Our five Nubian Dairy Goats were bred to a Boer Meat Goat late last fall and all of them presented us with a total of 8 beautiful cross-bred goat kids. They are all doing very well and so fun to watch as they run and jump.
We have 5 baby does and 3 baby bucks. All are for sale depending on when you want them. As meat goats and ready for processing they will not be ready until March next spring. If you are looking for outstanding meat goat breeding stock that can milk enough for caring for multiple babies they are available any time. Price depends on when you purchase them. One of the baby bucks is already sold.
All our foundation does were bred to produce well over a gallon of milk a day. You can't go wrong!!
Thomas Jefferson ordered the landscape at Monticello to create a "ferme ornée," or ornamental farm, combining function and beauty.
What's Available from Grandma Farmers Garden this week:
Greens (4-oz $2): Red Russian Kale, Arugula, Spinach Herbs (1-oz $2): Sage, Oregano, Chives (Garlic and Onion), Spearmint, Dill Weed, Cilantro, Flat Leaf Parsley, Lemon Balm Vegetables: Green Onions 6-8 bunch $2 Fruit: Rhubarb $3 per pound Farm Fresh Eggs (fed organic grains) $3 a dozen Grass-Fed Ground Beef $4.50 per pound Daylilies 6 fans for just $5
Email Us for pick-up. We do make daily trips to Omaha and ocassional trips to Lincoln where we can meet.
Reading Through the Bible In a Year
We are again attempting to read through the Bible this year. Just joining us or did you get behind? No matter and no need to play catch-up. Start where you are today and go forward.
Monday: Mark 13:32-37, 12 Cor 12:1-10, Psalms 107, 2 Samuel 1-2 Tuesday: Mark 14:1-11, 2 Cor 12:11-21, Psalms 108, 2 Samuel 3-4 Wednesday: Mark 14:12-31, 2 Cor 13, Psalms 109, 2 Samuel 5-7 Thursday: Mark 14:32-42, Galatians 1, Psalms 110, 2 Samuel 8-10 Friday: Mark 14:43-52, Galatians 2, Psalms 111, 2 Samuel 11-12 Saturday: Mark 14:53-65, Galatians 3:1-14, Psalms 112, 2 Samuel 13 Sunday: Mark 14:66-72, Galatians 3:15-29, Psalms 113, 1 Samuel 14-15
We also like to read a Proverb a Day corresponding to the day of the month. This month I am memorizing Psalms 32, could you memorize a Psalm?
This Weeks Meal Plan
Monday - Szechuan Orange-Ginger Beef with Rice (opt), Coconut Pudding with Fresh Strawberries
Tuesday - Chicken Noodle Casserole, Peas
Wednesday - Salmon with Asparagus, Rice (opt), glazed Carrots
Thursday - Tex-Mex Stir-Fry
Friday - Brocolli, Ham & Cheese Frittata
Saturday - Pizza, Super Salad
Sunday - Roast Pork Loin, Sweet Potatoes, Green Beans and Fried Apples
I've been cooking out of the WeightWatchers One Pot Cookbook these last couple of weeks.
Mission 101 Herbs That Heal
I have created a list of the plants and herbs in our yard, currently that have healing qualities.
Aronia
Basil
Blackberry
Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)
Calendula (Calendula officinalis)
Catnip
Cayenne
Chaomile
Cilantry
Currants
Dandelion
Dill
Echinacea (Purple Cone Flower)
Feverfew
Gooseberry
Hollyhock
Horehound
Hyssop
Juniper
Lavender
Lemon Balm
Linden Tree (European Basswood)
Mullein
Oregano
Oxeye Daisy
Parsley
Peppermint
Plantain
Raspberry
Red Clover
Rosemary
Rugosa Rose
Sage
Spearmint
Sunflower
Thyme
Violet
This means I only have 64 more plants/trees/shrubs to propigate. (Chuckle) This also means I get to create more beds to plant all these wonderful and beautiful plants. There's nothing like edible landscape, incorporate all these wonderful plants into your landscape and make them your 'flower' beds. We will discuss two plants a week.
BASIL - Bet you thought this was just a culinary herb. Not so! Basil is an excellent digestive system support herb. Basil enjoys full sun and well drained soil. It loves to be next to any kind of peppers and tomatoes and often is said to enhance their flavor when Basil is nearby.
BLACK EYED SUSAN - These beautiful, happy flowers do well in full sun and will grow in just about any soil type. It is said to repel insect when planted with feverfew, licorice, or hyssop. Black-eyes Susans attract birds of many kinds into the garden. Roots may be dug in spring or fall. Leaves may be gathered by handpicking or with snips any time. Used mainly as a herbal diuretic so should NOT be used in pregnancy. It is also used occasionally to support heart health and for women's health concerns. It is used as an Infusion or a traditional tincture.
BEWARE: This plant can be toxic to your pets!
Grain Free Brownies
I'm going to send you to a different blog for my new favorite recipe for brownies. Hubby says they actually taste like brownies.....really chocolatey. Espresso Fudge Brownies
Do the eggs you buy have bright yellow yolks and stand up tall in the frying pan or are they pale and runny?
Here's the difference:
Commercial Eggs are kept in small cages stacked on top of each other all their lives. They lay their eggs on the wire and the egg rolls out the bottom and onto a conveyer or other contraption to gather the eggs. Workers go through several times a day and remove the dead chickens who normally have very short life spans. They are fed the cheapest grains possible that also contain antiobotics and chemicals like arsinec so that they stay awake longer and keep laying.
On the small farm a free-range hen is allowed some outside time to roam, eat bugs and dig in the dirt/grass. Cage-Free means that they do not spend their lives in a tiny cage 24/7. Many small farms have a variety of methods of allowing their hens to spend time out doors and to live a more 'normal' chicken life. This all depends a great deal on the preditor situation the farmer may have on his farm.
So why are these eggs more expensive?
First of all, they lay fewer eggs because they are not stimulated to lay more than God originally created them to lay. They also tend to lay the eggs everywhere so they are sometimes harder to find.
They are probably fed some outstanding organic and/or transitional grains like here on our farm. Organic grains are not cheap but they are higher in nutritional value and are not Genetically Modified like all the grain in a commercial feed.
Don't be fooled, however, by the words 'free-range' or 'cage free' when found on your grocers shelf. Since there is no regulations on these two words, unfortunately, some large eggs factories will push the envelope and cheat the system any way they can to get the most profit possible even though their defination of those words are far from the definition understood by discerning food buyers.
This is why Grandma Farmer encourages you to purchase as much of your food as possible from local farmers that you know and trust.
So why bother driving further to buy a dozen eggs for $3 plus when you can purchase them for $.95? Primarily you'll know that your eggs are fresh. Most farmers will label their eggs with a 'gathering' date. Eggs in stores are generally 2-4 weeks old when you purchase them. Thus, the buzz word, "farm fresh". Here are some additional reasons:
GMO (Genetically Modified Grain and Foods) are dangerous and not the healthy alternative Monsanto is pushing on you. Read my recent post on the issue! There are plenty of books and articles on the net on this issue. Become aware and push for Labeling of GMO foods like other countries and don't eat GMO foods. Many countries now refuse to purchase food from the US because of the GMO issue. They don't allow Monsanto to shove their seeds down their throats and have banned them from their countries (i.e. Peru and other countries).
Recently, Mother Earth News did an egg study comparing free-range eggs to
the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) nutrient data for commercial eggs.
The findings showed that free-range chicken eggs produced the following
results: • 1/3 less cholesterol • 1/4 less saturated fat •
2/3 more vitamin A • 2 times more omega-3 fatty acids • 3 times
more vitamin E • 7 times more beta-carotene
Free-range eggs contain 70% more vitamin B12 and 50% more folic acid (British Journal of Nutrition, 1974).
Greek free-range eggs contain 13 times more omega-3s than U.S. commercial eggs (Simopoulos, The Omega Diet, 1988).
Pasteurized eggs are higher in vitamin E and omega-3s than those obtained from battery-cage hens (Animal Feed Science and Technology, 1998).
Free-range eggs are 10% lower in fat, 34% lower in cholesterol, contain 40% more vitamin A, and are 4 times higher in omega-3s than standard U.S. battery-cage eggs, and free-range chicken meat has 21% less fat, 30% less saturated fat, and 50% more vitamin A than that of caged chickens (Gorski, Pennsylvania State University, 1999).
Free-range eggs have three times more omega-3s and are 220% higher in vitamin E and 62% higher in vitamin A than eggs obtained from battery cage hens (Karsten, Pennsylvania State University, 2003).
Many bakers will use strictly Farm Fresh Free-Range Eggs because they will get more rise in their batters than their commercial counter part
Whether you have to pay $3 or $4 for a nutrient dense dozen of eggs, you can see it is well worth the effort. Even at these prices it is still a healthy, reasonably priced protein for your family. Additionally, you help to keep the small farm alive!
