I hope you had some oats today.  They are nutritious and valuable to the eater.  They can be of benefit to the grower, too.

The Fanning Mill

1. In the early spring, my husband works up his land to prepare it for the crop.
2. He secures the seed.  This year we used last years’ seed which was saved for this purpose.  (Those oats are fertile enough to grow in our field this year.)
3. He has an old oat drill that has served us well for many years.  He maintains it well to preserve it.
4. Seed that he will put into the drill for planting must be cleaned.  We would not want to plant weed seed and chaff.  So we get the fanning mill out of storage and clean the oats till my husband decides he has enough for planting his fields.

This year the weather challenged farmers to the limit.  Oats are planted here in mid-late April.  However, the snow and ice left over from a May 2 snowstorm stayed in the fields so long that they could not be worked up and planted till many days later.

Oats are left alone to grow till they mature, which in most cases is in late July.  This year it is mid-August.  We watch the oats grow like grass for many days.  The green in the field is beautiful.  As the seeds form, they go through a “milk” stage.  The milk hardens into a seed; the green plants and their seeds give way to hues of light green and then golden.  When the weather permits, the seeds can be harvested.

Swathing the Oats

In our case, our neighbor swathes our oats.  The oats are dry at this stage.  The stems are golden straw.  Yet a few weeds that have mingled with the crop are green at the cutting.  Therefore, for safe storage’s sake, the weeds must dry, so they do not make problems as they go through the combine.   They, along with the straw, will be baled and stored in the barn.  A wet, fresh bunch of weeds could get hot in the barn and start a fire.  For prudence’ sake, the swathed oats are left a few days to dry in the sun.

Our neighbor returns a few days later to combine the swathed oats.  Combining  separates the oat from straw and chaff.  From there the oats are deposited in a wagon.  My husband unloads the wagon load onto our elevator which drops the oats into the storage bin.

Now you know some of the work a farmer does to supply you with your breakfast of oats.  Enjoy!

photo credit:Wenda Grabau
photo credit: Wenda Grabau

When our kids were very young, my husband had some time to make a creation for them.  As you can see from the picture, it is an elaborate sandbox.  It is my husband’s own design.

It comes with a roof for protection from sun or rain.  They sandbox itself is off the floor so the kids don’t have to sit in it and get dirty.  But kids being kids they still manage to get some of the sand in their hair occasionally.  The sandbox comes with shelves for storing toys.  The doors shut with a latch in order to keep rain and weather from adversely affecting the toys and the shovels the kids use.

You will also notice that the sandbox is set on blocks.  It is moveable.  When the children were young, I did not want the sandbox being too far from my house.  I wanted to supervise the children at close range.  So my husband placed it just a few feet from our front porch.  Now our kids are grown so it is moved to a nice arbor area for other children who come for a visit to play in.

It is definitely a favorite spot to play.  I am so glad my husband made it.  It continues to get used when company comes.

Photo Credit: Wenda Grabau

As we work on the farm, we must drive to the fields with the tractor.  We live on the curve of a paved road.  Semi-trailer trucks, vehicles pulling horse-trailers and cars pass by the farm.  Many of those who drive through our countryside understand farming.  However, there are those who do not.

I recall when I was a young driver, how hard it was to come up behind a farmer and his machinery.  I lacked confidence in passing, so I trailed the farmer until I was sure there was clear road ahead.  Yet not all drivers shared my timidity or caution when having to pass a farmer on the road.  Some easily took the chance and sped on by.  Some may have grumbled as they applied their brakes when passing was not safe.  I know it is hard to enjoy following a slow-moving vehicle.  But prudence ought to win the day.

There have been many times when my husband has had to drive that road during his workday.  In the summer, it is especially tricky getting home safely.  Often when he has to turn left off of the road to turn into the farm, some impatient drive tries to pass him right by our driveway.  My husband has had quite a few near misses.  I guess the Lord has been watching over him.

One time, before he turned left into our driveway, he signaled by extending his left arm.  His arm pointed straight out from his shoulder to the left.  That, you may recall from your driver’s ed course, is the proper hand signal to use when turning left.  A driver crossed the yellow line on the tractor’s left just as my husband attempted to turn.  Suddenly the car driver slammed on his brake.  Through his open window he yelled, “Hey, I thought you were signaling me that the coast was clear and that I could pass.”

