They will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit.
Last year we tried an experiment, to see if we could increase the output of our worm bins. We added potash to the mix to increase potassium content, but unfortunately, the wood ash killed off a large number of the worms (too alkali, I expect). So we tried shredding up a straw bale and putting… Continue reading Worm Castings
A tray of brussels sprouts. A tray of celery. A tray of Swiss chard and a tray of cabbage. All the girls are inside, out of the rain. You can see where the cold frame was. Of course, what we didn't know when we planted these out was that there is a storm developing off… Continue reading Planting out Cold Weather Crops
First of, I can't claim any credit for this idea, but it was too cheap and simple and quick to build, I just had to steal it. It comes from a youtube channel by a vegetable grower in Saskatoon, and the whole channel has some great insights and tips. I mentioned before we built the… Continue reading Building a Low Tunnel
This week has been too busy, we have only had a grand total of two hours to work on farm projects all week. One of those hours was spent gathering information. In the garden beds, in direct sunlight in the middle of the day, soil temps are about 50 degrees. Under the cold frame the… Continue reading Hoop Bender
The ducks built a little nest in their duck-mobile! Not in the nesting box, but still, it's a start! Unfortunately, someone set the refrigerator on its coldest setting by accident. Half a dozen duck eggs, frozen.
Tried an experiment yesterday with our leftover prosciutto bone. It has been sitting on the top shelf of the refrigerator for the last couple of weeks, and as you can see from the picture, it is DRY! In the book "Salumi" the author suggests using the bone of the prosciutto as seasoning for soup, so… Continue reading Lamb Bone Soup
After eating the first leg of lamb prosciutto, we got behind on checking on the prosciutto, between National Guard and vacation. Leg 1. Jan 2, Starting weight: 2.098 kg Recipe 1: 160g (90g salt [4.2%]) rub for one week in fridge. Jan 9. Salt box dredge without weighing for 9 days. Jan 18. Second weight… Continue reading Prosciutto Update
It's a busy time of year for the garden. Also a tricky one. Western Washington has a tendency to draw spring out, somewhat unnecessarily, as it seems to us who grew up elsewhere. In Upstate NY, spring is a couple of weeks of mud, followed by summer. Average air temps and soil temps go up… Continue reading Garden Catch-Up
Hazel bush. Elderberry. Goumi berry. Black berry. Josta berry. Willow. Look at that color! Time to start setting up fences!
Little Farm in the Big City 