Good thing mom came over with presents...

...because frankly, it was a pretty depressing day up until then. My peach jam came out too runny and I will have to either remake it or use it all for flavoring yogurt. My cheese of this weekend was crumbling in the fridge so I fed it to the pig, and the chickens destroyed the bed I so carefully prepared and planted this weekend. Apparently God feels that my growth in humility is more important than my success as a provider for my family. Thank you, Lord. I think.

Patch O' Blue

I was feeling pretty discouraged this morning. After successfully fighting Colorado potato beetles, I am now waging a fairly unsuccessful war against squash bugs and blister beetles. So far the latter are staying on and in the marigolds and are chewing them to bits, but I wonder if they will move to the tomatoes before I can get my hands on some neem. Forget hand picking them--there are too many and they burrow deeply into the marigold heads. I wonder if I will ever have a successful garden, or if the weeds and pests will just continue to beat me down every year.

The pullets still aren't laying, but they are getting big and ought to start soon. That would be nice, as we are averaging only one or two eggs a day from the 3 older hens.

The cow, of course, is still dry. Store bought milk tastes flat and flavorless. And that's the whole milk! I can't even imagine 2%.

At least the pigs are going to the butcher tomorrow. We loaded them up this morning, and as usual, it was a big pain in the neck...we have not perfected our technique of hog-loading, and to make matters worse, it rained cats and dogs yesterday afternoon, and so the usual, dusty moonscape of a hog pen became a big mud puddle riddled with foot-deep pools. I came out to let the chickens out to forage, and I knew I was in for it when Bret called, "Nadja, put on your boots!"

I like pork loin and shredded pork, bacon and sausage. I like having a garbage disposal for my kids' leftovers that doesn't make me feel guilty about waste. And I like pigs--they really are smart and are rather dog-like in disposition. They run in circles with excitement when our van pulls in and they like to be scratched and wet with the hose in hot weather. but I hate loading them. I hate it because whatever we do, they always get away from us and break loose, and Bret ends up fighting mad and wanting to shoot them on the spot, and they squeal at the same decibel level as a jet engine, and frankly, I hate the struggle and I sympathize with them. I'm not sorry about sending them to the butcher, mind you, but I don't like to upset them and frighten them.

I had to throw everything I'd just put on into the washing machine, and Bret had to shower and call in late to work. Una was asleep, or else I'd have had her take some photos of the struggle, which I'm sure looked pretty ridiculous.

Not as ridiculous as the time one of our big boys, a 300 lb hog, broke loose when Bret was at work and night was approaching, and I had to rope and drag him, fighting me all the way, back to his pen. Did I mention that I am 5'3" and 105 lbs? I thought I was going to die. My children thought so, too. Every time the hog pulled me onto my face the kids would start crying, so I had to send them inside. I got him in, though!

Sir Francis Bacon, last year's whopper (we wanted bacon, so we let him go on growing until the weather was cold enough for the Mennonites to smoke the bacons, and he ended up being 500lbs.) was a bear to load. He tossed Bret up and over like a toy--a day after Bret had been to the doctor for back pain.

Anyway, they're on the trailer and I don't have to think about loading pigs for a while. I'll get Boston butts and picnic shoulders and maybe the loins, and the rest is sausage. It won't be the cheapest pork we've ever raised--these are two of the leggiest, skinniest pigs I've ever seen.

I'm feeling a little less discouraged right now. I'm hungry. And I'm thinking about sausage...

How many of these do you use?

I strongly urge everyone, but especially mothers who are interested in feeding real, unadulterated food to their kids, to take a look at this list of food products that contain genetically engineered or modified ingredients.

Combine genetic manipulation with soil depletion, artificial ingredients and a slew of preservatives and you may feel that the task of feeding your kids well is nigh impossible; I often feel that way. All I can say is, raise what you can yourself (even if all you can do is a few containers or raised beds of salad greens and tomatoes), buy local as much as possible, cut out unnecessary junk and cut back on whatever else you need to in order to pay the price for real food. If you have to travel a distance for it, make a monthly trip and fill your freezer accordingly. God made humans tough, and yes, children will grow even eating all that toxic garbage out there. But what happens then? Our health is compromised enough by things out of our control, like air quality and our water supply. So it is all the more important to try to do the best we can in those areas that are within our control.

Una's First Flowers

Una's messy jungle of a garden bed is sporting its first blooms. The zinnia and nasturtium have made their appearance, to the admiring shrieks and leaps of the children.

This Is What I Want:

Came across this photo of Sweet Hollow Farm in TN. They have the raised bed garden of my dreams.

Right now I have four little beds (Una is in charge of one and is raising a jungle of varied flowers in it), one planted with tomatoes, basil and marigolds, one with bell peppers, radishes and carrots, and another with herbs. We have planted corn, cucumbers, melons and pumpkins outside the beds. I love raised beds...they look so tidy and are so easy to tend.