Okay, that's a terribly awkward blog post title, but I couldn't think of a clever way to shorten it while still getting the meaning across!
Last month I told you about two things that I thought some of you might be interested in. The first is a free online Solar Cooking Class (this Thursday, details here), and also about the PrepperBundle. The organizers of the bundle have put out a call for affiliates.
What is an affiliate? It's someone who earns a commission by promoting a product or a project. In this case, affiliates earn a commission for selling the PrepperBundle via their blog, website, or email list. Click here for details.
Now, I'm not much of a salesperson, in fact, I turn down everyone who wants to advertise on my blog or otherwise use it to promote themselves. I do, however, participate in things that are of value to me, and these eBook bundles come under that category. Affiliates receive a whole packet of marketing materials, but honestly, I find these things sell themselves without hoopla or gimmicks. The information is worth it, and folks who are interested in that kind of information will invest in it.
Anyway, I just wanted to pass that along to you. Again, click here to learn about becoming an affiliate!
Also a reminder - click here to sign up for the Solar Cooking Class on Thursday. It's free but you need to reserve a spot. Or to learn more about if, you can check out my blog post first - "Online Solar Cooking Class! The Scoop."
May 6, 2017
The Garden in Early May
Last month's abundant rain pretty much kept me out of the garden because the ground was too soft. With a stretch of nice days I've finally gotten a start on my spring planting. So far I've planted watermelon, okra, summer squash, green beans, and amaranth. I waited to plant my tomato seedlings because we got another heavy rain last Thursday. Being house-started, I was afraid they were still too tender to take such a beating.
Since the newly planted spring garden still looks like bare ground, all I have to show you is the finishings-up of the winter garden. Once that's done, I'll have room to plant more. So let's start with the hoop house.
Most of my salad greens are bolting, even with the shade cloth, so I'm just waiting to collect the seed. For example -
I also have arugula, corn salad, kale, mizuna, and lettuce that I want to save seed from. In particular, I want to make a note of the lettuce I planted last November, because even though it's starting to send up flower stalks, it hasn't turned bitter yet. Amazing!
It's surrounded by volunteer chickweed, which I allowed to grow because it's both culinary and medicinal. I use it for salad greens, to dry for herbal salves, to feed as fresh greens for the chickens and ducks, to chop up for the goats, and as a living mulch.
Another living mulch area has been my multiplier onion bed.
Lots of volunteer vetch appeared, which I left because it's a nitrogen fixer, has pretty little purple flowers, keeps other things (that I don't want) from growing, and can be cut back, dried, and added to the goats' hay pile.
Here's another such bed.
The violets make a beautiful living mulch. I do pull a few "weeds" from these beds, but also, I seem to have less problems with wire grass where there is a dense ground cover. This observation is why I planted clover in the area below my new swale. I cleared out three wheelbarrow loads of wire grass from that little plot and really don't want it coming back! Mulch doesn't deter it, but it tends to show up less where a thick ground cover shades the soil.
So far so good! Except for a bit too much henbit, the clover has come up very well with wire grass mostly around the edges of the clover plot. I turned it under in two places plant watermelons.
I plant only one variety of melon every spring, but I change the varieties from year to year. That means our variety is annual, we aren't overrun with melons, and I don't have to worry about cross-pollination!
On the other side of the hoop house I have a row of Savoy cabbages.
Also some radishes blooming.
I especially like this variety and want to save lots of seed.
So now I have to wait again for things to dry out a bit; then I can get back into the garden and finish planting.
Your turn. Anybody else getting their hands in the dirt?
 |
| Tomato seedlings, right before moving outdoors to harden off. |
Since the newly planted spring garden still looks like bare ground, all I have to show you is the finishings-up of the winter garden. Once that's done, I'll have room to plant more. So let's start with the hoop house.
 |
| It's a jungle in there! |
Most of my salad greens are bolting, even with the shade cloth, so I'm just waiting to collect the seed. For example -
 |
| Bloomsdale spinach flowering. |
 |
| Claytonia (Miner's lettuce) in bloom. |
I also have arugula, corn salad, kale, mizuna, and lettuce that I want to save seed from. In particular, I want to make a note of the lettuce I planted last November, because even though it's starting to send up flower stalks, it hasn't turned bitter yet. Amazing!
 |
| Lollo Bionda lettuce peeking out from amongst chickweed. |
It's surrounded by volunteer chickweed, which I allowed to grow because it's both culinary and medicinal. I use it for salad greens, to dry for herbal salves, to feed as fresh greens for the chickens and ducks, to chop up for the goats, and as a living mulch.
