Build a coop blog

Ever since Martha Stewart appeared on television several years ago holding a basket of blue eggs laid by her chickens, the demand for the blue egg laying breeds has skyrocketed. There are predominantly three that come up when you're talking blue eggs - Ameraucanas, Araucanas and Easter Eggers (although Cream Legbars do lay blue eggs as well and are just becoming available in the US) - but only two of the three ALWAYS lay blue eggs, so you'll want to keep reading and be sure of what you're ordering this spring if you are determined to have blue eggs in your basket come fall!

Congratulations, to all four of you! I know youll enjoy your new Goat Milk product. 

And Im sure everyone has been blessed meeting the Anderson family, their farm, and of course, their cute Kinder goats! If youre looking for some lovely birthday or Christmas gifts for friends or family members, pampering them with some of these lovely goodies would surely be a treat. Just dont forget yourself! 

Its been a really cool spring and only this week has it warmed up enough to put in things like tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers. I wasnt prepared earlier in the spring like I should have with ingredients to get my soil blockers made to hold seed starts. And I had no row covers to speak of for early planting protection from frost. Thus only potatoes got in the ground early on. Oh, and peas which the quail must have eaten as they sprouted. I managed to get some lettuce going a couple of weeks ago and its doing nicely, but I should have had it in much sooner. It was certainly possible. Theoretically.


When I finally went to plant the bulk of my garden earlier this week, all my seedlings that I had started were in very sad shape. Despite grow lights, heat mats, and fish emulsion, they were looking scrawny and weak. And that was the good ones! The rest had succumbed to the trials of three attempts to harden them off in the cool temps, an occasional missed watering, and the trauma of being dropped by a helping child. Looking out over the garden as I stood there with a tray of frail plants, I was so discouraged I nearly gave up. And thats when it occurred to me....


Im not gardening like my life depended on this food.


Before anyone comments, let me assure you that I clearly understand and believe that my life really depends on God, every second of every day. But if the grocery stores we empty tomorrow and my pantry was running low, would my have prepared while I had an opportunity by getting our garden in order? Not a chance.


Not everyone can raise all their own food, but one can do a good portion of it even living in a city. And maybe you dont want to raise all your own food. Im just saying that I do, but Im not even close to hitting the mark. I realized I need to assess the situation and ask...


Whats holding me back?


After some time to evaluate the last couple of days, a few thoughts have become evident...


1. Not having clear goals for my garden. I dont have a good master plan although I worked on one this spring. My dream garden would be both beautiful and yet practical, but up to this point, I havent felt like I could spend the money thats needed to make the garden the "Eden" I desire. So Ive worked on the practical aspects only half heartedly or somewhat restrained because I dont like how it looks. 


Solution: Make a 5 year master plan where I can implement 1-2 major design elements and a couple of smaller ones each year to accomplish the goal of both a beautiful and practical garden. 

Photo Credit

2. Not having a clear plan for implementation. Ive realized for a while that its much easier to garden a little each day rather than a lot all at once. Its much easier on my body and my schedule. Ive also figured out that I do better gardening when the temperature is to my liking. In the spring that means the middle of the day, but now that June is here, that means early in the morning or later in the evening. I didnt make that transition too well and must remember this next year. But along with that Ive realized that for the most part, I need to know what Im going to do when I go out there each time: what seeds will be planted that day, what section needs weeding, what plants need staking, etc.


Solution: Each week, plan out a 5-6 day list of things-to-do in the garden. Re-evaluate and add or change the list after each gardening session depending on what I see needs tending to immediately. And at the same time, make a note of the time that I should go out the next day. 

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3. Not having a willingness to spend the money needed to make this goal successful. My gardening goals have not only included being sustainable as possible, but frugal as well. The problem is, I dont always have what I need to really make it work well because I dont think I have the money to spend. It tends to keep me from being proactive against things like sudden frosts or adequate plant protection from sun, sturdy staking materials or proper pest control.


