tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44728799172678747372023-12-21T03:03:32.071-08:00Peaceful Valley Farm Blog...adventures in homesteadingPeaceful Valley Farm Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05067463519786754522noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4472879917267874737.post-26678886822481913472012-01-07T13:23:00.000-08:002012-01-07T13:23:26.488-08:00Switching my blog to Wordpress...Please follow me over and re-subscribe! <a href="http://peacefulvalleyfarm.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">http://peacefulvalleyfarm.wordpress.com/</a>Peaceful Valley Farm Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05067463519786754522noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4472879917267874737.post-68100500641708942432012-01-03T16:46:00.000-08:002012-01-03T16:46:08.285-08:00Happy New Year!I love the new year! I also love the beginning of Spring and Fall, all for the same reason. Each feels like a time for change. Much more palatable than the change into Summer and Winter that we experience here on California's Central Coast. Each of these beginnings gives me sort of "Spring fever"in which I want to make big plans for the upcoming season, clean out closets and files old things that are holding me back or slowing me down, and I want to do more of the things that I feel in my heart, but haven't quite translated into action yet. It's huge, I know. John recently noted that I am "all over the place..." Not as a bad thing, but as a "maybe you don't need to do more right now..." suggestion. He's much more practical that I. When I asked what his New Year's resolutions were, he asked why you need to make them for the new year. Why not just do it whenever. See how he is? <br />
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I also believe in putting things out there. I don't think that our hopes and wishes can always come true, just because we think them. Actual work is obviously needed, but I think that saying or writing it to get it flowing is also important. The more I do this, the more things have been coming to me, so here goes....<br />
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<u><b>My list of goals and resolves for the year 2012</b></u></div>
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1. get more organized and get rid of excess crap. I don't have a lot to do here, but being disorganized is one of my least favorite things! (look for a blog about this, SOON!) Being disorganized leads to a lot of wasted time AND money. Both of which could be better spent.<br />
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2. eat more of what we grow. Here's a confession. I grow a lot of stuff. Likely enough to feed my family of 4. But we don't always eat it. I end up feeding a lot of it to the animals. Good for them, not for me.Sadly, though, I can't grow beer, bread or cheese, which are big expenses at our place. I resolve to plan meals around what we CAN grow (or make from what we grow), grow more of it, and greatly reduce the foods that we have to buy at the store. In this same line, I will only be buying what we do need from truly LOCAL store and farmers markets. (if you see me in Safeway or Nob Hill, give me a swift kick!!)<br />
I look forward to blogging about the foods that are easily grown right here, seasonal menus as well as cost comparison and sources. <br />
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3. by following resolve #2, I resolve to lose the extra 30 pounds I tote around and have more energy to spend on other ventures! look better, feel better, do better! I wish I was one of the bad ass bloggers I admire, and could have a perfectly frank blog, detailing every step of weight loss as I do it...but I don't think so.<br />
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4. Enjoy more. If I had a dollar for every time I heard myself say, "I can't, I have too much to do..." I'd have a down payment for the house we want to buy! I resolve to spend more time enjoying life, relaxing with friends and family, and wandering around, planning life with John.<br />
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5. Put my business out there more! New classes, selling plants, animals and food, more instructional/inspirational blogs, etc...<br />
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6, 7, 8. Get married. Buy a farm of our own. Become parents together. All very complicated stuff, squeezed into the simplest of words. I think all 3 can happen within the year. I know one of them will. :-)<br />
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What kind of person makes a list of 8 things??? I don't know, but that's what I got, for now.<br />
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Happy 2012 to all. May your year be bright and full of all good things. <br />
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Erica at <a href="http://www.nwedible.com/search?updated-min=2011-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&updated-max=2012-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&max-results=50" target="_blank">Northwest Edible Life </a>said it best..."May you always have more than you need and want all that you have, may
your vegetables ever outgrow your weeds, may your chickens lay daily and
rarely molt, may your Felcos always stay sharp and never get lost in
the rain, may cabbage worms never find your garden and earthworms never
miss it, and may your peppers and tomatoes always ripen. Even in
Seattle."<br />
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<br />Peaceful Valley Farm Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05067463519786754522noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4472879917267874737.post-30907634635777728892011-12-12T22:13:00.000-08:002011-12-12T22:13:45.726-08:00TALKING TURKEY<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My favorite thing about living and working on the farm, is how much more connected I feel to the earth. It was thrilling for me to watch the first blossoms of Spring on my new apple trees, the birth of the goats, all the chicks that hatched, and the day I felt the air change completely, as Fall blew in.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgOIFUQrbtYhJMoFVoQznT1JDs2rLvlvkYFXZixxuR2U029wVJVGycYZJQH3DhPPsFQIlHbKVnLBHHRTu75qdEK7wNDdM1n8BacW7ig2glFl9R_suF0sLJxjXEk7D5u7UXsoQKJYkIozuA/s1600/IMG_0025-1.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><br />
The latest thrill has been seeing our turkeys through an entire cycle. Something I never imagined I would do.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV4d89nhPkCJisjnO5pmVJ6JGZgmcT-kIFGmbPFW-ErNuzfkndtOu7pGnfMFJoaOUgvE2nYePduZyn93wl6-HJVfDhNO2QbyuBBzDk6A54mO6Vk1sOxFANOLfF8a2Y0VqYuoN5tCLYIYqK/s1600/IMG_0019-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV4d89nhPkCJisjnO5pmVJ6JGZgmcT-kIFGmbPFW-ErNuzfkndtOu7pGnfMFJoaOUgvE2nYePduZyn93wl6-HJVfDhNO2QbyuBBzDk6A54mO6Vk1sOxFANOLfF8a2Y0VqYuoN5tCLYIYqK/s320/IMG_0019-1.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgOIFUQrbtYhJMoFVoQznT1JDs2rLvlvkYFXZixxuR2U029wVJVGycYZJQH3DhPPsFQIlHbKVnLBHHRTu75qdEK7wNDdM1n8BacW7ig2glFl9R_suF0sLJxjXEk7D5u7UXsoQKJYkIozuA/s1600/IMG_0025-1.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgOIFUQrbtYhJMoFVoQznT1JDs2rLvlvkYFXZixxuR2U029wVJVGycYZJQH3DhPPsFQIlHbKVnLBHHRTu75qdEK7wNDdM1n8BacW7ig2glFl9R_suF0sLJxjXEk7D5u7UXsoQKJYkIozuA/s200/IMG_0025-1.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
Last April, I bought five 8 week old turkey poults. They were a mix of Bourbon Red and Midget White, heritage breeds. According to Mother Earth magazine, these breeds rank #1 and #2 in taste tests, and they were hatched locally, so I was all in!<br />
They were adorable!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj74g9wk8aPLgy5g8MVjZHuX79iDI1_TDOlh5EBcV1fAboYK5B3Owv2RSE7GbYMysptk3yzDkkCOBUGwOZETIaXTacX4QTMor1CzS6BcRLdtQ9cPHjTH03N7p8i9eWVM5NjoVvx-etkh1U-/s1600/IMG_0035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj74g9wk8aPLgy5g8MVjZHuX79iDI1_TDOlh5EBcV1fAboYK5B3Owv2RSE7GbYMysptk3yzDkkCOBUGwOZETIaXTacX4QTMor1CzS6BcRLdtQ9cPHjTH03N7p8i9eWVM5NjoVvx-etkh1U-/s320/IMG_0035.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT6HZM9saiYiMLJtwVa6OLXdFJ32Fvvh9GpbnOdijwGipwTqwLbSoCL6LrJFT5csDuN3ibOk8xBo9BjqTWkcHhCasvMVUbHA0e6lvKiXNLXWRKJOOtQtVrh2_-FfS2oo_OiHTowGwSssah/s1600/IMG_0067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT6HZM9saiYiMLJtwVa6OLXdFJ32Fvvh9GpbnOdijwGipwTqwLbSoCL6LrJFT5csDuN3ibOk8xBo9BjqTWkcHhCasvMVUbHA0e6lvKiXNLXWRKJOOtQtVrh2_-FfS2oo_OiHTowGwSssah/s320/IMG_0067.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
I read that turkeys will imprint on you the way geese do, and they did. Every time I went into the coop, they would fight to be the first to jump up on my shoulder or head. Sometimes I would end up with one on each shoulder and a third on my head. The kids got a huge kick out of it! And I hardly minded the time I was standing in line at the grocery store and noticed foot print shaped poop smears on my shoulder and chest!<br />
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By the time they got to weighing about 10 pounds, I was over it. Their claws were getting big and they liked to peck at every shiny thing, like my teeth, eyes, hair. And then they started to be downright ugly! It was about this time that they made the <a href="http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/ci_18014892">local paper</a> for the first time. Then I started to be able to tell the Toms from the Hens. See, the Toms have more red skin on their faces and heads. I had three of the former, and 2 of the latter, which was perfect! One each for Thanksgiving and Christmas, then 2 Hens and a Tom for breeding.<br />
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With the kid's Farm Programs that I run, I'm always a tiny bit nervous when I tell the little ones that some of our animals will be food. I am determined not to lie about it or sugar coat it for them, but at the same time I want them to learn that it's a vital part of the circle of life. So far, even the vegetarian kids have accepted my explanations on the subject! They have learned why the boys become food and the girls become pets. (yes, I will admit it, they have become my pets!).<br />
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By August, I found myself explaining why the turkeys were "walking on each others backs". One of the kids guessed that it was a massage, and their backs must hurt. Um, ok, kid, no. I told them that this is how they make babies. They squealed with excitement!! "we're gonna have babies?" "will I be here?" "I'm gonna tell my mommy I need to come every day so I can see!" "can we hold them?"<span id="goog_877461390"></span><span id="goog_877461391"></span><br />
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Now, since this was my first go round with turkeys, I had to depend on the information found on the information super highway (as my little brother calls it). I read that turkeys are too young to be mating at 4 months and that my hens wouldn't start laying until Spring 2012. So we just went about learning all we could about turkeys...like, that there would be no babies until Spring Camp. And that the fleshy, bulbous bumps on their face and chin are caruncles. We also learned that the snood (the fleshy thing that hangs down over the Tom's beak) gets longer and shorter depending on, uh, what's happening at the moment. Once, we were feeding them grass and one of the Toms gobbled down a bite AND his snood! He started choking and I was forced to give him CPR, pulling the snood out of his throat. I was an instant hero! I have learned that the boys are not so smart and lack personality, while the girls are sweet, even loving. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitlo12fxJrBOzEGZ7T1A_ITzODAdFI44t11KChw5nIkxEsgi0mA52y6T1Dg2NjlGar3tzpek5yKIEUuI_xSsKDAG5gcG3ONQbuf9vwuLU6cr5B1ffZdenxVa0tdYuSyU0DHuZgcJsiS27k/s1600/IMG_0024.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><br />
In September the hens started being really friendly and seemed almost attached to me. I think we have a connection. I may need to get out more often. I could let them out to free range and they would come back when I called them. They liked to sit on my lap and be petted and would even take a snooze there, in spite of the rambunctious kids around them. And then. Then they started laying eggs. Lots of eggs. I slipped them into the cartons that I sell to friends and neighbors. We ate them. (they taste the same, but are bigger and have an incredibly hard shell). And then in November one of the hens started sitting. Sporadically at first, but then she wouldn't get off the nest unless I brought in oat hay.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitlo12fxJrBOzEGZ7T1A_ITzODAdFI44t11KChw5nIkxEsgi0mA52y6T1Dg2NjlGar3tzpek5yKIEUuI_xSsKDAG5gcG3ONQbuf9vwuLU6cr5B1ffZdenxVa0tdYuSyU0DHuZgcJsiS27k/s1600/IMG_0024.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitlo12fxJrBOzEGZ7T1A_ITzODAdFI44t11KChw5nIkxEsgi0mA52y6T1Dg2NjlGar3tzpek5yKIEUuI_xSsKDAG5gcG3ONQbuf9vwuLU6cr5B1ffZdenxVa0tdYuSyU0DHuZgcJsiS27k/s320/IMG_0024.JPG" width="320" /></a> <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitlo12fxJrBOzEGZ7T1A_ITzODAdFI44t11KChw5nIkxEsgi0mA52y6T1Dg2NjlGar3tzpek5yKIEUuI_xSsKDAG5gcG3ONQbuf9vwuLU6cr5B1ffZdenxVa0tdYuSyU0DHuZgcJsiS27k/s1600/IMG_0024.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>Her sister soon joined her...about then, they made the <a href="http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/ci_19351663" target="_blank">paper again</a>! At first they had 22 eggs under them. By the time I checked last week,
they were up to 33. I candled 3 and saw that there were chicks growing
in there! I won't lie, I have been more excited than the kids, and the kids were pretty excited. <br />
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We went into Thanksgiving week with the kids fully prepared for the fact that one of the Toms wouldn't be there when they got back. And they were really ok with it. Even explained it to their parents, very matter of factly. On Thanksgiving day, John and I spent the day harvesting 5 roosters and our Thanksgiving turkey. (My kids were with their dad, so we celebrated the Sunday after.) I have no pictures of this. The harvest. It was really solemn and I felt like it would be disrespectful to show pictures of it.. We barely spoke at all. We just did the job. I found myself talking to myself, to the birds, under my breath, the whole time. John handled the killing part (traffic cone turned kill cone and a knife to the jugular) and I gutted ( I wish my hands were smaller). We plucked together. (awww, how sweet). When we got to the turkey, the job became a whole lot harder, He was heavy. His wings were strong and he wasn't friendly and tame like the hens (for this, I'm grateful). I had watched many videos to find the fastest, most humane way to do this. The best way involved hanging the bird by the feet, weighting it's head, then cutting the jugular. Nice and neat in every video I saw...but our weight broke, and he started flapping hard enough to give a black eye. I ended up holding his head, talking to him (not that I think that mattered to him, but it made me feel better to say sorry and thank you) until he stopped moving. I'm pretty sure those blood stains will never come out of my jeans and I'm ok with that. <br />
We let the turkey sit, overnight, in a cooler full of cold water and ice. Then I mixed up <a href="http://www.dogislandfarm.com/2009/12/best-freaking-turkey-you-will-ever.html" target="_blank">Dog Island Farm's kick ass brine recipe</a> and let it sit in that for a whole day, followed by a day of "rest" in the fridge. On Sunday we enjoyed THIS...<br />
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I have no words for how great it was. 20 pounds of great.<br />
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Meanwhile, I read that 25 days was the incubation time for the eggs the hens were sitting on. That would have put us at the middle of last week. I harassed the hens three times a day, feeling under them for chicks. (did you know hens can hiss???? They do. trust me). Nothing!<br />
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Then on Saturday, John and I did something we never do. Ever. We went to a Christmas party at the Chaminade Resort and spent the night. Farmer Pam became Party Pam! Shocking, I know. <br />
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And, when we got home in the morning my first stop was the turkey pen.
