Final Harvest

Yesterday I scampered around taking up as much of the harvest as I could. Good thing too because we had our first hard frost. The news says it got down below 30*!

A lovely harvest still life.

I gave the pear tree a good shaking and got as many of the pears as I could. No barncats were used but I ended up with a nice haul.

Purple turnips and blue pumpkins.

The big news was the pumpkin harvest. Finally! I grew a pumpkin! Actually several of them and they are tremendous! These are the blue "cheese" or Jarrahdale pumpkins that I like so much. I'll be cooking these down soon for all kinds of pumpkiny goodness.

A huge haul of turnips, greens, and a bucket of thinnings.

And check out the turnips! Tons of huge turnips. I loaded up a trolley full of them and wheeled them into the garage overnight. We need to get straw and then I'll make a nice little clamp for them in a convenient spot.

I also took up a bunch of the late planted greenbeans that I knew I'd never get to process. One day at the feedstore I asked if they had any more seeds and they handed me a huge bag of green bean seeds. They didn't think they were good for anything so I got them for free. Free! Its my favorite price!

Beans for pigz - they love them!

So I ran home and planted as many as I could - anywhere I had space. I knew at least some of them would produce...and if not... I could at least get them growing to fix the nitrogen in my bad soil... and also I'd have free eats for the pigz! Free food and fixed nitrogen?! What could be better?  I took up two trolley fulls of beans and their greens. Did it feel like a waste to feed them to the pigz? Heck no... those beans will feed the pigz who will one day be feeding me.

Smallest watermelon ever. Can't say I didn't try.

My sad little watermelon was the only disappointment. Next year will be my watermelon year - I just know it.

I also took up the sweet potatoes. They did not do great. Altho there were more than I excpected, most of them were cracked. I'm guessing because of the irregular watering (from the dry summer).  But even tho these are "ruined" they will be great pig food too. So it all works out.

Yay butternuts! Good for everything!

And now I need to get working to put up the last of the harvest. I've got some peppers and some green tomatoes to work on in addition to all of this. Any body else getting in the last of the harvest?

Happy Tuesday everyone!