July 11, 2025

Hopefully Coming Soon, The Willow Feeder Movie

 This is another really clever project by Paul Wheaton and the Permies.com team. I'm really interested in this one because it addresses something we don't hear talked about much any more: pollution. Specifically, pollution of our precious waterways by sewage waste. The team has come up with a brilliant idea to help address this: the Willow Feeder. What they want to do is to make a Willow Feeder movie. 

What's a Willow Feeder? Good question. This short introductory video does a great job of explaining. 

They've started a Kickstarter, and if successful, the movie will happen! 

What do you get for supporting the Kickstarter? 

Donation level rewards:
  • $1 -  Willow Feeder eBook, a gob of Paul Wheaton podcasts, and access to the Secret Inner Circle forum at permies.com. 
  • $10 - the above + Willow Feeder movie (streaming)
  • $20 - the above + tiny download
  • $30 - the above + jumbo download
  • $45 - the above + willow feeder plans
  • $65 - the above + your name in the movie! 
And! There are early bird goodies.

Early Bird goodies include:
The Kickstarter will run for a month, but early bird goodies offer expires Monday, July 14th (2pm MT).

Here's the link for more information:

July 4, 2025

Blueberry Pie on the 4th of July

Blueberry pie with vanilla ice cream.

July is blueberry month! And every year, I start blueberry season off with a fresh blueberry pie. What better way to celebrate Independence Day! Very American!

For dinner? Pizza!

Pepperoni and black olive pizza (Dan's favorite) with homemade mozzarella. 

Sometimes we can see fireworks over the tree tops from our front porch. We'll give that a go when it gets dark. That's about the extent of our going anywhere or doing anything for the holiday.

What about you? Planning anything special? Do you have favorite 4th of July foods or activities? No matter how you spend the day, I wish you a blessed one. 

June 29, 2025

Garden Notes: June 2025

Rainfall

  • 5th: 0.01"
  • 7th: 0.31"
  • 8th: 0.19"
  • 12th: 0.11"
  • 13th: 0.51"
  • 14th: 0.02"
  • 16th: sprinkle
  • 17th: 0.25"
  • 19th: thunder
  • 24th: 0.17"
  • 25th: sprinkle
  • 26th: 0.32"
  • 28th: 0.03"
  • 29th: 0.12"
  • Total: 2.05 inches
 Temperature
  • range of nighttime lows: 57 to 72°F (14 to 22°C)
  • range of daytime highs: 79 to 95°F (26 to 35°C)

Weather Notes: 

  • Fortunately, it hasn't gotten as hot as our weather forecasts have predicted!
  • Small rainfall amounts are welcome, but tend to evaporate out of the ground quickly.
  • With the fairly frequent rain showers, the humidity has been high and so has the heat index!

Garden Notes

  • Every day has been busy with preserving. The month began with daily picking and canning of peaches, cucumber pickles, or greens. I've been able to rotate these in a way to keep busy but not overwhelmed. 
  • Sadly, something ate all of my dill transplants so I've had to buy dill for the pickles.
  • The peas are about done. I'll have plenty of seed to save for next year. I should try some of the dried ones in soup this winter. Maybe make a pea powder?
  • Lettuce all bolted by the end of the month, but little Swiss chard leaves are nice in salad.
  • Cherry tomatoes came on toward the end of the month, so our salads are now mostly cucumber and tomato.

Planted

  • sweet potato squash
  • buckwheat
  • sweet potato slips
Harvested
  • peaches
  • lettuce, cultivated
  • lettuce, wild
  • snow peas
  • lambs quarter
  • Swiss chard
  • oregano
  • mulberries
  • cucumbers
  • daikon radish
  • broccoli bites
  • beets
  • carrot
  • blueberries
  • cherry tomatoes
  • slicing tomatoes
  • Egyptian walking onions
Preserved
  • peaches, canned
  • peach vinegar
  • peach jam
  • greens (mix of chard, kale, and lambs quarter), canned
  • cucumber pickles, canned
  • mulberries, frozen
  • wheat berries, frozen
Photos

Garden pickings from early June

Garden pickings from late June

Jars of canned cucumber pickles

Bucket of peaches

Peaches and mulberries for breakfast

Jars of canned peaches

Making and canning peach jam

Bell pepper plant in the African keyhole garden

Preparing greens for canning: lambs quarter, kale, and Swiss card

Simmering greens for hot pack canning

Volunteer carrot. It grew in one of my greenhouse containers. It became a carrot raisin salad.

Wheat harvest

Preparing wheat for threshing. I use the dryer & golf ball method.

How's everyone else's garden doing?