My Dad...hard at his passion. I am so thankful that he has taught
us how to sow and reap, to tend and care for,
to process and put up healthy food for our family.
He doesn't stop...from sun up to sun down, he is taking care of his "baby".
Jerromy and Andrew...now Mariah is getting old enough to handle the
EXTREME heat at times...they have all got the chance to learn under his
very tough and old fashioned style of gardening, harvesting and selling of goods. Until recent years, my dad used our quarter horse, Bourbon, to plow acre upon acre of garden. With Bourbon's death, a part of my dad died as well. I think he could never have put another horse to plow, for feeling it was betrayal to his best friend. They spent more hours and sweat together than anyone else I can imagine. My dad gave my husband and me the inspiration to homestead for our family. He is a simple man. He believes in the "old way" of doing things.....you know, "By the sweat of a man's brow". That way of doing things is becoming harder and harder to find. I see the impact that he has made on my children, and I can only hope to carry the torch on when he sweats his last drop.
Peas and potatoes......YUM!!!!
ANdrew and Mariah will pick bucket after bucket of peas pretty soon ;o)
Corn...sweet and field....we eat it all!
Some healthy rows! THankfull for all the rain we have gotten thus far!!!
This is the hill that sustained our family growing up. On 7 acres, my dad planted
and harvested and sold goods enough to sustain our large family. We grew and hunted or fished for our own meat, so groceries were limited to staple items and junk food. Now, my dad plants about
25-30 acres of land because he is retired and needs more to do. He works my kids pretty good during the summer. Andrew makes his money working with him. He is a good saver, so he only has to work 3 or 4 months to have his spending money for the whole year.
Jerromy.....spends as it is placed in his hand.
This hill seemed so big as a kid....I think time and rain have washed some
of it's hill-i-ness away....maybe some age as well. ;o)
my right hand man
my wiggle worms
the MESS MAKER ~SUPREME
The animal expert
sweetheart!!!
:o)
My mom and the girls making the bunny cake
season's first jewels.....YUM! THESE are my fav...
until the blueberries are ready anyway :o)
MORE Mulberries...the girls have realized that they can pick them
and save them for a pie....so we have quite a few mulberry pies in our future!
Dewberries....DELISH!!!!
What is the difference between dewberries and mulberries? or am I missing something? Also, I have a jam question. :)
ReplyDeleteI made strawberry jam out of 40 lbs of strawberries. But it didn't gel. :( I put it in a waterbath for about 20 minutes. I'm thinking of just using it for stawberry syrup over pancakes, in scones, muffins, smoothies. But I'm nervous it will mold or be bad when I open it. I did what you said regarding checking the seals for the first few days. and they all stayed sealed. Is 20 minutes of water bathing good enough ?
Dewberries are like blackberries...but they grow close to the groun on smaller bushes, and they are usually smaller and not as sweet as blackberries. They also grow in the spring. Blackberries grow on vines usualy right after the dewberries have faded away. Mulberries, on the other hand, grow on a tree. We have had ours planted for about 6 years. They usually produce in a couple of years. Every year, they produce more and more. Mulberries have a different flavor all together. They are SUPER sweet and they haren't bitter at all...VERY YUMMY!:o)
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