Re-cap fall and winter 2015

Well, obviously, I have been so enthralled with the ease of posting on Instagram that I've ignored my good ol' blog. So, for those of you who don't follow me on Instagram, here's a recap of the last months of 2015.

My time was taken up by continuing the development of the native and edible plant gardens through the rest of the summer. (I enjoyed the "fruits" of my labor A LOT)

Our raspberry hedge was a big producer and picking was enjoyed by all of us.

Aronia berry scones. The Aronia (chokeberry) bushes were also producing in their first year and are super-easy to grow.
We were happy to discover that, when cooked, they taste just like blueberries.

I also expanded the chicken coop to aid in amiable chicken relationships through the winter. Our two roosters and 12 hens seem to be making it work in their new space. But Donny, our head rooster, developed a very protective attitude while we were away on our late summer trip to Italy (yes, it was a blast!).

Construction of the coop addition required a rooster barricade!

Brent devised a portable solar charging station that houses the inverter, charge controller and battery. We are still working on right-sizing our systems. But it will certainly be handy for keeping water thawed in the winter and running the small pumps for the cisterns in the summer.

Portable solar battery charging system. Notice the expanded coop in the background.

The biggest accomplishment: The Greenhouse! It's done :-)

Figuring out the windows/framing walls

Brent on the roof matching up the peaks/creating flashing

All closed up!

Of course, there was a TON more to it than these pictures show. Brent worked every spare minute and even took time off of his full-time day job to make sure the space was done before the cold set in. And I couldn't be more pleased to have this invaluable part of our farm infrastructure functioning. It's been an awesome place to work.

My own big accomplishment last fall was the establishment of the first of our vegetable plots. It's a small space, as market gardens go, but I didn't want to bite off too much more than I could handle for our first year.

Two feet deep mulch to start our no-till garden system. My hands are still recovering from all the raking!

I also readied a space using the same deep mulch system for the 20'X40' high tunnel that we will erect prior to fall 2016.

There's so much more that's happened. Hopefully, this little recap gives you a taste of where we ended the season last year.

Next up, the beginnings of our first season farming!

More chickens...and eggs!

So we've added a few new characters to our little menagerie - 7 more hens.

Some of the new hens on their first day at our farm.

We discovered, for sure, that two of our seven little chicks are roosters. We knew that Donny (formerly Dott) was a rooster. He's been crowing for a month already. But Thistle, even though he looked like a rooster to me, had never crowed. Never, that is, until August 2nd.

Unfortunately, two roosters will need more than five hens. That means we either needed to get rid of one of our roosters, which would break my heart, or find more hens. And, if we got more hens, we needed more coop - and fast!

Lucky for me, I got an email from a nearby farmer needing to sell some of his older, less productive laying hens. Perfect! So I started building onto the coop, adding 10 more square feet of floor space and another next box. And by August 6th we had 7 more hens. All of that was a lot harder than you might think. I generally do not move that fast ;-)

And this was our first egg the next morning.

 Our new, mature hens are too old to lay an egg a day. We're happy with that, though, because we couldn't eat a dozen eggs every day! They are doing just fine and have added a lot of fun and goofy chicken stories to our days as they have gradually found their place with our younger chickens. Finding an egg or 3 everyday when I open the next boxes is nothing short of delightful. I absolutely love having chickens - and I am so glad we could keep both roosters.

Aren't these pretty?! Those bluish eggs are from
the two new (mature) Americauna hens: Heidi and Snow

More alpaca mowing and one lesson learned

So far, we haven't mowed anything with our mower. Okay, maybe we did mow over a path that I'd cut with my scythe. But that was just to test the mower.

We are still trying to figure out how to create an easy to move temporary fence for the alpacas. They are pretty good at mowing and it seems a shame to waste all this food - alpaca food, that is.

Our latest attempt uses fiberglass, step-in posts and plastic snow fence.

The boys enjoying a morning munch of fresh grass.

As you can see in the photo it's a little floppy. For the most part, it worked. Until Loki discovered clover on the other side of the fence. He must have found a low spot and then reached over. And, before we knew it, his neck had pushed the fence low enough that he just hopped over. I'm still hopeful that we can use this to divide the larger pasture and rotate them onto new grass. It's pretty light and easier to move. But for areas where they could be loose, like the front yard, this won't be secure enough. :-(

So the real lesson that we learned was in regard to the chickens - and it has nothing to do with fences, really. Remember how I mentioned that Doogle (our beagle) might not be safe around chickens?

