Cleanup on Aisle 6: The Farm Report 10-29-2022

Fall Housecleaning is an old time tradition. We're doing that here at Oakdale Farm too. Among other reasons for the need is this. The Harvest. The guys are down there harvesting soy beans today. That cloud of dust is what happens when the dry soy plants hit the combine! Everything except the beans gets shredded and powdered.  The beans go up into the hopper on the combine, the rest gets blown back out where it came from - mostly. 

Harvest time is always dusty. The picture isn't 'cloudy' or out of focus. Everybody in the whole world is combining something right now. The whole countryside is a smog-like haze of harvest dust. Even putting the beans off the combine into the grain cart is dusty. Plus, we haven't had much for rain and the Earth is dry.

My good neighbor, Jeff and his crew were getting their machines ready to go at it the other morning. Annie thought they needed looking after, so she assigned herself a perch in my front lawn and sat there and watched them. She occassionally barked to let them know they were being watched and were OK, but to my immense pleasure she never once offered to run across the road to help. She didn't even go outside the fenced area.

Here's another 'Aisle 6' that needs major attention. The tomatoes on the tarp garden just out did themselves this year. I've got a ton of tomato juice/sauce/paste to show for it, too. But....

I started in with a groan. It is lots more fun planting than it is cleaning up. If I don't clean up NOW though, it won't be any fun planting again in the spring, either. One foot in front of the other one. Little by little. Rome wasn't built in a day. You fill in your favorite old adage. I'm gettin' 'er done. It is amazing how greasy slick those tomato mummies are though!

Did anybody say you can't grow sweet potatoes this far North? Well if you heard them say it, you can look 'em straight in the eye and say, "Phoooey!" This one is a Beauregard. It is one of my favorite varieties.

These ones are Centennials. They're OK, but they get long and leggy. That other stuff around them is what frostbit sweet potato vines look like after a very sudden 16F we had overnight recently.

This is what I mean about the Centennials. Oh, and next year, I'll use those little 'biodegradable' bags again but when I plant out I'm going to cut the sides so the plant roots have a better chance to escape. The catalog said these bags would dissolve. They probably will - sometime before the next century....

I'm not too much for cucumbers. I like pickles, but how many of those can one old guy eat? I found this pile of cukes laying on the ground after I pulled out the wire cage they were growing on. Who knew!?
 

Time to clean up the Irish potato crop, too. I was disappointed in my crop this year because I didn't get nearly as many to put in the cellar as I usually do. Then I remembered we are in a serious drought and I gave away nearly one whole row this summer to family, friends and anybody who came calling. That's really the reason I keep such big gardens. That and I think it is fun.

I do have some nice spuds for winter though. There's nothing like home grown veggies.

How to clean them? Make a machine for it, of course! Here is a little video of my 'Cement Mixer - Spud Washer' in action. I had left over rubber chicken plucker fingers from when I built my Whizbang Chicken plucker. I made a belt out of an old plastic drum with the fingers in it. I can put this inside a cement mixer, add water and potatoes, and let 'er rip! Works a charm, as they say.

I really like the little ones. They're good fried and diced and ... any way you want 'em. But they're a pain to wash and clean up. "What," you might ask, "would a guy do to solve the problem, in a case like that?" Man and machines go together.

Annie decided we needed to get to the bottom of my Nearing Frame hardwood fruit tree cutting rooter. It is named after Guy Nearing, the inventor/creator. It isn't anything really except, in my case, a bottomless 5-gallon bucket sunk into the ground.

Annie just knew there were mice or something good down there.

The deeper she got, the more committed she was to the project. I want to move it anyway, so I let her do the heavy work for me. She and I were both pleased!

The Chicago Fig loved its life in the greenhouse sitting on a wicking mat this summer. It is supposed to be 'hardy' - as in it can survive - as far north as Chicago. Well, I'm in a tougher climate than Chicago, but I'm hoping that with a little winter protection it will make it. Why not try?

The wine grape project didn't make it out of the starting gate - or would that be starting box? - this summer. They did root and look lively. I think I'll pot them up this winter and maybe offer them to the Iowa State Master Gardeners for their spring fund raiser. Maybe....

Horseradish! Oh my goodness. Do I ever have a crop of horseradish!!! This one plant made two jars of the best horseradish you have ever had. And there are dozens and dozens more plants out there to be dug. One of my neighbors said we might have to be careful the toilet paper doesn't catch fire, but it is really good!

Wood cutting season is at hand, too. I have the best neighbors a man could ever ask for. Chris and Mark sent over this load for me. They had a storm disaster, and thought I could use the remains for heat. Yes, please!

