Florescent Lights for Seedlings

On cold days I have to keep all the seedlings indoors and when it's cloudy like today, I have to get them as much light as possible.

I use a couple of florescent drop lights hung from under a coffee table and keep them as low as I can, right on top of the tallest seedlings is fine. They won't burn and they love the energy. It's not as good as the sun, but it's been very helpful on days like this.

Finding the Sun

This time of year, seedlings will be inside for the most part, but as warm as it's been, they go outside and get as much sunshine as possible. Because of the angle of the sun, it's hard to catch it without being resourceful, so I look for ways to tilt the plants toward all that warmth and energy. The easiest

way is to use your vehicles windshield. I learned t

his from watching the cats, they always find the best way to make the most of sunshine.

Shower Door Cold Frame

My large cold frame was a total flop, with the wind and the dog collaborating to destroy it. The plastic was only 4 MIL, so I was just hoping for a miracle anyway. I found these old shower doors in my neighbors garage, and kind of rearranged things. There's not a lot of room now, so it'll be for nothing but, radishes and carrots and maybe some parsnip. 

Early Tomato Transplants

 I have some young tomato plants that are getting broad 

leaves on them and are ready to be moved from the seedling tray to small containers. I'll transfer one at a time, every few days, so I can make sure their roots are taking hold, before I move the next one. It's going to be nearly 70 here today, so I'll put the tomatoes and peppers out in the sun, along with all the cold weather seedling that go out everyday.

Every few years we'll have really warm temperatures in the middle of winter, and it's nice, but I don't like to see it. It worries me that my fruit trees might get the idea that spring is here and start

budding, only to be frozen out when winter returns. I'm sure there's people on the east coast right now who are crying their
eyes out for me. Poor me.

All of the broccoli, spinach, lettuce and collard seedlings are looking great, and loving all the

sunshine. Hoping for a good early start this season.

Incubating Eggs

I've collected two dozen eggs over the last few days and I set them in the incubator yesterday. I always try to hatch the biggest, darkest eggs I can, hoping to pass along good genetics. It's just a theory, but it seems wiser than hatching the smallest ones. I don't set eggs that are odd shaped or are covered with dirt or chicken manure. Never, ever, ever wash an egg before incubating it, you're washing off a protective coating that nature needs for a successful hatch.

The eggs are placed, pointed end down, in an automatic turner, which sort of mimics the natural egg rotating done by a hen. Without the turner, you have to turn the eggs over by hand, at least twice a day, which allows a lot of cooling time, which probably lowers your hatch rate.

I Rarely fill the egg turner to capacity, so I have a little room to add water without getting any eggs wet. Humidity is HUGE when

hatching, so I keep a close eye on that as well as temperature. This incubator has digital temperature and humidity readings, making it easy to monitor and adjust, if needed. I always hope for, and usually get at least, a 2/3 hatch rate, so I'm looking for 16 of this two dozen to hatch, and hopefully 8 of them hens.

I cover the incubator with a small blanket to insulate it as much as

possible to hold a more stable temperature. I've had some of these cheaper incubators that were really erratic and covering them seems to help. My house is heated with a wood burning stove, so it's relatively cold, compared to most modern homes, and these things are designed to be used in that sort of environment. This particular unit has been pretty stable so far, but I won't give the brand name yet, because I haven't used it enough to recommend it.

In 21 days, I'll have some new baby chick. 

Planting Carrots

I planted a short row of carrots and radishes today. I always plant them together in the same rows, because the radishes will sprout very quickly and will mark your row for weeding. Just about the time radishes are ready for harvest, your carrots will be sprouting. This way your carrots won't get lost in weeds.

A Few Pictures

Some pictures of the larger cold frame and a beautiful sunrise. I'm hoping the straw bales will absorb heat through the day and hold onto it into the night. We'll see.

I'm not sure this plastic is heavy enough, but I won't be putting any plants in this for a while, so I'll monitor the internal  temperature for a month and make a decision then, about upgrading. Right now, it's 102 dg inside, sunny and 46 outside.

