Around the Homestead

Each year our gardens produce more than the previous year and not just because we increase the size of them a bit each year, but because we improve the soil by adding compost from our animals.

I started over four years ago just with a hand shovel,digging one shovel full at a time, turning over the soil (if that is what you want to call the clay we have), shaking out the soil from the grass or weed clump to feed to the chickens or goats, throwing out the rocks - over and over again.  Then after planting, when the plant is fairly mature I fill around the plant and the walking rows with compost.  

This year our two new things to grow were garlic and corn.  The garlic turned out amazing with really large heads and we were happy with our first go of corn.  There are about 50 ears out there with the first batch just about ready to be picked.  Some of the ears are on the smaller side but I grew the corn in the most neglected garden and will plan to fill that same area with all corn next year with squash growing in between.  

I did plant some of our winter squash in between the corn rows this year (as well as some in each of the other two gardens just in case) and the squash seems to be doing just fine, although sooooo slow.  I am just hoping that it will have time to mature before the first frost because I love butternut squash and it provides for us for at least a couple of months after harvesting.

The onions did amazing this year.  I am just finishing the harvesting of those and should have enough to last through January I am hoping, so will have to plant even more next year.  We use onions and garlic in nearly every meal.

Our new buck, Dante, is doing just fine in his new surroundings.  He is our free-range goat as we let him wander around whenever we are outside.  He prefers the weeds in the gardens, which is great.

The older does, though, are definitely envious.