I feel like a proud parent! My Wild Caught Sourdough Starter, Audrey II, now 4 years old, has been cloned. When I learned that my friends & fellow vendors at the Warren County Farmers Market were sourdough bakers, but had lost their original starter, I offered some of mine! Readers here know that I am a devout sourdough baker, so this was a joy for me to share with Doug and Linda at FiveOaksBeef.com! The result, just a few days later …
Audrey Gets Around
Mama Jane and Baby
It began as an innocent adventure. My top hen, Jane, a real beauty of a Buff Orpington, went “broody,” meaning she created a nest in the bottom of the coop and didn’t leave it (that I could tell) for a couple of days. I became concerned, thinking she might be sick so I crawled in and pulled her out. She was hot! And so were the several eggs she was sitting on. I realized then that Nature had turned Nurture! Since I don’t have a rooster, this was going to be an exercise in frustration for her, and a loss of eggs for me.
I asked Father Henry, who was a chicken person in a former life, and two friends from Church, also chicken knowledgeable, and they agreed on the diagnosis, and also that the best course of action would be to procure some fertilized eggs for her to sit on. So my friends Laura and Alfie provided two, which I foolishly forgot to mark before gently inserting them under Jane’s enormous fluffed up body. (Hens can expand exponentially to cover their eggs – truly amazing!) I marked the calendar for 21 days out and checked every morning. But after a few days, one by one her eggs were either smashed or missing to the point where I realized the two fertilized ones had to be gone. So Laura & Alfie provided another two, this time marked with little red hearts, and we tried again.
It was adorable the way the smallest of Jane’s sisters, Betty, acted as midwife, nesting right behind her and occasionally contributing an egg to Jane’s “project.”
And like clockwork, on the 21st day I peeked inside the coop and asked Jane, “Any babies?” and heard a remarkable “Peep Peep” as Jane stood up to reveal her darling little dark Dominique biddie! Healthy, happy, jumping around, and Jane became a doting, dutiful Mom, immediately teaching her little one how to scratch and peck for food. I removed all the other eggs, but couldn’t find the second heart-marked one and no shells. A mystery to this day. But just in case it might have been a snake, I put a couple ceramic eggs in the coop.
I brought out the chick starter food and everything seemed wonderful! I noticed that Jane stayed inside the coop the first two days, largely ignored by her three sisters. But on the third day, she ventured out with Baby, still hugging the perimeter of the coop or within the blueberry hedge in front of the coop. When I came out to check on them two hours later, Jane was upset and Baby was unable to stand. I didn’t know what the problem was but scooped up Baby and brought it inside.
For 24 hours I fed Baby filtered water from a pet syringe and encouraged it to eat some chick starter mash to no avail. I put it in a box lined with pine shavings under a grow light for warmth. My neighbor, a nurse and former chicken person, came and checked on Baby and got it to stand, however briefly. But its right wing just hung by its side. I brought out some bandaids with a thought to splint her little legs, but changed my mind as she/he gradually grew strong enough to show interest in some tiny seeds and crumble. As night came I decided to put her back with Jane before closing up the coop.
The next morning I brought her back inside. Real progress throughout the day, with Baby eating, drinking and pooping, bouncing and peeping. As night drew near, the Biddie became frantic in its peeping, so I decided that she needed to be with Mom once again. Jane was very relieved to have her baby back.
Morning showed great success as the biddie was back to bouncing around and following Mom in her incessant scratching and pecking. Drinking lustily from the waterer was another very good sign. I got back to my gardening. But I soon heard a squabble in the chicken compound and raced to check on Baby and couldn’t find it! I kept calling and calling, and finally got an answer … “peep peep peep” from the hiding spot between a bale of hay and the coop. I still didn’t know what had caused the ruckus. So I went back to work.
But shortly I realized that there was indeed some jealousy from Jane’s sisters when I heard a second squabbling and rushed into the compound to see the melee of the Three Sisters who had descended on the Biddie! Jane and I shooed them away, but the poor little biddie was now missing a couple of her feathers on her back!
