A Weekend Getaway

Those of you who follow our Facebook page may recall my recent inquiry of which post to work on first;  moving the turkey house,  our fight against parasites to keep our goats healthy,  how we prepare to face the winter, or general farm updates.  I will get to every one of those topics- just as soon as Sean and I return from visiting Daddy Dale and Momma Twombly for the weekend at their Florida condo.

In the brief lull between putting to bed the Creatively Maine Pop Up Shop to settle in for the the winter and the rush and worry of kidding season, we received the most wonderful message asking us if Sean,  the girls, and I could get away for a 7-10 day visit. At the moment we received the message, we were just finishing the 6 week whirlwind of coordinating this year's winter pop up.  Looking out over a half dismantled shop and thinking ahead to the massive work it would be to put our home back into order (In addition to display items from the other Artisans, the majority of our furniture lived as displays at the shop), we quickly agreed.  Dancing for joy ensued.  It wasn't until we delivered a sample of goat pellets to Shea of  Gentle Meadow Goat Farm for testing that reality reared it's head. As I stood, holding a plastic bag of fresh goat droppings, I suddenly remembered,  we have a herd of goats we only just got the Barberpole worms under control for, ten of whom are pregnant with some of our girls due to kid at the end of January or the beginning of February. Plus, temperatures are running in the single digits at night and don't often warm up past 30* during the day; the perfect weather for frozen,  burst pipes. And, there is Molly to consider.  Our working at the shop each day had been rough on her,  missing her pack.  If we left her home with Cait,  Molly would surely believe we'd abandoned her forever.  And, there is the homestead to consider as a whole; who will feed,  water,  and care for everyone?  With a sad heart,  I realized,  a family vacation to Florida was not in the cards for us this year. 

Until Sean stepped in with his almost magical power of reason.  He arranged for us to go for a long weekend with his Dad and Mom.  Sean watched the goat does meticulously for signs of kidding while I cared for putting our home back together and returned to creating our farm products to restock our shelves. He loaned Shea our van and arranged to have her "on call" in case the pregnant does decided to kid early in our absence.  (Goats have a habit of making things not run smooth.  ;) ) Our girls offered to remain at home to feed, water, care for the animals and generally hold down the fort. Obstacles thus attended to,  with a grateful heart and thankful spirit,  we boarded a plane.

Day one of our long weekend showed us how capable our teenagers are-equipped to keep the home fires burning,  literally. I am so proud of them.  Each phone call to check in is answered with positive updates. I hope this short time away helps to build their confidence in themselves. 

Sean and I are having a lovely, relaxing visit.  In addition to seeing Heron, egrets, osprey, and wood storks wandering everywhere,  we got a close look at the manatees in the canal, dolphins playing in the bay, and took a walk along the beach. Sean and Daddy Dale played a round of Frisby golf.  We've enjoyed games of spades and dominoes. It feels strange not to be dislodging ice from buckets,  working in my studio,  or attending to other homestead needs,  but the short rest was both welcome and needed. 

I'll get to writing those other stories when we're home again- when I have my laptop full of images handy.  For now,  I can post on my cool, new tablet, but I don't yet know how to insert images where they should live.  I'm learning.   Thanks for visiting with us this morning,  friends. We're glad for your company. 

Oberhausli Delight

Sean and I have been searching all summer for 2 ADGA registered oberhausli does to add to our herd. We found the perfect match for us this week at River Run Farm in Dover-Foxcroft (about 1.5 hours north of us)-  a 2 year old doe named Ruby and her unnamed kid born April 5, 2012. (This had been Ruby's first kidding and she gave birth to two healthy kids; one buck and one doe.) After talking with Alice on the phone Thursday and again yesterday, we were hopeful that these were going to be the right animals for us, but until we had a chance to inspect them in person, we wanted to wait to post about it- just in case.

They were perfect- everything we could have hoped for.

River Run Farm is beautiful. The goats and sheep in the fields were clearly healthy, well-cared for, happy animals. Alice stood near the fencing closest to the barn and called for the goats to come from the back field. They immediately came to her voice. The sheep pasturing with them thought to come along, too. "No sheep, just the goats." Alice clarified. As if by some magic spell, the sheep returned their interest to the task of grazing, but the goats all ran to greet us.

