Not a Fast Food Restaurant, please stop flying by!

This is the predator that thinks our farm is a fast food restaurant.  It's a Red Tailed Hawk.  We're super lucky, our invader is a rare white breed.  It has killed too many chickens to count.  Very, very frustrating.....

It keeps us looking up in the sky constantly and listening for it's distinctive cry.....

Way too often I have scared it unknowingly as it snacks on it's prey.  We have learned to listen for the warning signs from the hens that something is attacking.  But by then it is often too late.  

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear.....

but beautiful green peppers and red tomatoes here and there......


Today my side kick and I, a.k.a my son, pruned branches from my forest of tomato plants. They were so grown together there was no longer a walk way between.  Some had fallen over on top of each other and on top of my other plants.  Some were starting to over hang my newly planted lettuce, spinach and kale.  So, it was time to cut them back!  And cut them back we did.....

This is my son's wheel barrow full of about quarter the amount of plant we removed......

Here is an after photo, lots of green tomatoes!......

As you can see, the 6' tomato plants are still towering over the garden but are trimmed back to allow sunlight and moisture to reach the plants around them...

And as we trimmed away branch, after branch, after branch we discovered ripe tomatoes beneath!.....

And Green Peppers ready to  pick!.....

These tomatoes became victims of the pruning, they will become Fried Green Tomatoes for my supper tonight.  (every time I say, or think, of Fried Green Tomatoes the movie with that title comes to mind) I have never made or eaten fried green tomatoes before but I can't let these beauties go to waste!....

And with the removal of the tomato over-growth I discovered a cute little Butternut Squash hanging upside down between the marigold plants.....

These Acorn Squash are lucky to be in the grassed area outside the garden, a nice comfy place to grow......

All the blossoms are quickly turning into nice sized cucumbers with all the rain we have had recently. Though I think the transplants I purchased were marked incorrectly as some appear to be pickling cucumbers.  And since I didn't pick them as small pickling cucumbers they look like they are on steroids.  I really do not like cucumber seeds.  I will pick every single one out of a slice of cucumber before I eat it!  So, those over sized pickling cucumbers will be fed to our meat chickens......

I couldn't resist taking a picture of the pretty berries.....MMMMM Ripe Blueberries!......

And here is my newly sprouted Kale.  I have never eaten Kale before, this will be my first experience.  Looks like the rains brought quite a few rocks to the surface as well.......

So, that's the update on the garden side of things.  The layers, meat chicks and meat chickens are all doing great.  Sounds like the meat chickens will be heading to the butcher next Saturday.  Finally!  And then the meat chicks will move into their home sometime within the next few weeks.

Even with a little farm there is always planning.  Who will live where, when to change to a certain food, what will be planted where.......Ones mind never seems to get much rest!

'til next time!

Back to the Farm....

Thank you for indulging me as I went a bit off topic on my last post.  It was a little therapeutic trip I had to take and hopefully my thoughts, and those I shared from others, will help someone else.....Now Back to The Farm!

This morning my son and I made a trip to the local feed store to pick up 40, yes 4-0, baby meat bird chicks.  It seems we always put the cart before the horse.  Knowing all summer they would be arriving today we still do not have a home prepared for them.  Not that we have procrastinated, we have been so very busy working on other projects and keeping everyone else fed and watered during this very hot summer.  And also trying to squeeze in a little family fun time here and there....

I guess when you buy enough chicks you get to bring home the fancy box they are shipped in.  That, and we've become well known at the feed store for gardening and farm animal needs and it was probably convenient for him to count them out in it is as well......

My son enjoyed seeing them stick their little heads out of the holes in the side of the box on the way home :)

Their temporary home until hubby puts them in the coop.  Basic needs met....food, water, heat and room to run will come later this evening...

The older meat chickens are enjoying all kinds of fancy treats....garden greens such as lettuce, spinach and cucumber peeling, as well as wild blueberries and tomatoes from the freezer.....

Believe it or not, these are the layer chicks we hatched using broody hens, they sure have grown!  And i think there's only one rooster in the bunch!

