Deer Season on the Farm

This is weekend is the openning of shotgun season for deer.  Since I grew up pretty poor and continued that habit after I got married, deer season always meant meat in the freezer for the winter.  I like to look at the pretty deer as much as everybody else but I also understand the need to maintain the size of the herd.

I spend many a spring morning standing at the window looking at the cutest little "bambi's" you have ever seen.  Cute little spots and wobbly long legs.  Those adorable little creatures do have a nasty habit of growing up and eating the plants I put in the market garden, nibble on the blueberries, eat fields of green beans.  Hard to make a living at farming anyway, add in the pests and wow, almost dang impossible.  Prolific little breeders they are too.  They generally have twins and sometimes triplets each year.  They breed as yearling, so deer explosion. 

While I don't mind hunters.  I can't abide the people who don't follow the rules.  Hunting out of season, using a spotlight for after dark, hunting on other people's property...shame on you.  But to me, the worse culprit of all is the dispicable person who shoots the deer and just cuts off it's horns.  Leaving the meat to rot.  If you don't want the meat, at least have the decency to donate it to a shelter.  Let it benefit someone else. 

OK, I'll stop ranting. 4 big bad hunters went hunting this weekend at Appleseed Farm.  I came back victorious.  Good job, Rick.  That 10 pointer was spectacular.

See ya on the farm
Charlotte

I HEART FARM KIDS

APRONS FOR EVERYONE

INTRODUCING OUR APRONS

for our littliest chef

To....

To the more, hmm, experienced chef.

(That is Nanny Dee, my Mom, can't make her mad)

They come in many different colors and patterns. 

E-mail me at appleseedfarm@yahoo.com for more info.

Happy Baking

See ya on the farm,

Charlotte

Let's Play and WIN

IT'S GIVEAWAY TIME AGAIN



We, fearless female farmers at Appleseed Farm miss our grandmas dreadfully at this time of year.  Except Sam, of course.  Both her Grandmother and Great Grandmother are alive and kicking.

We want to hear your favorite Thanksgiving story about you and Grandma.  Doesn't matter what you were doing:  cooking, shopping, playing the quarters drinking game, all goes.  For each reply (only one reply per person) you will have a chance at the prize.  You can earn another chance by posting this on your facebook page with a link to our blog. and yet another if you tweet or have a blog and talk about it.  So, if you are the most social network person alive you can get up to 4 chances to win. 

What do you win:  Jennifer has decided the big giveaway is either:  2 jars of pie filling (your choice of flavors) or an apron.  We are offering choice in case we get a guy to respond.  (OK John Jones, here's your chance)

Both amazing prizes are made by Appleseed Farm.  So here is your chance.  Tell us about Grandma. 

You have until the 12th at midnight to enter.  We will randomly draw a winner. 

Good Luck and...

See ya on the farm

Charlotte

All Things Feeling Neglected

Yesterday I spent about 2 hours in the seedling nursery (greenhouse) getting it ready to go to bed for the winter.  I noticed it had been sorely neglected with weeds growing everywhere.  I also have an invasion of mint in one of the beds from a "thoughtful" husband who knew that I was planting herbs at the time and didn't know that mint is next to impossible to contain and/or kill.  Anyway that got me to thinking about this blog - another thing I have been neglecting.  So...the update as promised.  But sorry, no pictures.  I have lost my canera AGAIN.  I swear that sucker hides from me.

Let't start the update with the blueberries.  We have had a drought, bordering on severe here in our area.  I have done every rain dance I can think of, except nude,but still no rain.  Thank goodness we have a well that is filled with natural springs.  It has never ran dry and I hope never will.  We have to water the blueberries so that they get about an inch a week.  With over 2 thousand bushes that is a lot of water.  We have set up an irrigation system for most of them, so I hope all survive until next spring.  We are hoping for our first harvest this year. 

The gardens are nearing the end of production.  That is good as we only have 2 more farmers markets for the season.  As it is we only have okra, eggplant and peppers to pick.  Everything else has gone to the compost pile.  I hope to have all the raised beds cleaned up by the first of  the month.