Where I heard PEEPING coming from under the Mommies! They didn't want
me to look, so I left them alone. It got pretty cold last night, but it
seemed toasty warm under them, and I am really trying to let nature take it's course, so....<br />
Today I couldn't stand it anymore. I couldn't hear the peeping anymore
and didn't want all their work to be for nothing. So, with Marielle, the
brave 5 year old, in tow, I headed to the coop to assess. We were
nervous. She wouldn't even come in at first, but soon was cooing and
petting the hens with me, hoping that they would remember all the lap
naps we gave them, rather than freak out and kill us! I felt around
under them and felt something...I pulled out this half hatched baby.... <br />
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That's when I decided to pull all the eggs and put them in the
incubator. In one of the grabs, I felt downy feathers and heard peeping again. I wish I had a picture of the look on little Marielle's
face when I pulled this out of the nest we built together a month ago... (This picture was taken as the chick snuggled under my shirt, trying to get warm). <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-IT6MDOD-vXnu49LEa-dwUmCmC2T3e5MPFjnV86slAHuDzMSRvc1TCk0uUEfG6F-mHYces-fTtnxJQKhY5eVFZdNhTw90JaLWzeOsro6GtmSKVeqoJNuL-8VO4ivuCXOBqOSyKi8RSmRu/s1600/IMG_0001-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-IT6MDOD-vXnu49LEa-dwUmCmC2T3e5MPFjnV86slAHuDzMSRvc1TCk0uUEfG6F-mHYces-fTtnxJQKhY5eVFZdNhTw90JaLWzeOsro6GtmSKVeqoJNuL-8VO4ivuCXOBqOSyKi8RSmRu/s320/IMG_0001-1.JPG" width="180" /></a></div>
And, so, as I type this, I have this little baby in my shirt and at least 7 peeping in the incubator.<br />
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May the circle be unbroken.Peaceful Valley Farm Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05067463519786754522noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4472879917267874737.post-15177898279040196022011-09-11T15:21:00.000-07:002011-09-11T15:21:25.515-07:00Getting Back to Normal, 10 Years Later<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr6fG6xP-Icxp4W1LE8kWesLtf9lfKxWFyUf8ZdMw_Aorej6qgu9hQVtY_Nf1diefI4aZakcUaST2jnjBq80oqGKKKHPHcGqj2vbSq0aOHz3WTniANQV0ACKV8dAINqt63ufiItOELwHLq/s1600/believe+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzNLSKwA9PUb8weBTGej7Z3iU3zdxCZInsK2SzOekVBwJ2gXEg8YS9kVd11cN8S4eOWwC3WgzC686vzoszWBE-iCo9e-K88jIHoo1R-Ls4ull-5II7v-GxCCi2PoQtOs2gV581mht-OJo0/s1600/where+were+you.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzNLSKwA9PUb8weBTGej7Z3iU3zdxCZInsK2SzOekVBwJ2gXEg8YS9kVd11cN8S4eOWwC3WgzC686vzoszWBE-iCo9e-K88jIHoo1R-Ls4ull-5II7v-GxCCi2PoQtOs2gV581mht-OJo0/s320/where+were+you.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This sign hung on the fence where the towers once stood</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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It's September 11th, 2011. Ten years ago we, as a country, were under
attack. When it started, we didn't know who or why or what the end
result would be. On that day, nearly 3,000 people lost their lives.
This number doesn't include the hijackers, the heart attack sufferers,
the miscarried or those who have died since, as a result of injuries or
toxic dust that they encountered that day. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgforCRnckRZ92u4FFA092E4LST0NyHTMw79UkjVsOhk4sqJ_MrdlVgZmQi-8it3xQvu29-tyfE4hp5rGuwdjyBjURpdOnnKRVbLdPMJ46loTcOzZr2CBUOQM_HFb_wA_8daiMJKVznZ6yW/s1600/buddhist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgforCRnckRZ92u4FFA092E4LST0NyHTMw79UkjVsOhk4sqJ_MrdlVgZmQi-8it3xQvu29-tyfE4hp5rGuwdjyBjURpdOnnKRVbLdPMJ46loTcOzZr2CBUOQM_HFb_wA_8daiMJKVznZ6yW/s320/buddhist.jpg" width="250" /></a></div>
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On this day, I am relieved to have cancelled my cable. I don't think I
could stand the constant barrage of images and recounted stories that I
have seen all over the internet for the past week. Please don't
misunderstand, my heart breaks and my throat closes every time I see
those images and hear the stories of people who were there and/or lost
friends and family as a result of the attacks. Like most everyone else
in the world, my tv was on nonstop for days, trying to see and
understand what was happening. I was at Ground Zero (where I took these
photos) on the 5th anniversary of the attacks and cried for 24 hours
straight as I walked the streets, meeting people, touching pieces of
history. The reading of the names has never left my mind. September
11th, 2001 is something that none of us are ever going to be able to
forget. Even without the week long, sensationalized recounting by the
media, the candle light vigils and the t shirts. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSUV2QL48GHR7qldz82KUjr79phxMSwwWlyoa7X9gr67B1JWk-fu4gXXtq8byADdb9I6UGp3-LEcr6QYB86ps4MtSQ0ZgJCGQlsYWUAhoG9tvbPOcP_acar_O6i2UPbSSSu8UxflDkYQN1/s1600/door.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSUV2QL48GHR7qldz82KUjr79phxMSwwWlyoa7X9gr67B1JWk-fu4gXXtq8byADdb9I6UGp3-LEcr6QYB86ps4MtSQ0ZgJCGQlsYWUAhoG9tvbPOcP_acar_O6i2UPbSSSu8UxflDkYQN1/s320/door.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgjZnBekBPpaR3q7cwIaKPADALWRMEn9qlnco-dD9qQ262hyphenhyphenWsALK7Ga0Nir_m2HIVjm7W-B8yZkU1hcICwJn5BHVJb2SXFnvFUOep8Hahh5l9a40-yCgTHobicmDtz57GkR8iVSdGvr7X/s1600/ground+zero+15.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgjZnBekBPpaR3q7cwIaKPADALWRMEn9qlnco-dD9qQ262hyphenhyphenWsALK7Ga0Nir_m2HIVjm7W-B8yZkU1hcICwJn5BHVJb2SXFnvFUOep8Hahh5l9a40-yCgTHobicmDtz57GkR8iVSdGvr7X/s320/ground+zero+15.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
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We will never forget.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvO3aH2h-NVGPPOsPTwOpO3jUB2lRCsn-n-O0DRWplScfVwoQVw0JXBSJMRC4c9010cQm1J1OWpuMZZN7TUkf6vRWx2Ux08uK96CttfqU8l4genhcm97BdhomCGfCl9NOvTeAGtCp-rbaw/s1600/graves2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvO3aH2h-NVGPPOsPTwOpO3jUB2lRCsn-n-O0DRWplScfVwoQVw0JXBSJMRC4c9010cQm1J1OWpuMZZN7TUkf6vRWx2Ux08uK96CttfqU8l4genhcm97BdhomCGfCl9NOvTeAGtCp-rbaw/s320/graves2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St Paul's Chapel cemetery</td></tr>
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Today everyone takes a break from hating on the gays, arresting the raw
milk farmers, and trying to eliminate the rights of any group with
different ideas, hopes and values. Wouldn't it be nice if if every day
could be like this, without thousands of people dying? I feel that the
best way to honor those lost on that day, is to get along, have
perspective, and compassion, be good to one another, like we were in the
days that followed. I am spending my weekend with my community,
sharing ideas and work. Hopefully building bridges, rather than digging
moats.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgjZnBekBPpaR3q7cwIaKPADALWRMEn9qlnco-dD9qQ262hyphenhyphenWsALK7Ga0Nir_m2HIVjm7W-B8yZkU1hcICwJn5BHVJb2SXFnvFUOep8Hahh5l9a40-yCgTHobicmDtz57GkR8iVSdGvr7X/s1600/ground+zero+15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKxU12JuC5oji7eyugDJvbmnWVGyUFw6_53iFcCZSA9mm-AKOHjzUuJNrrchlWOP6Oav1P5u4iOGo79eK2qV49HQo9zDnJnmaKmTzUPtyPM-GLiaYTxfuwMxX_NAv1OSCkcVxzAvLtDQ6N/s1600/ground+zero+22.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKxU12JuC5oji7eyugDJvbmnWVGyUFw6_53iFcCZSA9mm-AKOHjzUuJNrrchlWOP6Oav1P5u4iOGo79eK2qV49HQo9zDnJnmaKmTzUPtyPM-GLiaYTxfuwMxX_NAv1OSCkcVxzAvLtDQ6N/s320/ground+zero+22.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
A few days after September 11th, 2001, I wrote a letter, that was
published in our local paper, expressing my feelings. All around me
there was so much hate and fear and paranoia, but I was feeling
something very different. Yesterday I thought of this piece and decided
to dust it off and print it here, as my own tribute to 9-11. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ9A1IF7sLgxeSvgMeg82mLdAwEHEl771qY6psc9lyDVMsc3l0fwrO2_WHUuzowI9BgDM_MJ2GzhoaVa-r3H2bW7OCauKNYc8bRrvMBG6ix0onBToLXRyc2VNSszdaQYbXEprb-08jyLWS/s1600/tile3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ9A1IF7sLgxeSvgMeg82mLdAwEHEl771qY6psc9lyDVMsc3l0fwrO2_WHUuzowI9BgDM_MJ2GzhoaVa-r3H2bW7OCauKNYc8bRrvMBG6ix0onBToLXRyc2VNSszdaQYbXEprb-08jyLWS/s320/tile3.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ9A1IF7sLgxeSvgMeg82mLdAwEHEl771qY6psc9lyDVMsc3l0fwrO2_WHUuzowI9BgDM_MJ2GzhoaVa-r3H2bW7OCauKNYc8bRrvMBG6ix0onBToLXRyc2VNSszdaQYbXEprb-08jyLWS/s1600/tile3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ9A1IF7sLgxeSvgMeg82mLdAwEHEl771qY6psc9lyDVMsc3l0fwrO2_WHUuzowI9BgDM_MJ2GzhoaVa-r3H2bW7OCauKNYc8bRrvMBG6ix0onBToLXRyc2VNSszdaQYbXEprb-08jyLWS/s1600/tile3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf8PMDOhxWJ38Gfe66StmXbLVfgj_w57OB1wtZe-EyciSLM4H6S8L2N93SdkXbeZzkrVY7LEx7mVt567VFkIRU-Slqn1EZ5VXl3s90htGtc4ZPv-LxdSLqIihh6-IbsDTLlXn2ZTUqacYa/s1600/towers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<u>Getting Back To Normal</u></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Everywhere I turn, these days, I hear someone saying, "We just need to get back to normal, go about your everyday business. That's the best thing we can do right now..." I beg to differ. In fact, I beg you all to never go back to what we called "normal" before Sept. 11th.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr6fG6xP-Icxp4W1LE8kWesLtf9lfKxWFyUf8ZdMw_Aorej6qgu9hQVtY_Nf1diefI4aZakcUaST2jnjBq80oqGKKKHPHcGqj2vbSq0aOHz3WTniANQV0ACKV8dAINqt63ufiItOELwHLq/s1600/believe+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr6fG6xP-Icxp4W1LE8kWesLtf9lfKxWFyUf8ZdMw_Aorej6qgu9hQVtY_Nf1diefI4aZakcUaST2jnjBq80oqGKKKHPHcGqj2vbSq0aOHz3WTniANQV0ACKV8dAINqt63ufiItOELwHLq/s320/believe+2.jpg" width="262" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A homeless NY man</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I have long been depressed by what I saw as "Ugly Americanism"; capitalism gone to the extreme. Humans passing each other on the streets without so much as a glance in the direction of their fellow travelers. So many people in such a hurry to achieve, that they spend increasingly less time with their families, and have no friends outside of work. And they don't seem to care. Above all, they don't seem to care.</div>
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There are horrible things happening to people and lands all over the world, but America isn't quick to act if our own financial interests aren't involved. Here, at home, those who "have" look down on and rarely even perceive as human those who have not been so fortunate. For decades this has been what's passed as normal. I've always been ashamed of my country's self serving attitudes here and abroad. I had lost all hope that there were still enough good, decent, caring people left to allow us to survive as the human race. We are torn apart by everything from race to religion, abortion rights to same sex marriage, breastfeeding to education. Until two weeks ago, we had become a nation divided by issues that we can now consider unimportant. Now we are worried about whether or not our children will be exposed to nuclear holocaust or germ warfare. And, if they're spared, will they be drafted to fight in a war against fanaticism? </div>
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I have been fortunate enough, since September 11th, to see that there are indeed enough good people left.</div>
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They are all around us if we take the time to notice. Please, take the time to notice. Say hello to strangers and teach your children that it's ok. Walk around your neighborhood. Offer to help someone that you may see as undeserving. Blow bubbles with your children and fill them with wishes. Dance in the rain and celebrate the ability to do so. Bask in the glory that is freedom because, as I have come to realize, freedom is what America is all about. The flag has a new meaning to me, one that I will never again take for granted. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf8PMDOhxWJ38Gfe66StmXbLVfgj_w57OB1wtZe-EyciSLM4H6S8L2N93SdkXbeZzkrVY7LEx7mVt567VFkIRU-Slqn1EZ5VXl3s90htGtc4ZPv-LxdSLqIihh6-IbsDTLlXn2ZTUqacYa/s1600/towers.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf8PMDOhxWJ38Gfe66StmXbLVfgj_w57OB1wtZe-EyciSLM4H6S8L2N93SdkXbeZzkrVY7LEx7mVt567VFkIRU-Slqn1EZ5VXl3s90htGtc4ZPv-LxdSLqIihh6-IbsDTLlXn2ZTUqacYa/s320/towers.jpg" width="320" /></a> </div>
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We are free. Free to make changes for the better. Please do. Never forget this moment in time and please, don't ever get back to normal.</div>Peaceful Valley Farm Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05067463519786754522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4472879917267874737.post-22560088434622753292011-08-28T20:05:00.000-07:002011-08-28T20:05:14.556-07:00Weekend Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaL2WNmQlU520QUDgS03XOuTb2yf2-RmQ1RgG5ISEWR3btWD6s6PF2B68SMbjPbqnV6DC2vGiMYN1kzs0wrqZeTCD1OFNmFEM-rFMCGkpR9fMW8JM-CaswQvpC2Pom-FqSu0IewGRCCnLO/s1600/IMG_0001-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaL2WNmQlU520QUDgS03XOuTb2yf2-RmQ1RgG5ISEWR3btWD6s6PF2B68SMbjPbqnV6DC2vGiMYN1kzs0wrqZeTCD1OFNmFEM-rFMCGkpR9fMW8JM-CaswQvpC2Pom-FqSu0IewGRCCnLO/s320/IMG_0001-1.JPG" width="219" /></a></div>
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This is my latest obsession (besides the curry zucchini soup), Sassy water. I first heard of it over at <a href="http://sproutnwings.blogspot.com/">Sprout 'n' Wings Farm</a>, where Michaele raved about it. The <a href="http://www.prevention.com/health/weight-loss/flat-belly-diet/flat-belly-diet-and-sassy-water/article/0bf639ea58957110VgnVCM10000013281eac____/">original</a> version includes lemon and cucumber slices, mint and grated ginger. I leave out the mint and use extra ginger. This recipe has taken me from someone who could go all day without drinking any water (bad) to someone who is craving it and drinking a quart and a half a day! (good) You gotta try it!<br />
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In the greenhouse I have PEPPERS! Total fail last year, so this year I have left them in there for the whole growing season and am getting a good crop of jalepenos and red bells. Yay! <br />
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The pumpkins are starting to turn orange! My biggest producing vine, so far, is this one that volunteered under my orange tree! Isn't that always the case. The volunteers, they just know when it's time. The Marina di Chioggias are catching up quickly, though! (that's them creeping all around the sunflowers below)<br />
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And what's this? That's right, Valencia Melons!!! I count 5 so far and my other heirloom melons have lots of flowers on them. This is the most exciting thing EVER! <br />
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Big red cabbage, all stripped down and ready to be part of dinner tomorrow. This is about the size of a kid's head! Feed me Seymour!<br />
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The sunflowers are booming! This doesn't look spectacular here, but it
is about 10 x 5 feet of pumpkins and sunflowers. Next year, bigger!<br />
