Independence day challenge

     It has been a while since I have posted an update to the IDC. Not for lack of intention. Since we returned from Pa Land I have not stopped.  Harvest time.  A beautiful time of year in Maine.  The trees are changing colors.  First frost was this past week. Winter squash graces the sunny windows curing their skins in the sun room. Green tomatoes too. The canning season is nearly done just a few more weeks. 

Planted: garlic

harvested: pie pumpkins, tomatoes,apples, blue hubbard squash, butternut squash, butter cup squash, calendula, mint, oregano, catnip,comfrey, parsley, anise hyssop, sweet annie, spinach.  We went apple picking this past week.  The orchard had plums that will be ready this week. I've never doen anything with them but I am thinking...plum wine or prunes?

preserved: canned tomatoes, applesauce.Dried oregano, catnip, anise hyssop, catnip, mint, comfrey. froze spinach and corn. I brought peaches home from Pa land.  Peaches are hard to grow this far north in Maine. so this will be a real treat this winter.

prepped: stocked up matches, seed, fleece to card, found some snow pants for the wee one and some underwear and a larger size, stacking firewood.  I brought peaches home from Pa land and canned them.  I found worms to put into a worm bin.  

managed reserves: stacked fire wood.  First frost this week, so tender greens were covered and everything else was harvested.  This felt like a short growing season. Constantly rearranging the food in the cupboard and have nearly run out of room with all the home canned gods in there.  I still want to make a bulk order so things will need to go under beds soon!

Reduced waste: piggie is getting all the canning food scraps. A load of out grown kid clothes to the thrift store.

Local Foods:  Attended the Common Ground Country Fair, a celebration of Maine Organic Agriculture.  Went to the local farmstand, and farmers market.