Alice pointed out Ruby and her yet unnamed doe kid to us. We watched them in the field for a few minutes and then, Alice brought them out for us to inspect. We checked their overall coloring, weight, stature, pastern, gums, eyelids, and udder. Ruby was just lovely. We had decided. These ladies were to be ours or more to the point, Jedi's girls. (Though Jedi is not able to be registered, he is half oberhausli, which will create high percentage oberhausli kids. It is desirable to produce high percentage kids with a sweet temperament, good milk supply, and hybrid vigor.)


We exchanged money and obtained registration papers for our new does. Then, it was time to load the does into our vehicle and say "good-bye".

Ruby's kid is going to need to be named before we can submit the transfer papers. Sean and I discussed potential names all the way home. All of the goats we have named carry Biblical names: Leah, Rachel, Jedidiah, Abigail, and Asher. I suggested Hadassah (Queen Esther's Hebrew name.) All the goats in the new kid's lineage carry "jewel" names: Ruby, Emerald, etc. Sean suggested Sapphira meaning beautiful. It is from the Bible and close enough to a "jewel" to be a good cross over between River Run Farm and ours. I love it.

Conscious that every herd has a hierarchy, I suggested that we make sure to feed our does in the back pasture when we got home before we introduced the new does.

While our girls were busy munching on hay, Sean walked Ruby and Sapphira into the pasture. We let them wander as they wanted. They were really nervous and went immediately into the stall. Our girls noticed the new additions right off and ran to meet them. There was lots of sniffing, touching noses, and "meeehs" exchanged. Jedi came to the fence to stick his lips between the wooden slats of the rail and blow raspberries of welcome to the new ladies. He's such a "playa."

Ruby is still in milk. Our intention is to give her a couple of days to settle in and then, Sean will be on milk-duty again. We are going to try to keep her milking through December because she won't need to be dried off to be bred again this year. That means fresh milk, yogurt, chevre, and soap are again in our near future. Color these farmers EXCITED for that!

I took lots of footage, but it is too late tonight to edit and post. I will try to find time to add that over the weekend, though.

For tonight, we are so pleased to have added these ladies to our herd.
Thanks for stopping in, Friends!

Goodnight,
Sean and Sonja ♥

That's How...

The video speaks for itself. We MUST figure out how she is getting through the fencing without knocking it down before she hurts herself or someone attempting to return her the right field.



I knew Sean was holding down the wire. I had never witnessed him doing it. After seeing this, it became very clear what happened the day I broke my arm. I never knew what spooked Jasmine to gallop across the field, but seeing this made it crystal clear what happened. I was leading Jasmine, holding her lead rope and walking  with her. There was a very thin yellow wire laying on the ground. At the time, I considered the biggest danger, her getting tangled in it, but being so small and Jasmine's strides so wide, I thought it would be fine. If she somehow had gotten tangled, I would have her stop and remove it before telling her to "walk on". At the time, I thought she must have gotten stung by a bee or spooked in some other fashion. It wasn't until seeing this footage that I put two and two together.

I was still holding the lead rope when she took off. I let go, and avoided being dragged, but I landed with enough force to fracture the neck of my left humerus bone. That accident was a year ago November 2. It still aches and I am still working on recovering all of my mobility back on that side- though it is much better than it was and it is improving each week.

Goodnight, friends.
Sonja ♥

It must be Monday...

Okay, I know it is Friday today, but this week flew by!

The days are getting shorter, but our list of things needing to be done seems to be growing. This week, we have worked on more barn construction, returned Jasmine to her field EVERY morning this week (and still can't fathom how she is getting loose), tried to keep Pepper contained in at least one goat pasture (she, too, has decided to roam free), given all the goats their regular worm treatment, rescued and returned a found dog, rescued a wild pigeon with a broken wing, and arranged for a surprise which you will all read about either tomorrow or Sunday, depending. And, worked our regular jobs, helped the girls with writing talks they have been assigned to present Tuesday night at our Theocratic Ministry School meeting, not to mention all the other things that that must get done, like eating, bathing, and sleeping. I am tired just WRITING this. I am really looking forward to a quiet night home with nothing to do and all night to get it done in.


I may not have written all week, but I did snap some pictures and video of this week's happenings to share. I am putting together a video montage of the barn building work, so I will skip those pictures for now.

