#absolutelyorganic

[akwardkisses]

Thanks to the frost over the last few days the summer garden is dying off but the fall garden is happily taking it's place. The beans, cucamelons and holy basil didn't fare well but the kale, beets, fennel, lovage, snow peas, broccoli and welsh onions are looking gorgeous. I even have strawberries still flowering and setting fruit. There's more but you get the idea. Thanks to the hoop house and judicial use of frost blankets the tomatoes and peppers are still thriving as well. We'll be planting garlic before too long. As you can see we're still harvesting as much as possible. The Hügelkultur raised beds are empty and the three sisters garden is nearly so. I've got a few green pumpkins I would like to ripen before we turn that area over to the goats. Speaking of goats, Hazel is NOT supposed to be lounging on top of the kennel as though it were her own personal hammock. Goats are so naughty but I can't help but love them. Goats don't care about rules, they do what they want when they want to do it. I can respect that. Have a spectacular Thursday my friends. Stay safe, stay well. #poverty_hill #homestead #homesteading #garden #gardening #gardenharvest #growingallthethings #growwhatyoueat #eatwhatyougrow #fall #autumn #fallgarden2020 #ruralpa #countryliving #simplelife #slowliving #realfood #slowfood #organicgardening #absolutelyorganic #howwedoit #homeiswheretheheartis #thesearethegoodolddays #farmfresbuttnuggets #goatsofinstagram #dwarfnigeriangoats #naughtygoats #stayathomegoatmom #homedairy #rawgoatmilk (at Pennsylvania) https://www.instagram.com/p/CFiBJo-ApBh/?igshid=1nj5d236edmsy

[akwardkisses]

About a week and a half ago we discovered that the pumpkins were growing up the three sisters garden fence and had pulled it down in places. This allowed the deer access to my green beans and they wiped them out. I was unhappy to put it mildly but we shrugged our shoulders and shored up the fence and moved on. What else can you do? I had written them off in my mind because they ate the plant right down to nearly nothing. Imagine my surprise when John sent me pictures of green beans, lots of them. The same day I broke down and bought some because my mother loves dilly beans and she must be appeased. I guess I'll be making more dilly beans than I planned. With any luck I'll get enough to can green beans too. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed. Happy Sunday my friends, stay safe and well. #poverty_hill #homestead #surprisegreenbeans #gardening #organicgardening #absolutelyorganic #gardenersofinstagram #uncivilizedpumpkins #roudysquash #greenbeans #dillybeans #shewhomustbeobeyed #lovemymomma #greenbeanresurection #ruralpa #countryliving #simplelife #slowliving #eatinglocal #slowfood #realfood #growsomething #growyourown #keepingtheoldwaysalive #myhappyplace #myhappylife (at Pennsylvania) https://www.instagram.com/p/CDrwPq8gpXC/?igshid=1u48hpgvwgoff

[akwardkisses]

So it begins... I only planted two zucchini plants that I had to pick up at the store because something killed the first ones. I planted them late thinking that if I got anything from them it would be well worth it. I wasn't expecting much so when I saw those first blossoms I celebrated just a little bit. Then the plants got bigger, there were more blossoms, and the zucchini started coming. Zucchinis that were four inches long one day were twice that by the next day and I had to pick them quickly. I've given zucchini to the neighbors and to my parents and I'm still left with this growing pile of goodness that I can't keep up with. This is just the beginning of the tomatoes as well, there are many more on the vines waiting to ripen. Just so we are clear, I am not complaining, I am humbled by my good fortune. I'm going to spend the day looking for ways to preserve zucchini and maybe I'll think of a few more people to give some to. It's always enjoyable to spread the wealth. I am always happy to share, but I don't deliver. Happy Sunday my friends, may your days be blessed with abundance just as mine are. Stay safe, stay well. #poverty_hill #homestead #homesteading #homesteadersofinstagram #garden #gardening #pottager #pottagergarden #kitchengarden #growingallthethings #absolutelyorganic #frugalliving #planningforabundance #wastenothing #wastenotwantnot #ruralpa #countryliving #simplelife #simplepleasures #realfood #slowfood #slowliving #trulyblessed #myhappyplace #myhappylife (at Pennsylvania) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cg9xsr8u4dd/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[akwardkisses]

I love this time of year. It's beautifully warm, and the garden is beginning to produce usable amounts of veggies. We got the first of many cucumbers and zucchini and the swiss chard is glorious. It rained yesterday and it looks like everything doubled in size overnight. Happy Friday my friends. I hope you're all enjoying your summer in whatever way suits you best. Stay safe, stay well. #poverty_hill #homestead #homesteading #homesteadersofinstagram #garden #gardening #freshfromthegarden #homegrown #playwithyourfood #realfood #slowfood #growingallthethings #absolutelyorganic #ruralpa #countryliving #simplelife #simplepleasures #slowliving #myhappyplace #myhappylife (at Pennsylvania) https://www.instagram.com/p/CR9BxsOLAQq/?utm_medium=tumblr

