Corn picking

Well folks, I've gone from sleeping around to working a corner. Haven't stayed with any old folks all summer, but since my last post I've been doing a lot of sitting on the corner of the 4-way stop in Dallas City selling sweet corn, melons and other various stuff. Pretty good little market! Sometimes there's 2 or 3 of us crazy farmers sitting there.

We've been growing the sweet corn up at my son's on the bluff above Dallas. He suggested I try sitting there. It's convenient (dont' have to haul the corn very far) and the town doesn't have a grocery store so the people really appreciate me. I'm planning to spend the day there tomorrow. We had about an acre of corn come on about 2 weeks ago. Usually, you have a week, maybe two, to harvest sweet corn once it gets ripe, but thankfully the weather has been cool and rainy so it is lasting long enough for us to get most of it sold. I think God must like us! We will probably be done picking near the end of this week. I've gotten out of most of the picking duty by sitting on the corner while Grampa, my son, his in-laws and Jesse's friends pick. Am I smart or what??? But Sunday, I did venture into the field and took a few pics for you.

Here's the crew:



My boy is the one with the gunny sack on his head.I did manage to get a picture of him without it. Ha, Ha Jess! Here he is: Jess (my istsy, bitsy, tiny baby boy). The guy behind the trailer is Ray (boyfriend of Jesse's MIL). Ray has been selling a ton of sweet corn for us over in Ft. Madison as well as picking quite a bit. Thank you Ray! Jess has been selling a quite a bit too in the evenings down in Dallas.


This is Grampa Tom and Judy (Devan's mom). We picked 9 of these big bags in about an hour Sunday. There's about 6 or 7 dozen ears per bag.




This is Jess lugging a bag to the tractor. Glad I have these big strong guys to help!




We've been eating corn for lunch and supper almost every day. It has been so good! We try to sell it within a few days, but we've had some in our fridge for over a week and it was still delicious.

Before we went to pick new corn, we froze about 6 dozen that we had left from some we had picked around 4 days earlier.The first step is to shuck the corn and wash it. I use a brush to get rid of all the silks. It works so much better than trying to pick each of them off individually.




The next step is to cut the corn off the cob. You have to be careful not to cut clear down to the cob so we aim for about 3/4 of the kernel. It seems like a lot of waste, but for us it isn't. Our chickens love picking on these cobs.


After that I blanch the corn for 4 1/2 minutes and then cool it quickly in cool water.



Then bag and put it in the freezer! We got 8 and 1/2 quarts out of this batch. If we do anymore, I expect to get more quarts per dozen. The next corn will be better filled out than this was and even better still.


Off to bed so I can get up early and head to Dallas!


GOD BLESS YOU ALL!

Grama's New Critters

The other night I went out to shut the chickens up and this fella jumped up and wanted me to pet him. It was dark and I couldn't see well, but he seemed bigger than the kittens. I picked him up and brought him in where I could see him well and sure enough, he's not one of mine. Anybody recognize him? He seems to have adopted us though! He has made himself at home and acts like he owns the place!

Thankfully, I don't have to shut the chickens up anymore. Devan (my sweet DIL) saw a couple of Great Pyrenees listed on freecycle last Thursday. We picked them up on Friday. They had been neglected by the person they had been given to and the original owner had taken them back, but she didn't have a place she could keep them. They are well-trained, beautiful dogs. In a month or two they ought to be back to good health. They are a mother and daughter pair that are 3 and 7 named Molly and Lady. The bigger one is the 3y/o. They are great with all the farm animals, but poor old Blue just doesn't know what to think of them. He's keeping his distance! They are only about 3 times as big as him!

Grampa is going to sell the lambs soon! If you want a whole or a 1/2 lamb put your order in! We have 2 or 3 sold directly at this point. He'll take whatever is left up to the sale barn in Keosaukua.

I'm so proud of myself! I put new supers on the bee hives in my short shorts and spaghetti straps and didn't even get stung. Sometimes my bravery surprises me. This is from the lady who wanted nothing to do with working the hives.

This post seems rather rambling and disjointed so I'll end it up with another completely random observation!

Thought for the Day

It's been hot here. Our veggies thrive in the hot weather as long as they're connected to the vine, but once removed, the heat destroys them pretty fast. We are designed to be connected to our creator. If we are connected to Him, heat actually can make us grow, but if we aren't, it will cause us to deteriorate fast! Get connected! He loves you!

God Bless You All! ~Love, Grama Sue

Bout Time I Posted

To busy to post lately! The garden is finally starting to really produce. We picked 34 pounds of green beans last night.

Unfortunately our egg production suddenly plummeted. Went out tonight to take a count and we are down about 40 hens. Been hearing a lot of cyotoes lately. Blue has been barking up a storm too. He's a good dog, but no match for a bunch of cyotoes. Good thing the new chicks are just about to start laying!

Oh how we need some good fence, some more buildings, a few Great Pyrenees and some more land! Somehow, someway ...

We have the market! Filling the demand is another problem. Guess it's a good problem to have :)

GOD BLESS YOU ALL!