On Monday, I forgot my phone charger at home and had to call Sean to see if he would meet me to get it. I pulled into a gas station to wait. While there, I watched a clearly older black lab wander around outside, obviously lost. (The clerk reported that she had been out there for a couple of hours.) The poor thing was missing chunks of fur. When Sean arrived we decided to take her to our vet's office. We thought that they might recognize her, first of all. And, secondly before we brought her home with us, we wanted to make sure the missing patches of fur was not mange or something else equally unpleasant and contagious. It wasn't a disease, but an allergic reaction. No one recognized her, but they posted a "found dog" alert on their facebook page. We, also, called both the animal control officers in our area to report that we had found her and would keep her safe until the owners could be located. (It costs approximately $150 to get your dog back from the shelter here. I didn't want the owner to have to pay for her return.) After a flea treatment and new collar and $30 less in our bank account, Sean settled her at home and went to his work. Later that evening, the owner contacted us and we made arrangements to return her. She had gotten out unnoticed and they had been frantically searching for her all day. It was a happy reunion.





My Captivated Audience

It was worm treatment time for all the goats on Tuesday afternoon. They love the taste. The does were eager for their turn. Rachel pushed her head through the fencing to get a closer look and kept licking her lips in anticipation.

It was hilarious to see them all so completely focused on the bucks happily eating their dewormer from my hand. We use Dumor brand goat dewormer (Morantel Tartrate). I measured out the correct dose for each goat based on their weight. They will get a repeat dose in 2 weeks.

On Wednesday, Pepper decided that Jedi's attention was no longer wanted and escaped the buck enclosure to enjoy the back lawn and its variety of flowering plantings. I captured the wee besom and returned her to the doe enclosure. That lasted the night and Thursday morning, we woke to find the horse in the back field (again!) and Pepper chewing on feed in Jedi's stall. She escaped his pasture and greeted my car as I pulled into my parking spot in the yard. I returned her to the doe's pasture and Sean fixed where he thought she was escaping. We'll see how long that foils her.

 

I saw something flapping in the middle of the road as I approached the stop sign at the end of our road on Thursday on my way to work. It was a wounded pigeon that appeared to have a broken wing. The poor thing was bleeding and floundering around. Sean scooped it up, tucked its wing back into alignment and carefully slipped it into a canvas bag. Since I was on my way to Ellsworth, I took the bird with me to the Stanwood Sanctuary, where injured birds are rehabilitated and released (if they can be). I was concerned about the amount of blood lost and about the possibility it would become scared and injure itself more attempting to escape. Thankfully, it didn't and I delivered Pigeon to a helpful avian specialist who agreed to call and update me with the bird's diagnosis. As promised, he (I feel bad that I can't recall his name!) updated me that our pigeon friend had snapped the shoulder bone completely through. They set the bone as best as could be done to heal, gave Pigeon antibiotics, and closed the wound with some liquid band-aid. Pigeon was resting, eating, and it looks like he/she should live. But, Pigeon would probably never be able to fly again- even after healed. The sanctuary is a nice place, staffed with knowledgeable people, so he/she will have a good home, though it makes me a little sad that Pigeon has lost his ability to fly.

 

We have lots planned over the weekend and I will be sure to take lots of pictures of our adventure on Saturday. I am excited and can't wait to share it all with you.

 

Thanks for visiting today!

Sonja ♥ 

 

 

 



HOW???

This was the scene Sean and I found at 7 am this morning. If you look closely, you will notice Jasmine munching greens in the field... on the wrong side of her fence. What's more, the fencing wire is not down. Anywhere. So, either she had an accomplice to lower the fence and hold it for her while she walked over it, or she managed to hold it down and walk over it herself simultaneously. Or, perhaps, she perfected her teleportation skills.

Sean attempted to coax her back over the fencing with some grain and her ration of morning hay, but Jasmine merely stomped back and forth along the fencing unable to get back into her field on her own. Finally, Sean tromped across the field, heaved out the leaning post and laid it on the ground. Then, he held down the wire with his foot so Jasmine could safely walk over it.

Which leads me back to HOW???  Jasmine refuses to divulge her secret. Like how many licks to get to the center of a tootsie roll pop, the world may never know...

 

Have a great day, friends!