A Bigger Cold Frame

 I put together a larger cold frame today. I have broccoli, lettuce and collards sprouted and looking great, so I figured I'd have this frame ready when they're big enough to set out. I used straw bales at the north side, which should be great insulation.

 I'll add some straw from the goat stall to the floor, and turn in it real good, before I more any plants to it. 

Some Days

 Some days it just doesn't pay to get out of bed. First thing this morning, a billy goat broke a gate, and make his way into my blackberries, which is no big deal, because it's winter, but it was still nothing you like to see.  

 After that small disaster, I drove over to to Newton and bought some hay from a farmer I know. On the way back, I had a flat tire, and changed it while cars flew past me they were in the Indianapolis 500. Got home, put the hay in the barn, and called it a day. 

Still, I suppose my worst days here, and better than my best days in the city ever were.

Warm January Day

 So it's supposed to get up to near 60 today, and there's a ton of sunshine coming in the south windows, and I even have some broccoli sprouting. I've uncovered and watered the cold frame. I don't see any lettuce sprouts yet, but the spinach and turnips look great. In about another month I'll transplant the broccoli seedlings to the second frame, and a couple of weeks later, it'll be time for the cabbage and collards to go in.

 My older customers love this stuff, and even some of the younger ones do. There's really nothing better than well prepared cabbage. 

Collecting Eggs For Hatching

 I started collecting eggs for the incubator today. I'll keep the biggest, darkest eggs everyday for a week and a half. There's no problem storing them, just keep them between 50 and 70 Dg and they'll stay fertile for quite awhile.

  I make three hatching a year, and I truly believe these winter hatches produce the durable and hardy of all. I'm guessing the cold weather keeps their immune system working and decreases the chance of poor health. Just a guess. 

Goat Milk Cheese

Three months ago, I made some cheese from goat milk. Cut it open today and it's just amazing. I had sliced and mixed in some fresh jalapeno, which you can see in the picture and let in cure in the refrigerator. I was told that 55 dgs was the right temperature, but I set the fridge at 45 and hoped for the best. It worked out perfectly.

I get fresh milk from the does everyday, and no matter what you've heard, goat milk tastes far better than milk from a cow, and it's supposedly heathier and easier to digest. You just can't go wrong with some dairy goats.

More Winter Seedlings

 My tomato seedlings are coming along great and even a few of the jalapenos are up and looking strong. I keep them covered with

plastic for most of the day, but I check it from time to time, making sure it doesn't get too warm inside, which could actually cook the little plants. They need oxygen also, so lifting the plastic every couple of hours is a good idea, even on cloudy days.

 I started 26 broccoli seeds this weekend and 8 collards. I'll start transplanting these into a cold frame about 5 weeks after they sprout. Collards and broccoli are both pretty cold tolerant, so they should be fine at that time. The tomatoes and peppers will be raised in the window, and under a lamp, until spring arrives.

 This is only a portion of the crops, but will hopefully give me a good head start on the season. 

Cowpeas

One of my main crops is an old heirloom cowpea, that my Great Grandma grew most of her life. When Grandpa married her daughter, Great grandma gave him some seed peas, and we've had “Granny Cash Peas” in the family ever since.

These peas are along the lines of black eyed peas, and they taste great. They also make a good, high protein goat feed. Roast them a little bit, and they make a good hen feed as well. 

There is some work involved in these peas, but it's nothing more than shelling them, and on a cold winter day, with nothing better to do, you can shell a bushel in no time. They save for years, so anytime you want them, they're there waiting for you.

Winter Seedlings and Old Tractors

 Cold front's supposed to be on it's way out, and it is a bit warmer today, despite the wind, so I decided to fire up the tractor. I don't like to let it sit too long between startings, it is 57 years old after all. 

 I had my good friend J.C. bring her jeep over, in case I needed the tractor pulled out and jumped, which I did. After we hooked it up, it turned right over and ran smooth. It's been one of the best purchases of my life.

