Well, yes, we were. Grandson, Drew, came up for the weekend and helped out a bunch. He and Will split a whole lot of firewood and brought it up to the woodshed while I picked more beans, tomatoes, and squash. We were sad to see him go on Sunday, but he’s had it with the city and is trying to find a job up here. He’s a welder and should have no trouble finding one.
Yesterday, our friend, Sherri, came over and brought us some seeds she’d saved plus the hugest, most wonderful head of Golden Self-Blanching celery I’ve ever seen. (Grown from our seed, of course.) We picked the dry beans that were left, in preparation for the freeze forecast for tonight. Not frost — freeze, with the temperatures in the low twenties F. She and Will went out and picked all the squash left in the gardens then she and I picked the last zucchini, Costata Romanesco, which is our very favorite. I knew we had some nice ones. But, holy cow, we got a whole golf cart load, heaped up!
Today, Will and I are going out to pick the last tomatoes for me to can. There are hundreds and I just hope I can get cases of tomato recipes canned up before they go bad. Our second planting of sweet corn is just now getting ripe. So, Will and I will be picking all of it tomorrow. The plants will have been killed but the corn will still be fine. Then it’s canning that up too. Whew!
My living room looks like a disaster as I’m shelling dry beans every single day and night in there. Bean pods, buckets, and stray beans are all over the place. Most seed companies have warehouses; we have the living room! Every seed is hand-saved. No machines here. Except for Will.
The fall colors are beautiful yet and I saw the most beautiful pink-orange cloud the other night, just at sundown. We are so very blessed to live where we do. — Jackie
I was hoping to post a picture for you of my Hopi squash. It’s HUGE! It climbed into our lilac bushes and over the fence and into the road. We got a frost the other night and it killed the vines so we harvested all of them.
I have never seen celery that big!! I have to try that kind. I love all of your produce you are harvesting. I hope you can get all of your tomatoes. That squash was very pretty. Thanks for sharing!
Jackie, It’s so nice to hear another person cans celery. I also do cabbage and yellow squash. Delicious!
There needs to be a way to add laughing emojis in response to favorite comments. Ex: “No machines here. Except for Will.” and “Maybe add on another basement…” Thanks for continuing to share your inspiring adventures, good humor, and generous spirit. You make the world a better place for all of us, and boy do we need that these days!
Jackie,
Followed you since what-2007, maybe?! lol! Can you freeze those tomatoes whole to can for later if u have enough freezer space!
I’m growing Jackie’s Oregon Spring tomato, to can-up. They don’t come all at once. I freeze them without the cores, in gallon ziplocks, then when have enough for water-bathing, do the whole bunch at once. Works fine.
I do
The last sweet potato was dug this morning. With our heavy clay, I plant most of them and other root crops in mineral tubs. Our temps aren’t quite as cold as yours we did have 40 degrees this morning. So it’s coming. Yesterday I cleaned the hen house and this morning my DH & I cut and split some wood. Last winter we had a week w/o electricity, and were so grateful for the woodstove!
The crops you grow and put up are amazing, especially those winter squash! How do you deal with the squash bugs and vine borers? With all the work you do, it’s also good to hear that you take time to stop and just rest the soul looking at the beauty around you. Peace!
Here in far north California, on top our mountain, we’ve had solar for many years. Our well pump is on utility company electricity a half mile down the driveway. Neighbors are not off grid. When a storm cuts off power, we lose water (but we have reservoirs full) but have solar for the house. We, too, cut and burn wood only for heat. I’ve got a huge larder. I grow and can. Glad to be resilient agrarians.
I am so glad I found you and BHM years and years ago! With news of a lay-off in January, I am so glad we have stockpiled food from the garden and plenty of wood for the winter/next year. You don’t really understand sometimes the self-reliant mindset or all the work that goes with it, but when the ball drops, at least we know we have food and heat! Thanks for the wealth of information over the years; it is truly saving us now!
We had a small fire in my larder/solar battery room that left lots of soot. It was caused by lightning traveling from the roof into the basement solar wiring. When my canned goods were finally cleaned and back in order on shelves, today I decided to take inventory; there’s so much! I’ve worked hard for 5 years. Two-thirds of my larder add up to 400+jars, a 200+ variety. I don’t think things in this world are going to get better, per se. I, too, am glad to be self-sufficient to have food and heat.
Busy time of the year. I dug sweet potatoes yesterday -good crop. Garlic planted. Some cabbages still to harvest. Garden clean up beginning. Welders have no problem finding a job in our area. Help with splitting wood is always appreciated. Your celery seeds did great for me. I dehydrate the celery for celery salt. The night time sunsets have been beautiful. Our root cellar is the local grocery store for the family-there is no grocery in our little town anymore. Sole proprietor businesses-grocery, hardware and lumber yard all gone as the owners retired and no one took them on.
Yes, that’s happening in a lot of small towns. The old folks die or retire and nobody wants to do the work. Our basement is our grocery store too. And because we picked crates of ripe tomatoes ahead of the freeze last night, plus our big patches of sweet corn, I’ll be canning like a mad beast for days. A real good feeling though.
Do you live in Bridgeport, California? They have no grocery store either. Though can travel an hour to Gardnerville, Nevada to one.
There is always the spare bedroom where shelves can be installed lol.
Saw your area is in the freeze zone. Will be a little while for us but we put our garden to bed and planted garlic. We got almost .5 inch of rain – need more but we’ll take it.
Good for Drew for wanting work/life balance and an environment that makes him happy. I’ve told many younger co-workers it doesn’t matter how much they pay you if you hate your job (or where you have to live).
Back to your walnut tree – you consider planting a few “nuts” to see if more will grow?
Nope, bedroom is full. There’s more room in the basement, on the shelves Will said were not for food. (We knew THAT was a joke from the start.) Yep, we froze good last night. We had 20 degrees this morning. Brrr. I’m glad we worked like dogs and got in so much yesterday. Yes, I am certainly going to plant more nuts on the edges of the woods and see if they’ll also grow. It’s a lot of fun!
I’m canning up the last of this year’s garden and it was a pretty decent year! I needed to replenish my canning lids and found a brand on Amazon called Superb (made in the USA). They have a package of 13 doz for $36! That’s a good price! Hope you guys get everything in before the freeze! Our first one is only a couple weeks away here in Colorado.
That is a good price for Superb lids! Good for you! We did get everything in. But, boy was it a struggle. We finished right at dark with the temperature down to 42 degrees and falling fast. Brrr.
Oh boy, better get more shelves built for those jars! Maybe add on another basement to store it all in?!? Exhausting, rewarding work, and I wonder how you two just keep going and going. You’ve set the bar pretty high for the rest of us out here!
I just opened a bunch of jars and made beef stew. It is so satisfying to enjoy my previous labor and share with my family.
Thanks for all you have taught me.
Yep, I’m always wondering where we’ll put it all, but we seem to always find a place. Yep, we’re exhausted tonight after pulling it all in. Then Sherri is coming tomorrow to help pull in all of our sweet corn for canning. I think there’s a truckload…..
You’re very right. It is very rewarding and satisfying to put food you have provided on your table. No chemicals, no weird stuff, no bacteria, no GMO. Just good, tasty and wholesome food.
You’re very welcome! I love helping folks provide for their families.