Back from Atlanta

Hot past three days. Atlanta is a steamy city in August and I meant that literally.

I'm back home from a work conference and ready to do some harvesting.

Post more later.

Horton Hears A Who

Sensitivity Plant In Bloom

Close up of Bloom

Kautz Pickles

The Sensitivity Plant has been amazingly cool since it first sprouted from seed. If you brush your fingers over the leaves, they slowly fold in and close up. But out in the wind, they don't.  THEN - A flower appeared. I didn't know it was going to bloom. Bonus! It looks just like a cartoon flower and reminds me of "Horton Hears A Who" by Dr. Seuss. It has quite a few more blooms so Horton's bloom will keep on appearing for a while longer.

I picked a lot of pickles last week and scrubbed them. I'm trying a Fermentation Pickle recipe. I have 4 jars in different stages right now. Couple more weeks for the results. They actually smell great. Hope they taste good too. You never know until later.

Sweet Pigs

Just pigs - can't help but love their faces. They are a curious bunch. Must have for any farm.

Taking some "Stayvation" this week. I think that's what it's called - a vacation when you stay home. Or maybe Homeation. Not Sure.

Enjoy your summer.

Borage

Storm Last Week - Magnificent Looking before it Hit

Walking to the car, I spotted this lonely grass sprouting out of a rock.

Borage. (Top three pics) One lone plant popped up in the garden. I planted a handful as a "Companion Plant" next to the tomatoes to keep away the tomato worm.

It's getting quite large but the flowers are really very beautiful. It's an herb and a vegetable and the leaves and flowers can be eaten. I might try it in a salad and report back. It's supposed to taste like honey.  I've never been a fan of blooms in a salad but I should at least try it.

Spence Farm

Baby Piglets

Spence Farm - Fairbury, IL

CRAFT Field Day yesterday at Spence Farm. They grow organic grain and have a variety of livestock. This pen had four little babies - I think they were girls. Very friendly and cute as can be. Squealing and sniffing like crazy when I went up the the cage. I ran to the car and got some bread crusts - I know I know - you should NEVER feed anyone's animals but I couldn't resist. The second I came back, they knew I had something they wanted. They were sniffing really loud - not snorting but sniffing. I dropped little pieces in the cage and they went nuts. Nipping at each other to get out of the way and angry squeals - watch out - they were like wild pigs - but just for a second until each of them got a piece.

Their fur felt like brillo - really hard - not soft like I thought. Cute as all get out. I want some of these :)

Marty - the owner, gave us a tour of his fields. A variety of wheat and corn in his 40 acres. All Organically grown. A representative from the University of Illinois Extension office spoke and I think their were about 50 attendees. Bobby came too and we walked through the soggy fields to see Marty's wheat and corn.

Bakers and locals are looking for organic flour so their is a demand for grain. Something to add to my ever growing list of things "to do and sell on the farm".

Fruit Bagging - It's Working!

No Cover

Cotton Cover

Cotton Cover - Very windy day so I had to hold it.

Plastic cover - Some had too much moisture

Paper on the Pear trees. I didn't want to tear it off.

I placed the covers on the trees on June 20th and the fruit were about 1 inch in size. Now - July 6th, I checked back and it appears to be working. Any of the fruit without a cover had bug wholes and lots of damage as shown in the first picture. Each month I will check and document. So cool! It's working!

Flowers on the balcony - one month later. Huge difference.

June 

 

July

Naming a Farm

Farm names are unique. Maybe the last name of the family or a favorite aunt or the place it's located Or just something someone thought of as shown below.

Well... It's really hard to come up with a name. I keep thinking I need to brand and name the farm before we have it but it's a dilemma.What if I name and brand it - let's say, Birdra's Farm (My nickname in High school - not by choice) - then I find a farm on Crain View Lane or on some stream - then can it still be Birdra's Farm? Shouldn't it be View Lane farm? Not sure - still pondering.

Check out the names below and click on the link - some are pretty funny

Below is a clip of just a handful from this link.

B/K Farms - William King
B R Gest Farm - Carl, Deanna & Eric Gest
B&B Rosehill Ranch - James or Patsy Brown
B & D Longshot Ranch  - Bard & Doug Feil
B & G Mule Company  - Walter & Gloria Baker
B & S Livestock Inc.  - Bill Gunter & Sandy Connelly
B&D Green Acres  - Bruce & Delores Early
B&I's Kicking Ass-es Donkey Ranch - Bill & Irene Hudson
B-Bar-S - Bill & Sue Bolling
B-N Mules - Bill Bell & Nancy Wilson
B-RAYin' Acres - Berty & Ray Fischer
B4 Mule Factory - Richard & Coleen Baars
Ba Donka Donk Mini Donks - Harvey & Lisa Pool
Back Acher Brays & Gaits - Jim & Loree Doering
Back Ass Woods Mule Ranch - Donna Carberry
Badasses of Neches - Barry & Beth Swinney
Bailey's Farms - Irvin L. Bailey, Sr.
Baker's Dozen Donkeys - Pat Baker & Gayle Gentis
Baker's Pine Hill Farm - Cindy J. Baker
Bald Hill Reach Farm - Marcia Lizotte
Bar 4B Ranch - Andria & Mark Brotnov
Bar C Heartland Ranch Miniature Donkeys - Carey Sisk
Bar JF Ranch - Pauline & Lonny Ferguson
Bar R Farm - Crystal Rodan
Bar Seventy Six - Mary N. Churchill
Barker's Brayers - Allen & Sue Barker
BarnHouse Trading Company - Anne & Kerry Hancock
Barnyard Babies - Sherman & Lisa K. Knaack
Barnyard Brayers - Clarles A Pleak
Barred-M-Ranch - Matt & Heidi McCarty
Barval Farm - Valerie J. Barden
Bass' Sunset Ridge Ranch - Bert & Pam Bass
Bass's Little Asses - Bass, John
Battle Brook Land & Cattle Co. - Carolyn & Michael Cunningham
Bayer Minimum Ranch - Joe & Theresa Bayer
Bayou Brayers Boyd & Debra Walker
Bayside Raymond & Zana Smallen Klomes
BAZANTAMY FARM - Patricia Freund
BB Ranch - Bonnie Samuel & Bill DeBois
BCLD - Bailey Dixon
BC Ranch - Garth & Tara Edwardson
Beagle Bay - Jan & Bobby Smith
Bear Creek - Chuck & Phyllis Huff
Bear Mountain Ranch - Stan & Kim christensen
Bear's Big Ass Farm - McDonald, Jan & Bear