Springtime on the Farm

It's no surprise that sprintime brings with it a multitude of chores to do around the farm. Planting season is upon us or maybe it's hatching season or for some it's calving season. Whatever season springtime is a busy season. For that very reason the Growing Boys Crew had to divide and conquer this past weekend.
  Daddy and the little man stayed home to handle the Opening Day of Bounty of the Barrens Farmers Market and the Tour De Farm event which both went very well. Then there were the 25 baby chicks to pick up and get settled in, the greenhouse to tend to... etc,etc. Momma and the older kiddo headed out of state for a good friends wedding and some time with extended family. The trip was a nice break from daily farm life and a chance to dress up in something other than overalls... although I do love my overalls. I think we can all figure out who got the best end of the deal this weekend.

 

 Our family spends a lot of time together so it was quite an adjustment to be away for a few days but "absence makes the heart grow fonder" and we are very glad to be all back together on the same patch of ground.
Now that we are back things are in full swing. The apple trees are in bloom. Beehives have to be painted and set up because the bees will be arriving soon. Baby chicks have to be watered and fed severalllll times a day. These chicks eat more than a teenage boy. All 350ish tomatoes will hopefully be planted soon if the weather will cooperate.
Oh springtime, did I mention that it's my favorite time of year! By the way, does everybody have this many pictures of their chickens, or is it just us?

Baby Carrots "Ha! get it Baby-Carrots"

 

When I was talking about writing today. The Little Growing Boy ask "What about?" and I said "Baby Carrots". To which he said "Ha! Get it Baby-Carrots?" Yep I get it. Little boy humor can be so funny somtimes. Just incase you're wondering that's where the title came from. 
When our boys were little and it came time to start them on "baby food", I just like most other new moms headed off to the grocery store to stock up on all those little jars. Those EXPENSIVE little jars. Pretty soon I realized that I could make the same thing using a little blender that I already owned and the food I was already cooking. Now several year and a few babies later I'm blessed to be making up a few more batches of "baby food". Yesterday I decided that whle I had use of the amazing new baby bullet (a steal at only $14) I would cook up some peaches, apples, and carrots. You guessed it Baby Carrots.
The baby carrots from our high tunnel are finally big enough to pick and man are they delicious, crip, sweet, fresh...I could go on but you get the picture.  The boys and I picked a few, cooked them untill tender, ran them through the baby bullet and voila baby food. Which by the way my sister's little one gobbled up faster that I could shovel it in. Some of the food was placed in the fridge for eating now and some was put in ice cube trays and froze for later. No extra seasoning was added to the food ie salt, sugar, butter.
It doesn't get any better than delicious, local, natural baby food!

 

Close to Home

 

This week the weather is not cooperating. Blustery does not even begin to describe the blizzard happening outside this "spring" day. The Growing Boys and I need to be planting tomatoes and sunflowers in the hightunnel and all the salad greens are ready for the outside gardens.... Maybe I should just be thankful for one last day to sit by the fire.

 

Today while folding laundry I decided to check out an interview with Brandon Shaerd of Farmstead Meatsmith during the Healthy Living Summit. So many things he says hit close to home for me. He talks about wanting to be with his family not working so far away from home and commuting each day. He talks about the idea that our work could be with our family producing the things that our family needs close to home. I think the quote was something like "bring your sustenance close to home". I like that a lot..so much that I'll say it again "bring your sustenance close to home. Now I know growing your food at home is not for everyone and I'm kindof thankful it's not because then nobody would need to come visit us on Saturday mornings at farmers market but man I enjoy being here on the farm with our crew working day to day to produce healthy and beautiful things. I hope that as you enjoy one last day snuggled up inside that you are also feeling a sense of purpose in the life you are choosing to live and if not that you make the necessary changes and choose to live a life with purpose.   

 

"The ability to produce for yourself is prosperity" Brandon Sheard

 

On a side note all these photos were taken by our youngest Growing Boy. I'm a proud momma, our boys are beginning to turn into young men with thoughts and talents of their own. We are very blessed by them both even when things get crazy and wild.

