Homesteading During the Quarantine

 My little granddaughter has gotten used to having blueberry sauce on pancakes and waffles when she comes to Nana's house with whipped cream on top.  It's a luscious breakfast and one of our favorites for sure.  When I took her home last week she told her daddy that she wouldn't eat the pancakes without blueberry sauce.  That remark got me in high gear.

I think I still have about 6 gallons of frozen blueberries in the freezer, so I decided to can some blueberry sauce for my gal.  The recipe usually makes just 1 pint so I decided to quadruple it.  When I first began to stir it over the heat I realized that something was wrong.  I had measured out 8 times the amount of orange juice, so I quickly had to add enough of the other ingredients to multiply the recipe by 8.  This is a very aggravating problem, as I'm a math teacher.  I was berating myself and wondering how I could make such a terrible error.  However, the berries cooked up well, the sauce was canned and now my sweet gal can have pancakes for supper with blueberry sauce - even if Nana isn't there!

Our favorite blueberry sauce takes 2 cups of blueberries (either frozen or fresh), 1/2 cup of orange juice, 2.5 Tablespoons of sugar, a Tablespoon of cornstarch and 1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon.  Bring to a boil and cook until the sauce is thickened.  It just takes a few minutes for the sauce to turn from cloudy to berry colored.  I've never canned it before, but I'm going to ask Maggie the next time I see her she liked it.


Since I had some blackberry juice that was canned, I decided to also make some blackberry syrup to pour over the waffles or pancakes and got that added into the mix that morning.  I've never tried blackberry syrup over pancakes before, but the recipe was pretty tasty.

Duke Blueberries 5.10.20

Here is a picture of today's view of blueberries.  The berries are growing and gaining a tint of lavender.  It's neat to see how they change as time goes on.  I think this variety is duke - the earliest variety that we grow.

Black Mac

We planted Black Mac, a variety of black raspberries, last year and should be picking these this year.  They have the largest thorns of any plant on our property.  It's a must to wear gloves when trying to prune or trellis them.  We shall see if we end up keeping them.  It's not so fun to press your fingers into thick thorns, but I do love the beautiful little flowers on the plant.

I'll save my pictures of sourdough bread until I have a loaf that looks good.  Sourdough is a nice little experiment but it may take a different cook to get the best results!

Until next time!

May Flowers

Natchez Blackberries 5.4.20 - Row 3

They say that April showers bring May flowers, and May flowers bring June blueberries - but it's even better when those flowers in April turn to little green berries in May.  Now we can see that some of the blackberries made it through the freeze of April 15th and are already forming berries.

Freeze damage on Natchez

Sadly, we can also see the blooms that turned black in the center and were bit by the freeze.You can check the picture to the right and find the ones that the freeze affected.  However,  we definitely didn't lose the whole crop!

Blueray blueberries

The blueberries are beginning to gain some size and though they should have experienced some freeze damage, I'm not seeing it yet.  They look pretty normal  with the normal amount of berries if not more berries than usual. 

This last weekend I saw a bunny bouncing in the patch; it was hard to get a close shot on him as he was busy bouncing away!  It's those sweet little things that bring joy while you're out on the farm - bunnies, roses, sunshine and flourishing fat, green berries moving and ripening in the breeze.

       God is good - all the time!

Spring has sprung!

Blueray Blueberries in the upper field

I love when the fields turn green, the berries bloom and the crop is underway and visible to the naked eye.  I often wonder and estimate as I look at the new bloom just the number of days until that bloom will be fruit, ripe for the picking.  Will it be 6 weeks?  Will it be more?  Will hail knock it off or will a late freeze nip it in the bud?

We did have a late freeze this year, in fact two of them.  Our in-resident expert on freeze damage at the University of Arkansas sent a notification that berries in bloom will be lost if the temperature goes below 28 degrees.  Our field did get below 28 degrees to 26 degrees.  We were worried that the bloom would turn brown and fall off the bush, but you can see from the picture that if that occurred, there were also berries that didn't fall off the bush!  We may have a slight damage from the freeze, but we are expecting a crop come June!