From the lowly cow we get two things, great red meat full of vitamins and minerals not found in any other source and milk. The problem in the last 100 years has been what man has done to these poor creatures that have resulted in diseases in not only the cows themselves but in the people who consume the products.
It Doesn't Have to Be That Way
Most people say that meat is meat, so why should I pay more for meat from grass-fed animals (chickens, lamb, goat, pork and beef)? Another question is, "What do you mean by nutrient dense?"
Something rather serious has occured in the last hundred years that has changed meat in a dramatic way. Farmers started giving grain to cows and sheep and shutting these animals plus chickens and pigs up in small pens or buildings. While it's okay to give chickens grain because they have a gizzard to grind it up, for the other animals grain is not natural.
Many years ago I had a friend who was one of the officers of the Nebraska Beef Board. We were discussing the high incidence of E-Coli in beef. I shared with her that I believed that the problem was primarily because farmers were feeding and/or finishing their beef with high grain diets. She confided with me that the USDA Meat Animal Research Center in Clay Center, Nebraska actually did a study that no one on the Beef Board wanted to publish. It seems that when the Research Center withdrew grain from beef for the last 90 days before processing that the incidence of E-coli found in the meat was almost non-exhistant.
Why is that? Well, I believe, that because God created Cows, Goats, Sheep and Pigs with multiple stomachs, they were to primarily eat grass. What happens when they are fed grain? They gain extra fat for one thing, but primarily it messes up their digestive system. When the animal gains lots of fat it means more money in the farmers pocket. Now I'm a farmer and I could personally use more money in my pocket but I don't think it should be at the expense of my animals or the consumer.
What concerns me most is how it messes with the animals body systems. As humans we have a stomach to mush up the food, a small intestine to remove all the nutrients it can get out of the food and a large intestine to push out the unused portion along with any toxins the body has removed from whatever we've eaten or come into contact with. If something goes out of wack with this system we get sick. Sometimes this system gets so sick that it actually will leak toxins back into the body and we get even sicker.
This is the same thing that happens when a rudimentary animal eats grain. It messes up his system so that he gets sick, thus toxins remain in his system and actually can leak toxins into the muscles and other parts of his body. I feel like it is of primary importance to warn you now that the liver of any animal that is NOT grass fed should NEVER be eaten because of the high toxic load in that liver.
Equally important is the nutrient dense issue. The difference between grass-fed and grain-fed is dramatic.
Grass-fed meats tend to be much lower in total fat than grain-fed meats. A perfect example: Take a sirloin steak from a grass-fed beef. It has about one-half to one-third the amount of fat as the same cut from a grain-fed animal. When meat is this lean it can actually lower your LDL Cholesterol levels.
The bonus is that because grass-fed meat is so lean, it is also lower in calories. Fat typically has 9 calories per gram, compared with 4 calories of protein and carbohydrates. Of course, the more fat contained in the meat means a greater number of calories. Thus, a 6-oz grass-fed steak has almost 100 fewer calories than the same size steak from a grain-fed animal. Jo Johnson of Rain Crow Ranch says, "If you eat a typical amount of beef (66.5 pounds a year), switching to grassfed beef will save you 17,733 calories a year—without requiring any willpower or change in eating habits. If everything else in your diet remains constant, you'll lose about six pounds a year. If all Americans switched to grassfed meat, our national epidemic of obesity would begin to diminish." There are several bonus' to discuss. We've already discussed that grass-fed beef is low in the 'bad' fats but did you know that it give you 2-6 times more of the good fat called "omega-3 fatty acids." When a person has good amonts of omega-3's in their diet they tend to have lower blood pressure, are less likely to have serious heart attacks, be afflicted with depression, ADD or Alzheimer's. Omega-3's can also reduce your risk of cancer. Reason? Omega-3's are formed in the green leaves of plants. Sixty percent of the omega-3 found in grass is called alpha-linlenic or LNA.
Jo Johnson proclaims, "Switching our livestock from their natural diet of grass to large amounts of grain is one of the reasons our modern diet is deficient in these essential fats. It has been estimated that only 40 percent of Americans consume a sufficient supply of these nutrients. Twenty percent have levels so low that they cannot be detected. Switching to grassfed animal products is one way to restore this vital nutrient to your diet.
The meat and milk from grassfed ruminants are the richest known source of another type of good fat called "conjugated linoleic acid" or CLA. When ruminants are raised on fresh pasture alone, their milk and meat contain as much as five times more CLA than products from animals fed conventional diets.12
CLA may be one of our most potent defenses against cancer.