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I know I write about my beloved Pink Pearl Apple tree all the time, but come on! This tree was just planted in the Spring and look at all those apples! Note the beehive in the background? I swear by the bees for upping production around here!<br />
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And look at that gorgeous pink flesh!! (The apple's, not mine)<br />
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This little piggy is getting HUGE! I keep looking at the crate we brought her home and and she has easily doubled in size<br />
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And my Polish rooster, Elvis Jr, made a huge drop in the food chain this week when he attacked me while I was changing his water.<br />
Elvis, it's what for dinner! <br />
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One of the artichokes pitched into the compost bloomed. So pretty! <br />
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And the Tomatillos are in! Time for John's famous salsa! <br />
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The artichokes are super happy here! <br />
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They live near the Richmond Green Apple and Japanese cucumbers. <br />
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Seed saving...<br />
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The Black Copper Marans are laying like crazy. Such beautiful eggs and they are getting bigger and darker every day! <br />
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The three Ancona ducklings I hatched are big now. And, I am 99% sure that I have 1 male and 2 females! So exciting, since they are endangered. <br />
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While it seems 3 of my 7 Mille Fleur Leghorns are roosters! Boo! <br />
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I love the bees! Look at them, so hard at work! <br />
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And my fall crops are ready to leave the greenhouse!<br />
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How does your garden grow? Peaceful Valley Farm Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05067463519786754522noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4472879917267874737.post-17239682087700509072011-08-27T15:49:00.000-07:002011-08-27T15:49:53.275-07:00Zucchini Season-they're taking overIt's high zucchini season around here. The time when you step away from the garden for a day and come back to find this <br />
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I've been diligent in using these Cocozelle Heirlooms. We've had them steamed, sauteed, in a creamy parmesan soup, as fritters, in a layered casserole with onions, in chocolate chip cookies, bread, as chips...I AM the Bubba Gump of zucchini! But I grow weary, so I went in search of some new and exciting recipes to make use of today's bounty. What I found and made was so awesome, I had to share...<br />
<br />
First I tried my hand at hummus, which I've never made before. Jeez, I've never even used our food processor because I have an irrational fear of it. But today I am brave. And hungry. And working on a very limited grocery budget, since Farm Camp ended. Most of the recipes I found involved tahini, which I don't have, so I improvised with sunflower seeds. It's lemony and garlicky! Mmmmm (disregard the curry in the photo-it was there for the next recipe...)<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<u><b>ZUCCHINI HUMMUS WITHOUT TAHINI</b></u></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>2 cups peeled zucchini, chopped</li>
<li>4 Tbs. olive oil</li>
<li>1 and 1/2 lemon, juice of</li>
<li>3/4 cup sunflower seeds</li>
<li>3/4 tsp. sea salt</li>
<li>2 garlic cloves</li>
<li>1 tsp. paprika</li>
<li>1 t ground cumin</li>
<li>Cayenne to taste</li>
</ul>
<br />
Blend all of the ingredients in food processor or blender. It doesn't get much easier than that!</div>
<strike> </strike><br />
Next I found a recipe for Curried Zucchini soup and made a few adjustments based on my taste and the reviews I read (which said it was too thin-so I added potatoes). It's cheap, filling, exotic and super low cal. Not to mention good for you! And it is OH SO GOOD. I put some in former jam jars and froze them for lunches in the next few weeks.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<u><b>CURRIED ZUCCHINI SOUP</b></u></div>
<ul>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap ingredient">
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil</li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap ingredient">
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced</li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap ingredient">4 tsp curry powder (very mild with this amount, I'll add more next time)</li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap ingredient">
sea salt to taste</li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap ingredient">
4 small zucchini, (or in my case, one huge) halved lengthwise and cut into 1 inch slices</li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap ingredient">3 carrots, chopped to 1inch slices</li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap ingredient">3 potatoes, chopped 1inch slices</li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap ingredient">
1 quart chicken stock (or vegetable)</li>
</ul>
<div style="border-top: 1px #ccc dotted; margin-top: 20px; width: 300px;">
</div>
<div class="directions" style="margin-top: 10px;">
<ol>
<li><span class="plaincharacterwrap break">
Heat the oil in a large pot. Stir in the onion, and
season with curry powder and salt. Cook and stir until onion is tender.
Stir in zucchini, and cook until tender. Pour in the chicken stock, add carrots and potatoes.
Bring to a boil and cook until everything is softened.
</span></li>
<li><span class="plaincharacterwrap break">
Remove soup from heat. Use a hand blender, or
transfer in batches to a blender, and blend until almost smooth.
</span><span class="plaincharacterwrap break">(if you use a blender, LET COOL before blending or the lid will blow off and leave you with a big mess or worse!) </span></li>
</ol>
</div>
Peaceful Valley Farm Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05067463519786754522noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4472879917267874737.post-87924957029390875112011-08-27T14:49:00.000-07:002011-08-27T14:49:01.393-07:00Environmental Literacy-it's not just for Hippies!Our kids are over-scheduled and over-connected with all the current technology available. No Child Left Behind has (in my opinion) caused more problems than it was ever meant to correct. Schools are now so test score driven, that there is no room for the things that are needed to grow well rounded, thinking children. Sunshine, fresh air, a sense of themselves and their place in the world, these are crucial, but lacking from our public schools. It used to be that these things were available outside of school. We spent our afternoons, weekends and Summers outside, making our own adventures. We didn't have video games or cell phones. We had to think of ways to entertain ourselves and, guess what, we DID! We learned how to think, and solve problems, not just to pass tests. We had art classes and shop classes, cooking and sewing, even auto repair class! We could go out for any number of sports teams, we had marching bands and could choose from a variety of instruments to learn. And we got to choose from 3 languages to learn, beginning in 7th grade. All during school hours. The same number of hours that our kids are in school now. Is this new math?<br />
<br />
I came across<a href="http://www.miller-mccune.com/education/teaching-kids-to-love-nature-and-buy-less-stuff-34288/"> this article</a> and feel so relieved to see someone else feeling the way I do.<br />
<br />
The authors of <a href="http://www.ucpress.edu/book.php?isbn=9780520265394">The Failure of Enviromental Education</a> write, "The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Child_Left_Behind_Act" target="_blank">No Child Left Behind Act of 2001</a>,
with its focus on standardized tests, leaves little time for history,
civics, art, literature and other courses that can shape responsible,
involved citizens and teach them common sense, Saylan and Blumstein
contend. So far, schools have failed “to provide what is necessary to
turn the tide of environmental deterioration.”<br />
<br />
Mmm-K?<br />
<br />
I started my <a href="http://peacefulvalleyfarm.org/">educational farm</a> because I saw a need for kids to spend time outdoors, climbing trees, caring for animals. We plant and harvest and cook and bake. We make art and play hide and seek. We all sit down and eat a picnic lunch together. And, by doing so, we learn to communicate, to have social skills, compassion and conversation. To be responsible and self sufficient. We even figure out how to "pump" ourselves on the big tree swing and think of the best hiding places. I think these life skills are the building blocks of a good human. And isn't that what we all hope to contribute to this world? As a parent who can't afford to send my kids off to private school, where they could get more of these experiences, it becomes my responsibility to fill in the gaps and help my children to be enriched with a well rounded education.<br />
<br />
What are you doing to enhance your kid's public school education? If you decided to give up on the system and home school, at what point did you round that corner? <br />
<br />
<br />
I'd love to hear your thoughts.<br />
<br />Peaceful Valley Farm Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05067463519786754522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4472879917267874737.post-64754725905560018872011-08-22T09:40:00.000-07:002011-08-22T09:40:53.975-07:00Bee AwareWe keep bees here on the farm. Well, we actually have someone who brought bees and leaves them here, giving us a smackerel of honey now and then. Why keep bees? A lot of people don't realize that they are a vital part of our ecosystem, not just another pesky bug. I have seen a dramatic difference in our crop production this year! I've got 20 apples on a first year tree, just planted in May. That's crazy!<br />
<br />
<div style="color: #38761d; text-align: center;">
<b> "If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe then
man would only have four years of life left. No more bees, no
more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man" </b></div>
<div style="color: #38761d; text-align: center;">
<b>Albert Einstein</b></div>
<br />
That's a pretty compelling reason, right? Of course, not everyone would agree with such a dramatic scenario, but bees are pretty darn important to our food supply, since they pollinate 70-90% of all the crops on this planet (I found varying numbers) and they are dying off FAST! Some statistics show that colonies worldwide have decreased by 80%! If you take a minute to think about it, when we were kids, there were bees, butterflies, ladybugs, even Praying Mantis' all over the garden. We didn't even think about it, they were just common. Now look around...what do you see? Not much. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs0VBWEUHGuL2hTHoOq2KCiOKGcy1Dh3rAOmjpu1hDv2y3kozyGo_GKoQTQ5z0eu2nqNLGxJJfAJscD0gSpFLw6sLX1SlkwmzUVlRSmIfGtYWWz2t-WRp-PgrqFrZNd-Uf5ahrbEtklAze/s1600/bee_honeybumble.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs0VBWEUHGuL2hTHoOq2KCiOKGcy1Dh3rAOmjpu1hDv2y3kozyGo_GKoQTQ5z0eu2nqNLGxJJfAJscD0gSpFLw6sLX1SlkwmzUVlRSmIfGtYWWz2t-WRp-PgrqFrZNd-Uf5ahrbEtklAze/s1600/bee_honeybumble.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="color: #990000; text-align: center;">
<b>Why? </b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
There seem to be a number of reasons. Some reasons cited <a href="http://globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=25950">HERE </a>are genetically modified seeds, herbicides/pesticides and cell phones! This research is really interesting and sad, I hope you'll take a moment to read the whole article, since I didn't want to butcher the information by relaying it. <br />
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<div style="color: #38761d; text-align: center;">
<b>What I take away from this article is HOPE. </b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
With some effort, we can begin to reverse the damage done to the bee population. You don't have to have a hive in your backyard to make a difference (although, it's a pretty cool thing!). You can start by eliminating chemicals in your garden. Consider planting <a href="http://gardening.about.com/od/attractingwildlife/a/Bee_Plants_2.htm">plants that bees are attracted</a> to. Plants that have been hybridized for the "modern" garden are often sterile, having no food source for the bees. Bees also need water. In order to keep them from drowning, put some stones in a shallow dish and set it in the garden. They can sit on the stones and drink away, safely. And, as always, encourage your kids to know more about bees and why they're so important to us! </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Here are some great bee facts taken from the <a href="http://www.queenofthesun.com/">Queen of the Sun</a> website. (This movie will be showing at the <a href="http://greengrange.org/">Live Oak Grange</a> in Santa Cruz, August 30th at 7pm.)</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
1. Honey bees have four wings, six legs, two compound eyes made of up
many, many tiny lenses and three simple eyes on the top of the head
that are light sensors.<br />
2. Honeybees perform a waggle dance to communicate the location and
the directions to distant food sources that are 100 yards to 2-3 miles
from the hive.<br />
3. In one trip honeybees visit 100-1500 blossoms to fill their honey
crop, an organ separate from their digestive stomach that is used to
transport nectar.<br />
4. Forager bees, steadfast and committed to their task, make up to 30
trips a day. Using their long, straw-like proboscis they collect nectar
from the wild flowers and herbs of meadows. As Johannes Wirz says in
QUEEN OF THE SUN, “Bees are the golden thread from flower to flower,
keeping the world in bloom.”<br />
5. The honey bee’s wings beat at incredible speeds! About 200 beats
per second, creating the their un-missable “buzz”. A bee can fly up to
15 miles per hour and can fly a total of up to six miles.<br />
6. Bees were not only one of the first sources for sweetness, but
also for light! Beeswax candles were used by humans to provide
long-lasting light in the darkness. Secreted from glands of the bee’s
abdomen, beeswax is used by the honeybee to build the honey comb in the
beehive.<br />
7. In their entire lifespan, a worker bee only produces 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of honey.<br />
<strong> </strong><br />
8. The beehive is a “super organism”. All of the bees work together
as a single entity. A lone bee cannot live on it’s own outside of the
hive for even 24 hours.<br />
9. In winter bees live on stored honey and pollen and cluster into a
ball to conserve warmth. Their “body” temperature in the hive is close
to human body temperature, 95-97 degrees, regardless of the temperature
outside of the hive.<br />
10. Some big numbers to think about! In producing just one pound of
honey, bees from the hive visit approximately one million flowers. The
