Frost and Father's Day

Happy Father's Day all!

I will start this post with an updated view from the milking stand.  No combine in the way - it's been moved to the hayshed.  It was pretty cloudy this morning but we ended up with some nice sun.

What a difference a week makes - in the buckwheat field anyway!   This was last Sunday:

 

And this is today!

 

And did you know that buckwheat sprouts are a tasty salad green?

 

 These sprouts will join the lettuce from greenhouse in my bowl for a few days until they are too big.

Just pretend you don't see the weeds in there.  Actually, some of those are edible too!

I hope that 2019 will be known as a weird weather year;  hopefully this is not our new normal! Thursday morning the thermometer read 33 degrees and we had FROST!

It was mainly on the rooftops and vehicles at our place.  We were fortunate - nothing killed in the garden or out in the pumpkin patch.  Some of our farmer friends did sustain damage, some quite extensive.

So, it's about time for a garden update.  I have indicated before in this blog that the garden is getting a make-over.  I just do not have time to maintain it and by the end of last season it more resembled an unmowed lawn than a garden.  I cannot give it up entirely, and I did not want to lose the footprint of good soil that I have built up.  So, we covered it up.  It's not done yet, but here is a photo from the south side.

The south fence was in need of some repairs, so it has been removed.  Kevin got in there with the big tiller behind the tractor and made short work of that grass.  Then we rolled out 3,600 square feet of landscapers fabric and brought in garden circles, straw bales, and containers.  Most everything is planted and the next step will be getting some mulch down to cover up the ugly black plastic.  There is a temporary fence up on the south side to keep the chickens out, and eventually the wooden fence will be put back up.  I have never gardened with straw bales before, so will update you later on this summer on how that goes.

Speaking of the chickens - the hens were confined to the summer coop-yard but the wind let them out one day and they now have the run of the place again.

I got a good photo of Cornish today.  Her legs reveal her age and I would say she is the oldest hen I have and in my opinion, the most beautiful.  Some of my old gals will be have to be culled this fall to make room for the pullets, but not Cornish, Rocky, or Barak.

The roses are just starting to bloom - and no beetles yet.  I wish you could smell them!

The wheat is getting pretty tall.  This is the winter wheat that was planted last fall with the no-till planter. 

We seem to have lost one poult; Peanut still has eleven to keep track of though.  She had them up in the winter coop-yard this morning - they are growing fast! 

I guess this is called a photo-bomb??? Getting pictures of the young goats is getting more and more difficult!

Until next time, be well friends!