Places we will be this weekend...........Smithfield Farmers Market and Riverview Village Days Plus Some Baby Goats and Wildflowers

Hello everyone well it has been spring break all week and we had big plans......but you know how they can change in the blink of an eye. We have been cleaning up the limbs still from the March first Northeaster and Dusty had several ticks on him and of course one attached under his arm. Well Tuesday night he developed a "really bad headache" and then a fever......of course being a mom to nine kids and spending most of the years without any health insurance....you just don't run to the doc, you use all the home remedies and old school ways to relieve symptoms and "HEAL" and as nurse I also "know too much" you know the old saying "what you don't know won't hurt you, and what you do will." Well of course I got worried about the tick bite.....so I took him to the doctor on Wednesday and they ran some labs...and really no meds and all the labs came back normal and we would be waiting until Monday or Tuesday for the "tick borne" labs. He has been sick all week and he feels better during the day as long as you keep some children's Motrin in him. He was able to ride his scooter on Monday and Tuesday have bonfires at night and cook hotdogs on the fire, but it can really suck for a child to be on spring and be sick. My poor baby.......but as Dusty told the doctor he wasn't the baby of the family......I looked at him funny "what" then who is Dusty????? He said Ledger!!! LOL. Dusty he is your nephew and our grandson.....then I told him you might not be a baby but you are my baby! So its been a super busy week...well did you expect anything else???? LOL

We had more baby goats born and of course the bottling continues...the high tunnel preps and the greenhouse still full and growing. Still milking......which never stops...and of course we did extract honey late one night. 

Saturday is calling for rain and a sleet snow mix......really April and on coastal North Carolina yeah I'm still running heaters in the greenhouse at night but that is always expected. So IDK how this will go for tomorrow but I do plan on being at Smithfield Farmers Market tomorrow from 9-12 noon. So everyone think "NO RAIN" tomorrow morning and maybe it won't rain! 

April 7 Smithfield Farmers Market from 9-12 noon 

I have decided to attend the Riverview Village Market on the 2nd and 4th Sundays starting this Sunday.....as I told David the manager I was a little worried to attend more than one day a week even though its only two days a month mostly.....sigh I did this before (not Riverview) but attended more than one market a week and I tell you...then you can't be a farmer.....unless you have tons of help and can leave others to do your jobs. So this will be a new experiment for me this year.....as I will try again....yes I do need the money and YES most defiantly I want to do the best job I can.....so we shall see how my new adventure goes. Because to me Sunday is a day of rest or a day you want to just EASE into the day.  

Of course I made kombucha again this week and I tell you it took me all day pretty much 10 hours to make the teas and bottle the rest and transfer scobys etc.....its worth it totally as I tell you my husband Bruce really loves it! It is just soooo yummy..... if you want to see my recipe and how I do it go 

HERE 

this time I did grape and pineapple I got way more bottles I just needed to get them put up and out of the way for each batch, the hooch tops are the grape and the flag are the pineapple

This is catnip which has stayed alive all year in the high tunnel and now is flourishing 

The radishes are really growing and all the water lines are in and ready to go 

The seedlings are doing well in the greenhouse looking forward to going outside in the high tunnel

Early jalapenos I grew from seed....lots of them I will bring some to sell at the market

Some of the tomatoes growing 

the okra 

               Bruce built me more boxes this year so I am excited for that. See all the waterlines in

                                            The high tunnel is all ready now

                                                                    More of the boxes

One of the baby goats born this week 

Welcome little one 

My wildflower seeds came this week for the bees this year I ordered 5lbs which let me tell you is expensive, we had such awesome luck with the wildflowers last year we wanted to plant more for the bees plus its great ground cover and BEAUIFUL plus other pollinators love it too. 

These are some of the wildflowers we grew last year 

The field was loaded with flowers and you cans see the hive bodies behind the field 

Butterflies love them too 

of course the bees absolutely love them!! 

See all the hove boxes behind the flowers 

A friend of ours let us use his homemade extractor and it has helped out so much as we were doing four frames at a time with another borrowed extractor this extractor is automatic and holds ten frames plus you don't have t flip the frames each time! 

The uncapping tank 

Bruce uncapping the frames to extract the honey note all the hive body boxes in the background each needs to be extracted and full of frames full of honey, I know always too much to do 

uncapping the frames of honey 

the frame totally uncapped  

See the honey draining through the screen 

Coming out of the extractor 

You can see some of the BEE POST 

HERE

and 

HERE

and 

HERE

This is Milly who now has a new home and look at that SPOILED 

                                    Milly and Violet in their onesies and diapers #GOATLOVE

Bruce found this adorable turtle in the high tunnel of course I put him or her under the greenhouse for shade and plenty to eat 

You see how tiny it is 

I will be at both of these events coming up so please note that 

Well remember hope for no rain tomorrow......at least not at market time. Enjoy your weekend I am off to replant some more in the greenhouse and paint some more hive body boxes and then make some strawberry jalapeno as per request. Hope to see you this weekend. 

Until next week! 

