Market Day!!!

It has been a very eventful week here on SS farm.  Good eventful, that is.

Hubby has finished the tractor work in the garden.  He's broken ground, harrowed, leveled, harrowed, I added "enrichment" from the goats and chickens which he harrowed in, leveled, harrowed and finally, he pulled up "mounds" for me to tweak into semi-raised beds for planting.  I hope to get some seeds in the part that I've tweaked today.  Maybe by tomorrow, my hand will feel better and I'll be able to tweak the rest of the mounds so I can finish up my seed planting? 

The veggies I grow will be eaten fresh (of course!), canned or frozen, shared with friends and family as well as sold at the Lake City Farmer's Market.  I'm very excited - can you tell?

What Hubby did for me

What I tweaked Hubby's work to be

                                                

We have been having problems in the chicken coop.  The "girls" want to roost on the sides of the nest boxes at night.  The problem with this is that they poop IN the nest boxes which means my eggs are nasty when I collect them.  Yes, they wash nicely, but it's the idea.  SO - with scrap we had sitting around and an idea I found on Pinterest (if you haven't been there, you have to go - soooo many great ideas!), I revamped their nest boxes with Hubby's help.  Now, they have a roof (to prevent their perching on the walls), balcony (as Hubby calls it) and a "stairway".  What more does a chicken need?

As well as keeping the eggs clean, it forces the 3 rooster babies that Otter hatched out (she was the surrogate, as they're not "her" babies) can no longer try to get under her wings at night.  This is a good thing because the smallest of the roos is 2x her size!  They were knocking her over when they did it and with three doing it - well, you get the idea.

Otter saying NO!

Greta helping Otter say NO!

New Nest Box - ain't it perty?

 

We are eagerly awaiting the birth of our baby goats!  We've been inspecting and checking Orla each day.  Some days, we get so much Goat Love, it should be illegal.  :-)  Goats have as much personality as chickens do.  Who knew?  I cannot wait for my first glass of home-grown goat milk as well as the cheese, yogurt, ice cream, sour cream, cream cheese I will be making.  Hubby was very supportive of my getting them, but not excited about "having goats".  Guess who's been converted?

Hubby getting some serious Goat Love!!!

And lastly, we had another milestone with my kitty, Bullseye this week.  She let Roxie (Hubby's kitty) groom her once again.  She was very shy, withdrawn and almost timid when Hubby and I met.  She wasn't mean or anything, just skittish, if you will.  Hubby has so completely won her over and turned her into a loving little thing.  Her distrust of Roxie is barely there now.  The only other kitty she'd ever been around was her Momma, Target.  She now sleeps next to Roxie (when Roxie comes to her) and even sits for grooming.  Won't be long before they'll be real friends.  Thank you Hubby for being so amazing not only to/for me, but to/for my Baby Bullseye!!!!

Roxie (left) giving Bullseye (right) a good grooming

Well, it's Market time, so off to set up and hopefully have a good day.  This week our fresh baked offerings include Oatmeal Wheat Bread, Rye Bread, Italian Tomato Bread and Soft Pretzels.  Of course, I'll have the usual Jellies and Jams, Feed Bag Totes and Hand Woven Baskets.

Enjoy your weekend and make sure to tell the special ones in your life that you LOVE them!  You won't regret actually saying it.

Good Evening!!!!

It was breezy and quite cool today with no sun.  We warm up, cool off, warm up, freeze, cool off, warm up . . . you get the picture.  Hard to know what to wear and what to plant. 

Today was hard to get motivated with the weather and I struggled to decide what to do.  I will admit to playing on the computer for a while.  But, I was reading blogs and articles on gardening, animals and health, so I think I'll call it a "research" time - sound good? 
When I'd sat as long as I could, I went outside and made two potato towers.  I've seen them online several times and finally decided to make them.  We'll see how they do.  They're planted and ready to go!  Also collected a bit of lettuce and some young collards to take to the market.  

After I finished the potato tower, I played with the goats.  I am working on getting them used to getting up onto the milking stand w/out a fight!  Orla, the oldest, knows how, as she's been milked before, but because I'm new at this, she's taking full advantage.  What she doesn't know is I have lots more years of being stubborn behind me than she does.  The little ones, Peanut and Winnie are learning how to get on the stand (which they love jumping up on, of course) and standing while I pick up their feet, rub their tummy and generally touch them all over. 

