Seedlings are a sign of hope. So are children playing in the snow. And hot bread coming out of the oven. Reminders that winter does not last forever, so prepare for the springtime, 'cause it's a-coming!
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Hell hath no fury
Like that of a toddler who is told she can't help plant seeds because she can't count. "I tan tount!" "Five, eight, nine, four, five, six!" There you go, little seeds! Time to rise and shine!
Blackberry Pruning
With the last of the fine weather (by which I mean, brisk but clear and not raining) we finally tackled the blackberry patch. The kids really enjoy pruning, actually. There is something inherently fun about snipping branches off of living trees with pruners or loppers. It all started on Tuesday afternoon with Seppi and Daddy… Continue reading Blackberry Pruning
More Lacto-fermentation experiments
While our sauerkraut may have royally failed, we have been having better success with rutabaga, beet and parsnips. We put them in canning jars with 3-4% brine, and set them first on the kitchen table, and then, when the sunlight was too bright there, on top of the piano. The beets were quite delicious, sweet… Continue reading More Lacto-fermentation experiments
Sauerkraut… Fail!
This is what an epic Sauerkraut fail looks like. Smelled pretty bad, too. You can see the bubbles forming in the biofilm on top of the liquid. Oddly enough... The kraut underneath neither looked nor smelled bad once the brine was drained off. It is possible the mold was only on the surface of the… Continue reading Sauerkraut… Fail!
Feed the Cows
Tuppence for grass https://videopress.com/v/lWAEMFsL?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&posterUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fvideos.files.wordpress.com%2FlWAEMFsL%2Fimg_1518_mp4_std.original.jpg&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=true https://videopress.com/v/qaCFZkKx?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&posterUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fvideos.files.wordpress.com%2FqaCFZkKx%2Fimg_1517_mp4_std.original.jpg&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=true Is this what they mean by Grass Fed Beef?
Rich Squash Pie
This is the sound... https://videopress.com/v/oMwUm3Cl?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&posterUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fvideos.files.wordpress.com%2FoMwUm3Cl%2Fimg_1412_mp4_std.original.jpg&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=true Of a perfectly cured Georgia Candy Roaster. It got rave reviews. You'll just have to trust us. It was a most beautiful pie.
Food hedge pruning
All the trees here are 2-3 year saplings, still building their basic structure. Pruning is important, but pretty straightforward. Oh, and taking out the wild cherry saplings. Those things are weeds. Too thick for Ellie Belle. She got about halfway through it but couldn't make it all the way through so Daddy had to finish… Continue reading Food hedge pruning
More Pruning
We finally got to the second major pruning task. It was on the list for Saturday, and then again Monday and Tuesday, but we just never got to it for one reason and another. By that I mean the kids. But here we are, pruning the mini-orchard at the house. These are trees and bushes… Continue reading More Pruning
Lamb Prosciutto update
Leg 1. Starting weight: 2.098 kg Recipe 1: 160g (90g salt [4.2%]) rub for one week in fridge. Salt box dredge without weighing for 9 days. Second weight 1.80 kg, (14.2% weight loss). Hung 1/18/2024 @ 60 degrees F, 50% humidity. Target weight: 1.47 kg Weight after 40 hours:1.70 kg. Weight after adding strutto: 1.85… Continue reading Lamb Prosciutto update
Little Farm in the Big City 
