Gardner’s California Homestead

GardnerHomestead

Loving the herd life
Joined
Mar 6, 2020
Messages
154
Reaction score
604
Points
153
Location
Northern California
At least you can get close to "Kevin" our two " pork chops" are still keeping a safe distance from us at the moment, but they still have some time to "warm up" to us ...till they go to freezer camp...:rolleyes:
Those pork chops are smart lol. Kevin is very food motivated, i think thats the only reason he isnt super scared of us.
 

GardnerHomestead

Loving the herd life
Joined
Mar 6, 2020
Messages
154
Reaction score
604
Points
153
Location
Northern California
The gravel fairy paid us a visit yesterday, my husband and youngest daughter were out checking the mail and i hear this big boom, start walking outside to investigate and my youngest comes running in saying a truck crashed. i run out there and my husband is talking to the truck driver who had just lost half his load into our yard. He had gone to far over and went into the culvert. :th
gfh.png
dg.jpg


Kevin survived the catastrophe by about 15 feet, the fence was bent a bit but nothing that cant be repaired. and they said we could have the gravel if we wanted it. Its probably about 10 yards. We have been needing to regravel our driveway anyway, to bad they couldnt have tipped over there lol. So all in all it worked out, no one got hurt.
 

GardnerHomestead

Loving the herd life
Joined
Mar 6, 2020
Messages
154
Reaction score
604
Points
153
Location
Northern California
Summer is creeping along, been over 100 for the past week with no end in sight. Extracted honey for the summer last weekend. 115lbs this year from two hives. Puts us about 70 lbs higher than last year. :drool The nectar flow is slowing and bees are mainly after star thistle now. The honey is much darker this year and our blackberry "crop" has at least quadrupled from years past. My husband took honey to the neighbors for being so accommodating with our bees. They all put out water barrels for them in their gardens :love we are lucky to have some great neighbors mostly.

I picked up a few lavender guinea chicks in exchange for a bottle of honey, they are beautiful. I will have to get pictures. Our guinea hen is sitting way down in our blackberries on about 15 eggs, been two weeks, two more to go.

Garden is producing well even in the heat and ive started preparing for my fall garden, first time for that so it will be an experiment this year. The kids are basically living off of ripe blackberries and strawberries lol. Going to make them some smoothies for dinner so i dont have to cook.:yesss:

The goats ate back alot of the blackberries next to the creek this year and we found two pear trees and a cherry plum hidden in there. So exciting. :ep Ive never canned pears before but will have to learn how. Peaches will be picked soon. We are in fruit heaven over here.
 

GardnerHomestead

Loving the herd life
Joined
Mar 6, 2020
Messages
154
Reaction score
604
Points
153
Location
Northern California
Wow its been a long time since i posted. Summer garden is winding down and im clearing out the stuff the gopher wasnt able to get to, the animals are loving all the extras. My tomato cages werent big enough and so that whole box is a huge mess. Whatever tomatoes get missed in the tomato jungle are given to Kevin (who is now over 200lbs) , which he loves. Ive used up all my cherry tomatoes making sauce, yum! The watermelons have come out amazing, kids favorite. Tried out a zuchinni relish recipe with all the excess zuchinni, :drool
62.jpg
61.jpg
36.jpg
59.jpg
60.jpg
3546.jpg


32.jpg


Tractor supply lured me in with .50 cent cornish cross birds around the middle of august, already almost two weeks old :ep so even though we were done with meat birds for the year 10 more fell into my cart. Butchered them yesterday. 40 lbs of meat. Great deal. They are resting in the fridge and will be put into the freezer tomorrow. One ended up being an imposter, not a meat bird after all, so she got put in with my other laying birds. I think she is a white rock. My spring chicks arent laying yet but their combs are reddening considerably so hopefully soon. I had two orpington hens go broody, both hatched about the same time so they are coparenting 6 little fuzzballs. So cute! Daddy Russell Crowe is very good with them too.

11.jpg

56.jpg

For the first time this year im trying a small fall garden, kids help me plant peas, a second batch of carrots, beets, broccoli, potatoes, and spinach. I also have garlic on the way which im very excited about. I could put garlic on just about everything. We are feeding the bees now in anticipation for winter. Temps are still lower 90s here but food sources are limited this time of year for them. We have been stacking wood for a couple weeks now, the kids least favorite chore lol. Fall is on its way. Trying to soak up the last bit of summer.

57.jpg
 

GardnerHomestead

Loving the herd life
Joined
Mar 6, 2020
Messages
154
Reaction score
604
Points
153
Location
Northern California
Everything looks great!


That's funny! I had a Russel Crowe rooster too. A big handsome Barred Rock.
I wonder how many roosters are named after him? 🤣

Lol :lol: My rooster before this was Wyatt Chirp, horrible attitude on that one. Russel is kinder so far. Barred rocks are beautiful roosters.
 

Latest posts

Top