entire hive of bees will fly 90,000 miles. This is equivalent to one
and a half orbits around the earth just to collect one pound of
glistening honey.Peaceful Valley Farm Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05067463519786754522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4472879917267874737.post-67897500986094105702011-08-17T11:56:00.000-07:002011-08-17T11:56:22.486-07:00Pen PalsThis morning, when I opened my mailbox, I was reminded of one of the great things we have lost to technology, letter writing. I got this beautiful drawing and letter from one of my 3 year old Farm Campers. (Mommy transcribed for her)<br />
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It's full of love and excitement, telling me about the frog we found here and relocated to her pond at home. There is something so special about holding a piece of paper, reading these words.It's just not the same as words written by computer or text. <br />
<br />
When I was a girl, we lived in San Diego, while my grandma lived in San Jose. We had an ongoing correspondence from the time I started Kindergarten. She sent me pretty stationary to use, and I would excitedly wait for the mail every day. On birthdays and every little holiday, my letter would come with a package. It wasn't ever anything extravagant, but I lived for the outfits she sewed for me, using fabric scraps from other projects. When I came to visit in the Summer, my Mom would become my pen pal until I got back home.<br />
<br />
When I was in school, I remember a time that our teacher assigned Pen Pals for us. They were kids our age, out of the country. They had committed to improving their English by exchanging letters with us. It was a lot of fun and we were able to learn so much about their culture and lifestyle. It was a great experience.<br />
<br />
Of course, now, we can jump on the information super highway and find out about any culture or land we'd like. We're busy people and don't often get to see our friends or extended family, but we can communicate with them through Facebook, text messages and emails. It's all instantaneous and very effective. But is it the best? The only way? Over the years that my kids have been in school, I've noticed a serious decline in the language arts expectations. Penmanship doesn't count anymore. Teachers are even overlooking grammatical and spelling errors and grading work based on the idea and the fact that the work was done. I have been told that this is because most people now use computers to write, and have spell check, so the details of knowing how to spell don't matter once you have passed the level of 5th grade spelling tests. Ouch. What about the love of the language? The flow of the words? Putting pen to paper?<br />
<br />
Now, I'm no hypocrite. I adore the internet and all it offers. I use it many times a day, promoting my business, chatting with friends, doing research...but I also have a firm grasp on spelling (I never use spell check, so of course now there will be errors in this post) and sentence structure. Even when I text I don't use fake words. It just feels wrong to me. I worry that we have a whole generation of kids who don't know the basics of writing, the excitement of holding a pen and pouring out your ideas or thoughts to a friend or the anticipation of a response to the last letter you sent. And I'm not the only one...<br />
This from Pewresearch.org:<br />
<br />
"A considerable number of educators and children's advocates worry that
James Billington, the Librarian of Congress, was right when he recently
suggested that young Americans' electronic communication might be
damaging "the basic unit of human thought -- the sentence."<sup><a href="http://pewresearch.org/pubs/808/writing-technology-and-teens#1">1</a></sup>
They are concerned that the quality of writing by young Americans is
being degraded by their electronic communication, with its carefree
spelling, lax punctuation and grammar, and its acronym shortcuts."<br />
<br />
In the spirit of the "Slow" movement, I propose bringing Pen Pals back. Not Internet Pals, but the real thing. Have your kids write to grandparents, aunts, former teachers, friends. A whole class could exchange letters with kids from another country or just another neighborhood. An ongoing journal, between mother and child, will help to build writing skills and become a sweet memory book. Let them dot their i with a heart and make big swirly letters. Help them to learn to love writing and expressing themselves on paper. <br />
If we don't, who will?<br />
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<br />Peaceful Valley Farm Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05067463519786754522noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4472879917267874737.post-2755688543081271692011-08-14T09:44:00.000-07:002011-08-25T10:36:01.525-07:00Keeping it Real<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: georgia,bookman old style,palatino linotype,book antiqua,palatino,trebuchet ms,helvetica,garamond,sans-serif,arial,verdana,avante garde,century gothic,comic sans ms,times,times new roman,serif;">"Food is an important part of a balanced diet." ~Fran Lebowitz</span> </div>
<br />
Lunch used to be a simple affair. Mom (or grandma) would call us in from playing, OUTSIDE, to have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, glass of milk and apple. Period. There were no menu options and there was no complaining. (once, when I complained that I didn't want to eat my dinner salad, my grandma promptly poured the rest of the salad into my empty milk cup, put it in the fridge and it became my breakfast. We learned , quickly, not to complain about food!)<br />
Once school started things changed very little. Mom was a fan of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adelle_Davis">Adelle Davis,</a> and we were <i>sort of</i> hippies, so I didn't even know about processed foods like Kraft cheese or Wonder bread. We never drank soda or had candy, except the little bit of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nitwitz-Fruit-Shaped-Hard-Candy/dp/B000LTN4JY">fruit shaped beauties</a> in our Christmas stockings (which was SO special and still warms my heart to this day because my mom searched high and low to find them until I was in my 30's!). Breakfast was usually oatmeal (the old fashioned way, big and chunky) because mom said we needed something to "stick to your ribs". Some days she would make us a <a href="http://www.inthe70s.com/food/tigersmilkpowderdrink0.shtml">Tiger's Milk</a> smoothie with banana to wash down our chewable vitamin C tabs (I always wished for <a href="http://flintstonesvitamins.com/">Flintstone</a>'s). Our school lunch was PB&J on whole wheat bread, usually homemade, an apple, and 2 cookies. Not 3. Not 4. TWO homemade cookies every time. We bought a carton of milk in the cafeteria to go with.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKLw1GJJX3sQXF1GEKtASvEfhD47KHalsAzErLhS7bDtGstaAuC1I2UMcIgRYVaA906CGmPkOxWZI9N5foa1ny-Ets-myxYlmM6RkemczBUIlr-Por9NpEnn2gBrrEC1NfyMGtXTCVh-1z/s1600/2194-ding_dongs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKLw1GJJX3sQXF1GEKtASvEfhD47KHalsAzErLhS7bDtGstaAuC1I2UMcIgRYVaA906CGmPkOxWZI9N5foa1ny-Ets-myxYlmM6RkemczBUIlr-Por9NpEnn2gBrrEC1NfyMGtXTCVh-1z/s320/2194-ding_dongs.jpg" width="320" /></a>Every day, I watched my classmates blissfully eating bologna sandwiches on that fluffy Wonder bread, the perfectly wrapped Ding Dongs, or the creme filled Twinkies. Rather than milk, they often had soda in their brown bags.<br />
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I'm not gonna lie. I resented my mom for making us eat healthy food. Didn't she know she was <i>ruining </i>my social life? Friends asked me, "why doesn't your mom buy real <i>food</i>?!" I had no idea. I figured she just didn't care enough to throw down for the amazing bread that, "<span class="st">Helps build strong bodies 12 ways..." </span><br />
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<span class="st">Nearly 20 years ago, when I became a mom, it all made sense to me. As soon as I found out I was expecting, I gave up meat and bought organic produce. When my son (and then 3 daughters over the next few years) started eating food, it was<i> real food</i>. Not those scary little vegetables and hot dogs in jars. I took whatever we were eating and blended it until they were able to chew. As a result, all 4 of my kids will eat most anything, have never had ear infections, rarely get the yucky colds that make the rounds at school, and are generally happy and healthy little (and not so little) humans.</span><br />
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<span class="st">During my Summer Farm Camps, I have been observing the kids and their lunches. What they like and how they treat their food. I see the difference between the kid who thinks nothing of throwing pretzels at a friend, and the one who drops her PB&J tortilla in the grass, picks it up, brushes it off and eats it. The girl who lets out a happy giggle when she opens her bento box to find big fat strawberries, and the one who takes 2 bites of her sandwich, then throws it away, calling the rest "crust". My favorite was the 5 year old who opened his lunch box, showed me the variety of whole and healthy foods inside and said, "see, I told you my mom was the best!" </span><br />
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<span class="st">It makes me really sad to see kids lacking respect for their food. What it takes to grow, cook, and prepare it. What it means to have enough money to buy it and spend the time packing it into that cute little lunch tote. Even when I resented my earthy lunches, I knew how much it meant to be able to have it. That my mom wanted us to have the best she could offer and it was all packed up in that little brown bag, with love. </span><br />
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<span class="st">As our kids start a new school year, I hope that we can find a way to help them appreciate good, healthy, natural foods. To appreciate having enough, and not wasting it. And especially, to appreciate the person who packs their lunch, with love.</span><br />
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<span class="st">For lots of great lunchbox ideas, using real food, visit <a href="http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/">http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/</a> </span>Peaceful Valley Farm Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05067463519786754522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4472879917267874737.post-52821153401035228082011-08-01T10:07:00.000-07:002011-08-01T10:08:59.452-07:00A Virtual TourErica at <a href="http://www.nwedible.com/">Northwest Edibles</a> had the great idea to get a bunch of people to give virtual tours of our homesteads, farms and gardens. It's called the Nosy Neighbor Virtual Tour.<br />
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I found myself with so many pictures that a blog post just wouldn't work so my tour is <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.258469974164017.79349.148191488525200">here</a> in my Facebook photo album. I didn't want to duplicate pics, so be sure to look at the other album to see my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.208400412504307.61567.148191488525200">chickens</a>!<br />
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Have fun and thanks for stopping by my homestead!<br />
<br />Peaceful Valley Farm Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05067463519786754522noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4472879917267874737.post-23144758426756629372011-07-17T20:12:00.000-07:002011-07-31T17:52:11.061-07:00Weekend Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Two beautiful cabbages ready for this weeks menu!<br />
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This is possibly the cutest vegetable I have ever seen!! Mexican Sour Gherkin Cucumber. It should get about the size of a thumb nail when full grown. (<a href="http://rareseeds.com/">Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds</a>). </div>
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Reminds me of Gulliver's Travels!</div>
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This is my Pink Pearl Apple Tree...developed in 1944 by a Nor Cal breeder. If you haven't seen them before, Google images. The flesh is pink and when cut in half they are heart shaped. What's not to love?? I wholeheartedly recommend this<br />
one for the coastal Santa Cruz area! Planted in April of this year, I counted 20 apples on it today! <a href="http://www.davewilson.com/">Dave Wilson Nursery </a>carries them and you should be able to order from your local nursery.<br />
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A very hopeful sign...3 flowers on one of my <a href="http://rareseeds.com/vegetables-d-o/melons/melons-european/valencia-winter-melon.html">Valencia Melons</a>!!! <br />
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Olivia is hungry. Olivia is ALWAYS hungry! And so damn cute. When I say her name she starts oinking and comes running to see what I have for her.<br />
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This weekend I have lots of broccoli, lettuces, and cabbage. I found out
that pigs (this one at least) don't like radicchio! Me either, way too
bitter. When I gave it to her she took it over and dropped it in her
poop corner. really. I tried a bite and have to agree, again. <br />
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I asked the farmer across the road if we could have his field scraps and he was soooo awesome to say yes! He had 6 boxes full dropped at our gate! The animals were in veggie heaven. Olivia LOVES broccoli! I love to watch her eat. The whole time I am thinking, "if you give a pig some broccoli..."<br />
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After dismal results with peppers last year, I decided it doesn't get hot enough here. So this year I am leaving them in containers in the greenhouse and it seems to be working, huh? <br />
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Same with basil...HELLO future pesto!!! I heart you!</div>
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And this is the secret life of squash. I think it's called Honey Bear. It is producing like crazy!!! I got it at the Cabrillo College plant sale. It will be for stuffed and souped for Fall and Winter dinners. Mmmm.<br />
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Cheddar Cauliflower. I love the way it looks but am ALWAYS disappointed that it doesn't have a cheesy flavor! Duh! I planted just a couple of them because they take up so much room for the yield, but it's really satisfying when you get a beauty like this. Even if for only one meal. <br />
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These are the <a href="http://www.localharvest.org/zucchini-squash-italian-cocozelle-seed-C11174">Cocozelle Squash</a><br />
