In the weeks following we hooked it up to the tractor and pulled things straight. To sure up the walls we installed cross cables in the ceiling rafters and added 8- 40" tie downs.
Tuesday, December 19, 2017
ALMOST LOST IT!
Late August 2017 Hurricane Harvey hit south Texas with a vengeance. As 60 MPH winds ripped through our little 10 acre farm we watched as the greenhouse began to twist and lean.
Pretty disheartening to watch as 3 years of hard work was about to go down. In a last ditch effort to save our endeavor we trudged through the sideways rain and wind and tied off the greenhouse to our trusty farm truck. Just in time to save it.
In the weeks following we hooked it up to the tractor and pulled things straight. To sure up the walls we installed cross cables in the ceiling rafters and added 8- 40" tie downs.
In the weeks following we hooked it up to the tractor and pulled things straight. To sure up the walls we installed cross cables in the ceiling rafters and added 8- 40" tie downs.
GREENHOUSE NEARLY COMPETE
After 3+ years of work we are closing in on the completion of our greenhouse.
July 2017- Flip dug, by hand, a 100' ditch to carry the electric and water supply lines to the greenhouse. Yes he did it on a 100* day in the middle of July- what a man!
August 2017- After 2 weeks of prep to the floor area of the greenhouse we installed industrial weed block and 4 tons = 3" of washed Texas chop rock as our base floor. We also painted the inside walls white to aid in deflecting the suns rays evenly for optimal plant growth.
August 2017- After 2 weeks of prep to the floor area of the greenhouse we installed industrial weed block and 4 tons = 3" of washed Texas chop rock as our base floor. We also painted the inside walls white to aid in deflecting the suns rays evenly for optimal plant growth.
TO BUILD A GREENHOUSE
In June of 2014 we broke ground on what would be a 4 year endeavor to build the perfect greenhouse for our 10 acre farm. We chose red cedar as our building material and we chose to go with an acrylic window for longevity and strength. We laid out a spot 15' x 20' with a east to west drawn ridge.
The building is set on a series of 8 piers, anchored to each with angle brackets.
October 2014- The frame of the building is 4x4 cedar posts with a center height of 14'.
July 2015- We covered the bottom 1/3 of the side walls with vertical cedar pickets on top of a base of 1/2" chip board.
March 2017- The process for adding wax cylinder automatic vents across the roof line began. Three vents were installed on each side of the roof. These vents will allow airflow and heat to exit during the harsh summer months in South Texas.
We hired a metal shop with a laser cutter to cut a custom ridge crest.
May 2017- We began to install the acrylic on the roof.
The building is set on a series of 8 piers, anchored to each with angle brackets.
October 2014- The frame of the building is 4x4 cedar posts with a center height of 14'.
July 2015- We covered the bottom 1/3 of the side walls with vertical cedar pickets on top of a base of 1/2" chip board.
March 2017- The process for adding wax cylinder automatic vents across the roof line began. Three vents were installed on each side of the roof. These vents will allow airflow and heat to exit during the harsh summer months in South Texas.
We hired a metal shop with a laser cutter to cut a custom ridge crest.
May 2017- We began to install the acrylic on the roof.
USE ALL THE TOMATO
Tomatoes are a just one of the products of our aquaponics greenhouse set up and as you can imagine they are plentiful. Fresh tomatoes are always on the menu as well as canned sauces, salsa and fire roasted diced to mention a few.
When making canned salsas we always save the tomato peels for re purposing. Placing the peels on a dehydrator tray and drying them till crispy only takes a couple of hours on medium. We then process them in a coffee grinder to powder them for use in soups and other things for flavoring.
Sun Dried Tomatoes are one of our favorite things to have on hand. They can be added to salads, pasta, soups and more. These are simple to make in our dehydrator and we always dust them with a bit of salt, pepper and herbs.
When making canned salsas we always save the tomato peels for re purposing. Placing the peels on a dehydrator tray and drying them till crispy only takes a couple of hours on medium. We then process them in a coffee grinder to powder them for use in soups and other things for flavoring.
Sun Dried Tomatoes are one of our favorite things to have on hand. They can be added to salads, pasta, soups and more. These are simple to make in our dehydrator and we always dust them with a bit of salt, pepper and herbs.
AQUAPONICS IN OUR GREENHOUSE
For the past 4 years we have had a "test" aquaponics system set up on our back porch.
This system started with a 50 gallon barrel using 1/3 for the grow bed and 2/3 for the fish tank.
