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Urban Farm Update
1 Nov 2021 05:51 pmNo frost yet but a hard freeze is predicted for tomorrow night. Our normal first frost is October 16th. It's 17 days late. I continued to take down the PVC trellises today and chop up pumpkin and squash vines. The food dehydrator is getting a workout. Eight trays of celery yesterday and seven trays today. The slugs got a lot of it this year, but the leaves survived and are tasty too, dried and added like parsley in soup.
By the end of last week, our garden produce hit 300 pounds harvested. I didn't count anything that I saved for seed. Today the yellow beans were collected to dry for seed. Rosemary had to be cut back so it would fit under its bucket. It needs additional protection in winter.
Leaves have not yet turned. It's so weird. I have sage blooming as well as some anise hyssop, in addition to the normal basil and marigolds. Here's a cherry tree with the squash vines composting behind it.
It feels good to have the cupboard shelves filling up, jars of jelly, tomato sauces, pickles, etc. We are working on the dried herbs too. The freezer is as full as it will be in the course of a year. Winemaking supplies are on order. I'll be fermenting mulberries for wine. With the Pears, I'll make Perry. I already bought honey from my beekeepers. If possible, I'll be making more rhubarb wine. Rhubarb requires a certain number of cold winter days in order to produce. With climate change, we may not have it for much longer in Zone 6. I plan to ferment as much as possible for the future. It should keep 10+ years. I had problems clarifying last year's rhubarb. I tried bentonite clay for the first time. It wasn't hard but I don't think its as effective as the chitosan. Next weekend, hopefully, I'll get to more winemaking when the supplies arrive.
I carried the cinderblocks around today as well as a heavy tree limb. I was a bit breathless, but I did shoot a video on my progress. https://youtu.be/_3nMFPtEB64 or a photo:
There is still time to deal with the strawberries. I also have to do more work on the old compost pile. We'll be doing a teeter-totter with warm/cold for a while yet. Winter seems to be coming more in January most years. If we do get a Minnesota winter or a polar vortex early, I'll cover everything and deal with it in spring or during the Chinook in February. I still have a grow tower of strawberries to plant in the ground. Lots to do.
I am also working with my husband on physical therapy and occupational therapy after his surgery. Today was a good day. His balance was good. I got him cooking safely in the kitchen. Need to build his confidence as well as following procedures. That's been hard for him. Tomorrow is Election Day. He gets to go out and vote. We will review the ballot again before we leave. Selecting 11 people from memory out of a long list is going to be challenging. Lots still to do tonight. More rosemary needs to go into the dehydrator.
By the end of last week, our garden produce hit 300 pounds harvested. I didn't count anything that I saved for seed. Today the yellow beans were collected to dry for seed. Rosemary had to be cut back so it would fit under its bucket. It needs additional protection in winter.
Leaves have not yet turned. It's so weird. I have sage blooming as well as some anise hyssop, in addition to the normal basil and marigolds. Here's a cherry tree with the squash vines composting behind it.
It feels good to have the cupboard shelves filling up, jars of jelly, tomato sauces, pickles, etc. We are working on the dried herbs too. The freezer is as full as it will be in the course of a year. Winemaking supplies are on order. I'll be fermenting mulberries for wine. With the Pears, I'll make Perry. I already bought honey from my beekeepers. If possible, I'll be making more rhubarb wine. Rhubarb requires a certain number of cold winter days in order to produce. With climate change, we may not have it for much longer in Zone 6. I plan to ferment as much as possible for the future. It should keep 10+ years. I had problems clarifying last year's rhubarb. I tried bentonite clay for the first time. It wasn't hard but I don't think its as effective as the chitosan. Next weekend, hopefully, I'll get to more winemaking when the supplies arrive.
I carried the cinderblocks around today as well as a heavy tree limb. I was a bit breathless, but I did shoot a video on my progress. https://youtu.be/_3nMFPtEB64 or a photo:
There is still time to deal with the strawberries. I also have to do more work on the old compost pile. We'll be doing a teeter-totter with warm/cold for a while yet. Winter seems to be coming more in January most years. If we do get a Minnesota winter or a polar vortex early, I'll cover everything and deal with it in spring or during the Chinook in February. I still have a grow tower of strawberries to plant in the ground. Lots to do.
I am also working with my husband on physical therapy and occupational therapy after his surgery. Today was a good day. His balance was good. I got him cooking safely in the kitchen. Need to build his confidence as well as following procedures. That's been hard for him. Tomorrow is Election Day. He gets to go out and vote. We will review the ballot again before we leave. Selecting 11 people from memory out of a long list is going to be challenging. Lots still to do tonight. More rosemary needs to go into the dehydrator.
