Homestead Happenings

Welcome back to Homestead Happenings,

where we share what's going on here

on our Piedmont homestead.

We've been visited by many yellow swallowtail butterflies,

and I learned that this is a male because there are no

blue markings on the bottom of the wings.

These critters love our butterfly bush.

I'm excited to announce that the first monarch

was spotted this week,

so we look forward to a multitude of caterpillars

performing their magic on the milkweed!

The pumpkins continue to sprawl

every which way.

So far, it seems we are lacking proper flower

development, but there are signs of hope.

Several of the Seminole pumpkin vines

are sporting little gems,

as seen here next to the arrow.

I'm hoping to be able to store some

through winter, as these make fantastic soup!

There are turnips coming up nicely.

These are mostly grown for the chooks,

as this variety is grown for the greens,

rather than the root underneath the soil.

Another bed of mixed salad greens was sown.

It took only a few days to germinate.

There are other beds where lettuce seeds will be sown,

so that we can have a succession crop deep into fall.

Carrots are also getting established,

and I even remembered to thin them out!

This bed shares space with onions and lettuce.

Recently, beets and snap peas were also sown,

and kale is next on the list to be planted.

Then the fall garden will be complete!

The green beans are beginning to scale up the bamboo poles.

These are Jade green beans,

which I have heard from other homesteaders

are quite prolific.

It would be so wonderful to have home grown

green beans on the Thanksgiving table.

Jade green bean pods

For the first time, I am attempting to grow

chick peas, or garbanzos.

I'm not really sure what to expect here,

as I've never seen anyone grow them.

We'll just continue to monitor them 

and see what develops.

I eat chick peas so often that

this would be one crop well worth growing.

These are rattlesnake beans,

which are grown to use as a dried bean.

In the next few years, I would like to

continue to experiment with growing a larger variety

of drying beans.

As I don't eat meat, beans are an important part of my diet.

They're also great for sprouting!

The ginger has been blooming for the past week,

and I've enjoyed the tropical look it gives to this corner.

We have been enjoying bringing in small bouquets

of zinnias, mixed with other treasures we are finding in the garden.

Summer is my least favorite season,

but the flowers help to get me through it.

I asked for a retractable hose reel for my birthday,

and Big K came through!

A neighbor installed it for us,

and it's been working quite well.

Sure is easier than dragging a hose

all around the garden.

The only thing I don't like about it,

is that it is mostly plastic.

On the front part of the yard, under the maple tree,

another hose is handy for watering and

cleaning the chooks' coops.

This metal hose has so far worked well.

It's flexible, lightweight, and doesn't kink.

Summer seems to be winding down here, 

even though next week is predicted to have 

high temperatures in the 90s again.

It won't last long.

Everyone here is ready for autumn and its cool mornings,

absence of mosquitos and less humidity.

I hope you are counting your blessings,

 no matter the season.

"We cannot direct the wind,

but we can adjust the sails."

~Dolly Parton

Gone Too Soon

 

I hope I said "thank you" enough to someone 

who taught me so much.

Each one of the "Farm School" posts 

underneath the header of this blog,

represent lessons that are life long and life changing.

Apart from learning so much about gardening,

we had a heck of a good time.

What a colorful life he led, always on his own terms,

and going forward full throttle.

His devotion to his wife, friends and farming was unshakeable.

The other side just got a whole lot brighter,

and his legacy will remain steadfast for those left behind.

Lynn Greenfield

1947-2026

May you rest in fields of clover.

With me in spirit always, my friend.

Please keep his wife Faye in your prayers.

Going Local-Sunrise Acres

 

Right near the heart of Lincolnton,

I mean, literally minutes away from downtown,

locals can find farm fresh eggs for sale.

This sign led me to Sunrise Acres,

a regenerative farm,

where I met a kindred spirit in Lynn, the chicken keeper,

among her many other jobs.

We have chooks, but there are times when

we don't have enough eggs, and so I choose to 

support other chicken tenders, rather than buy from the store.

What a great discovery this farm is!

Lynn and her family manage about 12 acres

and a collection of animals,

including chickens, cows, guinea fowl and horses.

When the property was first acquired,

cows and sheep were used to clear several pastures

that were full of unwanted brush.

What a great way of using livestock to work the land.

Over 40 chooks are able to free range safely all day,

with the assistance of electric fencing and

several guard animals.

There is a large shaded area under the trees

for added comfort in the summer months.

The overflowing veg beds contain much of the family's food sources.

Cucumbers, green beans, melons, onions,

pumpkins and tomatoes are some of the main crops grown here.

There are also several types of fruit trees and bushes to

contribute to the family's harvest basket.

I couldn't help but notice that the elderberry bush 

was fully loaded and ready for picking.

Lynn is well versed in food preservation skills,

and I shared an elderberry syrup recipe with her.

This family is quite self-sufficient,

as most of their dietary needs are fulfilled on the farm.

On the day that I visited, the onions were curing 

underneath the cover of a nearby outbuilding.

When asked about her method of growing, 

Lynn shared something she learned over time.

