[Ag-eq] Apple harvest

Mon Aug 24 14:59:46 UTC 2015

Hi Danielle.
I'm answering your question about garden mapping.
I'm totally blind.
I like the square-foot method, as opposed to the row method, because the
square-foot method uses less space, and I don't have a lot, just a roughly
90X30 foot backyard, with a few trees in it.
I have a raised bed, some containers, and 3 flat garden spaces.  I put
edging around all those spaces.  The edging sticks up a bit, so I can tell
where it is.  Sometimes, especially when I first put in my beds, I put a
fence around them, too, until I got used to where they are.  I also am
trying to maintain a few inches of clear space around the beds, to cut
down on weeding, by putting a thick layer of mulch. It not only cuts down
on weeding, but tells me I'm coming up to a bed.
Over the years, I've learned what my garden plants feel like, and what my
usual weeds feel like.  If I'm not sure, I wait a bit before pulling
something, until it becomes more identifiable.  Also, I'm planting a
number of the same things fairly close together, so, if there are a few
that look the same close to each other, I bet they are crop and not weed,
until they grow a bit and I can be sure.
Really, I think being a blind gardener is very simple, at least in my
smallish space.  Though I need more time, so I can go out and weed, water,
etc.  Gotta figure out when I can retire!
Tracy

> Wow that's cool. I don't know how yall do it. Can yall see some? One
> thing about farm animals and such I would not like stepping in manure,
> and how do you keep things sanitary? What about breeding and welping?
> Do you require assistance with the birthings? I am assuming you all
> were expected to help out on your family farms which is why you all
> are so comfortable. We had a dairy farm here when I was very little
> and most I did was maybe go in the barn and pasture amoung the animals
> I was taught how to pick and shuck corn, and pick oranges, Kumquats,
> figs, and tangerines, but that is all. Oh yeah, I was taught by my
> father how to tell if fruit was ripe. I enjoyed the fruits of my Daddy
> and uncles and my Pop's labor. As for your gardens how do you map out
> plots and rows?
>
>
>
> On 8/23/15, Zach Mason via Ag-eq <ag-eq at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> Could you explain what GMO free meat is?
>>
>> Zac
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Ag-eq [mailto:ag-eq-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Nella Foster
>> via
>> Ag-eq
>> Sent: Sunday, August 23, 2015 1:17 PM
>> To: Agricultural and Equestrean Division List
>> Cc: nfoster at extremezone.com
>> Subject: Re: [Ag-eq] Apple harvest
>>
>> Tracy:
>>
>> I plan on keeping the young doe goats asuming they are healthy and grow
>> well.
>> My dose have all kidded easily and are good milkers, so hope their
>> daughters
>> will be the same.  Two of the dose are getting older so can probably
>> only
>> breed them one more time.
>>
>> I will casterate the young bucks and they will go to someone's table.
>> I've
>> made contact with a couple of butchers in the area that specialize in
>> grass
>> fed and GMO free meats.  I plan on following their guidelines so they
>> will
>> buy the kids I don't want.  This is hard for me, but I cannot keep all
>> of
>> them.  I could sell any unwanted doelings as milk goats since they come
>> from
>> good milking lines.
>>
>> I will be selling milk; we are allowed to sell raw milk here as long as
>> it's
>> picked up from the farm.  There are a few regulations you have to meet
>> to
>> sell the milk, that is why I'm building the milk barn.  I've met a
>> family
>> that live a few miles away that are selling fresh Jersey milk and they
>> cannot keep up with the demand.  Unfortunately I'm not allowed to sell
>> cheese, only the milk.
>> I can sell the goat milk soap since it's not being eaten.
>>
>> Nella
>>
>>
>>
>> Quoting Tracy Carcione via Ag-eq <ag-eq at nfbnet.org>:
>>
>>> Hi Nella.
>>> Chocolate sounds very nice!
>>> What will you do with the kids?  Will your herd get bigger and bigger,
>>> or will your neighbors be eating roast kid?
>>> Tracy
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Ag-eq [mailto:ag-eq-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Nella
>>> Foster via Ag-eq
>>> Sent: Saturday, August 22, 2015 9:30 PM
>>> To: Agricultural and Equestrean Division List
>>> Cc: nfoster at extremezone.com
>>> Subject: Re: [Ag-eq] Apple harvest
>>>
>>> Tracy:
>>>
>>> I recently got a dehydrator and so far have only dried some peppers
>>> and herbs.
>>>
>>> The buck goats can get aggressive, but this little guy has been
>>> handled since birth and I continue to spend time with him.  He is very
>>> friendly and will follow me around like a puppy.  I think he will be
>>> o.k. as long as I keep handling him and don't let him get away with
>>> bad behavior.  I've met several bucks that are friendly and the people