Well, I promised you I'd show you how I winnow my wheat. Winnowing, for those of you who might not know the word - and who might also want to know what that means - is the process of blowing the left over straw and dirt and anything else that doesn't look like wheat out of the...wheat.

This picture explains it, except for one very important part. That part is impossible to photograph. Wind! We had 30 MPH winds one weekend recently. The temps were tolerable, and the time was right. How to do it? Easy. You just find the wind, then sift handfuls of the straw/chaff over the big brown tub. The chaff blows away, and the heavier grains fall into the tub. Bingo!

It takes several passes back and forth. It ain't a perfect science.

I use a screen to help get the filtering done near the end. 

Hard Durham Spring Wheat ready for the mill and the oven!

I think I'll get around 45 to 50 pounds of wheat from my summer's project. I think that is pretty good!

One bushel of wheat is 60 pounds. I planted a 3-pound package of seeds. Pretty good return on investment as far as I'm concerned. This isn't the final cleaned crop. My last step will be to use a pan full of water. The grain will sink, the dust and chaff will float off. After several rinses, I put the grain out on a clean towel and let it blow dry. Store in a cool dark place. Eat more bread.

Happy Halloween! All is well at Oakdale Farm.

Bean Bonanza! The Farm Report 10-17-2022

 The Farm Report
10-17-2022

Bean Bonanza!

"Hey Tim!" said Annie Oakley. "Is this a load of beans or what!?"

My Fall Green Bean project paid off in spades this year. They were plentiful, big, plump, tasty, juicy...

 
… And straight!

But then the other night, it was 27F, and apparently green beans don't like that.

After the sun came up, and the leaves began to warm, they showed us just exactly how much they DO NOT like cold. It was a disaster.

Well, after a panic cussing, and a cup or two or three of coffee while I licked my wounds and felt sorry for myself, I went back out to the field garden and looked again. To my surprise and pleasure, down under that frozen foliage were the most beautiful green beans still smiling up at me and just begging to be picked. So we did.

"Tim, buddy," said Annie "you're wasting our time again on these beans. Not everybody here at Oakdale Farm even likes to eat 'em." Well, Annie, I do! So I set up to pick off the beans from the frosted plants.

I've told you before that I plant Blue Lake 274 bush beans because they taste fantastic, and because they produce one heavy crop all at once. This makes it really easy to just pull the whole plant out of the patch and head for a nice chair and a shade tree to pick off the beans.

Once I have the beans picked off the plants, then I do this setup outside on my veranda and cut 'em up into canning lengths.

Some people (like my wife, Joyce used to do!) insist upon snapping them into lengths. I'm a knife guy. I take a bunch at one time and use the French knife to whack 'em into compliance. I think it is faster - and you would too if you had big old ham fists like I do. Whatever gets the job done, I say.

Time passes and this is the result. Actually, this is one-half of the result. Yep! I had/have double this amount of green beans canned and on the pantry shelf for winter. How will I ever eat all of these? Well, I don't know and I really don't care. I'll eat all I want; give some away to my kids if they want some; find friends; pitch the rest next year if I have another big crop or ???? It doesn't hurt to have plenty on the pantry shelf for me!

The Gypsy broccoli is still doing it's thing. I love Gypsy. It is delicious, and it keeps on putting off these big side shoots right up until it can't grow anymore - which will be pretty soon now. Our low temps are supposed to be in the teens for the next few days out here in the beautiful sunny southwest Iowa.

'Hey Tim! This is horseradish. It will be great on our sandwiches!" I'm not sure Annie even knows what horseradish is, but I'll let you know when she tries a bite. Some of us might have more fun with that adventure than others.... Just sayin'

I have been so thrilled with my hybrid tea rose project this year. They have just flowered and flowered growing in 10 gallon fabric grow bags. I set them in a plastic lined tire to act as a water reservoir, and they thrived. More next year!

The last rose of the season. I just love hybrid tea roses. How could you not?

More progress on the cave project! My brother came out to the farm, and we stripped away all the rotten old wood from the entrance to the cave/root cellar. The masonry part is still just about perfect. As nearly as we can figure, it was built around the same time as my house - which was begun in 1903. 

This shot is from down inside it looking back up towards the outdoors. The construction is made of fired glazed tile blocks. This was very common around the turn of the century - the last century. See the little flat sides on the steps? My Dad used to tell me that they were made that way so a slide could be used to bring heavy barrels up and down the steps. It is just too good to not repair it and make it useable again.

This is a closer look up above the steps. The ceiling is lined with wood. I think partly for insulation, but if you look carefully, you'll see some iron rings mounted in the ceiling, too. Hanging cured meat, bags of onions, etc. from these hooks was another storage trick the old guys knew. Way down in the cellar it was colder and more humid. Up in the anteroom it was warmer and drier.

