Running Out of Time

A kettle full of Tansy

Market List;

Grass Fed Lamb, Chops, Steaks, Ground, Organ, Stew Meat, Leg of. Neck and Shoulder Roasts

Rainbow Cherry Mix, Feisty Fall Salad Mix, Tomatillos,

Fall Bouquets and Pesticide free Apples





Well the days are certainly shorter. The tomatoes are finally beautiful and loaded but the night temps have dropped which slows down ripening. Any time now, there could be a frost. Usually first frost dates in Missouri is predicted around the second week in October. Two seasons ago we went until November 20th or something crazy like that, but that year, when it got cold, it got COLD and stayed cold. Generally here, we get like 2 below freezing nights and then it warms up for a couple of weeks of Indian Summer weather. This is why I generally keep my plants covered but try to baby them through the cold snap. Generally everything larger than a golf ball is brought in and the plants are covered and if they make it through, that gives them time to produce more fruit. I am hoping for a few more weeks of above freezing temps. After a tomato year like this, I think we all deserve more.

 

 

Max is here for a bit longer. The last 2 days he's been working on bringing the raised beds around the other side of the greenhouse with the collapsible machine storage crates/turned raised beds we got from my friend Jeff. You can see them leaning against the back wall. Max is contemplating the best way to get the beds closest to the wall. He must weed this area, lay down fabric and the beds, tap them in and fill them with compost that he and Bill brought from the barn with the tractor.

Double Bonus this week, Bill will be home for 10 days on vacation so both guys will be checking off the project list, and Wow do I have one going.

Repair Gate, Plant trees, Clean out barn, Gutters on barn, Move Garden Gate, Move Greenhouse interior around, refill beds in Greenhouse, trim sheep hooves, etc.. and Max wants to learn how to dress a chicken...oh and we hope to get some jug fishing in too.

 

 

This is what it looked like when he finished;

We ran out of beds and are waiting for Jeff to come up with some more.

 Too bad, I hope Max gets the satisfaction of seeing the                   wall finished.                                                                                                  

He and Bill weeded out an big section of the garden today and we have been picking up tomatillos. The hot dry weather combined with the insect load this year caused the husks from hundreds to turn brown and fall on the ground. Squash bugs and tomatillo worms, tomato pin worms and hornworms, cabbage loopers and the list goes on. We actually used biological warfare this year, BT.

 Bacillus Thuringiensis is a virus that affects only caterpillars. It's not a poison, it makes them sick. It doesn't harm any other species good or bad but it sure does turn the caterpillars on their ears.

 

So that's it for this week. Cortney will be back for this week but next week, Bill will actually be at the market with me. YAY! It's been a long time since he's been there with me. It will be our anniversary so since we are working it, we thought we'd do it together.

Come by and get some lamb and don't forget, the days are running out for Sam's Famous Salsa. Wear your jacket it's starting out at 52 degrees.

 

God's Blessings on you and yours,

 

TTFN

 

Sam, Bill and Max for now