Both drivers parted peacefully and safely from each other that day.

But that brings up the question, “Do drivers really know their hand signals?”

I hope you know them.  They could come in very handy when you happen on some slow-moving vehicle.  It could also serve to keep you safe as you travel.

Our ancestors on Heritage Farm planted currant bushes.  They are now in a grove of tall trees that have overgrown them.  The bushes are nearly hidden from view.  However, my daughter found a handful of ripe currants there yesterday.  Though the currants are few, they provide us with a once-a-year treat, currant buns.

Today we baled hay, but this morning I started kuchen dough and folded in the currants.  The dough rose nicely; just enough for me to shape the buns before my husband came in for lunch.  My daughter had just enough time before she left for the field to bake the little delicacies.

The buns are such a treat!  Yeast buns have a welcome aroma.  The currants’ delightful orange color and  tangy, tart flavor invite us to indulge on them.  Sweet cream butter and honey give the final touches to this unique part of our diet.

It's Yummy!

If you get a chance to raise currants, I encourage you to use them to make excellent jelly and buns.  Mmmm, Mmmm.

photo credit:Wenda Grabau
photo credit:Bretta Grabau
photo credit:Bretta Grabau

Traditions grow sweeter as the years go by.  We have perpetuated several for our children.  One tradition is the vegetable garden.  We work it and fertilize it every year.  Weather permitting, we plant it by Memorial Day.  This patch of ground lies near the farmhouse and has been used for years.

Its lush greenery provides many fresh vegetables to sustain our hearty appetites.  We plant radishes, cucumbers and lettuce.  We grow strawberries and sweet corn for freezing; tomatoes and beans for canning; popcorn and herbs for drying.   We also raise the keepers like winter squash, potatoes, carrots and beets.  Not only is the gardening passed on to the kids, but also food preservation.

My husband and son especially look after the cultivating and weeding that are needed, but from time to time they share the job with me and our daughters.   The preserving is generally for the girls and me.

Not only do we enjoy the garden, but so do the pests.  Animals, such as moles or rabbits, attempt to move into our territory.  Once in a while a stray chicken finds its way around the fence which barricades the hens from this produce bonanza.  The unwanted visitors get “shooed-off” by one of the family or by our handy farm dog.  Garden intruders are a nuisance.  Unwanted though they be, I am so glad that none of them is harmful to me or my family.

The garden is a fine place on the farm.  It rewards us with fresh foods and exercise.  In it we find time to see and hear the sights that the Lord has created in the country.

Photo Credit: Wenda Grabau

Photo Credit: Bretta Grabau

We got the first picking late last week.  The second picking came yesterday.  What a help it is to have my daughter here to help with the harvest.  She picks the red raspberries while I cultivate and weed the vegetable garden.  When she finishes she cleans the berries.

Weeding can seem like a passive activity to some, but, on the contrary, activity abounds. Birds sing and a few flies buzz around my head as the sun rises higher and hotter.  Our mother cat purrs at my feet as she attempts to lie down in the very row I am cultivating.  The humidity makes the temperature more oppressive as I work.  The weeds are growing very well.  I have worked hard this year to pull them.  I find a good place to stop my work in the garden and go rest indoors to eat breakfast with my husband and daughter.

Berry bugs are not a big problem at this time of the harvest.  At the end of the harvest we will need to be vigilant in ridding ourselves of the raspberry bugs.  At this time we have only seen a few in the red raspberries as we clean them.

We have a black raspberry patch that is also ripening.  They are a brambly bunch of plants.  Even in the heat of the day, my daughter and I must wear long-sleeved shirts to protect ourselves from the thorns that seem to reach out for us as we pick berries.  We took time to pick them today, too.  Since the patch is small, we can not predict how many we will get.  Yesterday we got 2 quarts of berries.  That is enough for one batch of jam and lots of good sauce for shortcake.  We have at least the same amount of berries still on the bushes for another batch of jam and maybe a pie.

Last year we planted a new small patch of yellow raspberries.  The plants look healthy and have some berries ripening for us.  We can only get a couple of handfuls this year.  But it will be a treat to taste them.  Maybe next year will give us enough to preserve or share.

photo credit: Wenda Grabau
photo credit: Bretta Grabau