Sonja ♥

Farm Stands



Wild Turkeys Along the Road Side

Today was a much needed "day off" from work at both my paying job and from working around the house and farm. I planned to visit my daughter, Caitlin and enjoy some time visiting, shopping and eating lunch together. As usual, we had a lovely time browsing the stores to purchase the things on my list and a couple of other items that found their way into my buggy. But, on my way there and back, I stopped a couple of times to browse around at a few farm stands I found along the way. 

This stand in the Thorndike/Knox region is located on Route 137 just past the "Hill Top" store. Unfortunately, it seemed closed both times I passed today. Too bad! The various signs advertised lots of yummy offerings. I was interested in looking around. Undaunted, I continued towards Caitlin's home.



This little stand sat at the bottom of a driveway on Branch Mills Road in the small town of Palermo. A well kept, large "U" framed greenhouse to the right of it and a huge garden plot just across the road testified to the time and effort these folks put into planting and growing, tending and harvesting crops this year. This stand offered a variety of onions, squash, pumpkins, sweet peppers, hot peppers, and beets. 

 What impressed me more than the quality and variety of foods available was this hand written sign affixed to the back of the stand: "Please Pay What You Wish *** Pay What You Can *** Thanks!" and a metal honesty box fastened to it's side. This is where I live. It is not perfect, certainly. The days have passed where I could turn on the TV and still feel shocked to hear about a robbery, a murder, or another "bath salts" incident on the local evening news the way I would have in my teenage years. But, despite those growing concerns, Maine remains largely untouched by the world outside. In rural towns, neighbors know one another, doors are left unlocked, and items for sale are priced by your conscience and ability to pay for them.

Closer to our home, in the next town over, I pass North Branch Farm regularly when I drive through Monroe. Can I tell you how inspired I am by all they have accomplished in just a few years time??? It seemed that the fencing, cows, and sheep all popped up over night, but that is certainly not how easy it happened to the folks who are living there and making their dream a reality.

I am looking forward to following along their farm and orchard's adventures through their blog posts HERE. Reading about folk who have done what I want to do inspires me to continue to work towards reaching OUR dreams; of one day growing our farm to where it can support our family's food needs and those of some of our neighbors, too. To living a simple life of devotion to our faith, our family, and helping our neighbors. To remembering the value of finding contentment and living surrounded by less stuff and more people.



"No wind is the right wind when the port of call has not been chosen." I do not know who originally coined the phrase, but it is an adage that I think of regularly.

By this time next year, I want to offer for sale (or for barter) fresh, naturally grown produce from our garden at a little farm stand at the end of our driveway, guarded only by an honesty box.

 

The port has been selected, soon will be the time to set our sails and plot our course. For now, it is time for some sleep.

Good night, friends. Thanks for visiting with us today.
Sonja ♥

Something is Not Quite Right

It is the time of year where we must decide who to breed with whom. That choice is considerably hindered in that we have been unable to find a registered Lamancha buck to purchase. Which leaves Master Jedi as the only game in town. This is not completely undesirable in that the does we are breeding this year are not registered themselves. The best scenario is to increase the percentage of breed in their offspring by matching the does with a registered Lamancha buck. The kids born would be 75% Lamancha and 25% Boer or Saanen- depending on their respective momma. Breeding the does with Jedi will give us grade kids- not nearly so desirable in terms of the value and lineage of the kids, but the upside is that we will still have 3 does producing milk. And milk produces cheese and soap. We will not be expanding our herd with any of the kids born this spring; these must all be sold. So, unless we find a suitable buck immediately, it is better for our purposes to breed the does with Jedi so we can gain valuable milk than to wait another year without. 

Miss Pepper seems to understand this. We came home to find her escaped from her field and visiting the bucks in the other field. If Mohammad won't come to the mountain, what else is a doe to do but to take matters into her own hand hoof? She looked very confused about how she came to be in the wrong pasture, but we weren't buying her innocent act for a second.

Asher did not seem to mind the intrusion, nor was he interested in anything other than the potential rival for eating his hay. He is growing bigger by the day and will make a fine buck for Rachel and Leah in later years.

Jedi was very interested in l'amour. He was sniffing, curling his lip back, rolling his eyes, and acting the fool to win the affection of his intended. Pepper may be playing coy, but her tail flagging was missed by no one. Since Pepper seemed interested in Jedi's affection, we decided to let her enjoy them for a short while.

