The Scarecrow

While searching for a method to keep my garden safe from all that prey on veggies I came across a little item called The Scarecrow, it seemed too good to be true.  How can something so simple and organic possibly work??  I was looking for something to keep the birds and deer away so I bought one and had my dear husband install it in the garden for me.  The instructions say it will cover up to 1000 square feet, I'm not sure about that but I don't think I need another one in my garden.  The noise alone is enough to scare some critters.

As you can see, it's quite intimidating to look at.  It has a motion detector that goes off when it senses a presence in the garden and sends out a 2-3 cup shot of water to frighten the predator away.  It uses a 9 volt battery and hooks up to your garden hose.  I don't know who invented this baby but I think they're a genius.

The Scarecrow has been working great so far and I ordered another one to put in my second garden.  I bought both of them for less than $100 on Amazon.  I think that's a pretty good deal.  I just put the stickers on mine yesterday and they look so much better with the stickers.  They say the look alone scares off some pests. 

Now I need to work on some organic bug deterrents.  Any ideas?

Strawberry Jammin'!

I have been making strawberry jam for more than 10 years.  I've tried full sugar, no sugar, sweetened with fruit juice and finally decided the best recipe for us is half sugar.  My family agrees with me and that's the only opinion that really matters because they are the people that eat it. 


Yesterday I picked up 12 lbs. of strawberries from my Mom who got them on sale at Aldi grocery store for $1.49/lb.  While I do grow strawberries, the quantity you need for jam just isn't popping up in my garden every day so I still buy them.  The berries she bought me were soft and fragrant - almost like I did grow them. 

I basically follow the recipe and instructions inside the pectin package except I use 4 lbs. of berries, instead of 3. You get about 2 cups of chopped berries per lb. 

The first thing I do when making jam is gather all my supplies, it's a pain when you get to a critical point and don't have what you need.

You will need:  Large pot for cooking jam (8 quart stock pot is good)
                          Food processor (optional)
                          10 Canning jars, lids and rings
                          Pan for sterilizing jars (roasting pan works nicely)
                          Magnetic lid lifter, jar lifter, funnel, spatula, ladle & spoon
                          4 lbs. Strawberries, *Sure Jell No Sugar Needed pectin, 4 c. Sugar,
                          Damp towel for wiping off jars
                          Strawberry huller      
                    

                      

The first thing you need to do is wash your jars, lids and rings in hot, soapy water and get them in the pan.  If I'm using half pints I can usually get 6 at a time in the pan and I add more as I take them out.  This recipe will make 8-10 half pints.  Set your pan on a burner and get it going at a medium heat, when it starts to bubble a little you can turn it down some.  This pan is heavy and I've killed 2 burners on my stove already because of the weight.  It's also good to keep hot water on hand so you can add to the pan as it evaporates.  I use my tea kettle and keep it hot.  Don't add cold water, it will crack your jars!  Here's what my pan usually looks like:

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I have some pint jars in here so I can't fit as many.

After you get that on the stove you want to start cleaning your strawberries. Rinse and hull them and put them in the food processor.

Make sure you get this part out of your berries!

Strawberry huller.

 

It isn't necessary to have a food processor and if you buy fresh strawberries that are soft you can just mash them with a potato masher.  If using store bought berries, they tend to be a bit hard so you will need to chop them or use your food processor or blender. If your berries seem a bit dry, add 1/2 c. water.  You don't want strawberry juice, just a nice chop. Mine are never uniform and I like it that way, I mix a fine chop with chunks and that suits us fine.  You can do whatever you like, it's your jam!

Dump your chopped berries into your pot.  Mix 1/4 c. sugar with the pectin and dump that in and mix it up.  I also add about 1 teaspoon of unsalted butter to keep the foam down.  You will still get some foam but it won't be as much.  Heat on medium-medium high, stirring frequently, till you reach a full rolling boil (when boiling does not stop while you are stirring).  After it comes to a full rolling boil, add the sugar and stir until it's all disolved then back again to a rolling boil.  Boil for 1 minute stirring constantly, then remove from heat.  You now have strawberry jam.

Time to get that yummy stuff into jars! 

Using your jar lifter, carefully pick up a jar out of your pan and dump the water out - make sure it doesn't run down your arm, this hurts (trust me, I know).  Put your funnel on top and ladle in jam to about 1/4" from the top.  Take your damp towel and wipe the rim of the jar so there is no jam residue and it's nice and clean.

Now grab your handy, dandy magnetic jar lifter and pull a lid out of the pan and gently place it on top of the jar.  Next grab a ring, place it on top and screw it down - not too tight, just snug.  You may need to hold the jar for this - use your jar lifter or the damp towel so you don't burn your hand.  Repeat this until your jam is all packed up nice and neat in pretty little jars.

