And the Corn Rolls In....

Just a quick stop to tell you all we're still combining corn and Thank You Father God, it's going well!  We moved to the last field on Jim's farm and Monday will go to Our other Farm (The 80) for the week.  Then we'll be down to a small field by our Vegetarian/Disney-loving Neighbors and the field east of our place.  The end is getting closer!

And we're glad, since Doug at the elevator said they will be dumping corn on the ground starting mid-week.  That takes so much longer, especially since most farmers will be done cutting beans after the weekend.  

The weather has been perfect, so everyone is getting alot done.  And you know once it turns bad, it'll probably stay that way.

I've been helping Farmer-dear move to this field and rode along in the grain truck a few times this morning.  Made a quick lunch of grilled meatloaf and cheese sandwiches (they were just 'ok'), chips, carrots or cole slaw and a pop for him.

Ds2 came out and fixed the electric fence around the corn stalks that the deer went through.  Stupid deer.  And my wonderful son push mowed the ditches for me.  

While I have been in the fields this week, I took some short videos of the Blue-eyed Farmer combining and unloading.   I hope to get inside the combine with him next week and take some from that angle.   I'll get them looped together and fixed and post it ASAP.  (Right now my ISP is having major issues, so I'll have to work some later at night to get it uploaded when the traffic is not so heavy.)

Now I'm off to hang out another load of work clothes, start the dishwasher, and paint that wicker chair (FINALLY!) or pot up some herbs.

Have a great weekend!!
Hugs,

K~

Harvesting: Soybeans, Corn and Potatoes (Oh My!)

 Blue-eyed Farmer unloading corn into the '63.  

He is so glad we bought the grain cart last year.

We are harvesting as you know.... and Praise God!  The soybeans are off (except for 10 acres that have to finish drying down and can't be cut until the corn is down alongside them.)

The Blue-eyed Farmer is cutting corn now.  It's a much less stressful job.  The corn head does not need to be as close to the ground as the bean head and there is little worry of a rock going through the combine.  That is NOT a good thing to have happen.  Rocks and fast-moving parts just don't mix.

Unfortunately with harvest comes a few repairs.  Over 2 days earlier this week, Farmer-dear welded on 3 different combines.  No, we are not BIG farmers like that.  Our neighbors/relatives had some break-downs and called for help.  Which was a good thing, as our combine had a few "issues" also, that they helped diagnose and repair.

For 2 days he ran without a monitor inside the cab, to keep track of overloading and such.  It was combining "old school," listening for odd noises and watching for the outflow and the grain inflow.  He was blessed to find a local circuit board manufacturer who was willing to work on it.  We picked it up this morning, so I'm hoping it is all working as it should.

Then yesterday it was the feeder chain working itself looser than it should be.

As he said, "If it's not one thing, it's another..." 

While the last of the beans were being combined, Ds2 helped me start digging our potatoes.  We finished yesterday.  From 3 long rows and 2 short rows, we got these:

Photo dedicated to Kristen of Going Country and her love of potatoes.

I'll be boxing them up and storing them in the storm shelter where it's cool and dark.

Ds2 also pulled the onion crop.  A lot of them started to re-sprout, so I'll be chopping and freezing them in the next few days.  My farmer's wife-mentor told me that you should dig them in late July.  Now I know.

I also harvested The sweet potato.  As in ONE, small sweet potato.  They obviously did NOT like where I planted them this year, as opposed to last year.  Last year Farmer-dear brought me up a dump of pond soil, all gooey with manure.  "yum-yum"... for sweet potatoes anyway.

Next comes harvesting the last of the basil, potting up the thyme and rooting some rosemary and drying some Swiss Chard.

But first, I'm off to ride in the the combine and grain truck.  I hope to get some photos from the combine cab and maybe a video.  And then I'll get to those veggies.

Stay well and enjoy the Harvest, Puffins.  Just remember to give the right-of-way to the combines and grain trucks/trailers you meet. 

