Making it on small acreage

[emilosevich]

Busy week ahead. We move into fair on Sunday night and fair starts on Tuesday. We got the campers out there today. And lucky for me I got some canning done in the middle of all that. Still working on it now, but I'm nearly done. Looks like a 10pm bed time for me tonight.

Todays tally is 11 quarts of green beans, 2 pints of hot peppers, 5 pints of dilly beans, and looks like about 8 quarts of tomatoe sauce. First batch of tomatoes is in the canner now. This is the last of it for today. Of course I'm going be canning my butt off after fair. A whole week out and everything is going to go biserk.
I've got bucks lined up for all of the does to breed this year and even have my choice of Nubian bucks. What a wonderful thing to have.

 

[framing fowl]

What all do you show at the fair? I'm assuming this is the state fair?

 

[emilosevich]

Actually no it is our local county fair. We show chickens and goats. We got to 2 other fairs after this with the chickens so still awhile to go.

 

[emilosevich]

Well back from fair. DD's polish chickens did fairly well. Our Rosecomb RIR all did well and one got taken out for best large female. No go though. boo
Been canning since we got back. I've put up 8 qts of dilly beans, plus like 20qts of frozen beans. We're working on a double batch of spaghetti sauce right now. DH is in there getting the first set into the canner now. Told him we need to do 30qts or better of spaghetti sauce and he said no prob. Well I hope so. I don't want to have to resort to that junk from the store again this year.
Trying to get back to spinning as it's almost Christmas time(well at least in the crafting part of my mind). Need to get the yarn spun up and blocked for Mom's Christmas present, not to mention Sis#3. Still trying to figure out what to make dad. I'm thinking a scarf is going to be it.
Got breeding plans for the goats figured out. One is already out with her new boyfriend and waiting for the other to cycle so I get an idea of when to breed them. All of them gotta go off farm this year. Kinda irks me, but can't keep three seperate bucks for them, so we do this. Going to look at another doe here in the next couple of weeks, I hope. That would make six milkers next spring. Man I gotta be crazy.

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

wow! great work on all counts!!!

i'm hoping to catch my dairy ladies on their next cycle so the babies arent tooooo early. SIX milkers!? wow! you are my hero!

ps i love saying "dilly beans"
;-)

 

[emilosevich]

OFG; I love saying dilly beans too It confuses people too some of them think you are saying silly beans. lol.
Six milkers actually runs about average for us. It means a milk calf in the spring and a friends hogs may have milk. Maybe she'll trade for meat.

 

[emilosevich]

Just found out yesterday that the neighbor will be moving next year. Now we're kind of in a pinch. He was letting us use extra yard for grazing area for our calves and they have been nice enough for the past couple of year to let the free range chicks walk through their yard. All they ask in return is eggs;-)
We've got 2 goats bred so far and now to start getting to the rest of them. Starting on DD's schoolwork for preschool, plus AWANAS.

 

[PamsPride]

Since you are in NE Ohio, could you tell me where did you found a Nubian buck? Thanks!

 

[homesteadmomma]

Sounds like you are really busy. Our family is involved with AWANAs also, love the program!

 

[savingdogs]

Wow! I wish you were my neighbor! I could so use your advice about so much stuff after reading your journal!

For one, I wish you could look at my little buck's feet. I'm getting ready to sell him and I see his feet need trimming. I trimmed them a little when he first got here because they looked really overgrown. Now one of the back feet is looking at a funny angle, and it is only a month later. I don't think I cut the wrong angle, but do you have anything online you could direct me to on how to cut for the right angle? My other goats have great feet and I have to trim them and have done fine but they did not need anything remedial.

I also have muscovy, this is my first year, but none of mine seem broody. When did yours go broody? Right now, they barely seem to know their eggs exist! They let them roll around anywhere, even into the pond! We have set up some nesting areas but need to find ways to entice them to lay there. Should I use fake eggs like you do with chickens?

See why I need you to be my neighbor? I need you to look over my yard and tell me what is wrong!
I don't have sheep and I'm not a spinner, but I bet it would be fun to look at the things you make! I'm envious of all the food you are able to put up, as well, and the cheese you make. I'm a city person just moved to the country in my middle age, learning all this stuff. Sounds like you know how to do all the things I want to learn!