And the baby meat chicks are in their home in the layer coop, until they get to take over the current home of the meat chickens.  We were going to rush to get the second room finished in the barn but have since decided we will put them in the room the current meat birds are in as they will be butchered long before these chicks are big enough to need the larger room (we hope).

Here's a little video of the baby chicks in action :)

A picture of us in my garden, these are my 5'+ tomato plants

Lots of cucumber and squash plants.  I love acorn and buttercup squash, hoping for lots!  Baked in the oven with butter and brown sugar, what a treat!

And, here's a picture of the family fun I talked about earlier.  Life's too short to be all work and no play......

Growing our own food and doing all we do would be worthless if we didn't enjoy each others company along the way.  The true priceless gift of life, the time we spend together.......

Don't Take It Personally!!!

A bit off topic again today but it's something that's been on my mind for months.....

In March I started a home based business selling high quality spices.  I chose to start selling the products so I could supply myself with them as needed and also to share them with my family and friends.  I was very excited to find such products since at the time I was having problems with my health.  I had high blood pressure.  I am proud to say I do not currently have high blood pressure and one of the ways I lowered it is to cut the salt from my cooking using these spices to add flavour to my cooking instead of salt.  So, it makes it something I am very passionate about.

When you have a home based business people perceive you as someone who is out to get their buck, or at least that's how I have felt at times in the past.  We forget that this may be something this person is genuinely passionate about.  I personally have a job that gives me a nice pay cheque.  Trying to sell products "door to door" so to speak is a very tough business.  People find it easier to "shut the door" and just say no.  We are all so busy that we don't want to have to think about something else.  For me, this company has turned out to be a blessing.  And I am glad the hostess invited me to her party, it may have very well saved my health, if not my life!

Everyone has their own interests.  Some people don't care if they are consuming large amounts of sodium, fillers and MSG.  There probably was a time I never thought about it.  But when you're faced with your own health scare you realize it's time to make a change.  And when given a simple solution to make what I'm serving my family healthier I am going to jump at it.  We work hard to raise our own food so we know what we are eating, why coat that food with a sauce or spice blend loaded with stuff we can't even pronounce!  I haven't used a commercial bbq sauce since I started using these spices.  My belly can't handle commercial bbq sauces any more, if I eat it I am in pain.

Where I get frustrated is the "shut door" part of working the business.  I am trying very hard to teach myself NOT to take it personally.  Reading our company magazine they had interviewed another consultant who is struggling with the same issue.  Every time I get "rejected" I feel they are rejecting me.  I have to remind myself they are not rejecting ME.  It may not be a good time for them to try something new, maybe they just like "salt and pepper" on their food, maybe they are loyal to another spice supplier.......So, every time I get that sinking pit in my belly I have to tell myself this "it is not personal, they are not rejecting you as a person".

Because I am so passionate about the product as far as the health benefits it has provided for me and my family I feel bad that I'm not given the opportunity to share that with others.  Gluten seems to be such an issue these days, this company supplies many yummy gluten free spice blends.  I have all this knowledge bottled up inside me, I need to share it!  I love to cook, I love talking about food, I love helping others find delicious new meal ideas for their family.

I am passionate about what I am selling, it's not all about the almighty dollar.  I just need to remember to hold my head high when someone says "no thanks"! And also remember "don't take it personally" !!!


'til next time!

I have since discussed this with several other consultants and thought this person had a very good way of putting it into perspective:

“ Think of it this way.....if you offer someone a piece of gum, and they say, "no"....they are NOT rejecting you...they are simply saying, "no thank you" to the gum offer. So don't take it personal... AND...over the years, I have learned, "its not about you", its about "them". Once you adopt that theory, you won't take it personal anymore. I used to feel sad and rejected when someone asked to be taken off my mailing list, it actually hurt !! LOL Now, I just simply delete them and move on, and it doesn’t faze me a bit. Hugs to you, it will get easier. ;) Have a wonderful day...”

I am not posting this to make people pity me and feel they have to buy product from me!  Hopefully this post will help someone else realize that rejection is not a direct reflection on them as a person, you just don't have what that other person needs right now.  Talking about things is important, I feel much better.  And it doesn't hurt to point out that the person on the other end of the phone line or email really does have feelings, so take it easy on them.   :)