Breezee BarnsI do not know about any of you, but I love getting garden fresh produce in the summer. It just tastes so much better. With a lot of hard work and dedication, our garden is flourishing. We are now beginning to see the results of our efforts, so we are going to be busy freezing and canning in the next few months.
The Garden Plan
The garden we planted this year has been an experiment. This garden is way bigger than we have planted in the past (it is about a half acre), so it takes a lot more time to weed and water. As we spend time in the garden, we brainstorm on how we can make it better. Right now, we are already making plans on how to plant things differently next year.
I ordered plants for the garden in January, and we received our shipment of plants in May. Papa wanted us to order the plants from a wholesale grower, so that’s what I did. I had never ordered from a wholesale grower before, but I have to say I was quite impressed on how well all our plants looked when they arrived. They were all so green and healthy looking.
The plan from the start was to grow enough food to feed and store enough food for three families and our feathery friends. Since Papa passed away, it is really for two families now. With all that we ordered; we will have more than we need. Our plan is to donate extra produce to food pantries and giving away to friends and extended family.
Growing Fresh Produce
We are growing quite a variety of things. Currently, we have lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, herbs, beets, cabbage, brussel sprouts, cucumbers, squash, eggplant, and potatoes. We did plant carrots and parsnips but didn’t have any luck. As of right now, the plan is to try to start them again in a few weeks to get a fall harvest.
We have been blessed with rain to help our garden grow. Most of the days, there has been no rain in the forecast, but these afternoon showers have been awesome. Most of the showers have given us a half and inch to an inch of rain. God’s water is the best water we could ask for!
Aunt T and Uncle D spend a little more time in the garden than we do since it is at their house, but we do help. We go down and help weed and check on the plants. I usually pick the lettuce and spinach, sometimes with the help of one of the girls. Almost daily, Uncle D calls and tells us it’s time to come pick up things he has picked. So far we have gotten lettuce, spinach, cucumbers, cabbage, eggplant and tons of zucchini (time for some baking!). It is a good thing that we like to eat these vegetables.
Here is how the garden was looking before we started harvesting produce.
Here’s what our harvest has been looking like.
Storing Fresh Produce
For the most part right now, Aunt T and I have been freezing a lot of zucchini. I have also been vacuum sealing some eggplant. One the girls and I also vacuumed sealed (here’s the FoodSaver I have) green bell peppers and jalapenos. Currently, I had a freezer go out on me, so I have limited space to store things. That will change as soon as my new freezers (yes, I have two freezers coming). We had always planned on purchasing a second freezer, but now we had to buy one and since they were on sale, we went ahead and bought two.
As more and more vegetables are ready to harvest, Aunt T will be teaching us how to can. I have never canned. My parents had canned a couple of times while I was growing up, but I do not remember helping. It will be a good skill to learn, and the girls will be learning as well.
The more we can be self sufficient the better! Even though we are busy with maintaining the garden, it will be worth reaping the benefits of fresh produce. I cannot wait to see how much we are able to store. Aunt T has already told me that we will be storing a lot at our house since we have the basement. It just gives us peace of mind knowing that we will be prepared as we go into the winter months again. If it is anything like last year, we need to be ready for it. Even if it is a mild winter, that is fine as well. We still will be ready for anything.
