tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55749644548955913982024-03-13T08:22:54.955-04:00By the Sweat of My Brow...It's God's Blessing! "By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food." Genesis 3:19Sunshinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13308568697815017628noreply@blogger.comBlogger101125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574964454895591398.post-88914994487142212162020-06-09T06:57:00.001-04:002020-06-09T06:58:51.674-04:00
Hello again!
With Covid19 curtailing our travel plans, and putting the LightUnshackled.com series 2 on hold, we have had more time for gardening again.
We never completely stopped gardening, but as our boys grew we explored life experiences with them that often too us away from the garden for periods of time. So for the past several years we have had a minimal garden, with often weedy end Harvesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730726298329226809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574964454895591398.post-88621102378255720882018-03-21T08:20:00.001-04:002020-12-12T16:57:59.735-05:00
Hi again! Welcome to anyone who happens upon this archive of ideas. Some of the internal records keeping pages I have been keeping up to date, specifically the fruit trees (as they die and we replant.) I come back for reference, and perhaps others do as well.
Looking back over the years cataloged by this blog brings back good memories. It was enjoyable and a family activity with my wife and twoHarvesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730726298329226809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574964454895591398.post-88570280141495727672015-01-18T14:09:00.000-05:002015-01-19T09:35:05.259-05:00South East Asia Trip
We have written in the past of our interest in helping down trodden peoples. Our family will be on a mission trip in South East Asia for the month of February, and if you are interested in following us on that trip, visit:
http://MatchInADarkPlace.blogspot.com
Previous Blog Post:
Karen, the beautiful
Jump In, He's Drowning!
Harvesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730726298329226809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574964454895591398.post-55156164761976764452014-12-23T10:00:00.000-05:002014-12-26T22:02:18.516-05:00Vapour of SmokeA few days before Christmas our farm experienced a catastrophic fire in the chicken coup. We knew nothing of the fire while in process. On leaving the farm the next morning for work, I drove around the curve in the road past the chicken coup, and a glance toward the coup registered a moment later-- there was no coup. By that time I was down the driveway a distance, and I slowed down straining to Harvesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730726298329226809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574964454895591398.post-57393830271137111352014-08-21T10:00:00.000-04:002014-08-21T10:35:11.659-04:00Heat Yields HeatIt is a truth that fire wood heats you multiple times. It heats you up when you cut down the tree and shop up the wood. It heats you up when you move it around and stack it to dry. It heats you up when you bring it in to the furnace. And it heats you by the burning of the wood.
I am getting plenty of heating, this week. The Lord miraculously answered our prayer for firewood by providing an ampleHarvesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730726298329226809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574964454895591398.post-53343256366410005872014-07-09T22:53:00.001-04:002014-08-21T10:34:21.928-04:00Fire in the BonesCan you imagine fire in your bones?
I mean searing, swelling, mottled fire. Let me tell you about it. Better sit down. Better yet, elevate your feet.
We captured a swarm of bees a month or so ago, and I had them in one deep and two supers, nestled among the peach trees in the orchard. They had swarmed to that tree, and I set the box right under it, and there it sat. Well, it came to look Harvesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730726298329226809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574964454895591398.post-41805723850480990962014-06-13T10:00:00.000-04:002014-06-13T14:26:02.922-04:00StrawberriesStrawberries are on, and are they ever delicious! Strawberries are the first harvest crop for our small farm. I really like the idea of progressive or succession crops, so if you don't have strawberries, I encourage you to consider them. We planted two years ago, and spread wood chips all over the beds. This has been a blessing in that weed control has not been a big problem for us in the bed. Harvesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730726298329226809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574964454895591398.post-72965168897504227572014-05-25T15:00:00.000-04:002014-05-26T16:02:30.271-04:00Karen, the beautifulI had just come into the house from the orchard, and Sunshine said as matter of factly as discussing the current weather, "I think we should learn the Karen language." This was completely out of the blue. And less than 12 hours later, I am writing this post while sitting in a Burmese convocation representing several eastern USA states. We drove this morning down to Indianapolis for this all day Harvesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730726298329226809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574964454895591398.post-91141052142833656142014-05-20T20:44:00.002-04:002014-05-26T16:03:36.411-04:00Winter Freeze ResultsWell the results are conclusive: This past winter was so harsh that all of our peach blossom buds froze during a winter cold snap, and we had several this past winter. Not a one blossom this spring from the peaches. We have some temps as low as 20 below, which is very unusual for our area. I think a lot of the nation was affected by the cold winter. We will miss the peaches this year!
