The Greenhouse Effect!

Display set up at a local business

I apologize for not blogging for too many weeks to count!  There has been too much going on to even sit still to think about, let alone WRITE about.



I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and if you celebrate Christmas, then I hope it was very merry with lots of family and friends sharing the moments with you.

Felted Valentine Hearts

I received gift items to make my life easier both on the farm and for my business  www.heartfeltbasketsandgifts.com .

Something that I'd wanted for a LONG time, but could never quite decide what type I'd use the most, is a GREENHOUSE!

Well, I got a tiny one for Christmas to allow me to begin to my seeds even earlier.  It's very, very small, but I think that in the long run I will have more success and less frustration.

It's adorable, but sturdy, and I think situated in the right location will enhance its longevity. It's going to be set up in the south-facing guest room!

I can start seeds in this!

I have decided to challenge myself----  85% of what I eat must have been grown on my farm.I won't be starting this challenge until June. At first I thought I may want to begin in March with growing things in cold frames and the greenhouse, but decided that I need to do some more research first on more items I can grow year round here in KY.

My kids have laughed and have asked if I plan to grow peanuts for my PB & J sandwiches (not to mention--Reese's Cups!) My farmer friends have begged me to add the condition "or food that my neighbor grows"! I think they think that I will starve if left to my own device! Hmmph! It makes me all the more determined to prove I can.

It's not that I don't know where my food comes from, so this isn't a "get in touch with the food chain" sort of activity. Nor does this stem from many of the other terrorist scenarios I hear frequently.  This is really just a challenge to make life more interesting for me on the farm!  (hee, hee)

Not too many years ago, most people did have a garden because it was necessary...not just a hobby! Usually, every year we grow the typical garden vegetables, plus we also have the berries and fruit trees that produce different fruits for several months. Up until now, we have mostly just eaten things fresh from the garden and canned jams, jellies, pickles, etc. But, now I plan to plant enough vegetables for canning produce to last a year.

Christmas Day (evening), I made Orange
Marmalade from organic oranges from
family living in Florida.

I have a wonderful pressure canner that will begin to get a heavier work-out! I will NEVER forget the time last year after I had canned some green beans, I asked my farmer neighbor if he had a few extra beans that I could have or buy so that I could can a few more quarts. He showed up later that day with the flatbed of his truck piled high with the bean plants!! He told me I could have them all, if I didn't mind "picking" them!
I stood there with a bewildered look on my face!