Winter is here!

We had a wonderful Chanukkah here on Shekinah Farm! We hope your holidays were joyful.

Now we are planning and preparing for spring planting. We are planning for early planting this year and hope to use all raised beds for our two gardens.

January will bring tree pruning and soil prep. We plan to burn the sorghum field and potato and tomato beds, add a green house and plant seeds for seedlings.

We are also using the Moon phases and astrological signs for planting, weed control and harvesting this year. We hope it will help with the weeds and pests.

We are also looking forward to having some Wwoofers here as well to help with the farm. We love having wwoofers here, they give us such a wonderful insight to our farm and help so much! :)

Well, here we go again!

Sorghum Harvest!

After Sukkot we harvested the sorghum. Here are the pics Grandma took while we cut and loaded the sorghum on the trailer!

Christie and Shelly in the field picking up the stalks after Satch cut them down

The trailer is 20 foot long.

Gathering sorghum stalks and putting them on the trailer

Minding their own business!

Satch picking up stalks

Sheep moseying over

Field is cleared and ready to let the animals finish it off before plowing

It's getting full!

Oh, oh, the sheep found the sorghum. Mmm Mmm Good!

I'm 5'1", the sorghum is taller than me and 20' long! Not bad for a half acre!

As we are putting it in the barn, the sheep have followed. Everyone loves sorghum!

Even the horse get's into the sorghum. Everyone will be happy this winter!

Difficult times on Shekinah Farm

We have had some difficult times lately... But we continue to work diligently to remember that Yah, the creator of all things has our best interest at heart and is guiding our path...

Some of you already know that Jaffa got sick with Ketosis. She had to be put down and her calves are being nursed by Shemayim. That brings our milk production down and puts extra stress on Shemayim. We are watching her closely.

31's calf is ready to wean and we are milking her twice a day and letting the calf strip her off after milking. Soon she will be ready to sell.

My mother had gall bladder surgery... she is recovering nicely.

Satch's Job is ending in September and he is looking for work. We are working on cutting our living costs more so that we can live on his military retirement in case we don't get work.

How we have prepared and cut costs:

• Installed wood cook stove for heat and cooking during winter months
• Paid ahead for 2 fills on our propane tank for next year
• Cut down our phone bill
• Cancelled tv (skyangel)
• Cut down on the number of vehicles (lowers insurance and gas)
• Practiced living without A/C (been doing that for the past couple years)
• Growing feed for the animals in winter
• Growing food for family
• Making repairs to home and farm (fences, barn, houses, etc)
• Purchasing items for future repairs and maintenance to have on hand
• Training horse to pull plow
• Increasing classes on the farm to bring in extra income
• Shopping for cheaper insurance for car, home, etc
• Plans to install wood cook stove on back porch for summer cooking
• Plan to sell several animals in fall if Job doesn't come along
• Plans to build an outdoor oven
• Plans to sell stuff on E-bay/Craigs list

It is amazing where we can cut back and tighten the belt if we are willing! Yah will continue to bless in the midst if we continue to give him Honor and Glory!

It's been a while, life has been busy...

Hi Everyone,
It has been awhile since I posted. Life has been very busy. I sewed costumes for a Renaissance Fair we attended. We have harvested broccoli, cabbage and strawberries. We have had a sick mama cow that we had to put down this past Friday. We have been trying to get the sorghum and corn planted (late this year) but waiting on some rain. We are in a drought. I'll post again with updates and pics on the topics above, but for now here are some harvest pics:

Broccoli ready for harvest

Beautiful harvest

Some bug damage, see the holes in the leaves

Pic of the Day ~ Callaloo

Known as Callaloo in the Carribian, Amaranth is a little used plant in the US.

It grows as a 'weed' here in our back yard and is a wonderful source of vitamins and nutrition. Both the leaves and the seeds can be used for food.

We have two types of Amaranth growing, the one pictured above and another called Spiny Amaranth which is also useful for food but has paired spines on its stems (ouch!)

4 Thieves Vinegar

Here is a recipe for a type of thieves vinegar, rather than oil. It can be used as an insect repellent (lots of mosquitoes and ticks out there right now). This is great to have on hand and is made with fresh or dried herbs. Here is the recipe:

4 Thieves Vinegar

• 2 quarts - apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons - lavender
• 2 tablespoons - rosemary
• 2 tablespoons - sage
• 2 tablespoons - wormwood
• 2 tablespoons - rue
• 2 tablespoons - mint
• 2 tablespoons - fresh, chopped garlic

Combine dried herbs (except garlic) and vinegar in a one-gallon jar with lid, and soak in the sun for 2 weeks, shaking often. Then strain out the used herbs, and retain the herbal liquid mixture. Add several cloves of crushed garlic, and close lid. Let soak for three days, and strain out the garlic fiber and discard. This liquid tincture needs to be stored in a cool place, like the refrigerator, or it can be preserved by canning. Fill canning jar with boiling liquid tincture to within one-half inch of top. Cap with rubber seal canning lid, tighten ring, and turn hot jar upside down; leave it undisturbed until it cools to room temperature. This will cause the jar to seal. Don’t forget to date and label it.

Pic of the Day ~ Spring Blooms

The Azalea in front of the house is in full bloom!

Pic of the Day ~ Strawberries!

Although our plants are small, we are getting a couple strawberries daily. I suppose I should be putting them in the freezer as they ripen, but instead I give them to someone to eat... yesterday's batch of 4 strawberries went to G-ma Donna.

Pic of the Day ~ Cabbage, Broccoli and Onions

The cabbage is starting to head. The onions have done well to keep the bugs away... still a few 'chew' holes but not like last year!

Currently in the Garden...

We are getting ready to add some jerusalem artichokes, horseradish, pommes,  and other perennials to the garden as well. I'll post those pics when we get them in the ground... in the mean time here is what is growing now... (of course the potatoes are still in the ground but not growing yet)

Onions, cabbage and broccoli share this raised bed.

Our strawberries are blooming! Yay!

Isn't it cute! :) A strawberry in the making.

Project of the week... Potatoes

Sunday we plowed and planted potatoes. I didn't get pics so I took a pic of the field after they have been planted. I'll get another pic of them when they start to sprout.

Excitement on Shekinah Farm!

There has been much activity on the farm. I will post a little each day so I can catch everyone up with the happenings. We have been getting our gardens ready with a little help from our friends! They come out to help and 'play' on the tractor! Here we are moving manure into the large garden.

loading compost and manure on the trailer

spreading it in the garden

Ricky riding the trailer back to refill... silly boy!

Shelly and Max working hard! (or is that hardly working)

While the kids are moving and tilling in the compost, Mom tries her hand at chopping wood!

We got the raised beds filled, a strawberry bed built and several items planted this past week!

View from my back door at the kitchen garden beds... 2 tier strawberry bed on the left and cabbage, broccoli and onions are in the farthest beds. 

I'll put up more pics as we add to the gardens and they grow!