Summer's Window Closing

Summer has the best days, but now that the daylight is waning, we are starting to harvest, can, dry, save seeds, and develop our new cold storage plan.

I was waiting to post with photos from Holland, but I'm not any closer to having them downloaded and assembled than I was in July, so that will wait until the madness of summer growing is put to bed. Even though I'm in Canada, I'm sadly not really at home much, so when I am, I'm immediately immersed in the most pressing and least pleasant chores to offer some relief to my, kind and more than helpful, caretaker of the over abundance of projects (that I've started) requiring watering and feeding. 

Our orchard is not only growing, but also producing fruit! It's really pleasing to see; even better to eat. We've been picking the sweetest strawberries for weeks (when we can beat the wasps to them), the few apple blossoms that survived the winds have matured into fleshy fruits (so tasty our resident fox has been picking them for us, and sampling a few), and I returned to ripe raspberries on my last visit home. I suspect next year our berries will ripen earlier, as they will have the chance to start growing as soon as the weather warms, meanwhile this year they started taking root and establishing from dormant plants long after the weeds showed their happy faces. The hazelnut whips we planted are the worst fairing, and I'd be surprised if one even survives. The blueberry bushes are growing but tend to look less lush than I wish they would... however the worst looking plant we dug into the ground - the sole apricot - is bushy and alive! 

What's the best thing about the garden? Probably Jordan's growing fondness for vegetables!! We had hail again this year, torturing every leaf, but there are many signs of recovery and the weather has been warmer than last year, so it's quite possible more plants will fully mature before the frost. Though, the count down is on! Rather chilly nights over the past few days cause some apprehension about our first frost date: September 13. By now, last year, we already had had a light frost! 

So far the turnips are huge, and though lovely fried up, we have so many I'm considering pickling some. Could be a very tasty accompaniment to a kebab type wrap. Some beans, beets and cucumbers have been pickled, and snow peas have been processed for the freezer. Zucchini salsa is hopefully coming soon, including almost all home grown ingredients, plus there are already quite a few bags of shredded zucchini in the freezer! We will save the over-grown, too seedy candidates for treating the chickens.  I'm really looking forward to the mass ripening of six types of tomatoes, possibly mild peppers, potatoes that look promising from above, onions, garlic and kohlrabi... I'm trying not to get too hopeful about eggplants, corn, squashes, amaranth, hard rind squashes, pumpkins, cabbages, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and heritage wheat, but I remain positive! I try to keep a smile even when battling the thistles. ;) I will win. As with the mice. It just may not be this year... 

Enjoying Amsterdam

Here I am on this June 21st evening, in the Netherlands, sitting out in 'my' little yard enjoying the evening sun. It's actually so warm at 8pm, I think I am getting tanned, or burnt! 

The absolute BEST part of the Dutch Life is biking and bikes. It's such a convenient mode of transportation and everyone seems to partake. That can make things a little tricky riding at rush hour in Amsterdam, but it works better than you'd think. Of course it's flat here, and that's what ultimately makes this work, but the design of keeping cyclists and cars apart, and making it easy to get about following extensive bike routes, truly is the cherry on top. By flat, it is really. Shockingly so. In fact, I went home to the prairies for a week and the first thing I noticed were all our hills, mounds, and slopes. I'd never really noticed them before, but there's nothing like going away to appreciate home, correct?! In addition to the flatness, there are many dykes. They range in size from ditch to river, and are even used to contain animals in a field moat-wise. The likelihood of affording waterfront here is quite possible! Of course I'm also very fond of their cheese, licorice, and stroopwafels. 

I'd mentioned before, about the lushness, and early rising of the Spring plants in this part of the world. It makes me kind of jealous, but mostly it's been a study in plants. It's rather odd that I don't know if all the plant species I have identified here even grow at home, but one of these years I'll spend the summer at home and become more acquainted with my surroundings and I'll be able to answer. For now I've been having a wee bit of fun finding those that are edible or herbal in nature, and picking some here and there. It seems the term for picking from the wild, for personal consumption, is wildcrafting. It strikes me as a contrast, my feeling of uncomfortableness at doing so, and human nature to simply collect from the wild. I prefer to be alone harvesting my found delicacy as if I'm trespassing on, well I don't know what on. It's not as though I'm doing so in someone's yard, only Mother Nature's yard, and in general I'm taking weed fragments, unwanted by many. 

What do you think of wildcrafting? Or simply harvesting nature's bounty? 

I don't feel very apologetic when I pick blackberries. Maybe I just need to get used to it. Anyways, I've become a cycling weed collector of sorts. Never leaving the house without a sack for treasures, diversifying and freshening up my menu options. Greens alone, that I know of include, dandelion, it's cousin, mustard, nettle, plus there's been hawthorn, elderflowers, chamomile, yarrow, red clover, salmon berries, plantain, comfrey... 

