Getting ready for Spring

If you wonder what a family of 10 does on a pretty February day or if you would like help on what is involved in having a homestead farm in zone 8, I hope this will help you.  Here goes.

Sheep round up.  Warm damp weather plus sheep equals parasites.  Time for a good worming and again in exactly 10 day.  The second treatment will take care of any hatch eggs that were not killed the first time.  We rotate between three kinds of wormer, rotate fields, and don't over use the wormer.  This helps to keep them healthy and worm free.  Sheep are easy to care for and cheaper to raise than cows.  You can have a smaller piece of land and the meat is very high quality and yummy.  Just make sure you butcher before they are a year old.  They also make very good compost for the garden.  You will see that later.

They have set up a small portable pen at the gate of the big pen.  They get a dose and out they go.

Ok, who is next.

You Miss, you are next.

Deanna checking on her herbs for her herb garden.

Yay.  Mae is finally getting to her square foot garden.  She made this, this fall with some of our compost from the compost pile and a sack of peat moss.   Woops.  Ants.  She is sprinkling it with a non toxic ant poison.  When they walk in it, it paralyzes them, they run to the queen to save her, and she gets it on her and now we have killed the source of the bed.  The key to this poison is using it in the spring when the weather is around 70 degrees.  This is when the queen is close to the surface. 

She is planning to plant green beans, squash, cucumber, and lettuce.

Lot of lookers and one worker.  Hmmmmm

The compost pile.  Remember the sheep.  When we clean the stalls it goes here.  Sheep manure goes here alone with vegi scrapes, egg shells, coffee/tea grounds, the boys hair after a hair cut, and leftover worms from fishing trips.  We also put some lime, and leaves here.  Lots of good stuff to grow flowers and vegis. 

The compost is a favorite spot for the chickens.  They love to srcatch and find bugs and worms,  scrapes that are still edible, and all the while they are adding more manure and breaking this into usable dirt.  My chickens are 100% free range chicken.  They are healthy and happy, and they lay wonderful vitamin rich eggs.  The yokes are so dark, they are almost orange.  They scratch around all in the yard and eat spiders, and bugs.  Since they have been loose we have had very little problem with bugs and spiders in our house, and before every year at this time we would have swarms of spiders come in. Also non of those huge water bugs.   We are hoping they will help with the ticks too. 

This chicken decided she would roost in this tree.  When she gets up, she want have to walk far for breakfast.

Woow.  This flower bed needs work.  This is my stand by bed.  If someone gives me a plant and I am not sure were to put it.  It goes here.  There are lilies, irises, and some other things.  I am not sure what all is here. Sally wants a bed for a butterfly garden.  I think I will just let her use this bed.

Ok Sally, get busy cleaning.

This was more work than I thought. 

Time to fertilize the roses.  These are Mae's running roses.  She planted them two years ago.  Last year the sheep mowed them down.  They grew ten time there size after that.  This year Mike cut them back like crazy.  Figured if the sheep were that successful, well then.  The girls are dreaming of someone having a beautiful wedding under these roses one day. Wonder who will be first? 

You can see the new leaves just sprouting.

Time to fertilize the pecan trees.  We have three huge tree that have only had a few pecans since we have been here.  The lady said they haven't had pecans in years, so I went to work trying to make them productive. I read that they need zinc and fertilizer.  We put that the first year and they had a few pecans.  Last they did nothing.  Maybe this year we can have a pecan harvest. This is triple 13.  We are putting  a half cup about every foot out at the drip line of the leaves.  That is where the feeder roots are. 

This is our little fruit orchard we planted the first year we were here.  There is two apple, two plum, two pear, on one pecan.  Alean is helping put triple 13 around them.  You can see Mike helping Deanna with her herb garden in the back ground.

Worry about yourself Alena, and leave Sally alone.

If you look close you will see tape at the bottom.  The sheep and goats got out and broke this tree off.  It put a lot of little branches out at the break.  Mike clipped all but one off when he pruned all the trees last month. This will become the trunk.  It is important to only have one trunk.   At least it is still alive.  Alena is glad she is finished.  She wants to see what Sally is doing.

Alena.  Do you really think that is going to grow.  She just couldn't stand Sally planting flowers and her not getting to. 

This is that corn we planted Tuesday.  We have such a crow problem we decided to just cover them completely.  We hope for several benefits of this row cover.  They are; the crows want get them, the frost want hurt them, the ground will heat, we will get earlier corn, and we will have less bugs because of how early it will produce.   This is about a hundred food row, two foot wide with  three rows of corn.  About a hundred plants.  We put lime and fertilizer under it. 

It is getting dark so time to pick up all the tools and go inside for supper.  We will have peas, corn, fried okra, rice and gravy all left over from lunch.  The vegis are the product of last years garden.  A bath then Mike and I will go visit a man in our church. 