 The '75 Orange (left) and the '63 Red International Grain Trucks.  I ride along in the '63.

Hugs,

K~

** "It is only the farmer who faithfully plants seeds in the Spring, who reaps a harvest in the Autumn."  ~ B.C. Forbes

Lavender, Green and Harvest

I can't say anything more, but working on something Lavender and Green and Chocolate.  It's a surprise and I'll post photos next week.

And I worked on something Wheat and Brown today.  Fun!!

I love surprises!  

In the mean time, enjoy a photo or two from past years showing what the Blue-eyed Farmer is doing this week.  I love having him home in the morning to do our morning devotions together.  It doesn't happen often enough.

 (Note how dingy and ugly this truck cab is and stay tuned for a photo of the improved cab soon.)

Hugs!

Kay~

** "For man, autumn is a time of harvest, of gathering together.  For nature, it is a time of sowing, of scattering abroad."  ~Edwin Way Teale

Menu Monday and Harvest is beginning

Happy Monday Puffins!

It's a Menu Monday here at the Prairie Farmhouse and with Harvest breathing down my neck (HEY!  that tickles!),  I need to plan and be ready for whatever!  That means suppers that can wait (and wait and wait and WAIT!) or be rewarmed and food for lunches, hot and field and cold; as the Blue-eyed Farmer is planning to take time off from his "other" job and just get the grain out of the fields.  I think all the trouble some areas had getting crops harvested and then trouble finding elevators that would take their grain, has him a little anxious.

So lets start with breakfasts as he might want some.... or actually I think he needs to eat it, when he's working so hard and such long hours.

And he's a toast or cereal kind of guy.  Cold cereal even.  blech~  He also likes oats.  I can't call it oatmeal as it's barely cooked.  He boils water, dumps in the oats, stirs it for about a minute and it's "done" and this is NOT instant oatmeal!  Maybe he's part horse??

So as long as I have milk and bread and some fresh cereal on hand, we're good to go in the mornings. (Oatmeal is a staple in my pantry.)

Lunches:  Leftovers if I heat them up for him and if he's going to be around the place.  If it's a hot field meal, it has to be "quick eating" because he doesn't like to stop too long.  Nothing that requires a knife to cut up and preferable nothing "sloppy."  So we'll go with pizza, hot sandwiches (burgers, brats, hot ham & cheese, chicken bacon toasted subs) and the occasional meat loaf cups and mashed potatoes (small glass baking dish holds them nicely for traveling).  I'll make up some cookies, bars and puddings for desserts, get more fruit and that should get us through.  If he's taking a cooler, he'll be fine with either our dried beef or some summer sausage sandwiches (buns work best), some chips (get the more whole grain kind) carrot & celery sticks and those desserts and fruit mentioned above.  I like to make lunches a bit more substantial than when's non-harvest as he doesn't like to stop for "break" in the afternoon when everything is working.  Occasionally he'll get a soda from the coop and I do have candy bars here I could surprise him with for a treat.

Suppers:  Now it gets tricky.  I never quite know when he'll be coming in.  I have to plan a main dish that can be done around 7:30 ("Dark" these days) and yet still hold until upwards of 10 p.m.  If it's going well and he's on level ground, or if we need to bring everything home and shed it, it gets later.

We don't like to eat too heavy and yet it's been a long time since he ate lunch or a snack.  So I plan smaller pre-portioned meals.  Those mini-meat loaves for example.  It tricks your mind into thinking you are eating a big portion and even if you take a second one, it's still not alot.  Just use your muffin tins to bake a recipe of meat loaf.

