Sunday, April 23, 2017

Sorry, I have a busy life, please forgive me......

    Well as most of you have seen that I have not done a post in a while, I apologize but life has been hectic. First, I have transferred to a new location and getting my feet on the ground an running. Everything is good with the new job, I am really like it there. Baseball has been in full spring mode and now that we are done with out exhibition games, the season starts in 2 weeks. Both boys are doing very well on a team of mis-fits. This will be the last season we will play in the county recreation league as numerous parents from last years championship are wanting to put the old team back together and play travel ball. It should be fun.

     While I have been gone I have done a few things. As most of you know we no have pigs. We bought 3 gilts almost a month ago and they have been growing pretty fast, matter of fact I had to build a new hog pen as they started to out grow the first one. I also constructed the new one farther away from the house.


Went and got 5 more panels from Tractor Supply to start our breading expansion.
            Along with building the new pen for the pigs, I have also been getting the garden in the ground. We have been pretty lucky with getting the garden in without rain hampering our plans and holding off until it's all in. 

First 3 rows of sweet yellow corn

remaining 2 rows of sweet corn

5 rows of corn, 1 row of yellow onions, 1 row of green beans, 20 tomato, 15 various pepper plant, and row of red potatoes

row of red potatoes
      Now for some other news. I haven't even had a chance to do any upgrades on the "Fouled XJ" but here is a pic of it in the last snow fall when we went to a neighbors property to do some sledding.



And a small video of driving to town 

 

      Let me make this statement. I am so blessed to have a family that is so on-board with the lifestyle of being self-sustaining. Yes, there is more to do and we have come along way and we plan on doing more but the WHOLE FAMILY is involved. I mean, really how can you call yourself a big time prepper/survivalist when you live in a HOA mandated community, create multiple websites that all have failed, and do Internet postings of raised bed gardens when you have the fencing and area to actually plant a real garden? Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with people wanting to plant a few crops in planters in their back yard and enjoy the success of eating something you grew, but don't tout yourself as some expert when you can't even feed one person in your family with your bounty. As far as I am concerned, you have earned Amateur status in my book. You know who your are and your buddy lives in a freaking apartment and eats Wendy's on group camping trips. Enough said on this.......

     Well I hope everyone has a great week and I would like some input on this. JUGM and I have been thinking about combining out sites into one blog. The reasoning behind it is sometimes we may step on each other toes when doing blog posts of the things we are doing. It will also increase the postings that we will be doing as a family so I would like to hear every-ones input. So fire away.

Senior
 

15 comments:

  1. Twice the authors, half the work. Theoretically. :)

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    1. A lot of the problem is we decide what we are going to blog about and sometimes we step on each others toes. She will handle the homestead stuff and I will do the cool guy stuff.

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  2. DO what you think is right, but combining them makes sense. :-)

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    1. I think so too, we have been married so long and we are inseparable. I think it will work out for the better.

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  3. I know what it's like to be working, taking care of a family, and taking care of a place. I think you do well to post as often as you do. I'm always impressed with how much you have all accomplished together on your land.

    I can't see anything wrong with combining your blogs if you want to. There would be more frequent posts and I have seen other husband and wife blogs that worked just fine.

    Hey! I tried raised beds last summer... :-(

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    1. Harry, I am proud of how far we have come, but I know I still have a ways to go to match what you have built in your location. Thanks for your blessing, JUGM has already been working on a new blog. As far as your raised beds, I know your terrain is not the best so I understand that you may need to modify your growing techniques. If I can provide you some advise, I am more than happy to help.

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  4. Well, if you do combine the blogs, just let us know...your blogs, your decision in my book.

    As I look at those looong rows of corn, beans and taters, with a wonderful watering system (I'm drooling on the keyboard) I'm hoping you have a plan to combat the weeds that will also love the rich soil and water. We have 3 gardens we do every year, and it takes most of the front field to provide mulch to keep the weeds under control.
    The positive is I don't need to pay gyn fees as I get a great work out (especially upper body) with raking up, then stacking up, then pulling off the wagon, and putting the mulch down the rows.

