Winter Fodder

We have chickens, sheep and an angora rabbit that love to have something green in the winter months, so I have started seeds to make fodder.  We purchased two 25lb bags of forage seed at Tractor Supply to seed the yard for the deer but seeing it in action, I realized that it would make good fodder for this winter.

At the dollar store I picked up trays and poked holes at one end so the water could drain when tilted. After soaking the seeds for 24hrs and rinsing them I just water twice a day and let the water run off. 

The tray on the left is 6days old and the tray on the right is 3 days old.

At 9 days it makes a tasty treat for all the creatures here at the LillyZoo.

Sir Bun Bun sure enjoys it!

Wrapping up the 2012 year

Canning our tomato sauce Tomatillo sauce House repairs Apple picking at Fishkill Getting it done Closing the roof before the first snow Well we had a bumper crop in the veggie garden in 2012 and with pregnancy of our son it was a tiring year. I could hardly keep up with how well we produced. May 4th 2nd Swarm May Day Hive split and captured swarm April 28th More of everything seeded April 14 Gladiolas, Dahlias, and Lilies planted in the spiral garden Kristen F helped plant the strawberry patch March 28th Carrots and Beets seeded directly March 26th onion sets in the ground March 21st Kale planted in the garden March 17th workshop given to the Weston A. Price Foundation's local chapter March 8th Veggie and flower seeds started Feb 23 a quart and a half of syrup from neighborly sap Feb 18th 2 quarts of maple syrup from about 20 gallons of sap Feb 11th made 2 quarts of maple syrup from 24 gallons of sap Feb 9th brussels and some sprouting garlic cloves in my little greenhouse Feb 4th Started Lacinato Kale and Onions in my little greenhouse

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Goals for LillyZoo 2010

plant figs and apple trees

plant potatoes - blue fingerlings, red fingerlings, sweets

Start seeds indoors

plant as much edible landscape as possible

Plant a new kitchen culinary & medicinal herb garden- Lavendar

Learn more about honey bee keeping- borrowed books from the library

Broadfork till and amendment beds each week End March-May

Add more raspberries-Anne

Plant more grass seed and buckwheat cover crop for the sheep

Put up a split rail fence for the sheep and improve the Winter Pen

Make at least 3.5 gallons of Maple syrup for the year

build hoop green houses over beds with early start veggies in them

collect and process more chestnuts

Learn pressure canning

Grow 25 chickens for meat and harvest after 5 weeks for the freezer and consider for the micro CSA idea

Order and raise americanas and aracanas for pretty eggs

Use natural materials for gardening instead of buying which is so easy to do

Effectively Tally my egg production and food production to better prepare for a micro CSA business plan