Keep watching for up dates of the Mike Senn Farm.

Commitment

I have been thinking a lot about what I should be doing while here on earth. I know I need to serve my God, be a wife to my husband, and to teach and train my children. I know I should be kind and love others. But just how do we do this? I think the first thing we have to do is understand commitment. We can know what we should do, but then we have to be committed to do it. I am afraid I have fallen way to short in that category. I see so much I need to do and could do. I even want to do it, but I am always stumbling and falling.
       Recently, I was feeling very inadequate about reading my Bible, teaching my kids, and being the wife I should be. As I prayed and desired a better way, God opened the doors up for me. First he gave me an idea to find a good friend I could pray with every day. I new I could not go to a friends house everyday, so my idea was skype. We set up a time early in the morning while our family was still in bed, and we began to pray. Second he sent another friend to call me and in our conversation she said one thing she did with her kids was start there day of home schooling with bible reading. I began starting our day with a time of Bible study. This is an area I have tried to keep going either with us all reading a portion together or me reading and teaching, but I have fallen over and over. I would try to get the kids to find a time to do this own there own and I would work to find my own time, but I never said, “ok, for this first 15 minutes we are reading the Bible”. We have began setting the timer for 15 minutes and we all read and jot notes. Everyone reading where they are at in the Bible. At the end of the 15 minutes. I ask each child to share what they have wrote. I was amazed at the things they wrote, how much better our day would go when we did that. I was also amazed at how much God began to show me in his word. He really started to convict me of the things I should be doing.
         Another thing God showed me was that I need to be fasting. I have fasted in the past but never stayed committed on a weekly basis. My grandmother lived a good long life and before she died she told me that she had always fasted one day a week. I thought about that and how healthy of a lady she was and how she always seemed so sweet and always loved God. My friend that I pray with in the morning also felt she needed to be fasting too, so we set Thursday to fast. Having a friend to share, pray, be accountable to, and confess to has helped so much. I know God says were two or more or gathered there will I be. He wants us to fellowship with others so that we can all learn and grow.  Fasting has given me a time to clear my mind and focus on God.
       He also put on my heart to share some of the things that have benefited me, with other ladies. I have women all the time want to know how I do what I do. I have been judgmental at times by thinking they are just being nosey and busy bodies, but I realize there are some who really want help, just like I do. That is when I decided to start this blog. I don’t know if this has helped very many. A few have put comments on face book. Please leave comments if you have benefited from this. 
        He also has shown me how I should be a committed help meet to my husband. I have always wanted to be “the good wife”, but my husband just wouldn’t let me. I mean, how could I when I had to deal with all of his issues. I spent time trying to help him keep his things put up and cleaned up, and I spent time reminding him of the things he had on his to do list, but he would often seem to get frustrated with me. As I read through Ester the Lord started convicting me that Mike was my king. Alena would say, “I am a princess and daddy is the king, but I didn’t feel like his very good queen. During this time I went to a ladies meeting and she talked about Ester and how she was chosen to be the queen and she found favor with the king. I thought, “the king had so many women to choose from so why did he choose Ester?” I think she must have been very pretty and took much consideration in the way she looked and cared for herself so that she could present herself to the king in a very desirable way. She had much wisdom in what to say and what not to say. She even fasted before going into her king to discuss important matters. WOW. And I thought, “he was not even a king that really deserved a wife like that,” but she was a committed woman. I was feeling very convicted. The Lord is helping me see daily how to compliment my husband. I was realizing I can make him or I break him. I started to pray that God would give me wisdom on how to make my man complete. They do need us to make them complete. And God can give us the wisdom if we have the commitment.

       The area I have had to really deal with is commitment. I start things and then fall away. I get frustrated with myself instead of just picking up and going again. I was reading in Proverbs and it said a just man will fall seven times and rise again Proverbs 24:16.  He knows I am not perfect so he sent his Son for me. I can go to him daily and confess my sin and pick up and go again. I know there must be others out there who are the same way. All of us who have walked toward God know the path is so beautiful and the outcome is rewarding. We know that when we fall back Satan takes control. We know our flesh is easily controlled, so we must walk in the spirit of God daily, seeking him. Let us stay committed to the things of God and let him direct our path.
Bonnie

Look! Daddy brought me a Puppy.

This puppy is to guard our sheep.  They are very good shepherds.  We know he was meant for us.  Mike found him on eldoark.com and when we looked at it again the next day the site said, "all puppies sold".  He went to work and a man that works with him said he had bought three puppies and only wanted two.  He knew Mike was looking for one and hoped he would take the extra one.  He got a good deal for buying all three.  These were the exact puppies we were looking at. 

Gardening days in February at the Mike Senn Farm

The last two days we spent all morning doing our book work and then we had gardening 101.