We also wondered about our blackberries; they had just begun to bloom when the late freeze occurred.  It's unclear at this point how much loss we sustained on the blackberries, but once again, there are still blooms opening and it looks like we will have a good blackberry harvest.

Osage Blackberry

The raspberries weren't in bloom when the freeze occurred, so there shouldn't be any damage to the raspberries from the freeze.  They are just beginning to bloom right now and in all the field the bumblebees and honey bees are busily working the flowers and pollinating the crop.  You almost have to watch your step as you walk through the rows.  Sometimes a bumblebee will bump into your shoulder as they zoom across the row.  Their work is cut out for them!  I'm sure our work will ramp up come the middle of June.

Nova raspberry with honey bee on bloom.

In this crazy new world of being in a pandemic we are cautiously working our way through just how to manage the picking of the crop.
We are planning to offer soap and water to wash before entering and after exiting the field.  Plans are being made to sterilize the buckets and we hope to use plastic bag liners in the buckets.  Signs will be up to maintain a 6 foot social distancing guideline throughout the field and we plan to wear gloves and masks as we work in the barn.  We are going to be accepting credit cards with a tap on the Square, cash, check, or Venmo payment.

Will we get everything absolutely right?  I'm not sure about that.  However, I can promise that we will try to do our best.  We are just human but know that in the craziness of life there is a hope that is steadfast and sure, that never fails.  Our hope and prayers during this pandemic and the uncertainty in life is in Jesus.  I'm thankful for a faith that sustains me and am grateful for the blessings and joys to be found in this life of mine.

Duke blueberry in bloom

Sweet blessings in my life!

Red, Black and Blues!

Nova Raspberries 6.11.18

Reds are In

The raspberries look like the sun has brought them out of their green state.  We need more rain and lots of water; I believe we're experiencing a drought right now.  However, you can see from the picture that they're still trying to give us a crop.

Not only are the Nova raspberries ripe, the Royalty are just beginning.  I'm not sure if you've seen the purple berries that look like a flour de lis, but you can tell that they are true "royalty" when you make the connection!  They are Les' favorite raspberry.  He thinks they taste like Dr Pepper.

We also have a berry that is Burgundy when ripe that is called a Wye berry.  I'm not sure if I've spelled that correctly, but it's supposed to be a cross between a raspberry and a blackberry.  They're pretty yummy as well and about as big as a large blackberry.  Just make sure they're dark Burgundy when picked!

Natchez Blackberries

Blacks Begin!

Tomorrow, June 12th, will be our first picking of the blackberries.  Last year we had a couple of different varieties of blackberries, but Les took out the Ouachita blackberries and only has the Natchez now.  They are good producers and are really large sweet berries.

We only have these berries in our top patch - up the hill behind our house, so head up the hill if you want to pick the blacks.

I don't expect there will be that many gallons ready to pick tomorrow.  You can see there are more red than black.  However, we have 3 long rows of the blackberries so there will be at least 6 gallons, I would imagine.

Blues Abound!

I didn't take a picture of the blueberries this morning, but nearly all of our varieties have blue on them today.  I think even the Ozark Blue had a couple of blues here and there on them; they finish up our season around July 4th to 10th.  So, there should be good picking this week in a variety of places.  

The Duke variety is close to finished, but whatever is left on this variety should be looking really blue.  Their berries decline in size with each picking, so they are small at this stage, but would make great muffin berries.

If you have a day to come out and feel the sun, the breeze, and hear the cries of birds flying by, head on out!  Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, 7 to noon is the plan!  As you pick you can think with me - "God is good.  All the time!"  We are so blessed to enjoy the blessings of life on the farm.  See you soon!

Sunny days!

Duke Blueberries 6.3.18

 Duke Days. . .

Well, we were open yesterday for blueberry picking on just the Duke variety (since nothing else was ripe).  Here you can see a couple of pictures of the blueberries after the picking.  Can you tell that we didn't have enough people picking?

