Beauty Farming Life

Just saw this while looking online for some farm stuff and doing a bit of preliminary Christmas shopping list preparation.  It's an over sized pizza board with server, though it can be used for breads and other dishes as well.  It's made of the same wood as our table, "Mango Wood" which is sustainable and doesn't use old growth wood.  I love that.  I'm thinking this might need a home at the farm.   Wouldn't it look really cool hanging on the wall in the kitchen?? Oversized Mango Wood Pizza Board  Over sized mango wood pizza board

Glass Salt Cellar with Lid Snagged two of these tonight on the way home, at of all places, Walmart! I was in there looking for an inexpensive bath rug, to put in the bathroom until we start decorating that area, and I saw this and just couldn't resist.  They were very affordable and made by Fire King. I love the retro/vintage look of them.  That's something we often do, mix old and new.  When you put something new, that's styled to look old, in an old setting like this farmhouse, it can really make people just assume it IS old. That's a great decorating tip.  Same holds true with expensive items mixed with inexpensive. They just sort of blend together and no one is the wiser (unless they read our blog, LOL!) Anyway, 2nd Man loves to use salt from containers like these during cooking and we usually have one for pepper as well.  I figured we could just turn one of them around so that the word "salt" is in the back and then we can fill it with pe...

 The Orchard Broom  I'm always on the lookout for something that we might be able to use on the farm, a new gadget here, a new toy there.  There's always something unusual and helpful out there.  The Bulb Hound for example, that I blogged about HERE . Well last night, while surfing the web about our recent fruit tree acquisitions , I stumbled across this cool tool.  It's called an Orchard Broom.  Or actually, "The Amazing Orchard Broom".  From what I can tell, it's the only thing like it to collect fruit and nuts in this manner.  It can hold up to 20 apples at a time and best of all, you can gather them, collect them, and dump them in a bucket, all without bending over.  According to a few different reviews I read, it's very easy to use.  You just roll it along the ground and the wire 'gives' a bit, letting the fruits and nuts pop into the basket.  Then you just put it on top of a bucket, the cage separat...

Here was my surprise anniversary gift over the weekend.  I know, I know, who knew a utility cart could be an awesome gift? But it is!  This is the John Deere 10P "Utility Cart".  It's designed to be hooked up to the back of my Big Green Zen Machine (i.e. mower).  This will be an asset for doing things around the property. It has a carrying/hauling capacity of 600 lbs!  It has slots on the edge for railing and slots inside for dividers.   I'm thinking of figuring out some way to carry water tanks to make it easier to water the trees and (future) landscaping that are far away from the length of the hose and faucet. And here's the best part.  It's a DUMP truck!  You get your stuff to where you want it, you push a lever with your foot and it tilts back and dumps out whatever you have it loaded with.  This will be a nice feature when loaded with dirt, compost, rocks, wood or whatever. OK, I couldn't resist this photo. You...

One of the things we need, especially since the grass is just now recovering from last Summer's epic drought, is a sprinkler (or two or three).  This weekend, I did some watering but it was a tedious process.  I need something better.  So I started looking and I guess I didn't realize there are so many options.  We can't have an in ground system, not this year anyway, but I'd still like to keep the yards around the house green for this season. SO, I need to see what people use, what they like, what doesn't work, etc. I have narrowed it down to the three main types: Oscillating Sprinkler   This is the one I call the "old school" kind, the oscillating sprinkler.  You just put it where you want it in the yard and it arches back and forth to water a specific swath of the yard. Tripod or stand sprinkler This kind probably has the furthest reach, at least I assume, since the sprinkler head is attached at the top of the stand and then shoots water outwa...

John Deere Rustoleum spray paint It's funny how you can see something a hundred times, but not really "SEE" it, if that makes sense.  Case in point, this paint.  I've been in the paint section dozens of times over the years, buying spray paint of all different types.  Until I ended up owning a John Deere product, I never saw these paint colors on the shelf.  So recently, when I was choosing paint for the mirrors/dresser, I saw these. I love how the can only says "specialty farm equipment", with a generic picture of a tractor that looks vaguely familiar.  We all know what they mean!  Then I noticed that the price tag on the shelf has the colors listed as "John Deere Green/Yellow". At least if I ever need some, I'll know where to get it. Who knows, maybe I'll paint a mirror in "John Deere Green"! LOL! John Deere Mower  Big Green Zen Machine

Nordic Ware farm pancake pan I found this on clearance at lunch and just had to get it.  It's used to make the small silver dollar size pancakes (slight larger than that actually).  And of course, when you pour the batter in and make them, they come out with a farm animal imprint on each one. I found it at Marshall's Home Goods, but I did some Googling and they still sell them  HERE AT AMAZON  if you should be so inclined. Can't wait to use it.  Should be cute and fun.  I wish I could say we'll use it this weekend but alas, 2nd Man is getting ready to head off to Arizona to start working there again.  He's been working in town the last two weeks but travel starts up again this weekend.  So, I'm on my own at the farm.  I'll work on the irrigation set up, if the weather cooperates of course.  We actually had sleet and ice again yesterday and this morning.  O Spring, O Spring, wherefore art thou? Hop...