In laboratory animals, a very small percentage of CLA --- a mere 0.1 percent of total calories ---greatly reduced tumor growth.13 Researcher Tilak Dhiman from Utah State University estimates that you may be able to lower your risk of cancer simply by eating the following grassfed products each day: one glass of whole milk, one ounce of cheese, and one serving of meat. You would have to eat five times that amount of grainfed meat and dairy products to get the same level of protection. There is new evidence suggesting that CLA does reduce cancer risk in humans.
In a Finnish study, women who had the highest levels of CLA in their diet, had a 60 percent lower risk of breast cancer than those with the lowest levels of CLA.
Switching from grainfed to grassfed meat and dairy products places women in this lowest risk category.Vitamin E In addition to being higher in omega-3s and CLA, meat from grassfed animals is higher in vitamin E. In humans, vitamin E is linked with a lower risk of heart disease and cancer. This potent antioxidant may also have anti-aging properties. Most Americans are deficient in vitamin E."
So when we say nutrient dense, that is exactly what we mean. You will find more nutrients per ounce in products from a grass-fed animal than their factory produced counter parts.
I know a lot of you have complained about the higher cost of grass-fed vs grain-fed and I hope now you understand more why it is better for you to pay the extra to purchase products from animals that are healthy and can actually make you healthier.
The NY Times best selling author, Jo Robinson, has an informative book "Why Grassfed is Best!" on the benefits of grassfed beef. She has done a great service educating America about this healthy beef and her book is a "must have" in your library of health books. Please visit her web site at www.eatwild.com to purchase the book and learn more about this healthy beef.
Creating a menu for one or two people is a challenge. Some of us are elderly, some are single and loving it, some have empty nests after cooking for 4, 6, 8 or more.
For me I meet a couple of those criteria. We had a large family that hung around for quite some time and suddenly left kind of all at the same time. Additionally I took care of three of my grandchildren for a time which cushioned the blow.
As you know cooking for one or two can be..........well...........rather uneventful. There is just something different about sitting down to a table a happy, busy voices all trying to tell tales of their day all at once to the small section of the table alone or with one other person. Don't get me wrong, I love my husband and I love having him with me. I want to please him with my meals and yet deal with my issue of being gluten-intollerant at the same time.
At any rate, I want to share with you how I go about creating meals for the two of us when we
Don't want a ton of left-overs (I swear we could eat for a week on some recipes)
Don't want to throw away a lot of food because you just don't use the whole bag of veggies, etc
Do want to create healthy yet taste foods that makes a person want to eat
Can't afford to always eat out or buy convience food
We do work with leftovers...........
When cooking for one or two there is aways left-overs. What can you do to work with those creatively? We purchased some glass one serving dishes with lids. I have an issue with using to much plastic but not only for the planet. I just don't think using a lot of plastic is good for a person, especially if you heat up things in a microwave. The plastic has to get into the food. So I prefer the glass.
If I cooking a meal that I know I'm going to have left-overs I'll have the bowls ready. I will put one serving the the bowl, label the top with what is in it and rewarming directions and put it in the freezer or refrigerator. My husband works 4 days a week. He takes four of these bowls to work with him every week and uses them for lunches. I will keep some of them for my lunches and we're set. Neither of us will get caught missing a meal because we didn't have time to go buy lunch or just didn't want to round something up for one person.
This plan also works well if you are caring for elderly parents. Do you have parents living alone or just the two of them and you notice they aren't eating well? Why not make this plan, label each meal with day, etc. Create a written plan for them to follow and check up with them to make sure they are following the plan.
How I plan my menus...................
I have studied alternative medicine, our food as medicine and more for a good many years. This gives me a head start and I plan to start sharing some of this with you in the weeks ahead so that you can make informed choices for your families. My peditrican appreciated my approach of family self care until and when he was needed for things that were above and beyond my ability. He actually was a wonderful physician who spoiled me for others who didn't/don't understand and/or appreciate my approach. Actually what I had learned was the ebb and flow of the old paths and I followed them well.
When I approach my meal plan there are several things I will take in account.
I can't afford to eat entirely organic on our limited budget. When I can garden it is a big help and grow all my produce orgnically. We raise our own beef, goat (chevon and milk) and chicken (meat and eggs) using organic grains only when necessary preferring grass for feed. This is a luxoury that we can count on for now but know there will come a time when that won't be available to us. I'm hoping by then, since I've been proving food for my children and their families from our excess that some of them will, in turn, provide that for us when we are no longer capable.
When I can't raise something myself I choose which items that I know would be the worst as far as the amount of pesticides and herbicides used on the product and purchase the worst offending to buy organic. This means that all root crops will be purchased organic, as well as greens and cole crops plus apples and a few others like citrus fruits that I'm going to be using the peel on.
