PRESERVING THE HARVEST

One of the most challenging things we have encountered on our journey to live a sustainable and self-sufficient life is to provide all our own food, both for us and the livestock.  Human error, Mother Nature and a vast array of other issues are sometimes unwanted adversaries.  With some successes and some failures, there is always the rush to preserve the bounty.  It ALL seems to be ready at the same time! 

Garden pea and ham soup, apple pie filling (from our OWN apple trees - a first this year!), and Rob's family recipe for crunchy dills.  Just a day's work here - much more to come.  The kitchen smells wonderful - dilly, vinegary, smoky and cinnamony all at the same time,

VISITORS!

A week or so ago, we had two young women visitors for the afternoon, evening and early morning.  Incredible ladies - bicycling across the USA, pursuing a very worthwhile project. 

Their website/blog describes their mission and their progress.  

Here is a beginning quote:  "On this cross-country bike trip, we are exploring what it means to be active in our world. The Shifting Gears Project layers dialogue, the documentation of alternative food systems, the female perspective, and bicycle transportation as inter-related mechanisms for change towards a more just and compassionate food system."

We are mentioned on Week 7 here:   http://www.shifting--gears.com/#!week-7/c1utj

SOLAR COOKING

Home-grown, grass fed beef (thanks Chuck the steer) roast cooked for 6 hours in a sun oven solar cooker.  I browned the pot roast on the regular stove, added salt, pepper a little port wine and put it all in the solar oven at 10:30 this morning.  I turned the cooker several times during the day, following the sun and added parsnips (the very last from 2012) during the last hour or so.  It stayed at about 240 * for the duration.  Incredibly moist and tender and NO fossil fuels used - only Marcia fuel.