With only seven people attending our spring seminar here at our homestead this past weekend, we had a great time. We had folks from as far away as Alaska (Jessi) and Illinois (John and Geri) and all were lovely, fun people. As there were few, we crammed in as much other-than-planned-for workshops as we could and even canned up meatballs in spaghetti sauce.
The weather was great. The forecast was rain, rain, and rain. Luckily, the sun was out and it was gorgeous all three days. Thank you God!
Most folks said they’d definitely be back for another seminar. We parted sadly on Sunday afternoon and evening, having made many new friends in homesteading. I’m sure we’ll all be in contact.
Now Will and I are playing catch-up, switching gears from “getting ready for the seminar” to getting caught up on projects. It sucked that spring was a month late again this year! We’re kind of behind on a lot of things but keep remembering that it got hot fast and it isn’t all that late. I still have carrots and parsnips to plant along with cabbages, broccoli, and cauliflower.
Will thought he had a corn planter all set for us but when he went down to pick it up it turned out to be unusable because of rust so no corn planter. We’re not sure what we’re going to do with that big corn patch now but I’m sure we’ll think of something. One thing we’re good at is switching gears mid-stream! — Jackie
Just as soon as I retire, I am coming to this seminar. Hopefully, you and Will will still be running one in two years! :)
zelda, I guess we won’t learn about the beets, whether they would have made a comeback or not. Two days after the deer hit the garden, the little nubbins remaining above ground were lost to a cottontail.
gen
Common sense, Jackie, that is what you are all about. You use your noggin
and it always makes perfect sense. I am going to try the cracked corn idea. I
have scratch for the chickens and I think I shall try giving that to the birds.
You mentioned chipmunks and I think they are the critters that are digging up
my pumpkin and squash seeds. I have planted four times now. Thank goodness I have lots of hopi pale greay seeds thanks to you. I am going to set out piles of scratch and hope for the best. I hope the birds get the point.
I would love to hear more about the Sept. seminar. Sheryl and I have been bemoaning how much we missed you and Will and the other homesteaders.
Sheryl, Deb and Sarah,
I missed you guys too! (We’re having a fall seminar, in September….hint, hint….) lol Seriously, I know you folks have other places that need your finances right now. No, we really don’t have any other place to find out about what happened on our spring seminar. Sorry.
Deb & Zelda,
What works for us is to get some cracked corn and FEED the birds on the ends of your garden. Like people, they always take the easy way out and will eat the exposed corn before getting to your plantings. We had trouble with chipmunks and ground squirrels eating our corn and the same thing worked with them. I hope you gals have good luck keeping your corn!
Interesting idea Gen! That may well work too.
zelda, i haven’t got a clue about a little side business. my grandfather would paint wooden balls red, and hang them in the apple trees before the apples ripened. Helped with the birds to some degree, but didn’t do a thing for the worms, lol. it was for the same reason, bent beaks didn’t want to try the real thing once they were truly ripe.
Once the berries are ripe, and the birds are eating them, i’m not sure how well the stones will help. we always put them out before the berries turned red.
good luck to you both.
gen
Gen, that’s a great idea. I’m definitely going to try it in the strawberry patch. I haven’t had a problem with my corn, but I don’t plant much due to lack of space.
Gen, thank you, what a sensible, clever suggestion. Robins are already eating my strawberries. I’m headed out to buy red, yellow and green (for peas) spray paint. Do you suppose you could start a business selling bags of yellow or red painted pebbles on ebay or etsy for people who don’t want to buy paint and spray rocks??? LOL
This may sound silly, but gather up some smaller pebbles, and spray paint them yellow, with a non-toxic paint. Sprinkle them around the corn patch you’ve planted. The birds will think they are seeds, and when they get tired of having their beaks “bent” a little, they think the real seed will be just as uneatable. Doing that with red stones in the strawberry patch before the strawberries came on always worked real well. Maybe the same will work for your corn. Just a suggestion. I know, it can’t be a big patch, but might work for the smaller gardener.
gen
I’m planting my Glass Gem corn tomorrow and it is waaay too expensive to be bird snacks so I have the same question. My plot is small enough that I can cover it with floating row cover but the birds do sneak under it. Last year birds ate multiple plantings of peas. I never did get any to eat or freeze. I tried the inflatable plastic snakes. Birds just laugh at that. Wire cages work but are expensive for large plots. My question is the same as Deborah’s – anyone have suggestions for bird control?
I thought about you and the seminar all weekend and wished many times
that I could have be there, too.
Are there any new web sites or blogs that you might be able to share with the rest of us who did not attend?
I am having alot of trouble with my corn this year.
Planted twice already and birds ate it all. Any ideas from anyone on how to keep the birds away from the corn once it is in the ground but not yet sprouted?
Super glad about the weather!
The barn is looking so good.
I am still crying in my pretzels that I couldn’t attend.
So wish we could have been there! I was thinking of you all weekend and worried about the rain. I’m thrilled to hear that you had good weather. Looks like you had good group!
Looks like a wonderful time! Glad the weather held out for you.
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