Mighty big forage radish

I posted about forage radishes before, but this one may be the largest I've ever seen. Plus, the pictures show Aiyana and Sena's characters so well: Aiyana, lively and silly, just loves to have a good time; Sena, always dignified and in control.

Forage radishes are amazing. They grow fast and provide a great cover crop at the end of the season. They loosen up the soil (you can see why), and they also provide a great source of food for the cows. Right now, I'm giving Opal and Jasmine 3 of these radishes each at milking time, plus a whole bunch of other veggies, like potatoes, carrots, kale, bok choi or whatever else we have, for a total of approx. 15lbs per cow. That's a lot of veggies for one meal, right? Well, I bring them veggies and they give me milk. A good trade.

Peace

Killing frost over the weekend

If in my last post I described a relaxing Sunday, here I will write about a most hectic weekend: the weekend before the killing frost.

The temperature predictions for Saturday and Sunday night were in the mid and low 20's respectively, so even though the CSA is over for the season (as of last week), we still had quite a few crops in the field that needed to be protected because we could sell them until Christmas, and they represent a significant amount of our yearly income. So, on Saturday, Ed and I spent the day harvesting the last of the apples, pears, celeriac, celery, parsley and peppers. These will last for quite a while in our root cellar. Veggies that remained in the field, like spinach, salad greens, bok choi, turnips, radishes, carrots and beets had to be covered with thick cloth or plastic covers held down by many heavy sand bags. This took us all day, and while we were out working, Sena and Aiyana had 2 friends over for a sleepover, and thank goodness for that, because they all cooked dinner for us, so there was something to eat when we came in tired and cold after dark.

On Sunday, the frenzy started again. Now we had to go to our other field in Willington, where there was more to harvest and cover. We harvested cabbages, rutabagas and kohlrabi for storage in the root cellar, as well as some gigantic forage radishes that will feed the cows through the winter. Then the fun with covering began again - this time for brussel sprouts and some remaining cabbages. We were done by late afternoon, after which everything had to be brought home and stored in the root cellar. Since nobody was home to cook the entire day, the girls and I went out and got Indian food for all of us. That was a nice treat at the end of the day. So was reading James Herriot by the fire, knowing that everything was done.

Killing frost always brings up mixed feelings: anxiety because I know so much has to be done, and I'm never sure if what we do do is enough to protect the plants; sometimes it is, and sometimes it isn't. If the forecast is wrong and the temps are lower than expected, or if the covers blew off during the night the plants may die anyway despite all our efforts at protecting them. But hard frost also brings relief because one way or another it means the end of many worries. Whatever crop does not survive is done with for the season and we won't have to worry about it again.

Today it is sunny and cold, and the air is very clear. I too feel clear: another season is coming to the end, and it was a good one. We worked a lot and gave a lot of ourselves and we have also been given a lot, with excellent yields and a great CSA. There were many challenges and set-backs of different kinds, as always, but right now I am content with how things are. As always, I am most grateful to the land that supports us and gives us so much, and allows us to live this lifestyle.
Peace

Hobbit Inventory

Here’s my canned food inventory for this year so far.

(For those who work in metric: 1 gallon=4quatrs=4liters. I have been converted to the imperial system since my move to the US even though it makes less sense, but “when in Rome…”)

• Tomato sauce: 10 gallons
• Apple sauce: 8 gallons
• Jam (strawberry and grape): 20 quarts
• Cucumber pickles: 3 gallons
• Roasted peppers: 3.5 quarts

We also froze a bunch of things this year: strawberries, fresh corn, venison, basil pesto and baba ghanouj.

And of course there are the fruits and veggies than can last months if kept at the right temperature and humidity. There are carrots, rutabagas, cabbages, celeriac, potatoes, apples and Asian pears in the root cellars, and squashes, sweet potatoes, garlic, onions, dried beans and dried corn in the attic.

I must admit that it gives me great satisfaction to list all of these foods that we grew and put so much work into preserving. I feel like a hobbit taking a tour of his pantry, happy in the knowledge that there is enough stored for the winter in his little hobbit house.

There are a few other things that we’d like to preserve before this season is over:

• Apple cider, of which Ed and Sena made a batch yesterday, about 1 gallon, and oh my, it is heavenly. They froze most of it, but we plan to make more in the near future.

• Apple cider vinegar – this I am really excited about, as with anything that involves fermentation. I use apple cider vinegar a lot, and it will be fun to have my own home-made version.

• Autumn olive jam – autumn olive is classified as “invasive” and much reviled by some people on that account. Regardless, there are many on our property and we think they taste delicious, invasive or not, and I think they’d make a great jam, sweet and tart.

• Sauerkraut – the cabbages have been excellent this year, and I am looking forward to fermenting some into sauerkraut.

Now that the season is coming to an end and most of the field work is done, and food has been put away (mostly, anyway), I feel like I can take a little time to relax. Today, for instance, we had an absolutely gorgeous day (of which we had many lately), with blue skies, sun, temps in the 60s, and a slight breeze. I laid down in the pasture and listened to the wind, watched a bug dig a hole in the dirt, let the cows graze around me, and that was my bliss. Nothing that money can buy, which is true of many good things. This season certainly felt exhausting at times, but a day like today leaves me feeling recharged, and grateful.

Peace