We began with a simple pond pump and a bell siphon system set up. We sacrificed a dozen or so goldfish getting the system to balance with the right bacteria but once regulated we found the tank habitable for a single catfish we fished from our stock pond. After about 6 months we found the bell siphon too finicky and we opted to move forward with an ebb and flow set up which proved much easier to maintain. Over the years we tested many different kinds of vegetable and herb plants in the system often placing hardier herbs in to maintain things over the colder winter months.
We began with a simple pond pump and a bell siphon system set up. We sacrificed a dozen or so goldfish getting the system to balance with the right bacteria but once regulated we found the tank habitable for a single catfish we fished from our stock pond. After about 6 months we found the bell siphon too finicky and we opted to move forward with an ebb and flow set up which proved much easier to maintain. Over the years we tested many different kinds of vegetable and herb plants in the system often placing hardier herbs in to maintain things over the colder winter months.
Sunday, October 15, 2017
BACKYARD CHICKENS
There are hundreds of kinds of chickens out there to choose from.
We chose Buff Orpingtons and Brown Brahmas for our backyard flock. These two varieties look great together in the yard- yes I like to match my birds!
They are quite docile and don't have an aggressive bone in their body.
They make great mamas if you want to let them hatch out chicks to have a sustainable flock. Both varieties lay larger brown eggs and are a good 5-6 lb meat chicken.
Both varieties mature in about 14-16 weeks and begin laying around this time. If you are raising them to butcher you will want to do so as you see the first egg.
They are quite docile and don't have an aggressive bone in their body.
Both varieties mature in about 14-16 weeks and begin laying around this time. If you are raising them to butcher you will want to do so as you see the first egg.
HARVESTING ALOE
Common household Aloe plants are a great thing to have around in the event of a minor steam burn. All you have to do is snip off the end of a leaf and squeeze out the gooey goodness onto your burn for instant relief. We found that it's quite easy to harvest the gooey inside for use in other household items like lotions or even to include in a healthy juice.
With a sharp clean knife carefully cut a leaf off as close to the base of the plant as possible.
Trim off the tough jagged edges first.
Place the flat side of the leaf down and carefully slice off the outer layer, much like filleting a fish. You will want to be sure to remove the yellow layer just under the skin leaving only the clear flesh.
Continue to remove the sides and back in the same manner. If your leaves are large you can cut them into 4-6" chunks to work with.
Place clear gelatinous flesh in a glass container in the fridge until ready to use. This can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
With a sharp clean knife carefully cut a leaf off as close to the base of the plant as possible.
Trim off the tough jagged edges first.
Place the flat side of the leaf down and carefully slice off the outer layer, much like filleting a fish. You will want to be sure to remove the yellow layer just under the skin leaving only the clear flesh.
Continue to remove the sides and back in the same manner. If your leaves are large you can cut them into 4-6" chunks to work with.
Tuesday, July 25, 2017
CHARCOAL TOOTHPASTE-DIY
In this picture you will see Bentonite Clay, give it a try for yourself, but we do opt out of the stuff- don't like the texture in our mouths.
After several years now of using this natural toothpaste we have noticeably whiter teeth, less bad breath and the dentist, or actually dental hygienist has also noticed our cleaner brighter teeth as well. How can you argue with that right!!!
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon Sea Salt
1/4 cup Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Charcoal Powder
1/2 teaspoon Stevia Powder
6-10 drops Peppermint Oil
OR 1 teaspoon Cinnamon powder
2 tablespoon Bentonite Clay
SUMMER 2017 HONEY HARVEST
In our 4th summer as beekeepers we found our 2 hives overflowing with deliciously beautiful liquid gold.
This summer season we harvested 70 lbs off our 2 hives. As soon as the beautiful new bottles were filled, we had neighbors knocking on the door to replenish their supplies.
For this summer harvest we invested in locking seal containers. With the design of our new logo we added professional labels to give it all a bit of a professional upgrade.
Our friends at the La Vernia Country Store are also sharing our efforts by helping us get our sweet treats into the hands of more neighbors.
This summer season we harvested 70 lbs off our 2 hives. As soon as the beautiful new bottles were filled, we had neighbors knocking on the door to replenish their supplies.
For this summer harvest we invested in locking seal containers. With the design of our new logo we added professional labels to give it all a bit of a professional upgrade.
Our friends at the La Vernia Country Store are also sharing our efforts by helping us get our sweet treats into the hands of more neighbors.
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