Daffodils.  The first sign on of spring coming soon.

Alena helping Deanna start her herb garden.

More seeds please.

We took egg cartons, cut the top off and punched a little hole in the bottom of each cell. Filled with dirt and planted tomatoes and peppers.  The top made a bottom to catch excess water.

The potato crop.  We had a row left over from the Strawberries so we planted our potatoes their.  We will see how they do under plastic.

Alena planting corn seeds.  We give her the seeds and let her plant.  Did they go in the right spot?  No.  But it kept her happy.  We only give her two seed at a time so she didn't waste to many.

Sweet corn on the black plastic.  This is a new experment.

Our strawberry crop is looking pretty good.  The plants are starting to grow.

Boot full of dirt.  She was not very cooperative today. Not near as sweet as she looks.

Mae's square foot garden she made this fall still waiting for some plants.

Now I know why the flower bed at the top was missing all the big pretty blooms.  Deanna picked them and put them in the window for me.

Bonnie

Leaves for the Garden

We raked lots and lots of leaves for our garden Saturday.  We raked them onto a tarp and  two people move them.  You can move a lot of leaves this way.  We put them on the garden and tilled them in.  This is good for the soil.  They really need time to decay before you plant most of your plants.  They take nitrogen to break down so they will rob the nitrogen from the soil and your plants want get as much until the soil has completely broken down.  You can add animal manure with the leaves and this will help.  I think there is some kind of rule on waiting a certain time before you plant if you put fresh manure on the garden.  I will have to check this out.  Chicken manure is very strong, but sheep and rabbit manure not so strong and is very good for the garden. 
Bonnie

Spring Gardening Time in Zone 8

        I was in home depot today to get a few things for our bathroom remodeling project, and was distracted by a display of blueberry plants.  Looking at them and thinking this is not the right variety for our area and being a little frustrated that these stores don't take in to consideration the area they are selling them to, a friendly lady says,"I just love this weather;  Can't wait to plant something."  I said, "ya, I want to plant some blueberries, but these are not for our area", not realizing she had two of them in her buggy.  We shared our thoughts for a second and I talked her right out of those blueberries. She was not from this area and just recently moved here. Feeling a little bad about it I continued shopping.  I went to the gardening area and saw some lettuce, cabbage, and broccoli plants, and put them in the buggy.  At the check out she came by and said, "so what did you find".  I explained what I had; wanting to tell her more about why I had these plants for this time of the year in zone 8, I just set there thinking.   Thinking about how hard it is to know what and when to plant. Most books don't tell you specifically about a certain area.  A lot of books will have zones listed for plants that will not really grow in that area. Like Cherry's for instance.  I have never seen a cherry tree that bares edible fruit in this area, although they have some listed for zone 8.  Some call gummy berries a type of cherry, but that is about as close as I have ever saw here.  When I invest money in a tree or plant, I want to know it is the time and area it will grow.  Over the years I have found a few resources that will help for this area.  Wanting to tell her about these, but not wanting to impose to much on her and her family, I just simply wrote this blogspot address on a piece of paper and told her I would try to put some info on here. I am not a expert by a any means, but I have had some experts teach me a few things. One being my mother who has her masters degree in Horticulture.  So for Melissa, the lady at the store, this is for you.
       This is the time of the year we get ready for spring planting in zone 8.  Last week we had a low of 17 degrees.   This week we hit 70.  The forecast says not below forty for the next 15 days, so I think it is time for that early stuff.  However we could have another freeze or two, or even a snow, so be prepared to cover anything you plant with a row cover.  We have planted small gardens and very large gardens.  Large gardens are not our specialty.  We have been much more successful with smaller gardens, however at present we have a three acre garden.  We have had some good success and some failure with this big garden.  I use the Commercial Vegetable Production Recommendations guide, and make sure I add a couple of weeks to there dates.  The dates for planting time are for south Louisiana. Sometimes it will specify North LA. This is the same as South AR.  You can find this production at http://www.lsuagcenter.com/.  Also http://www.uaex.edu   under fruits and vegetables has some very good info.  Just make sure you use the Verities for South Arkansas.  Some things that will grow in North Arkansas will have a hard time in South Arkansas, like raspberries.  uaex also has a gardening calender that looks really good.  I think it would be good for anyone in zone 8.  Just know it is for north and south Arkansas so you can do things a little earlier than what the calender says, in the zone 8 area.  If you don't understand the zoning lingo,  google it and look at some zoning maps on temperatures in the USA.  
http://www.backyardgardener.com/zone/index.html#what  is a good spot to understand zoning for gardening. Once you study about your zone then it is time to plan your garden or fruit orchard.  We are hurrying to  plant any fruit trees before things bud out. They need to be in the ground already here.  They could have been planted two months ago.  January would be a good time for blueberries, blackberries, and other fruit trees.  We plant strawberries in the fall.  All commercial growers south of Conway plant strawberries in the fall.  Use the Louisiana vegetable production guide I  mentioned above for strawberries.  I know very few people who plant strawberries in the spring here and are successful.  The problem with all this is that stores don't sale strawberries in the fall and fruit trees in December and January here.  There is a place you can order these plants. It is   http://www.simmonsplantfarm.com/   I have ordered blueberries and blackberries from them and have been very pleased.  Another word on strawberries.  The everbearing sound good but they do not produce near as many berries as the June bearers. We have been successful with the variety, Chandler. 
      Today Joy, Webster, Sally, Alena, and Mike planted onions, broccoli, cabbage, and lettuce.  The lettuce could freeze but for the next 15 days the forecast says we will not be below 40.  After that if need be i will try to cover with a row cover if i have too.  Deanna cut our potatoes up yesterday and they are setting on my kitchen table in the light so the buds will sprout.  We will plant them next week.  Mike put lime on the garden yesterday which was really late.  It should have been done a month ago, but better late than never for lime.  We tested our soil at the cooperative extension office and it needed lime, lime, lime.  We also put a fungicide on our strawberries.  Not really what I like to do but they are looking like they may need it, so we did.  I would love to be a complete organic gardener. but I have a lot to learn about all that.  I am trying and reading of how to garden in a more sustainable way. The kids also raked leaves to put on the garden. They have a trick to this that I will share in  another post.  Should have been done earlier also, so it could rot and  decay. 
        This is my first gardening help post.  I will post more as I have time. Until then, back to the bathroom remodeling and gardening chores in zone 8. 
Bonnie