What is this? Some might call it a "necessity is the mother of invention" moment. I might be more inclined to call it an "oh crap, I can't find what I need" moment. Homemade dibber type garden tool I used to have one of those tools for the raised beds that are called "dibbers", which is basically a pointed stick that you use for making holes in soil to plant bulbs, seeds, seedlings, etc. When I was getting ready to put my garlic and shallots in late last year, I couldn't find my dibber.  Curses!  I think it got thrown away accidentally when I was clueing out some boxes in town.  I dug around in a kitchen drawer and found a rubber wine bottle cork we had saved for some odd reason, and a long wooden skewer from a package of skewers.   I figured they might do the job. I pushed the skewer into the cork and it was done.  At first, I was going to use it like this by j ust using the skewer to push the cork down into the s...

With the upcoming delivery of soil today and mulch (possibly next week, depending on weather) for the garden, we needed a new wheelbarrow of some sort.  I have the awesome trailer for the Zen Machine that I got last year but A) it's more for hauling and pulling heavy loads, B) you can't use it stand alone, and most importantly, C) it won't fit through the garden gate. So I've been looking for something that would be just right and I think I found something that will work.  It's this: Rubbermaid Garden Cart I got it at Home Depot last weekend for a great deal; it was on sale, plus I had a coupon for 15% off any single item!  Now, they do sell it at Amazon of course, for more than I paid, but if you are so inclined, or what to read more about it, the link is here:  Rubbermaid Big Wheel Dump Truck Rubbermaid Big Wheel Farm Cart And look!  It fits right through the gate!  This is very important, because I'll be hauling in the soil for t...

Nordic Ware farm pancake pan I found this on clearance at lunch and just had to get it.  It's used to make the small silver dollar size pancakes (slight larger than that actually).  And of course, when you pour the batter in and make them, they come out with a farm animal imprint on each one. I found it at Marshall's Home Goods, but I did some Googling and they still sell them  HERE AT AMAZON  if you should be so inclined. Can't wait to use it.  Should be cute and fun.  I wish I could say we'll use it this weekend but alas, 2nd Man is getting ready to head off to Arizona to start working there again.  He's been working in town the last two weeks but travel starts up again this weekend.  So, I'm on my own at the farm.  I'll work on the irrigation set up, if the weather cooperates of course.  We actually had sleet and ice again yesterday and this morning.  O Spring, O Spring, wherefore art thou? Hop...

What is this? Some might call it a "necessity is the mother of invention" moment. I might be more inclined to call it an "oh crap, I can't find what I need" moment. Homemade dibber type garden tool I used to have one of those tools for the raised beds that are called "dibbers", which is basically a pointed stick that you use for making holes in soil to plant bulbs, seeds, seedlings, etc. When I was getting ready to put my garlic and shallots in late last year, I couldn't find my dibber.  Curses!  I think it got thrown away accidentally when I was clueing out some boxes in town.  I dug around in a kitchen drawer and found a rubber wine bottle cork we had saved for some odd reason, and a long wooden skewer from a package of skewers.   I figured they might do the job. I pushed the skewer into the cork and it was done.  At first, I was going to use it like this by j ust using the skewer to push the cork down into the s...

With the upcoming delivery of soil today and mulch (possibly next week, depending on weather) for the garden, we needed a new wheelbarrow of some sort.  I have the awesome trailer for the Zen Machine that I got last year but A) it's more for hauling and pulling heavy loads, B) you can't use it stand alone, and most importantly, C) it won't fit through the garden gate. So I've been looking for something that would be just right and I think I found something that will work.  It's this: Rubbermaid Garden Cart I got it at Home Depot last weekend for a great deal; it was on sale, plus I had a coupon for 15% off any single item!  Now, they do sell it at Amazon of course, for more than I paid, but if you are so inclined, or what to read more about it, the link is here:  Rubbermaid Big Wheel Dump Truck Rubbermaid Big Wheel Farm Cart And look!  It fits right through the gate!  This is very important, because I'll be hauling in the soil for t...

This is the latest acquisition (delivery delayed due to weather) for the farm! Presto Dehydro Digital Food Dehydrator I received a gift card at work for Christmas and we've been deciding what to get with it.  We didn't want to get just anything, like books or kitchen tools, we can always get those.  Instead, we wanted something that we've never had before and something that could help at the farm.  We started tossing around ideas and came to the conclusion that this would be a great choice.  With fresh produce from the garden this year, hopefully it will be the perfect addition.  We decided on this brand/model.  We like the timer feature and adjustable temp range.  I'm sure there are other fancier ones out there, but we want to start small, learn and work our way up to something bigger and badder, ha. CLICK HERE TO VIEW IT ON AMAZON We are excited to begin the process of learning to dehydrate things and preserving some of what we grow. ...