A mouthful of feathers - Doogle's mouth.

Our free-ranging chickens came up close to the house one morning. And Sunny, being a little slower than the rest, was relieved of a few beautiful tail feathers by our sweet dog.

Whew! That was close and, for me, relatively painless. Not sure how Sunny feels about it.

So, really, we learned two lessons and, luckily, neither one cost us much.

Chickens are in the coop and acting very grown up

Well, we found out, for sure, today that Dot is Nottadot (or Donny, we haven't landed on a good name that isn't female). He crowed for me this morning!

Here's Donny!

I had a great time building that chicken coop out of the salvaged lumber and the construction waste we have accumulated. With all the rain, it was helpful to get the corrugated roof on so things could stay dry. And it must have been comfortable also, because it very quickly attracted a pretty kitty, Patches. She started sleeping in the nest boxes. And now we have adopted her :-)

Patches, our new barn cat checking out the pop door on the coop.

So, after I finished all of the doors, Patches started staying in the Summer Kitchens and the chickens started living in their coop. It's been about 2 weeks and they have adjusted very well. It only took them 2 days to start going back in at night on their own, which is A LOT easier than chasing them around the run (good thing Brent didn't think fast enough to get a video; it would've gone viral). I still give them a night light when I close their door, but I didn't end up camping out like I thought I would.

Their first trip out the pop door and down the ramp to the run.

Today, I actually let them out of the run. Well, only 5 of them - Basil and Rae couldn't find the door. We've noticed how much they love to eat grass, so I risked giving them a few minutes of freedom to find out how easy it will be to get them back to the run. And, after they pecked around a little off the edge of the concrete (and Thistle made a trip around the side of the run), I shooed them back in very easily.

Donny and three girls checking out the real ground
(Thistle is in the background with his tail in the air)

I think tomorrow they will get a good taste of the real outdoors. And I'll take Doogle over to see them on a leash. He may be the most dangerous predator around! Luckily, his wireless fence keeps him away from the coop. Now we just need to teach the chickens to run the right direction if they cross into his space. 

Okay, so maybe there is no teaching a chicken, but I'm trying it anyway!

Rain, rain, rain...

It has been a very wet Spring here in eastern Kansas. Luckily, Brent and I aren't trying to get crops harvested and/or planted like all the farmers we know. It's been a real struggle for them.

Our biggest struggle with this weather has been staying cheerful while the weeds take over the new lawn and the chickens grow like weeds!

We have managed to take advantage of the occasional sunny day to work on things around here. But the ground is soaked and water is standing everywhere - so progress is slow. As always, there are things to smile about - like this vision of beauty out our window:

The rain drenched deck

In spite of the rain, the guy that is helping us finish out the barn has also been able to make a little progress for the alpacas. He's finished the roof and the west side. And since it's dry in there now, we took a little time to move things around. The boys have a lot more space inside to get in out of the rain these days.

Walt standing by the feeder in the middle of the "spacious" barn

We also expanded their pasture. I posted a fun picture on Instagram of Brent and me splattered with mud. You can see it there if you search for either Patti Ragsdale or gardenrambler. Brent figured out how to set the telephone pole posts even though the holes we had drilled were full-to-the-top with water. And putting up one of the posts created a muddy rain shower that was pretty amazing - and very picture-worthy.

Getting up 4 of the 14 posts for the fence along the draw created enough fence line to move the pasture space out another 100 feet to the east. Brent, Logan and Jeremy strung some new wire fence last week and herded the boys into the newly available tall grass. The alpacas love to nose through all that grass to find the clover and eat it first.

Loki checking out the clover in the newly expanded pasture.

My most pressing project is the chicken coop. Even though it's only 4 foot by 5 foot, it's a big project for me and is taking way too long (as always). But, between rains over the last 3 weeks, I've made quite a bit of progress. And it's a good thing because the chicks are pretty much chickens now. They are pretty crowded in their "expanded" brooder.

The very beginning of the coop.