It is our intention to arrange dates for Jedi with Miss Rachel and Miss Leah this month. If all goes to plan, we are hoping to have the girls bred between November 22nd and December 24th. Our kids would be due 150 days later- between April 22nd and May 24th- in time for the weather to truly break here in Maine, the ground to drain from the showers of spring, and just before our Twomblys come north for the summer. Excellent timing all around!

Let's hope for lots of goat romance in the air in the months to come around the farm followed by the clop-clop-clop of tiny hooves this spring!

Have a great night!
Sonja ♥

And the Winner is...

After 3 days of grey, cold showers of rain here in Maine, the afternoon sun has finally chased away the last of the dark clouds to reveal a lovely crisp fall afternoon. I cannot begin to write how I needed this break in the weather. For one thing, we have things to do around here and the rain really gets in the way of that progress. For another, after a few days, my mood matches the dreary skies and I find it a challenge to make myself useful on the various projects that still can be done inside.

We broke down our resolve to save the starting of the wood stove until mid-October and had the first fire of the season laid in the new wood stove in the kitchen last night. The chill from the rain which had settled unwelcome into every crack of this house was no match for a cheery fire throwing off its much needed warmth. I am so thankful, yet again, for the capable men in my life. It is not a very large stove, but with the built in blowing fans, it put out a sufficient heat to make the kitchen and living room upstairs quite toasty warm.

Another issue with the rain is that it is miserable for our critters, especially the older, more susceptible hens. One of our 6-year old Rhode Island Red hens has been displaying symptoms of being ill. Her comb is pale. She is not eating as much as she should be and her tail end is on the messy side. Sean gave her a warm bath, cleaned and dried her. We moved her inside, gave her some extra vitamins and electrolytes in her drinking water, and a heating pad in her pen for added warmth. She is not ill with a respiratory sickness or dreaded Marek's, nor does she have mites or worms. Her crop is not impacted, nor is she egg bound. We hope she'll regain her strength and recuperate. But, we lose an older hen or two each fall/winter to age and that is always sad. It is comforting to know that we do the best we can for our critters to give them their best chance at a long, happy life and love them all the days they are with us. When something is amiss with our chickens, a couple of resources I visit are my backyard chickens or Down the Lane for information. She was eating when we left her tonight, which is good.

In happier news, it is time to draw the winner for our hand made quilt give away POSTED HERE. I wrote all the entry names (all 16- good odds, right???) onto slips of paper and folded them. Sean did the honors of drawing the winning entry. Drum roll, please....

And the winner is: Jackie Johnson who wrote:

"I really like the trellis pattern. I have never gotten up the courage to try quilting. I used to have a crazy quilt top my grandmother made as a child but, somehow, over the years it has been lost. Saddens me greatly as I think I know what happened to it. Life moves on..."
Congratulations, Jackie. Please send me an email with your address so I can send you your prize. The deadline for claiming your prize is 5 pm EST October 3, 2012.


We have been working more on finishing the lower floor of the barn. We finally have the windows framed out and are looking forward to installing them after sheathing the rest of the down stairs this week. Stay tuned for Barn Building Part 3 this weekend. ♥

Thanks for visiting, friends.

Sonja ♥

Blog Hop #4~ How Fun!

This is the first time I have tried this, but I saw it on one of my favorite blogs to read- Our Neck of the Woods, a couple days ago and it looked like a lot of fun. Click on the button above to see where it takes you!

Tonight, when I returned home, I was delighted to see that my garland had started popping open to reveal the bright red seeds. Most of the yellow outer shell was still attached. A spray of clear acrylic might seal them in to preserve them looking this way longer, I am hoping- worth a try anyway!

  

Bittersweet beginning to pop open.

Thanks for Visiting Today!

The Lally Broch Farm Family

Bittersweet Memories

Since fall is well and truly begun, I decided it was time to change our background to reflect the autumn colors around me. Enjoy!

Bittersweet berries.

