The Summer of Plenty

What an amazing start to the summer, after an unheard of 200mls of rain through december everything is growing like crazy!

All the hens are going clucky,  I've got three with hatched chicks now and three more still sitting producing lots of roosters for the freezer and pullets to sell.

The ewes and lambs are looking great, even with the size of the lambs still feeding off them all our girls are putting on plenty of weight so will be looking great when they go to the ram in march.

Onward to the garden update pics!

 Not in my garden,  but an amazing Morton Bay Fig at Pahi Bay, it was beautiful! 

 We decided to grow some tomatoes around the water tank garden this year to try it out.  With mixed sucess,  as you can see the tomatoe in the centre has had fantastic growth, it gets the most sun, whereas the others are getting not quite enough,  still they are starting to fruit up so we are looking forward to eating fresh tomatoes soon!

 Our new zucchini garden is going off!  It was a strawberry patch a few years ago, then sat unused last summer.  We dug it over with plenty of sheep pellets and mulched it with the hay our of the orphan lamb stall.  We've ended up interplanting it with some tomatoes, but they all seem happy enough together :)

 This zucchini has grown an interesting fruit!  Yes I think I'll leave it at that!

 The Cos lettuce has been a fantastic performer.  We've been eating off these ones everyday for the last month or so,  lovely crunchy sweet leaves, and yet to go to seed....

 The little gems have just blasted off into seed, but we have been enjoying them everyday for the last couple of months,  a great early lettuce the leaves are really crunchy and tasty and they grow pretty quick too!

 Silverbeet in the background, its turned out ok, but needed more feeding I think.  I need to chuck some more sheep pellets around.  Happily they don't seem to be bothered by slugs or catepillers, thats my kinda vegie.

 Beans have moped along.  Once again not enough food I think.  The parsley at the front however is very happy.  And is doing a nice job of shading the bean roots.

And last but not least.....My newest pet!  Water Kefir.  I've  just been learning all about how to keep it happy and growing.  And it is delicious!   I'll do a more in depth post on it when I do the first strain.  So excite!

Busy week on the farm, catching up on lots after christmas/new years.  Shearing this thursday/ friday and saturday,  heres hoping it doesn't rain!

Till next time,  happy growing everyone!