Another living mulch area has been my multiplier onion bed.
 |
| Multiplier onions with volunteer vetch. |
Lots of volunteer vetch appeared, which I left because it's a nitrogen fixer, has pretty little purple flowers, keeps other things (that I don't want) from growing, and can be cut back, dried, and added to the goats' hay pile.
Here's another such bed.
 |
| Chicory, violets, and a few multiplier onions that I missed last year. |
The violets make a beautiful living mulch. I do pull a few "weeds" from these beds, but also, I seem to have less problems with wire grass where there is a dense ground cover. This observation is why I planted clover in the area below my new swale. I cleared out three wheelbarrow loads of wire grass from that little plot and really don't want it coming back! Mulch doesn't deter it, but it tends to show up less where a thick ground cover shades the soil.
So far so good! Except for a bit too much henbit, the clover has come up very well with wire grass mostly around the edges of the clover plot. I turned it under in two places plant watermelons.
 |
| Here's one of them with four watermelon seedlings I started indoors. |
I plant only one variety of melon every spring, but I change the varieties from year to year. That means our variety is annual, we aren't overrun with melons, and I don't have to worry about cross-pollination!
On the other side of the hoop house I have a row of Savoy cabbages.
Also some radishes blooming.
 |
| Purple plum radish flowers |
I especially like this variety and want to save lots of seed.
So now I have to wait again for things to dry out a bit; then I can get back into the garden and finish planting.
Your turn. Anybody else getting their hands in the dirt?
The Garden in Early May © May 2017 by
May 4, 2017
Online Solar Cooking Class! The Scoop
I know I promised a garden update next, but I just received the confirmation and details for the free online solar cooking class I asked you about awhile back. I am really excited about this, because solar cooking has become a wonderful free-energy resource for me.
Here are the details.
The instructor for the class will be Paul Munsen of Sun Ovens International. Here are some of the things it covers:
 |
| Cheese omelet baked in my solar oven. |
Here are the details.
13 Ways to Utilize Sunlight
for Delicious Efficient Homesteading
The instructor for the class will be Paul Munsen of Sun Ovens International. Here are some of the things it covers:
- How to use a solar oven for off-grid baking, boiling, steaming, and roasting complete meals.
- Why food doesn't burn or dry out in a solar oven.
- How to boil or pasteurize drinking water in emergencies.
- How to hard cook eggs (even freshly laid eggs are easy to peel with this method).
- How to dehydrate fruits, vegetables, even meat for jerky.
- How to dehydrate herbs without losing nutrients and essential oils.
- Naturally kill bug infestations in grains or dried foods (think dry-pack vacuum canning!)
- And more.
Date: Thursday May 11, 2017 (Not convenient? See below V )
Time: 7:00 p.m. CDT (8 p.m. EDT / 6 p.m. MDT / 5 p.m. PDT)
Duration: 60 minutes plus live Q&A
Cost: FREE! But advance registration is required.
Time: 7:00 p.m. CDT (8 p.m. EDT / 6 p.m. MDT / 5 p.m. PDT)
Duration: 60 minutes plus live Q&A
Cost: FREE! But advance registration is required.
Why is registration required? It has to do with bandwidth. Too much web traffic will slow down or even crash a site. Preregistration monitors the amount of bandwidth based on how many people sign up. That way it ensures that folks who really want the class will have a spot.
So here's the link to register for the class.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/learn-13-ways-to-utilize-sunlight-for-delicious-efficient-homesteading-tickets-34243006755
After you sign up you will receive a confirmation email, plus a free copy of the eBook
So here's the link to register for the class.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/learn-13-ways-to-utilize-sunlight-for-delicious-efficient-homesteading-tickets-34243006755
Emerging From An Emergency
What you should do if…?
You will later receive a reminder and private link to the class.
If for any reason the date and time aren't convenient, sign up anyway. Why? Because for a short time a replay will be available via the same private link. You can come back and watch it (or re-watch it) at a time that's better for you.
Any questions? Did I leave anything out?
Online Solar Cooking Class! The Scoop © May 2017
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