Making GardenScare Crows; 1st CSA Baskets and Canning Cherries

 

It has been a busy week here at the farm.  We packed and delivered our #1 CSA baskets to our wonderful members.  Unfortunately, I was so busy, I forgot to take pictures.  I started taking photos of the veggies as I picked, washed and bundled.  Then the time crunch happened and I had no time!!!In the baskets were turnips, beets, strawberries, apricots, small cucumbers, zucchini, pin wheel squash; snow peas, two types of onions, lettuce, two types of kale, Swiss Chard and cherries. A few of my members posted photos of the basket on Facebook which reminded me that I had not~~~

I was weeding the flower section of my garden when I remembered I needed to dress my scare crows.  All my gardens have figures in the garden, They are made by either raiding our own closets or picking some items up at yard sales as I see them and keeping them in the garage until I am ready for them.  I started out with the cross.  Then I started to dress them, last year I had 3, this year I have two.  I will show you the finished Mr. Scarecrow next time.  I think I may try and make a dog one. 

Mr

Bag full of clothes
 

Mrs Scare Crow

My friend Jackie called me and said her friend had a cherry tree that nobody was going to use and we could pick it.  So off we went on Thursday evening and picked the tree.  Friday, she came over along with some surprise visitors that showed up that night and we all canned our windfall cherries.  Sarah and Megan made a canned yummy sauce to put over cheese cake; Jackie and I canned some pitted cherries and some that we left the pits because we got tired of pitting!!! Canning goes so much faster and more fun when you do it with friends.  You would think my kitchen (we did it in the house!) would be covered with pink.red. and stained, but it wasn't.  Only thing I had to do the next day was mop the floor as it was a little sticky.

What was really fantastic is Jackie brought sausages, fixings for a huge salad, rolls; Sarah brought a kale/cabbage/sunflower salad; I had a huge steak and we made all these things and shared a wonderful dinner.  After eating, we cleaned up and started our canning.  Wonderful friends!!

Best news this week is-the gopher that has been plaguing me in my garden eating my basil, the beets, the turnips the bean plants-has been out smarted by Frank.  Frank has been trapping him for 3 weeks, with each hole being filled in and a new direction made.  Well Frank put out 9 traps in a circle and the gopher had his last basil plant!!!  Thank goodness.  Farming is not for the "faint of heart". 

To the men and women in the armed forces; to the service people who have given their service or lives for this country, Frank and I give thanks to all of you, God Bless you on this Memorial Day.

Vintage Seed Packet Stamps, Flea Market & Farm Season Starting!!

Hello from Windmill Farm:  Hope your gardens are growing well.  More wind in Gridley this week as the temperatures went down, discouraging to try and go out and work outside. 

Our 2013 CSA season is going to start this Wednesday, May 22nd.  Big day

for my members to finally get to taste what they have been waiting to receive.  I always get a little nervous and a bit crazy too (ask Frank) trying to make sure everything is timed perfectly.  The apricots need to be picked today; the cherries need to be picked; the beets and turnips need to be picked and cleaned tomorrow. All the squash need to be picked and washed tomorrow; snow peas and strawberries picked late tomorrow.  Flowers cut and cleaned and arranged.  All the CSA baskets need to be cleaned and ready to be packed.  I am a bit of a clean freek out in my sorting shed/outdoor kitchen and have the cooler cleaned, the stainless steel sink and yesterday I cleaned out my big storage cabinet Frank made for all my flower arranging; canning; bags; etc. supplies.  Took everything out of the cabinet and re-arranged. 

Have you seen the new US Post Office stamps?  They are Vintage Flower Seed Packets.  Each stamp is a different flower, a "Forever" stamp.  I just love them and I think I might go back into town and get some more before they are gone.  They are so special, I know a few friends that would appreciate getting a card in the mail having this stamp. 

I went to The Gatherings Better Junque Vintage Flea Market on Saturday with some friends.  We had such a great time.  Holly Meyers does such a great job putting on a show.  I like them because the vendors have all the items I love.  Lots of old farm metal items re-purposed into lamps or yard art.  There is a booth that takes food strainers with the metal screen.  They cut the screen into points and create these crowns. 

boxes made to look like nesting boxes

They put on jewels around the band.  So darn cute.  Lots of jewelry made from keys and numbers and bits of scraps and they turn out works of art.  I don't know whether everyone seemed to start liking hotel silver or not, but it is one of my favorite things to purchase.  So I bought several cake stands and several silver pitchers.  My friend Sarah was bummed, she hesitated to decide to purchase a large embossed metal antique ceiling panel painted aqua.  As she told me and we were heading back to get it, out it went being purchased by someone else.  My daughter and I always laugh about sales, flea markets.  We never can remember all the great stuff we purchased over the years.  But we ALWAYS remember the ones we didn't get; the ones that got away.  Especially when you see someone pass you and they have something wonderful in their push cart or their hand!!!  Best advice this old seasoned flea market/yard sale person can tell you, DON'T HESITATE!!!  Buy it.  You will always find a place.  AND, like my daughter, her friends and I do, even if we eventually can't use it, we can always find someone who does and re-sell it.

Horse made from recycling items

lamp made from plumbing parts

Last fun item I want to show you from this flea market were paint can lids used as numbers.  Funniest thing I have seen in the world of re-cycling.  Can you imagine what the paint store guy said when that lady went into it and asked if they had any old lids?

Well, I had better get going outside.  Have a great week and I will show you photos on Thursday, of all our baskets ready to be delivered.
PS I want Frank to make this for me: