What are you harvesting now?

[Denim Deb]

First off, put them in a bucket of water. If any float, toss them. Then, you need to remove the outer shell. The ones from a white oak can be eaten just like they are. Some from the white oak family can be prepared w/out doing anything more to them. For the rest, you need to boil them in several changes of water until the water stays clear. Or, you can put them in a waterfall or some other source of rapidly running water. Or you could even bury them! Once the tannins are all leached out, you can dry them and just eat them.

 

[Britesea]

We don't travel much @Mini Horses but DH has bad knees and flat feet that hurt ALL THE TIME because of 30 years of working on cement floors, wrenching on buses. I don't think he'll want to do much kneeling etc at first; I told him I was putting him in charge of sorting mail (throwing out junk mail, shredding the stuff that needs shredding, filing, and paying bills) since that is a job I HATE! I have a couple of boxes stuffed with old junk mail and magazines that need to be sorted in case there's something that needs to be saved in there (not likely, but it could happen). He can do most of the work while sitting on the couch.

The seed numbers are in! I will need quite a bit more for the large seeds like favas, green beans and peas; the small seeds I can get away with 1 or 2 packets.

Pretty nice squash @frustratedearthmother !

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Thanks! I picked another one just like it yesterday and there are a couple more still hanging on the vine. I love that chicken too - much quieter and cleaner than the ones that live outside!

 

[Mini Horses]

Sitting has merits. Shell peas, snap beans, chop, stir, mix....prep for canning!! Geesh, I'd love to have that help! LOL

I'm sure you two will be able to ENJOY retirement. It will all work out. Every day is one closer. Just think of breakfast coffee, tea, etc. on the porch -- quiet and comfy. I can relate.

Harvesting? right now, only eggs......and free fertilizer from all the animals. Look, that fertilizer has a REAL value beyond the organic plus -- just price the commercial stuff at any store!!

 

[tortoise]

Eggs! They're laying again! And young ones have just started! I'm so excited to have eggs again!

Other than that I have little pots of oregano and thyme in my kitchen window that I prune/harvest once a month.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Made broccoli/cheese soup for the grandkiddos and we got the broccoli right from the garden. Yummy!

 

[Mini Horses]

Spring is "almost" here....up & down weather!! 70-80 couple days, 45-50 couple days, too cool nights for young plants.

BUT...yesterday I did go to a section where I had been building up some great composted dirt (chickens helped to mix the goat stalls cleanouts & horse "piles" that had been tossed in there last year). I dug some before the predicted rains and decided to pot at least a few things, hopeful to have plants to put out in a few weeks. Figured their sprouting would push me to get the piggy tillers moved to new field and plow where they had been prepping for last few months. Heavy rain prevented this move & plow 2 weeks ago. Sooooo, proof of my attempts...
and this dirt is nicer than any potting mix I've ever bought.

Hoping to get more done today as it is a day of misty rains with heavy downpours predicted. Crap. But, need to do this.

The hens have had their free range moved to an adjacent horse pasture and they are happily spreading the "piles" those stallions have made. Plus, yesterday I got 27 eggs from 30 hens!!! Nine dozen sold -- so things are going well with those girls. Of course, I have 10 dozen in the frig.

Anything not sold before chicken swap next Sat will go there.
No biggie, I rotate them, so always just a few days old. Far better than 1 month old when they deliver to a store. Most people don't even realize they are that old when delivered.
And, mine are truly free range!!

Guess it's time for a "2016 Garden" thread to start.

 

[baymule]

Nothing.

But I will have a much better garden next year.

 

[Denim Deb]

We've had a couple of heavy frost, so nothing right now. I do need to get in there and put it away for the winter.

 

[Mini Horses]

I'm with Baymule -- NEXT year looks hopeful!

Our weather is good. See a lot of great greens in other gardens but, I have no garden Winter gardens do well here, if planted. There's the key...IF planted.

On the flip side, lots of new sprouts from spilled feeds.

I'm looking for farmers with excess pumpkins for almost free -- for chicken, goat, pig feed.