Aaaahhh.....FROST!

Most of the people I talk to are disappointed when the weather starts getting cold. They wish that summer would last longer. I have always enjoyed the season changes here in Minnesota, and they seem to come at just the right time....well, for me anyway! When I've had all I can take of processing food, Jack Frost is a welcomed friend in my yard. :) If I had to survive on the food that I grow, I am sure I would not feel this way, but for now, we are ready to be done gardening.

We considered not covering anything in the garden, but then decided we'd keep the basil and the cherry tomatoes a little longer. We still have some of the cold hardy vegetables in the garden - beets, cabbage, carrots, broccoli, and lettuce. We also have bushels of peppers, squash, and some cucumber in the cellar for the market. Since our Farmer's Market runs through October, we will continue to sell vegetables and then store what's left in our root cellar for the winter.

We will be butchering on the next six Fridays. I sure wouldn't mind some warmer days on those dates! :) We have decide to run the full market for those two Fridays in November, since there will be so many people coming out. So Friday, November 12th, will be the last day that you can visit the farm this year. Then it will be time to relax and get fat........I wish! :)

Once the market is over for the year, we'll have time to get our butchering done. We will process some of our ewes, a pig, and hopefully some deer. Then I will be busy rendering lard and tallow, and making soap. :) We should finish everything just in time for the holiday season! :) .....then we'll relax! :) January and February are usually pretty quiet on the farm, other than getting seeds started. In March we start making maple syrup, and after that it's "hold on to your hats, here we go again!!!!!" Do I sound like I am complaining? :) I'm really not (although I do that sometimes), actually I am feeling quite optimistic (probably due to the recent frost). :)

I've reasoned that I love the farm so much because I am a person who likes change. The mundane is always interrupted with the unexpected on the farm. That's exciting! It may be that an animal is going into labor or an animal is outside the fence, either way, you stop what you are doing and change course suddenly. Nothing stays the same for too long....keeps life interesting! :)

For now I am working on getting my last batch of pesto made, canning pumpkin butter, making elderberry syrup, and some tinctures and salves. Soon we will be picking apples, some we will store in the root cellar, and the "not so beautiful" apples will make great applesauce. After that, we will look forward to a freeze! Then we will hit the books hard and enjoy some ice skating! :)