New here trying to stay warm in northern illinois today!

[mothergoose]

mothergoose here, I have been on BYC for years and the easy garden. Myself, husband and our 6 children live on our 10.4 acre farm in Illinois (about an hour south of Chicago). We have chickens, ducks, rabbits, goats, cows, pigs, a pony, and a dog. We garden on a large scale, raise hay and we are planting Christmas trees and fruit trees this spring. Lots of irons in the fire and lovin' country life!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Welcome, from Texas! sounds like you'll fit right in. Stay warm tonight!

 

[goatgurl]

welcome from Arklahoma

 

[Denim Deb]

 

[Hinotori]

Welcome! Wrap up in a quilt and join right in

 

[Myhouseisazoo2]

Welcome from Arizona, stay warm its been a cold winter!

 

[Smart Red]

Welcome to SS, @mothergoose! It's good to see you here. How far north? I'm living in south-est, central-est Wisconsin.

Oh, yes, an hour south of Chicago -- is that still in northern Illinois? Sure sounds like you're one busy farm-type. Good for you!

Cold, colder, coldest here! So far, so good 'cuz our dying furnace is still pumping out the heat. Hoping for that January thaw any day now.

 

[ducks4you]

We've met on BYC!! **hugs**
I live in Longview, 22 miles SSE of Urbana. I moved in 1999 to a 5 acre property (for my horses, acquired chickens, and started big time gardening).
After last winter, we in Central IL are rethinking our zone is closer to 4b, than to 6a! I have fruit trees on the property and wanted to address this. My trees have some protection from outbuildings are established 30 ft. tall evergreens. A friend's local relative lost his entire fruit orchard last winter! 'O'
Be careful where you plant fruit trees!! If you offer them no protection from the W and NW winter storms you will stress them. I couldn't protect my fruit trees from the temperatures, but they all survived, even though I only got 8 apples (establish red IDK?? apple tree), and no peaches, but 12 pears, from a youngish Bartlett tree. Some people got no fruit at all.
Just some FYI

 

[tortoise]

Hi mothergoose! Welcome! I'm in northern WI. This will be my first year trying a large garden, so I'll be watching your posts!