. . . wow. We did all that this year? Holy moly. No wonder I feel the overwhelming urge for a beer and a porch swing! :)
Keep the mugs full ya'll . . . Ciao! I'll try not to be quite so much of a stranger.