Cat Hotel

I like Amsterdam, and find I prefer its Jordaan area, which is a little less touristy, and a little more hip in an old secondhand cardigan kind of way. Many other places around the country have been beautiful, too - I personally suggest exploring them by bicycle! 

Since this is perfect weather for reading, I'd like to mention how informative and interesting my birthday gift, The Hidden Half of Nature, has been. Absolutely fantastic book if you are interested in nature or human biology. Which are subjects I love. I mean, I live in nature, and I have a body, so it's applicable to me ;) 

Wind, Wind, Go Away

I have been thinking a fair amount about sheltering our yard. The wind we have had so far this spring has been beyond normal, and destructive, but I suspect not that much more than the current annual average, which is still too much for someone like me, my animals, my yard, my house, and I feel the need to protect my space. (By my, I mean our...) I especially do not like strong wind. Ow my ears! 

Just because other people, even people who live near you, who grow (or don't) the same things, tell you you cannot, or there is only one method, or such and such doesn't work, through trial and error, or even luck, you will find your best methods and what works in your garden. This could be applied to a few things I've been told so far...

On the other hand it doesn't mean don't listen to good advice. Or scientific facts. Which, I'd like to point out, are much more difficult to get, since they don't usually offer themselves out loud. Just take it all with a grain of salt. Think about it, give it a try, modified for you. 

Work hard, take notes, and don't give up. Everyone who's trying, is in the same boat. Or rather their own tippy, leaky version. Find strength and motivation in that. 

We have many problems, ideas and projects. Some are easy to fix, or realize, and others may have an underlying issue, or be too much work (as in more hours than in a day!) to have a point. 

One thing that effects every last thing we, here at Blue Moon Farm, do or don't however, is the wind. There's just way too much of it. Alberta publishes shelter-belt plans, methods and ideas, and I think we must go in that direction. When you look around, they are not as common as I think they used to be, or designed properly. Like when it actually mattered your garden feed you all winter - when houses weren't so airtight. I see the old homesteads often enclosed in a square of green. New homes aren't. Hummm. Our own spot is very partially protected. Maybe the winds have changed their paths somewhat since those lines were planted. Maybe old windbreaks have been cut down? I don't know. Maybe global warming (Yeah, it's a thing. For real, by the way.) is changing the direction and velocity of the wind.  

Now, where to find the energy to do all this? I've already dug a few hundred holes this Spring. Okay, Rori did help a bit :) 

While I work up the energy, I'll review what didn't work, what might be a better variation, and keep track to try not to repeat the mistake... 

Like: Starting Indoors - This is a lot of work. It worked rather well initially, but the hardening off was a disaster. I only had a small window in which to do it, or not. I chose to. Because not hardening off is generally a bad idea. The weather was a scorching and powerful wind. Clearly not helpful. I lost 80% of my perfectly happy plants. Peppers and tomatoes were the survivors. Interestingly, the two plants I'd generally need to start indoors, and consider temperamental. 

On reflection: If, like this year, I'll only have a very slim window of opportunity with the weather, I'll save time and only start tomatoes and peppers. Everything else could be direct sowed, and when the wee sprout peeks out and sees the big bad wind, huffing and puffing, it'll grow with more precaution. Who ever said, "precaution to the wind". Also large bale stacks could be helpful for the transplants... Then let's look at the winners of direct sowing and try to make the best of these plants. 

So there's me, trying to punch up some enthusiasm when the weather gets me down. 

How do you recover from the blows of your efforts?

Home and Farm, My Favourite Work

 

Time passes quickly - especially as we get older, and when we are having fun. My recent, quick stay-cation on the farm seems to have been proof of both. I do love my farm, my home and being on vacation, and I have also racked up another full year of life, despite the fact of only being a single day older than the day before... 

When we still though we had time to make nice breakfasts...

As always I'm trying to accomplish more than I ever do indeed get done. This work-ation being no different, plus the fact that we had a giant storm mid-week that resulted in two days without power. And how greatly we rely upon that buzzing grid of electricity. Water, heat, laundry, lights, animal watering, cooking... and the list goes on. Clearly, I've learnt, we are not anywhere near being self reliant, and one should build in buffer days to one's lofty to-do lists. 

My helper, who has helper history. 

(Oh my sweet little puppy dog!)

Nevertheless we now have a little orchard to tend. Little I say because everything in it is little, however it does encompass a reasonably large amount of space, meaning that, one day if it all matures well, we may have far more fruit than could ever be used by one household. I have my fingers crossed! Step one (of a million) on the path to farm diversification. I also have my fingers crossed for a few fruits this year, just to get a taste. The bees have been busy, so perhaps those lovely little pollinators will make my wish come true. 😋 

Before and after. Hopefully it gets bushier soon! 

