Sorghum Cane Is a Grass

Richard is on a roll weeding the Sorghum Cane.  He 1st starts with the Tiller in between the rows. Then he has to find the Cane Seedlings in the Rows of other Seedlings.  Sorghum Cane is a Grass.  So too is Foxtail.  It is no easy job to figure out which is Cane and which is not.  They look a lot alike.  We really struggled with this in the 1st few years.  But now, the Cane is more easily identifiable.  I am amazed at how fast Richard goes. He surely is taking the lead on this. These are great before and after shots. The Sorghum Cane is happy to have its very own special place.

We Love Onions and Garlic

Yesterday, the Garlic and Onion Harvests were in full swing. Richard and Melanie began the Garlic Harvest.  Richard carefully looked at all the varieties, noting which ones have tops which are turning brown on the tips.  He sorted out those that were the closest to harvest and began digging them.  When complete, Melanie and Richard tied them in bundles by type and hung them in the shed to cure. Curing means that the outer layer goes from a wetter stage (characteristic of underground) to dry paper like covering.  Each of the bundles were marked with signs as to the variety.

The onions were ready to harvest after being laid over for a few days.  Richard began pulling them of the ground.  Melanie and I joined him.

Onions were laid on the ground in the sun to continue the curing process.  Since Rain was expected, Richard and Melanie picked up the Onions and laid them out on tables in the garage.  All told, we have about 400 Onions taken from the ground at this stage.  The biggest one that we found so far weighed in at 1 pound. They surely are not all that big.  We figure we have about 200 pounds total.  And there are more to come.

We love our Onions and our Garlic.

Classes Listed through the Possibility Alliance

We are finding ourselves in the midst of several families who are "homesteading".  We are all trying to live sustainably, but we have many interpretations of that.  Some are off the grid. Almost all are very involved in food production for themselves, and sometimes for others.  One family has a meat CSA.  We are all learning and growing in many ways.  Several have an interest in medicinal herbs.  We enjoy sharing what we know and sharing our questions with our neighbors and friends.  We are definitely learning and growing together.

Previously, the Possibility Alliance has listed classes that they are offering.  This year, they invited others to add to that list and we took them up on it. The 3 C's will be offering 3 classes.  Two are here and the 3rd will be offered at the Possiblity Alliance. Jerry and Michelle Jones at the Kirksville Permaculture Center have posted the calendar.  Check it out if you are interested. Good stuff is happening.

Blueberries

July 3:

Our Blueberries are getting ripe.  Can you believe that?

I made Peach Crumble, which was Gluten free, of course. Melanie suggested Fresh Blueberries would go great with the Crumble.

So she headed with collander in hand to the Blueberry Bushes. This is our 1st big picking of Blueberries on our relatively new bushes. Some of the Berries did not make it into the House. We did not count. Nor did we weigh in.

Commit to Learn

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

People of my Kind

have the mixed up

assumption:

"Anyone can grow food."

It's like

anyone can walk

down the Produce Aisle

at the Grocery Store

and pick out

Lettuce,

Cantaloup,

or Broccoli.

It's the same

as growing Food,

right?

Wrong!

Plus, we have had

for a long time 

a deeply unfortunate,

lowly perception

of Farmers,

who traditionally

are People

of the Earth.

Growing Food

is a highly

sophisticated Craft

between the Human

and the Earth

of Complexity

that we can never

completely know.

We can apologize

for our hubris.

And we

can commit

to learn. 

~~~~

Glinda Crawford, 2011

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Actions in Rain

Just after it got light this morning (about 5:30 a.m.), Richard headed out and began hand weeding the Sorghum Cane.  By the time I was moving around, he had already weeded 4 Rows.  Weeding Sorghum Cane, which is a Grass, is a tedious matter, especially when the Weeds penetrating the Rows are Grass.  "Who among you are Sorghum Cane? Raise your hands please."

I was moving about by a little after 7.  Rain was in the forecast and we knew it would be soon.  Richard and I worked in tandem to finish some of the plantings in the Big Garden.  Those Seeds would be thrilled to be blessed by the Rain.

We finished just in time.  The Rains came and 2 of the C's headed inside.  I heard an urgent call from Max, the Cat.  He was getting the full force of the Rain on the West Porch.  I let him inside. 

"Where's Melanie?" Melanie had headed outside to make sure that the Littles would be OK.  In making sure that they were OK, she came inside dripping. 

We got 1/4 inch from this Rain. For the most part, the Rain was gentle and cooling.  It was so wonderful to have Rain that was gentle.  I had almost forgotten what it was like. Most of our Rain in recent weeks has been accompanied by Storms.  During those times, we are surely on edge.  Instead, today, we just relaxed into this Rain. And we were grateful.

Encounters

Encounter 1:

While Melanie was picking Blueberries, she noted a little Green Bug dart under a leaf.  She looked and noted it was a Praying Mantis, which was just a baby.  Then the Mantis scurried off and she could not find it.  So she continued picking Blueberries. 

I came along and Melanie got excited.  She pointed where the Mantis had been, and there it was again.  I darted off quickly to get the camera.  "Don't scare him," I said. 

Melanie settled down and started to watch him.  The Mantis was facing away, and then turned its head back.  Melanie said, "Hi."  And he scurried under the leaf.  "So cute," she said.  Melanie said she felt like a little kid at her discovery and their interaction.  The Mantis went under the leaf.  Once again, she saw its head look back out at her.  And then the Mantis darted back under the leaf. 

Melanie said that the Praying Mantis was shy.  "It sure was cute to see that little head turn around and look at me again."  The Mantis was less than an inch long and a nice bright new spring green. Praying Mantises can grow from .5 to 6 inches; their heads can turn 180 degrees. Their lifespan in the wild is 12 months. (Source: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/bugs/praying-mantis/)

I took some pictures.  And they did not turn out. 

Encounter 2:

We had a lovely Rainshower today.  Richard watched a Great Crested Flycatcher having a shower during the Shower.  The bird was at the top of the Austree and he was preening.  He seemed to be obviously enjoying himself.

Encounter 3:

After the Rainstorm which packed straight line winds of 80 miles per house the other night, Richard got out the flashlight, shined it about outside.  He noted a little Raccoon on the platform bird feeder.  The Raccoon was sitting there eating Sunflower Seeds.  He was munching away and seemingly saying:  "That was a quite a storm."  After that particular Rainstorm, the Humans were not even considering heading outside and munching on Sunflower Seeds.  But we aren't Raccoons.