From: "Sage Austin | Eureka! Design" <eureka AT hctc.net>
To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: Re: [Homestead] Farm Update
Date: Fri, 02 Oct 2009 13:45:58 -0500
Lately I have been too busy to post, but here's our farm update.
Our farm was a total loss this year. With 3 summer months of consistent
103-110 degree weather without rain nothing produced very well, even on
drip irrigation. Across the creek out of 100 tomato plants we canned
only 3 quarts, and our large pumpkin patch produced only one small
tennis ball sized melon which the dog ate when I left it on the table. I
harvested one half quart of dried green dent corn. I would have had an
entire quart if the mice hadn't found the drying cobs first. From the
regular garden we had a handful of summer squash and cow peas, a large
rogue pumpkin, and ate our fill of kale. The onions and garlic did well.
The new pullets have only now started laying, and the original 18 hens
only laid 0-3 eggs a day because of the heat. We lost a good hen to heat
exhaustion.
For the past two months our pioneer hand dug well has been dry. Our
river shriveled to 2 feet wide and 4 inches deep. A neighbor drilled a
deep, $15K sulfurous well and has passed a hose through the fence. Our
10 year old apple trees died. My husband built an outdoor shower and we
are beginning to smell like rotten eggs. I carry 5 gal buckets to the
animals and house to flush, wash dishes, and clothes by hand. We buy
drinking water at the store. This is exhausting, expensive and not in
our budget. We have assembled the supplies to build a solar water
distiller. Water has almost become a full time job. Recently we've had
10 inches of rain, but the well is still dry because it has not fallen
in our recharge zone.
The good news is we are both healthy and employed. We have taught a lot
of free organic gardening seminars for Healthy Harvest and our small
town now has a store allowing us to sell our eggs, produce, cheese, etc.
I'm giving a seminar on chickens next week.
--Sage
Way Out in Texas
www.flowerweaver.blogspot.com