weekend activities.

Elderberries are looking good!

Paw-paw patch progress!

Most of the sweet potatoes are still alive - for the time being.  I predict that most will eventually die

Beans are doing well!  I never did thin them though.  The seeder/planter that I use plants them too close, which made me use up the seed to fast so that I have half empty rows alongside of rows that are planted too densely.

The pumpkins are getting a good start!

Taking care of the old taters

Trying out the french fry cutter - it works great!

Fired up the fryer

MMMM - they taste great and they are crispy!

Bagging them up for the freezer.  I will use them later by thawing an baking them.  I put up 5 quart freezer bags.  Many more to go.  Will have to can some I think.

Strawberries!

Some of the strawberries are ripe!  I got a few, although most ha been eaten by the birds.

Bird damage!  The birds took about 2/3 of the crop!

Total haul.  Sigh.

Blueberry fencer connected, finally

The new berries are looking good!  They need protection from the deer though

I buried the fencer feed under this part of the yard.

Connected up, nice and clean

The old berries aren't as productive - but they are hanging in there

Deer Problems

Just before I left the farm this past weekend I did a ride around the property (I usually do).  This time as I turned the corner toward from the driveway towards the big garden I saw a deer inside the electric fence perimeter eating my new elderberry plants!  I gunned the UTV and chased him out.  He hopped over the fence with ease - without a second thought!  Obviously, I knew that the deer could get over the fence - hell, a human could jump over the electric fence - that's not how it deters interlopers.  The idea of the baited electric fence is to entice the deer to touch its nose to the fence and get a shock - thereby becoming afraid of the fence and giving it a wide berth.   Well, that fence was the one that had the defective fencer that I replaced last weekend.  Evidently the deer never learned to avoid that fenced area!  I added more bait/scent to that fence (and inadvertently checked that the fence was energized!) and hope that the deer will learn that the fenced area is to be avoided.  I don't know what to do otherwise.   Its a relatively young deer that i caught in there - maybe its only him that's doing the damage.  I may try using repellent inside the elderberry area.   I really don't want to shoot the deer.  I just don't like killing animals.  I even leave the snakes alone (unless they are a threat like the rattlesnakes a couple of years ago!)  But, if it comes down to my elderberries or that deeer, i am afraid the deer will have to go... :(