Since there are so many that are blue on this variety, we are planning to open up on Monday night, June 4th, from 5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. and get an extra slot of picking in.

I made it out to pick some berries after the customers left yesterday and found a few clouds to cover me and a light breeze to keep me cool.  It was some nice picking!  Entire clusters at points are ready to just fall into the bucket.

Closeup of Duke

I also put my niece and hired hands to work helping me pick berries.  It's great to have a little competition going.  They were comparing their levels and trying to see who could pick the fastest.

The sunny, warm days are bringing the rest of the crop into ripeness as well.  Today I looked right next to this variety and noticed that the Top Shelf, Blue Ribbon and Pimlico varieties are turning blue.  That means the Bluejay and the Blue ray will probably also be turning this week and ready to pick by Saturday.

Sweet summertime!  I love this life of warm days, cool breezes here and there and berries to pop in my bucket.

God is good - all the time!

Heat Popping Blues!

Early Blue Variety

Duke variety on the top of hill (by the house)

Well, the 90 degree weather is making the Duke variety pop out the blues.  I picked a handful this afternoon and they're tasting pretty good.  We had thought that the late freeze would make the berries hold off on ripening until mid-June, but these 90 degree temps and high heat index numbers are popping the blue right out!

Duke Blueberries 5.28.18

We're planning to be open on Saturday morning 7.2.18 for picking on this variety of blueberries.  We don't have that many rows of Duke, but there's enough for a few people to pick.  There are 3 half rows in the valley and 4 rows up the hill by the house so there should be several gallons there by Saturday to start the season off!

So - see you soon picking the Duke!

Sunny Days - Rainy Afternoons

Well, I walked through the fields last night and took my normal shortcut through the blueberries, to the raspberries and across the wire trellis to the blackberries.  I thought I could handle that move just fine - I have done it for years.  However, this time the wire trellis caught my foot and I fell to the ground and did a big roll toward the blackberries.

I told Les that I'm going to have to give up crossing that wire trellis.  I'm liable to break my hip the next time I try crossing it!  Thankfully I'm fine, although I did find a small tick on my arm when I went in the house!  I guess tick season is here.

Flowering Natchez Blackberries 5.23.18

You can see that the blackberries are growing and looking big.  If we keep having the sunny, warm weather and the good rains it will move them upwards in size and maturity.

I think it will be a large crop this year, but to tell the truth the blackberries have really been a big producer for the last few years.  They aren't having any problems at all.

Duke Blueberries 5.23.18

The blueberries are growing in size, but still green.  I think the first variety may be ready to pick in about 10 days, but it depends on the heat and the rains that we get in the next few days.

I noticed that some of the berries have little whiskers sticking out of their middle.  A few years ago we had a large part of our crop have the little whiskers sticking out and with our late freeze, I think it may have to do with where they were in the flowering stage when the freeze came.

Perhaps part of the flower remained and the stamens are stuck in that center spot.  I'll try to grab a picture of some berries that show that more clearly.

Nova Raspberries 5.23.18

The raspberries are getting larger.  There are still some that are blooming, but you can tell that some berries are set and beginning to grow.  It doesn't look like there will be a big crop of these Nova raspberries.  However, there are some.  I guess you have to count your blessings where you can!

We have a purple variety of raspberries called "Royalty" that look healthier and more vigorous.  Les thinks that they will have a good crop this year, but it is different than the normal look for a raspberry.  It's shaped like a heart and is purple when ripe.  They're also a later berry than the Nova and typically don't ripen until we've been picking berries for a few weeks.

So, God is good - all the time!  I'm thankful I didn't break my hip while crossing the wire trellis and thankful that I saw the tick crawling up my arm.  It's wonderful to have any kind of crop so I can look forward to good days ahead.  See you soon!

May Update

Blueray variety of blueberries 5.16.18

A Rainy May-Day!

I thought you might like to see the progress of the berries toward the ripening stage.  I believe the cold weather and late freeze has slowed the berries so that we are looking at an opening of the fields around the middle of June.  This is a little later than normal, but it's to be expected with the cold temperatures that we had.