Now you can do your hot water bath (if you want).  I don't use a hot water bath for my jams, the jars seal themselves.  If they don't seal (if the pop-up button in the middle of the lid stays up) I just put them in the fridge or give them away and tell the person to refrigerate it and use it right away.  I don't sell my jam so I don't feel compelled to do this step.

Blue Ribbon Preserves by Linda J. Amendt is my all-time favorite book that helped me get started making jam and jelly.  It's the only one I have ever needed and the only one I own.  The author does a great job explaining everything.  After experimenting a bit I've found that simple jam works best for us but there are some great recipes in this book that are nice for gift giving. 

So, are you ready to make some jam? 

*Sure Jell No Sugar Pectin is my preferred brand.  I recently tried the Ball Low or No Sugar Needed Pectin and have had similar results but I still prefer the Sure Jell.  Try a few different kinds and see what works best for you.  The only suggestion I have is do not use regular pectin for a low or no sugar jam, it really doesn't work. 

What Is An Heirloom?

By definition an heirloom is a valuable object that has belonged to a family for several generations.  When speaking of fruits and vegetables, the valuable objects are seeds, and in some cases they have been in families for generations.  Some say to be considered an heirloom the seed variety must be at least 50 years old, others say it should be 100 years old.  Most will agree that an heirloom plant should be an open-pollinated variety that has been around for a long time because they are valuable to the grower.  Open-pollinated is when the plant is pollinated by insects, birds, wind or other natural means.  The seeds of open-pollinated plants will produce new generations of plants of the same quality as long as they aren't cross-pollinated with other varieties.  Hybrid fruit and vegetable seeds will produce new generations but they will be far inferior to the parent seed. 

I'm adding a link that a friend just sent me, check it out:  Our Dwindling Food Variety

When planning my garden, God laid it on my heart to plant heirloom varieties.  I don't know why, I'm still trying to figure it out but that's what I've done.  When speaking to others about what my plans were, God's word was confirmed.  I didn't need confirmation but I got it anyway.  I started research and planning on my heirloom garden.

My absolute favorite resource is Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.  They have a beautiful catalog with a large variety of heirloom seeds.  They also publish Heirloom Gardener magazine which is a treat for the eyes and the brain.

You can find heirloom seeds in any type of fruit or vegetable you could possibly want.  You can buy seeds through catalogs, websites - even ebay has many offerings.  I bought a lot of mine through Baker Creek, some from stores like Home Depot and Southern States and even more from sellers on ebay.  Take your time and choose varieties that work well in your climate and add in a few that you've never tried.  I decided to plant these little melons, they're called Rich Sweetness Melon 132 and they only weigh about 1/4 lb. when ripe.  I can't wait to try one!

I'm also growing Tomatillos for the first time ever.  I've never even eaten a tomatillo but I hear they make great salsa!

I've also planted the old reliables such as beefsteak tomatoes, zucchini & squash, carrots & beets and many others.  I'm looking forward to a summer full of fresh veggies.

What do you have in your garden this year?



The Dirt on The Dirt (and Grids)

I suppose I can't call my blog Tales From The Dirt without talking about The Dirt.  If you've read Square Foot Gardening you've heard of something called Mel's Mix.  Mel's Mix is a mixture of 1/3 part blended compost, 1/3 part peat moss and 1/3 part coarse vermiculite.  This can be quite expensive - especially if you're doing a lot of boxes.  Since I made 10 boxes, I knew I couldn't afford Mel's Mix for my raised beds.  After much thought and consideration, I ended up with plain old top soil and compost - a 50/50 mix.  I used 4 yards of each and had some left over for my potatoes.  I think next year I will add some peat moss to the mix just to keep the soil light and easier for the seeds to sprout.  I will probably add some cow manure to the mix also (since I have unlimited access to it) but I need to do more research on that first. 

Topsoil & Compost right after delivery.

If you decide to go with topsoil, make sure you get it already screened.  Screening will remove some (not all) of the debris.  I still found pieces of wire and glass in mine, so be careful.  I bought mine from a local landscaping company and thought it looked wonderful when it arrived but upon further inspection, realized there was a lot of clay and very large, hard clumps in it.  The compost I used is called Leafgro, 100% organic compost and it cost the same as the topsoil.  This stuff is gorgeous, I can't say enough good things about Leafgro.  It has a wonderful rich, dark brown color, it's easy to work with and great for your plants.

Before I started putting the topsoil/compost mix into my boxes I lined them with 3-4 layers of newspaper to kill the grass and block weeds.  I didn't use the slippery, colored advertisement pages - I'm not sure if they're safe for the garden and I didn't want to take any chances.  The colored inks and coated paper could contain something that will hurt my sweet peas!  Plus I want the paper to break down quickly so my roots can grow deep.  I just laid the paper out and piled my 50/50 mix on top, worked like a charm.  It's also nice to have extra hands for this job, especially if it's a windy day.


