Confession

I have a confession. I’ll fess up. I couldn’t wait for winter like I planned. Yes! I’ve already started researching the ins and outs of raising meat rabbits! It happened basically as soon as I published the article Top 2 Things to Study this Winter! 

The next time I went into town, I visited the Tractor Supply Store and bought Bob Bennett’s book Storey’s Guide to Raising Rabbits, 5th Edition. I’m almost finished reading it from cover to cover!

Facebook has several closed rabbit groups I’ve joined, three are specific to Texas! Bucket loads of information! Like, I never knew the difference between GAW and GBW wiring! Thanks to the members, I now know I need to spend the extra monies for GAW wire when building hutches. Galvanized AFTER Wielding. Apparently rabbit’s urine will ruin the “Before” (hence the GBW) in a year!  

I’ve watched many a youtube video during the wee morning hours while waiting for the sun to come up. It’s then chores begin in the garden and visiting / caring for the chickens. I thought, Why not watch and learn while waiting?!

I found the best channel... an ongoing series of raising meat rabbits! I absolutely appreciate the videos by Melissa at Good Simply Living and Homesteading. She explains each step (birth to grow out) simply and beautifully. I laughed along with the other viewers (based on the comments) when she explained the “fall off” a buck experiences.

That’s my confession! It’s not too bad. I am being productive!

Now, to figure out the best place to locate the hutches!

Two Lady Gardeners I highly Recommend!

I don’t remember now how I stumbled upon Jill McSheehy, but I’m thrilled I did! Her website, The Beginner’s Garden, is packed full with information! I signed up for her emails and always find worthwhile, timely, and useful tips in growing the garden.

I’m just now getting into podcasts ~ I’m always late to the party! I’ve thoroughly enjoyed listening to her explain the information she shares. Sometimes I enjoy working an online jigsaw puzzle while listening instead of reading all the time! Yes. I listen to the podcasts from my laptop, not cell phone.

Today’s email had a link to a free .pdf book (28 pages) “15 Mistakes First Time Gardeners Make.” Although I didn’t make all 15, I did make a few!

I highly recommend taking a look at Jill’s website!

A few weeks ago I mentioned taking an online Organic Garden Workshop with Melissa K. Norris. She too has a podcast!  

Because I’m seriously considering having more raised beds for the Spring 2020 garden, both ladies have several articles/podcasts on the topic. I’m spending the time now researching the pros and cons and the mistakes people make using them. Because the ground soil is not all that great, maybe raised beds is the way to go. It’s something to study while the fall garden plays out.

Over on Lanetta’s Creations blog I mentioned the book, All New Square Foot Gardening. It’s all about growing veggies in raised beds. I did do one made with cinder blocks and it has done pretty well with lemon balm, bell peppers, and oregano. Oh, and onions! The onions have been totally harvested out, but everything else is still producing. Maybe I should start collecting more blocks! Just a thought!

Thank You Sweet Jesus for the blessed rain we've received!

Top 2 Things to Study this Winter

What do you do in the winter when it's too cold to work the ground? Fortunately in this part of Texas our winters don't last very long... maybe 2 months. But, it's still "down" time. So these are my top 2 things to study this winter. As a perpetual student, a life long learner, I may come across other areas of research I will do but for now....

First

All Things Bees!

My cousin had bee hives... for a while. From what I recall, he got stung one too many times so they moved on to another hobby.

A couple of friends of mine recently went to a Beekeeper Workshop for several days as she’s always wanted to keep bees. She was very excited about the learning process. I haven’t spoken with him yet, but I bet he’s right there with her sharing the experience!

Right now I am not interested in all out full blown “keeping bees” but would like to know more about how to better attract them to the garden. Other than destroying spider webs when I see them (so not to catch a bee), I want to learn more as what to plant and maybe build a “pollinator house” this winter.

I didn’t know until I read this on a download factsheet: “Bees’ favorite colors are BLUE and YELLOW. Native bees are also particularly attracted to WHITE.”

I love this 65 Pollinator-Friendly Plants Bees Love list of plants I found on Backyard Beekeeping. It will be a great resource to have when I’m out plant shopping next spring!

Quite by accident I found the website Crown Bees The Native Bee Experts and quickly concluded I needed to stop reading, save the link, and get back to it this winter!

Secondly, 

I would like to learn about raising meat rabbits. Yes. You read that correctly! Rabbits!

For a while now I have wanted to add some type of small animal. Since we have a grass lease for cattle going on, I cannot use any other part of the land other than our 2 acres actual homestead site. (Been there, done that with our own cattle.)

But what? I don’t like anything goat. No goat meat, goat cheese, milk or what have you.

I’m currently participating in an online Organic Garden Workshop hosted by Melissa K. Norris. On Day 1 she also had a guest speaker. That’s when/how I discovered Marjory Wildcraft (Red Rock, Texas) and her The Grow Network and raising rabbits!

I then did a quick search through YouTube and found The Cog Hill Family Farm (Alabama). I’ve enjoyed watching the few videos I viewed today! Love his humor! I will continue watching in the winter!

Until then, it’s time to water the garden!

Pray for rain!

Thanks for stopping by!