Hope Floats Scarecrow

The school where I teach puts scarecrows up on the fenceline every year to greet the farmers and community members during the harvest season. This year our school is also attending to Breast Cancer Awareness month.  Students and staff have been encouraged to wear pink on Fridays and are writing letters and notes of encouragement to cancer patients receiving treatment. On the 30th of October, students will have a Hope Floats Assembly and enjoy ice cream floats as a treat. 

In the greenhouse is Hope the Scarecrow. I made her out of a sunflower head with walnut eyes and nose and red pepper lips. She has mini sunflower hands and barn boots. The pumpkins and gourds were painted with tempera paints and the gooseneck gourds were given a necklace of chicken feathers for a dressed up look! In celebration of all of the families and fighters of breast cancer and thank you, Mom for your incredible fight 19 years ago. ~ Keep spreading the Hope and Love! ~

Turkeys, Turkeys, Turkeys

Isn't he beautiful?! This is a Chocolate Turkey or a Chocolate Tom Turkey! He is very proud of his size and his feathers and he lets all of us know. Old Blue is also very curious and a little friendly. I call him Old Blue because he spends most of his time with his feathers on display and his head is blue.

The turkeys are roaming around the front pasture under the walnut trees. The sheep and the chickens are always wanting to visit, but the turkeys like to keep moving.

The photos are taken in late afternoon, and we still have not had a hard frost on this 24th day of October. That means we are still picking fresh produce in the garden like lemon cucumbers, zucchini, and peppers to name a few. The turkeys would love to get into the garden, but as long as the plants are living and we are harvesting, we will restrict the turkeys to only compost scraps.

The turkeys are eating plenty from the garden like giant sunflower heads, extra large zucchini, an eggplant now and then, wind fallen apples and pears, and of course lots of greens and a scoop of grain.

Turkeys love sunshine and when there is a harsh contrast between light and shadow, the turkeys will stay away from the shadows. They prefer to live out in the open air. We keep their pen fenced all around and over head so they can sleep outside of the barn.

Their natural curiosity led them to me as I was picking up walnuts. They were so interested in the walnuts they were trying to bob for walnuts in the bucket. The turkeys with the white band on the tail feathers and wings are called Bourbon Red Turkeys. I guess if we cross breed these turkeys we will end up with Chocolate Bourbon!

Turkeys will be harvested in about ten days. We will keep at least on e breeding pair to carry on for next year. They sure are fun to watch.

Ripe Plums in October

We have so many ripe plums, now! Ripe now! In the middle of October a tree that was nearly cut down because it has not produced a single plum in four years ripened with so many plums in one season, that it made up and then some for the plums that were gone for all those years. We were convinced for two years that it was a late frost that killed the blossoms and the potential for fruit. Then two more years of nothing and we planning to replace the tree. There must have been nearly 700 pounds of fruit on a single tree. The tree is bowing with the weight of these plums that sure took their time ripening this season. So we picked and washed and sliced and chopped and cooked and baked and dried and froze and ate these little beauties! There are plenty left for friends and family, so come on over to the farm!

Getting ready for the dehydrator. The plums dry up so nicely and can be used in oatmeal, as a quick snack or rehydrated for anything you like. They also add a very nice flavor to soups.

These plums are about midway through the drying process. It takes 12 - 14 hours for this fruit to dry completely. The dried fruit is stored in jars and ready to use or eat.

Plum jam! Our daughter and son-in-law make plum sauce and it starts with plum jam. We finally have some jam to offer and we are looking forward to the pot stickers that go with the sauce!

Plum Upside Down Cake and Walnuts! This cake is a melt in your mouth kind of cake. It is made in a cast iron skillet and comes out a little thinner than if it was baked in a springform pan, but we like it thin. The edges are crisp and there is nothing so sweet as baked plums.

What do you do with your plums?

Peppers

Peppers are so pretty at this time of year! We picked as many peppers and every other kind of vegetable and fruit that could be picked this weekend. Our peppers came on in abundance...in OCTOBER! We are just lucky that we had such warm and dry weather through September and early October. We expect it to freeze tonight.

Here the peppers have been roasted and are ready to freeze. Don't worry, they were enjoyed on a roast beef sandwich in between picking more vegies and peeling more fruit!

Autumn Dining on the Deck

It is such a beautiful fall in Southern Oregon. Our remodeling is officially finished for now, but we couldn't resist the fresh evening air to enjoy some corn on the cob, roasted chicken and vegies from the farm. Happy October!

Happy October!

The harvest is nearing the end, but there will be at least one more week end of canning and pickling before we are done.


Then the warm fires with candle light and fire glow will begin.


~Happy October~