Other ideas are Sloppy Joes, Single portions of Cheesey Pasta Bake, Soup and grilled cheese, leftover homemade pizza (don't try to time the dough getting done and then baking it on harvest evenings... it only creates anxiety for the cook!), frozen processed foods.  I know.. I know...  But when Popcorn Chicken or Pizza Rolls will cook in 15-20 mins, that is long enough for him to shower and read the mail and it doesn't get too late.  Other ideas are our usual Breakfast for Supper -- pancakes or eggs/bacon/toast or Frittata or Hashbrown Casserole; Tator Tot Casserole if it's going to be an earlier night (it's kinda rich for late night suppers); baked ham or sausage rings and scalloped potatoes (this can be a hot lunch if the ham is cubed up, but  NOT mixed in with the potatoes.... we don't like that at all!)

All of the supper meals will get some kind of veggie or salad addition.  Again, depends on how late it is and how heavy we want to eat.  Probably no desserts and little breads at that time of night.

I realize this is not my typical Menu listing, but I have to be flexible this time of year.  I can tell you that tonight will be some kind of pasta dish as I have ground beef, romaine lettuce for salads and garlic bread that all need to be used up, now!  Tomorrow's forecast is for rain, so I hope to get some baking done and cooking up some ground beef and chicken and it all frozen & ready. 

Speaking of chicken... just one more little tip I discovered this past week.  I picked up  my annual organic chicken order of 6 birds.  I know... that's not many but the Farmer still is not a fowl-eating fan.  And I still have 2 birds in the freezer from last year.  (Eek!  Gotta get those cooked up, pronto!) As I was saying, I had 6 fresh chickens to deal with.  One was left whole for roasting for maybe Christmas Day (with a ham).  The other 5 I cut up.  The drumsticks and wings all went together into a couple of bags for cooked chicken.  I'll do that sometime when I have a day to mess with it.  The "odds and ends" like backs, necks, etc. went into the "Stock" bag and again, I'll make stock on a cold raining day when I have time to monitor it.  The thighs and breasts are what we like best for eating as "fried chicken."  But I hate thawing out even one-chicken's worth of those pieces all stuck together.  Sometimes I want chicken and Mr. Farmer does not.  So this  year I decided after I de-boned the breasts and halved each one and removed the tenders; I would flash-freeze the pieces and then bag them up.  It worked GREAT!  I maybe, should have put parchment paper down on the baking sheets, but it didn't take too long to warm up the bottoms enough to unstick the pieces.  All the tenders went into one bag for possible Chicken Strips.  I bagged up the thighes and breast pieces seperately for if I just want dark meat or want to use the white.  I think this will be a better way for me to actually make chicken for us, no waiting for a chuck to thaw.  (Why does waiting for a "chunk" of beef or pork not bother me??)

So Puffins, do you cut up your own whole chickens?  Do you buy organic ones?  What are your go-to meals when life is C~r~a~z~y?  Comment below, cuz I can always use new ideas.  And stay tuned.  Plum Kuchen recipes soon.

Hugs!
Kay~

** "Farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil and you're a thousand miles from the corn field." ~Dwight D. Eisenhower

And just when it was looking so good....

BAM!! Spring-time planting moods, tiredness, aching backs all take over and it's blue, black, grey, nasty, horrible, painful, and just down-right unpleasant here at the Prairie Farm.

Of course I know nothing like that happens in your happy domicile, right? (just let me keep believing that little dream.)

So.... what's a poor Farmer's Wife to do?

Throw in the towel and sell the Farmer along with his stupid cattle?
Head for the hills and not leave a forwarding address?
Turn into a combination of Roseanne Barr and Jezebel?

Or.... How about....

SING at the top of her lungs in the pickup (after one too many "words")

"I have PEACE like a river; I have PEACE like a river; I have PEACE like a river; in my soul.... I have JOY like a fountain, I have JOY like a fountain, I have JOY like a fountain in my soul....."


And.... Pray.

"Please God.... increase my patience. Increase my strength.
And PLEASE hold your hand over my mouth, again!"

Sometimes He does and sometimes I pry His fingers away, spout off and have to pray all over again.

It's a good thing He loves me.

And it's a good thing, this one does, too.


