Updates and a $6 chicken plucker

Someone shared this link with me when I inquired about making a chicken plucker for our upcoming chicken adventures.  My husband wants the “Mother Plucker” from Cabela’s, then I found plans (Whiz bang) to make your own plucker, then someone shared with me a link on how to make a plucker for $6 that attaches to your drill… Too Cool!  The $6 Plucker, Photos and Video Included!

So let’s see what’s happened here lately.  My squash is in – I started seed indoors because our walk-in attic is wonderfully warm, humid and has a window to allow sunlight.  I made my corn plot longer because my husband and father finally got the stump out between gardens so I could close up the access path I left him.  My corn hadn’t been sprouting and upon inspection all the holes I planted in had been dug up again and my seeds were gone!  Darn squirrels!  So I started corn seed in containers again, and will plant when I have green shoots…

I made a new garden plot between my vegetables and corn, where the stump was located.  Then I took a trip to Wal-Mart and got 6 packs of tomatoes for 84 cents to fill in there.  I may actually have enough tomatoes this year for canning, freezing, fresh eating AND giving away a decent amount to my community.  I also bought some seeds before they were out of season, so I have some to continue vegetable gardening indoors this fall and winter.

Lettuce, spinach, onions, leeks, broccoli, peas, green beans, beets, and corn are all coming in nicely this year.  The dogs have just about killed all the garlic I had planted earlier this season (they’re closest to the fence, and my dogs used to run right through my garden to bark and play with the dog next door….).  I’m having a LOT of trouble with carrots this year, which is a bummer.  You’re not supposed to start them in containers because that can lead to crooked roots, but I found some deeper containers and started seed anyway to keep an eye on them and see what’s going on.  I’m using two different packs of seeds and two different varieties so I don’t know if it’s the seeds themselves not germinating, my soil, or what!

RIght now I’m researching what chickens need to eat and how I can grow their food myself.  With the rising cost of grains and corn, it makes storebought eggs and meat cheaper, unless I can do it myself.  I also need to consider that our meat will only be an expense once a year instead of year-round which will help lower the cost a bit (buying in bulk and only for a short time each year), however will the feeding cost of hens be worthwhile just for eggs?  Granted they do offer many more benefits – pest control, good pets, fertilizer, etc. but I have to look at my out of pocket expense – I don’t NEED pest control, we have 3 dogs for pets, and we don’t really need fertilizer.  I do want the eggs though – they’re healthier than storebought and I know my hens will be treated right.  But we have to look into the year-round cost, and project it for the next few years and try to guess how high feed will go, and look at what I can do myself and what happens if my crop fails for whatever reason, can I still afford to buy it?

  I still have space in my yard to grow grains and more corn if needed, and next year my garden will be much better planned and space will be maximized.  My problem this year was i was so desperate to get a garden in, I didn’t care what I planted where, it just had to get in the ground. Then I continued adding plots, planting seed, and ended up with a nice sized garden but if I were to do it again I’d have things moved around and be able to plant MORE with the space I have. I’m thinking about trying Square Foot Gardening next year. I have the book, and the idea seems very interesting. 

We tried a new church this past weekend and just loved it!  My husband enjoyed it too, which was a real plus.  I am so excited to go back, and I am getting my oldest daughter involved starting this week in a Christian alternative to Girl Scouts, and once my son turns 3, he’ll be able to join the Christian alternative to Boy Scouts. They still earn badges, do projects, the boys go camping and all of that, but it’s focused on God and Jesus.  I like that.  We’ve been trying to find a church we enjoy in our new area but have been unsuccessful up until now.  We’ll give it a few weeks and pray on it, but I really feel this could be our new home church.  It’s a non-demoninational church that uses the King James bible – which for me, is important.  Most churches we’ve been to will take their sermon out of several different bibles, or use bibles that I have had a lot of problems with (messages and meanings being completely turned around, contradictory, etc.)  So we’ll see how this one goes. I’m excited.

I think I am going to make up a batch of bagels and get a stock of them in the freezer.  We love bagels and I use a whole-wheat recipe that the kids and I enjoy (hubby isn’t much for bagels).  I also need to get some sub loaves made and in the oven, come harvest time we’ll be able to have some phenominal sub sandwiches

Corn is in!

My corn was sprouting real well in the container I started the seed in, so I made a plot and dropped the starts plus more seeds.  I have somewhere around 6 rows of 8-9 plants each.

I also decided my garden isn’t yet satisfactory.  We don’t yet have a fence around my garden which leaves my dogs to run through it quite a bit now.  I only have a few surviving tomato plants and the kids and I eat a LOT of tomatoes.  I also want some summer squash, zuccini, butternut and acorn squash.  All of which i can find at my local farmers market in the city.  This weekend I’ll be getting the rest of my garden hopefully finished.

We are getting a short fence for the garden to keep the dogs out and I think this year I am going to do without mulch.  We’re short on money and I can weed with no problem.  I know the mulch helps hold moisture in as well as keep the weeds down and it was really nice to use last year but this year I think I’ll be doing without it and perhaps watering more often depending on the weather.  I’d love to get a rain barrel and collect rainwater to use in my garden instead of using our water supply, so I am going to look into finding something for that purpose.

We’re here, officially!

Finally our move is complete. My husband and I finished this past week and we have all of our belongings at our new home.  Now we have to find a spot for everything and get life back on track once and for all. 

Many of my plants are starting to sprout – my green beans grew about 3 inches overnight!  My corn is popping up in its container so tomorrow its time to make a plot for corn and put it down. 

My husband garbage picked a white wooden bedframe and decided he’s going to make me a ‘flower bed.’  I’m busy researching what plants flower pretty but are useful as well (herbs, vegetables, fruits).  i’d love to grow a flower bed that will produce food for my family, then again living in the area we live in I may just be very lucky if I can put it out front without anyone vandalizing it!  Let alone grabbing produce from it.

Anyway, short night for me – I have more boxes to move then I’d love to relax on the couch with a chai and read!