PORTION SIZES
We have learned that we eat to large of portions. Actually, what needs to be learned is to scale the portion sizes to the age of the person and the amount of exercise that he/she does. When we worked harder as we gardened a four acre market garden, cared for a herd of goats, dairy cows, beef cows, and a moderate flock of sheep we needed larger portions and even then I think we ate to much as evidenced buy our extra pounds. Now that we've scaled back on physical labor we've scaled way back on portion sizes and have be shedding those extra pounds.
Additionally we eat much to large portions of meat compared to vegetables and then finally fruits. If our plates are comprised of primarily a highly nutritious form of protein (about 3 ounces) and about twice that amount of some good vegetables (low in carbohydrates as potatoes and starch) our meal is fairly complete. We reserve fruits to snacks and desserts.
Planning Meals Wisely.................
My primary plan for wise meal planning is choosing main dishes and sides that use some of the same ingredients so I'm being a good steward of the Lord God's provisions. Do I have to buy a bag of Organic Baby Spinach that I know I won't use up if I'm only planning one dish for the whole bag? No I plan on other dishes that I will make so that the bag is completely used up.
I plan parishable vegetables wisely also. I buy some celery and chop it up and freeze it. Same with peppers, onions and even mushrooms. That way I'm not throwing away a bunch of vegetables for going bad (although my laying hens do enjoy that). I have found that if I take my menu that is carefully planned on Friday, do my shopping and then do my meal prep for all those meals on Saturday that I not only save time on daily meal preperations but reduce my food budget at the same time.
One last thing that is very important. We take advantage of seasonal produce. More on that later.
Now it's time to share this next weeks menu, I'll share more basics as the weeks go on........
Saturday: Grilled Pork Chops, Potato Salad, Spicy Carrot Coins (some of the kids are coming and they'll bring other things.
Friday: Hamburgers (Mike will have a bun and I will not), Sweet Potato Fries for me and regular fries for Mike (I bake these from scratch), Super Salad
Two 'winter' tornados hit North Platte, Nebraska last night destroying homes, knocking trains off the tracks and injuring at least two people.
Please, Please pray for all the people affected by the storms!
I'm sure people are walking around numb this morning and the real damage will not be seen until it gets light out today.
Tomorrow is the first official day of spring. It seems that we've had a little taste of early summer in the last couple of weeks. I hope we are not going to get hit by late frosts. I planted like a crazy woman this weekend. Got all my potatoes in, some green onions, lettuce, Kale, Chard, Mesclin Mix, Turnips and more. This morning I'm going to run out and plant the Beets I didn't get in yet....it's suppose to rain off and on all week. Perfect timing!
I was thinking quilting on Saturday when I was planting and I planted one of my 4x8 foot beds in Quilt fashion! I can't wait until it comes up so I can show you what I did......I can't wait until I see what I did. LOL
My Harvest Moon Over the Mountain quilt blocks have been started. I was inspired by our last Prayers & Quilts meeting so I picked up the material. Of course, what I wanted wasn't in 'the stash'. I've got to work on my Mystery Quilt for my Nebraska City guild this week also so it will be a quilting party all week long. I'll post pictures on the Facebook page as we go along so if you haven't liked Grandma Farmer on facebook, you better do it today or you'll miss out.
We are getting a new buckling tomorrow. Making the trip to Topeka to pick him up. His mother is an OUTSTANDING milker and we are very thankful to Goddard Farms for sharing him with us.
His name will be Goddard Farms Jared and will be the proud pappa of most of our 2013 kids. He is one of the brown kids pictured.
We have Boer Meat Goat kids due to be on the ground in May and ready for processing in March 2013. Order early as we already have two reserved.
We will have Fresh, Raw Goat Milk available June through December. Supplies might be limited so get your spot soon! Milk will be $3.50 a half gallon.
Visit FOOTSTEPS BEHIND ME soon and see if I'm researching any of your (our) family sir names!
I've been building this blog and expect to begin blogging on it by the end of the week. It's been difficult to get all the pages complete so I can share with you what directions we are going with these first 5 generations to be compliled in a book with the above name and published (hopefully) in 2015.
The picture posted here is of Aquilla Hall, a popular Stella, Nebraska figure in the 1800's. Aquilla love young people and worked with and for them. He was also popular among the adults and served in public office in Nemaha County.
Aquilla, is a handsome dude with crystal blue eyes. He is Mike's 4th Great Maternal Grandfather.
WINNER!!!!
