Morning On The Farm

As I write this, an owl is perched in one of our large pines. It has been perched on a moss covered branch for hours, watching. I suspect this bird of prey is waiting for the chickens to come out. The Owl must be eager for a quick breakfast. I can’t let the chickens out to free range because our tiny bantam, Harriett, is small enough to be carried off. Truly, an Owl can make quick work of any unsuspecting chicken.

Luckily, our chickens are well protected in their run and have space to forage safely inside. However, we have one particular chicken who takes to eating eggs when she isn’t free ranging. In protest to her lack of freedom, she will wander into the nesting boxes and eat as many eggs as she can find. Sometimes this is due to vitamin deficiency or stress. In Sweetie Bug’s case (that’s her name), she’s just bored and looking to cause problems.

This Owl scenario has left me running back and forth from the house collecting eggs as quickly as possible. I can’t let too many pile up and let Sweetie Bug lay waste to them.

This silly scenario has me thinking about the delicate balance of farm life. The presence of a silly Owl in a tree has altered my entire morning. What a strange thought…

Nature continues to amaze me here on Josephine Farm. The other night I found a skunk sleeping in the chicken coop. I screamed when I discovered it simply because I wasn’t expecting to see fur but rather feathers. The skunk looked at me and sauntered off, totally unaffected. It clearly lacked humility and was the most entitled skunk I’ve ever encountered. Last fall I watched squirrels carry whole apples away from our orchard until there were no more to pick. I had no idea a squirrel could be so bold.

Every farmer and gardener will tell you…there is no controlling nature. I just hope Mr Owl moves shortly so I stop rescuing eggs from Sweetie Bug!

Candle Ideas + A History of Candlelit Windows

As a child I can remember driving by a house in our neighborhood. Every window at this house displayed candles year round. I knew someday when I had my own home, I would do the same thing. Just as I hoped, we now place candles in every window of our house at the beginning of fall until the New Year. It makes me very happy to see the warm light in the windows as we return home from soccer practice in the rain.

It looks beautiful of course, but it turns out there is a rich history behind candle lit windows.

Long ago, candles were displayed in windows to signify safety or the offering of food and shelter. In Pennsylvania specifically, slaves escaping via the Underground Railroad would look for candles or lanterns in windows. If they saw one, it signaled an abolitionist home that would help them.

In cultures around the world candlelight is a way to honor loved ones who have passed on from this world. It also represents newness and birth at the beginning of the Advent season for Christians.

These days, it seems hospitality is hard to come by. Most of us feel unable to open our doors to a complete stranger, even if at our core we’d like to. Maybe the allure of a candle speaks to something deep inside us that longs for community, unity, and peace. Perhaps it’s the simple reminder of “light in the darkness” that draws us in, no matter what your creed or culture.

Candles cannot fix a broken world but they can offer a bit of welcome comfort in stormy times. Below I’ve listed some of my favorite LED and real wax tapers for table top and window sill.

Visit this link to find the candles above: https://pin.it/2qUMfyjUj

All the photos featured in this post (besides the collage) are from our home. The image above is my favorite part of our home exterior. My daughter’s room looks out into the cascading climbing roses of my tiny perennial garden. It’s a quiet place to sit in the warmth of window light, knowing how lucky we are to be safe at home. This is a cozy and reflective time of year, I hope you enjoy it!

Goodnight :)

Growing Leeks + An Easy Potato Leak Crock Pot Recipe

Growing leeks is a fairly easy task and one of the favorites on our farm. My husband is generally in charge of growing produce as I focus more on flowers. Here are his tips for cultivating beautiful leeks.

You can purchase leek seedlings at your local nursery or home and garden store.

1. Plant them in early summer using nutrient rich well drained soil. Generally a mix of garden soil and compost will do the trick.

2. The seedlings should be planted 4”-6” apart in deep holes or trenches. You can build soil up around them to offer support and encourage long white stalks. Leeks will need depth to develop properly so if you use raised beds make sure they are not too shallow.

3. Leeks will need 6-8 hours of sunlight and regular watering (they will not tolerate drying out).

4. You can harvest the leeks whenever the white stalks reach a depth of 1 inch. The white stalk is the portion that will be used when cooking. However, leeks are versatile and can be harvested slightly earlier or later. Sometimes a light frost can encourage flavor. This flexibility makes harvesting easy and low stress

Easy Crock Pot Potato Leek Soup

Ingredients:

1.5-2lbs Yukon Gold Potatoes

2 garlic cloves, diced

1 Large White Onion

A handful of fresh thyme, tied with twine or 1 tablespoon of dried thyme

4-5 Leeks

64oz (two 32oz boxes) of Vegetable or Chicken Broth

Salt + Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Chop potatoes, garlic, leeks and onions. Add to crock pot.

2. Tie a generous handful of fresh thyme with twine. Add to crock pot.

3. Add 64oz of broth.

4. Salt and Pepper (your choice how much. You can further salt/pepper it to choice before eating).

5. Cook on low in crock pot for 8 hrs or on high for 6 hrs. Crock pots often cook differently depending on size and brand so keep that in mind when choosing your cooking time.

6. When all the vegetables and potatoes are tender, you have a choice. You can serve in the hearty style retaining the chopped texture of the soup. Another option is to puree the soup with a hand held mixer directly in the crock pot. Salt and Pepper to taste before serving.

7. Optional, if you choose to blend, adding a 1/4 cup of heavy cream can add a creamy texture. If you choose to serve the soup chopped and hearty, adding a dollop of sour cream to each bowl can add more flavor.

I like to serve the soup with bakery sour dough bread and a simple salad. Enjoy!