A view of the nest boxes and egg door at the end of the day yesterday.

So we are making progress - just slow because we are literally walking through mud. We should start moving a little faster in the weeks to come because, as of last week, I'm "retired" from my corporate job. I'm a full-time, focused farmer - or something like that these days :-)

In spite of all the rain that's slowing been things down, Brent and I have taken time to enjoy the fruits of our farm. Last weekend we walked out to the east-most border of our property to see if the mulberry tree had ripe berries. And it had a ton! Of course, we only picked what we could reach...and then we made a cobbler. It was really good - tasted like figs!

Mulberries

There just isn't any end to the things to do. And that's a really good thing because most of those tasks are outside in this beautiful place. And, even though I already miss the constant interaction with the wonderful people I worked with at Hallmark, this new farm-focused job will give me a lot of things to smile about - and, hopefully, the space and freedom to share with friends.

The new prairie garden is in - and a chicken update

Well, I finally finished getting the plants in the ground. And I've pulled all the invading grass and added the first layer of mulch. Of course, I'm not really finished. There are always loose ends - like the un-mulched rain garden. But it's nearly there!

Here's a photo of the garden along the path that I've finished:

Looking toward the house from the parking area

Looking from the front porch

It's pretty exciting to have almost all the plants in the ground. Some of them are already sprouting new growth. We've had many rainy days thats helped a lot to keep everything well hydrated while the little transplants waited for mulch. I just finished yesterday - a good 3 weeks after I purchased the plants.

In addition, there are a lot of seedlings making their appearance in the areas where we spread the super-expensive native wildflower and grass seed. I don't think they are losing the battle against "weeds." But, given that everything is coming up at once, it's pretty hard to tell - except where we spread buffalos grass seed. In those "lawn" areas it's very easy to see the weeds. So far, the little grass seedlings seem to be pretty darn tough. And, with any luck, I can pull the weeds and fill-in with plugs from other areas as soon as the ground has a few days to dry out.

Meanwhile, our little chicks are looking more like fully-feathered chickens everyday. We moved them into their new temporary home a week ago and they love it. They are much more active with room to run. And it's been very fun watching them on their new roost. They are also getting a few greens now and then which adds a new form of entertainment to our evenings: watching chicken rugby.

Here's a picture I posted on Instagram of the ladies as they first explored their new space:

The ladies in their modified dog kennel/chicken run.

I'm still trying to find time to build their coop. Balancing the urgency of the different things needing attention has been tough because I'm wrapping up the last few days of my corporate job. I think this is the weekend for building their new home, though. It kind of has to be. They are nearly covered with feathers!

It'll be hard to leave the little ladies out in their official big-girl house/coop - especially the first night. I'm going to have to fortify their run to make it a little Fort Knox, I think. And maybe I sleep in a tent next door or something. Yes, a camp out, that should help, right? :-S

Chickens and lots of plants

So it's been several weeks since I've written a post and I think it's time to catch up!

Brent and I have been super-busy trying to establish gardens between rainstorms before the luscious and tough prairie grasses take over. There is just never enough time or it rains every weekend. So I've been using up vacation time during the work week to get our native and edible perennials in the ground.

All of this busy-ness is really my own fault. I've been ordering online and buying at various sales in attempts to establish a sensible garden that utilizes the different micro-climates and habitats available around the house. It's mind boggling thinking through each plant's needs as well as bloom time, leaf texture and height as it relates to the plants around it. I'm sure I've messed it up. But, if my last native garden is any indication, it won't matter. It will be beautiful no matter what I do. As soon as I have everything in the ground (hopefully this week), I will post a "before" picture.

Here is what I posted on Instagram after attending the Powell Gardens Members-only Preview Plant Sale:

Plants purchased at Powell Gardens Spring Plant Sale

I didn't count the plants, but I know it was more than 30. I am probably most excited about the big leaved plants in the photo. They are the 3 hardy figs. I am planting those in front of the big rock retaining walls. In those spots they should get a lot of winter protection as well as good moisture. I'll add a border to "raise" the soil level for create good drainage. I'm pretty excited at the potential for growing those sweet fruits here in Kansas.

