What We Planted 2009

Names of some of the Seeds we planted this year:

Pumpkin Magic Lantern Pumpkins

Honey Bear Winter Squash

Petite Treat Watermelon

Guardsman Onions

Champion Radish

Scarlett Nantes Carrots

Buttercrunch Head Lettuce

Tenderheart Hybrid Oriental Vegetables

Homemade Pickles Pickling Cucumbers

A Garden Party

The McGatha Garden Co Op got together for a Garden Planning Party.

We ate lots of good food and spent hours pouring over seed catalogs.....planning what we would grow and where.

On the list for this year is:
-Bush Beans
-Pickling Cucumbers
-Pumpkins
-Onions
-Potatoes- 3 kinds!
-Peppers
-Carrots
-Lettuce
-Cabbage
-Squash
-Petite Watermelon
and of course......lots of Tomatos

We will be ordering Nematodes and other benificial bug and hanging a Bat House to help with the pest problems. Sue is looking into soil amendments and organic fetilizers.

It was alot of fun looking at all the seed catologs and planning the Garden ........ I can't wait to plant some stuff!!

My Canning Jar SCORE

My Mom was telling one of her good friends that I had started canning this past summer. She told Mom that she had some canning jars AND a pressure canner in her attic and told Mom to ask me if I wanted them. Uh....Yeah!

So Mom picked them up for me and brought them over to the house today. LOOK at what I got!!!! I had no idea it would be so many jars AND a pressure canner! I am so excited!!

I can't wait to start canning this summer.

Sharon,
I promise to fill some of those jars with goodies and return them to you!

Thank You, Thank You, Thank you!

Homesteading Classes at Carriage Hill

Homesteading Classes at Carriage Hill

02/07/09
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Traditional Butchering
Watch the age-old activity of processing the meat that was the staple in the 19th century farmer's diet. On Saturday the hog is scraped, cleaned and cooled. On Sunday the meat is prepared into the various cuts such as ribs, roasts, and hams. Also, watch as meat is then salted, cured, and also made into sausage. Call 278-2609 for details.

03/07/09
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
From Seeds To Harvest
Learn how to grow, harvest and use herbs. Special information will be provided on Sweet Woodruff, which is used in May Wine. Refreshments provided

03/08/09
12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
BOIL THE SUGAR DOWN: Sweeteners on the Farm
During the 1880s, farmers had a variety of natural sweeteners that they collected. Spring-time meant boiling down maple sugar into sweet syrup. Come visit an 1880's sugar camp and learn how maple sugar was collected on the farm.

04/18/09
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
From Sheep to Shawls

The role that sheep played on the farm will be discussed for this comprehensive program. Watch as the sheep are sheared for the spring at 2 pm. Help card wool and watch as fabric is dyed using traditional methods. Come hear about the spinning process and factory production of wool. Watch spinners and weavers process the wool into yarn.

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Carriage Hill MetroPark
7800 E. Shull Road
Dayton, Ohio 45424
(937) 278-2609

Garden Planning Meeting

A Garden Planning Meeting is being scheduled for February.

October Independence

October 2008 Independence Summary

Planting, Harvesting & Preserving –
Canned
Strawberry Jam - 7 Jelly Jars
Grape Jelly - 7 Jelly Jars
Orange Juice Jelly - 7 Jelly Jars
Banana Jam - 7 Jelly Jars
Dill Pickles- 8 Quarts
Sauerkraut- 10 Quarts
Steak Sauce- 3 pints
Tomatoes- 5 Quarts Tomato Sauce
4 Quarts Spiced Tomato Sauce
4 Quarts Tomato Halves
Carrot Pepper Salsa- 5 Pints
Green Tomato Hodge Podge- 3 pints, 1 Quart
Pickled Green Tomatoes- 1 pint, 1 Quart
Applesauce- 6 Pints
Apple Butter- 8 Jelly Jars

Frozen
Strawberries- 6 Quarts
Blueberries- 2 Pints
Green Beans- 3 pints
Carrots- 7 pints

Dried-
Dried Veggie Seasoning- 1 pint
Beef Jerky- 1 pint
Tomatoes- 5 Jelly Jars
Candy- Loupe - (Dried Candied Cantaloupe)
Green Peppers



Preparedness & Planning –
Reading information on how to prepare for and reduce risk of Pandemic Flu
Changed Water in our 55 Gallon Emergency Water Container
Researching Alternative Cooking methods

Managing household & reserves –
Rotating Stockpiled Foods- Eating the replenishing.
Cleaned and prepared Furnace for Winter

Keeping it Local –
Eating food from our Garden
Buying from Local Farmers and Farmers Markets

Learned New Skill or Tried Something New –
Canning Class- End of Season Harvest
My first ever, homemade from scratch Apple Pie!!
Making Applesauce and Apple Butter

Misc. & Handcrafting -
Researching and reading articles and books on survival, homesteading and back to basic skills.
Incorporating new skills, practices and methods into day to day life.

Good Night, Garden

Last week we had a couple frost's and a hard freeze. So the Garden is done producing now.

We still have to plan a work day to put the beds to rest for the winter. The plan is to cover the beds with leaves to compost over the winter.

Projects we will be working on this winter include:
Layout for next year's Garden
Organic Pest Control Methods
Companion Planting

Good Night, Garden. See you in the Spring.

Applesauce and Apple Butter

Guess what I did today?

I made 6 Pints of Applesauce

and 8 Jelly Jars of Apple Butter.

Thanks for the Apples, Sara!

My First Apple Pie

Apples straight from the Orchard

Thanks Sara!

My pretty pie.......ready to go in the oven.

My first ever, homemade from scratch Apple Pie!!

Next up......Applesauce!

Canning

With this Week's Harvest I put up:
4 Quarts of Tomatoes
5 Pints of Carrot Pepper Salsa
1 Quart and 3 Pints of Green Tomato Hodge Podge
1 Quart and 1 Pint of Pickled Green Tomatoes