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| Look who is eating my dill: A Black Swallowtail Caterpillar |
This is a little late but life is finally settling into a nice "routine" in our family. Sharing about my mini-farming is more for my record but I still hope you are amazed at I am how much so little space can provide.
Meat: 2 birds off to the freezer (we need at least 6 to make a meal).
Eggs: 130 from six hens; equivalent to two dozen large chicken eggs. We are finding that everyone loves these hard boiled. They are the perfect snack size!
Produce: Production finally started taking off in June. I used both Rodale's and a Farm Co-op in New York for the prices which seem closer to what we pay for organics here. FYI: A bunch of greens usually weighs about half a pound.
- Strawberries: 6lb. @ 3.53/lb = $21.19
- Lettuce: 1 1/2 lb. @ $5/lb =$7.50
- Bok Choi: 7 oz. @ $2.06 = $.90
- Kohlrabi: 1 lb. @ $2.86/lb. = $2.86
- Snow Peas: 1 lb. 5 oz. @ $4.40/lb. = $5.80
- Chard: 3 lbs. @ 1.67/bunch = $10.02
- Daikon Radish: 11 oz. @ 1.27/lb = $.87
- Kale: 9 oz. @ 1.87/bunch = $2.10
- Green Beans: 8 oz. @ $2.23/lb =$1.12
One of the best things about growing a garden (and buying everything else in bulk) is that I don't have to go to the grocery store or farmers market as often. Going out into the garden everyday to gather my small harvest adds up to a lot. Every day I would pick strawberries we might eat a few and then freeze the rest. Over a months time I had frozen enough to make a dozen half-pints of jam.While you can't do that with everything, often I can gather enough in 3-4 days to make a family sized side dish.
As far as bartering has gone, I exchanged 3 days of milking my friend's cow for one month of free milk. Pretty sweet deal, eh?
I love that picture. So cool - milking a cow! I've only tried it once. Was it difficult?
ReplyDeleteI love Rodale's. My garden this year has not been very good. I need to get a new plan for next year!
I used to milk goats so getting used to milking 4 udders attached to a giant beast was tough but by the third day I was a milking machine. I definitely said a prayer every time before I went milking because I am seriously intimidated by bovines. Even if I had my dream farm I HIGHLY doubt that I would raise them. Pigs, goats, sheep, and birds I can handle, though.
ReplyDeleteIt really is exciting getting all that produce from your own back yard. We are doing pretty good this year too, just got the first half dozen eggs from out chickens today, it made me really happy.
ReplyDeleteI would totally have a cow, lol. I love cow milk. That is a sweet deal, too!
ReplyDeleteI really want to grow more in our backyard. My husband is like the backyard yard dictator--he keeps saying he doesn't have his own space, but he has clearly claimed the yard. I'm starting to step in and take a little more control--I want to grow more food, darn it!