Posted on 02/18/2023 7:15:12 AM PST by Diana in Wisconsin
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This year we are going to try root crops in large pots. I will start tomato and pepper seeds indoors in March. Lettuce and peas will go outside in March.
From Baker Heirloom :
Lemon Drop Pepper
Lipstick Pepper
German Lunchbox Tomato
Carbon Tomato
Black Cherry Tomato
Granny Cantrell German Red Tomato
Dad’s Sunset Tomato
Sugar Snap Pea
This arrangement is going to an elderly friend whose hubby is in the hospital for surgery today after a fall at home.
LOL! Thanks, Pete!
I see what looks like ‘meat’ chickens! I have accumulated 4 pasture raised meat chickens - didn’t realize I had that many until I was reorganizing the freezers.
One of the chickens is currently in the fridge to thaw for a couple of days. I plan to roast it with either Ina Garten’s recipe (more of the ‘classic’ variety) or a Peruvian chicken recipe I saw that looks delicious. I’ll probably spatchcock the bird, too.
Plenty to pick and chose from LOL because I'm not growing all of them. I think I bought one kind of small watermelon and the rest were free seeds that Baker Creek sent with seed orders.
Going to grow 2 or 3 tomato types, an assortment of greens and leaf lettuce for salads, Shisito(yum) and Kalugerista pepper(never got to try a Kalugerista last year) and one of most other things.
Beau has four of our house yard Maples tapped and some Box Elder trees tapped in the woods; he’s getting a good run here, too.
For those that don’t know, to collect sap, the temps need to be below freezing at night and above freezing during the day. He’ll get a good run again this week.
We’re in this funky weather pattern of ‘Snow on Thursday’ and this upcoming week may be a mess. 12”+ of snow predicted, but they don’t have it narrowed down yet as to where it’s going to hit. Makes a lot of work and expense for everyone.
Yesterday I went to town to meet my BFFs for lunch and a movie. I made the mistake of turning onto Rock Road, which is a 45 degree angle of a road! Force of habit; I always go that way! Anyhow, I got half way up, then the truck just stopped! Luckily I remembered I now have 4WD (first ever!) and I kicked that in, and she took me up that hill like a champ.
So, I accidentally ‘learnt’ something yesterday!
FWIW, I’ve been driving in Wisconsin Winters for ONLY 46 YEARS now, LOL!
Great job on the Magnolia!
I have one, but it’s still young and out of the way of any garden beds. They can be a messy tree. ;)
I really like ‘Carbon’ tomato. Grew that a few years back. Not QUITE the flavor of ‘Cherokee Purple’ but very close.
A really pretty tomato with the chocolate-colored base and the green shoulders. :)
“I’ll probably spatchcock the bird, too.”
That makes so much sense - more crispy skin and less cooking time.
I roasted a 6 pound 8 oz chicken this past week. She was HUGE, so I have lots of leftovers to make other ‘stuff.’
I used this recipe that is ‘Beau Approved:’
It calls for a smaller chicken, (4#) but even the 6#, 8oz. one was done (I temped it) in the same amount of time, which surprised me.
My niece raised the birds I have: 5-6 lbs. She tells me they are delicious, much more so than ‘commercial’ birds. I will be making chicken bone broth out of the carcasses (have some chicken feet to add for extra collagen/gelatin).
The recipes I plan on trying with my birds:
Perfect Roast Chicken
https://barefootcontessa.com/recipes/perfect-roast-chicken
Lemon & Garlic Roast Chicken
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/lemon-and-garlic-roast-chicken-recipe-1943298
Keto Peruvian Roasted Chicken & Green Sauce
https://www.ibreatheimhungry.com/peruvian-roasted-chicken-green-sauce-low-carb/
Yup.
Hopefully they’ll have a good season this year.
I suppose it would be possible to buy a plucker and rent it out or hire oneself out to homesteaders or small farmers for a fee or a percentage.
(I know...too much time spent with Organic Gardening or Harrowsmith or Acres reading material!)
Now, I think that the pictures at the link back is interesting! Its a covered movable chicken yard....after they get all the ticks and bugs in one area you can shoo them back into their coop and lock it, then pick up the cover and move it to a new section of yard or garden, re attach the coop to the yard, open the door and let them out in a the new area to forage!
Manual reel lawnmower—does anyone know about these? I want to get one because I will be in large of mowing a medium sized lawn and like the quiet snick-snick as opposed to the roar and smell of a regular one.
I want one with a high setting, 3” or more, as the zoysia does much better when taller than it did when it was shorter. I will probably keep it a bit shorter but it may get too tall from time to time.
Is there any particular thing one needs tok or or consider? Do you have to sharpen the blades often? One site said every 6 to 8 mowings (without specifying the size of the area mowed 🤔), another said every 2 or 3 years...
And some sites say to get one with a slight gap between the thing and the blades because otherwise it will need sharpening less often, but I thought they needed to touch to cut?
So cool that you can collect maple syrup! Best of luck with the weather for that!
It’s become an obsession for him. But, he’s pretty much perfected it after four years and friends and family he shares it with always ask for more. :)
PING to Post #33 for questions on using manual lawn mowers.
I can’t help, Chicory. I have an ACRE-plus of lawn to mow, so I’ve indulged in a zero-turn mower, which I absolutely love. ;)
No one in my family is all that crazy about chicken skins, so I skinned mine instead of plucking. MUCH faster, easier, and it doesn’t require scalding.
My lone survivalist hen started laying. Found 5 eggs this morning. She must have read last week’s thread.
Completely free range, zero feed, 100% free eggs.
I can’t figure out how your mower works, but I am glad you are happy with it! Enjoy your summer :)
That is cool, so gratifying when others ask for more!
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