that I harvested today. I have gotten at least 2 every day this week. I give them to everyone who stops by. This is another plant I highly recommend for our area. The plants get about 3 feet across. I planted 2 of them and got 16 squash this week. Great yield for small spaces. And how pretty are they???<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk3Sg7M3CPb5OQhyUebX1MHrSoJwNWN1TTU8la06l3QhvvFbaaOVPOa7YaGwSTNMxdOyKGocviwQ3b-E26AOQ3X6pOFM2JOdWiba030QzBdabiMhsuJEmVGo1gzyfR1FFU8j8pAh4iTvCS/s1600/IMG_0005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk3Sg7M3CPb5OQhyUebX1MHrSoJwNWN1TTU8la06l3QhvvFbaaOVPOa7YaGwSTNMxdOyKGocviwQ3b-E26AOQ3X6pOFM2JOdWiba030QzBdabiMhsuJEmVGo1gzyfR1FFU8j8pAh4iTvCS/s400/IMG_0005.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />
And these are <a href="http://www.elizabethanna.net/squashbaby.htm">Baby Round Zucchini</a><br />
All four of them came off of a plant that is no more than 18" wide!!! Amazing! You can see (compared to the eggs) that they are a nice size. I love them sauteed with a little butter, salt and pepper...<br />
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<br />
Ok, now I'm hungry!! I hope your weekend was as fruitful as mine.Peaceful Valley Farm Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05067463519786754522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4472879917267874737.post-82201862450110099162011-07-15T13:49:00.000-07:002011-07-15T13:49:31.208-07:00An analogy, of sorts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAQVjNMm6NvPV0ydO2PIGs_6-RAiKyFXV5pqWxAEPHpsf3kBx8KFfq2oR2dIhn8PCPw270lfjVgKKCkjvxX6UcDWzY1CE6gEiQYWGsXvgEU_5efY656_07OgpOm4x5676hsd8vSQ7Vf_uj/s1600/IMG_0007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAQVjNMm6NvPV0ydO2PIGs_6-RAiKyFXV5pqWxAEPHpsf3kBx8KFfq2oR2dIhn8PCPw270lfjVgKKCkjvxX6UcDWzY1CE6gEiQYWGsXvgEU_5efY656_07OgpOm4x5676hsd8vSQ7Vf_uj/s200/IMG_0007.JPG" width="188" /></a></div>
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I have roosters. A bunch of roosters.<br />
<br />
Near the end of winter, I started up a teeny, tiny micro hatchery (me, 2 styrofoam incubators and about 90 eggs at a time; MICRO). I have some really nice laying hens and a beautiful French Blue Marans rooster.<br />
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<br />
I was especially interested in turning out some Olive Eggers<br />
by mixing Sir (the rooster) with my Ameraucanas.<br />
Sooo cool! The eggs are beautiful!<br />
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On average half of what I hatch will be roosters. I am not a fan of the cruel and wasteful grind and dump method used by commercial hatcheries, but one can only have so many roosters! And, since I sell my chicks straight run, people who support my small farm will end up with roosters, which I feel kinda bad about. So I hatched (pardon the pun) the plan that buyers should take 1 or 2 more that they want, then when the roosters begin to show themselves. I will take them back. It's working out well. Except for all these roosters!<br />
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Part of my homesteading plan is to stop buying commercial meat (and anything else that I can grow myself). I don't really eat much meat, mostly chicken and I know how bad it is (thanks, Food Inc. For real) but I keep buying it because the good, local and humanely raised birds are out of my budget. Lame.<br />
<br />
But wait...what about all those beautiful roosters I have? My feed bill is INSANE. They move too fast to be counted, but I probably have 20 roos. Some I hatched, some were unusual breeds bought straight run (Dorkings and Black Copper Marans), all are wolfing down the feed and taking up coop space that I need for hens. So I should eat them. I will eat them. I don't doubt that I can do the deed and know they will be delish. As Joel Salatin says, "They have had a great life on my farm and just one bad day..."<br />
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My bigger problem is that...well...they're so pretty! And not aggressive (yet). I hate to "waste" them. So I keep placing ads to see if someone wants them for their beauty and mating potential, but no takers. So, having exhausted that possibility, and since the first batch has started crowing, I think it's time to make use of them.<br />
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In the 4+ years I ran my organizing business, I stressed to clients that if they didn't use something, no matter how pretty or valuable it was, it was really worthless, filling up precious space and often costing them money (by paying for storage). And now, look at me. Over roosters for crying out loud!<br />
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I realized that it's like my favorite shoes...<br />
I LOVE these shoes! I have danced my ass off in them, strutted into a room with them, feeling like Cat Woman. They're cute and not torturously uncomfortable and....ahhhhhh. But they have been sitting in a box in my too small closet for the past 2 years. I barely even go out anymore, much less get dressed up like a hooker to do so! So I put them in the get-rid-of box with all the other shoes that don't fit into my farm life. It's a big pile. It leaves me with Converse, Crocs and Sloggers. Not sexy. I keep taking them out of the box! I just like to look at them. Try them on once in a while and feel sexy! I bet Fred would like me in them.<br />
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Like the roosters, they are so pretty that I hate to waste them, just sitting in a box, hidden away, when someone should be using them. I have pulled the shoes out of the Goodwill box one last time. I know I won't wear them, but They don't live in the closet anymore. <br />
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The roosters time is near. Like my shoes, they will be much appreciated and admired.<br />
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William Morris said it best, <br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">"Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful”</span></h1>Peaceful Valley Farm Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05067463519786754522noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4472879917267874737.post-66476449154988455172011-07-14T16:26:00.000-07:002011-07-15T12:49:37.437-07:00Almost Sugar Free Jam for the Total Scaredy Cat Newbie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Yup. That's me. A huge scaredy cat newbie when it comes to canning. I did it last year, but was sweating bullets the whole time, worried that I would burn myself beyond recognition, make a shitty tasting product, or, worse yet, one that would fester on the shelves until I gave it to some unsuspecting friend and they dropped dead from food poisoning! Since none of that happened last time, I decided to forge ahead with a new confidence this week! My goal was to make a sugar free jam. Lots of recipes call for artificial sweeteners or gelatin which I feel is worse, but after asking around the homesteading community (they know everything, collectively) I learned about <a href="http://www.pomonapectin.com/">Pomona's Pectin,</a> made from citrus peel with no chemicals or artificial extras. I did use some suger, but compared to the 1:1 ratio usually called for, much, much less...you'll see.<br />
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I went to <a href="http://www.silvas-apple-orchards.com/location.htm">Silva's Organic Apple Orchard</a> in Watsonville. They are a long time apple orchard but also have the best Freestone and Yellow Peaches you can get. Right outside their back door, honor stand, tree ripe...I just love going there and have been doing so for years. This time, I met Mr Silva for the first time. So, of course, I proceeded to make a fool of myself by asking him how many pounds of peaches would equal 2 quarts (because that's what my recipe called for, why do they do that?). He, like me, is a farmer, not a mathematician, so he measured, with his hands, the size of a quart bottle to help give me an idea. It was so sweet! So I bought 10 pounds to be safe and rolled back to my street to buy strawberries at <a href="http://www.crystalbayfarm.com/Crystal_Bay_Farm/Home.html">Crystal Bay Farm</a>. I love it there! First of all, it's within walking distance of my place, except that hauling back the berries poses a challenge and, quite honestly, I am lazy, so I drive. This day they also had bunches of beets, carrots and some smooth skinned avocados. I bought 25 pounds of strawberries and a bunch of the other stuff and headed home.<br />
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When it comes to canning, I have found that the preparation is the most difficult part. Kind of like dating. Well, unless it's a bad date, but that analogy holds true here too. The prep takes just as long whether the date, er, jam, is good or bad. Which is why I am always afraid of messing it up, wasting the time and fruit!<br />
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It is always nice, and actually fun to do this with someone else. Good conversation and laughs ensue. My girls helped me a little.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiIrJ7YdS2BNeOWYlMOzMz-JAyBfGYu0_3UMp1Rtujp_enZbsRG2O8wUhprs6kYaz-9GdBMpmRvul7qrUMOup40g_3OxJNpUrnvg2blsxZCK5_dhW49LQsLt8z9aK2nai2cFHJ1ZV2MQCn/s1600/IMG_0148.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiIrJ7YdS2BNeOWYlMOzMz-JAyBfGYu0_3UMp1Rtujp_enZbsRG2O8wUhprs6kYaz-9GdBMpmRvul7qrUMOup40g_3OxJNpUrnvg2blsxZCK5_dhW49LQsLt8z9aK2nai2cFHJ1ZV2MQCn/s320/IMG_0148.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Ok, if you have never canned before there are a few tools that you really do need. A canning pot with rack and canning tongs. I tried it last year without tongs, using our BBQ ones instead...stupid. They are not the right tool for the job and I was just lucky I didn't get hurt. I also got a canning funnel this time. Much neater when filling the jars. You'll see why this matters later. DO NOT go all in and get the "canning set". Extra crap you don't need.<br />
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Before you start prepping the fruit, fill your steaming pot and start heating it up. You will be shocked at how long it takes to get that thing boiling, which is where it needs to be when you drop the jars in.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguDxQzSe5E79_5wk7Ze6ScyRWsXj7nXgBCw9BeWj-jwwAGscxKHggpAg8l_E3UWJXbkTWm1hrOvJ4jeHvlL-DzRsi4X2AyXjdvbr3Q-rK8BDNebFxO5uw0slpPwCAiBdsM8wYRunnpgtcI/s1600/IMG_0150.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguDxQzSe5E79_5wk7Ze6ScyRWsXj7nXgBCw9BeWj-jwwAGscxKHggpAg8l_E3UWJXbkTWm1hrOvJ4jeHvlL-DzRsi4X2AyXjdvbr3Q-rK8BDNebFxO5uw0slpPwCAiBdsM8wYRunnpgtcI/s200/IMG_0150.JPG" width="150" /></a>Get your fruit, wash it (organic is queen, I just rinse the dust off of it). With strawberries, don't submerse them as they collect water and it changes their quality. For the peaches, I tried dunking them in boiling water then cold water to make the skins "just slip right off" like I read about. This worked for the smaller and riper ones, but not for all. If you do this it has to be for 4 minutes or so. I think in the future I won't bother because once you start cooking the fruit, it diminishes the good stuff. Just peel them.<br />
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Next, you need to cut the fruit up. I like my homemade stuff to look homemade. I like my jam chunky, and the whole time I am cutting it up I am humming <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xufDtcS1b4w">this song.</a> Now you will be too!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVkuE3nJEyn4lQeCCEk0MulyPOrwOXF_GAINY36W2kjqRhgFSfEQj_pXCc-iPRutgsG6qwCbTFKR9Z3gWrgKNRKskqm3vNkTJkguSXaHd474bFjAGyW_7SzI6_p26rlWGv7ZjFT6jYBK_K/s1600/IMG_0152.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVkuE3nJEyn4lQeCCEk0MulyPOrwOXF_GAINY36W2kjqRhgFSfEQj_pXCc-iPRutgsG6qwCbTFKR9Z3gWrgKNRKskqm3vNkTJkguSXaHd474bFjAGyW_7SzI6_p26rlWGv7ZjFT6jYBK_K/s200/IMG_0152.JPG" width="200" /></a>My recipe called for 8 cups of berries. I kept track and can tell you that stemmed and chopped you will need 1/2 flat to make 8 cups (or 2 quarts). Put the berries into a pot and start cooking them. I use a medium heat so that they don't burn on the bottom. I used 1 cup of sugar, I know you could use less, or honey or some other sweetener, but I'm a scaredy cat, remember? Mix 4 tsp of the tan Pomona's Pectin powder into the sugar and stir it up. Why? I tried just dumping the pectin into the berries and it clumps up like glue. You need for it to mix evenly around the pot, so even if you only use enough sugar to be a carrier, do it. Take the calcium powder and mix as directed. Add 4 tsp of calcium water to the pot, then the sugar/pectin mixture. Stir thoroughly often, until it comes to a boil. Let it cook 3-4 more minutes, then turn it off. A layer of foam will settle on top. This is normal, but you need to remove it. Just scoop it off with a spoon. Why? I wondered too...because foam is full of air. Air contaminates your product. The more air you leave in the jar, the shorter the shelf life. This is also why you only want to leave 1/4 inch head space on top. Feed the foam to the kids. They love it.<br />
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<br />
Now, you should have your 1/2 pint jars washed and ready. This recipe
makes 10 jars. I take the jars with the tongs and dunk them into the
steamer pot, which should be boiling by now. One at a time, then put
them on a clean towel upside down to drain the water out. Take the lids
and rings with your regular tongs, and dunk them too.Now everything is sterile and heated to a level that it won't shatter when it hits the boiling water.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ULCGKIjKddoiDY4ZXsH4cljqShK03d1hqh5cjtryquO_tNKF2mvRg6w6W7ty188mX6FCJm7ykfmnfn1WX9haGQquk9uG1KLNiwvpgSJLFpY2kj-Zoj6zFZ3_Hpg1oQV5fqBTYrn4HFVd/s1600/IMG_0153.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ULCGKIjKddoiDY4ZXsH4cljqShK03d1hqh5cjtryquO_tNKF2mvRg6w6W7ty188mX6FCJm7ykfmnfn1WX9haGQquk9uG1KLNiwvpgSJLFpY2kj-Zoj6zFZ3_Hpg1oQV5fqBTYrn4HFVd/s320/IMG_0153.JPG" width="320" /></a>Use your funnel to fill each jar to 1/4 inch from the top. Wipe the rims off with a damp cloth. If there is jam on the rim it will affect your seal, which could allow bacteria to get in. Put the lids on then screw the rims on to just tight. Not super tight. The boiling will take care of that. Put the jars into the rack and submerse in boiling water pot. There should be at least 2 inches of water over them. Boil for 10 minutes, then remove and set on a towel. You should start hearing the lids popping shut. You can also check them to see that the little dome on top is flat, not bumped up. Then tighten the lids down the rest of the way and let cool. While mine was cooling, I noticed that the chunkier parts were on top and jelling, but the liquid in the bottom was looser. So I turned the jars upside down to finish cooling and they mixed up perfectly!<br />
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I also made a yummy Peach Jam! It's a little looser and will be awesome for ice cream or in yogurt. But it worked well on toast. So well that there was an empty jar in the table when I got up this morning! <br />
Recipes below...<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGPNCulTi6yeLoH-vOcJucDiE_HYu944K8TR9vVWMAEfZraB8K-AgSsDR0E1bZxY8m55RFFWzkFclc1vjpa5JANEeZJSMEyaAIujXqYq_PrypW3LxaE4CC_2gpyPfcw4ijC8A3XxemLpS0/s1600/IMG_0154.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGPNCulTi6yeLoH-vOcJucDiE_HYu944K8TR9vVWMAEfZraB8K-AgSsDR0E1bZxY8m55RFFWzkFclc1vjpa5JANEeZJSMEyaAIujXqYq_PrypW3LxaE4CC_2gpyPfcw4ijC8A3XxemLpS0/s200/IMG_0154.JPG" width="158" /></a><br />