Dawn Gallop

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How I make Elderberry Syrup and Some Updates

                                                                               So many have asked me how I make the elderberry syrup, I have decided to go ahead and post my recipe. I have been making this since 2015 and  I CERTAINLY CAN let you know I am a believer. It works! Yesterday I was at the Deep Creek High School for the craft show. It was very slow but I did see so many of my regular customers, THANKS again for all your support. When I got home I was sooooo tired that is putting it mildly. After Thursdays adventure I just was not caught up with my needed nutrients for the body. I have been steadily trying to build myself back up.  When you have low iron it is hard, and to mention I had to go 5 days before the procedure without it. Above is the picture of the finished elderberry syrup jars. You could use anything like a jar or a bottle to put your syrup in. Which ever you choose.

I use 3/4 cup of elderberries, if you don't have a bush (which they come in this area in August) you can find them here on Amazon. I always use the organic brand but really the only pest I know is the birds. You have the usual ants, and other critters but nothing to terrible if you stay on the watch and pick when ready. You must only pick the ripe berries as they are poisonous and so are the leaves and plant itself, plus the tree. You will have to pick through the batch to make sure you only have the ripe berries and no stems or leaves. They used to be a lot cheaper back in 2015 but I guess there popularity has the price increased. Gather all your ingredients I use a large piece of ginger grated up its about four Tablespoons, 2 teaspoons of cinnamon I only use the Ceylon cinnamon.  I buy this at Smithfield Farmers Market. You can also buy it here at Amazon. This cinnamon is much better for you then the one you buy in grocery store. Look for Ceylon cinnamon in Whole Foods or any of your organic stores. 1-2 teaspoons of organic cloves. You can find these here on Amazon too. I really like these and since I cook and make a lot of stuff I am very happy with these.   You want to measure out the 3/4 cup of berries and 4 cups of water (I only use the purified water) I know it gets simmered but I don't want to start out with chlorine or whatever else is in the water. I use a large skillet that is deep like a stainless steel one. Put all these ingredients I have mentioned in the pot as well now. I have them simmer for about an hour or so (always mark where the water and berries start and measure as you want the water to decrease by half) I look at the bolts on the handle to measure with. Then I allow it to cool completely. Then I use a strainer like you see in the pic above. A large bowl and I start straining the berries and the liquid. You will see the cloves, and the ginger in the mix just strain as you would the berries etc. The cinnamon will go through the strainer so no worries.

The berries in the strainer. 

Once all strained you will add your honey (now you strain twice if you think you dropped a berry or two in) I always strain twice to be sure but basically the second time you are just pouring liquid through the strainer. I add our honey that we had just extracted. It is just a beautiful dark honey. 

1 1/4 cup of honey is what I use. 

Using a stainless steel whisk mix well, mix until the honey is incorporated into the syrup. 

Here you can see how much honey I used but I make larger batches than most would. I have my kids take this too and Bruce and I both take it. I feel it really does work. You can add other ingredients like rose hips or even other herbs that you would like to use. Store in the refrigerator.  

You can see how dark and beautiful it comes out. Doses are 

   Adult Daily Maintenance: 1 Tablespoon 

Children 2 and Up: 1/2 to 1 teaspoon

Adult Intensive Use: 1 Tablespoon every 2-3 hours

Children 2 and Up Intensive use: 1/2 to 1 teaspoon every 2-3 hours.

This product and the information provided has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent or cure any disease. #9 Farms is not responsible for the improper use, reactions or results from how you use this product. Please contact your healthcare provider with any questions regarding the safety of this product and before adding any herbal supplement to your diet.   

The syrup is not intended for any child under the age of 2.

I just shared how I make my syrup there are many recipes on the internet and you may use them or do as you wish.

You can read the benefits of elderberry syrup here

and Here

I hope I provided you some information to get you started on making your own elderberry syrup.

 Today while it was sunny we worked on planting the rest of the seeds which was so nice to be in that greenhouse that sun felt so good on my skin. The boys worked hard at helping.

 We finally now have all the seeds done that will be in the pots. We will plant directly in the soil when it is time to.

A lot of our seeds are already coming up we did about 10 days ago. Now I will have to transplant these. These are tiny early jalapenos. 

More jalapenos 

Okra this year I also planted the crimson okra 

I love TimeHop this was exactly a year ago we were building bee boxes but this year I think we will have enough from what we did last year and this year too. 

Dusty playing with the chickens, Jewelee gets so jealous when anyone gives love to someone other than her. LOL! 

The high tunnel is ready to go...I planted radishes today directly in the soil

All ready for planting in the high tunnel 

This was yesterday at the show in Deep Creek at the High School 

I had only bought one space to save on fees which can be very costly especially when all of them are due all at once basically and now its already to pay for all the fall shows too. I was ready for St. Patrick's Day. It was nice to see everyone in their St. Paddy's Day attire. Its always fun to dress up for this. 

Next week we will be at Daffodil Festival in Gloucester Virginia

 Have super duper week. I just finished the cheese up for tomorrow before I did this post and tomorrow I am making some jams for the weekend and printing labels for soap. My aunt said she would come by to put them on the soap boxes. Have a good one....and they are calling for snow here again on Wednesday of course the boys are excited about it. I hope it doesn't snow.
Sending ya good vibes for the week..........until next time.
Dawn Gallop

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