Admittedly this isn't the best photo for showing details... but everything is planted! 

I told you the plants are little! 

Schipol...

The best days at work are days when it's clear enough to see the scenery. 

Bavaria/Austria Border

Actually there are many types of enjoyable days at work, and recently I was reminded about how nice it is to fly with great people. That's a work culture, different than anywhere else I've been, I miss, from the GGN days.. Maybe it was a place where the pawns had to stick together just to survive, but whatever the cause - it was nice, and lovely to bring that back to mind because I was flying with an old colleague. It certainly makes a double stop in Turkey go better. 

Großglockner, the highest peek n the Austrian Alps

Despite best efforts, on time performance is basically a pipe dream. It's my job to make us on time. If that's accomplished I can only rely on luck thereafter. And taxiing at Mach speeds that don't even touch the contrails of KLM...  

Santorini, Greece

I'm striving to finish a day on time. Then I'll go for even a minute early. 

Work is great, but, you know I could use a love song...

Which is why I'm on my way home for a visit, and a lot of gardening!

The theme to effectivity is a planned electronics disconnect, 

and to begin with, a reset to zero. 

Meet Meat

Or not if it isn't your thing. 

I believe it's important to know where your food comes from. 

That doesn't mean all parts of the raising of rabbits for meat is fun. Most is. The raising bit, of course.

Otherwise it's a serious undertaking. 

A process that must be carried out with intention, care and focus. 

This is no understatement. 

I'm sure it's an amateur butchering job, but there you have it. The whole rabbit pieced up: flanks top and bottom, to the left front legs, to the right back legs, and in the center is the loin. I split the loin into back loin (left) and saddle (right). 

And then you'll need a freezer, or in my case a bigger freezer, until you run out of ideas for a different dish every night. 

Try cooking small pieces in turmeric and chipotle and adding to a salad with avocado. Bread up the flank, or leave attached to the loin, stuff and roll up, baking in a moist heat. Bake legs the same way you'd prepare drumsticks, just remember the saucier and moister the better for any smaller pieces attached to the bone. And that saddle needs breaking in. Cowboy. Tenderize it, or else it's easy to pretend you're eating calamari. Oh so many options. See, you'll never run out of ideas! 

Not much will be wasted here. Top will be enjoyed fresh by he dog, bones will be roasted and made into broth, and the trimmings below will be stir fried.

An acquaintance of mine, who grew up in the Philippines raising various smaller farm animals for sustenance, made a very good point about keeping your own animals for meat: the lack of waste! If you've gone to all that effort, you'll take care never to waste what you have produced. Interesting isn't it to consider the lack of commodity value while the world is operating in extravagance?

Earl Grey by Day, Lemon Ginger by Night

Nettle, occasionally. 

Greetings from the Land of the Dutch! 

It was an odd transition to go from the teensy-weensiest bit of Spring at home, to the full on bushy green Spring here in Amsterdam. It's still rather cool, especially at night but it's not freezing. The air isn't damp but the humidity is sure higher here, too. I hadn't seen much until this evening, when I'd finally reassembled by bicycle and took a quick jaunt around the Spaarnwoude. That is the name of the area where I'm staying and completely to my liking I am surrounded by forest. Essentially we are about 15 minutes to Amsterdam or 10 minutes to Haarlem on the train. Eventually I'll check out both those cities, but for now I'll say I sure like this 'Savings Forest', which is the translation. 

I've not done much here so far but in my quest to sleep well at night, and therefore trying to drink less coffee in order to facilitate that, but having discovered I don't want to give up hot drinks, I've gotten on to tea. They had some nice teas in the store. Some are easier to read than others. Some words are pretty easy if you know German, though! Yes. Easy to read maybe, not easy to say, let alone pronounce! Earl Grey by day, Lemon Ginger by night. 

In the forest I found nettles and hawthorn for teas. Actually I found I knew many of the weeds. I even found comfrey Symphytum officinale in four or five colours. That I'd like to bring home. Horseradish was everywhere, but I suppose I have that in my yard already. The nettle tea has the scent of vegetation, or the water left over after steaming broccoli, but a better taste, which like most teas, in my opinion, is improved with a little honey. Only other teas can actually be quite tasty. Maybe it could use milk...

This is easily the nicest location I've lodged in so far in the history of deployment. These Dutch are super nice! And thankfully, speak a lot of English and solved some situations for me. The home away from home is bigger than last year, and so quiet at night...

Will flop back to farm updates as I attempt to conclude upon that early Spring period.

Getting to be more like my old Dad every day. (!)