We are excited to announce that Erin S. is the winner of our last give-away! She gets a free $15 gadget from PLEASANT HILL GRAIN. Congrat's Erin! Special thanks for Pleasant Hill Grain of Aurora, Nebraska for participating in our kick-off give-away! No give away's this week but watch for special announcements and a new give-away next week!
As usual watch this week for some new and marvelous Gluten-Free Recipes from
Happy Broiler Chickens out on grass! We've moved our broiler chicks into the chicken tractor. The weather is marvelous and inspite of them not being quite feathered out we've moved them to their new home.
The chicken tractor will be moved once and usually twice a day so they can pick at the grass and find bugs in the dirt. They'll receive plenty of fresh air, fresh water and sunshine.
I could hear them peeping happily all the way up to the house. If you would like to purchase some of our marvelous broilers contact us for details.
Today I'm going sit down with some lovely Orchid Oolong tea and ramble a bit about life with Grandma Farmer in her gardens an flower beds.
I don't know if you noticed but I've been off my game for a while. Last year I had two knees replaced and it wiped out my immune system. The last 4-5 weeks I've been sick with one thing or the other and ended up totally dehydrated. I'm finally feeling better. I've also decided to start a totally seperate BLOG for my geneology studies and I'm consumed with getting it up and going. Lot's of organizing of the site to get up (top pages) before I can start the blogging on that site. www.FootstepsBehindMe.blogspot.com
The ground was to cold the other day to plant anything. The weather is exceptional and I really want to garden!!! We've been working on the beds. A couple of years ago I set out an awesome raised bed system for my garden. We purchased a large roll of greenhouse fabric and rolled it out, pinned it down and then set the beds out on it. We did open the areas below the beds and then filled the beds with organic soil, compost, and manure. The beds have settled a bit so I'm adding more manure and dirt to some of them.
I am going to take my trusty soil thermometer out today and see just what temperature the soil is. I have potatoes ready for planting and some onion sets plus I still want to plant my greens!!!! Surely it will be time soon with the warm temps. In the meantime, I'm sowing seeds indoors in my flats. Brocolli, cabbage, tomatoes, peppers and flowers........tons and tons of flowers...flowers for cutting and bringing indoors. Some of the extra goodies will be sold off the farm and through www.nebraskafood.org again this year.
My goal is to finish filling in the flower beds in the front of the property. Across the front road we set a fence. On the outside of the fence we've planted lilac bushes. On the inside we've set Iris and Peonies with a large group of Rhubarb in the center. As fill I will be planting annuals and perenials.
I moved the Roses to behind the house last fall. Between them I've planted all my garlic and moved all my chives. I will also be adding some Perinal plants to these beds......mostly herbs and the like since it's by the back door and closer to my kitchen. This bed will be backed with a white picket fence this year.
The Poppy/Daisy bed was established around our light pole and some Mock Orange Bushes last fall and I'm excited to see it bloom this year. As I child I remember the poppy bed my Aunt Lovenia had around her propane tank. Beautiful! And, I've always loved daisies!
I'm expanding my Echnicea (purple cone flower) bed to the full length of the fence row in front of the Chicken house this year. Actually some of the Echnicea will be ready to dig and make medicinals from the roots this year. My Blackberries are on the back side of this row. We love eating the berries and making tea from the leaves.
The bed on the north side of the house is being removed and I hope to finish that this year and get the Ferns and Lily of the Valley established. The people before us put a raised bed up past the siding on the house.....an invitation for termites. The South House shade bed needs to be finished this year also.
The old fashioned Spirea bushes I planted around the front porch are growing nicely and will be beautiful once they are big and the rails are installed around the front porch of the house.
Lots to do and can't wait to get it all established. My friend, Yolanda, is picking me up today and we are going to Menards in Lincoln. I'm hoping to pick up a gate kit for my picket fence. Can't start the fence until I see how the gate fits in it, right? LOL
I'll post these same pictures later when everything is pretty!
I think one of the most confusing things for me when I seriously started gardening was figuring out the different between determinate and indeterminate. It's kind of like when you are a kid (or later) and you have to remember which is your left and and which is your right. LOL
Like remembering which hand is which, knowing the difference in tomatoes will help you emensly in choosing the right tomato for different applications. The difference in these plants has nothing to do with flavor but it does have everything to do with choosing the right plant for the right location and the length of growing and producing times.
Determinate tomatoes are perfect for container gardening because they tend to grow as a bush. Take a careful look at the length of these tomatoes growing time. Reason? They will give you a burst of tomatoes during a given period of time and then they will be done. For this reason it's a good idea to choose several different varieties for early, mid and late season tomatoes or actually plant in succession. These plants do well in the upside down method of growing or, as I said before, in containers.
