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Farm Update - March 2013

We spent two weeks of February on holiday in New Zealand.  It was a lovely relaxing break away from work and farm.  Pete's dad looked after both properties for us, and also got bored and painted the bathroom and half the kitchen, the perfect house-sitter!  I'll do another post with photos from our trip, we went around the bottom of the South Island in a campervan and then flew to Wellington where I caught up with family and I got to meet my blog-buddy Emma from Craving Fresh.

Meeting Emma from Craving Fresh
While we were away it rained nearly every day, so everything has grown, from the grass to the cattle to the guinea keets!
guinea keets getting used to living outside - they love grass!

Bella and Molly

Donald

the steers

chickens

Kelpies

finally some things are growing on the hugelkultur

the harvest when we got back from holiday
The cattle at Cheslyn Rise are also enjoying plenty of grass again.  The sorghum is growing huge, now its too wet to let the cattle in, and its really too tall as well, they will just push it over, so we hope that the weather will change again so we can make hay instead.

I didn't get much done in the kitchen this month, as it was mostly about eating everything before we went away.  I can report though that the kefir and herman starter survived in the fridge just fine for two weeks, so if you're planning to go away, just leave your starters in the fridge and they will be ready to work again when you return (and I missed kefir so much while I was away!).  When we got home, I refreshed the kefir, started some bread, sprouted chick peas for hummus, made cream cheese, used up lot of basil in some pesto and froze some of the excess beans.  Now things are nearly back to normal again!

I have lots and lots of seeds, so if anyone would like me to send out some bok choi, tat soi, red mustard, broccoli, cabbage, leek, parsley, silverbeet, dill or lettuce seeds (phew!), please please email me on eight dot acres dot liz at gmail dot com.  I am very happy to post them to you.  It doesn't matter if you don't have anything to exchange right away, but if you do have some spare seeds (or anything else), I love to collect more seeds.  I hope I will inspire you to save and swap seeds too, its very easy and quite addictive :)  If anyone has any rocket seeds they could send me, that is the main thing I need right now, although turnip, swede, carrot and any leafy greens or herbs would also be appreciated.  AND I have some arrowroot seeds, I didn't know it would grow from seed, as I usually use root division, but I have found a few shoots in my garden, so the seeds must be sprouting, so I can send them too if anyone is interested.

How was your February?  And what do you plan for March?
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Comments

  1. CalidoreMarch 4, 2013 at 7:11 AM

    What a wonderful holiday and meeting up with a blogging buddy too. Lovely. Golly it's so green at your place. Far different from down here I'm afraid.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownMarch 11, 2013 at 8:31 PM

      it is green, its hard to remember now how brown it was, I hope you get rain soon...

      Delete
  2. Cathy HetzelMarch 4, 2013 at 7:56 AM

    Hi Liz...just tried to send you an email but address failed.....Cathy

    ReplyDelete
  3. Sunnybrook FarmMarch 4, 2013 at 7:59 AM

    Donald is something! Wow

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownMarch 11, 2013 at 8:32 PM

      yes he's a mini bull with a bull attitude, but he does let us scratch him on the nose, which is more than I am willing to attempt with our proper bull Maus!

      Delete
  4. Enchanted MomentsMarch 4, 2013 at 1:45 PM

    Liz, I just tried to send an email to you but it didnt go through...can you email me re the seed swap on enchantedthings@bippond.com
    thanks, Suzanne.

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousMarch 4, 2013 at 6:11 PM

    I have rocket drying on the plant at the moment. If you would like some you are welcome to have some. I have more than enough :).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownMarch 11, 2013 at 8:33 PM

      thanks for the offer, but I have already had three others, so I think I'm good for rocket seed now!

      Delete
  6. UnknownMarch 4, 2013 at 9:02 PM

    Have i told you how great your banner is. Its like my entire childhood wrapped up in one picture. Even down to the jersey milking cow.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownMarch 11, 2013 at 8:34 PM

      thanks, I'm glad you like it, I keep thinking I should change it as its nearly a year old, but I'm kind of attached to it now!

      Delete
  7. Lrong LimMarch 4, 2013 at 10:31 PM

    You have such a wonderful looking farm...

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    Replies
    1. UnknownMarch 11, 2013 at 8:35 PM

      hehe, that's because I only show you the good bits, and not the untidy bits :)

      Delete
  8. The Stay @ Home-GardenerMarch 4, 2013 at 11:22 PM

    Sweet. I haven't made it to Wellington. I've been to Auckland and Palmerston North (Palmy). QLD is nice as well. I lived in Broadbeach for a while, just south of Surfers. Been to Brisbane, Perth. Been through Syd. All nice stuff for a tourist. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownMarch 11, 2013 at 8:36 PM

      it sounds like you've travelled a lot really!

      Delete
  9. UnknownMarch 7, 2013 at 8:37 PM

    Your homecoming food preparations sound so yummy...and healthy!

    ReplyDelete
  10. TriciaMarch 8, 2013 at 6:27 AM

    Your father in law sounds like a great house-sitter!? And those Guinea Keats have grown. Are they making much noise yet?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownMarch 11, 2013 at 8:37 PM

      they are currently confined to their cage and not very close to the house, so the noise is not annoying, I think it would be worse if they were roaming around...

      Delete

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Thanks, I appreciate all your comments, suggestions and questions, but I don't always get time to reply right away. If you need me to reply personally to a question, please leave your email address in the comment or in your profile, or email me directly on eight.acres.liz at gmail.com

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