Planting

It has been a very long spring. Cool temps are still the norm but the rain has begun to slow and the garden plot (my farm) at the College of Southern Idaho has dried out enough to begin planting. Here are some pictures from today. I now have half of my tomato plants in the ground and most of my (New Mexico) Hatch Peppers.

(1st Picture)
This is 10 tomato plants with PVC watering sticks. I'll explain in better detail soon.

(2nd Picture)
My 25 X 50 plot (#23) facing South












(3rd Picture)
Hatch Peppers

Death of the Okra!

GardenCam Journal 4.18.2011

UpClose

Cucumber

I took these pictures with my Fujifilm Finepix JV camera and cropped in Picasa 3

Tomato

Okra

Video Journal from 4.8.2011

April (snow) Showers

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,  so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
Isaiah 55:10-11 (ESV)

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Weather report for April 7, 2011: This morning we woke up to approx 2.5 inches of fresh snow. Tonight I found the tomatoes have spouted. I missed taking a picture on Wednesday and missed the transition picture from seed to sprout. (I also bumped the GardenCam while examining the plants.)

April 2, 2011

April 7, 2011

Current temperatures:

Outside: 35 degrees F

Inside:    60 degrees F

Cucumbers Sprout First

In just five days the cucumbers have sprouted first.

High Temp: 43
Low Temp: 31
Indoor Temp: 70

Observing the Seedlings

Day 2, April 3, 2011: no noticeable growth yet. (I'm not surprised, I just want to know what's going on in there.)

High Temp: 48
Low Temp: 29
Indoor Temp: 68
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April 2, 2011: GardenCam

Current outside temperature in Twin Falls, Idaho on April 2, 2011 is 39: Expected low of 28. Inside temperature in the state-of-the-art Bully Barn 58. Seeds are planted for tomato, cucumber, snow pea, and a large variety of flowers are planted, watered and under the light. This year I invested in a $15 ArcSoft webcam to mount next to the Jiffy planters so I can take random photos from the same location and watch the seedlings sprout. I will post some random snap shots. I will attempt a time lapse photography over the next several weeks as they grow. I will secure plot 23 at the College of Southern Idaho's community garden this coming week.

Here is the first snapshot form the GardenCam.

I will feature one of my favorites, the cherry tomato.
I don't see anything growing yet.

Tater Soup

Tonight, while at the "farm", I got a craving for potato soup, salsa and watermelon. So I dug up a bag full of taters, tomatoes, onions, peppers and tucked a melon under my arm and headed home. When Renee arrived home she promptly googled a potato soup recipe (I made a few adjustments) then I started washing the produce. Then a few hours later we were eating a nearly completely home grown, home made meal.

Preparation for tonights meal began on March 27, 2010 when I paid my $40.00 for plot 23 at the College of Southern Idaho's Community Garden. 

Recipe:

6-8 cubed potatoes

1 stalk celery sliced

1 diced onion

salt to taste

3-4 cups milk

1 to 2 T corn starch

4 tsp butter

1 T. parsley

pepper to taste

Boil potatoes till barely soft with onion and celery. Drain water and add to milk. Mash part of the potatoes to thicken soup, add 1-2 T. corn starch, butter, parsley, pepper, salt. Let simmer until potatoes are soft.

The meal in pictures...

...and the finished product was better than I had dreamed it would be... topped off with some home made guacamole dip left over from yesterday's lunch (thanks to the Martinez family) and a glass of cold Crystal Light. 

Sweet Corn Harvest

I planted corn in my home garden this year. Following is my recipe for good eating tonight.

1) Picking the ears
2) Corn shucking
3) Cook the corn
4) Insert napkin into shirt collar
5) add salt and healthy dollop of butter
6) Repeat

Plot (23) August Ag Report

Unless the (seed) falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. (John 12:24)
Now enjoying the fruit of my labor.

Potato Progress

Curiosity got the best of me tonight.
 
I dug up a potato plant to see what I couldn't see. I was thrilled to see so much activity has been going on under the surface. I found it interesting to see that the condition of the original potato seed had really not changed at all. Maybe they will be bigger in time for Thanksgiving dinner.

Mid-July Update