We’re simply stunned seeing how much food we have produced this year! I’ve been canning like mad as well as extracting seed for our little seed business. Yesterday I did up celery. I was a bit worried as we have had temps down into the high twenties and although celery can take frosts with no problem, freezing can damage it. Luckily, although the outside stalks had frozen and were getting hollow and off-colored, the inside stalks were fine. And as each plant had made three or four plants, we sure have plenty of celery! I like to dehydrate the leaves and upper stalks, also, to crumble for flavoring in soups and stews.
Will got busy and pulled our Provider bean pods. As we’ve been having intermittent rain, he laid them out on feed sacks around the house, even in our living room. (Hey, we’ve got tons of pumpkins and squash EVERYWHERE so what are a few beans in the living room, anyway?) This morning, he put them in a five-gallon bucket and tread on them with his slippers, which opens the pods, popping most of the beans out. Then he sat down and picked through the pile, releasing more beans that hadn’t popped out. Soon we’ll have LOTS of beans. We use Providers as kidney beans in chili as well as using them for green beans.
This year we grew another new squash; Geraumon Martinique. What a beautiful squash! It’s a C. moschata so it can be grown with Hopi Pale Grey without crossing. It should taste very good as most C. moschatas do. And it was hugely productive and reasonably early. We love it; it’s a keeper for sure!
I’m putting up salsa this afternoon, the only tomato product I’m a bit low on. And I’ve sure got tomatoes and peppers! — Jackie
Deb,
Yeah, Will likes harvesting beans and peas. I’m truly grateful to have such a like-minded partner. (Hey, we have our “days” where we get crosswise on stuff, just like everyone else. We’re far from perfect!!!) So you’re adding an addition? Great. Snow’s forecast soon. Yuck!!
Rick and Deborah Harvey,
AMEN!!!
Jackie, the sight of Will stomping on provider beans would be a great video.
Just can’t picture him doing that. He really pitches in with everything going on.
From shelling beans, saving seeds, filling seed packets to all the major projects
on the farm. He is my hero. We have a concrete block guy here today and I am thinking if you were adding an addition as we are then Will would be laying the concret block. And of course, you would be there helping him all the way and also giving him advice on how to do it right. You both are an inspiration to me and I hold you up as an example of true pioneers of the 21st century.
Hope you have enough time to harvest everything before the snow flies or maybe it already has in northern Minnesota. I love all the pictures you are putting on your blog.
Some think there may indeed come a time of widespread trouble and lack. Others feel it is prudent to be prepared in the event of personal problems such as poor health or injury or weather conditions like drought, flooding or even financial challenges. I have felt for many years every time I put a jar of something I have grown on a pantry shelf “that is something I don’t have to buy.” And to me it is better than the commercially produced stuff because I KNOW what went into the container and how it was grown and prepared. Busy days spent putting the harvest up makes me very grateful for a patch of ground, sunshine and rain, strength to work, to God for provision and for Miss Jackie our mentor!!!! Rick
maybe it is like the 7 fat years and the 7 lean years in joseph’s time in egypt?
save all you are able.
you never know what’s coming.
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