The variety shown to the left is one that we've had a long time.  It produces a large sweet berry and somehow is still thriving and doing well - even after 25 years of being planted.  Some of our other plants we've replaced, but this one is actually an old planting on our property.

We can see this group of rows from our patio window and often see bunny rabbits bouncing around under the plant bushes or deer grazing in the newly planted field next to it.

Duke variety of blueberries

Just a few years ago, we planted an acre with several new variety of plants and picked on those rows for the first time last season.  The variety you see to the right is an early producer and ripens early in the season.  Les placed a kid-friendly swingset and tower right in front of it, so parents of young children really like picking berries in front of these plants.

The Duke variety is the starter of our season - usually ripening by June 5th and is a mild berry.  It is never sour at all!  It's nice to see how they've grown in the last year and how pretty and green everything is after the rain we had today!

Pimlico variety

Les added a row of Pimlico blueberries and hasn't been very happy with this variety.  The size is always really small - about the size you would want in a blueberry muffin.  Most people seem to prefer picking large berries - the bucket fills faster with the big berries.

Another problem with this variety is that that birds swoop down and easily take off with the crop.  Somehow, we don't find many after they turn blue.  You can see we really do have berries, though!

Blackberries Blooming

Blackberries 5.16.18

The blackberries are looking like they will have another large crop this year.  You can see the blooms are still on, but some of the blooms have fallen and turned into little green berries, so they are beginning their way toward a summer crop.

This variety is our largest variety - the Natchez - and can produce a berry as big as a person's thumb.  They are easy to pick and may take about 10 minutes to pick a gallon when the season is going strong.

Since they are large, the seeds are also large so you may have to strain some seeds if you're sensitive to large seeds.  Otherwise they have a great sweet taste and are wonderful in blackberry jelly and jam.

Nova Raspberries

Raspberries in Decline

Our Nova variety of raspberries have really suffered and don't look like they will bear many berries this year.  You can see that some are still in bloom and are just beginning to form berries.

This seems so late to me.  Last year I was beginning to pick raspberries at this time, so I guess they're at least 2 to 3 weeks later than normal.  It's so sad; raspberries are my favorite berry!

Les thinks we may need to take out the nova and do a replanting of different stock next year.  They've begun a decline in production which can happen with old root stock.  

Thankfully, our purple raspberries - the royalty - seem to be performing well and looking like they're going to have a good crop.  Maybe I can look forward to those raspberries!

Well, I think you've got a glimpse of all 3 types of berries we have on the farm.  I'll check back in with an update soon.  Until then, enjoy the rainy days along with the warm, balmy weather.

God is good - all the time!
Kathy

Surviving the Late Freeze!

April 16 - 4:00 a.m.  - 24 Degrees!

Valley Patch - Duke blueberries

We are blessed beyond measure this year.  On the morning of April 16 when the temperature plummeted, we were pretty sure that we had lost our crop.  The berries were in bloom and at least the first couple of varieties were in a full bloom state.

However, instead of turning brown and falling off to leave nothing to pick, the blooms stayed on and we now have green berries forming.

Blooming blueberries, late April, 2018

Because of the cold temps in the spring, our crop is running late.  Usually the raspberries are beginning to ripen right now and at this point in mid May, they've barely begun to form.

With warm temperatures on the way, we are expecting to have berries to pick around the middle of June.

For now, we are just dancing and happy that there will be a crop. In 2007, the late freeze destroyed the whole crop and we didn't have a harvest that year.  Wouldn't you know that it was the year our oldest daughter had a destination wedding in Jamaica?

Thankfully, it looks like we will have a crop this year.  The first variety - Duke - is a little thin, but there are berries on that variety as well as the other varieties.

God is good - all the time!

Spring Has Sprung!

Well, we can tell with the recent spring rainfall that our blueberries are plumping up and seeming really happy for all the water.  

The Blueray variety of blueberries in this picture to the left even seems to have an underlying blue hue today as the sun comes out to declare that it's springtime and that summer is on the way!