So I quickly constructed a partition in the compound, giving Jane and Baby the coop and a goodly portion of the compound to safely free range in, and sequestering the Three Sisters to the other portion, providing them their own water and crumble. This seems to be working well. As evening comes, I wait for Jane and Baby to get into their nest, and then hand carry the sisters into the upper coop. In the morning I reverse, letting the sisters out and back into their portion of the compound and then letting Jane and Baby out. After a successful couple of days this way, I began to relax.
However, and this is where The Perils of Pauline came to mind, yesterday morning as I was doing some much needed cleanup of the garden outside the coop, I glanced over and saw Jane, but no Baby! When I called out “Where’s Baby?” I heard the familiar “peep peep peep” and then saw to my horror that Baby had managed to squeeze under the chicken wire that is all around the bottom of the cedar fencing of the compound and now sat OUTSIDE the fence. Outside, where I and my dog Lucky stood. The same Lucky who had mangled one of Jane’s sisters two years ago and frightened my bunny Butter to death. I haven’t moved that fast since my 20’s! I screamed at Lucky, “NO” and scooped up Baby, holding it close, put it back with Jane who was waiting anxiously on the other side. I then told Lucky he was a good dog not to have eaten Baby! And got out my staple gun to secure the chicken wire all around.
I will be very grateful if Baby makes it to adulthood. I think Jane will be relieved as well. Here she is in her less harried pre-motherhood days.
— Deborah Phillips, a.k.a. CherryGal
Pineapple Sage in full bloom in my garden
I am rolling out the first of four seasonal CherryGal Organics Herbal Tea blends — Summertime Tea, a refreshing and soothing blend. One of the most special components of this blend is Pineapple Sage (Salvia elegans), a member of the mint family but with a true pineapple scent and flavor and some extraordinary health benefits. As with many mints, it is an excellent digestive aid (and reduces flatulence and acts as a diuretic), but it is also calming and soothing. Some studies have indicated it has anti-depressive and anti-anxiety qualities. In addition, it has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties and contains Vitamins A and K (liver support).
Pineapple Sage’s expectorant component and astringency make it a good choice for combating sinus infections brought on by summer allergies. Since it also has estrogenic properties, it is not recommended for pregnant or nursing mothers, but may help alleviate hot flashes in menopausal women. Regular consumption reduces bad cholesterol levels and increases good cholesterol, as well as boosting your overall metabolism and contributing to weight loss.
Finally, studies indicate that Pineapple Sage shows promise for treating Alzheimer’s. The essential oil from Pineapple Sage has been found to improve acetylcholinesterase (Ach) levels in the brain which improves concentration, boosts memory and information processing capabilities.
The best way to consume Pineapple Sage to extract all of its goodness, is in a tea. CherryGal Organics Summertime Tea, which contains organic pineapple sage, is best brewed using water brought to a boil, allowing it to steep for 15-20 minutes, then cooled and iced. A special treat is to serve with ice cubes made from pineapple juice. I will be offering this special blend at the Warren County Farmers Market and eventually in my online store. Enjoy!
— Deborah Phillips, a.k.a. CherryGal
I am entering my 7th decade. I have been blessed to garden most of my life. In my youth, I was conscripted by my mother to weed her zinnia bed, and from that (believe it or not) developed an absolute love of the Zen of weeding (try it, you’ll like it). But we had a lot more growing in our garden and beyond … and when Euell Gibbons published his “Stalking The Wild Asparagus” in the early ’60’s, my Dad and I earnestly searched (and found) the elusive weed. This was an epiphany for me. It instantly married my Catholic upbringing and deep belief in God with my love of my natural surroundings. It demanded further research, which I delighted in.
My first serious textbook on herbs was an ancient one, found in Peabody’s Bookshop in Baltimore, Maryland. “Culpeper’s Herbal” first published in 1616 and my version illustrated with botanical drawings and mysterious notations, fascinated me, though I understood about 25% of it. It was followed by dozens of serious tomes exploring herbal medicine, the fragility of our environment, and my own experimentation (most quite positive). When I began gardening in earnest in the early 70’s, herbs — culinary and medicinal — herbs were my focus.
That is why I am excited and delighted to finally be able to utilize my decades of experience and knowledge to bring safe and effective herbal blends to my Farmers Market and CherryGal customers. I will be rolling out these “teas” in the coming weeks and hope you will find them to your liking.
