Michigan

[Olive Hill]

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I might be too late in responding but we have had luck with Contender variety beans. I've got one 4x8 bed full of them now and later this week when I finish harvesting the radishes I'll plant another plot of them in that space, too.

Sweet Corn is one of those things I've yet to make room for. There are so many roadside stands around here when it ripens that I always just end up buying a bunch instead. Maybe next year I'll plant some of our own though.... What variety do you grow?

Right now we've got tomatoes (Green Zebra, Black Krim, Striped German, Pineapple, Mr. Stripey, and an heirloom sugar type that my youngest picked out but the name escapes me right now, plus 3 beds of celebrities for salsa, sauces and canning diced.), peppers (bell, jalapeno, banana, and habanero), peas (sugar snap and miragreen), radishes (french blush that are ready to be harvested), cucumbers (a pickling variety), watermelon, cabbage, and of course the customary bed of mixed salad greens. And I ran out of room. We have plans to expand again next year but there's not enough time this year so that'll have to do it for now. In the meantime I planted a couple of peach trees.

 

[michickenwrangler]

Thanks, Olive Hill. I haven't gotten my beans yet, so you're in time.

I had forgotten that I had lettuce in a planter (for chickens) plus some oregano and dill growing on the edges.

Now how do you manage to grow watermelon in Michigan? Transplants? Black plastic? I've tried growing canteloupe but our nights up here in the Rifle River valley are just too cool, usually in the 50s. My tomatoes and peppers even struggle.

 

[Olive Hill]

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Looks like I forgot a few in my list too. Carrots, garlic and all the herbs -- chocolate mint, stevia, chives, cilantro/coriander, thyme, basil, and parsley.

I start my watermelon seeds inside before last frost date and then transplant them in mounds, but I don't give them any special treatment otherwise. I'm south of you, about an hour north of Lansing, but our nights get down in the 50s and 60s here too, so who knows... I do mulch around my mounds with spent bedding. Maybe that makes a difference.

 

[briana1975]

I have always had good luck with watermelon. I get it at a green house and plant it in a mound. Last year it was a little dry and being we have to haul water in, no well, watering 2 large veggie gardens just doesn't happen. Year before that we got like 10 watermelons and 14 cantalope.

Olive Hill you have to make room for your own sweet corn. Nothing better than picking it and getting to eat it within an hour or so. As soon as it is picked and sits around it starts to lose it's tenderness and sweetness. We will be planting 1 whole garden to sweet corn this year. We take the extra off the cob, and freeze it in bags. Corn from the grocery store is so yucky.

 

[Francis K]

Hello everyone! Very happy to have found this thread!

We have some acres out here in a more rural part of Romulus near the airport. I have 3 Chinese Geese, a Duck, a Peahen, 3 Guineas, 19 Chickens and a smattering of Doves and Pidgeons. We grow a massive garden every year of vegetables and fruit. My father was always into farming since he grew up rurally and brought it with him when he emmigrated over. We were raised in Livonia but we purchased this land near our business specifically for our little private farm use. Being raised in a city with family and friends who can say the same I get awkward looks when I talk about my birds and this years harvest but when they finally make a visit they seem to want to come back every chance they get!

So nice to meet everyone, I am greatful to have a community to help with our little amatuer farm. One thing I could use some help with at the moment is locating a place to buy poultry or even an upcoming show. I desperately need a couple girlfriends for my duck along with a mate for my peahen and my chickens could always use more diversity! I find many which are hours away but there has to be something locally, I just recently missed a poultry meet in Belleville and it broke my heart after I heard about it!

Thanks,
Francis

 

[wyliefarms]

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Welcome! I am glad that you found us too

Check Opa's signature line, it has information about our 2nd annual get together in Lansing. There will be great food, animals to swap, sell, or give away. It is on June 12 starting at 10am, I believe.

I get looks from people too on what we do here, but when they come out they love and so do folks' kids!

Sarah

 

[wyliefarms]

Good Morning Everyone!

What a nice morning for a bike ride

I know by this afternoon, I will be feeling it though! Especially since this is my first time riding this year.

Off to get kids up, chores done, breakfast and out the door. The girls are taking the Iowa Standardized test the next three mornings.

Have a great day and enjoy the weather!

Sarah

 

[SillyChicken]

You're in luck! ChickenStock is on June 12th over near Lansing.

looks like we all posted at the same time! LOL!


I rode my motorcycle in to work this morning... riding toward that ball of fire in the sky made it tough to see but it was a great ride... hardly any traffic.

Just about everything is starting to come up in the garden, nice to see all those little green sprouts!

hope everyone has a great day

 

[wyliefarms]

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I thought about turning the air on.... I am waiting for hubby to be the first one to turn it on though

Heck with husband! I'm home and he's not. He'll be in air conditioned office for today. If I venture outside, I need a cool place to come to. I really do hate humidity. Oh, did I say that already?

We have a weird set up on our heating and cooling. We have geothermal heat pumps and stuff has to get switched over to have the AC run through them. Hubby worked on it yesterday, but the guy who installed them was out this winter working on them, and he did something to were the fan won't run so the air isn't forced through the system. So maybe today

Congrats on the new grandbaby

 

[Opa]

Welcome Francis, I sure you will really enjoy your time on BYC. Lots of nice folks here. Chickenstock will be your very best opportunity to find quality poultry. If you click on the link in my signature line you will find all of the details. Last year was our first and it turned out great. This year's shows every indication of being substantially better.