    My other question is how are you keeping the deer and bunnies out of the rows? Are you fencing in the gardens?
    We had bunnies eat some of our jalapeno peppers last year!! First time ever! They do love the green beans in our front garden, so we fence that one in. (Hog panels with 3 foot high chicken wire zipped tied to bottom of the hog panels). Course nothing touched the 100 butternut squash plants, and boy did they produce big-time!! We only bought 6 plants at the nursery, the rest were volunteers from some squash guts from the year before that got pitched on top of the garden to compost in.

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    1. My father had this garden weed free for over 30 years by constantly turning the garden over during the winter and weeding every week by means of manual labor. His last 5 or so years, he didn't have a garden and they slowly worked their way back in. The past 2 years have been a struggle but with turning it over in the late fall to early spring and using mechanical means to weed, things are under control. As far as deer, we uses soap on a rope, about 15 bars and solar landscaping lights to keep the deer out. As far as bunnies, I keep that population down in the winter by harvesting them. Other critters you should worry about are raccoons. We had drought conditions last year and they destroyed our watermelon,cantaloupe patches and got into the corn too. My dad never shared any of his knowledge with me, probably on purpose to make me learn, but now I understand why he had numerous water dishes staged all around the garden to combat critters from destroying the crops. I did a post regarding the raccoon problem I had, just do a search for it.

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    2. Raccoons do not live long around here. There are several live traps scattered around the property that get pulled in close to the corn when it is in season. Because those buggers will climb fences. The 2 favorite baits are either scattered dry corn or left over fried chicken. Although this week, apple slices have been popular. Anything that "takes the bait" gets a .22 to the brain.

      One of DH's helpers was over the other morning when I noticed the trap was occupied. So the guys go out to do the deed. The helper asks why doesn't DH just "take the coon out to the country and turn it loose". DH looked at him and says "I LIVE out in the country. I don't believe in passing my troubles off on my neighbors" Helper's grandma's place is just up the road. I asked DH if Helper thought we should take the coon up to the UP.

      DH rotovates the gardens in the fall, in the spring, and again just before we plant. We weed again just before putting Turkey Poop and mulch on once the plants are about 3-4 inches up. It works pretty well.

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  5. No apologies on having higher priorities (i.e family) than the blog. I always read'em when they pop up. Thumbs up to Rev. Paul on twice the authors, half the work.

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    1. Oh, garden question. Do each of the rows have a cut off switch so that one row can get watered but not another? Soaker hoses? Love the simplicity!

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    2. JUGM has been working on the new blog, we are going live tonight.

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    3. Yes, they all have their own shut-off valve. I only water the green beans for about 5-10 mins or whenever they get a good pool of water over them. I let corn, onions go longer. I use Rain-Bird irrigation pipe in the rows. Stuff on the long rows get the brown pipe with holes every 1 foot and since the rows run down hill, it covers it nicely. The black pipe, I punch my own regulated drippers either 1 or 2 g.p.h into the pipe and sometime run the small hose with stakes to the plants. My goal after this year is to have them set-up and ready to go for next year so the only work will be to place them and plant where I have lines. Of course I can also add more if needed.

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  6. Senior,

    Hey friend, your family, farm/homestead takes precedents over blog world......so, it's not necessary to explain why you've not been here. I'm living through you and JUGM this planting season (hope you don't mind) because I haven't been able to get a garden going yet....too many other priorities getting settled on our little farm. Bulldog Man and I love what you've done with the water drip system for your garden.

    Nice looking pig pen/house....the girls will love the protection and additional space you've provided.

    Hugs and love to you, and your family.
    Sandy

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    1. Thanks Sandy. I know you got a lot going on too with your new place. Hey, if you were closer we could come over and get your garden ready to go. I have been pretty pleased with the pig pen. I has done a great job over the past 2.5 days with giving the girls a nice dry place to stay dry. Just finished a 4" PVC water device with a nipple drinker on it. We are keeping their pellet feed/corn and water inside. So far it's working. Slop of course will be administered outside, they go crazy like democrats getting free stuff.

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