— Deborah Phillips, a.k.a. CherryGal
Oswego Tea
CherryGal Organics is readying a new offering for the Farmer’s Market and beyond — Organic Teas. The Organic Teas that I will offer (starting next week) will be blends designed with a specific goal in mind:
Winter WonderTEA … to help prevent or overcome the colds, flu and other respiratory illnesses that are so prevalent in the winter, when close quarters means heightened exposure to viruses and bacteria that can make us sick. WWT will boost your immune system, and help resolve respiratory issues and fevers. An all-round good tea to keep on hand and drink daily from November to March.
Spring TonisiTEA … a gentle cleansing and healing tonic specifically targeting the liver, spleen, kidneys and digestive tract — in short, all the organs you have been abusing all winter with fatty foods and alcohol! Begin regular consumption March to April.
Summer SojourniTEA … Just as the season should be — refreshing, soothing and relaxing. Wonderful warm or iced. A welcome respite from the heat and activity of the season. Drink abundantly May to September.
Autumn SolemniTEA … will help you focus on preparations (think of the parable of the ant and the grasshopper), as well as warm and invigorate you during the change of seasons. Best consumed September – November.
BeauTEA From Within … supports healthy and glowing skin and hair, especially as we age. Aids in achieving restful sleep, so important to beauty, inside and out.
Although each package will show the specific herbs used in that particular blend, here is a listing of all the organic herbs and spices that I draw upon in composing the five unique blends:
The teas that I offer will come in fold-over pouches that you can use to brew a whole pot, or open to extract a teaspoon for a cup. Guaranteed organic! Gathered and dehydrated with the greatest care. They not only promote health, they are delicious! I have carefully and extensively researched my herb garden to make sure the herbs and spices used are recognized as safe and effective, without adverse reactions. However, I always caution pregnant and lactating mothers, and those with known allergens to abstain unless approved by their physician. In coming weeks, I will write more extensively about individual herbs and spices used. I hope you will join me next week at the Warren County Farmers Market to avail yourself of these wonderful teas!
Best regards,
Deborah Phillips, CherryGal Organics
Just uncovered my Alpines!
Just uncovered my Organic Heirloom Fraises des Bois Alpine Strawberries. They had collected a leaf cover that protected them from frost and hard freezes — even down to -1F this winter. And yet, when I pulled back the leaves I had beautiful green crowns! I will soon be dividing and potting up extras from my pots for sale along with my new Fit Of Pique mosaic Strawberry Pots in which you can grow them. These are so easy to grow and care for and produce the most fragrant, luscious little berries. Love to have them outside my kitchen door so I can pick and add to my cereal in the morning.
Grown by European royalty for centuries, these are special. And aside from their beauty, fragrance and flavor, they are also healthy with some surprising medicinal qualities. Since the numbers I can offer are limited, you can pre-order/reserve yours now at CherryGal.com!
My Sweet Buff Orpingtons enjoying a mid-winter snack of chickweed!
I am so proud of my girls for weathering this brutal winter! First, they had to adapt to increasingly frigid temps, and then when it seemed impossibly cold here, I brought them indoors to my mud room, where for weeks they looked longingly out to their garden (glass door) but enjoyed the heated floor and heater in the room that kept them from freezing even when it dipped below zero as it did at least one night. (Of course, my electricity bill reflects this :() But the 10 x 10 room offered them little in the way of exercise. They did not complain. They took it in stride. But, my goodness, were they ever happy to be released back to their spacious compound and coop, even though nights have dipped below freezing, with rain and even light snow, they are happy. And I am so proud of them. Now that the daylight hours are increasing, they are rewarding my love with beautiful large strong light brown eggs. Thank you girls!
Chickens in the Snow!
Bee on Marigolds
If you buy fertilizer you will notice three numbers on the bag. These are the N-P-K levels in the fertilizer. The three numbers represent the levels of Nitrogen (N), Phosphorous (P) and Potassium (K) — in short N-P-K. These three elements are the primary necessary to have healthy growth in your garden plants. Chemical fertilizers are generally much higher in these numbers than Organic fertilizers, but organic fertilizers offer so much more without the risks of chemical fertilizers.
