What did you do in the garden today?

[TJAnonymous]

Today, picked a handful of blackberries and green beans, and put up shade cloth over the lettuce.

Then went down the hill to check for dragon fruit buds but suddenly felt a thud.. hawk attack! Dripped blood all the way back to the house but it's stopped now. I have 5 little cuts on my head and a splitting headache. Bad start to a long weekend I left a message with the county wildlife department, hopefully they can remove her. I do not want to start wearing a helmet just to tend my orchard.

Wow! I've never heard of a hawk attacking a human unprovoked.

 

[jerryse]

Wow! I've never heard of a hawk attacking a human unprovoked.

I have had them try . Mistaken identity in my case .

 

[24Elsinore]

Today, picked a handful of blackberries and green beans, and put up shade cloth over the lettuce.

Then went down the hill to check for dragon fruit buds but suddenly felt a thud.. hawk attack! Dripped blood all the way back to the house but it's stopped now. I have 5 little cuts on my head and a splitting headache. Bad start to a long weekend I left a message with the county wildlife department, hopefully they can remove her. I do not want to start wearing a helmet just to tend my orchard.

Is it possible you got close to it's nest? Redwinged Blackbirds are notorious for attacking people close to their nests. Screech owls will do it too. Odds are if the county wildlife removes the hawk it will come back. If it is nesting I'd try to find a way to drive it off to find a better site.

 

[NewBoots]

This is the recipe I use for rabbit jerky but I'm sure it would work for any thinly sliced meat:
Rabbit Jerky

*Half cup of Worcestershire sauce

*Half cup of soy sauce

*One teaspoon of seasoning salt

*One teaspoon of garlic powder

*One teaspoon of black pepper

*One teaspoon of onion powder

1. Cut the rabbit meat into small, thin strips. This way, the jerky will have faster drying times and can be more easily consumed once cooked.

2. Combine all of the marinade ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl. Then add in the rabbit meat strips and mix well. Store the bowl inside the refrigerator and let the meat marinade from anywhere between 12 to 24 hours.

3. After the meat has been marinated thoroughly, place the meat strips on a dehydrator rack. Make sure that none of the strips touch or stack up. Leaving enough space around each strip means that they can be dried more quickly and efficiently.

4. Place the drying rack with the rabbit meat inside the dehydrator. Set the temperature to 165 The cooking time is around four to six hours, depending on how large and thick the meat strips are. However, there’s a need for you to wick off the moisture from the meat every hour or so. Do this by lowering the temperature inside to about 160 degrees Fahrenheit, then flipping the strips so that the other side can dry too. If using a smoker, the vents should be opened manually every hour so that the moisture can fully evaporate away.

5. The jerky is done once the meat strips have been fully dried. Let the jerky cool to room temperature.

6. Jerky doesn’t really need refrigeration, but you can store its inside your fridge to prolong its shelf life. Stash it away inside ziploc bags, or alternatively, inside airtight food containers. Having the jerky inside a well-sealed container means there are less chances for early spoilage, and for bacteria to grow on the jerky’s surface.

I don't recall where I got the recipe, sorry about that, but both DP and I love the stuff. I only use half the amount of pepper since DP isn't keen on it.

 

[Fishychix]

I was under the impression you had to eat the snail to get it.

That was mine also, but the article I just read in a rabbit magazine made it sound that humans and rabbits can get it from the vegetables.

 

[TJAnonymous]

Last fall I saw 2 grey fox kits in the back corner of our property. We tried to trap them with no luck. Last year I lost quite a few chickens in the early morning when they would jump over the fence and get nabbed by either foxes or coyotes. Since I have covered my chicken run earlier this month, no losses so far.....

But the foxes are still trolling the fence line. They also keep crapping EVERYWHERE! I don't know if this is how they are marking their territory but I've found it in the barn, garden, pasture, and even on top of the compost pile!

This picture is from tonight. Scroll in by the wood H-post.

 

[Elyrian1]

Last fall I saw 2 grey fox kits in the back corner of our property. We tried to trap them with no luck. Last year I lost quite a few chickens in the early morning when they would jump over the fence and get nabbed by either foxes or coyotes. Since I have covered my chicken run earlier this month, no losses so far.....

But the foxes are still trolling the fence line. They also keep crapping EVERYWHERE! I don't know if this is how they are marking their territory but I've found it in the barn, garden, pasture, and even on top of the compost pile!

This picture is from tonight. Scroll in by the wood H-post.

View attachment 2693487

This is going to sound weird, but here goes. When we were way out in the boonies, DH would go out in the dead of night and pee. He gradually worked his way around the property line and go figure the darn coyotes never came in the yard... might be worth a try, discreetly of course.

 

[Elyrian1]

That was mine also, but the article I just read in a rabbit magazine made it sound that humans and rabbits can get it from the vegetables.

Just read up on it from the CDC. It is possible, although from other things I read, that is a far less common vector of infection. Most people get it from eating a darn snail or slug, which to me just sounds nasty... it is also only present thus far in certain snails and slugs in Hawaii and Louisiana, although critters have a way of traveling, lol.

That said, general cleanliness practices should be followed. Wash your produce, whether store-bought or homegrown, wash your hands, and consider soaking your leafy greens in salt water because that will kill invertebrates. Copper also kills them, as side note. Essentially, as with all things, just be aware and take care.

My general rule of thumb last year when harvesting strawberries was to chuck any that had slugs on them, but we didn't have very many slugs to begin with.

 

[Fishychix]

Just read up on it from the CDC. It is possible, although from other things I read, that is a far less common vector of infection. Most people get it from eating a darn snail or slug, which to me just sounds nasty... it is also only present thus far in certain snails and slugs in Hawaii and Louisiana, although critters have a way of traveling, lol.

That said, general cleanliness practices should be followed. Wash your produce, whether store-bought or homegrown, wash your hands, and consider soaking your leafy greens in salt water because that will kill invertebrates. Copper also kills them, as side note. Essentially, as with all things, just be aware and take care.

My general rule of thumb last year when harvesting strawberries was to chuck any that had slugs on them, but we didn't have very many slugs to begin with.

That helps. Thanks! The article came across as if it were widespread and common, but i will check the CDC.

 

[chickengr]

I really want to be self-sufficient like this. We made a lot of salsa last year but had to purchase some tomatoes from the farmers market to get enough to combine with our tomatoes.

We went on vacation during the first two weeks of July which was a bad idea because I missed most of the blackberry harvest. I did manage to get enough to try to make some sugar free jam. It didn't set up well though and is more like heavy syrup.

This year I made a lot of improvements to the garden so I'm hoping to actually get a decent harvest and do some canning. I also have a dehydrator but I've never used it before. I need to figure out what works well for that and what doesn't.

keep us posted about dehydrator.

I remember my grandparents cut apples (small flat pieces) and passed on a thread using needle. they air dried them in a shadow. I want to try the same thing with carrots and zucchini. I hope to find time for it as I am overloaded with things to do and heat does not help.