Year of the Patriot: Gardens

[HH~]

Yep i found some good American lids early this year and took em. My wife ordered some. Opened package that came other day when doing sweet pickles. I told her these look strange”. Then I looked , sure enough, China made junk. So, used them. Well, they looked weird even after the vacuum pulled em down. Anyhow, put em in cool cellar and a couple days later i hear ting, ting. I say “oh heck, thats those China lids pooping”! Sure enough. Threw that crap in garbage and grabbed the Balls.

Got another load of beets and pickling cukes to get done before We’re eyeball deep in tomatoes. When you run a good size garden it takes on life of its own. When items come in ripe they will not wait to get processed up “ when you got time”.

Im building a Apple grinder for cider. Got a 1/2 horse garbage disposal i will mount and plumb. Drop apples in and it spits into a 5 gallon bucket ready for the press! Easy. Need to get it wired up. Seen some summer apples that are getting ripe.

Shawn~

[BowEd]

Well the lids she got are Balls and Masons so I hope they'll be ok.Both made in the good old U.S.A.

and Eric you do what you have to do to deter deer there and we'll do what works for us over here as I've shown.

[PaulN/KS]

The deer don't give me too much trouble.
I gave up on sweet corn tho because of the coons. 

[Eric Krewson]

Coon solution that works every time, I have posted this before;

Before a low strand electric fence;

They got every ear, I trapped and killed 9 of them after the fact.



Coon fence, they don't know how to jump a low fence. I never had a coon in my corn again.



I had a coon get a few of my best cantaloupes last year, I have a great patch this year and am about to coon fence it as well. Hard to see but he is on the left side of the tomato cage I put over some of the other cantaloupes.

[Eric Krewson]

Making fermented garlic dill pickles today, it appears this is the easiest way to make pickles. This is my first foray into fermentation.

The brine is 12 tablespoons of salt in a gallon of water, I added fresh dill, garlic, mustard seed, red pepper flakes and grape leaves for crispness.

These should be pickles in a week or so, I will put them in a jar and store them in the frig.

[PaulN/KS]

I considered an electric coon fence Eric but then, there's a local family up the road that grows a LOT of sweet corn and sells it just outside Osky so that's worked for me. 

[HH~]

Cukes look gud. Just did 20 pints if Sweets with a kich tonite. Going to shoot selfbow tomorrow. Had to get them done. Have a big load of beets to knock out before the IBO starts.

Shawn

[BowEd]

I considered an electric coon fence Eric but then, there's a local family up the road that grows a LOT of sweet corn and sells it just outside Osky so that's worked for me. 

We buy sweet corn cheap here too..25 an ear and cheaper.Blanch and freeze some up for the year.
We got close to 4" of rain the last 2 days.Very timely for us in the middle of july.Things are looking pretty good.

[BowEd]

Coon solution that works every time, I have posted this before;

Before a low strand electric fence;

They got every ear, I trapped and killed 9 of them after the fact.



Coon fence, they don't know how to jump a low fence. I never had a coon in my corn again.



I had a coon get a few of my best cantaloupes last year, I have a great patch this year and am about to coon fence it as well. Hard to see but he is on the left side of the tomato cage I put over some of the other cantaloupes.

You seem to have a lot of trouble getting along with mother nature.

[Eric Krewson]

I quit growing corn as well after my last patch, lots of work, I found that the local Amish sell it for $3 a dozen, no point in growing it anymore.

I blanch, vacuum seal and freeze my corn, I put up so much 3 years ago that I am still eating on it. Vacuum sealed it tastes as fresh today as when I initially put it in the freezer.

[HH~]

My freind in KY runs 3700acres in row crops. He takes care of my corn, always has. I can a bunch every two years. Corn lookin great here . We go last rain we needed for corn to make. Lot of guys will do 200/ac , all will do 150 or better.
More beets tomorrow before IBO starts!

Shawn

[bjrogg]

Been busy farming and crops are really starting to look good. We have been working at wheat harvest along with all taking care of all the other crops.

Bjrogg

First picture harvested wheat stubble with red clover cover crop reaching for the sun. This clover was seeded into the winter wheat early this spring. It’s really good for the ground and after more than a decade of using it I can really see the difference in my soil structure.

[bjrogg]

Our sugar beets are really looking good. We were dry earlier but have been getting plenty of rain in July. Hasn’t made wheat harvest easy but the rest of the crops are sure growing. So are the weed and diseases.

Here’s a couple pictures of our sugar beets.

Bjrogg

[bjrogg]

My Navy Beans are getting all the rain they need and maybe a little more than they’d like. The years of cover crops are helping the soil structure to perk and keep the water from laying in a pool. Beans hate standing water. So far so good.
Bjrogg

[bjrogg]

My friend is keeping a Eagle Eye on me. Seems to be happy with everything so far. This fella has been watching me for several years. He or she has become very comfortable with my tractor. Really likes this big old dead cottonwood
Bjrogg