Busy Busy Busy

So last week we had some fellows come over and help us with our back field. They helped to burn it and also disced and tilled it. We still have grass poking up but it will be easy to address with a mattock.

A few days ago Elizabeth and I planted 72 row feet of potatoes. I'm hoping our crop is productive enough that we can try "clamping" as a method of preserving. "Clamping" is where you harvest your crop and lay down straw, you place your crop ontop of it and then cover it up with more straw and earth. Supposedly it's what the Irish did/do I'm not sure how their variables are different.

I Finally finished clearing a 45x90' area of grass clods and rocks today. I'm still looking at doing that much, again. I've got a wheelbarrow now and things are going considerably faster. I had only been using a rake and fork.

Tomorrow's priority is to contact arborists in the area to see if they need to drop woodchips in our area.

This garden is making me feel younger, I'm so thankful for that. I couldn't find anything to shake me out of feeling double my age, even after having been home for nearly a year.

In other news, last night I took the opportunity to attempt adjusting the belt on the treadle sewing machine. I was quite discouraged at how loose it had "just" become, even though it had been left alone. So I clipped off a quarter of an inch from the end, pierced it with an icepick, attached the staple and checked the fit. It still wouldn't engage. After repeating the process three times I had perfection. I was so eager to see Elizabeth Ann try it out but something about waking her up at 2am just didn't seem wise. Needless to say, when she did try it out it took a little getting used to but now she can't wait to find time to use it. We have countless yards of material ready to be used : )

I've got machines!! A new Grizzly table saw and a Grizzly jointer. I'm ready to use them but the outlet are absent.

My neighbor has experience putting 220 electric outlets in his house. Pretty soon we'll be doing that for my machines. At the moment they are second in priority to the garden. I'm ready to build my planemaking bench but some dust needs to settle.

I'm very happy with where we are at, things feel correct. Occupationaly, spiritually, and just around the house.

We are getting ready to put some seeds in the garden : ) Beans, peas, onions, maybe leeks and shallots, and we are assessing when kale is ok to plant.

Monday and Tuesday we went to a local meeting where a Hebrew Roots speaker by the name of Brad Scott talked about a variety of topics but his emphasis was on unity in the movement. We were very happy to of gone, even if we were both exhausted from other activities.

I know I need a way to get more photos on here, they're important for context.

I think we will start posting content on the Sabbath since we find our hands empty only that day of the week.

Shalom,

Praying blessings for all of you in our Father's name.

Back To Eden, Shofar, And Maybe A Greenhouse

Oh I am so eager to get to work on our back field. After a very harsh Winter, that is probably not over, I am chomping at the bit to get out there and do something.


Elizabeth and I have considered two options to get compost to our field. The first and best option is to talk with our neighbor behind us and see if he will allow us access through the back. If he does, I will be able to haul more weight at a time because I won't have to worry about driving over underground pipes. The second option is to construct a gate that faces our street. I'm not encouraged by this option as even the best caution can't prevent something from happening. We have both gas and water lines out front. If I have to go that route I will be limited to a 5 cubic yard dumptruck. That means I'd have to do as many as 150 loads to cover our backfield. I'm not saying no to doing that, but you can believe that if I'm able to minimize my loads by a factor of 1/3, that I'm going to do all I can to make it happen. I'd much rather do 50 loads than 150. I'm praying that Elohim bows His ear to hear us-as the Psalms say.


If I am able to start picking up loads this week or next, then our compost will have approximately two months to compress and decompose. I expect that should be enough for us to have a fair start by May 1st. Last year at that time, we had snow. So we are trying to play it safe with the frost dates.


We purchased a shofar! And I know exactly what you are thinking! A What??!


A shofar!


It's the horn that was blown around Jericho that brought the walls down. When the Scriptures talk about "blowing the trumpet", this is what it is talking about. For us it's a daily reminder that our walk with YahWeh didn't start 2,000 years ago, but rather-when time started. It's very easy for saints of today to see themselves as something completely separate from the Israelites, but the truth is in the Scriptures. The Scriptures are express about what changes happened from Old Testament to New. Interestingly a lot of the changes that todays Christians have made-aren't found in the NT.


I'm talking to myself here a lot too. I'm still finding what I believe on all this. For me, somethings just didn't add up until I changed my perspective, then it all made sense-all of it. It's just coming around to the full picture that is taking a bit of time-because we are essentially talking about a shift in culture.


I am thankful for the Scriptures.


A GREENHOUSE!


Yep, that's what we have committed to making. It will be 14'x30' and is supposed to cost somewhere between 500-1,000$. We'll see about that part. Regardless, it will be worth every penny for starting seeds and possibly growing greens in Winter.


It is simple, it's basic construction is of pvc-pipe and 6-mil poly-plastic.
Here is the link to what motivated us.


http://www.fiddleheadfarmers.com/1/post/2012/05/simple-greenhouse-plans.html


Hoping you all have a blessed week! We really need this to be a productive one. Growing season is coming way too soon.


In the name of our Saviour Yahushuah ha Mashiach, Yah bless.

The Lord Gives Providence!

I've told you all about how my family is doing a "Back To Eden" garden.

Well like many things, I get distracted by watching my daughter during the week and on the weekends I'm rushing to get everything done that I couldn't do because my hands were full.

Well one of the things I have forgotten to do, is source genuine woodchips.

It's easy enough to do, just call your local arborist and they'll be happy to dump them wherever you want them. I've had my list of distractions though.