Thank you Father God, for your patience, your peace, and his forgiveness.



Hugs,
K~ (the mouthy, but trying to be humble, Farmer's Wife)

** A happy marriage is the union of two good forgivers. ~Ruth Bell Graham

Wordless Wednesday & Harvest update

We finished Harvest 2009 this evening. Thank you Father, for the bountiful harvest, with which You blessed us!

Hugs,
Kay~

** "Come, ye thankful people, come, raise the song of harvest home;
ALL Is Safely Gathered In, ere the winter storms begin."

Another Trip Around the Sun

I just took a look back in the archives. We started harvest in 2008 on Sept. 25. We would have started this year on Sept 26, if it hadn't have rained on the 25th. And here we thought we were sooo late in getting started this year. We're right on schedule! Interesting....

And another interesting fact, I had my first bout of the crud last year this very same week! Given that fact, I guess I have to call this stuff, "Bad Allergies", rather than a bad cold.

I spent the weekend, digging up all the potatoes; weeding all the weeds from the flower bed and berm (photo soon) and coughing.

What were you doing a year ago?

Hugs
Kay

** “As a matter of fact, you know I am rather sorry you should see the garden now,
because, alas! it is not looking at its best. Oh, it doesn't compare to what it was last year.”
~~Ruth Draper

Wondering where I went?

I'm still here.... Just, not "here" here. It's summer. We've been busy!


I've had some company (wonderful, loved, special company).
My "twin from another mother" and dear, dear Friend, Lisa from PA came out for a 5-day visit. It was too short and we had so much fun just being here. She even put up with 2 weddings in one evening with us-- had to go to them. Bless her heart! We sewed and talked. We played on Facebook and talked. We went shopping and talked. We cooked and talked. I'm counting the time until she comes back.

Farmer-dear has decided just having a bad back isn't enough.... he had to add to it, not only weird statin-drug side effects but a cracked ankle too. **picture me banging my head against the wall**

The ankle is not horrible. After all, he did it back in May/June and we thought it was "just" sprained. The pain finally bothered him enough, he went to have x-rays. Which prompted the diagnoses of surgery and screws. Not going to happen in August! Not with an 8-week recovery timeframe and harvest around the corner. No, we'll wait until November when I'M super busy and then I can do all the chores alone. **picture some major face-pulling here!**

The statin was a suggestion from his doctor after his annual physical. Given his family history, and a slightly elevated cholesterol count, he was given a perscription and told they might have a side effect of leg pains. MIGHT?? 2 days of taking the drug and 5 nights of little to no sleep because of the pain. We finally figured out that if he drank sports drinks in the evening, it helped. I guess the drug affects the electrolyte level in your body. He will not be taking that drug anymore and we'll keep on our regiment of Fish Oil Pills and adding in oatmeal, more fruits and veggies and more fish/chicken/no meat meals. He is much better now but it was pretty bad while it lasted.


The tomatoes are coming on. :oD I'm enjoying every sweet, juicy bite and will be canning juice soon.

And it being August... that means the Blue-eyed One decides we must do some major farm project that either involves digging or painting or both. It's always hot, and sweaty and the flies eat me alive. This year we are doing 2 projects.


One is totally redoing the white board fence along our driveway.




I am painting the boards. I found that a 7" roller works really, really well for this. Unfortunately, we don't have enough tall stands for the boards so I'm in a stoop most of the time. My back & hips have been protesting over this.

The other project does not involve me, I hope! The Blue-eyed Farmer has demolished our feedbunk and is moving earth and will be redoing that.



I figure that is a 2-MAN job, not a one man, one woman job and DS2 will be called in as reinforcments.