A snowy Friday morning.

We woke up this morning to a white winter day. Snow was filling the yard and flowing all along the paths around the house into the woods.   I read a book last night called "Love in the House".  It was a very good book.  I learned so much.  I know the love thing is the most important thing.  We think to ourselves, "if we could just get the love thing down."  We say I love you, but what do we mean when we say that.  Now we all know that we love our children deeply.  We have given up so many things for them. So why the issue of, the love thing.  Love is more than a deep feeling. It is more than supplying another persons needs and even desires. It is a attitude thing.  It is how we respond to others around us.  1 Corinthians 13:4-8 says
 4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
 5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
 6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
 7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
 8 ¶ Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
Before these verses it says we can feed the poor and give our body to be burned but that is not considered love.  So just what can we call love.  It is not obviously what we do. Maybe it is how we do it.  I have spent a lot of time worrying of what to do, but have failed to check my attitude of how I do it.  It seems here these verses are talking about attitude.  I think I could compare this to works without faith.  Love without good attitude is like works without faith.  It means nothing.  If you at all respond in a way that says to the other person you are irritating me you have just left the ream of love.  If you have works without having faith you are saying you have control and not God.  Faith produces works. Works do not produce faith.  Love produces giving.  Giving does not produce love.  I think we think if we do all this giving of ourself our kids will have to know that we love them, but remember Gods ways are not our ways.  Boy when you get this you have to eat a lot of humble pie.   We should deny ourself, take up the cross, and walk daily.  That is all about attitude.  We can do all this stuff but what about our attitude and staying humble.  Do we do it because we want to feel good and be proud of ourselves, or are we really thinking more about God and the other people in our life.  We all know that we are to love God and love others and all other commandments relate to them, but do we know really what love is?   How do we have a good attitude.  The heart is the issue.  We must have a heart of love.  We must soften our heart and let God transform it through much prayer and Bible reading and time before him.  We must change our idea that we have to read through the Bible in a year or whatever our sayings are, and read the Bible begging God to put his ways in our heart. Prayer and fasting with a deep desire to know God.  Do we take the time to seek God?  Now with this attitude of love most of us feel compelled to betray to others; we are kind to people sometimes even when we don't want to.  We sort  of put on a show, but the show will show its real attitude when we are around our children.  They can see through us because they are so much like us.  And we tend to let our guard down with our family. 
  That is where they call us hypocrites.  They are looking to us to be real and they see our fakeness.  They decide,  "we don't want that so they go overboard doing what they want seeking happiness and a good attitude.  Some go the right direction struggling with the same things we did, and some go the wrong way.  They choose a route. Many choose the wrong path. Now children have to choose there destiny but shouldn't we direct them in the right direction.  I see a lot of parents in the same boat I am in.  We want to do right but we are not spending the time with God like we should.  We falter at the drop of a hat.  The least little thing, and we drop this part of our life.  Let's make a commitment to seek Gods love and ask him for it daily.  It is free and it only comes from him.  We just have to except it.  And one day we will get up and see his snowy white love shining all around us, feeling our hearts and flowing through our attitude. 
Bonnie