If you want a plant this will give you tomatoes all season long and you want to just depend on this fellow then choose an indetermanite tomato variety. Be prepare to stake or cage this fellow because he will continue to grow and vine all over the place. These guys can be rather unruly. When tying them to your supports remember to attach them loosely as the vines also grow wider as they grow older and you don't want to choke the vine off.
When you purchas your tomatoes Determinate tomatoes will often be marked DET and Indeterminate with INDET. Most heirloom tomatoes are indeterminate but I was fortunate to find some heirloom seeds that were actually determinate for my hanging tomato pole this year. My dear hubby kindly moved my pole closer to the house so I can water them more frequently.
So you see, anyone can grow a tomato plant whether in a regular garden or a container. They like LOTS of sun and now you can choose the variety of tomato that will best suit your application.
We raise our own laying hens. Why? Have you ever sat and listened to a bunch of happy hens as they sing? They tell you when they are happy. They are silent when they are not. No cages for our little red girls. They run in their 15 x 20 foot house, all 15 of them. We hope to add some Aracanas soon too. The red girls lay some beautiful brown eggs. The Aracanas are a weird breed. They are all different colors and lay shades of green. Either way these ladies lay some beautiful eggs that stand up in the pan and make my baked goods stand up better than anything you can buy from the store, organic or not.
Speaking of organic. We feed our girls the best. They get nothing but organic or transional grains. Why? NO GMO for us, but that's another article. They have the free run of their house and the enclosed run that's as big as their house. Why a run? Well these are young girls and they don't know about the nasty preditors that live around our house. A racoon, skunk, fox or even a possom or black snake would love free access to these little girls and their eggs. We do let them out when they are older to run around and eat bugs for a few hours every day. That's what chickens to best, eat grasshoppers and other bugs and scratch around in the manure piles moving them around and eating the worms that are busily composting that manure so I can add it to the garden once it's spent a couple of years cooling off. These girls love running after any bug that dares show himself and scratch in the grass too!
Right now our girls are just starting to lay little pullet eggs. These eggs are just the cutest little things and oh are they tastee!
Understanding the Lingo:
“Free Range,” “Cage Free,” “Organic”…what does it all mean? Marketing labels are perhaps the most confusing part of this whole “eating healthy” game. So what do the various terms you see on the packages mean?
Conventional (i.e., no special label) – Typically less than half a square foot of space per hen, giving not even enough room to spread their wings.
Cage Free – As it says, the hens are able to move about inside a barn without being confined to cages. A better life, but not optimal as parts of beaks are often burned to prevent pecking at themselves and others (a sign of distress, by the way).
Free Range – Implies chickens on lush green pastures. Actually is not a regulated term for eggs so this can be used by absolutely anyone. Really all that’s needed is a door to the outside that gives the chickens “access” to an outdoor area, whether they actually use it or not. This is a meaningless term.
Organic – This means the hens were fed organic feed, whatever that feed consists of. I think it also means no animal by-products in the feed.
Vegetarian – The hen is fed a vegetarian feed. I only mention this to point out that chickens are omnivores, not vegetarians, and will naturally eat bugs, grubs, etc. This term is used to imply “healthier” in our anti-meat culture.
Understanding the difference between organic, free range eggs vs traditional eggs:
I was passed two articles from Mother Earth News regarding the nutrition of truly pastured eggs versus the eggs the USDA uses for its tests. Care to see what the results were?
1/3 less cholesterol
1/4 less saturated fat
2/3 more vitamin A
2 times more omega-3 fatty acids
3 times more vitamin E
7 times more beta carotene
4 to 6 times as much vitamin D
How did they get this info? Mother Earth News says, "These amazing results come from 14 flocks around the country that range freely on pasture or are housed in moveable pens that are rotated frequently to maximize access to fresh pasture and protect the birds from predators. We had six eggs from each of the 14 pastured flocks tested by an accredited laboratory in Portland, Ore."
Right now we don't have enough of these 'incredible eggs' to let you purchase some from us. It won't be long though before we have more than the two of us can eat, then we'll have some available to our neighbors and friends. My guess is that we are looking at $3.50 a dozen for REALLY FRESH, organic, free-range eggs. DELISH!
If you are on the fence about being willing to pay more for meat products that are raised organic or by local farmers raising grass-fed meat products, you may not be after reading this.
We raise our own meat products or buy directly from local growers that we know. Why? Have you ever heard the term FRANKENMEATS? That's what you have folks. I've been saying it for 25 years or so and now the truth is finally being made known.