>>> were petting them and spending time with them.  I've seen a couple
>>> that were aggressive, but they were just out in a pasture and didn't
>>> have
>> a lot of human interaction.
>>>
>>> The worse thing about a buck goat is how stinky they get.  so far
>>> Chocolate isn't very smelly because he is still young.  They get more
>>> smelly when they reach adulthood.  His name is Chocolate, which fits
>>> right into my heard, the girls all have candy names.
>>>
>>> I purchased Chocolate from a nice Amish family.  All their animals
>>> were so healthy and friendly.  He is registered and their herd has
>>> been tested for certain diseases, which is what I wanted to find.
>>> They even called to make sure he is doing o.k. and didn't get to
>>> stressed by the move.  I've kept their contact info so that we can do
>> business again.
>>>
>>> I think they had to call from a neighbors, they don't use phones.
>>> When I called I spoke to the neighbor; it was strange, but all worked
>>> out.
>>>
>>> Nella
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Quoting Tracy Carcione via Ag-eq <ag-eq at nfbnet.org>:
>>>
>>> > Hi Nella.
>>> > My apples are Golden Delicious, sweet/tart, the way I like them.
>>> > I'd forgotten about drying, and I have a dehydrator.  I'll have to
>>> try
>> it.
>>> > This morning, I separated the apples into "use today" and "will keep
>>> > a
>>> bit".
>>> > After lunch, applesauce!  And maybe more.
>>> >
>>> > Your barn sounds great! And your buck sounds cute.  Do male goats
>>> > get aggressive, when they reach maturity?
>>> > Tracy
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > -----Original Message-----
>>> > From: Ag-eq [mailto:ag-eq-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Nella
>>> > Foster via Ag-eq
>>> > Sent: Friday, August 21, 2015 5:00 PM
>>> > To: Agricultural and Equestrean Division List
>>> > Cc: nfoster at extremezone.com
>>> > Subject: Re: [Ag-eq] Apple harvest
>>> >
>>> > Tracy:
>>> >
>>> > What kind of apples?
>>> >
>>> > I'm so jealous, love fresh apples.
>>> >
>>> > Wonder how long until my little trees start bearing fruit?
>>> >
>>> > Do you ever dry them?
>>> >
>>> > I'm still getting tomatoes, peppers, squash and cucumbers.
>>> >
>>> > I bought a little buck goat and put out with my doe goats.  He's
>>> > kind of young, so don't know if he is old enough to do his job yet!
>>> > He is very cute, will grow up to be a handsome boy.  He and 2 of my
>>> > dose have genes for spots, so hoping I get some spotted babies.
>>> >
>>> > I'm turning my shop building into a milk barn.  The guys are working
>>> > on it right now.  There will be a room to store hay, a room for
>>> > milking and a room to put the goats when they kid and to keep the
>>> > really young kids out of the weather.
>>> > It is going to make milking so much easier.  There is a pen on one
>>> > side where I will bring the girls, then I can take them into the
>>> > milk room to milk and put them out a door on the other side.
>>> >
>>> > I finally have goat proof fencing around the whole pasture, so the
>>> > goats and Cruiser can all be together.  Hopefully by next spring I
>>> > will have more fences up to divide the pasture so I can rotate the
>>> > animals around.  They graze it more even that way.
>>> >
>>> > What is everyone else up to?
>>> >
>>> > Nella
>>> >
>>> >
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > Quoting Tracy Carcione via Ag-eq <ag-eq at nfbnet.org>:
>>> >
>>> > > The apple harvest is starting to roll in.  Literally, since I'm
>>> > > picking them up off the ground and often finding them by
>>> > > accidentally kicking them.  My young retriever is also good at
>>> > > finding apples.  He has a soft mouth, and can pick them up without
>>> > > a scratch, but I'm trying to teach him not to pick up
>>> > > miscellaneous things
>>> off the ground.
>>> > >
>>> > > Yesterday, I took a medium-size bucket and filled it to the top.
>>> > > I'll have to sort them this weekend, green or ripe. Then I'll
>>> > > start making
>>> > applesauce.
>>> > > I've also found a pandowdy recipe that sounds yummy.  Applesauce
>>> > > is the easiest though, since all I have to do is boil the apples
>>> > > 10-15 minutes, then run them through the whatchamacallit that
>>> > > squeezes out the good stuff and leaves the seeds and skins in the
>>> > > pot.
>> Yumaroo!
>>> > >
>>> > > They're little apples, 2-3 inches across, so it will take quite a
>>> > > few to make a pie.  But it could be worth it.
>>> > >
>>> > > And then there's just plain eating them.  Or wrapping some up to
>>> > > store for later.
>>> > >
>>> > > Tracy
>>> > >
>>> > >
>>> > >
>>> > > _______________________________________________
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>>> > > zo
>>> > > ne.com
>>> > >
>>> >
>>> >
>>> >
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>
>
> --
> Danielle
>
> Email: singingmywayin at gmail.com
>
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