Orla is due to kid on or around March 20.  I am very excited.  Since I've not owned goats before, this is a completely new experience for me.  Part of me wants to just go out to visit with them and find an adorable kid (or kids) looking up at me, all healthy and clean and the other part wants to be there when it (they) is born.  However, in all the reading I've done, it starts out with the details of birth - things that will happen.  Then, it gets into details of what "can" happen.  Um - - so, I go back and forth on what I want. 
With any luck, I'll be milking her by the middle of April.  I hope to get enough milk to supply us here at home, as well as offer goat milk products at the market (of course it will be sold "For Animal Consumption Only" per Florida Law).

Orla

The chickens were doing their normal chicken thing today.  Then at one point, they threw up a huge fuss.  We went out to see what was up and lo and behold, there was a hawk sitting on the ground IN their pen!!  Hubby threw a stick at it to make it go away.  Hawks are natural predators and I respect that, but this was a bit much!  Sitting on the ground IN the pen trying to figure out how to get into the biddy enclosure??  No thanks.  Once the hawk was gone, they were back to their chicken-ness.  I collected eggs - no green ones today, sadly. 

  

Meet Otter and Adonis

This evening, I did my baking for the market - the house smells so good!!

This week at the market, you'll find:  Whole Wheat Bread, Oatmeal Wheat Bread, Zucchini Bread, Peanut Butter Cookies, Oatmeal Craisin Chews, Tomato and Basil Noodles, Various Jellies, as well as Fresh Eggs.  You'll also find Hand Woven Baskets, Feed Bag Totes and, while they last, a few doggie sweaters. 

Come and visit us at the Lake City Farmer's Market at Wilson Park on Lake DeSoto if you're in the area!!

Meet the Newest Members of SS Farm!!

Yesterday, my neighbor and I went to Tractor Supply and picked up 12 Cornish Cross Chicks.  Yes, I decided to go with the cornish cross chicks this time.  Our freezer is empty and we need some meat!  So, for the sake of time, I went ahead with them.  In the future, I will be using heritage breeds for our meat.  I much prefer nature doing the natural thing to hybrids. 

Currently, we have 21 3 week old Australorp hens, 2 Cuckoo Maran hens (Pretty Lady and Pretty Penny) and 2 Americauna hens (Idiot and Freaky) - a year old, 5 Golden Comets and 2 Rhode Island Reds - 6 months old as well as 6 Freedom Ranger hens (one named Snotty) and a Freedom Ranger Rooster (Little Man) which are 11 months old and one hen I have no idea her breed or age.  There are also 6 Pets of varying ages (Mumbo - Cochin, Adonis - Bantam Cochin, Poof and Pugly - Silkies, Otter - Silkie/Polish mix, and Maci - Australorp).  Once the Australorps are laying, the Freedom Ranger hens will be processed.  As the others turn approximately 2 years old, they'll be processed.  The Pets will NOT be processed.  They will live out their lives being spoiled. 

Since I sell eggs at the Lake City Farmers Market, you can see why I am keeping the Freedom Ranger hens longer than the intended 12 - 16 weeks in which they were supposed to have been harvested. 

The babies are currently in a dog crate on the front porch!  Tomorrow, we will begin working on a tractor to place them into so they will have more room to run around and be able to eat grass and bugs like the big chickens do.

Bullseye Watching Over The New Babies

As well, today we worked in the gardens.  Hubby harrowed and leveled the new garden.  It is going to be BIG!  Before we start on the chicken tractor, tomorrow, he is going to work on some rows for me so I can start planting over the weekend.  I worked in the small garden (my original "test" garden), weeding and doing a bit of bed repair.  I'll add some seeds in there as well this weekend.  

 Small Side Garden

The chickens greatly appreciate my weeding!  Too bad I can't teach them to weed around the plants.  Sure would make my work in the gardens a bit less hectic.

Changes - they can be good

I have been reading lots of blogs lately.  In doing so, I have learned a lot.  Simply put, a business is not an entity all by itself.  It is made up of people and places.  Mine, particularly, occurs on SS Farm (owned by myself and my husband) and is generated by our love and ideas.  My friends and family are as much a part of the farm and business as we are.  The support, ideas and critiques from them encourage us each and every day. 

With that said, I am incorporating what happens around here, on the farm and in our lives with the business.  I hope you like the changes. 

Why Don't The "Best" Ideas Crop Up BEFORE You Do A Project?