There is a little known rule of science that governs the fertility of your garden soil. It is called “The Law of the Minimums” and is attributed to Justus von Liebig (1803-1873), a German chemist who made great contributions to the science of plant nutrition and soil fertility. Liebig’s “Law” states that yield is proportional to the amount of the most limited nutrient, whichever nutrient it may be. In other words, if one of the essential plant nutrients is deficient, plant growth will be poor even when all other essential nutrients are abundant so that your soil is only as rich as the minimum of any of the primary elements.
So why should you, as a gardener, care? Well, your choice of fertilizers and how you apply them means everything to the success of what you grow. Many new gardeners think all you need are seeds and a bag of Miracle Grow for success. You might get short-term success that way, but you might also be building up “minimums” in your soil that will result in poor growth down the line. In addition, the over-use of chemical fertilizers not only harms your soil over time, it can run-off into the ground water system with disastrous effects on the larger environment. The Chesapeake Bay is a good example — for more than a quarter of a century chemical fertilizer runoff into the Bay and its tributaries has poisoned fish and other wildlife. The same has been documented in many other states. Chemical fertilizers are usually made from non-renewable sources, including fossil fuels. Repeated application can result in toxic buildup of dangerous chemicals such as arsenic, cadmium, and uranium in the soil — that then make their way into your fruits and vegetables. Long-term use of chemical fertilizers can even change the soil pH, upsetting beneficial microbials, making your plants much more vulnerable to pests. (And forget about Roundup Ready seeds and plants — they are even worse — killing beneficial insects and leeching into your entire garden, poisoning your soil.)
So, you say, I don’t have time to get a degree in agriculture science, how can I enrich my soil without worrying about those concerns?
First — a soil test! Your local ag extension agent (and they are everywhere) will provide free soil sample tests! Now is a good time to do that, since you still have time to address any deficiencies before Spring planting season arrives. Just contact them or stop by their office and pick up a free soil test kit and instructions.
Alternately, you can purchase devices that will test for N-P-K and also pH, which dictates how available nutrients in your soil will be to your plants. Ideal pH varies, according to the plant variety. Acid loving plants like blueberries and potatoes, love lower pH levels, while sugar beets prefer a “sweet” soil, or pH around 7. Most crops fall somewhere in between — 5.5 – 6.5pH. It is best to check, since neglecting to do so could result in your wondering why your blueberries are failing in the limed soil that you created last fall. Or why the leaf mulch you dug in so lusciously to your 4 x 4 bed is now producing a puny bean or corn crop.
Most importantly, use organic fertilizers! Organic fertilizers are minimally (or not at all) processed, and the nutrients remain bound up in their natural forms, rather than being extracted and refined. Organic fertilizers like manure, compost, bone/blood/cottonseed meal, feathers, leaves and other yard waste (as long as it has no sign of disease) are readily available often for free if you are willing to clean out a horse stall or rake some leaves.
There are many advantages to using organic fertilizers.
As they break down, organic fertilizers actually improve soil tilth (structure of the soil) which improves water and nutrient retention.
Unlike chemical fertilizers, it is almost impossible to over-fertilize slow-releasing organic fertilizers, which means also that you will not be building up chemicals and salts in the soil that can kill your plants.
Organic fertilizers will LOVE your garden and surrounding environment. They are biodegradable and a renewable resource! And they will not harm beneficial insects — especially pollinators such as honeybees!
So please, do your garden and the environment a favor — use organic fertilizers! There are so many sources. Start a compost pile for your kitchen scraps. I once had a friend who went to the circus every Spring for elephant dung — and his garden was amazing! But you can find wonderful organic fertilizers now on the shelves at your local gardening center. Your garden will thank you and the world will thank you!
Carolina Collards
Originally a wild and rather unpalatable green, the collards we know and love today have been developed over centuries to sweeten their flavor, breeding out the bitterness and rough qualities of the original “weed.”
Today, we enjoy the largess of such breeding and also the development of cuisine devoted to this green, Brassica oleracea. Traditionally, they are slow cooked with some type of pork, but vegetarian recipes abound as well.