This is the latest acquisition (delivery delayed due to weather) for the farm! Presto Dehydro Digital Food Dehydrator I received a gift card at work for Christmas and we've been deciding what to get with it.  We didn't want to get just anything, like books or kitchen tools, we can always get those.  Instead, we wanted something that we've never had before and something that could help at the farm.  We started tossing around ideas and came to the conclusion that this would be a great choice.  With fresh produce from the garden this year, hopefully it will be the perfect addition.  We decided on this brand/model.  We like the timer feature and adjustable temp range.  I'm sure there are other fancier ones out there, but we want to start small, learn and work our way up to something bigger and badder, ha. CLICK HERE TO VIEW IT ON AMAZON We are excited to begin the process of learning to dehydrate things and preserving some of what we grow. ...

Three great purchases for anyone who has soaker hoses, especially in raised beds.  These are actually made for that purpose and have proved invaluable in getting everything set up and now that irrigation is done, it's plant ready. These are clamps that are made to go over 1/2" diameter hose, which is what most hose is for soaker hose irrigation systems.  I needed something to keep the hose on the bed so that it didn't move around.  So with these, I could 'nail' down the hose directly onto the wood sides of the beds.  They were perfect for what we needed. And then these soaker hose ground staples.  They are 8" long so that they can go deep into the soil and have 1/2" hooks at the top that fit the 1/2" soaker hose.  They worked brilliantly for holding down the hose in whatever configuration we wanted. Lastly, here is our solution for watering the raised beds while not there.  This awesome timer.  It screws onto the faucet...

Here is the dilemma: Most of the ground at the farm is hard, clay soil.   I'm not sure how many of you have soil like this but when I tell you it's like digging into concrete, that's no exaggeration.  After a rain, it's a bit easier, but you have to get in quickly and dig.  Even then, it's still not as easy as it might be in other soils when just using the standard line of garden tools. Remember last weekend I was going to dig some holes for the trees along the driveway?  I used a regular shovel.  Fail.  I borrowed 2nd Family's post hole digger.  Fail.  Then I tried a special shovel, I think it was called a trenching shovel.  Semi-fail.  I did manage to get a hole dug, but it took about an hour and the hole wasn't nearly as deep and wide as it needed to be.  Not to mention I was afraid I'd crack the handles on their tools! Not me 2nd Family told me that "Ma" (the previous owner of our house) used to use a pick axe (...

So here is the purchase we made last weekend for the farm.  We have always wanted one of these grills.  They are the kind that are used at National Parks and Campgrounds across the United States.  In fact, when we've shown friends and coworkers, they say "we used those when we went camping!"   We really like cooking over wood and/or the hardwood natural briquettes, and these are the kind that should hold up for years and years. We had to do some research as there are plenty out there that "look" like the originals but there is only one original.  The others are made with a thinner metal and probably don't have the longevity as the ones made for parks.  These are made by Pilot Rock , who has the contract to provide them for parks around the country.  We ended up buying them from Northern Tool because they have free shipping when it's "site to store".  When an item weighs a lot, it can save money in shipping fees if you liv...

I posted a few weeks ago about our hole dilemma .  I mentioned an earth auger as a possibility and I took everyone's advice into account.  I was going to rent one but 2nd Family's "R" gave me some advice as well so I decided to pull the trigger.  Here is my new yard helper: Earth Auger from Lowe's I bought a 'one man' auger at Lowe's.  It came with the power head and a 10" (or maybe 8", I can't remember now) spiral bit for digging.  I did some reading on the best way to handle them, started slowly (it has a throttle) and proceeded to make a hole! Auger holes in clay soil Then another, and another....until I had five holes in a row along the side of the driveway.  I was a bit messy at first, until I got the hang of it.   I used my Rubbermaid Cart  to carry the trees and bags of soil down the LONG driveway and put them at each hole (not as hard on the old body). My shiny, new auger, not so shiny now but...

OK, this is something I wanted to share because they just work so well.  One thing I've discovered with the raised beds is that normal rakes and shovels can be a bit large and unwieldy, especially in a 4x4 area full of plants. So here is my solution.  I found these: Raised bed rake and shovel We purchased them at Home Depot but I'm sure they are sold elsewhere.  Do you know what they are?  They are children's garden tools!  Surprisingly, they are well made metal implements with sturdy metal handles and they even have holes at the top to hang them with. They are a nice length (28") to use in a raised bed.  Because a raised bed is elevated up somewhat, there is not much bending over to make them useful.  Even better, their smaller tool ends make them a cinch to rake between plants and dig small trenches and holes without damaging existing plants. Best of all, they only cost $4.88 each! Cool small tool...