Monday, February 25, 2013

Hubby and I finished our mini-chicken-coop/run yesterday.  We have 21 three week old Australorps that have outgrown their dog crate.  Since we've had a huge problem with dogs lately (us and our neighbor both have lost birds (as well as rabbits for the neighbor) to roaming dogs) I took down the old chicken nursery (which aforementioned dogs got into) and modified the coop and added an above ground run - IN the big chicken pen.  They are now doubly secure.

It was a process.

1st - cut the old coop in half, add a wall on the cut side 
2nd - add a roost
3rd - add legs to the new coop
4th - frame a run (eyeballing everything instead of going and getting the level to ensure it was straight - where's the fun in straight, right?)
5th - run wire
6th - add roof
7th - take the roof back off because I forgot to measure the height of the door - AND take into account placing it in it's track (hmmmm)
8th - add a door to the run area so I can access the chicks in there as well as their coop (which I hadn't done in the first nursery I made thus making maintenance much more difficult
9th -  add lock for the doors and pulley thingee for the coop door

Whew! Best part of the project, though - it was ALL free - aside from $3 in staples.  Everything came from my "no, honey, don't throw that out, I'll use it for something" pile.  :-)

Once we had moved the babies over (right before it started raining - woo-hoo!), hubby says "You know, I just had an idea for a permanent chicken nursery".  ARGH!!!  Worst part?  It's a FABULOUS idea!  So, perhaps over the summer, we'll implement it?

It started raining yesterday afternoon and pretty much hasn't quit yet.  I'm not complaining as I'm quite satisfied with the fact that it's packing down the dirt we moved in to help level out the yard and the garden hubby has harrowed for me.  It's great for the goat and horse pasture as well as the grass in the chicken pen.  However, it has made for a very grey and dismal day.  So, I decided I would at least do "something" productive.  I took all the seedlings I had started and potted them up.  I also started some more seeds.  I'm trying to get a jump on spring.  I should have had my seed orders in a long time ago so my seeds could have been started weeks ago, but - this is somewhat new to me.  Oh, I've started seeds before, but not as many as I'm starting now.  I've never grown a full blown eating garden, one where I will be able to feed us w/out going to the grocery store except for essentials.  :-)  It's a very good thing.

Good Monday Evening!

Market this weekend was good.  

Thursday (I know, technically not a weekend day, but close enough, right?) was a fabulous day in High Springs.  Lots of people there and I did very well.  The biggest seller was something new I made.  Well, it's not really new - I've been making it for my kids for a while.  A girlfriend gave me the original recipe.  I've tweaked it to suit our tastes.  Granola Bars.  Not the hard, almost tasteless ones you buy in the store.  These are soft and flavorful.  Everything is natural, mostly healthy (the brown sugar, maybe not so much, but there isn't a lot in the bars) and tasty.

Saturday at Lake City was very slow.  The weather threatened most of the morning.  Everyone packed up about noon.  Luckily the rain didn't start until we had just finished helping our friends pack up their goat milk soaps and lotions.  The guys wanted to chat a bit, but Alex and I were afraid we would melt, so we said our goodbyes and headed home.  It was a slow day, as I said, but - another "new" item I had made sold out!  I tried my hand at spinach and dried tomato pasta!  I am enjoying trying new things.  Of course, the tasting is pretty enjoyable as well.  :-)

Here is a picture of the granola I made.    Hard to see all the yummies, but there are cranberries, sunflower seeds, oatmeal, almonds, coconut and more.  It is fabulous in yogurt.  I prefer to make my own yogurt - it is SO easy, economical and tastes so much better.  Of course, it is a bit tangy since it's unsweetened, so for a great snack (or even a light meal), I like to add some jam (home-made, of course) and some granola.  If you don't want "flavored" yogurt, you can add honey to sweeten and then the granola for texture and additional flavor.  


If you are out and about in the High Springs on Thursday or Lake City on Saturday - come by and see me!

Welcome!

Welcome to Heritage Preserved, a company devoted to preserving our Cooking, Crafting, Sewing and Gardening Heritage.

In this blog, I hope to show you pieces of our history, with a modern twist.  

I have long enjoyed what are often referred to as the "Domestic Arts".  I would see something that looked interesting and I would give it a try.  As a result, I have many skills that benefit me in many ways.  I have learned an appreciation for what my ancestors HAD to do in order to survive day to day.  I have also learned an appreciation for hard work and a job well done. 

I want to share with you recipes, garden ideas, projects as well as some of the finished products I will have for sale.  This site is geared towards helping my business, however, I hope it is a fun site where you will also be inspired.