The berries have almost finished with their blooms; there are a few late blooms out there, but most have turned from bloom into little green berries with the leading berries getting bigger.

It seems to look like a normal season with our first ripe blueberries (Duke) ripening the first week of June and then the other varieties following it through June and into the first week of July.

We really were slammed with rain this last weekend, getting almost 5 inches of rain Friday night and into Saturday morning.  Les drove down to the valley several times to see if his hay barn was under water.  Thankfully it didn't quite get high enough to put the hay underwater.  You can see a good picture of his finger in the bottom left of the picture.

The bumblebees and honey bees have been busy out in the field.  As I snapped pictures in the field, the bees were almost bumping into me.  We're looking forward to seeing a good crop come to harvest!

Blueberry Season 2016

Duke Blueberries on June 1st

 Our blueberry season has begun!  In fact, I got so busy with keeping up with our Facebook page that I neglected to update my blogspot.  I was excited to get out of school before the picking started; usually school goes late and we're busy picking blueberries the first day I'm out of school.  This year I actually had time to help watch my granddaughter as Les built my daughter's deck on her back porch before heading to the house to get the barn cleaned up for the picking season.

We began picking the Duke variety of blueberries the first week of June.  It is a mellow flavored blueberry that isn't too sour and isn't too strong in flavor.  It's really fun to pick the first crop off the bush.  They seem to just fall in quickly and it makes for a good evening to fill the bucket as the sun goes down in the evening.

Nova Raspberries on June1st

Since it's now mid-June, this variety is almost picked clean.  There probably won't be any left on this variety after this week.  However, the Bluejay, Blue Crop and Blue Ray have all begun their ripening process and we've picked at least one or two pickings off of these varieties.


The Nova raspberries are pictured to the right.  We started picking them in late May and they will probably finish their season by the last week of June.  We also have a red variety that is called Reveille that is sweet and slightly more fragile than the Nova.  Les' favorite raspberry, though, is the Royalty and are purple when ripe.  We also have a berry called a Wye Berry that is a cross between a blackberry and a raspberry.  They're burgundy when ripe and taste a bit like like a Dr Pepper in their scale of sweetness.

If you get a chance, come see the farm on Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday. We're planning to be open from 7 a.m. - 2 p.m.  See you soon!

Jamming!

The Raspberries are right at their peak, if not a bit past, so I've been picking raspberries like a crazy woman.  The variety that I picked tonight was Nova - a berry that keeps its shape and has a yummy raspberry flavor, so I decided to put it into  jam.

I made sure to wash the berries and get rid of any soil, grass or over-ripe berries.


Then I heated the berries to make them easier to push through a strainer with a pestle.  In one batch I tried to eliminate all the seeds.  In a second batch, I only took out half the pulp and left a bit in.  I like the seeds in my jam; it makes it taste like real raspberry jam!

With 9 cups of juice and 6 cups of sugar, I brought the mixture to a boil and stirred often for 24 minutes.

After pouring into Ball jelly jars, I placed them in a hot water bath for 10 minutes and took them out.

Voila!  Raspberry Jam that is almost seedless, and another from a batch that has the seeds.  I can hardly wait to get to work on Blackberry Jam

See you soon!

Nibbling the Natchez

My great niece, Grace, came out to pick berries last Monday and found that her favorite berry was ripe.  I think she stuffed 20 blackberries in her mouth while her mom and dad were picking blueberries.

We just planted these two years ago and they're great tasting berries!  You can tell by the picture that they're about 2 inches long.  Not only are they big and quick to file a bucket with, they're also sweet!

I'm hoping that Grace didn't have a belly-ache after she left that evening.  Her hands were purple and her face had smears of blackberry juice on it.  If you come out to the farm, you will have to come ready to get some blackberry juice on your hands.

This variety is only up the hill by the house, so if you're looking for the Natchez, head on up and ask about the blackberries.

See you soon!  (Open Saturday, Tuesday, Thursday for the upcoming week)

Blueberry Honey!

My nephews robbed the bees this week.  There's nothing like lifting the lid of a strong beehive to set the field on high alert!  Les took a couple of pictures and when I complained that they weren't very good pics, he exclaimed, "They were swarming!"

