Gardening in my Underwear???

ALMOST!!!  

I was busy building my mulching rows and CeCe wouldn't leave me alone.  It was two hours of:

   "Watch me"

   "Look at this"

   "Pick me up"

You know how it is.  When I have all the time in the world for her, she's too busy playing outside.  When I really need to get things done, she can't live without my attention!!  For the record, she's pretty cute:

We finally settled a deal that I would work my garden and every time I moved to a new spot I would give her a piggyback ride.  She grew impatient and decided to climb into my back while I was still standing.  She grabbed my pockets to "scale" the back of my legs.  

22 yr-old jeans + 22 lb toddler...not good.

I heard a loud RIP and a cool breeze on my rear end.  She totally ripped the whole left back side of my jeans!!

Abbey and a roll of duct tape to the rescue!!!

As a kind gesture to my kids, I will not be showing any underwear pictures. 

I've embarrassed them enough by just being their mother.

It's Working, It's Working!!!

What a surprise when snow started to come down last week while watering the straw bales.  My fingers were SO COLD!!

I decided to take my meat thermometer down to the garden to see if the temperature of the bales was elevated.

Heck Yeah!!!!

I read about it, but I was skeptical that the bales would begin to cook in just a matter of 7 days.  Three more days and I'm free to plant.  

Why can't we just be normal??

You may remember a about a week ago Luke and Gabriel helped place my first 95 bales of straw.  Well, my "go big or go home" approach prompted me to send Simon back to York to get 95 more straw bales.

Unfortunately, they came when all the boys were gone, so Mary Kate & I set to work.  We were SO itchy by the time we were finished. 

She looks happy now but she had plenty of under-her-breath complaints to mutter during the process.  Among them: 

      "Craziest woman I know"

      "Why can't we just be normal?"

       "Because 95 bales just wasn't            enough?"  

        "There's a good chance I'll never forgive you".

Whatever...she'll get over it.  Meanwhile, I have 190 perfectly placed straw bales:):)

The first batch had the final treatment of preparation and now is just in the "holding" stage until the weather warms enough for planting.  The second set of bales is on day 4 of about 12.  We fertilize with organic fertilizer and then take as much time as it takes to saturate each bale with water.  The watering is a step where the little kids can finally play a part.  

The weather hasn't been quite warm enough to get the bales to compost as efficiently as they should have, but don't worry.......I have a plan!!!

Eggs anyone?

Our hens love being outside.  They have an awesome little mobile house that takes them to new parts of the farm every week, but even on the coldest days of the recent winter they were outside pecking around for seeds, bugs and pebbles.  Laying hens' egg production markedly decreases in the winter months.  They need 14-16 hours of light to produce an egg and our shortened winter days don't provide that.  It allows their bodies to rest, lose some feathers, grow some new feathers and prepare to become egg-laying machines when the longer days hit.  

Looks like we're there.  Here's yesterday's collection.....

Look what came yesterday.....

Yes, chickens CAN be mailed!!  One hundred of these cuties were delivered to our doorstep.  We could hear them before we could see them.

Before I took them to the farm, I took them to the girls' playgroup.  I called it..

Chicks for Chicks:):)

Oohs and aahs all around.  One last hold and they were back in the box & off to the farm for a 9-week "All you can eat" buffet.  A Fiddlestix Farms training table of sorts.

WooHoo...back to the farm!!!!

We are back on our "almost every day" trip to the farm schedule.  CeCe couldn't be happier.  It was a LONG winter for her and she really missed her kitties.

Sparticus and Butter Jr., however, do not look as if they missed her!!!  

And....it begins!!

My FIVE steps to a STRAW BALE GARDEN....

I heard about it in November.

I read a book about it in January(3 times).

LOST the book in February.

Purchased another one in March.

Sent Luke & Simon to York, NE

Straw bales have arrived.........

                 GAME ON

Luke and Gabe muscle 95 straw bales in place.  I pound in the supporting poles and I feel like I'm that much closer to fresh food!!  

I spent the day conditioning the bales with an organic fertilizer and water to start the composting that will take place in side the straw bale.  I was supposed to be watering the bales, but King Louie kept intercepting the water.

Dirty/Clean

If you are a Fiddlestix Farms CSA member, your lists would be MUCH shorter because everything I grow is CLEAN!!  Granted, there are some things I am either unable to grow or just not interested.  Mushrooms...I eat them, but I don't grow them!!

Be smart. Eat clean.

You Be the Judge!!!

An impromptu comparison by my son, Ryne, between HyVee eggs and Fiddlestix Farms eggs.  

Yes...mine is the one on top.

Oh, how many times have I heard, "There's no difference except the price"?

Well, my price is higher, but I happen to believe nutrition and health is well worth an increased price.  

My opinion??  Pay now with cash or later with poor health!!