I didn't finish the chicken coop yesterday, but I got to a good start! Got a couple pallets taken apart for wood and made a nice cute little plan in my head. No pics of that cause it's an enormous mess, but eventually it'll be a big step towards cleaning up the back porch and beautify the garden.
I felt a few hours in advance that it was going to rain, and decided to give the corn some more time. I took some pictures as I took the kernels off the corn. I don't know the word for that process. Here are some of the prettier small cobs that we will be eating. Around a hundred small cobs yielded 1 pound 3.3 ounces.
This one, though small, got saved for seed. I love the color and want to see more of it next year. Maybe we'll get some more. I think it looks like blood washing off of slate.
Hot pink kernels!
These are all colors of painted mountain corn. What beautiful food! 😍
Twelve of the fifteen cobs we saved for seed.
So nearly a hundred small cobs yielded a little over a pound, and fifteen larger cobs yielded nearly half a pound. That's why I'm saving the big ones for the next planting's genetics. Those plants did better here with our soil, so those had naturally stronger genes for this property. The product of this work will be what's called a land race, a variety of crop that's developed to a certain place. I hope to dedicate more space to bulk food crops like corn next year, so I'll likely be looking for another local grower to buy more seeds from. If none can be found, I'll either bring in another retail seed source or I'll just stick with the seeds I have. I'll definitely be spreading out the area I plant in, hoping for a better harvest by decreasing competition, so these seven ounces of better adapted genetics are probably plenty. This year I started with eight retail ounces from fedco seeds. Of course, the low yield is 100% on me and my growing style. I don't expect these results are typical.
Crate!
I picked this crate up earlier this week with the intent of using it for a coop. It's pretty small, but I don't plan on making a space for more than six hens. It's gonna be a cute little number with a single pitch slat roof and shutters. I put Melissa in charge of picking colors, so I bet it comes out yellow. I'm gonna make a tray that slides out the bottom under the roosts and one side that opens for easy cleaning, along with some nesting boxes mounted underneath where it'll be safe and dry. Now I just have to come up with a place to put the thing... Well, and then build it.
Today was training. No pics because no phones at training. Was a good day meeting folks, forming community, and foraging a tad. Lots of fungi all over the place, and y'all should have seen this tree covered in turkeytails! I didn't harvest any though, I'm not in need and they have a job to do. Got a good sunburn in the solstice morning sun, and I've been resting since. Tomorrow is probably more rest, it does a body good.
After training the guys came over and we talked garden. I was able to give about 30 comfrey root cuttings to a couple guys that are getting into gardening and rabbitry. We're all pretty into the food independence stuff, which is awesome. Having a digital community that's about food liberty is different than a physical community.
Yesterday was a busy day, today has been much less busy. Hopefully having friends over tomorrow for a bit of restful catching up while Melissa and the kids are at her mom's for her niece's birthday. We'll see how it goes!
Love from Texas
Nate 💚