There is a another reason for Collard Greens’ popularity. It is ranked as one of the most nutritious greens, second only to mache. High in protein, calcium, Vitamin A, B vitamins, iron, phosphorous, magnesium and potassium, nothing beats collards fresh from your own organic garden. And a recent study at the University of East Anglia found that a compound in collards called sulforaphane can help prevent and slow cartilage damage and osteoarthritis.
Perhaps no other vegetable so represents the South as this one. It was relied on during the American Revolution and grown by Thomas Jefferson at Monticello. It has historically been enjoyed cross-culturally, though we certainly owe a debt to the African Americans enslaved here for learning the best and most economical ways to prepare and store.
Easy to grow, and often seen in large family patches, you can grow just four collard plants in a 4 x 4 raised bed and harvest a leaf or two at a time from the bottom of the head over a very long growing period, or you can harvest the whole head leaving the stalk in the ground to sprout again.
Collards do require at least 4-5 hours of sun and a loose sandy soil for Spring crop or heavier loamy soil for Fall/Winter crop. They are extremely cold hardy and can survive frosts and light to medium freezes (which converts some of the carbs to sugar, making them sweeter) but will bolt in the heat of summer, so grow either very Early Spring or in the Fall/Winter. Starting seeds indoors or in the greenhouse will give you a jump on either season. They are heavy feeders and need nitrogen for consistent growth. They also need consistent water, 1.5 ” each week, either by rainfall or irrigation. Do not cultivate deeply. You can mulch for weed prevention.
Depending on the variety, collards may suffer munchers, though not as much as other brassicas. But in an organic home garden, especially in a raised bed situation, you can address by several organic methods including a strong spray of water, companion planting by nasturtiums and tomatoes as well as aromatic herbs, which will also improve flavor, and finally a homemade hot pepper spray really works (just be sure to wear gloves when applying and reapply after a rain).
Georgia Collard
I am pleased to be selling three different organic heirloom varieties this year each with its own regional interest.
Green Glazed Collards
I hope you will give collards a try in your home garden this year … even if you are a “Nawthener” Happy gardening y’all!
I love to cook. AND I use my garden and kitchen for many of my medicinal needs. In researching the plants that I grow in my organic garden, I am always struck at the passage of rare varieties from all corners of the world, to my little garden in the Piedmont of North Carolina!
In early Spring, I enjoy Nozaki Early Cabbage, a quick growing and delicious open faced cabbage originally from China useful fresh or in stir fries.
Later in Spring, I always look forward to my Fraises des Bois, a wonderful French alpine strawberry that explodes in your mouth with exquisite flavor and is so easily grown in containers. This year I am offering both fresh plants later in the season or seeds, if you want to get started now.
And from the heart of Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, we offer the all American North Carolina heirloom Sieva Carolina Pole Baby Lima bean, so sweet and delicious and so hard to find.
From our friends South of the border, the Chilhuacle Negro Pepper from Mexico is uniquely flavorful … a combination of smoke, chocolate and heat … just one will flavor a pot of chile to exquisite levels!
Also from our Southern neighbors, the Morado Purple Corn from Peru is grown for the fabulous drink, Chi Chi Morado made from its deep purple kernels. With increasing South American immigrants to our country, this is one which you may enjoy growing.
Back to Europe, the exquisite Styrian Pumpkin from Austria produces a hull-less pumpkin seed well-known and researched to provide protection from prostate problems including cancer. It also sooooo incredibly delicious, full of vitamins and minerals, and my choice to feed to my chickens to protect them from intestinal invaders.
From South Africa, we are so pleased to be able to offer this year seeds of the rare Ice Plant, much prized for its unique presentation and its culinary and medicinal use.
And so ancient it is hard to pinpoint its origins — it was found in Tutenkhamen’s tomb —Nigella Sativa or Black Cumin — is now highly valued for medicinal purposes it is often overlooked for its sheer beauty!
Finally, not to be ignored, the Italian origins of the wonderful Marvel of Venice pole bean should be noted, as Italians prize flavor above all else. The beautiful yellow flat romano style beans are incredibly delicious picked young and sauteed with garlic and olive oil, or pickled for antipasto.
These are just a “taste” of the wonderful heirloom organic seeds I am offering this year at CherryGal.com. If you have read this far, you deserve a reward — use the code INTLSeeds to get 20% off your CherryGal.com seed or live plant order until January 30!