We are Harvesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730726298329226809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574964454895591398.post-31895443250198863202014-05-18T10:00:00.000-04:002014-05-20T20:27:55.448-04:00Bark Side UpWhen putting on deck boards, check for the pattern of the rings of each board. To help prevent cuping of the boards, always put "bark side up".
Harvesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730726298329226809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574964454895591398.post-51631009256031319832014-04-25T18:00:00.000-04:002014-04-25T20:08:53.747-04:00Berry PlantingToday we planted some additional small berries. This area has been mulched with 6" of wood chips since last summer, and I planted the berries down in the soil, and then drew the wood chips back around the plants for a mulch.:
South Row: Saskatoon: Martin x4,
Middle Row: Saskatoon: Smoky x4, and Northline x4
North Row: Triple Crown Blackberry x4, Viking Aronia x4, and Goji Berry x1
Earlier we Harvesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730726298329226809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574964454895591398.post-82878319495298180452014-03-13T10:00:00.000-04:002014-03-13T21:52:46.835-04:00Cleaning BeeswaxEureka!
I have been wanting to clean bees wax, and have not been sure how to do it. I have melted down a pot several times, but have not really been able to strain the wax, and it just ends up making a waxy mess. We have saved decappings and extra beeswax from our hives for a while, I have been hoping for an easy way to clean wax, and I have found it. And I will now share it with you.
Sunshine Harvesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730726298329226809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574964454895591398.post-57517034360162117532014-02-11T10:00:00.000-05:002014-03-11T20:39:27.710-04:00The ColdWind can press the cold deeper into your clothing, like relentless icy fingers seeking out the warmth within. Cold and heat are forces in a tug-of-war. We see it in the global weather: Polar vortex winds have created unusually cold weather patterns across the USA. We see the tug-of-war in our garage that we use as a cold cellar (since we have not built a proper root cellar) in the effort to keep Harvesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730726298329226809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574964454895591398.post-83599252367076700082013-12-29T10:00:00.000-05:002013-12-29T13:37:24.872-05:002013 is Winding DownIt is appropriate to take stock of the year as it draws to a close. As you reflect on the past year, what were the highlights in your life? What trials did you face? And even more importantly, what character lessons did you achieve in response to those trials?
Here are some tips (recommendations) for this season that come to mind:
1) Give thanks by returning a just tithe. Most financial Harvesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730726298329226809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574964454895591398.post-3961187890984903182013-11-22T17:01:00.001-05:002013-11-22T17:04:02.812-05:00The ForemanI came across an interesting story, that I think relates a lot to how we want to train our children-- to be capable adults. From cooking, canning, garden work, tractor work, or good old manual labor... we want our young people to be masters and able to lead.
So, here is the story:
"In some respects the pastor occupies a position similar to that of the foreman of a gang of laboring men or the Harvesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730726298329226809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574964454895591398.post-39441711334878080602013-10-31T19:08:00.002-04:002013-11-10T07:03:00.848-05:00Planting GarlicWe planted 30 lbs of stiff neck garlic yesterday, and for lunch we savored each variety. I enjoy the varieties. Each has its own flavor and taste personality. Some have a mellow heat and rich flavor, others pop with an instant flavor.
Garlic likes rich, well draining soils. It is suggested that you rotate your plot each year to be sure there is not a build up of pests in the bed. The location weHarvesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730726298329226809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574964454895591398.post-1310799130658255942013-09-25T10:00:00.000-04:002013-09-30T13:45:33.000-04:00Gardening lessons from 2013This growing season has been a good year for learning, and gives hints of a lot more yet to learn. I thought I would record some of the take home lessons that I want to remember in the future, and that you may find valuable as well.
