Producing Food

Finally we are seeing some food production! The garden has been doing well, with the help of some home made manure tea. I put a garbage bin in the corner with a pile of manure in the bottom. I filled it with water and after a few days it was ready to use. I keep a small pail and a ladle nearby and fertilize the plants once a week. After I use some of the manure tea (sounds nicer than poopy water!) I refill the garbage pail with more water so that it sits for the next week. It's working for me.

The peas are all ready, the kale is taking over, and the lettuce is big enough to pick. I pulled a few carrots but they aren't quite big enough. The tomatoes a popping out all over and I am anxiously awaiting some red! Also, the raspberries are red and I have a bowlful in the freezer.

We took our first 50, well 49, chickens for processing the other day and we are starting to sell. The leftover chicken that didn't go to the butcher is still in the barn, she was saved by her broken leg. She is small, so I figured that she could just hang out and get bigger and heal. She is getting better too, she can stand now. Our next 90 meat birds will go in about two weeks, so she will probably head out with them.

The turkeys are out in the pen that the first group of chickens had been in and they are loving the grass. It didn't take them long to start grazing. I really love having our birds outdoors on pasture. I am sure they are happier and healthier for it and it makes me feel good.

The piglets are now six weeks old and I think that their mother is ready for them to go! She certainly has no interest in sharing her food with them! They have been growing well and the one gilt that she stepped on is no longer limping. She also had a large umbilical hernia that I am guessing occurred when she was squashed. So I wrapped her belly with duct tape and she seems to be doing much better. I will be listing them for sale soon, but we will keep one gilt for sure. The only black and white one and I already have named her Daisy. I think I will name all future sows with flower names. A rose by any other name...!