Try Something New

Let's see a show of hands for everyone who has perused all 25 seed catalogs that have arrived. How many have made out orders for seeds already? I have been through the catalogs and instead of trying one new type of seed, I think I'm going to try quite a few. Here's some that look interesting-

(picture from Richter's Seeds) These are Red Pod Asparagus Beans. Aren't they lovely? I'd like to try Daikon radishes, Amish Deer Tongue Lettuce, Cossack Pineapple Tomatillo (these have a sweet, pineapple like flavor), and Rattail Radishes-look really interesting. For herbs I'd like to add-costmary (which I grew at my old homestead), fibre flax (because I don't have enough to do), banana mint-umm, and Orris. The catalogs are so full of new (or in some cases, very old) varieties. So many seeds, so little time.

Growing Winter Greens

Another sustainable food source experiment. I've wondered how to keep greens available during the winter months if, for some reason, we were unable to purchase them. We live where -40 is a temperature we see a few times in the winter. Somewhere I read (could have been at Herrick Kimball's site http://thedeliberateagrarian.blogspot.com/) or I may have picked up some book I have, anyways, way back early homesteaders would dig up turnips, put them in pots and bring them in the house for the winter. The greens would grow and they would harvest them, then they would grow again. I decided to try it with beets.

I only have one, but it's growing quickly and I've been nibbling on it. I suppose if I were serious about it, I would have five or six in the house. Another source of fresh greens are sprouts. Use whole wheat, alfalfa, radish, onion, lentils, etc. Place in a quart jar, soak in the jar for 5-10 hours or so. Rinse, put cheesecloth, held in place by a canning rim, on the top of the jar. Place at a downward angle for drainage. Rinse sprouts 2-4 times a day. Once sprouted, they are full of vitamins. This is a good way to use up extra seed you may have harvested. God Bless.

Experiment (con't.)

Well, I guess I get a little carried away when I read some of these books.  My little coldframe is just that-very cold.  Three days after I planted it we had snow and we continue to have snow a little every day.  Sometimes I forget that global warming hasn't hit here yet. 
This morning the hoses are all frozen, manure has frozen to the grain trough and the cattle water had to be broke open.  Our three weeks of fall are over, but they were the most beautiful three weeks of the year.

Gardening Experiments

Don't you love trying new things?  This year I tried growing Quinoa.  That experiment didn't work.
I recently read "The Forgotten Skills of Self-Sufficiency used by the Mormon Pioneers".  It's a good read and he has some ideas and information in there that I didn't have before.

The author has some good ideas for extending the harvest for us short season gardeners.

Today I set  up a "rustic" cold frame with a hot water jug to help keep it heated at night.

I need to fasten this to the house with a hinge, yet.  I planted various kinds of lettuce and spinach in here and I'm hopeful that we will be growing lettuce into December.  This is on the south side of my house right next to my other experiment-trying to save seed from biennials.  I have carrots and beets planted and I just mulched them.  I'm hoping they'll come up for the second year and provide me with seed. 

I guess the picture of this experiment isn't too exciting.  I'll report back on these experiments as they progress.  Or not.

Grocery Day

You can tell when the groceries are getting low at our house.  Kids are complaining about no snacks and I make a lot of trips to the cellar to get food.
Living out of our cellar stock isn't really that bad.  Today, for dinner we dined on home grown mashed potatoes with home grown hamburger gravy.  I opened some home canned corn, applesauce, rhubarb desert and pickled garlic scapes.  It was a complete meal made completely from what we've raised ourselves.
So now it's off to town to buy some groceries.  Just wanted to say what a blessing it is to have food in the cellar.  We're working on using up our reserves to make room for this year's bounty. 
God is good.
P.S.  My spinach is up and it's snowing right now!!