I had to harvest the cornmeal corn today way ahead of schedule. I'm still working out how to finish drying it without having the problem continue that caused my early harvest.
Here's the problem... since the hubster got sick and put a serious dent in our finances, some of our farm projects, things that needed done to keep the farm productive and in good order, didn't get done. One of those projects was the goat enclosure, another was the chicken coop. Between the goats and the chickens, the garden is taking a huge hit. That hit will affect our food supply for the next year.
There's just some problems that ingenuity, creativity and imagination can't fix.
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Wow that corn looks great. What kind is it? Also how is your hubby? have they ever found out what was wrong? The heat fried our garden this year. It was so hot it was literally cooking the tomatoes from the inside, Just when they were getting close to being ripe they would turn to mush or turn sour.
ReplyDeleteHey Coley! That is earth tones dent corn. Nope, the doctors are clueless, the sonogram came back negative. My maters were hanging in there until this week when the chickens decided it was time to start eating them. They've even eaten the green ones.
ReplyDeleteMM, have you heard of forest gardening and permaculture? If not try googling.
ReplyDeleteI've been trying to keep my mouth shut for what feels like ages now. I know that you've perfected your gardening skills, and who am I to bring in a new idea? But .... I am following an online course (it's free except the books to read along with the assignments - a library might carry them), and watching videos, and listening to podcasts on this way of farming, and it really speaks to me.
One can google Paul Wheaton, Joel Salatin, Hugel Culture, Geoff Lawton and Sepp Holtzer to name a few for some interesting reading, videos and ideas on gardening and farming. I mean if the garden has taken a huge hit as you say, MM, it can't hurt to look at this alternative to the conventional.
I don't usually stick my neck out like this. I usually just cheer from the side lines, and I always will for you. Even though we've never met I feel like I'm going to visit an old friend when I come to your blog. And I've been visiting you since Kymber introduced us 2 years or so ago (in case you were wondering).
I really don't like seeing a friend struggle as you have this year. So, I'm opening my mouth in hopes that it will help. I think you have a great set up there, and with your knowledge and experience in farming and some tweaking via permaculture principals maybe you could make things okay again. I'd like to say more, but I'll stop here for now.
Before I press the comment button, here are a few links if this peaks your interest at all. Maybe you've already heard about it and decided it's not for you and your family. I don't know, but here are the links.
ps. Please don't shoot the messenger. I only have your best interest at heart.
pps. I don't know how to make these usable links in a comment so it's copy and paste to have a look.
Permaculture lectures I'm following: http://mediasite.online.ncsu.edu/online/Catalog/pages/catalog.aspx?catalogId=1ec0688b-568a-4a47-a8ca-8926e7b4ef1b
Paul Wheaton's permaculture forum: http://www.permies.com/
A great permaculture blog for people above the equator: http://www.tcpermaculture.com/
My first look at a Joel Salatin video: http://youtu.be/jHOYn6RjCLY
Another blog from a lady with farming in her blood: http://matronofhusbandry.wordpress.com/
Surely the chickens cannot reach the higher tomatoes? I rigged up a barried with all sorts of sticks, pipes, anything looking like a pole. I just strung the chicken wire over it best I could to keep the hens out of the tomato plants. It was not pretty; it was effective. Maybe with the heat and humidity I will look clever for not planting until 4th of July. Just because the doctor did not find anything, does not mean something is not there. What tests do they have planned next? What have they ruled out?
ReplyDeleteHey Sue! ROFL, heck no, I love new ideas! I'm a Joel Saladin fan already too!
ReplyDeleteHey PP! OMG, the goats knock it down for them! They are evil little scroungers. I need fence panels so i can keep them penned up. Nope, nothing planned at all for tests or treatment. I guess they think it's going to go away on it's own. 17K in bills so far and they aint got a clue. I've been feeding him some herbal remedies for colitis, including kefir.
Yup, no food here either. I ended up having to stock the shelves with processed canned and boxed foods. In a pinch, at least it is a filler. Fall gardens are in the plans so all we can do now is pray for rain.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with it.
MDR
Hey MDR! I may have to do that too. That will just kill me. The heat and humidity was burning everything up pretty good anyway. This is the first time in the 20 years I've been doing this that the tomato plants quit producing flowers. I too am working out the fall garden plans.
ReplyDeleteThe cow hey down here is non existent. Farmers are rolling up corn stalks just to have something to feed this winter. So I guess me buying boxed mashed potatoes and canned carrots is just like the cow hey, it's better than eating a snowball in winter. LOL
ReplyDeleteGoats and chickens would pretty well destroy even the high tomatoes. I have at least two dozen tomato blossoms on one plant. That is just too good to be true! I would just die if a goat helped these crafty little hens!
ReplyDeleteThere have got to be other tests for your husband. My daughter was suffering from colitis and she was NOT throwing up blood. However, blood was flowing from the other end like a faucet that was turned on and would not turn off. VERY strong antibiotics were the answer. Of course, then her daughter (my daughter was pregnant) was born with a major birth defect. If you cannot pay the bill for the hospital, you can't. So sorry this is all happening. No one can help with fencing the goats in? I am in the same place with no one to help with physical things.
@ MMPaints: Ha! I should have known you already heard about him. Smarty pants. :-)
ReplyDelete@Sue...thanks for those links, I will be checking them out.
ReplyDelete@mm...my garden sucks right now too but still being hopeful for a fall garden.