@thefunnyfarm - the're coming to take me away hehe hoho

[@thefunnyfarm]

Hello all I am new to this journal thing so please bare with me.
I am married with 4 children 1-8 years old. We just bought our 1 acre of paradise in feb. And life has never been the same. Moved from Pensacola Florida to rural Alabama about an hour and a half from everyone we know. We live in a very small town but it is perfect. The first few days after the moving van pulled in it snowed. I dont think my hubby had every seen snow before I had to explain to him why our thing that had not made it into the house yet were white lol. Then after a few weeks my hubby decided to burn some moving boxes and cought our back property as well as the neighbors hay field on fire. I had to argurue with my 7 year old because he insisted the red pickup truck with a hose was not a real firetruck. I lost the fight when a woman maybe 1oo pounds wet steps out by herself and tries pulling this hose and could not get the water going. The town next to us sent another pickup truck and it ran out of water lol. My dh left me looking like the bluming idiot city slicker. I thought for sure they were going to send the moving van back to move us out. But they were real nice about it.
We have chickens now and have planted a garden on the .25 acres he burned lol. It is way bigger than the 30 x 30 i am use to so this will be a learning experience. we have 120 tomato plants 3 125 ft rows of beans and 15 125 ft rows of corn. And lots of crab grass. I have been weeding 1 row at a time and got about 1/2 way through the garden and realized row 1 was needing done again so I got a briliant idea to put leaves down. So I raked and raked and raked and even raked my neighbors yard (hey it was the least i could do) I piled leaves on 4 rows that are 2 ft wide and 125 ft long. Thats alot of work. Did I mention I only had 2 5gal buckets to haul them lol. (city folk) I thought I was brilliant they looked so perfect. I thought well no more hoeing those rows brilliant. Well crab grass grows through leaves even. So I get another brain storm chicken tractor even if they do one row that is one row less i have to do. So we made it yesterday put the chickens in and all they did was lay down so i thought well it must be to hot to work so i put them back into their pen and walla they go to scratching and eating. So I try again today and the same happens they did dig alittle after watching me pull and tug weeds. so I am undersatanding now it is me against crab grass I will prevail but I may be pushing up daisies at the end of harvest.

 

[rebecca100]

Sounds like your adventures are just beginning!! Good luck with your garden!

 

[Henrietta23]

Welcome!!

 

[Aidenbaby]

Have you thought about doing meat rabbits? They'd chow that grass right down for you.

Welcome to the boards. Don't worry about this being a daily journal as some of us post weekly, others daily and still others whenever. I personally fall into the last category.

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

welcome!

you know, slash and burn IS a garden prep strategy!

cant wait to hear more!

 

[Blue Skys]

I like the title of your journal. My mom used to sing that song a lot. Looking back, it was very fitting.

 

[Farmfresh]

Hello all I am new to this journal thing so please bare with me.
I am married with 4 children 1-8 years old. We just bought our 1 acre of paradise in feb. And life has never been the same. Moved from Pensacola Florida to rural Alabama about an hour and a half from everyone we know. We live in a very small town but it is perfect. The first few days after the moving van pulled in it snowed. I dont think my hubby had every seen snow before I had to explain to him why our thing that had not made it into the house yet were white lol. Then after a few weeks my hubby decided to burn some moving boxes and cought our back property as well as the neighbors hay field on fire. I had to argurue with my 7 year old because he insisted the red pickup truck with a hose was not a real firetruck. I lost the fight when a woman maybe 1oo pounds wet steps out by herself and tries pulling this hose and could not get the water going. The town next to us sent another pickup truck and it ran out of water lol. My dh left me looking like the bluming idiot city slicker. I thought for sure they were going to send the moving van back to move us out. But they were real nice about it.
We have chickens now and have planted a garden on the .25 acres he burned lol. It is way bigger than the 30 x 30 i am use to so this will be a learning experience. we have 120 tomato plants 3 125 ft rows of beans and 15 125 ft rows of corn. And lots of crab grass. I have been weeding 1 row at a time and got about 1/2 way through the garden and realized row 1 was needing done again so I got a briliant idea to put leaves down. So I raked and raked and raked and even raked my neighbors yard (hey it was the least i could do) I piled leaves on 4 rows that are 2 ft wide and 125 ft long. Thats alot of work. Did I mention I only had 2 5gal buckets to haul them lol. (city folk) I thought I was brilliant they looked so perfect. I thought well no more hoeing those rows brilliant. Well crab grass grows through leaves even. So I get another brain storm chicken tractor even if they do one row that is one row less i have to do. So we made it yesterday put the chickens in and all they did was lay down so i thought well it must be to hot to work so i put them back into their pen and walla they go to scratching and eating. So I try again today and the same happens they did dig alittle after watching me pull and tug weeds. so I am undersatanding now it is me against crab grass I will prevail but I may be pushing up daisies at the end of harvest.

Mulch is your friend. When you pull up those weeds turn them roots up and leave them in the row. The dying leaves will add to the mulch.

I usually use newspaper (gleaned from the neighbors) to mulch my garden with. I lay down the sections overlapping each other and then top that with leaves, weeds etc. The newspaper keeps light from reaching the weeds and they die and the other mulch holds the paper in place. Works great, lasts the season and then biodegrades adding to the fertility of the garden. It also helps hold moisture in for the plants!

 

[Up-the-Creek]

I love your title to your journal also,...."...coming to take me away,..." I sing that quite often . I blame it on my mother, she used to sing it all the time when I was a kid.

 

[@thefunnyfarm]

Thanks for all the warm welcomes and GREAT sugestions. We are the funny farm LOL with this many children there is always something funny said our done daily. I also have one son on the autism spectrum. When my family calls they end up laughing so hard at the antics of the day. They say I should write a book They all think i am nuts anyways for not living the dream of big fancy houses and lots of toys and debt, But I know were I stand in 5 years my home will be paid for and no debt other than that.
They can't figure out why on earth I would make my own laundery soap when there is a perfectly good grocery store down the road LOL But they all love to visit like tourist lol .They go home and tell their friends about the roughing it experience and picking berries and fresh bread and biscuits. I should start charging admission. Hmmm

Farmfresh wrote:

I usually use newspaper (gleaned from the neighbors) to mulch my garden with. I lay down the sections overlapping each other and then top that with leaves, weeds etc. The newspaper keeps light from reaching the weeds and they die and the other mulch holds the paper in place. Works great, lasts the season and then biodegrades adding to the fertility of the garden. It also helps hold moisture in for the plants!

That is what I am missing newspaper. will def try that one.

Aidenbaby wrote;

Have you thought about doing meat rabbits? They'd chow that grass right down for you.

My dd has been wanting a bunny will have to try that one too. I was tramatized as achild when our bunny had babies and went out to see them and all that was left was dangling bodies so I have been afraid of them since.

 

[rebecca100]

LOL I think all of us who have rabbits have been shocked by that at least once. Usually if it is a meat rabbit it becomes BBQ at my house. My kids like to go to school and tell stories of their adventures at home. One time the teacher was telling the class about composting and my ds raised his hand and told HER how to do it!! I think living SS is the best thing for kids.