And if all this was not enough, we had a mouse!!!! *Oh MY Stinking Gosh!!** In my pantry! I found "evidence" and discovered the little so and so had to taste alot of different foods. Taco seasoning, Crisco shortening sticks (?!), salt-water taffy, Ramen Noodles, Pasta, cereal, flour, etc... And crawled and pooped on every shelf, all the way to the top! We caught the little bugger, still alive and the cats finished the job. (And no, I did not feel badly for ending it that way! Go Cats Go!!)
So there was that big job of putting everything in bags or boxes in to jars, heavy tupperware or totes. And some in the freezer or an upper cupboard in the kitchen. And then washing/disinfecting everything.


So, as you can see, it has not been boring at all here on the Prairie Farm. I have plans for lunch with some favorite people in the next few weeks. I've been to the Cosmic Cow Quilt Store, the local Mall and some antique stores to indulge in the Retail Therapy.
Oh and the mowing continues. :op

I'll have photos soon of the new projects and of Lisa's visit and maybe some sewing projects I have in mind.

Until then, Stay Safe!
Hugs,
Kay~

** “I bet deep down you still wish your mom would take you clothes shopping every August for the new school year.” ~~Bridget Willard

It's Spring!

Lettuce "starts"

Well, I was back for a day, wasn't I? Sorry.... life happens. Resurrection Sunday has come and gone. We are filled again with that wonderful Hope of "Someday in Heaven!"

I spent a fun day in the city with a friend, going to a Quilt Shop, having lunch, buying her ds a guitar, and then another Quilt Shop. I have new fabric to play with and some new patterns. Just need the time now.


I attended my niece's dance recital, which was her last performance of her Senior High days. I thoroughly enjoyed all the dances from the little ones to the Seniors' self-choreographed dances. That was something I missed having only sons. :o)

During this week, we've found Spring on the Prairie!

The peeper frogs have started singing, some of the song birds are back and nesting. And the Prairie Chickens are dancing:



The red bud trees are blooming, as well as the forsythia and the wild plum:



And Farmer-dear started planting corn today:



Yes, Spring has sprung on the prairie.

Hugs,
K~
** "April is a girly kind of month, frilly and flowery and scented and all dressed up for her first dance. The dreams, poetry and hopes of the winter come to fruition in this month when life is new once again."
--PennyAnn Poundwise
http://pennyannpoundwise.xanga.com/

A new additions to the farm

(Come back for photos to illustrate this post-- I'm having trouble getting them to load this morning. sigh~)

Announcing the start of the 2009 calving season-- Miss JS291! A lovely dark red and white heifer. White markings over her back and on her back legs and front feet and the tip of her tail.
Mother is a dark all-red Angus cross. Father is a pure red Angus.

And so it begins. Checking backsides every chore time, keeping the bedding areas clean & dry, watching for skitterish loners, the joy of each new birth and hopefully no sadness for any who fail to thrive.


The other new addition is Farmer-dear's new front-end loader with the grapple. He loves it. No more wrenching his back to up-end bale feeders and I can't wait to be able to say, "I want some dirt/mulch/compost right HERE." and it will be dumped right THERE.


Speaking of Mulch... The new power lines will be going in south of our farm, along the line fence. The PPD needed to cut some trees on our side, in our pasture. BIG, old cedars. I am now the recipient of 3 truck loads of cedar mulch. No more smelly grass clipping mulch this summer! And quite possibly some well mixed compost. Oh the possibilities!

My dear Farmer even covered the mulch pile with a tarp to keep it clean & dry and hopefully cat-potty free. I love that man!

(btw-- anyone have a Tried N True way to keep cats from pottying outside my back door!!!!!! Seriously! They have 80+ acres to use and they have to poop right outside my back door? I got some spray at W-m and it works until it rains or snows. Which is usually hours after I spray everything down back there.)

That's the newest news on the farm. Keep watching. I'll have a few new photos of the twins. Not as many as I would like but it was more fun to play along & I kept forgetting to take photos.
Also more on the Infrared Heater and how it's working out. My new office furniture. And the "Brenda's Anniversary Roses" quilt is ready for piecing.
We have our income tax appointment this week so if I go AWOL again, don't worry. I'll be back after that.

