Updates from the Micro-Farmstead: April 2014

Spring seems to be here. Soon, the fresh green and new life will be back! Eggs are coming in more frequently after a long spotty period where I only got a few eggs a day, and they've been able to forage in the yard on the warmer days.

Maple syrup season is coming to a close, strong winds and low sap flow have knocked my sap bucket off the tree in the strong winds and crazy storm weather. Twice I had to run after it, rolling down the sidewalk or stumbling against the tree base. I got about 2 cups of syrup and a cup of maple sugar! Operation Urban-Tap a success!

I hatched my first batch of chicks over at Summer Girl Chicks! The hatching is well underway for the season and I excited to be adding a few breeds here on the micro-farm. I seem to be more drawn in by egg colour verses the breeds rarity or special looks. The new chicken run will be going up soon and the soil is nearly warm enough for the earliest plantings and direct sowing. I hope to be posting more on chicken keeping, it really is one of the easiest and most sensible homesteading acts one can achieve.

Green eggs from my "Greenie" hens. 

Easter Egger chick that will lay a blue egg.

Olive Egger and a "Greenie" chick

Its official, I'm done buying seeds for the season! Aside from maybe a lettuce or a greens mix "re-fill" in the near future, I have what I need for the season, more then I need really, but growing a little bit of everything can be so fun. Yard clean-up and seasonal prep continues, I always have new plans and ideas, I can't wait to share. It's going to be a great season, I can feel it! A busy one, but a great one.

On a sunny day this week, I'll be going around checking out the local "big" stores for those little garden centre gems and edible garden ideas. As much as I hate to perpetuate consumerism, I also understand that we have to make the best of what resources we have, and for many beginner or thrifty gardeners, buying supplies from a Canadian tire or the reduced section of a grocery store chain garden centre is a great way to change spending habits for the better. Companies sell what the people will buy... and as a trend that seems to be more and more edible plants!

So much to see and do, for a second there I thought winter had me.

Review: Organic Mushroom Mini Farm by Back to the Roots

It's been two weeks since I started my mushroom kit from Back to the Roots. The first week little activity on the spore surface, and then they appeared like little creatures. Small and now visible to the naked eye, I could see a small formation near the bottom where water was able to pool and keep moisture. From there they grew quickly, and soon I had a massive clump trying escape the kit.

On day 5 I started to see little bumps from the mushrooms forming,
and by day 15 they were 100% larger.

I carefully broke them off and chopped them up, sautee them in fresh butter and added them to my omelet. They have a great sweet taste, pungent but not an earthy scent, very pleasant, not at all gamy or woodsy. They soaked in the butter, herbs and pinch of garlic on my second round of cooking. Raw eating was ok, chewy, but still nice.

They smelled amazing as they cooked... can't wait for round two!

Good Notes:
- They grew quickly filled the entire opening very evenly, and I had enough to cook for 3-4 different servings.
- They tasted great, and I can see new clumps forming for round two.
- The price is right. I think I will get a few rounds out of this bag, so the $13.99 spent will go a long way.
- Smart packing and marketing, it's a great gift for the grower or foodie. Having three or more kits would allow you to stagger starting them for a constant supply of fresh mushrooms.

Bad Notes:
- Watering was an issue, they show the mushroom box being kept facing up the way they are sold, with the mushrooms growing sideways from the opening. When I watered them twice daily the majority of the water slipped off and ran down into the box making a soggy mess... which made the entire thing a risk to my counter-tops and window-sill and less stable. I ended up laying the entire box on it's back watering it and letting it sit for a while and then pouring what hadn't been absorbed. (I wasn't over-watering, just following the directions on the box)
- Humidity was another factor that I didn't catch until it was too late, because of the way I had to water the mushrooms, the largest mushrooms where exposed to very low humidity and had some issues with being dry, exposed to the average house humidity and temperature.
- Because of the way the water sat at the bottom of the bag, most of the mushroom growth all came from the bottom.
- I wish they had more mushroom varieties available, despite my moisture issues, I would buy a bunch of varieties to have at once.

Final Note - Buy and try it, even though it may not be as picture perfect as the website and photos show, you still get great mushrooms and its super cool experience.

Next post on Mushrooms, I'll show you how to hack your kit for more and better mushrooms, and how to make your own kits for less then $12.00. Once you hack you're kit you'll never need a new one for years, if ever.