                                   Here's me looking puzzled, when I saw the battery was dead.

After several nights of low single digit temperatures, and howling winds, I uncovered the cold frame and had a look at the spinach

and turnip seedlings. No problem, 6 out of 7 spinach plants are slowly coming along, and the turnips are looking great. It's almost time to thin them a little. I'm surprised. 

Tools and Water and Such

I t's 12 degrees, with 40 mph gusts and occasional snowflakes. It's a nasty day. One of the most important things in weather like this is, to keep water available to all livestock. I make 3 trips in a day to break ice off troughs, and to carry fresh water to the hens. There are no days off on any size farm. 

 I split wood with a maul, and a wedge. I do use a chainsaw to cut logs to stove length, but I try to keep machinery to a minimum. It

cuts down on shop time. I split wood just about every morning, for about 30 minutes, and by the end of winter, I have next years firewood stacked and ready. 

What you see here, if you use it frugally, can get you about two weeks in a stove, or longer if you get some help from Mother Nature. 

Software to Make My Life Easier

One thing that most people don't know about me is that I'm a programmer. I'm mostly amateur but I've sold a game and some other small things. Nothing major. 

Right now I'm working on a small farm program to keep track of all farm business. At this

point, it's limited to Livestock feed purchases, feed on hand, cost per pound. It also keeps track of feed cost per egg produced, so I will always have information to base sales price on. It's very basic and skeleton right now, but should be finished in a month or so.

Tomato Sprouts

I have some tomatoes sprouting this morning, 4 days after planting. I leave this tub in the window during daytime and at night I cover it, and put it on a heating pad. The pad warms the soil and speeds up germination.

In a few days, I'll start putting the tub under a florescent light in the evenings, until about 9pm. This gives them a lot of light, which is energy, and they'll grow wide and leafy, instead up spindly, which is the problem with a lot of store bought plants.

At about 6 weeks old, I'll put each plant in a separate container and give them as much sun as I can, and start putting them outside on the porch when the temperature allows it. This hardens the plants and gets them ready for the Kansas winds.

Big Strong Goats

 The meat goats are a lot more durable and sturdy than the dairy

does. They're big and strong and don't really pay attention to cold or heat and a lot happier out in the snow eating brush than stuck in the barn all day.

Dog Training

For years my deerhound would kill any chicken she came across. I tried and tried to teach her not to, but she just couldn't help herself. She's not a killer, she's a a chaser, and when she catches whatever she's after, she grabs it, and the result is usually death.

One day, after she'd killed a young cat, I sat down and thought things over a bit more carefully. I came to the conclusion that trying

 
to teach her to ignore her natural tendencies was a mistake, so I decided to start teaching her to walk slowly and carefully around hens and my cats. The idea was that if she didn't spook them, they wouldn't run, and she wouldn't chase.

After 3 years and a few mishaps, I have a dog that has learned the difference between a fox and a cat, a possum and a hen. She's still a great varmint dog, but she's become friends with the cats and she's gentle and calm with the chickens. Now if I could get her to quit eating turds.

Early Early Early

I started my first seeds of the year yesterday. A few tomatoes and peppers is all, but I'm hoping to be ahead of the game when it comes to transplant time. I've never planted this early, and really don't have a clue how it's going to turn out, but I'm thinking I've got a shot at June tomatoes, if everything works out.

I put a heating pad under the pan to warm the dirt and and covered the top with plastic to keep heat and humidity in. When I have germination, I'll put a drop light over them at night, and give them as much sunlight in the window as I can. I'll probably start some squash and cucumbers next month.
I plan on growing these early ones as container plants and eventually moving them to the field. 

New Years Day

 I took a look under the cold frame today. With temperatures

dropping to 6 night before last, I didn't have much hope, but to my surprise, everything looks good. The turnips are growing fast and the spinach is doing a lot better than I thought it would be. 

In all honesty, I thought it would all be dead. It looks like I'll be building more and bigger cold frames next year.