Do You Know What You Are Eating?
Are your steak, chicken nuggets, or other meats glued together?
First of all I hope you realize that ground beef contains the meat from hundreds of animals from different parts of the world, but few of you would ever suspect that the same can be true for prime cut steaks! Well, that's possible through the use of so-called meat glue, used to "super-glue" small chunks of meat together that are too small to sell, and passing it off as prime cuts...
Why? It's easy to understand, economics. If the producer can fool you he gets more money! Period!
According to Dr Mercola, "Meat glue is an enzyme called transglutaminase. Some meat glues are produced through the cultivation of bacteria, while others are made from the blood plasma of pigs and cows, specifically the coagulant that makes blood clot.
When sprinkled on a protein, such as beef, it forms cross-linked, insoluble protein polymers that essentially acts like a super-glue, binding the pieces together with near invisible seams. The glue-covered meat is rolled up in plastic film, followed by refrigeration. Some manufacturers have gotten so proficient in the practice that even an expert butcher can't tell the difference between a piece of prime beef and one that's been glued together with bits and pieces of scraps!"
Meats that may be glued together include beef, lamb, imitation crab, chicken, fish products (such as fish balls), pork (ham, etc) and processed meats. It's even more interesting that Ajinomoto, the company producing 'meat glue', is also the same company that gives us Aspartamane. Now ban in the EU 'meat glue' is still used in the United States.
Dr Mercola further states, "According to the featured report, the bacterial contamination of meat glued steak is hundreds of times higher than a solid piece of steak! Hence, if you cook your steak rare, which is the healthiest way to cook your meat, you're at a much greater risk of contracting food poisoning."
If all this isn't enough now we have...........................
70% of the Ground Beef sold in the US contains Pink Slime
The ABC News has recently exposed the amazing story of PINK SLIME.
According to Carl Custer, the product is not really beef, but “a salvage product … fat that had been heated at a low temperature and the excess fat spun out.”
Now mass meat manufactures gather meat trimmings, normally used in pet foods, Next, the mixture is sent through pipes where it is sprayed with ammonia gas to kill bacteria. The process is completed by packaging the meat into bricks. Then, it is frozen and shipped to grocery stores and meat packers, where it is added to most ground beef.
What about the other 30% of the ground beef sold in the US? That meat is either sold as organic or purchased as grass-fed meats from LOCAL farmers.
Now we are going to give you the scoop on
CHICKEN AND TURKEYS
In my opinion one of the worst meats you can buy in the grocery these days is chicken. It is one of the most adulterated meats in the store!
Laced with residues and other products deliberately added to enhance flavor, you would greatly enhance your over-all health by switching to local, small farm, pastured poultry.
Pastured poultry is actually going to help you enhance your health vs tax your immune system with toxins you need to rid your body of.
Check out this great video by Dr Oz on what's really going into your store bought, industrially raised chicken. Be sure you watch all three videos. Another important note, not mentioned on these videos, is the mass butchering of chickens. Mass butcherers will dress the chickens and throw them in huge vats, sometimes not even before washing to cool the chicken down. These chickens then absorb the liquid in this 'manure' vat into the meat. Yumm
The Bottom Line
The bottom line is KNOW WHERE YOUR FOOD COMES FROM. Sorry to shout but I've been telling people this for 25 years! Purchase Pasture Raised Poultry from a local grower. Ask them how the poultry is raised, fed AND processed, don't just assume.
Most of all realize that Local producers are not trying to gouge you by charging higher prices for their products. It really does cost more to raise a product that is worth eating.
Believe it or not Thanksgiving takes real planning at our house and today I ordered our Thanksgiving Turkey.
You can order your Thanksgiving Turkey today too! We are going to be raising our own Thanksgiving Turkey this year. This means we'll be raising an entire flock of these delish beauties. Nothing is better than a grass feed, pasture fattened turkey to impress your family and friends.
CONTACT US if you live within your comfortable driving distance of the Nebraska City area. Your bird will be ready for pick-up the first week or so in November. We will dress your bird and have it ready for you. Cost will be $2.95 per pound. The birds will recieve some grain in addition to all the bugs and grass they can eat. They will weigh around 12-16 pounds. A $10 reservation fee will be required when you order your Turkey. It's easy to order! Just use Paypal, we'll tell you how. Reservations for 2012 Turkeys must be in to us before May 1st. We are raising a limited number of birds so order early.
P.S. We are also raising a few extra chicken broiler/fryers for our friends and neighbors this summer also. Could that be you?
