Weekend Project

With rain in the forecast we struggle to catch up on all the work we fell behind on during our recent bouts with the flu bug. Autumn bring it's own chores of harvesting as well as preparing the garden for next years bounty. 

We again are mowing compliments of all that rain from Hurricane Isaac. Would you believe we did not have to mow for over a month. The grass went dormant with the heat and lack of rain and just quit growing. That rascal hurricane Isaac looks like he is going to turn around and have another go at us. Sneaky thing!

Not to mention the harvesting of the winter crops. Sweet potatoes to be dug and winter squash to be picked. We are digging the last of the Irish potatoes for storage as well. Pumpkins, butternut squash and even some crook neck squash still bearing. The tomatoes are pretty well over though I still have a cooking in the freezer yet to can. We have a nice patch of turnips coming on though and I hope to can some for the winter of both the green and the roots. . We are down to our last three watermelons but have enjoyed both them and the cantaloupe for the last month or so. They came at a time when fruit was pretty scarce. The peach crop was a bust as well as plums and the apples are still iffy. 

I've blogged all summer about my spring crop of turkeys. They are ready to butcher and if the weather cooperates and we get rain and then cooler temperatures this weekend we plan to start on the butchering of the young turkeys. Turkey breast cutlets, ground turkey and lots of rich turkey broth to can. The freezer and pantry continue to swell and my canning for the year is not nearly over yet. 

So as you can see harvest continues here on the farm but the end is in sight and I have to say we look forward to cooler temperatures of early winter and late fall. It has been a really hot and dry year and that heat is tough on us old folks. Makes us dream of retiring to cooler climates.

Blessings from The Holler

The Canned Quilter