Adventures On a Rural Homestead

Chicken Processing

We processed 21 of our meat birds yesterday and 2 roosters that were born this spring. The meat birds were smaller than last year's batch, we think because we did them a week earlier. It's also later in the year so they have less daylight to eat. When I ordered the meat chicks this year at the same time I usually do they were all sold out, due to the increase in people raising chickens. My sweet mama offered to come help us, and her help and company was lovely!

We decided to cut the birds up into wings, breasts, leg & thigh and backs & feet for broth. I am so excited to have chicken cut into the parts that we use it to cook with most frequently! 

We have 15 more chickens that are younger and we'll process them in three weeks. Hopefully we'll get a weather break and have a beautiful warm day in December for butchering day! 

Autumn Tree Planting

With wonderful help from my mama I planted 61 trees the past two days. After planting 85 trees last year I really planned to do less this year, thinking I'd plant maybe 30 trees...but I ordered more and relatives kindly dug up volunteer trees from their flower beds for me. 

The summer in November weather was perfect for spending days outside. I was especially pleased to see how nice the soil looked, everywhere we dug was crawling with nice earthworms! 

We planted Virginia Pine, Maple, Walnut, Oak, Bankers Dwarf Willow, River Locust, Hazelnut, American Plum, Switchgrass and Stinging nettle. 

I'd never used the fence post pounder before, it as quite the workout! 

We used my parent's truck to haul 5-gallon buckets of water to the trees after planting.

There is part of our pasture by the pond that the farmer doesn't hay. It's more weedy, because it's shaded by our neighbors giant Ailanthus trees. We've let 35 locust trees sprout and grow there, for future firewood. While Mom and I worked on planting 3 rows of trees by the locust grove Alex mowed. He is so thrilled that he can use the riding mower! 

My dad came yesterday to see what we'd planted and visit. He and Eli made smoothies for us, played baseball and chess. 

I am so thankful for the company and help of my family, and to have all these wonderful trees in the ground! I'm most excited for the evergreen privacy plantings on our new-ish property, and for the American Plum trees. 

Autumn Garden Harvest

We had several light frosts early in September this year, so I kept harvesting our bell peppers thinking it would be the last time. This week we've had more frost and colder temperatures. I spent several hours in the garden Friday morning~ harvesting potatoes, carrots, beets, bell peppers and tomatoes. I also weeded the low tunnels where we have carrots, beets and greens growing for winter. I didn't spend as much time weeding and mowing in the garden as I should have the end of the season. It feels good to have it back in order, and to have a good end of the season harvest! 

Firewood Splitting

The boys worked on splitting and stacking firewood yesterday. My shoulder is still sore and healing, so Alex took over my job at the wood splitter. He did a wonderful job splitting wood while Nick stacked. Eli enjoyed climbing the stack, and threw wood down to Alex to split.

I am so glad for big boy helpers, and to have more good firewood ready for the next few winters! 

Pre-Frost Garden Harvest

We picked the last of the tomatoes last night, and about 30 green peppers and 70 jalapenos. I'll cut and freeze the green peppers and give the jalapenos away. I cut up the tomatoes to make another delicious batch of roasted tomato pasta sauce.

The boys helped me dig the sweet potatoes this morning. They really needed more time, most of them were still teeny babies. Hopefully next year we won't get frost at both ends of the gardening season! 

We still got more than a 5-gallon bucket full of sweet potatoes, plenty to bake and enjoy plain, and in sweet potato muffins and pancakes! We also picked four more pumpkins and a volunteer acorn squash. We are thankful for lots of delicious bounty from our garden! 