Our value added products are going gangbusters.  We are getting better known each year.  It is so exciting.  We have added a few new places for wholesale.  I'll let you know how that is going.  Our newest PourAPie flavor  -  Strawberry Rhubarb has been a hit.  You should try it.

All 4 grandkids are going great.  Growing like weeds.  Wyatt is so tall now it is hard to remember him as a toddler just a few short years ago.  Sam is going to be a butterfly for Halloween.  She is butterfly crazy.  Tucker is a dragon and Lauren will be Raggedy Ann if Nana gets her butt in gear and gets the costume done.

Don't forget to follow us on Facebook.  Hope to have pictures soon.  Fall in the midwest is breathtaking.

See ya on the farm
Charlotte

Where in the world have I been?

We had a death in our family.  My sister's fiance died very unexpectedly a couple of weeks ago.  My parents took him back to Knoxville, Tennessee for a short visit with his family on a Tuesday morning and by Tuesday evening he was dead.  While we don't know what really happened, he was pretty beat up.  We made a flying trip to Knoxville for the funeral. He was only 38.

As you can imagine, my sister is pretty tore up.  I have been spending my time farming, running my little business and helping her.  She seems to have gotten over the initial shock stage and is into the mourning stage.  But as she has 3 young children at home, she knows she needs to carry on as best she can.

I am asking all to pray for her and the kids.  Also for Phillip's family in Knoxville.  Losing someone is tragic but losing someone so young and in a violent and unexpected way is unimaginable. 

Hope to post updates on the farm and fam soon.  Thanks for being patient with me and ...
See ya on the farm,
Charlotte

Happy 4th of July

The 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays.  It is the only holiday that I do not have to share my kids with other parents, in-laws, etc...  I get both kids, their spouses (also known collectively as "the kids") and all 4 grandbabies for as long as they want to stay.  All other holidays we have to coordinate with other schedules so that they can all celebrate with everyone they have too.  This is pure ME time.  And I get to be selfish!!!

They always show up after the kids naps.  (If you have met my grandkids, you will know why), we eat picnic style in the yard, house, just wherever you want to sit.  We then chat, play games, chase the kids, whatever we want to. This year, the girls were busy helping plan the new kitchen.  The walls and rafters are up, so it is easy to see the dimensions and stuff.  They do know how to dream big and expensive.  I bet the actual kitchen is dialed back a little on the cost.

After dark, the fireworks show begins.  You have to be male and at least 9 to be up at the lighting area.  Wyatt is the only one so far who qualifies.  Tuck likes to make sure everyone knows he only has 5 more years to go and he gets to go with the big boys.  The girls and I don't care about being banned from that area, we get to sit and enjoy the show without any responsibility at all.  We just keep the other kids on the porch with us and ooh and aah over each display. 

About the time the fireworks show is over, each family is usually ready to go home.  This year, we had to watch "Jaws" first.  Tucker cannot pass up a shark or a dinosaur anything.  It was after 11:00 before anyone was even remotely ready to go.

Then the other game of the night begins:  (Get your mind out of the gutter, geez)  It is who gets to take home the leftovers or how do we split them up.  This year we had strawberry pie for dessert.  I made 3 whole pies.  I didn't even get a piece but I saw some of it leave the house in containers.  The kids are always conked out before they get out of our driveway.  I love this holiday.

Side note on the 4th of July:  We watched a frontier parade on Saturday morning while we were at the Farmers Market. It went right by the market so Sam, Wyatt and I were able to watch while Jenn manned the tent.  When a flag went by carried by a man on a horse, I told the kids that they had to stand up and put their hand over their heart as a sign of respect for the flag and all who fight for our freedom.  (Sam didn't understand why but she did it anyway).  But as the kids and I were standing there while the flag went by, it looked like we started the wave.  Everyone else started standing up; Sam told them that was what they were suppose to do as a flag went by.  Out of the mouths of babes.  She is 3 afterall.  I was so proud of her.  She may not have known what she did that morning but she boosted a lot of people to remember to show respect for Old Glory and the men and women who fought to keep it flying.  Way to go, Sammmie.  Nana loves you.

Plus she got a sack full of candy that the parade was throwing.  All in all;  a very good day.

See ya on the farm
Charlotte