The weather has been lovely, the leaves are starting to turn, and I am finding a rhythm with the work of the farm. There is a fabulous repetitiveness to it all – novel tasks can only be accomplished in the short periods of time between barn cleanings and garden watering sessions. So while most of my projects creep along at a snail’s pace, I find myself working every day to maintain status quo. At this time of year, if the sun is shining, there is a thread of guilt that weaves through every afternoon on horseback or lackadaisical stroll around the property – but I refuse to deny myself the pleasure of an autumn enjoyed.
Actually, that’s a lie. Nothing I do is lackadaisical and the guilt usually wins out in the end – I rush to clean the paddock or water the garden so that I can try to work on something else. At least I’m having fun!
Food Production
I gathered my first harvest from my very own homestead! A few weeks ago I planted carrots, and then planted radishes in between the rows with the goal of producing a crop before the carrots needed the extra space. The timing worked out perfectly. I also harvested a few tomatoes, some dill, and the first of the sugar snap peas. There will be more of everything in the coming weeks.
I also spread more of the wood chips that I received for free about five weeks ago. While this project has been long and tedious, my only regret is that I do not have my own utility vehicle to make hauling and dumping them easier. They have made a huge difference in the garden area. I am almost done spreading the entire 20 cubic yards, and it won’t be the last time I request to receive a delivery from ChipDrop – but I will wait until I can buy my own utility vehicle before I request the next one, because the wheelbarrow is a PITA.
Resource Acquisition & Preparedness
With my family’s garden producing at its most productive, I was able to freeze another gallon of green beans, some diced peppers for future soups, and some tomatoes. Green beans need to be blanched before freezing in order to maintain their texture. Peppers can be frozen directly, but will lose their texture regardless, so they are only suitable for soups and sautees. I also freeze tomatoes directly, either whole or sliced (if there is a bad spot that needs to be removed), and then make sauce all at once on a cold winter day.
Speaking of filling the freezer, I also foraged another gallon of wild grapes to add to my growing freezer collection. I hope future me enjoys all of this cooking that I’m apparently going to be doing this winter. 🙂
I have always planned for my garden to have several cattle panel trellises – they are easy, versatile, and inexpensive ways to grow vertically, which is especially good for vining plants like cucurbits, peas, beans, and grapes. My adopted mom is installing three more in her garden this fall, and we had to take the horse trailer to pick up the supplies (particularly the 16 foot cattle panels) from Tractor Supply. While I do not know exactly where I will be installing them, I took advantage of the situation and bought the supplies for three on my farm as well. They are stored in the barn until I make final decisions about my garden layout for next year.
Aesthetic Utility
I finally constructed an 8 foot by 4 foot firewood rack – a project that has been on my to-do list for many weeks! I was hesitant to begin in part because the first one was so challenging – I struggled to cut the scrap 2x6s, and I struggled to screw them together. I have since bought a new drill for a different project, and quickly learned that my old drill was the problem.
In total, even with similar cutting issues, the project took less than 90 minutes. I either do not know how to use my circular saw, or something is wrong with it – possibly both. It’s kicking back when I get about 75% of the way through the board. My work-around involved cutting about halfway and then finishing with a handsaw – a technique that I’m sure would make a real woodworker cringe, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to let a job go unfinished. The end product is not square and some of the boards were warped – so this is much more utility than aesthetic – but I’m happy as could be that it’s done and I can start to fill it.
I will certainly need more stacking space soon enough – my total stacked capacity right now is less than half a cord.
I borrowed a pressure washer to clean the deck and sides of the house. It was my first time and I missed some spots, but the result looks great. I was inspired to arrange some autumn decor – but I couldn’t fathom spending money on a decorative bale of straw, so I used one of the old hay bales I found in the barn instead. I received a new delivery of fresh hay to last my horse the winter, so this old stuff will end up as mulch and compost anyway – might as well get some enjoyment out of it in the meantime.
Energy Independence
I spent a weekday afternoon bucking wood with my electric chainsaw. I find that one full battery cycle equals approximately one load in the [borrowed] gator, and also one full attention span for me.
I also did some cleaning and rearranging in the barn to prepare for a huge energy independence update next week – more information to come.
Moving Forward
As if winter weren’t enough of a looming deadline, I scheduled a bit of a housewarming party for next month. In addition to maintaining the status quo, preserving the harvest, and bringing in as much firewood as possible, I now need to finish unpacking. There are two rooms in this house that have been serving as ‘temporary’ storage, stretching a bit longer than I originally anticipated. I won’t be completely done before the party because I still don’t have a few of the furniture pieces that will eventually hold and display some of my still-packed items, but there are things I can do to make these spaces more functional and presentable.
Talk soon,
KC