First of the year elderberry jelly has been made!

Elderberry Jelly

I got about 22 cups of elderberry juice from the berries shown in the last post.  I did not include the 2nd extraction juice because I didn't think it tasted enough like elderberry.  I did sweeten and can that "liquor" though.  I think it should still have some anti-viral properties and it tastes OK when sweetened.  I got 5 and a half-pints of the 2nd extract liquor canned.  I made a total of 38 half-pints of jelly from the 22 cups of juice.

This is showing only 17 jars.  There are 21 already cased and put away!  It does taste a bit different than last years.  I swear its more bitter.  Still very good though!

Dried Pumpkins - powdered!

I let the pumpkins sit in the dehydrator overnight again.  They were dry last evening, but I was too busy making jelly to get to them, so I turned the dehydrator back on and let them dry more.  This morning I removed them from the trays and put them in the vitamix to powder.  I got about a pint of powdered pumpkin!  I need to keep moving with them, but its too late to get to the powdering point so I will just wait until later to get more done.  Just a note for the future for storage:  7 dehydrator trays will powder down to about 1 pint.

Straight from the dehydrator

Powdered and packed in a pint jar.

Septic tank 

I checked the tank this morning (I was concerned since I have been doing food processing and that means lot of water down the drain).  It is at the top in the normal "overflow to the 2ndary tank" level.  So I added about 10 (?) lbs of copper sulfate to the tank (dissolved in water).   I hope that helps clear those roots out!  I will have to keep an eye on it.  I want that copper sulfate to be in there as long as I can.  Makes me nervous when its close to the top like this;  I will have to check it more often.  I recall that when we had problems, the fluid level was well above the lid inside the cover.

Spiral Tree protectors all on now

Well, not all on.  The persimmons don't have any.  I am still debating whether they will get them or not.  I did the remaining cherry trees today.  Some of the spiral tubes needed to be cut since those trees are so small (dwarf).  I checked and two f the trees looked absolutely dead.  I will have to order a couple more sour cherries from the conservation district next year.

Apple trees and white aphids

I got some Neem oil spray for the white aphid problems on the apple trees.  I used it all.  I only did the trees that had signs and trees that looked weak.  I will keep an eye out for those buggers.  Maybe a dose of dormant oil earlier in the winter this time to help wipe out their eggs?

Last front-lawn stump is GONE

I finally got to cutting of the last of the front lawn stumps!  I only dulled one chain (well two, counting the one I put on to finish the job)!    I am glad to get it out of there, but I still am considering stump grinding. 

I did some cross-hatching in the remaining wood to encourage decomposition.  I might add some stump remover.

Found a neat Fungus in the front lawn 

Just found this thing - thought it was a pile of leaves at first.  Neat looking.

Caulking the basement continues

I got more caulking and a new caulking gun on the way up.  I went downstairs to start caulking  and noticed a bad smell.  After looking around a bit I found a dead mouse!  I swept up a bit and moved the old dresser to clean up under it (where the dead mouse was).  I caulked all around the sill except where I couldn't reach (behind the drain line from the bathroom and behind the canning shelves).  It should be mouse proof there now!

While I was cleaning up I saw a mouse running around the edge of the wall!  He ran behind the canning shelves.  I figure he couldn't get out since the sill is caulked now.  In response I placed some poison downstairs and put a couple traps under the bathroom sink.  I have noticed that there seems to be significant gaps around the basement windows - I may caulk there too.

Catching Up

Haven't put any food up for awhile, but I thought I would post a status of whats been going on, on the farm.


During the federal furlough, I did work on removing the remaining accessible stumps from the trees I removed to install my fruit trees this spring.  I also cleared the land around the red barn so that I could clean up that barn and also to prep for the measuring and digging of the walipini (underground greenhouse).

Stump removal and land clear

Here are some pics of the stumps before, after, and during.

