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 week was the first elderberry picking of the year. I did a second picking Monday morning, early. The dried elderberries from last weekend are done, so we transfer them into a bowl and put the next batch in. The previous batch yielded almost a quart after drying. We found that if the clusters are… Continue reading Elderberries, Basil, Baking and Brewing.
Oh, and also some buckwheat. This buckwheat was planted back at the beginning of July. It has been watered regularly and is now 3-4 feet tall. A decision has to be made at this point. Once the flowers are formed, the protein content in the stalks and leaves is at its maximum level. If cut… Continue reading Blackberry Wine, Mead, and Liqueur
"Look Daddy! I'm a stwirrel!" "Tan I help you took?" When was the last time you had a squirrel cook you potato-water griddle cakes for breakfast? Tuesday morning we got over to the farm for another picking of blackberries. The big thornless blackberries are a little the worse for wear at the moment. We are… Continue reading Blackberries, First Elderberries, and Drought problems.
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
We had a little virus bug blow through the house on Friday. It wasn't even that bad, but it was enough to give Miss Ellie a fever, so Daddy had to take a few hours of sick time while Mommy took Evie to homeschool co-op. Ellie Belle was wrapped up in a blanket on the… Continue reading Sick Days
Harvest time is always busy on the farm. Plants mature, fruit and veggies are ready when they are reay with little to no concern for what we have going on in our non-gardening lives. Tuesday was a good example of that. Beans and blackberries are both coming in hardcore, but this is also the weekend… Continue reading Busy nights
We pruned our elderberries back to the stumps earlier this year, (along with the mature cherries, which, incidentally, produced a much better crop this year than they did last year). Look at that majestic shrub! And the two purple-leaf varieties are doing quite well too. What we have learned from this is that the Elderberry… Continue reading Younger Berries
Little Farm in the Big City 