The wood appears to be cypress. Cypress wood will not rot. If we're right in our thinking, this wood would be about 120 years old now - and it's still as good as when it was installed. The boards are tucked back into a recess to hold them. They are not nailed or screwed to the top.

While we were surveying the frost damage to the beans, suddenly Annie went on guard alert. She heard the Sky Tractor coming before I did. I'm a big believer in cover cropping my fields. We've done it now for a decade or so, and the soil - and the crops - show the benefit of it. The rye/radish blend (or whatever they sow) is planted from the air by a guy in a little airplane I call the Sky Tractor. He is fearless! When you watch the video below, remember, he is flying at less than tree top height and going REALLY FAST. There is no opportunity to correct for problems or stutters. Think: SPLAT! But that's how it's done out here....

 

Here he comes!

And now for something completely different, as the Monty Python people said. This cute little 'possum isn't going to have to worry about the winter hibernation this year. I didn't do the dirty deed, but let's just say, his subscription expired.

Every so often on places like Facebook somebody will post about how valuable the Opossum is and that we shouldn't harm them. Apparently they can make a living for themselves eating ticks. Well, baloney! This pic is evidence for you that either, A. ticks are much bigger and more difficult to kill than I thought, or B. The Opossum is a meat eater. I happen to believe more in B than A. Why? Those fangs have been used by this guy - or his close relatives - to kill and eat a lot of my chickens in days gone by. They are not the warm cuddly furry friends from Facebook. They are meat eating predators who can and will attack and kill my chickens during the night when I'm blissfully unaware. So there. Now at least I feel better for getting that off my chest. I prefer DEET to keep ticks away from me anyway.

As the seasons close on the apple harvest, I just had to make one more of my secret apple pies. What's so secret? Well, for one, I can do it. Two, I cheat. Remember, I'm an old guy on my own who has lost his champion baker. I have not lost my appetite! What to do? I buy the crust at Walmart. I pre-bake it in a pan. Then I put some microwaved apple slices (I have a machine for that, of course) into the bottom of the pan. I then pour on some applesauce - mine is home canned from my own apples. I add more apple slices and so on until the pan is about ready to overflow. I put a few more slices on to make 'er pretty, and bake it some more. This time, I put on some sugar and cinnamon powder. Serve with aged cheese.

More next time. All is well at Oakdale Farm.

Fall Roses: The Farm Report 09-30-2022

 The Farm Report

09-30-2022

Fall Roses

Once again, the month has nearly escaped from the calendar without me!

Let me start this Fall Report by saying to any and all who might be interested: The answer to the question, "Can you grow hybrid tea roses in 10 gallon bags?" Yes! You most certainly can. They have just loved it this summer. I did do some fancy dancing regarding the water issue, but no biggie. I have a barrel hooked up to the garden hose and I keep it filled the old fashioned way - when I think about it, I turn on the faucet. When I hear water overflowing, I remember to go turn the faucet back off. A simple little battery operated timer turns on the drip nozzles as I instruct it to do. Two AAA batteries last all summer long. It is a good thing - and the roses like it, too. I'll be adding to the budget this winter for some serious Super Duper Hybrid Tea rose roots next spring.

Out in the field garden, my sweet potatoes are proving that they not only can do well in a hot dry summer, they love it! I check the soil temps to know how long I can let them keep growing. They will not tolerate ANY frost. When the soil temps get down to the 50's F, then it is time to dig them. If the soil goes below 50F, the potatoes begin to change, and they will not keep. Right now, my soil temp is 73F, and the overnight averages are in the mid 60's. In about 3 weeks though, guess what? Yep. Our average soil temps will be about 52F. So....

Last year, I cut slips from the vines and kept them in the house over the winter as house plants. Last spring, I chopped them up and rooted them. I did actually spend some cash money on new varieties - and I DO have them labeled at the base of the plants - so I'll have about 7 different ones to try keeping over. We'll see which ones made potatoes; and which ones I like.

My fall green beans are beginning to be ready to can. I've been enjoying fresh green beans with bacon and potatoes from my garden. Delicious meals! Annie likes to supervise, even if she isn't big on beans. The blue-grey stuff across from Annie is my Gypsy broccoli

Here it is from the other side. I've been putting about half a dozen one-serving bags in the freezer every couple of weeks. It just gets better as the cold weather comes in. This will be about the last thing I plow up. Like brussels sprouts, broccoli improves with frost and cold weather.

"Meh.... Maybe there's a mouse or something in here, Tim. I don't know why you bother." 