That area, between the cherry trees and the persimmon trees now is nice and clear:

Greenhouse

I have been working on maintenance of the backhoe (trying to make sure it lasts until I get my greenhouse dug!)   So far, here is what the greenhouse looks like:

Actually, as of tonight, its a bit further along.  I just don't have current pics!  A big issue I have is WHERE TO PUT THE DIRT!  Also, because its so hilly and rough over by the barn, i have trouble finding a place to safely plant the backhoe while I dig.  So I have been moving much of the dirt that I dig up to form flats that I park in while I dig.  Lots of moving dirt from one place to another.

Out of fuel!

I ran the backhoe out of fuel, AGAIN, today!  ARggg.  Its a pain when a diesel runs out of fuel because its difficult to get the fuel back into the line and into the cylinders to start again.  Last weekend I ran out of fuel while running and I drained the battery trying to start it again.  I ended up connecting the battery charger to the generator - that worked - for about 10 mins.  Then the generator stops producing power!  I need to go back and see whats wrong with it - hopefully just a fuse or something that needs replacing.  Anyway, I then had to run extension cords from the garage to the backhoe - and CRANK and CRANK and CRANK!  Finally, it started up last weekend and I just moved it back by the garage.  I recently found that the way to start the backhoe is to turn the key, hit the glow plug button for about 30-60 secs, put the throttle full on, and then hit the starter button.  Works well, when you haven't ran it out of fuel first, that is!  Anyway, today I thought I would do what the manual says to do when that happens  - vent the fuel line.  Unfortunately, the manual I am referring to is for an 1973 3600A - mine is a 1978 - and there are differences.  However, I kinda figured out what they were saying to do and tried it.  The venting seemed to help - but I did still need to run the extension cords for the battery charger.  It started much more quickly though - much less cranking this time - maybe due to the venting - maybe due to the correct method of starting the vehicle.

Hydraulic Leak

I ran the backhoe for a couple of hours this afternoon - I was running the front loader hard - and I noticed that there was A LOT of oil pooling up under the tractor.  I went ahead and moved it back to the garage to check it out.  I determined that it was hydraulic fluid that was leaking out - and it was leaking out quite quick.  I put a bucket under the leak (seems to be under the battery area).  After it cooled a bit, I no longer saw much oil coming out - maybe it stopped.  I looked it up online and people are suggesting that maybe a hydraulic pump is bad or a seal on the pump or valves.  I need to get in there and see exactly where its leaking.  It was about 4:30 pm though and I was tired so I decided to wait until next weekend.

LASER level

I need to bring the laser level up next time to see where "level" is for the greenhouse.  Its tricky when you are digging!  I also need to keep an eye on the area around the greenhouse to make sure it drains correctly.  I did block the front drainage ditch today when I made an access ramp to get into where I needed to dig.  If it rains now, its going to make a mess!

LATHE & MILL DELIVERY

I will be coming up again this Friday to take delivery of the lathe.  The crappy trucking company called me last Friday (I got up early and rushed up here just to be ready to take delivery!) morning - around 10:10am, right after I finished putting the heavy mower on the tractor so I would be counter balance to use the fork lift to lift the lathe off the truck!  Oh, and while I was rushing I ran the tractor over the air hose and destroyed the outlet fitting - need a new hose! - GRRR  Anyway, guy is from trucking company and wants to know when I want it delivered!  I said "today" - he said no way - trucks where already out and wouldn't be back until too late.  So i said Monday, he said they could get it here LATE Monday!  GRRRR  So I said ok, how about next Friday?  They said ok.  So I am back here next Friday.  Maybe the company it shipped from can arrange to get the mill loaded on the same truck so I can get them both next Friday.  We will see.  Not real happy about the delivery issues - I hope sitting on the truck doesn't hurt the lathe.   The lathe was bought through ebay so it should have buyer protection.  However, the mill wasn't bought through ebay - so I really hope that the mill is OK!    I want to get these machines set up and figure out how to use them (and what else I need to equip them with to actually use them!).  I might need them to fabricate parts for the backhoe!  I have already noticed that the dipper stick "pins" are kinda loose and could do with replacement.  A lathe would make short order of making a new pin!  (assuming I can find a decent piece of steel big enough to machine to size!)