Alternative Pest Management with Edible Plants

Image source: Pollenatrix

A long time ago, I read that the shortage of Hummingbirds was because of pesticides. At my old place (about 75 miles east of here) I counted 11 Hummingbirds at one time all vying for a spot on the feeder. I have seen 1 a year here in the Willamette Valley! The difference is terrible, and I really miss those little zoomers.

According to Jonathan Ya'akobi at Dry Climate Gardening, a pair of nesting birds can eat 75 pounds (POUNDS!!) of bugs in a year. This includes aphids, insect eggs and caterpillars.

I've been actively researching plants that attract birds (bees, butterflies and beneficial insects) and are still part of my edible landscaping plan.

To attract and keep the beneficial critters a few things are needed - food, water, shelter and no pesticides.

Food:

Blueberry
Huckleberry
Raspberry
Grapes
Mulberry
Plum
Calendula
Dill (food for Black Swallowtail caterpillars)
Fennel (food for Black Swallowtail caterpillars)
Nasturtium
Parsley (food for Black Swallowtail caterpillars)
Sunflowers
Anise Hyssop
Pineapple Sage
Cherry
Crab Apples (Crab Apple Jelly anyone?)
Hazelnuts/ Filberts
Walnuts
Chesnuts

Check out this LIST online that has some great suggestions for attracting birds.

The folks at EarthEasy have plenty of suggestions how to control pests by attracting beneficial insects too!

Shelter:

Evergreen shrubs and trees (leaves or needles or both!) to protect them from predators and the elements.

Water:

Birds love water that drips so a tiny fountain is sure to attract them.
A birdbath is great too.

Butterflies like a little muddy place that they can sip tiny amounts of water from. Think 'marsh garden'.

I don't know about you, but I would much rather lose a berry or two to a flock of birds than sit on a chemical soaked lawn.

More Summer pics!

Here come the combines! It was really quite a sight. I know they thought I was nuts running out there to take pictures, but oh well!

My oldest sons building fence. I do so love having big strapping boys. View looking Northwest at the Trask Mtn range (coast range).

















The view due North. Isn't it beautiful here? I can see why my Great x 4 Grandfather chose this site for his house.

















This is view North and slightly West...it was stunning in person.

Farm Pics August 2009

Sorry I am so lax about posting - what with a toddler, full-time jobs and a farm the blog gets forgotton.

We are tweeting @Rosemont_Farm though! Come play along!

















Here is Vi.
















Here is the view looking East into the town of Yamhill. The Bent Grass seed crops are down & the combines are coming through...see next blog post.
















The red clingstone plums are ready this coming weekend! They make luscious jam.
Thanks to 2 wild beehives we have plenty of fruit set this year.

















The view looking due East at the town of Yamhill. In the foreground is the corn and tomato patch.

No more milk sales effective July 12, 2009

It is with great sadness that we have decided to cease selling raw goat milk effective today. Please return your jars at your convenience for a refund of your deposit monies.
Take care,
Heather & the gang

Just hamming it up at the farm

Sunday at the farm was a very productive day.

We started tearing down the old greenhouse that had fallen in the "Blizzard of '08".

We found a bunch of chicken raising supplies from when my grandparents were raising a flock.

The major find was a big brooder. We just need to rewire it with a safer set up.

We also found a bunch of the original doors and windows off the house (c. 1876!). The doors were in really good shape.

There was a giant pickle crock that was cracked but repairable. I am sure the glaze is lead so we would not use it even if it were not cracked.

We took a peek into the old smokehouse and saw so many treasures that we want to go after. We are very patient though, knowing how unsafe that building might be.

At the entry way of the old chicken coop we uncovered a giant flagstone that was placed there to keep the mud down. My dad thinks he may have placed it there years ago.



This mama was all coy and shy about having her picture done.

This mama muscled her way in when I was taking pictures and shoved her mug right up into the camera to make sure I took her picture. She is a big ham but she is my favorite goat...don't tell the others. You can see her baby belly. I am guessing she will go another 4 weeks or so before we meet her little ones.

We have lots more to do in the coming months, stay tuned for updates.

Garden update: Yesterday we started 90 tomato plants, 48 cucumbers and 21 zuchinni plants!

Gingerbread Goat Milk Ice Cream Recipe

I am making this tomorrow:

Ingredients

5 cups raw goat milk
1 egg
1 1/2 cups organic cane sugar (dark brown sugar is a nice change)
1/4 cup Gingerbread syrup (Monin is the best)
1/4 cup crystalized ginger
1/8 tsp sea salt

To really kick it up a notch add broken gingersnaps...mmm!

Mix well and place in ice cream freezer according to the manufacturer's directions.

Peak flavor occurs at 24 hours.

Thor the Wondrous Buckling & a Saturday Farm Update

We've gone back and forth about whether or not to keep Thor.

He is an amazing buckling. He's frisky and feisty. He is larger than his sister and his older 1/2 siblings who were born a week before him.

He's also related to 1/2 the herd so it wouldn't be very wise to keep him, yet somehow I haven't talked myself in to selling him.

Here are a couple of pictures of him from today. I had to use my cellphone because my camera battery died.

Please read on after the picture interlude for more farm updates.

Here is Thor standing on one of our last 2 pregnant mamas. She looks resigned to it doesn't she??




Here is Thor showing his nifty horn buds. Little does he know that come fall they will be a distant memory.

We had twin bucklings this week. A cute little red one and a cute little brown one. Their mama is one of our older does so these may be her last babies. She has a huge udder and looks like she will be a gallon+ milker wooohooo.

I'll publish pictures of the new babies soon. I know I am terrible mentioning these cute little kids that were just born and then not adding pics!!

Today was a work day on the farm. Oh wait, aren't all days work days on farms?

We cleaned out an unused area of the old print shop and are busy converting it to a kitchen area for the dairy. I'm excited to be doing this because it feels like we're finally *in* business. If that makes sense?

We're putting up drywall and then painting the room with an aqua glaze. I swiped the color from the movie Mamma Mia! I know it's shameless, but what can I say ;)

We're staining the cement floors so they look like stone, adding a new door and window, some fun lighting, a stainless table and sink, a sterilizing dishwasher, hot water heater, fridge....and voila after all that we are ready to take on the world.

Meanwhile in the pastured pig world, we have 4 pigs spoken for so run don't walk to your nearest phone and call to reserve yours before they are gone!

See you soon.