Growing onions in raised beds has given her the best results,

as drainage is vital to the bulbs.

She has also been trimming the greens down to the shortest stem

about halfway through the growing process.

These two factors have helped her have the best onion harvest.

Garden Protector

The property is dotted with metal raised beds

filled with flowers.  Lynn enjoys making arrangements

to bring indoors.

The pollinators are everywhere!

Her colorful zinnias are especially stunning!

Cows use rotational grazing to enhance the soil,

keep parasite pressure low, and improve the pasture

for the next rotational move.

Keeping the livestock moving is better for the animals,

and strengthens the structure of the soil.

One of the magical sights I got to see

were these guinea eggs.

They had been left in a nest beneath this bush.

Guineas are one of the best defenses against pest pressure,

especially ticks!

As time allows, the family continues to work on their landscape.

This beautiful grass has been used to keep soil from

being lost on this area where a slope begins.

Using what they have on the property to deal with challenges

is one of the basics of homesteading.

And why I felt so comfortable with Lynn.

She and I have a similar mindset when it comes 

to homesteading and I felt a connection to her

the very first time I bought eggs from her.

It feels good to support folks who are good stewards

of their land and the animals that dwell there.

Here's more information about this wonderful place.

Homestead Happenings

 

Welcome back to Homestead Happenings!

Well, it's been a while.

I was having trouble getting pictures to load up

on my laptop, and I'm not sure how I figured out 

a different way, but we'll see how it goes.

I really am trainable!

This lone sunflower has been a major hub of activity

over the last week or so.

Although many, many sunflower seeds were planted,

for some reason this is the only one that showed up.

It could be the drought that we are still experiencing,

but it's just not been the same summer without them.

The Seminole pumpkins are doing well

and started to climb the arched cattle panel.

So far, we have no flowers, but I continue to hope

that we will be able to enjoy this fall treat.

This particular pumpkin stores very well.

Let me know if you'd like some seeds.

The bed where the onions grew is now seeded with

carrots and a few lettuce varieties.

I've grown carrots before, but had decided

that since organic carrots are so affordable at the store,

it's not really worth it to grow your own.

I changed my mind.

The boards and screen cover you see are 

left in place until the seeds germinate.

I learned that on GrowVeg,

one of my favorite YouTube gardening channels.

The secondary reason for the covers is to keep the chooks

from scratching up the seeds.

Let's see what pops up!

Some of the leeks have been harvested,

and these will be cleaned, chopped and put into

the freezer in glass jars.

They will come in handy during soup making season.

There's nothing better than homemade leek soup

on a cold wintry evening.

Having this wire rack out on the front porch worked out well.

Garlic, onions, and now the leeks can dry there

before being put into long term storage.

This corner of the porch stays dry and shaded,

so we'll use this method from now on.

I've been thinking of giving up on growing onions,

because the harvest seems so small and the fruit

does not seem to bulb up as expected.

This is our harvest this year (apart from some

which has been given away), which added up to

seven pounds.

They are fine looking bulbs, and I'm sure they will

taste great, but I'm not sure it's worth the extra bed space.

Leeks have always done better in my garden,

so time will tell if this veg makes it into next year's list.

This is my first ever homemade

elderberry syrup made from the land!

The honey is local (3 doors down),

and the recipe was SO simple!

The best tip was to pick the berries

when they are super dark,

place them in a container and freeze them

until you have enough to make a batch.

Once they are frozen, they are much easier to destem,

and fingers stay clean and dry.

This will be a yearly ritual now,

and there are still berries left on the bushes

for the chooks and the birds.

(I'm secretly thinking I need to make more room for elderberries.)

Another new venture in the kitchen

is this non-dairy ice cream recipe.

It uses water, almond butter, vanilla and maple syrup.

It is incredibly creamy tasting and because it

is so clean, it can be enjoyed anytime,

not just for a special occasion.

I can't wait to try new combinations!

The bread baking continues with my new obsession

of everything fresh-milled flour.

The flavor is amazing and knowing that this bread

is actually nourishing my body motivates me to explore

new recipes regularly.

The book below is one of my go-to sources

for easy to follow, simple recipes.

Our baby chooks are all grown up!

They are free ranging with the rest of the flock,

and will soon graduate into the big run

with the rest of the girls,

although they will continue to stay in their own coop.

In just a few weeks, they should be laying and

allowing us to share eggs with our neighbors and friends.

What a blessing these girls have been.

They actually seem to enjoy being together, share food without fighting,

and move as one unit when they are out foraging.

They could teach our older girls a thing or two 

about getting along.

So grateful to have been able to grow our flock

and that everyone is healthy and active.

It feels good to share on the blog again,

and I'm glad that at least for now,

things are working okay.

I missed writing, and it's important to me

to record my day-to-day garden adventures here.

It's the simple things in life that matter.

~daisy

Hope to Be Back Soon

 

I've missed sharing our Homestead Happenings.

I'm hoping that the difficulties with loading pictures

will soon be resolved.

Enjoy this gift of a day!

~daisy