Backyard Farming Connection Monthly Update
We’ve had an unseasonably hot and dry Sept which means the garden is still pumping out some goodness - specifically a lot of raspberries and a few other fruits like quince and apples.
It often feels like a bit of a scavenger hunt looking for everything in the garden and finding it before our resident groundhog find the squash and beans.
A Look Back at the Month
The best part of this past month is getting some things in from the garden and making a few batches of jam and jelly - and by a few batches, I’m pretty sure we have enough jam to get us through the year. We’ve also been freezing some things and trying to fill up our chest freezer.
In case you missed it, I have our jam and jelly bootcamp course up on substack.
Our cut flower bed is winding down right now and while we still have dahlias, zinnias and a few other plants pumping out blooms, thing are starting to take on the tired look of fall.
This also means that we’ve changed out our meal plan from fresh summer dinners of tomatoes to warmer soups and homemade bread. I’ve been putting the sourdough starter to work lately for a few new recipes.
On the animal side of things, we’ve had a lot of predator activity in the area, although nothing impacting us yet. There was a bear who destroyed a chicken coop about 1/4 mile from our house, hawk that is hanging out daily, and we have a nightly chorus of coyotes so we’re being a bit more cautious with the animals for now.
What’s Coming up in October on our Homestead?
I have a lot of clean up planned for the month of October in the garden and a bit of seed saving. We also have some work to do this year on re-winterizing our chicken coop. The coop we built 11 years ago is starting to show its age and needs some general reinforcement and improved insulation.
A Few Things you Might Find Helpful this Month
Homestead Highlight Series - learn about others homesteads
Want to share you’re homestead with others? I’m always looking to feature people who are embracing modern homesteading. Visit the homestead highlights page to share your story.
Modern Homesteading Academy
This month I released another mini-course making jam and jelly as part of the Modern Homesteading Academy. These monthly courses are available to paid subscribers (just $5/month at the moment). Courses include videos, ebooks and/or printable resources. For just $5 - you get access to ALL the courses and ebooks.
Raising Goats
Raising Baby Chicks
Building Soil Health
Making your Own Butter
Introduction to Seed Starting
Applying the Permaculture Principles
Understanding Square Foot Gardening
To get instant access - click the button below and sign up as a paid subscriber to get all the courses.
Happy Homesteading,
Gretchen