Have a great week!
Hugs
Kay~

** "Come now the wild dark days of February when the house
seems a lovely warm little island with winter billowing outside."
~Gladys Taber, Stillmeadow Seasons~

The final totals

Done! We are Done! Another harvest out of the fields & in the bins.

Farmer-dear will finish cleaning out and storing the combine & heads on Monday. Next job on his horizon is anhydrous applying.



Unofficial totals are the corn yields running from 103 bushels per acre to the high of 138 bushels. Not bad for our dryland, hilly, clay ground.
The beans averaged in the high 30s. Again not bad considering we had no rain for over a month when the beans where forming.

And in the farmhouse kitchen the totals are 4 dehydrator trays of zucchini shreds (or 1 quart canning jar), 2 trays of raisins (1 pint jar);


and 7 jelly jars of really spicy Hot Pepper Jelly. (note to self: Next time take the seeds out of the jalapenos.)



The rest of today was spent making a loaf of bread;
attending a 40th wedding anniversary Open House and getting to see old friends and new babies.
Home to vacuum up the invasion of lady beetles;
make a quick supper (who's hungry after anniversary cake?)
and suffering through 1 quarter of the NU/OU game. Too pitiful to continue watching. Yeah, I'm not a great fan. It was just too painful.



Have a restful Sunday everyone,
Hugs!
Kay~

~~"I am rich today with autumn's gold, All that my covetous hands can hold; Frost-painted leaves and goldenrod, A goldfinch on a milkweed pod, Huge golden pumpkins in the field With heaps of corn from a bounteous yield"
- Gladys Harp

The test of farming

Over the past year I've gotten so tired of hearing "city folks" complain about the high cost of everything and then blame it on the farmer. Yes, grain prices are good, but we don't set them. And ethanol isn't raising the prices.

Others forget that Farm families have to eat, drive, LIVE too and we have the same if not higher expenses than town people.

I found a great series on farming in (of all places) Gourmet magazine's web site. Go to the second page to start at the beginning of the series.
Our farm is not as large as any of these featured, but we have the same concerns, the same costs and the same expectations.

Support the local farmers. They are growing your next meal.

Smiles,
Kay~ (getting down off her soap box now)

––"Farming is about growing food, and being a steward of the land. Farmers talk about soil and fertility and community. Farming is a human-scale enterprise."
~~Sam Hurst, Gourmet Magazine 2008

Being born is hard work!

First off-- if you are a bit squeamish or have little ones looking on, I must tell you the following photos are of a cow giving birth. I tried to edit it, but there are just some things you can't hide. Giving birth is not pretty.

So to give you time to get the little ones occupied with something else, here is a photo of my Farmer.

Yesterday was a beautiful spring day with thunder-boomers in the forecast. Weather systems coming through usually means we need to keep a closer eye on the pregnant mamas in the lot. When we did chores in the afternoon we found one of the new cows (#36) by herself, looking very uncomfortable and lowing in that "I'm in pain" voice.

Even though she's an older cow, she is new to us and we decided we should keep an eye on her for a few moments.
And probably 10 minutes later, she was to this stage:

After that, things went pretty fast. A lot of pacing, lowing, laying down and getting up and some good pushes and we were to this:

One more big push and "plop!"

Some warm licks from Mama and alot of head shaking and then it's time to try to get up.

I think you've got it!!

Welcome to the World, Baby!

We didn't want to get Mama any more agitated, so we don't know what Baby is yet. She is a very protective mama.
I'll try to get some photos today of him/her today, all dried off and clean looking.

(Addition later on March 22: Baby is a "He", or rather _was_. It's a steer now. Both baby and mama are doing fine.)

The poor barn cats were not happy; they had to wait for their dinner.


Happy Spring Everyone!!

Hugs!

Kay~

** "To be alive, to be able to see, to walk,...it's all a miracle."
~~Arthur Rubinstein (1887-1982) Polish Pianist