 A dear friend of mine, Nancy, introduced me to  Oriental Bittersweet, a plant that grows in the wild here in Maine and other parts of the nation. It is potentially toxic, definitely invasive, and decidedly lovely. Once planted to help battle erosion along road sides, these vines are now being removed in many places, since they have adapted better than the native species, American Bittersweet. A relative in the Night Shade Family, all parts of this plant (especially the red seeds) are potentially poisonous to humans and animals, except perhaps birds- who seem to be able eat the seeds without an issue. I will not test this out on our beloved chickens, though!

"Oriental bittersweet is a vigorously growing vine that climbs over and smothers vegetation which may die from excessive shading or breakage. When bittersweet climbs high up on trees the increased weight can lead to uprooting and blow-over during high winds and heavy snowfalls. In addition, Oriental bittersweet is displacing our native American bittersweet (Celastrus scandens) through competition and hybridization." (Source Material: PCA Alien Plant Working READ MORE HERE.)


So with all the potential risk, why am I interested in Bittersweet? Like many decorators, the cheery orange yellow berries that pop open to reveal a bright red seed appeal to me. Since it grows as a vine, it is very easy to use to create lovely wreaths and braided garlands with and lasts for at least a year and sometimes longer. The garland I had braided shortly after our wedding in 2008 to decorate Grandma Re's hutch in the kitchen was in desperate need of replacing.

Hail the conquering Hero!

So, despite the threat of rain showers, my daughter Caitlin and her dog, Maggie and I all ventured to "our spot" to collect us a trunk full of Bittersweet yesterday. We left early in the morning and drove the hour to Brooksville. There we pulled onto a disused logging trail, pushed our way through the brush, and began to cut long pieces of branch and vines. It would have been very convenient if we found much of it growing low enough to harvest easily. Such was not the case. Most of what we found grew high enough that it took the two of us to get to it. Caitlin gently pulled down on the branch and I reached as far as I could to cut some away from as high up as I could reach. When we cut all we could reach relatively easily, we walked up the roadside and attempted to gather some while simultaneously avoiding both wickedly sharp thorns from a bush standing guard in front of it or toppling into the 6 foot-deep ravine winding behind it. A delicate balancing act that left us both covered with small punctures and scratches, but with my car's trunk full of wreath-making treasures.

Back at home, we spent the next couple hours immersed in the pleasant task of chatting together, removing all of the leaves and braiding the branches and vines into decorations. You can't make them wrong. It is all a matter of taste. I like mine to be loosely braided and very free flowing in design. I created one wreath and 2 garlands. Caitlin made two wreaths by twining the branches together to form circles. Twist garden ties work great to secure them in circle form until they are braided enough to hold the shape desired of them without the additional support. We were very careful to bag all the left-over, unused parts so we could safely dispose of them. I usually burn the parts I don't use in our fire pit. These were my finished pieces:

The berries start out a lovely orange-yellow color. Within a day or two, they pop open to reveal bright red seeds.

I am not versed in the use of medicinal plants, but when I was doing research for this post, I came across some interesting information about the medical usage for Oriental Bittersweet. According to THIS ARTICLE, it appears that besides its value as a decoration, other parts of the plant may have medicinal uses.

"Root: Tea made from root bark has emetic and diuretic properties and is a folk remedy for liver ailments, skin problems, leukorrhea, and rheumatism. Also, used to treat childbirth pain.

Bark: Bark used in ointment to externally treat burns and minor skin problems.

Leaves: Leaf tea is astringent and used for diarrhea and dysentery."
Source: Medical Plants- Bittersweet (link above)

I thought the article was interesting, but I think I will stick to using it as decoration for the now. 


Farm House Style Hop #2

Looking for some more adventures in DIY? Click on the button or link to see where it takes you!

Thanks for your visit today, friends.
Sonja ♥

Garlic Planting

Sonja removing Tomato plants and avoiding spiders.

It's that time of year again, when the gardens are completely harvested of their fruitage, the soil is amended and turned over in preparation for the spring's planting, and cloves of garlic are carefully sown.

This will be our first year growing garlic for ourselves. So, of course, we whipped out our copy of "The Vegetable Gardener's Bible" and read up on it. Garlic likes deep fertile soil, well drained with lots of organic matter mixed in. You plant in the fall about 6 weeks before the soil freezes. In Maine, that can be as early as September. In warmer regions, you may be able to plant up to early winter. We planted last weekend.

Cloves ready to be covered with 2 inches of  rich soil.