Solution: Set aside a reasonable amount of cash from each paycheck to make necessary purchases. I calculated what I spent on vegetables from local farmers each week, multiplied that times the number of weeks I usually purchase per year, then divided the amount by 12 to get an idea of what I was spending each month on produce when I wasnt growing it myself. Anything I spend on the garden below this amount saves me money. Knowing what this figure actually is gives me a clear picture of whether or not Im really being frugal rather than just guessing in my mind and fretting over it. Some months I may need to spend more than others (investing in tools of the trade), but I can build a gardening budget based on this amount.

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4. Not thinking ahead about what will happen next in the garden. Something is always happening in a garden. Weather and insects being the two main factors, Im often caught off guard about what will be going on in it two days from now because Im just not thinking ahead. 


Solution: Keep a gardening journal faithfully! Make it a habit each time I come in from the garden to write something in the journal each time. Record the daily high/low temp, weather conditions, and any changes such as an insect infestation, etc.  Use this to remind me to think ahead and to have in order to read in the following years for reminders.

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5. Not thinking ahead to the next growing season. I think about this a lot in the winter, when Im sitting around the woodstove, but not in the middle of June or July. Perhaps its denial or wishful thinking that the warm weather will last forever, but I cant keep my head in the sand on this one. I have to start mentally and physically preparing for cold weather and how Im going to garden through the seasons.

Solution: Once a week, set aside an hour to plan for the next season. Select appropriate seeds for the upcoming growing conditions, order proper protective items such as frost blankets or items for making a low tunnel, and find reasonable clothing for myself if necessary so Ill be ready to go out and face the cold weather! Spend a little time each month reading about gardening in seasons other than summer! (If you live in the south, you may actually need to learn how to garden in the hot summer!)




6. Not making gardening the priority it needs to be. I often find that other things are pressing in on me at the moment (the urgent) and rob me of my time in the garden. If Ive decided that gardening is really that important, I need to treat it as such. Just like cooking meals from scratch is a priority, gardening should be, too, if my goal is to be sustainable.


Solution: Plan certain other events around my gardening. might mean a vacation is postponed (vacation? What vacation?), a trip to the pool is rearranged to another time in the day, or the housework has to come second. Allow for extra time outside - more than I think I might need - so theres some room for the unexpected. 


If I were trying to make a living as a vegetable farmer, Id treat this whole gardening thing differently, like my life depended upon it. Because for the most part my livelihood would depend on my efforts! Therefore, Id have clear goals and a plan, both long term, short, and daily. Id actually invest money in the tools of the trade that are needed to make it work. And Id be thinking ahead proactively. The only thing left is to determine if I have the heart for it?

Yes!

Of all the things I do around my homestead, gardening is the thing that brings me the most joy and is often the most relaxing. Who knew pulling weeds could be so therapeutic!

We are super excited to be partnering again with BOGS®  Footwear to give one lucky person the chance to win a $100 BOGS®  gift card! Keep reading to find out how to win...

past week brought extreme heat to most of the country, and no different for us in Virginia. But thankfully all of our animals made it through just fine with a little TLC and a lot of watermelon and frozen treats!  

week Elaine at Sunny Simple Life brought up an interesting fact... raw pumpkin seeds can be used as a natural wormer in chickens. I had never heard this, but always looking for a good holistic remedy, I looked into this a bit and seems a lot of people put stock in this tasty treatment. According to the posts I read, pumpkin seeds are coated in a naturally occurring chemical that paralyzes the worms so the chicken can then expel them (some feel you need to follow up with buttermilk to help with the elimination). You can read more about how this works at The Backyard Chicken Coop. At the very least, your hens will get a real tasty treat without nasty side effects!

Thanks for sharing Elaine! Hope your flock continues to flourish! 

What better use for your fresh eggs this summer than in homemade ice cream? I love this recipe because it not only uses eggs, but also fresh mint leaves - and we have an abundance of both this time of year. When I saw the recipe in this months's A Taste of Summer publication, I knew I had to try it.