While on the subject of dirt, I'm also going to cover grids.  Square foot gardening uses a grid so you get nice even placement of your plants. 

I didn't want to make a grid so I just used fishing line and nails.  My dear husband measured along the sides of the boxes and placed marks for me to put the nails.  In a 4' x 8' box you will have 32 - 12" x 12" squares.  I placed nails every 12" (or so, my boxes aren't exactly 4' x 8'), then wrapped the fishing line around the nails, like so:

Small nail with fishing line wrapped around, notice the nice large
dot my hubby put there for me.

I did the length of the bed first, then went across the width with the fishing line until it was complete.  You will have to put a nail in the opposite corner of where you start so you have a place to hook the fishing line when you transition from length of box to width of box (may sound confusing but you will know what I mean when you do it). 



You can just barely see the fishing line grids in this pic.

Okay, I think that's enough for today, if I keep going this post is never going to end. 

Have a blessed weekend everyone!

Raised Beds - From the Ground Up

Making a raised bed is very simple.  I made most of mine with no help at all, but I love putting stuff together.  Whatever your skill level, this is pretty basic stuff. 

I bought some 1 x 6 x 8' rough sawn oak boards from a sawmill down the street for $3.50 each.  I also asked them to cut them in half for me, and they did - at no extra cost!  You can use any type of wood you like, I'm hoping the oak will hold up better than an untreated pine board.  I didn't want to use pressure treated wood for my beds since I'm going for the whole organic thing.  My beds are 4' x 8', you can make yours any size you like, depending on your space and needs.   

You will need for this job:  Drill or screwdriver, wood deck screws or nails, drill bit to match the screws (if using), 1x6 boards cut to size, 6" wood blocks (I used 2x4, you can use 2x2, 2x3, whatever you have laying around), hammer, (if using nails), pencil (cuz you look like you know what you're doing when you have one behind your ear) and a little bit of patience.  Sometimes it's nice to have an extra pair of hands to help also.

Check out this 3 minute video from the University of Maryland Extension.  This video inspired me to make my beds because they make it look so simple - and it really is that simple.  The website is chock full of great information, too.  

Tips from a pro (haha!):
 - Lay out your boards and make sure they are the same length (this is important). 
 - Pre-drill your holes, especially if you're using screws. 
 - If you're making more than one bed you will want to invest in a drill if you don't already have one.  If you're only making one bed and/or using nails, it isn't necessary - it will just make the job easier. 
 - Assemble your box, then add your support blocks last. 

Wasn't that easy?  You did it in 3 minutes right?  Just like the video?  Take your time, they don't have to be perfect - you're filling them with dirt!

I wish I had taken more pictures while assembling the beds, I didn't know at the time I would be blogging or I would've had more detail pics. I think the video does a good job explaining everything and there aren't a lot of steps.

Here are some pics of my beds I put together:   




Lay out your boards and check the length!
Did I mention how important this is??



Finished box!

Four done!

Ten beds full of dirt, ready for seeds/plants and
 fenced to keep those pesky dogs (and other critters) out.

Let me know if you've made your own raised beds or if you decide to, let me know how it goes.  I'd love to hear about your experience.

The Beginnings - A Step of Faith

When all of this started I was working as an administrative assistant at my church.  God was telling me it was time for me to leave but I was too busy looking for a new job to hear Him.  While my job search continued, my restlessness at my current job was becoming unbearable.  I kept hearing God say over a period of months, "You're not trusting me".  It was loud and clear, there was no denying this is what He was saying to me.  While talking with a friend one day and sharing with her these things I was going through, she looked at me and said, "I think you know what you need to do".  With the blessings of my dear husband, the next day I turned in my letter of resignation.  Done.

While I continued my job search, I knew I wanted to be a farmer.  This is what God was calling me to do.  I started reading book after book, devising a plan, making decisions on the best use of the land we have.  The job offers were not pouring in and I was a little nervous but I had to trust God.  After much research, I picked my two favorite books and read them continuously.  I didn't want to read anything that didn't have something to do with growing vegetables. 

The New Organic Grower by Eliot Coleman

All New Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew

I decided on raised beds and organic.  While I am not certified organic, I am using organic methods.  Since it was September when I resigned from my job, I had fall and winter to plan my garden.  We decided where it was going to be, what I was going to plant, and how much it was going to cost (ha!). 

Here are a couple of sites I like to visit:

Four Season Farm

Square Foot Gardening

In the mean time, I had two contractor jobs that were keeping me busy and bringing in a little cash.  God was taking care of us, I just had to trust.