Meat Chicks

Our Freedom Ranger meat chicks arrived from Lancaster County, PA on Wednesday. 1 was dead in the box, the other 32 were healthy. (In 8 years of keeping chickens this is the first year we've had dead chicks!!) Eli was very upset the first afternoon, because they were so loud out on our covered back porch, where he likes to hang out. But once they got settled in they don't make much noise, except for the occasional sweet peep. Eli helps to fill their food and water. Alex told us he isn't looking at the chicks until they are bigger, so he "doesn't get attached to them while they are cute." They will stay inside for a few weeks, then move out to our meat chicken shed and tractor in our pasture. And come November we'll butcher and have delicious meat in our freezer! 

Food Preservation~ Freezing Peppers

Our green pepper plants did very well in the garden this year. I planted many more than I usually do, about 15 plants. We had enough peppers for my salsa canning, my mom's salsa canning, to eat fresh, and now to freeze. We like to cook strips of peppers and onions to have on tacos and rice & bean bowls. This morning after I got a Crock Pot of bone broth started I picked a basket of peppers to cut and freeze. The boys helped me clean out our chest freezers, so we have plenty of room for the veggies I've been freezing, our meat chickens, and beef we're getting from our neighbor in November. Nothing helps my anxiety like feeling stocked up and prepared! 

Preparing

I've been feeling anxious lately, as I prepare for fall/winter with Covid and worry about what will happen after the November presidential election. My homesteading group had a long post this weekend, and many people said that they expect riots/awfulness no matter who wins the election. I've been stocking up again on basic necessities. After a few days of hiding from the garden (I needed a break from canning) I picked a 5-gallon bucket of tomatoes and big basket of green peppers. Alex said he'll help me can another batch of salsa tomorrow. It feels so good to have our shelves full. 

We also started getting firewood for future winters. We decided this year that instead of a logging truck we'll get several dump truck loads of already cut and split firewood from our neighbor. He splits it pretty large so we'll need to split much of it. But it will be much easier on my healing shoulder to work from already firewood-ish sized pieces! 

I am so thankful that Nick has a good job, that we have the money to stock up, for this beautiful land and garden. Now I'm off to do some yoga for anxiety! 

Weekend Fun

We enjoyed a nice long weekend together, and bright sunny days! The weather is deliciously crisp and cooler, we enjoyed lots of time outside. I went for hilly walks everyday, last evening my mom joined me for a walk in town which is always a treat.

The boys worked on printing more cards to sell. They've had fun working together and teaching Eli how to print. 

We harvested and cooked good food from the garden. Nick has been enjoying cooking on the grill, and I do the side dishes like potato salad, carrots in butter, coleslaw etc. Mom and I picked 2 more 5-gallon buckets of tomatoes from our garden for her to can, and I canned my last batch of whole tomatoes today.

I also did some winter meal prep and diced and froze lots of celery and onions. Celery was one thing that I couldn't get during the shut-down this winter. I start most soups and casseroles by sauteing celery and onions, it will be nice to have these already chopped and ready to cook! 

We also spent time reading, watched a movie, and playing games together. We enjoyed one-on-one time with each kid today, I loved playing Dragonwood with Eli and learning about Alex's robotic dinosaur. 

We had a lovely weekend together, as always I am thankful for my family and this wonderful place we call Home. 

More Tomato Canning

I picked 2 more 5-gallon buckets of tomatoes on Friday, and canned Saturday morning. I canned 7 quarts of whole tomatoes, 9 pints of whole tomatoes, and made more roasted tomato pasta sauce. The sauce is so easy and delicious! 

Roasted Tomato Pasta Sauce

12 pounds tomatoes, cored and cut into chunks

1 large green pepper

2 medium onions

6 garlic cloves

salt and black pepper (about 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper)

handfuls of fresh basil and oregano

~Roast in 400 degree oven for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. When cool blend in a strong blender. Makes 2-3 quarts of delicious sauce. 

I told my mom we probably had a bucket of tomatoes she could take to can. My parents came for lunch today, and then we picked tomatoes....3 5-gallon buckets of tomatoes! That makes 10 5-gallon buckets of tomatoes so far this season. I'm so thankful for the delicious bounty from our garden, and for plenty to share too!