It's Spring and there's a lot going on around here. We had some issues with the pregnancy but everything is fine now. I'll be 15 weeks along on Thur. We were able to see our little darling in an ultrasound and talk about a mover, lol.
We had to get 27 new chicks due to a sickness, our previous chicken flock had caught from someone else's infected birds. It took out nearly all of them! Needless to say for now on we will only breed and hatch our own or buy from the two online companies we like. Unfortunately 2 of our new chicks have died. One due to the dog and one due to pecking. This time we choose to go with the barred rocks. I'm glad to say the game hens and ducks are great even though the neighbors dog took out our wood duck, grrrr. They are currently sitting on eggs trying to hatch them for us. To cute!
The goats are doing well. All the babies are very active and sweet and have of course stolen our hearts. It sure is going to be hard when it comes time for them to be dinner. The mama goats are doing very well. Our Saanen doe is giving us a full gal. just at our morning milking! We haven't started the evening milking yet as the babies are not fully weened. Our mini Nubian is giving us half a gal just in the morning milking and is about ready to start having evening milking as well. She's doing her best to ween the babies but they don't want to. LOL no surprise there. The poor male has had to be separated for a while do to trying to breed the babies already and in the next week or so will be sent to vacation at a friends house where he will be pampered and used as their lawnmower.
Ok so heres the current list of what we have planted so far.
Blueberries
Black berries
Red raspberries
Grapes- white
Apple trees of different kinds
Fig trees
Kiwi tree
Plum tree
Pear tree
GIANT RED CELERY
WHITE DIXIE BABY BUTTER BEANS
CALABRESE BROCCOLI
BLACK TURTLE BEAN
LIGHT RED KIDNEY BEAN
PINTO BEAN
ALL SEASONS CABBAGE
EARLY SNOWBALL CAULIFLOWER
LADY FINGER POPCORN
ASH-WORTH CORN
MUNCHER CUCUMBER
LONG PURPLE EGGPLANT
LUFFA GOURD
HONEYDEW GREEN FLESH MELON
AMISH MELON
GREEN GLOBE ARTICHOKE
MARY WASHINGTON ASPARAGUS
GARDEN HUCKLEBERRY
SUGAR ANN SNAP PEA
MAMMOTH MELTING SUGAR PEA
ORANGE BELL PEPPER
MARCONI RED PEPPER
JIMMY NARDELLO`S PEPPER
LONG RED CAYENNE PEPPER
BIG MAX PUMPKIN
CHANTENAY ROYAL CARROT
WALLA WALLA ONION
WINTER BLOOMSDALE SPINACH
YELLOW CROOKNECK SQUASH
BUTTERNUT SQUASH
GIANT BEEFSTEAK TOMATO
ROMA TOMATO
AMISH PASTE TOMATO
CRIMSON SWEET WATERMELON
GOURMET SALAD BLEND
BLUE LAKE POLE BEAN
Pineapple
MEDICINAL HERBS:
ANGELICA - Dried leaves are used to make an infusion (tea) to improve energy, stimulate circulation and reduce flatulence. Has antibacterial and anti-fungal qualities.
BASIL, SWEET - Steep leaves in water for a few minutes to make a tea to help indigestion. Make a cold-oil infusion to massage sore muscles.
CALENDULA - Flowers make a healing mouthwash for the gums. Mix a cream using calendula petals and plantain leaves for healing of cuts.
CATNIP - Make a tea to to relieve colds and fevers. Also used to treat headaches and upset stomachs. Has mild sedative qualities.
CHAMOMILE - Use in a tea as a mild sleep aid or to aid digestion. Make a cream to treat dry, rough skin.
COMMON YARROW - Infused tea fights colds and fevers. Make a cream with its flower petals to use on cuts and burns.
CORIANDER - Chew leaves or infuse as a tea to relieve upset stomachs. Also used as a mild sedative.
FEVERFEW - Eat three to five leaves daily to reduce migraine headaches. Infuse as a tea to relieve muscle spasms or reduce fever.
HOREHOUND - Make a tonic of chopped horehound leaves and honey to treat sore throats. A cold infusion will help relieve heartburn.
HYSSOP - Make a cream to treat bruises and burns. Infuse as tea to treat colds, flu, bronchitis and sore throats.
PURPLE CONE FLOWER (Echinacea Purpurea) - Drink a hot infusion to stimulate the immune system.
ST JOHN'S WORT - Infuse as tea to treat depression or as a mild sedative. Makes a cream to treat bruises and skin inflammation.
SUMMER SAVORY - Hot infusion is gargled to treat a sore throat. Also drink as a tea to treat diarrhea and indigestion.
THYME - Make a tea sweetened with honey to help relieve sore throats and coughs. Infusion used to relieve hangovers.
VALERIAN - Roots used to relieve nervous tension, anxiety, insomnia and pain. Roots used in a cream to treat acne or skin rashes.
We still have a few things left to buy and get in the ground like strawberries and I have potatoes waiting, lol. We're dong succession planting so most of these things will be planted several more times. For sure the corn, beans and all other vine plants. We are using the 3 sisters method for those and have not been able to get them all in yet. Thankfully we have been able to put up several raised bed gardens this year and have used some of the 70 tires i got a hold of for things like the berries and herbs. We will also be using them for the potatoes making them much easier to harvest, hooray. Hubby has been kind enough to install drip irrigation to almost every section of my garden today as well as putting in a self watering system for the goats. Since I'm pregnant with our 5th child he doesn't want me hauling the water.How sweet is that?! Well I'm off to sit on the swing and enjoy the work we have done so far have a great day!
Oh, I almost forgot to mention. Yesterday a friend hit a small deer with is car so last night we went over so i could butcher it. We came home with 45 lbs of deer meat, wahoo! This morning we were able to wake up to some super yummy biscuits and deer sausage gravy. I made about a gal. of it so id have plenty, lol. Wonder if you can can this stuff? I may try to freeze some of it but most likely we'll just have it for breakfast all week.