I'm sure you know, or have some idea how the honey business works.  After the hive is robbed, the honey gets extracted from the frames, is allowed to settle and then poured into jars and labeled.  Soon we'll have the quarts of honey ready to sell on the farm from this last robbing.

Sometimes the honey is light from the spring clover.  If the bees can't find clover, they use the blueberry blossoms and the honey is a bit darker with a stronger flavor.  I can't wait to see what this batch tastes like!

See you soon!

Do the Duke!

Well, I managed to take a pretty good picture of one of our early varieties - Duke.  It may have been named after Duke University researchers.  I really should look that up; I'm a teacher and that will just really bug me that I'm not sure of my facts!

One thing that's neat about the Duke is that even if you pick it a little green or have a little pink on the berry, it still tastes great.  It has a mellow flavor and is not sour at all.  The size is good and really most of the berries ripen fairly close to the same time.

With that said, you can tell that it's really fun to pick these berries.  The bucket fills quickly and it feels like blueberry heaven, or maybe a blueberry bonanza as you find the "mother lode."

I was like a kid in the candy store the other night (picking around 8:00 p.m.) and gaily rolling the berries into my bucket.  I'll have you know that I picked two gallons in an hour!  That's super fast and only happens when the bushes are all blue with berries.

Well, wouldn't you know it, I had about a pint of 1/2 green berries in there.  I sorted the berries on the grading table and took the pint and tossed it into my famous blueberry sauce this morning.  Since it was a bit green, I added a little extra sugar and it was great!

Blueberry Sauce:  2 Cups Berries, 1/2 cup Orange Juice, 2 1/2 Tbsp sugar, 1 Tbsp cornstarch, dash of cinnamon.  Bring to a boil for about 3 minutes or until it looks great, then serve on waffles.  Cover with whipped cream and VOILA!  A great breakfast experience awaits.

Till next time!

Blueberry Blessings - 2015

2014 Season Begins!

Saturday, June 14, we plan to be open for blueberry picking from 7:00 am until 2:00 pm.  If the berries get picked before 2:00, then we may close early. It really all depends on the number of people that show up.  There are still plenty of green berries that will ripen over the next 4 weeks, but two early varieties have really begun to ripen - the Duke and the Bluejay.












The Nova raspberries are ripe and the Royalty are beginning to throw a few purple raspberries out there to pick.  I love it when the season begins with the cool mornings of June to enjoy the picking.  Perhaps I'll see you soon!

Blueberries Ripening!

We're going to be open Saturday, June 14, for raspberry and blueberry picking. The leading berries look really pretty. There are Collins, Bluejay, Duke, and the leaders on the Blueray varieties of blueberries.

The raspberries look like their big yield will be in one more week. There are a lot of green berries on and a few that are red. There won't be an abundance tomorrow, but some will be ready to pick.  Our hours are 7 am to 2 pm or whenever the blue gets picked off.

Next week we're planning on being open Tuesday and Saturday for sure, unless we get rained out on Tuesday!  If the crop looks heavy we may open for picking an additional day.

We're going to be open for blueberry and raspberry picking on Tuesday, June 11th.  Les just looked out in the field and saw that the leading berries on the bluejay and the duke are blue.  They are just beginning, so there isn't a huge amount, but they're coming on!

Saturday, June 15th, is the next date that we plan to be open for picking.

We'll be open from 7:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. or until the blue gets picked!

Raspberries!

Our red raspberries have just begun to ripen, so we're planning to be open on Saturday, June 8th, for raspberry picking.  There isn't a huge quantity yet; just the first few leading berries are ripe, but this means that the season for berry picking is on its way!

We're planning to open for blueberry picking on June 15th.  A few leading berries on our first variety are beginning to turn colors, but they aren't blue through and through yet.  Hopefully one more week will give them time to sweeten and turn completely blue on all sides.

This is the latest season that we've ever had following the year that was the earliest season on record.  We were picking raspberries in April last year!