Spring Archives - Small Prairie Farm

Garden 2021- The Sunflower take-over

Sunflowers everywhere in the garden- 2021

We planted ornamental sunflowers one year to attract bees and now they are an invasive weed. This year we tried to use them as a wind block to the garden. They soaked up more water than prevented water evaporation. Now they are a pretty weed in our garden.

Kelly started new experimental planters on the Northside of the farm for herbs and heirloom seeds.

We added hundreds of flower bulbs in the fall! We’re excited to see what comes in in 2021.

We started Virginia Creeper along the deer fence line around the garden. On the same fenceline, we are trying to get Hollyhocks to grow. NO LUCK. Open to suggestions.

May 3, 2021

Winter 2021

Lots of snow. Let’s hope some ends up in the dugout.

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March 2, 2021

Spring 2020

Spring 2020 is in on a confusing roller coaster ride

With Covid19 we all started the season early. The more we could get out to the farm the better. Whether Malcolm’s fixing the truck, Tania’s family is out hiking or Kelly’s recluse to her camper the farm acted like a getaway for all of us.

The dugout is way down of course, the wind has been brutal, cold toilette seat, cuddling up to the heater at night, all totally worth it not to be in the city with CovIdiots.

This spring we’ve got a lot done (write ups to come):

Malcolm and Sebastian build a wind generated battery to power the front driveway camera.

Tent Alley Rejuvenation- Malcolm has filled in the spaces between the trees in Tent Alley to keep the garbage and the wind down. Malcolm always loves visitors and Tent Alley is one of his favorite places.

Malcolm got the old International truck running in order to get water from Pense.

The garden has shrunk but all is planted. Spinach, lettuce, kale, dill, cucumber, carrots, potatoes, beets, garlic, peas, 3 different kinds of onion, zucchini, squash, Radish’s, pumpkins. We have everything.

The Cherry, haskap (Honey berries) , apple, plumb, trees are budding leaves.

We have a new chicken coop this year made by Jeff. Kelly Decided to up the number of chickens. More chickens, means they needed more space. Jeff magically made the plans up in his head and built it from there. It turned out amazing!

Also new to the chicken fair grounds we’re trying in ground gardens with coop wire over top. This is so the chickens can at the greens but not destroy the plants. We planted different lettuces, spinach, chard, beets, cucumbers and a few more.

Kelly’s spice garden planted by the trailer. This year Kelly planted (experiment saved seeds) pea seeds. Onions, chocolate mint, dill, garlic chives, chives, snow onions, basil, parsley, lemon thyme catnip, saffron and there’s more to come.

We have finally picked out new strawberry patch location. We’ve been humming and hawing on a new place to put them. The old place was downing in grass and wasn’t producing garden. We are only on the first layer. If you know where there are some excellent rocks let us knowing. So after a few years we came up with something! A strawberry rock pile.

See our previous years in gardening

Some of the silly stuff we come up with

May 27, 2020

We Have Chickens!

We finally have our chickens!

We drove to Chamberlin, Saskatchewan to get chickens and they stunk the whole drive back. I (Kelly) honestly didn’t realize they smelled so bad and all they do is poop!

They have just finished molting So they look like garbage. We’ll see how the dogs get along with them.

The Eggs

May 30th- So far we’ve been getting 5 a day. 2-3 in the roost and 1-2 in the feeder and 1 behind the water dish.

We haven’t been able to find someone to get last years straw from so we’ve been using paper. They don’t seem to mind.

April 28- First weekend at the farm

April 28th Kelly’s first weekend at the farm

During the nights I’m still am running 2 heaters and the wind howls fiercely in the night shaking the camper. I’ve taken an interest in the local abandoned scenery.

The first house is located at the top of the hill on the turkey trail, dad had said he had always wanted to go see it. so when the fence was open I (Kelly) and Jeff went exploring (Jeff was not impressed). We went in the house and into the upstairs. The floors did not fall through. Walking back to the truck we found dead cow bones, so of course, I had to take them home.