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This was a zero waste project! Since I still had 1.5 flats left, I froze some<br />
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Made Strawberry/Peach Jam<br />
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<br />
And fed the scraps to Ginger and the pig,<br />
who were both really, really happy.<br />
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When John came home and saw this<br />
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He got a little tear because it reminded him of his grandma. Not in a creepy way. <br />
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<u>Almost Sugar Free Strawberry Jam</u></div>
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1/2 flat strawberries</div>
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1 box Pomona's Pectin </div>
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1 cup sugar (or other sweetener, less will work too) </div>
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10 half pint jars</div>
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Prep and cook berries, add 4tsp calcium water, stir.</div>
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Mix 4 tsp pectin powder into sweetener, pour both into boiling berries and stir well. Bring to a 2nd boil.</div>
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Remove foam from top. Fill jars and put in can bath for 10 minutes.</div>
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<u>Almost Sugar Free Peach Preserves</u></div>
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5 lbs peaches (measured when they are whole) this will make 8 lbs or 2 quarts when processed.</div>
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1/2 cup lemon juice (prevents discoloration from air)</div>
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1 cup sugar (or other sweetener)</div>
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1 box Pomonoa's Pectin</div>
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9 half pint jars </div>
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Prep fruit, cook until boiling, add 8tsp calcium water. </div>
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Mix 6 tsp pectin powder into sweetener. Pour into fruit and bring to 2nd boil, stirring well for 3 minutes.</div>
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My peaches didn't form a foam, but if yours do, remove it. </div>
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Fill jars and can bath for 10 minutes.</div>
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I used <a href="http://amessykitchen.blogspot.com/2011/04/luscious-strawberry-peach-jam-with.html">this </a>recipe for the strawberry peach jam. It made 10 half pint jars.</div>
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For lots of canning inspiration, check out <a href="http://www.punkdomestics.com/">Punk Domestics</a>. Their motto is "yes you can, can!"<br />
And for tons of great tips for beginners, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Persons-Guide-Preserving-Step-Step/dp/0882669001">The Busy Person's Guide to Preserving Food</a>, tells you how to preserve pretty much anything in your spare time! </div>
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</div>Peaceful Valley Farm Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05067463519786754522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4472879917267874737.post-9416128343886334562011-07-10T11:46:00.000-07:002011-07-10T11:46:42.352-07:00A Little Sunday Morning ReligionI think about luck a lot. Every day, really. I am in awe of and inspired by luck in the same way I am blown away by birth and growth and the whole cycle constantly going on around us.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Luck is defined as:</span><br />
<div class="ds-list">
<b>1. </b> The chance happening of fortunate or adverse events; fortune<span class="illustration"></span></div>
<div class="ds-list">
<b>2. </b> Good fortune or prosperity; success<span class="illustration"></span></div>
<b>3. </b> One's personal fate or lot<br />
<br />
<br />
My mom has always instilled in me how lucky we are. More lucky, she says, than most people. When she got divorced and was earning minimum wage with 3 kids to feed, we were lucky to live in the "Valley of the Hearts Delight" (aka Silicon Valley) where we could forage fruit and wild greens to eat. When I got divorced, I was lucky to "get rid of that one" and lucky that my uncle's church had a food bank to help me feed my 4 kids until I got on my feet. Mom insists that there is a finite amount of luck in store for each of us, so we have to look for it (like silver linings in clouds), never squander it, and always, always be grateful for our luck. She never gambles because that would qualify as squandering her luck. :-)<br />
<br />
I am not a religious person, at all (like my friend <a href="http://gardengirlfarm.wordpress.com/">Cassie</a>, my garden is my church), but I believe in miracles and think that they coexist with luck. I was lucky that <a href="http://ittybittyfarminthecity.blogspot.com/">Heidi </a>chose me to be Farm Mama to<a href="http://ittybittyfarminthecity.blogspot.com/search/label/goats"> Fred and Ginger</a>. It was a miracle to be there AND have an excited audience for <a href="http://peacefulvalleyfarmblog.blogspot.com/">Ginger's birth</a>. The way she climbed into my lap to have the second kid still gives me chills. <br />
<br />
Ok, here's where I may start to sound a little crazy (unless that train has already left the station)...The third part of this is wishes. I really, truly believe that when I wish for things to be, my luck kicks in, a miracle happens and *POOF* my wish comes true. Now, that's not to say that if I wish for a million dollars, the luck deities are going to drop it on me. First of all, I wouldn't waste a wish like that. It's greedy and unrealistic. More like, after being single for 5 years, I wish for a kind hearted, honest, fun companion, then stop trying to find one. *POOF* John comes into my life. With a willing partner (for the first time ever) I wish for a place that I could make my own and have the homesteading life I have always dreamed of. *POOF* We find and create <a href="http://peacefulvalleyfarm.org/">Peaceful Valley Farm</a>, where little miracles happen every day! <br />
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Most recently, I decided to become a full time Homesteader. As you can guess, there is no income scale for this, so I have been working to make this an <a href="http://peacefulvalleyfarm.org/workshop_class_and_camp_schedules">educational farm </a>which will support the work I love. Miracles and luck also require sacrifice, belief and hard work. You can't just sit back and wait for it. I have been blessed by a group of people who come into my life in random ways. The landowner that trusted my vision for his property. My former clients and friends who gave my farm camp a chance and told their friends about it. The sweet owners of <a href="http://santacruzparent.com/">SantaCruzParent.com</a>, <a href="http://www.santacruzkids.com/cms/">SantaCruzKids.com,</a> and my brother, Jimmy who have been so supportive of this venture and help me to get the word out. The man who buys eggs from me and decided to donate his farming books and equipment to me when he no longer needed them. The couple that sold us a <a href="http://peacefulvalleyfarmblog.blogspot.com/2011/06/piggy-royale.html">pig and gave us the best dog ever.</a> The list goes on.... All of these people crossed my path in a stroke of luck.<br />
<br />
This morning I am prompted to blurt this all out because I am in the process of getting a daycare license so that I can continue my program as an after school option in the Fall. I woke up this morning after a restless night filled with anxiety ridden dreams. I don't know if the licensing process will be done in time for the start of school. This is my only source of income. What if no one signs up...Oh anxiety!<br />
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Then I got an email from a kindergarten teacher at my kids elementary school. I have long admired her work (she implemented the school garden and puts so much of her own time and money into making that experience happen for the kids) who I just found my program and is interested in collaborating. And, get this, she wonders if I have considered an after school program and she would like to help me get that out there if I want.<br />
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I am speechless. Awed by my luck, once again!<br />
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Luck? Miracle? Good marketing? A wish come true? Yes.Peaceful Valley Farm Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05067463519786754522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4472879917267874737.post-84033686933131410262011-06-16T17:36:00.000-07:002011-06-16T17:36:10.454-07:00Just kiddingOk, it has taken me a full week to find the time to write and post pictures of the awesome birth that recently took place here on Peaceful Valley Farm! (So sorry, Heidi!!)<br />
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After 3 nights of Ginger having heavy breathing and moaning until
midnight, she finally birthed 2 kids on Thursday afternoon. It was my
first week of Farm Camp and the campers asked me no less than a million
times "when is it going to happen?" It turns out we don't exactly know
when Ginger got pregnant, so it was nearly impossible to know when she
was due. One of my camp parents is an L&D nurse and grew up on a
dairy farm, so has dealt with mammalian labor and birth a few times. Her
5 year old grand daughter said, "My grandma can help her, maybe you
should ask" It was so damn cute! When grandma Kimber came for afternoon
pick up, she told me that she would check her if I wanted. I said,
"sure", 'cause, what the hell, right? KA-BAM,she whips out a surgical
glove and heads in. Ginger is a little shy of strangers. Even more so,
it turns out, when they are all up in her business. It looked like the
kid was in the right position, and Ginger was having contractions, so we
were satisfied that everything would be ok. No sooner had Kimber taken
that glove off than Ginger hit the ground bleating and pushing. The
camp kids were there, as were their parents by now. I had someone run up
to get my girls while I went in to try to calm her down. Our pen is
open on two sides and there were all these wide eyes and excited noises
all around. The kids squealed when the "balloon" that we read about
appeared because we knew that baby was right behind. Poor Ginger was
such a trooper! The first kid was big and had a head about the size of
one of those cute French melons. After pushing that out, she lay back
down and started eating hay, building up her strength to go on. I had
tears in my eyes when I saw that familiar pompadour and squeaked, "she
has Fred's hair!" One push and kid # 1 had arrived. After watching many
goat births on U-Tube, I was loathe to "help her" like I saw so many
people do, but Ginger didn't seem to know to turn around to start
cleaning it and the kid was making gurgling sounds trying to breathe
through all the goo, so I gave her a quick mouth swipe and put her in
front of Ginger, who caught on quickly. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjwgvqbD9EiW1fh0CsS-OthhK72nH42b9G78dAomJKaYKpHvgyygv2SX_xafkz9tptiCFmrt0ydBJBw0uEeBYggVggewZxRHIF-d3kwYhQmg5FjemkZzkHvxp0Ib_lDPjAkPYpVGEzjhc1/s1600/IMG_0015.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjwgvqbD9EiW1fh0CsS-OthhK72nH42b9G78dAomJKaYKpHvgyygv2SX_xafkz9tptiCFmrt0ydBJBw0uEeBYggVggewZxRHIF-d3kwYhQmg5FjemkZzkHvxp0Ib_lDPjAkPYpVGEzjhc1/s320/IMG_0015.JPG" width="251" /></a> <br />
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Just as she started cleaning, the second set of contractions started.
She got wild eyed (Oh, boy do I know that feeling!) and climbed up into
my lap, throwing her head back onto my neck with every pain. I can't
even explain how blessed I felt that she would do that! The second kid
was a bit smaller and out in a flash. I swiped his mouth too, and sat
with them for a few hours, until they were clean and fluffy. <br />
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Don't you hate it when your kids flinch away from you like this, and you weren't even going to hit them??<br />
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I think this boy looks just like grandgoat!<br />
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The girl crawled up in my lap and snoozed, The boy snuggled up to
Ginger. The sun was setting, and we were bathed in Amber sunlight.
Whew,what an amazing experience, not only for me, but for the kids and
parents that were lucky enough to be here too!The miracle of birth and
growth will never cease to amaze...Oh, the kids are nameless so far.<br />
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<br />Peaceful Valley Farm Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05067463519786754522noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4472879917267874737.post-27454959864685351102011-06-05T21:22:00.000-07:002011-06-05T21:22:45.298-07:00Piggy Royale<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRGgDI8BVgXA932LNjUg9uQotMa4mGkKZi4CfdZwJoABpSrRvgfZ8jJjMkMFCG9wJUl1Tqf9zwPQn0t2kVRKBkBrF1-g4O0VPLrGoI6e3ujNkocHZL_q9SP-8t3TIhIVSa_nK_NwXeGTpW/s1600/IMG_0051.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRGgDI8BVgXA932LNjUg9uQotMa4mGkKZi4CfdZwJoABpSrRvgfZ8jJjMkMFCG9wJUl1Tqf9zwPQn0t2kVRKBkBrF1-g4O0VPLrGoI6e3ujNkocHZL_q9SP-8t3TIhIVSa_nK_NwXeGTpW/s200/IMG_0051.JPG" width="200" /></a> I can't believe it...Today, this little piggy went whee-whee-whee, all the way home with ME! I love Craigslist. Al my best stuff comes from ads I find there. Emma Bean, Sienna, most of my furnishings, and (last but not least) John... <br />
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A lovely couple in Aromas advertised 11 week old 7/8 <a href="http://www.albc-usa.org/cpl/gloucestershire.html">Gloucestershire Old Spot</a> piglets for sale. One almost never finds these rare and heritage breeds in California, much less in my neighborhood, so I rushed to answer the ad, and today, John and I went out to pick her up.<br />
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She's a beauty. <br />
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The smallest of the ones available and she still weighs about 50 pounds! She can be bred when she's about 250 pounds, and can get up to 500 pounds. Yipes! These are said to be the preferred pork of the royal family, which has kept them from extinction. Hey, if it's good for the royals, it's good for me! Our plan will be to take her back to Aromas (in a couple hundred pounds) to be bred, then harvest her and start over with one of her piglets. This little piggy was one of 16 born to her mama! WoW!<br />
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When we first got to the farm in Aromas, we were greeted by a gang of dogs. The 5 of them charged down the driveway, then started wagging their tails and licking our hands. <br />
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There were 3 pups that looked a lot like this, and their mom and dad.
