Things are up in the air

 Winter is here, but today we have a respite from the cold.  The thermometer says 36 degrees and there's not a bit of wind.  We've been getting the homestead buckled up for winter.  Today I'm cleaning out the extra boards and siding from in front of my barn. The turkeys and chickens are butchered and in the freezer. I picked up a breeding pair of Royal Palms.

Aren't they beautiful birds?


 I finished siding my barn today and patching up the sheep shed. We've had timberwolves around at night and I don't want them in with my sheep!




 My husband took advantage of the gorgeous weather to finish siding the north side of the house. Here's a picture of how he elevated his homemade scaffolding. Don't call OSHA, please

                                                                                                     

My coffee break is over and I want to get outside before we lose the sun. Hope your day is glorious. From Glory Farm

Morning Update

They predicted frost last night and they were right. I went out to check on my tender plants and here's what I found. This is a tomato plant that wasn't covered.

It didn't make it. So I pulled back the tarps on the rest of the tomatoes and this is what I found. They made it!

My main garden is in an area that is more prone to frost, so when I pulled back the tarp on the pumpkins, this is what I found.

You win some, you lose some. I still had frost in the front yard at 9:30 this morning.

I don't think I've shown you my new chickens. Well, I've had them for about four months. They're cream brabanters,

which took me two years to finally find. Here's a couple of pictures of my turkeys. I'm saving the breeding pair, the rest will be butchered in a month and a half. They're Red Bourbons. I think I'd like to try Royal Palms next.

Yep, there are ducks in there, too. I picked up two sheep this week. They're both wethers and very affectionate. They're for fiber and for company for my Angora goat. They were raised in a petting zoo, so you can imagine how affectionate. I cannot think of names for these two. I've asked friends and family and no one has been able to come up with names. Here's a couple, not very good, pictures of them.

That's the update from our place. Enjoy this wonderful fall weather. Have a blessed day. Glory Farm

Spring!

It's spring-finally. Thermometer said 75 degrees yesterday! PTL!! Looking at my yard, I see another sign of spring-where's that lawnmower? My favorite sign of spring is the new life on the farm. While my goats aren't bred, we still have calves being born, turkey eggs in the incubator ready to hatch in about a week, chicks arriving in the mail tomorrow, baby Angora bunnies, and one old bantam hen dutifully hatching a batch in the barn.

This is Sugar. Her momma didn't make it after the birth, but Sugar is a big, healthy heifer who loves to eat. Not sure what to do with her. She may end up on Craig's list because my honey and I are both working and she needs to be fed at least three times a day. I need to get the brooders ready for the chicks and turkey poults. I have two apple trees to put in the ground. The soil is too wet to start my garden, yet. Slightly frustrating, but I don't have control over the weather. I'll post pictures of more of the babies later today or tomorrow after the chicks come in. (I like pictures.) Go with God. From Glory Farm

Happy Harvest

Okay...so this is the third time I've started this post.  My computer is being an idiot, perhaps I'm contributing, I don't know. 
I just wanted to write about harvesting and the Lord's goodness.  So here's hoping I can get it through it without losing it a fourth time.
Fall is the season of preparation.  Firewood, canning, cleaning, winterizing, finishing up those outdoor building projects that were supposed to be done by July.  It can be a bit overwhelming.  Not to mention getting the garden to bed.  But today is a beautiful fall-like day.  Today Pastor said to not be anxious about anything.  So I'm going to take that advice.
I've been taking pictures of things around here--

 This is a scary picture.  Really.  When I get up in the morning and look out my kitchen door , this is what I see.  Turkeys aren't really pretty birds.  It's slightly disconcerting.

My friend and neighbor asked me over to pick wild plums and crabapples.  How blessed am I?  I ended up with 1/2 bushel of plums and a full bushel of crabapples.  I canned plum jam, plum syrup, apple juice and applesauce.  Life is good.

 A few days later, I thought I'd better harvest some of my cabbages because the deer have found them.  I decided to make sauerkraut and needed about 20 pounds of cabbage.  This one weighed in at 11 1/2 lbs.   Only takes two to make a batch.  Wonderful cabbages this year.

 This is Sunday dinner, a pot of harvest stew.  Recipe-just go out to the garden, grab whatever is handy and throw it in a pot with some kind of meat.  I grabbed onions, garlic, rutabaga, potatoes, carrots, beans, kale and zucchini.  Haven't tried it yet.

Kale is a crop that grows very well for me.  Unfortunately, I don't like the taste of it.  I've made some kale chips and those are okay.  I also use it in stir fries, and I'll see if I like it in this soup mentioned above.  I decided to preserve it by drying it and making a kale powder in the blender.  This can be used in soups and in smoothies and...any more ideas??

So, I guess this post is mostly about harvest time.  This is my favorite time of year, despite the amount that needs to be done.

"Do not be anxious in anything, but in everything, with prayer and supplication let your requests be made known unto God."  My version, but I think it's close.

Happy Harvest.

Just Farmin'

Hello!  Yep-I'm still here.  I now have use of my honey's work computer and it does do pictures, so I think I'll start this thing again.

We're still struggling to put in the garden.  Today I hope to get the potatoes and corn in.  I have about 2/3 of the garden left to do.  We've had rain and rain and cold.  I haven't checked the tomatoes yet this morning, but we may have had frost last night.

We've had nine calves so far and I think we have one more to go.  We ended up with three open cows this year and shipped a bunch.  I have ducks that are setting and refuse to be moved.  I think the eggs are probably getting pretty old and I'd best remove them.

I purchased five little Red Bourbon turkeys.  I lost one, but the rest are feathered out now and at the cute stage.

I am now the proud owner of a little pot bellied pig.  My Mother's Day present from my son.  Her name is Lily and she is cute in a piggy sort of way.  I'll try to post pics on here later.

So that's the update from the farm.  It's been great to read everyone's blogs and get caught up on the news.