I have taken the trouble to source compost. I should be able to get lots and lots of it. I'm very blessed that I can get it from one of the local municipalities for just the cost of renting a dump truck.

All of that to get to this point.

Today before Elizabeth was even ready to go to work, a man knocked on our door and apologized for the inconvenience as he told me that his trailer had acquired a flat tire and that they needed a place to park it. He asked me if in front of my house was ok. I'm a hospitable man, so I said sure! It's really no matter to me as long as Elizabeth is able to get out of our driveway.

Well some hours passed and I noticed that the trailer was still out there.

More time passed and I heard some noise coming from the trailer. I noticed that the trailer had a ditch digging machine on it. I figured they laid lines or pipe of some sort.

As I was looking out at the scene I saw a pickup truck parked behind the trailer that said something about "Tree Service". Immediately I jumped on the opportunity. Right in front of my house was a chance to secure many loads of woodchips, and I didn't even have to make a call.

I had a good conversation with the owner of the company. We looked at both sides of my house and decided which one was best for a heavy truck to drive on. He told me that sometimes I might see him once every two weeks, and that sometimes I might see him four times a day.

I'm not sure how large his trucks are that haul large loads of chips but from the way he described them, they sound pretty large.

I'm not sure when he'll expect to deliver his first load, but regardless, I have some preparing to do.

I need to have the back field mowed and tilled!

From what I understand, it doesn't matter which goes first. The woodchips or the compost. Though I'll concede, I would like to have all the compost dropped before I have too much woodchips.

It's nice to see the Lord working in my life and providing. I definitely see this as providence, as His will.

When All Else Fails, Plant Roses!

 



See this beautiful rose?

When we first moved into our house we were forced to mow it to the ground because the grass was too high, the second time we mowed it because we decided that we didn't want flowers obstructing Elizabeth's view while she did her weaving. Then a span went by where we weren't able to mow the yard.

When we got back to it, there were THREE rose plants!

They won't die.

Apparently you can't go wrong with roses.

It's beautiful, healthy, and can stand being mowed over multiple times.

I'm not sure how tall it will get, but at this point we are done trying to kill it.
If it has this much will-power it deserves to liv.

It only stands about 6-8"s but that was still enough for one of the plants to put forth a flower.
It was a nice dash of color against our house.

A word of caution about roses. Plant them away from deer and horses, both think that roses are a tasty treat!

Back to Eden's Garden!

Ok, this will be a simple entry.

Recently I became aware of a new gardening technique that requires minimal weeding and no water except after seeding. No joke, and I'm sure I know what you are thinking. That's impossible unless your garden is covered in rocks and who can till that! Well here's the bonus, it doesn't involve covering your garden in rocks and you will also never have to till it either! Seriously!

 

I recently came across a documentary that shows this method. Simply put, you design your garden like nature. You don't till the soil for a multitude of reasons, but also you don't have to water. Leaving the soil alone keeps moisture in the ground and prevents weeds from germinating. The solution to all those problems and soil erosion? Woodchips!

 

Now these aren't "bark nuggets" but legitimate chippings from entire branches of trees bushes and shrubs.

 

 

 

We have a half acre in the back that we are considering gardening in this method, its the field that we used to have our goats in. We miss our goats, but this may be a good way of utilizing the field.

The field has been fallow as long as we know of. The house is about twelve years old. And we know that the field was certainly left alone for the two years before we moved in, and aside from the goats being in there, it has still been left alone. The field has a mix of meadow grasses, pesky weeds, and the typical wild herbs you would expect to see in any southern field.

 

I'm pretty certain we are going to do this. So watch our journey, it is going to be interesting.

 

I apologize for the odd fish-eye-lens effect, but this was the best panorama I could take with an IPhone.

 

So what you are looking at is the gate we have that separates our back yard from the back field.

The odd box object to the left of the gate is what used to be the housing for the goats. It was a dog house prior to that.

 

Here are some before pictures to give you an idea of what we are starting with. Now the theory is that you are not supposed to begin this program until fall, because that is when the leaves naturally fall from the trees. We'll see if we make it that long before we can't help ourselves. The underlying theme of this method is this. It's not supposed to be alot of work once the garden is established. That can take three years or more depending on where you liv and what materials you are relying on.

 

 

The most of this grass is about knee high, I think it's still growing from where the goats ate it. Other grass is up to my hip.

 

I'm not sure what this shrub is but it looks like it will be simple to deal with. It'll probably become a blogpost of it's own.........

 

This is a grain that grows in the field. I'm not familiar enough with the various grains to know what this is.

 

Here's our little dog Trixie next to a semi-common weed we have back there.

 

 

What is certain is this. If you follow this method aggressively and fulfill all of it's tenants, you will have the best garden you have ever had-growing the best produce you have ever tasted and you will not have to weed (as you currently know it) except with a rake, you will not have to water, and you will not have to till. Just plant your favorite seeds, and eat. Those are the steps, albeit, only after the garden is fully established.

 

Our soil in the back field seems to be very nice already since it's been left alone and has alot of diversity, so I am hoping that helps with the decomposition of the wood chips.

 

So our back field can be a test plot for you if you are on the fence about it. It will be alot of work upfront, but that's normal. It will all be worth it. I'm excited and eager. That is......if we move forward with it.

 

Here is the link to the documentary, watch it now! It will change the way you look at everything!

God Bless!

 

http://www.cultureunplugged.com/documentary/watch-online/play/11883/Back-to-Eden