Finding Peace in Preparedness

The real reason we are all hoarding toilet paper, I think, is out of a sheer desperation to feel like there is something we can do to guarantee our well-being. The nature of the current situation is that it is essentially out of our individual control, every day we wake up to more news, more unknowns. Yes, that’s the really hard part, we don’t even feel like we have a full understanding of everything that is going on.

I have found over the past few weeks, that I feel most at ease when I am at home on the farm. Outside with the spring sun shining on my face, beginning to awaken the farm for the growing season soon to come and away from the stream of news I am able to catch my breath. And preparing for the growing season to come, preparing to move closer to our goals of sustainable resiliency gives me the same feeling of comfort as knowing that I have a stash of toilet paper in the bathroom closet. Knowing that I posses skills and knowledge that my great-grandparents depended upon, but have since been abandoned my our society is a good feeling.

And these skills are not some secret. They are not reserved for people with acres of bottomland, they are not reserved for those with hours of free time, they are not reserved for people who are perfectly set up and ready to go. This skills belong to all of us.

So take control, plant some seeds in the spare time that you suddenly have too much of… It’s the best form of rebellion against a system that profits off of our helplessness.

Starting Over

     Nearly two years have passed since I last wrote a post for this blog, and likewise, two years have passed since I have had a farm to write about. But by fate, or perhaps mere fortune, I find myself again growing plants and raising animals. The past few years of exploring have led me to many amazing places, but in recent months, I have found my way back to my roots. This time around, with more treasured experiences than ever in my pocket.
   

Cultivating New Soil

     I am now based in Wethersfield, Vermont, just 15 miles down the Connecticut River from Hartland where I was raised. But in Vermont, as is true anywhere, the soil can vary immensely. There are times that I almost feel as though I am starting from scratch, learning to farm all over again, as I learn to work this new land. 

This years garden, stone raised beds that Greg built. 

     I can find familiarity in the livestock though. Somewhat less sensitive to the differences in soil and terrain, chickens feel comfortable as they always have. And the two Icelandic sheep that we have, although not as familiar as chickens still feel comfortable. It will undoubtedly be a journey, both to get to know the soil here, and then to care for it until it is as healthy and rich as the soil I am used to. 

 

The two newest chickens, a Copper Maran and a Black Australorp.
I also still have my four-year-old Icelandic chickens, as well as 12 Auracana chicks.

Splitting My Time

     I have recently bought a small cabin out in the woods, and am beginning the various repairs that it requires. It is situated on two and a half acres, mostly hilly and wooded. Useful for small livestock, but not ideal for large animals or gardening, although with some work this could be improved. 

     I am currently living with my boyfriend, Greg, on his six acres, where the beginnings of our homestead are taking place. The pull in two different directions is a challenge, but being able to share the joys of a homestead (as well as the responsibilities) is worth it.

EmmyLou and Rosa, our Icelandic sheep.

This Year's Winter Squash Harvest

I tried a new variety of winter squash this year. The blue ones - called 'Silver Bell' - are supposed to be very good keepers with very sweet, dry flesh. I won't know if this is true for several more months since they have to cure before they are ready to eat. Because most winter squash varieties improve after having some time in storage, I always grow some Delicatas. They are the small striped ones. They are wonderful and ready to eat immediately after harvest, but they will only store until mid January. Butternut (the tan ones) will keep for up to a year; they are not quite as sweet as delicata, but still very good, and I always grow them because they store so well. Australian Butter, the orangeish pink ones at the back, also keep quite well, but not as well as butternut. This is only my second season growing them, but I was very happy with them last year. The halloween pumpkins are called 'Cargo'. I was very pleased with how they did, and I will be carving them for halloween.

Colorful Carrots

I grew five varieties of different colored carrots this year. Both the purple, a variety called 'purple 68', and the red, a variety called 'Red Samurai', are prone to bolting, so not as practical as regular varieties. I think they were still worth growing, considering their amazing color. The yellow and white both performed as well as the orange, which is the variety that I usually grow, called 'Scarlet Nantes'.

The Wonders of Beans

When wanting to add creative flair to your vegetable garden what do you do? In general I observe people channeling their creativity into tomatoes. With hundreds of beautiful varieties, plus the fact that tomatoes can be very productive, I can see why.  But I prefer to channel my creativity into beans.

Very few people grow dry beans in their home gardens at all, and the few who do don't seem to grow many interesting varieties. In fact, many gardening stores, don't carry more that one or two kinds of beans. But if you order from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds or from the Vermont Bean Seed Company you can find some great varieties. This season I am growing 15 different kinds of beans.

The 15 kinds of beans that I just planted for this year.

I have one Variety called 'Bahimba' which are from Rwanda. I have never grown them before, since I just traded some other seeds for them this year. I am also experimenting with breeding a few of my own varieties.

Bahimba Beans

5 reasons to grow dry beans

1. They are high in protein.

Unlike many garden vegetables, beans are high in protein. They are more of a staple than many common garden crops.

2. They keep well.
As long as they are properly dried, beans can keep for years if kept in proper conditions in an airtight container. Unlike many garden crops, dry beans take very little work to preserve. They have to be shelled, and left to be fully dried, but they don't need to be cooked, frozen or canned to be preserved.

3. They are easy to grow.

As long as they are kept weeded and watered, beans take minimal maintenance work throughout the growing season. They don't need to be started in pots before being planted outdoors, they don't require a trellis (as long as you stick with bush type beans) and they don't need pruning.

4. They are beautiful.

I don't think that there are any vegetables more beautiful. Perhaps some tomatoes, potatoes, or flour corn come close, but beans, with their many patterns and colors, have a beauty all their own.

5. You can save your own seed.

For the most part, beans won't cross with each other, so to save your own seed, all you need to do is set aside a few matured dried beans in an airtight container.


One of my favorite simple bean recipes

1 cup dry beans
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
herbs- I like to use parsley, summer savory, and bay leaf

Soak beans overnight in 1 quart of room temperature water with 3/4 tbs of salt dissolved in it.

Rinse the beans and add fresh water. transfer them to a medium saucepan and gently boil them with the garlic and herbs until they are fully cooked. This usually takes about an hour, but can range greatly depending on the size and freshness of the beans.

Chop the onions and sauté them until they are translucent.

Drain the water off of the beans and mix them with the onions in a baking dish.

Mix in the onions and grate cheese over the top.

Broil on high until the cheese is melted.


So do I have you convinced, are you going to grow dry beans this year? If you need some seeds, I can certainly give you some. I have gallons of beans on hand, and I would love to see more home gardeners growing them.

Getting the Garden Ready

I've spent this beautiful week getting ready to plant the rest of my garden. I have already planted potatoes, peas, onions, leeks, and shallots. Next week everything else can go in. This means that I need to have the garden ready to be planted. I have been weeding and spreading compost. Does anybody remember that mound of sod that I dug out when claiming more garden space two years ago? Well, having been mixed with some chicken manure and then sitting for two years it is now beautiful compost that I have been using to fertilize the garden. 

From a nuisance to a treasure: Sod that I dug out two years ago has been composting
with some chicken manure and is now ready to be used to fertilize the garden.

The garden, ready for planting.

Garlic, onions, leeks, and shallots

Strawberries in bloom. I expect that some berries will be ripe in time for my birthday (June 28th)

We Have a Roof