We purchased some garlic heads from the Brooks Farmer's Market and some from the Common Ground Fair last weekend. We wanted to plant between 70-80 cloves, but ended up planting 60 in our prepared bed. Planting is easy, separate out the largest cloves from each head and plant them 2 inches deep with the pointed end up. Before the ground freezes, top the bed with leaves or straw to help insulate the bulbs and to encourage worms to aerate the bed.

Wait... Wait....Wait.

All ready for some mulch in a few weeks.

In the spring, about when the first dandelion leaves appear, remove the mulch and add it to your compost pile. If you do not see see bright green shoots, you will very shortly. Weed as needed. You can plant lettuces  and beets in the same bed. These help to keep the soil cool. Do not plant garlic with beans or peas or in a bed previously used by any onion family crop. Remember to nip the buds when they appear to promote larger bulbs.

The garlic is ready to harvest in late summer. Look for the lower 2-3 leaves to turn yellow. Carefully push the soil back and if the garlic is ready, pull it up. Let the garlic cure with the greens attached until the skin are dry and the necks are tight. Laying the garlic on a screen in an airy, shady spot is ideal. This can take up to 2 weeks. When they are finished curing, you can store the garlic by braiding the tops or removing the greens and placing the bulbs in a cool, dry place. Garlic can be stored for 5-8 months.

My mouth is just watering for fresh garlic to flavor next year's goat cheeses, alfredo sauces, marinaras, and salsas... the list goes on and on.

When do you plant garlic in your zone? Have you grown garlic with success?

Thanks for visiting today!
Sonja ♥

Also shared with: Wildcrafting Wednesday #5

Common Ground

We love visiting the COMMON GROUND FAIR in Unity, Maine each fall along with thousands of others from across the country. No midway rides, no games to win a stuffed treasure, no side show acts to marvel at. Instead, you can expect three days of fine poultry, rabbit, and livestock showings, demonstrations on everything from spinning fiber to harvesting trees, every food vendor selling 100% completely organic foods from ice cream to tempura, sheep sausages to cheeses, pies, breads, you name it. It takes all day to wander all the tents and examine all the items offered for sale, but I promise you won't notice the time passing. We never do.

I was especially excited to visit the poultry area this year. Originally, we had considered showing some of our best ladies, but time got away from us and we never entered. No matter. This year, I was not only admiring the "Best of's", I was shopping. I was hoping to be able to purchase 3-4 Marans to expand and complete our flock for the year. I got as close as seeing a sign advertising some for sale, but sadly, the actual creatures were not represented this year. Although, there were many fine birds available for sale like the crested duck pictured, which absolutely delighted me- they were not the breed I was interested in, so we returned home chicken-less.

It was nice to meet Janice & Ken Spaulding who wrote the "Goat School" book I use frequently when I have questions. They have a ton of experience with goat farming, cheese, and soap making, which I appreciated. They are true farmers and are so successful (I have no doubt, in part) because of their sound business practices aimed at keeping their herd healthy and productive. While I enjoyed talking with them for a few minutes, it was quickly apparent to me that we have very different approaches to our farm practices. As silly and fiscally irresponsible as it probably seems to "real farmers", we will not practice culling our herd based on productivity. That is not the kind of farm I want to live on or work.

After a snack of organic handmade potato chips (So GOOD!) and a cup of limeade, Sean and I wandered over to watch the sheep dog demonstration for a while. It is always impressive to see what good, trained obedient farm dogs are capable of so we have something with which to compare our beloved and absolutely unsuitable farm dogs.

The day passed too quickly! Though the fair lasts for the entire weekend, we had only the time to go one day.

In an interesting turn of events, our friend Greg called Sean and asked if we might be interested in trading a young cockerel for three 1 year-old Rhode Island Red hens. He has too many hens for his coop to winter over, but wants to have a rooster so he can hatch out some chicks himself in the spring. We were quite pleased to make that trade. So, we ended up with 3 lovely new hens, anyway. They are to live in quarantine in an empty chicken tractor for the rest of this week and then, we will integrate them into our main coop if they are healthy and parasite free. They seem to be settling in just fine and already they have started laying for us!

We have been so busy with things that there has been no time or energy for writing about them! I will soon. Promise.

For now, thanks for visiting!
Sonja ♥