The Flood and the Mouse

Today at Growing Boys Farm we have a guest blogger. This post was written and photographed by our oldest son, Dalton.
It rained alot. Some times it floods where we can't get out because the creek goes under the drive way. Today the creek did not flood the road so bad that we couldn't get out. The creek was close to our fort and my brother and I were worried about the fort being wahed away in the flood . We make lots of forts when we have free time.

In our high tunnel we have a mouse. It eat's our seeds. My mom is distressed by the mouse, she said "if it eat one more sun flower seed she's gowing to snap". We put down glue traps all though we did not get it. It's too smart, so it thanks.

Mape Syrup and Sour Cream Waffles

 Here on the farm the maple sap has all been collected and boiled down into syrup. Our first experience or should I say experiment with maple syrup went well. The collecting each morning and afternoon was very enjoyable, tracking through the woods with buckets in tow enjoying the quite solitude of nature with only womans best friend by my side. Or there were other days when we all went together as a troop with laughter and noise ringing off the trees. Either way blessings surrounded us as we gatherd the sweet goodness that was just there for the taking. The spare fridge, coolers, buckets and tubs overflowed with sap untill finally there was not another empty container to put it in. Our makeshift fire pit did a nice job of holding in the heat of the wood fire which heated the sap untill it bubbled and boiled turning a rich golden color.  Boiling down the 60 some gallons of sap to make ony 2 1/2 gallons of syrup took a long time but was well worth the effort. Below is our favorite waffle recipe. Thanks to our Nini and her circa 1942 GE waffle iron we all ate waffles with syrup till we almost bust.

Sour Cream Waffle Recipe
5 eggs from free range happy hens
1/2 cup raw sugar or 1/2 cup raw honey
1 cup cultured sour cream or yogurt
1/4 cup melted butter
1 cup all purpose unbleached flour
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Heat up the waffle iron. Combine eggs and sugar, whisk untill blended well. Add sour cream and butter, whisk untill blended. Add flour and cinnamon and whisk again. Pour batter onto hot waffle iron and cook untill the light goes off, or the bell dings, or they look done. Pour hot maple syrup over waffles and enjoy.

 

Maple Syrup...or Sap

It's sugering time here at Growing Boys Farm! Yep we're making maple syrup...hopefully. Our interest was peeked last year as we helped friends boil down their sap one coooold spring day. Since our place is surrounded by maple trees we figured why not give it a try? We read several web sites, several books, and talked to others who have done it. After compiling the information, we headed to the local hardware store to purchace supplies, because you know it would be just too easy for us to order the kit. In true Growing Boys fashion we had to DIY engineer our own system to save money. Long story short the fellas tapped the trees and the sap is flowing. Hopefully there will be picture of hot waffles with maple syrup in the near future.

Coffee, Bread, and Thoughts

School is done for the day and it's not yet time to start supper. So here I sit at the kitchen table with my coffee, my delicious bananna bread and my thoughts, or maybe a better word would be my plans. My plans for the year to come. It seems that the seed companies have given us the nudge to look toward the future with there abundance of seed catalouges that are coming in the mail. A nudge to see one more planting go into the ground and a hope for one more harvest. As I sit thinking with seed catalouge at my side I think not only about the year to come but also about the year that has just passed. I think about the plants and the friends, the work and the laughter, the endless weeds. I wonder if it's worth all the effort and if I was pleased with the outcome. I have food stored away, wood for the fire, two healthy children, and the love of a wonderful companion so of course it was well worth the effort put in. I would not trade these things for a thousand days spent battling the johnson grass (which is the most evil of all the weeds). Then I wonder if the Lord was pleased with our efforts and our stewardship of what he has given us. I think of how grateful I am to have a quite moment to drink coffee, eat bread and think. What are your thoughts for the new year, or the new garden? What seeds must be ordered or what work must be done to make your harvest a good one? Or if your not planting let your farmer know what you would love to have out of the garden so he (or she) knows what to plan for this year.