Asparagus update: many of the plants have spears up and some of those are already starting to leaf out. They are growing at different rates. Of the 4 beds we planted, the bed on the East end is sprouting the slowest. I'm speculating that it gets less sun than the other beds.

The other big news is our little chicks: 2 Buff Orpingtons, 2 Barred Plymouth Rock, 2 Ameraucana, and one Black Sex Link.

Our baby chickens on their first day at home

They fit easily in a 40 Gallon water tub when we brought them home. But now, 2 weeks later, they've grown considerably. I'm working today to finish a "cage" that is about twice the size of their current space. And it will be taller, allowing them to have a roost and space to run around. The only one we know for certain is a hen is the Black Sex Link (Basil). I'm hopeful they are all hens. I guess one rooster might be fun, too. We shall see :-)

Here are a couple of recent pictures:

Basil strutting her adolescent stuff.

Just about the entire crew. Blondie is the big Ameraucana on the left
with the puffy cheeks. She may be a he.

Meanwhile, as a Mother's Day gift for me, Brent, his dad and Jeremy worked to cut down the tall grass around the old dog run that will become our little ladies' run. The also used the rough sketch of a coop I gave them to create the frame for the floor of the coop. That is my next big project!

The "girls" will be almost entirely feathered before I know it. So I better work fast (not like me)!

New trees, new pasture, rain and a 4-wheel drive lesson

Last weekend I was excited to bring home 3 native trees/shrubs from the Missouri Prairie Foundation annual sale at the City Market in Kansas City. The sale is continuing this coming weekend, too. But I am doing everything I can to control the urge to buy more until I've planted what I already have.

Lucky for me, I was able to pre-order my plants from Eric Lovelace at the Forrest Keeling Nursery. He had everything I was looking for. And pre-ordering meant there was very little time to shop and bring home more - at least not many more (I only bought 9 little ones). The three trees I bought were a White Fringe Tree, an American Smoke Tree and an Ozark Witch Hazel. And I got them into the truck and headed home just before the first downpour of the weekend started.

Ozark Witch Hazel waiting to be planted.

We had also made some plans to take our non-functioning riding lawn mower to a guy across town the same day. He had a working rider that could use our leaf bagger AND would give us some trade-in for our old mower. So I was anxious to get the mower in the trailer, hooked up to the truck and out of the tall grass that was rapidly enveloping it.

Unfortunately, I needed a lesson in patience (and the limits of 4-wheel drive in mud).

I got Old Blue good and stuck in the mud :-(

Needless to say, the mower didn't go anywhere. Until today, that is. The downpours ended overnight and Brent was able to get the truck unstuck on Sunday. Today (Tuesday) he was able to take the riding mower to a local small engine repair shop. With any luck, they will have the old mower working by May 1st. Meanwhile, we have a push mower, two scythes…and alpacas!

The boys got the opportunity to munch on some really luscious new pasture as the weather cleared on Sunday. Brent had the great idea to create a little temporary pasture for them (we needed to buy more wire, anyway) and use them as mowers. So we created a walk gate in the fence between the water hydrant and the west barn door for them to walk through. Just outside the gate is a dog run and also a lot of old junk (like an entire waterbed, and fence panels and car parts) left by the previous owners. I'm hoping to use the area for a chicken yard but all that junk makes it nearly impossible to mow. So we placed t-posts and attached 100' of new wire fence around the grass-covered junk. And we let the boys have the run of it!

Our alpacas checking out the fresh grass - notice Ace in the upper right getting ready to roll.

I've never seen our alpacas so obviously excited. Nor was I aware until then how much they enjoy destroying small trees. The baby elm and Bradford pear trees in their new area were no match for their antics. The boys attacked them with delight. They walked over them, chewed and chest butted them until they broke. Then they ate the leaves. The boys were also swinging their heads on their long, skinny necks through the grass, apparently, to make sure there were no animals in there. Then they would cush and roll around on their backs. Like I said, they were very animated, obviously enjoying their new spot.

Loki (the white one) pretty much engulfed in grass.
He had already rolled and is now burying his nose in the goodness of the fresh food.

By Tuesday, the junk that had been overgrown by grass was mostly exposed. By this weekend, we should be able to clean the junk out of the area and mow. Pretty impressive work by our not-so-fuzzy boys!