[akwardkisses]

It's definitely that time of year. The light is mellow and rich. My front porch is a wasteland of crumbly brown leaves and planter stained indoor/outdoor carpet and the garden is winding down. There's a hint of woodsmoke in the air from the neighbors wood stove and the air is cool and clear. I find myself more appreciative of what each season has to offer these days. I've never in my life paid more attention to the weather and the slow progression of the year. I notice the little changes as the sun sets just a minute or so earlier each day. Mostly because I have chickens to tuck in at night and I'm afraid to leave the coop door open any longer than I have to lest something hurt my feathered babies. But also because I garden as much as I'm able. Today the last of this year's tulsi and parsley was harvested before it succumbed to frost damage and was wasted. I've got four very large bunches of organic tulsi hanging on the back porch railing. I find the smell addictive, and the cats seem to love it too. It'll only hang there for a day or so until I have room in the dehydrator. Then there's the absolutely organic parsley. Because I sure as heck don't use pesticides. Before I began growing my own I didn't think parsley had much of a scent. Most parsley in the store really doesn't. So imagine my surprise and delight to find that freshly cut parsley smells uh-mazing. There are notes of citrus and floral and wow. Who knew? Every bit of this will be used. The leaves are dried for use over the winter. The stems are washed and frozen with my veggie scraps to make stock, and the few leaves that aren't really good enough for drying go into the compost to nourish next year's garden. Even the water I washed it in goes to the chickens, cuz they fancy. Between the tulsi and the parsley I could happily hang out on my back porch just enjoying that aroma. If I didn't have other things to do that is. Have a wonderful day my friends and don't forget to stop and smell the herbs. #poverty_hill #homestead #bringingintheharvest #freshherbs #wastenotwantnot #stockingtheshelves #absolutelyorganic #growyourown #playwithyourfood #fall #autumn #ruralpa #myhappyplace #myhappylife (at Pennsylvania) https://www.instagram.com/p/B3nFeAfgqvD/?igshid=qfi26k1mymbr

[akwardkisses]

I'm still getting food from the garden daily. This represents about the last 3 days worth of harvest. The tomatoes on the right are just from last night and this morning. If you look at the bottom center you'll see one little pepper, which is the first fully ripe pepper I've gotten but it's far from the only one. There are many many peppers still out there and thank goodness we haven't gotten a frost yet because they would have all been ruined. Everything seemed to get a late start this year at least in my garden, I am just now beginning to get long beans. The long beans should be finishing up now not just beginning. What can I say It's been a weird year. I still have to harvest rhubarb so that I can make rhubarb jam and maybe a pie. It's a miracle I have any rhubarb at all because my daughter thinking she was helping told her boyfriend to weed eat all of it, because they didn't know what it was. I wasn't angry with them but I was sad that my rhubarb was gone. That was a month ago and it all grew back more gorgeous than ever. #poverty_hill #homestead #homesteading #homesteadersofinstagram #tomatoes #peppers #garden #gardening #gardenhaul #gardenharvest #abundance #pottager #kitchengarden #frugal #frugalliving #wastenothing #wastenotwantnot #ruralpa #countryliving #simplelife #simplepleasures #slowliving #slowfood #absolutelyorganic #absolutelyblessed #myhappyplace #myhappylife (at Pennsylvania) https://www.instagram.com/p/CU-MpPkg_28/?utm_medium=tumblr

[akwardkisses]

Today's harvest...so far Do you ever feel like the harder you work the behinder you get? For a good 75% of the growing season I feel like I'm way behind and the garden isn't doing anything and I've done something wrong. Then suddenly its August and I feel like I'm drowning in produce. I'm not complaining, and I know it's my own fault. I am also well aware that I'm incredibly lucky to have such abundance and I am incredibly greatful. That being said I seriously have no idea what I'm going to do with all those cucumbers. The onions, milk and eggs I'm going to share with my mother. Because she'll enjoy them and I love my momma. She might be a little spoiled but if you're not spoiling the ones you love what's wrong with you? Seriously, just do it. I think I'm just going to have to make pickles with the cucumbers and the cucamelons because I have no idea how to keep them fresh any other way. Letting them go to waste isn't an option. I just can't do it. If you know of another way to preserve cucumbers other than pickling please let me know. #poverty_hill #homestead #gardening #gardenersofinstagram #playwithyourfood #plantsomething #growwhatyouneed #growyourown #harvestseason #farmfresh #farmfreshbuttnuggets #freshgoatmilk #rawmilk #freshveggies #cucamellon #pickling #cucumbersarethenewzuchini #helpimdrowningincucumbers #ruralpa #countryliving #slowliving #simplelife #slowfood #realfood #absolutelyorganic #somanyblessings #lovemymomma #familyiseverything #myhappyplace #myhappylife (at Pennsylvania) https://www.instagram.com/p/CDwn1oXAm-K/?igshid=kcd4m4uaizsl