When the couple came out to meet us, I said that they were adorable, but
not much for guard dogs. </div>
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They surprised me by saying, "want another
dog?" I laughed and John said, "Nooo.." Darn!</div>
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We all went down to the pig sty to choose a piglet, and all the dogs followed. As we talked and I tried to choose (So much harder than I would have thought!) I petted the dogs. The pups were so sweet and cuddly. Especially since these are working dogs. English Collies (I think they said) <br />
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who are really useful in keeping their cows and pigs in line, but not as hyper as come herding dogs I have seen. These guys are 5 months old. </div>
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They offered the pups a few more times in conversation, but I really thought they were kidding until the end when she said,"if it doesn't work out, we'll take him back. We just want them to have good homes..."</div>
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Ok, if you know me at all, you know how this ends...</div>
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I say, "seriously, John, I want one."</div>
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He says, "no"</div>
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Lather, rinse, repeat a few times until we are headed home with this sweet face asleep on my lap, and a 50 pound piglet in the dog crate! We are calling him Sam (Sammy for short), and Ms.Piggy Royale is now known as Olivia.</div>
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I know, I know....crazy. But, oh my god he is so sweet! He is a little shy (I passed on the outgoing cutie-pie, hoping to better my odds of him getting along with the other 2 dogs) and follows me so closely, I'm not even sure he's there. Perfect step, not tripping me up like SOME other dogs do. He has barked at a few signs of danger, isn't trying to kill the cats, and all 3 dogs are getting along great! I don't know how these things happen to me. It is just some wonderful, strange luck! Tomorrow begins summer Farm Camp and now I have even more animals to share and teach the kids about!<br />
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Who knows, with Ginger looking like this today, the kids and I may be assisting a live birth!<br />
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<br />Peaceful Valley Farm Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05067463519786754522noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4472879917267874737.post-76022669463278716552011-06-02T17:08:00.000-07:002011-06-02T18:58:13.174-07:00So many ways to garden, so little time!There are a million excuses for not gardening. Lack of space, time, energy, knowledge. Living in an apartment or having a tiny yard. Lack of money to buy seeds, planters, etc...<br />
Gardening has become very popular, even trendy, so lots of crafty people are finding ways to make it new, cheap, easy. Which means you are out of excuses! Here are a few of my favorites, some I've tried, some I've only seen or heard about. I think they are all worth a shot!<br />
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<a href="http://www.strawbalegardens.com/">Straw bale gardening</a>- I have done this and really liked it. Especially because I was enormously preggers so bending and stooping for long periods were not my friend. I like this for shorter crops, lettuce, squash, vines that can fall out and climb up behind. It's super easy and cheap. A bale of hay costs around 10 bucks and the soil, about $5. This is great for elderly (or pregnant) gardeners, or those with physical limitations. The site above has great pictures and directions.<br />
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<u><span style="font-size: small;">Planters from recycled materials</span></u>. As you know, I love recycling (or, upcycling as it is now called) as much as I love free stuff. These ideas cover all the bases! Look in the FREE section on <a href="http://www.craigslist.org/about/siteshttp://www.craigslist.org/about/sites">Craigslist </a>in your area. It's crazy the things people will give away!<br />
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<div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span> <span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> suitcases</span><br />
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anything that can hold a little soil will work. Check out <a href="http://pinterest.com/lclazarus/garden-ideas/">these photos</a> for more ideas. All you have to do is make drainage holes, fill with soil and plants and BAM!<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"> <a href="http://earthtainer.tomatofest.com/pdfs/Sunset-EarthTainer-Article.pdf">This guy</a> is making magic with $6. storage containers and he offers his plans for free!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://anzulondon.blogspot.com/2010_04_01_archive.html"></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://lifeonthebalcony.com/">Life on the Balcony</a> has lots of really simple and attractive ideas, like this pallet planter!</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.cheapvegetablegardener.com/">The Cheap Vegetable Gardener</a> built himself <a href="http://www.cheapvegetablegardener.com/2010/05/2-liter-bottle-upside-down-tomato-planter.html">this </a>upside down planter using a 2 liter bottle! He's got lots of great, cheap ideas to share.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI6zkgfuZm42dcJ3V_c60C6tzNLgiATlyR87jIh34aKh_RW9l3sb4yclivSTd7DhDU7Og57ZD9MztiIpkYRQdAzhICVecFWkL7gvVTOups-Ey8kl8J4EWKOfvVbiS6rpZh8qYEUKvbCQLJ/s1600/tomato-bag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI6zkgfuZm42dcJ3V_c60C6tzNLgiATlyR87jIh34aKh_RW9l3sb4yclivSTd7DhDU7Og57ZD9MztiIpkYRQdAzhICVecFWkL7gvVTOups-Ey8kl8J4EWKOfvVbiS6rpZh8qYEUKvbCQLJ/s320/tomato-bag.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>It can even be as simple as buying a bag of soil, cutting it open and planting right into it!<br />
I have heard of <a href="http://www.motherearthnews.com/Organic-Gardening/2008-06-01/No-Dig-Garden-Beds.aspx">these</a> lasting for a few seasons. Cha-ching!<br />
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See, gardening doesn't have to be expensive or ugly! Now, no more excuses, get out there and DIG!<br />
<a href="http://www.cheapvegetablegardener.com/2009/04/make-your-own-upside-down-tomato.html"></a><br />
<a href="http://www.cheapvegetablegardener.com/2009/04/make-your-own-upside-down-tomato.html"></a>Peaceful Valley Farm Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05067463519786754522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4472879917267874737.post-79363868258825495822011-05-14T00:37:00.000-07:002011-05-14T00:37:54.692-07:00My new office<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;">After 4 years</span>, I have officially closed the doors on my organizing business. As of May 31, I will be devoting 100% of my time to homesteading and running an educational farm in Peaceful Valley. In the weeks since I made this decision, I have had many days where I think, "oh f**k, what did I do?" My waking (and sleeping) hours are peppered with "what ifs" but today... </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;">Today was perfect.</span> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">A complete stranger, who read about what I'm doing, told me that I was doing the right thing, following my heart<a href="http://peacefulvalleyfarm.org/workshop_class_and_camp_schedules">. Farm Camp</a> registrations are rolling in. People are starting to say "I heard about your program..."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> My <a href="http://rareseeds.com/">beautiful, heirloom seedlings</a> are growing like...well...weeds (expect a plant sale, soon). </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">I found, connected with and hired the most amazing assistant! I feel like, together, we can do some pretty cool things! </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Today, </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">I sat at my new desk (where I interviewed my new assistant!)</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnJXWTF7fIxzY4fR1uBVfUTuriHykwnlrvsCsY6GiZmvMFJgcKHSh9B3MMTZxMwEVeR0EmoU74P5Pq3yzsxjXRSC-taZzCG-hD8q-HEcnbXzQCTb2T7tC0WqRADRn4tJUxihJ1cji0U3lb/s1600/IMG_0061.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnJXWTF7fIxzY4fR1uBVfUTuriHykwnlrvsCsY6GiZmvMFJgcKHSh9B3MMTZxMwEVeR0EmoU74P5Pq3yzsxjXRSC-taZzCG-hD8q-HEcnbXzQCTb2T7tC0WqRADRn4tJUxihJ1cji0U3lb/s400/IMG_0061.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;">in my roomy, new office</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMD8wFTIueuS_XA5G2H4-pPX0aCoN0j5kQj18uNj0f7d25DmCuxhSun5NNcCTyyCze61N5G7phK2i2grYblrxdI5k1dY7ZEjaAWty1U1RRTItNYD1c0JqB7OLjfSXFB-YDbu2yH1-nR5Ta/s1600/IMG_0062.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMD8wFTIueuS_XA5G2H4-pPX0aCoN0j5kQj18uNj0f7d25DmCuxhSun5NNcCTyyCze61N5G7phK2i2grYblrxdI5k1dY7ZEjaAWty1U1RRTItNYD1c0JqB7OLjfSXFB-YDbu2yH1-nR5Ta/s320/IMG_0062.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">and had lunch with my co-worker, Fred (someone should have a talk with him...B.O. big time!)</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4gLdR8ugC1OWDwbuO-sptGBpLgZktqg5JpOIgeox7itYyZEss7h_HVKWHA0e8EKxWvv2jbeYIsOcdr4Axl7kmb0KpENceEiBl8fOQ1D5ImUcjZKqtwWwreidLzlL0cF0tMDgwkyJL0TSA/s1600/IMG_0075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4gLdR8ugC1OWDwbuO-sptGBpLgZktqg5JpOIgeox7itYyZEss7h_HVKWHA0e8EKxWvv2jbeYIsOcdr4Axl7kmb0KpENceEiBl8fOQ1D5ImUcjZKqtwWwreidLzlL0cF0tMDgwkyJL0TSA/s320/IMG_0075.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The chicks dig it here!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBh3diLioi-QW4hTb7AFZm2XQ5Bu8XIN1rRTGPgYES8b2s3M1l_b_onBdcy6M0sZARoRJsYDm1sZXw7ZK57rgqqywh8_0HRepoOXRbAc0iCeJr8xjHgrVDr74fbD87zjs1wy0ixeyDn4Pb/s1600/IMG_0070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBh3diLioi-QW4hTb7AFZm2XQ5Bu8XIN1rRTGPgYES8b2s3M1l_b_onBdcy6M0sZARoRJsYDm1sZXw7ZK57rgqqywh8_0HRepoOXRbAc0iCeJr8xjHgrVDr74fbD87zjs1wy0ixeyDn4Pb/s320/IMG_0070.JPG" width="202" /></a></div>And these guys are...real turkeys<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB1yFaL-NrNAae0PwkSMHV2yMo9ly1qw8MhcOp38-tOugV_K8Pn-6fCIrArDxNtb5_UeJMGD3ujqckKmoa1nvXMusXUh8cQg9f0bnsAJy9qgU-HJY_cPBMvyZu69lW3kZmtyfjHOp4A1ma/s1600/IMG_0067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB1yFaL-NrNAae0PwkSMHV2yMo9ly1qw8MhcOp38-tOugV_K8Pn-6fCIrArDxNtb5_UeJMGD3ujqckKmoa1nvXMusXUh8cQg9f0bnsAJy9qgU-HJY_cPBMvyZu69lW3kZmtyfjHOp4A1ma/s320/IMG_0067.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;">but, the vending machine </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZL6-QD0-LZGN5omkKLx2-7zk2snj5cmGMH5n0f2I7kjJ4zBvW12sGZl-ktuoZqGIvRXiuAnt5TN_lDpAlZ9FHdFhSb5sUa-E6zHPQWTUnNwKake2yF55g6WzYdsh5PAwdjbME7OMBB0Hs/s1600/IMG_0071.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZL6-QD0-LZGN5omkKLx2-7zk2snj5cmGMH5n0f2I7kjJ4zBvW12sGZl-ktuoZqGIvRXiuAnt5TN_lDpAlZ9FHdFhSb5sUa-E6zHPQWTUnNwKake2yF55g6WzYdsh5PAwdjbME7OMBB0Hs/s400/IMG_0071.JPG" width="266" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">is close to my desk </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw8JOFtns3MOgSiFEg3XZsiTKlfndmX7r2rDQdWtJ6z8H36Y91bMLs1mGzepUzPsFEdtgxgimGpZhSYOfAPlp6GZBHh3mBNAOaGK_yqqYQruii2aBzoyJDNIDIWdraik6uz5SfV-anAbBy/s1600/IMG_0072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw8JOFtns3MOgSiFEg3XZsiTKlfndmX7r2rDQdWtJ6z8H36Y91bMLs1mGzepUzPsFEdtgxgimGpZhSYOfAPlp6GZBHh3mBNAOaGK_yqqYQruii2aBzoyJDNIDIWdraik6uz5SfV-anAbBy/s320/IMG_0072.JPG" width="320" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And I am surrounded by like minded people </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDQqaqUQx0KGXxPlj9CEmMWt2B-5eMlzE2kV77L2uturk0rZ-49ezrmLckYuEpiAea6C6zwdczu7VW0IGrjIC5NCE5-D6ypjK0UgeTz0wdZ_E8aVnDZeuKaxlpvJ666pPUl6Zo8VgefKUX/s1600/IMG_0065.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDQqaqUQx0KGXxPlj9CEmMWt2B-5eMlzE2kV77L2uturk0rZ-49ezrmLckYuEpiAea6C6zwdczu7VW0IGrjIC5NCE5-D6ypjK0UgeTz0wdZ_E8aVnDZeuKaxlpvJ666pPUl6Zo8VgefKUX/s640/IMG_0065.JPG" width="360" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span style="font-size: small;">so, today, I feel lucky, confident that I have jumped off and will land, safely.</span>Peaceful Valley Farm Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05067463519786754522noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4472879917267874737.post-46357263950217322482011-05-08T09:25:00.000-07:002011-05-08T09:25:38.759-07:00Peaceul Valley Farm made the paper!I'm super excited! My turkeys stole the show!<br />
<a href="http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/localstories/ci_18014892">http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/localstories/ci_18014892</a>Peaceful Valley Farm Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05067463519786754522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4472879917267874737.post-80544072354211211832011-05-06T12:49:00.000-07:002011-05-06T12:49:54.788-07:00A word about eggsLately I have had some really interesting questions about chickens and eggs. Some from kids, who might be expected to not know the facts, but even from adults. It just goes to show, again, how far away from our food sources we have become. so, a few answers for those who may not know...<br />
<br />
1. What color is the egg inside this green shell? How about this brown one?<br />
The color of an egg shell has nothing to do with anything, except the breed of chicken that laid it. Eggs come in all colors (look at my variety, <a href="http://peacefulvalleyfarm.org/">here</a>), but no matter what it looks like on the outside, the inside does not vary in looks or quality. Brown eggs are not better for you because they are brown.<br />
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2. How are your eggs different from the ones at the store?<br />
If you have only ever had commercially farmed eggs, you don't know what an egg is really like! USDA certified farmers have 30 days from the day an egg is laid to get it to stores. Then, the stores have another 30 days to sell the eggs. After 2 weeks, the quality and texture have noticeably declined. The whites will be thinner and runny, the yolks will get more pale and loose. The USDA recommends a maximum of 5 weeks in your refrigerator before you discard your eggs. What does this all boil down to? On April 1, you could be <a class="itxtrst itxtrsta itxthook" href="http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_long_will_fresh_chicken_eggs_keep_in_the_refrigerator#" id="itxthook2" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: 0.1em solid darkgreen; color: darkgreen; font-size: 100%; font-weight: normal; padding-bottom: 1px; text-decoration: underline;"><span class="itxtrst itxtrstspan itxthookspan" id="itxthook2w0" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent; color: darkgreen; font-size: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">eating</span></a> an egg that was laid on Christmas. (stats from Wikipedia). Now really, do you want to eat an egg that is that old?<br />
Currently, my hens lay 15-20 eggs a day, so we always have the freshest eggs available. <br />
A fresh egg will stand at attention when you crack it into a bowl. If the hen is well fed with lots of greens and bugs, the yolk will be a golden orange. And the texture, when cooked, is rich and creamy. The taste is nothing like commercial eggs!<br />
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3. Can hens have babies without a rooster?<br />
Um, no. <br />
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4. Why do you keep a rooster?<br />
So that we can have babies! <br />
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5. Can I take home one of the eggs and hatch it?<br />