1) Weeds grow fast. Weeds hurt a garden. Removing weeds takes a lot of work (and sweat). Since the sweat of my brow is the title of this blog, I have put this item Harvesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730726298329226809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574964454895591398.post-45501742989181094532013-09-13T10:00:00.000-04:002016-05-27T20:29:20.526-04:00Small Fruits / Berries
Eating fresh food from the garden is especially beneficial. And if you accept this idea, then you must with me conclude that there is something in fresh food that will degrade over time after harvest. Since the macro molecules seem rather stable, I can conclude that these beneficial elements must be the fragile phyto-nutrients and anti-oxidants in fresh food. A portion of our diet likely should Harvesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730726298329226809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574964454895591398.post-20841024422290851032013-08-09T10:00:00.000-04:002013-08-09T22:45:10.702-04:00Seven ThousandThink back to the story of Elijah after the Mt Carmel experience, during his flight from Jezebel's wrath. When he finally stops running, he is in Mt. Sinai, and God talks with him there. Elijah, what are you doing here? To this Elijah gives a list of problems, chief of which that Jezebel seeks his life! Then he says, Lord, I am the only one left. No one else serves you! (Read 1 Kings 19:Harvesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730726298329226809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574964454895591398.post-79183559215313467362013-08-08T10:00:00.000-04:002013-08-08T20:49:23.209-04:00Recipe: KetchupWe want to eat home processed foods as much as possible. We want to avoid industrial and chemical processed foods as we are able, so we have started experimenting with creating our own condiments: pickles, ketchup, mayonnaise, etc. We are posting our recipes and experiences for others to stand on our shoulders, and see if together we can come up with something even better!
We prefer to not Harvesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730726298329226809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574964454895591398.post-61497321364426036802013-08-05T10:00:00.000-04:002013-08-05T22:55:10.580-04:00Cool Dry SummerThe weather in our neck of the woods has been quite a puzzle this year. We had a cooler and very wet spring, then a few weeks of really hot weather (90's) and Indian summer (pleasant days, cool nights) since then. It has felt like fall for weeks now. The really important factor for gardening has been the lack of rain for the past month. The weather has been so cool that warm living plants have Harvesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730726298329226809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574964454895591398.post-81639457962467959622013-08-01T10:00:00.000-04:002013-08-01T22:55:22.775-04:00Bee Hive Boxes & FramesThis year we are blessed to have seven active bee hives on our micro farm. We expanded till we had used all of our existing hive bodies and supers. So, we ordered some more un-assembled hive parts, and will post about putting them together.
We get our bee supplies from Mann Lake (http://www.mannlakeltd.com/), and they have a referral program that pays a small percentage. If you place an order, Harvesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730726298329226809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574964454895591398.post-35443175517191440192013-07-29T10:00:00.000-04:002013-07-29T13:13:40.096-04:00Reverence in the Sanctuary[This post is written in the context of exhorting Sabbath worshipers to Reverence in the Sanctuary.]
Welcome to God's house! We have sung His praises, and we acknowledge being before the Holy of Holies. In this service we do not invoke, or call down, God's presence to come near. No, this is a papist teaching. This church sanctuary has been dedicated to God, and it is we who enter His presence.
Harvesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730726298329226809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574964454895591398.post-33629557482222840342013-06-26T10:00:00.000-04:002013-06-26T13:55:10.827-04:00Drip T-TapeAs mentioned last year in the post on watering systems, we have found drip tape to be an excellent way to go for efficient watering. I have tried several systems, and this is hands down the best in consistent delivery and ease of use.
I need to find an efficient way to store the watering system over winter, as for much of our fields, I wanted to remove the tape and feed lines to allow for Harvesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730726298329226809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574964454895591398.post-58709064998971869072013-05-22T10:00:00.000-04:002013-07-29T12:30:02.310-04:00Spring Garden Record - 2013It is time to start some plants growing indoors. If you live in the south, you may be able to sow cold crops now, but here in the north, we still have snow on the ground, and several inches of snow in the forecast. But the icy grip of winter is steadily loosening, and there is a hint of spring with day time temps above freezing, and some of the early spring flower heads poking through the snow.
Harvesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730726298329226809noreply@blogger.com0