I just pull up the plant roots and all, then go sit on a nice shaded bench to pick off the beans. I plant Blue Lake bush beans. They are delicious, and they are bred for canneries in Wisconsin. Canneries don't send out a crew of people to bend over in the fields picking green beans. They send a giant harvester machine out and it is 'all or nothing at all' when it is time to pick. These plants put on one big heavy 'picking' and that's what I want. You can just pick as you want (which is what I do for supper), but pulling plant and all for a one-time harvest is SOOOOOOOOOO much easier on my back.

I listen to Night Time on Still Waters podcasts while I do this. It is a log produced by a fellow who lives on a narrow boat on the canals in England. He's very talented. Here is a link if you want to follow along. His voice is hypnotizing.

These next pics are to file under the heading: New Gardeners/Don't Get Discouraged. This is what my tarp garden looked like in March. All cleaned up and hopeful for the new season.

Here we go in late June. Wow! Everything is coming right along as planned. See the little gizmos hanging from the barrels? Those are the drip timers I mentioned when I was talking about the roses. They don't cost much and they last for seasons and seasons if you bring them in and avoid hard water (ahem....That would be ICE.)

But then July and 100F actual temps hit - and it stopped raining. I got about 80 quarts of tomato juice put up, and then I lost interest and went inside to the AC. I'm showing you my weedy mess to emphasize the point that the gardens at Oakdale Farm are the real deal. I'm not running any magazine photo shop out here. It is what it is. Mother Nature can be a mean mother! If you turn your back on her, she will retaliate in spades. But she's also very forgiving. Soon - very soon - I will clean all this off. Revert whatever is organic back to the organic origins from whence it came (I have a machine for that!), and prepare for the next season - all winter long. I get a lot of year around joy from my gardens and orchards. I can't let a skunk stink up the whole works for me. One fumble doesn't change the whole game. Never give up!

Speaking of Mother Nature never giving up.... I wheeled the Ranger around to park it behind the shop one afternoon, and Annie lunged out to grab this peach. A peach! A volunteer seedling erupted from deep down under the bushes, and before I even knew there was a fruit tree there, it had peaches. Or should I say peach? It only had just this one. It was good though, so I'll see what I can do to move it this winter.

Up in the greenhouse, here is what we have taking over the hydroponic strawberry patch. Celery! Strawberries are like me - they do not do well in heat. This year, I drew from my experience archive, and just pitched the spent strawberry plants into the compost heap. Enough of this baloney about trying to winter them over. I've never had luck doing that. So, once I got past the Iowa Necessary Rule (we're a thrifty lot - sometimes called cheap) I decided to plant something else in the tubes. I like celery because it is a little difficult to grow - a challenge - and it smells up the whole greenhouse like a fresh salad. I love it.

The celery loves the hydroponic system, too! This big stalk base is planted in a little 2-inch net pot. I'm thinking that after it gets cold enough to close up the greenhouse at night, I'll wrap the stalks with paper or something to blanch them white like the celery you buy in the store. In the garden, I always mound up earth or mulch to make them blanch. Blanched stalks look better, and their taste is milder and not so bitter.

But strong celery flavoring can be a good thing. I had so many tomatoes this year that I decided I'd try making some V8 juice. I didn't have all the right stuff, so mine came out being V5 juice. It is delicious all the same. Those 5 cayenne peppers in the cooker are a secret weapon for a delicious V5 cocktail on winter nights.

Yikes! My tomato jars are still in the canning kitchen in the back of the shop. I came around the corner recently, and one of the glass quart jars was laying on the concrete floor. Whaaaaaaat? I'm guessing Miss Kitty might have been playing keep away from Annie Oakley one night. Whatever happened, the jar got knocked off the table. It landed on the rim of the lid. If you look closely, you can see the bent lid.

Maybe this might help. The miracle is that the jar did not break, nor did the seal break! How can that happen? This one will be the first I use to make Hungarian Goulash pretty soon. No sense tempting fate, and those tomatoes are too good to waste.

The apples in the orchard are beginning to come in. I like pies, but I'm no baker. Walmart sells pie crusts in a box. My wife, the champion award winning baker, would be spinning in her grave about this, but I just plunk down money and buy the pie crusts in a box. It works for me. I micro-nuked some peeled apples and tried to get artistic. I'm not entering this in any contests any time soon, but it was delicious. I just happened to have some 8-year old cheddar cheese to go with it. MMMMMMMM.

For those who asked, this is the plaque that hangs by the Ball Blue Book in the canning kitchen. I try to live by this. It ain't easy though.....

"Tim, Did you put that in about me? Or was it about you?"

So, from Annie Oakley, O.J. and me, Cheers! from Oakdale Farm. 
All is well, and the seasons are changing.