coming and going

coming...
The chicks are here, but they've been nothing but trouble since their arrival. Saturday morning we started with 24 and we're already down to nine or ten. The heat & humidity, one too many days in transit, summer hatching - it all adds up to weak chicks. If they weren't staggering around the pen, they were lying down and too weak to make it to water. We moved them four times Saturday trying to find the best location for their comfort. This breed, La Fleche, is an experiment to see if MHf can maintain it's own flock of meat birds. Ordered back in April, their popularity and scarcity put MHf on the waiting list. Hence, the July delivery. Photos will be posted at a later date (if any survive long enough to pose).

going...
MHf is going to the KS State Fair!! A few weeks ago the Simply Kansas program called asking if we'd like to showcase MHF in their booth for one day during the Fair. Of course we would!!! And we'd love to see as many customers as possible. If you're in the neighborhood Thurs, September 16, please stop by the Simply Kansas booth for a thank you gift.

Eric's Endeavors ~
The fall garden is progressing on schedule. Cooler temperatures and fewer insects make for better-tasting produce.

more eggs, please!

Some of you may have already guessed, but MHf is running low on eggs. CSA orders continue to increase, as do sales at the Newton Farmers Market. Therefore, we decided to throw four dozen eggs in the incubator. The eggs were not candled so we don't know how many eggs are actually fertilized, but the ones that hatch will be most welcomed.

If you're in the neighborhood Thursday, please stop by the Newton Medical Center for their Health & Wellness Fair. MHf will have a booth set up with herbs and herbal information. The fair runs from 7 am - 5 pm. Click Schedule of Events above for more info.
[More info next week on the State fair!]

Eric's Endeavors ~
It's hot out there!

[click on photo to enlarge]

ready , set, preserve!

Green beans have started dangling on the plants so we harvested for a few meals. With preservation always on the mind, we though we'd try something we read in a Foxfire book. Pods are simply strung like popcorn for the Christmas tree and left to dry. So, we thought we'd try only one string and see what happens. Securing a button to the starting point, the largest of pods were carefully strung one by one. Another button was secured to the top, and then a loop by which to hang it. This bunch drops about three feet from the ceiling right smack dab over the game table. It may (or may not) be moved later and certainly makes for an interesting conversation starter!

Corn was next. Eric's parents drove up to the farm this weekend bearing gifts of cucumbers and ears of corn from their garden. (Rest assured that ours is on the way!)

Step One: Find a bundt cake pan and place the ear of corn over the hole. Cut the kernels off with a good sharp knife. The pan acts as a catch-pen.

Step Two: Push the shaved ear of corn through the hole in the pan. Give it some muscle and keep pushing until the entire cob has gone all the way through. Some ears are longer than others so you may need to pick up the pan and pull from bottom to get the job done.
Step Three: Divided into one pound portions, we threw ten pounds in the freezer. Throw the cobs in the compost pile. Or, in our case, feed them to the chickens! The Australorp rooster was proudly crowing and strutting through the barnyard with corn kernels scattered all over himself!

Eric's Endeavors ~
Equipment. The rototiller broke down last week causing a delay in planting fall crops. Our equipment is ranging from 10-15 years old and spare parts are now ordered on-line rather than being stocked at the dealerships. Since the rototiller is a critical part in gardening and maintenance of fruit trees & brambles, we are looking at upgrading equipment to insure continued progress year-round. We will maintain the existing rototiller, but upgrade with a new, more-capable piece of equipment. We are looking at purchasing a BCS two-wheel tractor. This equipment is driven by a power take-off [PTO] allowing us to replace several pieces of equipment utilizing one engine.

(click on any photo to enlarge)