Good and Bad In the Poly Tunnels

The peaks in temperatures have really taken its toll on the poly tunnels, Here are two videos from the poly tunnels.

 First up is the dry air poly tunnel, this is were I grow all the citrus trees and things like prickly pear, pomegranates, avocado and the canna lilys, the majority of the plants in this poly tunnel like it hot and dry through summer but that in turn has had its issues this year. I have now installed an overhead misting system to try and combat some problems.

  This poly tunnel were I set up the aquaponics has a more humid atmosphere but the high temperatures have lost me the fish. 

Both poly tunnels have big fans in them that are suspended from the roof bars to try and move some of the hot air out, the fans run off solar panels, here is another video showing one of the fans when I first got them.

 A lot of issues have been caused by birds coming into the poly tunnels, although birds do some good helping to control pests, they have brought there own pests and they damage the fruit and veg, dig up the border and have broken a few plants, now birds are banned, netting has been fixed up over all the doors pollinating insects can get in and out but birds are out. 

We are getting some fantastic veg this year

Tomatoes are doing fantastic, we are harvesting them every couple of days along with cucumbers, peppers and chilies are coming close to harvest time and we are now picking the first of the corn on the cob. 

Its now time to start looking at what to grow over winter, although with it being so hot its hard to think of winter. 

 

A Day In The Life Of A Smallholder

Saturday 4th August 2018

Got up at about 6am Martin was already  up and had a cup of tea ready for when I came downstairs, put a wash load on, got some paperwork ready for the people who were coming to buy the two female kids.Its Martin's turn to do the animal feeds, milking and chores today.

Got dressed another mug of tea and started loading my car up  ready for the village market, put second load of washing on and headed down to the village hall to get set up.

A lovely friend brought along a box of mushrooms for us that she had picked this morning in her field.

 Got home from doing the market about 1pm, made some good sales and picked up a couple of orders for the new range of children's clothes I am doing. Including an order for one of the Turkeys. Car unpacked.

Quick catch up with Martin, the goat kids were collected, I went and checked the new area Martin had set up for the pigs that we are collecting tomorrow.

 

Then headed up to the top field to turn the grass that had been topped the other day and cut some branches for the mama goats and the young billies that have now moved into the goat bachelor pad.
set about cleaning out the fridge while I was having a cup of tea

Into the poly tunnel, planted a tray of potatoes that were sitting in the barn sprouting, they were some of ours from last year.

 They have been planted into the border I cleared earlier in the week

Set up an experimental bed to grow some of the mixed grain  that we buy in for the doves,

It will be interesting to see what grows and how well it does, I intend cutting it for the goats.

 Went round and harvested some of the veg, runner beans, broad beans, black eyed beans, peas, courgettes, cucumber, broccoli and corn on the cob.

We spotted Frasier the Buffalo bull was in the wrong part of the field, he had rolled under the electric fencing, we head off to round him up and get him back were he belonged.
The washing was brought in 

 

Turned the mister on in poly tunnel 1

while that was getting a good soaking I headed back up to the top field to bring down all the cut grass that was dry

Three trailer loads, not the best of hay but it will feed the goats for a couple of weeks.

Martin was cooking dinner on the BBQ while I was gathering in the hay

Lovey dinner of Buffalo rib joint, new potatoes, corn on the cob, corn on the cob, tomatoes and cucumber.

I then switched the watering to the second poly tunnel

 While the watering was going on I headed to the woodland field and cut a row with the scythe

 This will get turned in the morning then several times through the day to dry out. Closed up poly tunnels, turned off water pump.

Finally got sat down with another cuppa 

Wont be long until bed time, how was your day?

 

 

There Are New Additions On The Ranch

I have such a lot to post about so I am going to mush a few posts together to try and get things up to date.

New additions we have a few

Lavender and Petunia have calved

 Lavender calved first early morning to a little girl who we have named Lily, Petunia calved a few days later to a little boy named Percy, neither needed assistance we just found them with there calves.

They are now 10 days old 

and growing at a rate of knots

They are both feeding well.

Turkey Poults have joined us, they are a week old.

We have a mix of Bronze and Roly Poly Whites.

Now I just have to keep them alive.

They are still under heat and wont move out for a good few weeks yet. This gives us a bit of time to put together a new run and house for them.

 we have had another Dove hatch out,

 we are up to 5 again now,

and she is sitting again on a nest,

The doves are still living in the fruit cage safe from the Hawks.

we need to get an aviary built and get them into a place of there own.

 We had two new nucs of bees on order for ages and finaly we got the notice they were ready for collection.

 Martin picked them up from Sussex making a detour on one of his trips home, the bees spent a couple of days settling in to new area in there Nuc boxes, we then moved them into there hives.

All settled in now down in the orchard area.

This week end we hope to pick up some piglets more new additions.

We just have to get there house in place and electric fencing set up. 

Its all go here.