Yes, I do it all the time! Of course, this child was proposing sitting on it, which doesn't work so well. :-) With proper incubation (in a humid space with temps between 99.5 and 102) a fertile egg will hatch in 21 days. If you buy a fertile egg from the refrigerated section at the store, it will not, because the egg is too old and has been chilled. If you want to hatch eggs, contact me, I always have plenty available!Peaceful Valley Farm Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05067463519786754522noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4472879917267874737.post-55591400476712747752011-05-04T20:30:00.000-07:002011-05-04T20:30:15.055-07:00I have never....been so tired, busy or excited! There have been a million things going on, many of which I need to write about, but...time...tick-tock! For now, a photo montage so that I will remember my topics, then I can give each one the attention it deserves later.<br />
<br />
There's been a whole lot of this sort of activity going on here... <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguOvK710wYkb0OKmkRDEnR3CQx7eBkCno85EfEgYB3ZFXde2zIpV68NAn8SC6qk0tWHRDED-qVaiFjlEHsVzejVNUjoYLMqc1LzTW52q2hNpcwKUWvXnyhHu5E3S1Hw0kpigFh0oyuRrZ6/s1600/IMG_0008-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguOvK710wYkb0OKmkRDEnR3CQx7eBkCno85EfEgYB3ZFXde2zIpV68NAn8SC6qk0tWHRDED-qVaiFjlEHsVzejVNUjoYLMqc1LzTW52q2hNpcwKUWvXnyhHu5E3S1Hw0kpigFh0oyuRrZ6/s400/IMG_0008-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj97SrkqdNF31NMh6uABvcEHVWu_BLkkUuHu8NaOGHsbK05BrrAtB4sEKEYzxsxggT1ARwpZvj_h4_gmoDPC4x-Xh0L-ZiAuWDX8Jg0_OUo416da5rYeZl30E9AX5aoPcTdYPy0TM_EyA_S/s1600/IMG_0015-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj97SrkqdNF31NMh6uABvcEHVWu_BLkkUuHu8NaOGHsbK05BrrAtB4sEKEYzxsxggT1ARwpZvj_h4_gmoDPC4x-Xh0L-ZiAuWDX8Jg0_OUo416da5rYeZl30E9AX5aoPcTdYPy0TM_EyA_S/s640/IMG_0015-1.JPG" width="360" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF7w23kBnZcKfhwzGm53xzoT0VGDtbEtsWSr-8XNzER6IRd03yvSB8P6o5zh4GPyO4eDPgVsZ-1ekmIdnJDYsAhdseNxzRqfqNgzrdBKeEnySqnrEMUxkYaE3HHOf3N-pUrDvDiYF-qF4I/s1600/IMG_0020-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="321" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF7w23kBnZcKfhwzGm53xzoT0VGDtbEtsWSr-8XNzER6IRd03yvSB8P6o5zh4GPyO4eDPgVsZ-1ekmIdnJDYsAhdseNxzRqfqNgzrdBKeEnySqnrEMUxkYaE3HHOf3N-pUrDvDiYF-qF4I/s400/IMG_0020-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
TURKEYS!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUB7e-nA_gnJG1rJNWHxv7MS_XkQWK2aAlDBDatPZ70VZ67nGQQHnMGhpXlxmx1eBGEuqjHkg-W2KYe8WoYW0XQsb2q8HMTiLoWzpHlk5OqomBvJXPEf3wGI7uk5gRe-Wm0wdhnbocwh2h/s1600/IMG_0024-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUB7e-nA_gnJG1rJNWHxv7MS_XkQWK2aAlDBDatPZ70VZ67nGQQHnMGhpXlxmx1eBGEuqjHkg-W2KYe8WoYW0XQsb2q8HMTiLoWzpHlk5OqomBvJXPEf3wGI7uk5gRe-Wm0wdhnbocwh2h/s400/IMG_0024-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div> A FLOCK OF BLACK COPPER MARANS<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGY-09r7Jk6MdbZqMLYc1skvuvpqv66d_52YPJZNVUqZeDW3FZuZlRSMH99Wynd3Y1qQNmdsbJzF2nDCH0zqhmEF9Drbd-n-j8phskiYdwWpwV4MBO_Y8DYcPbVo0j4YDaKDs6DCuUw7dI/s1600/IMG_0028-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGY-09r7Jk6MdbZqMLYc1skvuvpqv66d_52YPJZNVUqZeDW3FZuZlRSMH99Wynd3Y1qQNmdsbJzF2nDCH0zqhmEF9Drbd-n-j8phskiYdwWpwV4MBO_Y8DYcPbVo0j4YDaKDs6DCuUw7dI/s400/IMG_0028-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div> ITTY BITTY GOATS<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIY9LLQskYGgpVopX8jLUXsOqqUjzzXMYq9FOgWVyPyrwERSh1b0Rz-zttQHfVTKlQzhkSkdT4fDb8_JfcaXT-uAdGvnJ4Rww64Gqn1lPakh6j1O64SDaWC05lWKIQR5O8RpQReGgyAYKa/s1600/IMG_0012-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="373" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIY9LLQskYGgpVopX8jLUXsOqqUjzzXMYq9FOgWVyPyrwERSh1b0Rz-zttQHfVTKlQzhkSkdT4fDb8_JfcaXT-uAdGvnJ4Rww64Gqn1lPakh6j1O64SDaWC05lWKIQR5O8RpQReGgyAYKa/s400/IMG_0012-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div> A CHERRY ON THE TREE PLANTED IN MARCH<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiGlAMSjR1cA2ZUPC_MkCvYCZahwwFCnVZVcs_Ma72aRQkd7InTUI_yyATDqNTlQ0_27G5bLxLFxfa7963AIlgjeMesVwAmKQ8SKKmDLvPHds9olyyawDLGT5vFFCUZFnNhvrT1mpBxyjJ/s1600/IMG_0024-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiGlAMSjR1cA2ZUPC_MkCvYCZahwwFCnVZVcs_Ma72aRQkd7InTUI_yyATDqNTlQ0_27G5bLxLFxfa7963AIlgjeMesVwAmKQ8SKKmDLvPHds9olyyawDLGT5vFFCUZFnNhvrT1mpBxyjJ/s400/IMG_0024-1.JPG" width="270" /></a></div> THE GREENHOUSE IS POPPING<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTCn_Pk8wwqce2S4X_SJ4g2jZJY90m11UcA-pBSdb55lYgPBwWPZaGvXZw2UFpQgCfyG6yg0QXNX_qQEn2_aHT3carberMjVXCwMVv7l80itFd40zCsnsItyWK5PPXDJbYYVbW1a5TbLUM/s1600/IMG_0028-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTCn_Pk8wwqce2S4X_SJ4g2jZJY90m11UcA-pBSdb55lYgPBwWPZaGvXZw2UFpQgCfyG6yg0QXNX_qQEn2_aHT3carberMjVXCwMVv7l80itFd40zCsnsItyWK5PPXDJbYYVbW1a5TbLUM/s400/IMG_0028-1.JPG" width="367" /></a></div> THE HENS ARE EGGING<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaFFV06Yg1t2r8r69bQPk3ywsUyoqnzt3zhVDNOZytfZwpYC_kzqi4yB6zcNHcvRm45t0SJo3C1nQl4sW3gmd-RtQTE8B27UcbobqsTYGm88v3gWTcUrT1fTuAqUJFAimDoLdc5TM0utAm/s1600/IMG_0019-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaFFV06Yg1t2r8r69bQPk3ywsUyoqnzt3zhVDNOZytfZwpYC_kzqi4yB6zcNHcvRm45t0SJo3C1nQl4sW3gmd-RtQTE8B27UcbobqsTYGm88v3gWTcUrT1fTuAqUJFAimDoLdc5TM0utAm/s400/IMG_0019-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div> I AWAKE TO THIS SCENE MOST MORNINGS <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT2tyDsklL4j7NeoudoreodPKDDo-V7Bn9oFosuKS_EhyphenhyphenbC-qwnXxJpNuNlTZmuUe0qLNoQHmwTApCMqZog8w0XfphAO0Pfo1kG4dcChkaeXlykMM91A-PKusCdZdGoaYoHhiXISsY_JzT/s1600/IMG_0028-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT2tyDsklL4j7NeoudoreodPKDDo-V7Bn9oFosuKS_EhyphenhyphenbC-qwnXxJpNuNlTZmuUe0qLNoQHmwTApCMqZog8w0XfphAO0Pfo1kG4dcChkaeXlykMM91A-PKusCdZdGoaYoHhiXISsY_JzT/s400/IMG_0028-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh65ZVC64FnsWdmBIh_216RZXqkT5uzsZR3gLJr2ZPnhDmjzvijomBNChYiZX3kNWdGoMsc72seZmaCimhc_Qm7b3EObynIyJvG86AXLxNW_ZFBnKMJ_s5LUj18r5a4i4DH_HxGFtO1pAQ-/s1600/IMG_0031-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh65ZVC64FnsWdmBIh_216RZXqkT5uzsZR3gLJr2ZPnhDmjzvijomBNChYiZX3kNWdGoMsc72seZmaCimhc_Qm7b3EObynIyJvG86AXLxNW_ZFBnKMJ_s5LUj18r5a4i4DH_HxGFtO1pAQ-/s400/IMG_0031-1.JPG" width="225" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I CLEARLY FAILED TO GET THE CAT FIXED EARLY ENOUGH </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM-i6aWc-Lt0FjzBmppCorUFyN-CCjW9oal6ZrQL15v4QvgwLHjImn7XJwJ6Jv7cKLZmb4vLypEcTJ_uChQGbBp0HBQnMf3BFRJnOyYh5d9kj5JepXG9OHZ5dXztYd7ia-GdyL3l_TgSWq/s1600/IMG_0032-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM-i6aWc-Lt0FjzBmppCorUFyN-CCjW9oal6ZrQL15v4QvgwLHjImn7XJwJ6Jv7cKLZmb4vLypEcTJ_uChQGbBp0HBQnMf3BFRJnOyYh5d9kj5JepXG9OHZ5dXztYd7ia-GdyL3l_TgSWq/s400/IMG_0032-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
I HEART FARM CAMP<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjyU0sZJvpLJyRvD_sRXLwtCKTbBgbULG9wygq1sE2DGcFZWWSdrHWu98tU_KmbGLqCIp1dcT1EapR0VVcNrkmFpJynABKANEKnV-vGaaC8OGByNZjlEudGludKVoywLrUFHmKZxuhVD6Z/s1600/IMG_0059-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjyU0sZJvpLJyRvD_sRXLwtCKTbBgbULG9wygq1sE2DGcFZWWSdrHWu98tU_KmbGLqCIp1dcT1EapR0VVcNrkmFpJynABKANEKnV-vGaaC8OGByNZjlEudGludKVoywLrUFHmKZxuhVD6Z/s320/IMG_0059-1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> AND FRED HEARTS ME!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhIN7G1AbFiTyq3jF-bSGo4t9ymE9cpT0bfpF7kbPOpNvTqTe7aN67yXcKUxb0fKafy2ZzX8W-JuHABR8eylZZu03RY5gPAnQs1zF7sH6tCsNkZmsXwUmr6BiitmNu4h75mVCsObGhfkLs/s1600/IMG_0016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhIN7G1AbFiTyq3jF-bSGo4t9ymE9cpT0bfpF7kbPOpNvTqTe7aN67yXcKUxb0fKafy2ZzX8W-JuHABR8eylZZu03RY5gPAnQs1zF7sH6tCsNkZmsXwUmr6BiitmNu4h75mVCsObGhfkLs/s320/IMG_0016.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Peaceful Valley Farm Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05067463519786754522noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4472879917267874737.post-29917544648504919252011-03-19T18:48:00.000-07:002011-03-19T18:48:49.564-07:00cold and rainy with a side of war...What a dreary and depressing day! I have spent the majority of it transferring my old blog content to my new blog site. So not my thing! I felt so frustrated that I took a little break to read the news and check into Facebook, where I saw that my beloved President Obama has just ordered air strikes on Libya. I really don't think that is the best use of our money right now. I'm no politician, but, um, Japan, public schools... anybody, anybody????<br />
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Add to this the crappy weather and the chick I hatched this morning with its internal organs on the outside (homesteading isn't always pretty)...my anxiety level has been at Orange alert all week and none of this helps.<br />
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But this did, one of the websites (or is it a blog) that I follow, <a href="http://theorganicsister.com/">The Organic Sister</a>, posted an amazingly insightful entry called "11 signs that your life is demanding personal growth...". I think she hit 10 for me! I am in transition with my business, but we are also in seasonal, lunar and environmental transition. Maybe I'm not crazy. Or menopausal. Maybe I am sensitive to the world around me. Hmmm?? <br />
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Stay dry and listen to your heart! That's my motto for tomorrow..for tonight, cheese, bread wine and fire. :-)Peaceful Valley Farm Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05067463519786754522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4472879917267874737.post-31409248660281843382011-03-14T22:26:00.000-07:002011-03-19T14:34:28.087-07:00Spring fever takes overI've been a bad, bad blogger. I was all excited about the food experiment. After the first week, I had only spent about $50 on groceries and we were eating great meals, super cheap.<br/><br/>Then, it was a sunny and Spring-like day and I wanted nothing more than a barbequed cheeseburger and tater tots. Yup, you heard me. I completely failed the food experiment. Of course, then people started telling me that they were enjoying the posts and felt inspired....I promise, when the Spring rapture ends, I will do more dinners under $10.<br/><br/>In the meantime, we have a new family member!<br/><br/><a href="http://peacefulvalleyfarm.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/img_0011.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-136" title="IMG_0011" src="http://peacefulvalleyfarm.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/img_0011.jpg?w=286" alt="" width="286" height="300" /></a>This is Sienna. She is a purebred mutt. Her mom is a Border Collie/Lab and her dad is a Chow mix (she gets her gorgeous color and wooly coat from him). Emma Bean is happy to have a new friend. They sun together... <a href="http://peacefulvalleyfarm.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/img_0012.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-137" title="IMG_0012" src="http://peacefulvalleyfarm.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/img_0012.jpg?w=300" alt="" width="300" height="213" /></a>They snooze together<br/><br/><a href="http://peacefulvalleyfarm.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/img_0017.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-138" title="IMG_0017" src="http://peacefulvalleyfarm.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/img_0017.jpg?w=168" alt="" width="168" height="300" /></a>They (reluctantly) share their toys<br/><br/><a href="http://peacefulvalleyfarm.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/img_0033.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-139" title="IMG_0033" src="http://peacefulvalleyfarm.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/img_0033.jpg?w=300" alt="" width="300" height="168" /></a>Little Sienna is a farm dog, to be sure. She is right at home in the greenhouse among my packets of <a href="http://rareseeds.com/">Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds</a><br/><br/><a href="http://peacefulvalleyfarm.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/img_0021.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-140" title="IMG_0021" src="http://peacefulvalleyfarm.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/img_0021.jpg?w=219" alt="" width="219" height="300" /></a>The cats are unsure (isn't this like the cat version of Charlie's Angels??)<a href="http://peacefulvalleyfarm.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/img_0009.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-141" title="IMG_0009" src="http://peacefulvalleyfarm.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/img_0009.jpg?w=300" alt="" width="300" height="210" /></a>But, in spite of the poo poo/pee-pee accidents and the whining, sleep deprived nights John and I are sure...<a href="http://peacefulvalleyfarm.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/img_00101.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-149" title="IMG_0010" src="http://peacefulvalleyfarm.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/img_00101.jpg?w=190" alt="" width="190" height="300" /></a><br/><br/><a href="http://peacefulvalleyfarm.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/img_00301.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-150" title="IMG_0030" src="http://peacefulvalleyfarm.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/img_00301.jpg?w=168" alt="" width="168" height="300" /></a>Sienna is home! Many thanks to her "bio" mom and dad, Sean and Erin! Nighty-night<a href="http://peacefulvalleyfarm.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/img_0008.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-145" title="IMG_0008" src="http://peacefulvalleyfarm.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/img_0008.jpg?w=300" alt="" width="300" height="198" /></a>Peaceful Valley Farm Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05067463519786754522noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4472879917267874737.post-70008611803800209652011-03-05T20:11:00.000-08:002011-03-19T14:34:28.097-07:00Food Experiment-Day 4<strong>Salmon Cakes on Baby Greens with Rice</strong><br/><br/><strong><a href="http://peacefulvalleyfarm.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/img_0020-1.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-122" title="IMG_0020-1" src="http://peacefulvalleyfarm.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/img_0020-1.jpg?w=300" alt="" width="300" height="256" /></a><br/></strong><br/><br/>I kinda used <a href="http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/easy-salmon-cakes/Detail.aspx">this</a> recipe, but didn't have or want everything that was in it. In place of bread crumbs, I took a few handfuls of wheat thins type crackers and crunched them up with a wooden spoon. I used Red onion and skipped the dill, parsley and butter. Also, I always bake them because I don't like to get spattered by hot oil and, well, deep-fried food, not my thing.<br/><br/>2 cans salmon @ $1.69<br/><br/>1/4 onion- 10 cents<br/><br/>3 eggs- free<br/><br/>crushed crackers-10 cents<br/><br/>cost- $3.58<br/><br/>Organic spring mix salad-$2.00<br/><br/><a href="http://www.massaorganics.com/">Massa Organics</a> rice- $2.00<br/><br/>A word about <a href="http://www.massaorganics.com/">Massa Organics</a>... They are awesome! They are a family farm near Chico, so your rice is from the USA! It is crunchy, sweet and amazing. And, at <a href="http://www.massaorganics.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=29">$4. for 2 pounds</a>, a steal! Also, their Almond butter will make you drool! Seriously! I hide it. I think they sell at farmers markets, through <a href="https://santacruzlocalfoods.com/">SCLF in Santa Cruz</a>, and by mail, so please check them out!<br/><br/>Garnished with lemon from a random tree. Total cost for this meal was just $7.58. We had dinner for 3 and 1 lunch the next day, so that's $1.97 per meal!<br/><br/> <br/><br/> Peaceful Valley Farm Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05067463519786754522noreply@blogger.com0