tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24947706364129800442024-02-19T06:49:28.292-08:00The Littlest FarmUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494770636412980044.post-74299151612015161392014-06-14T12:20:00.001-07:002014-06-14T12:24:09.043-07:00Attack ! An encounter with the worlds deadliest chicken !<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Steady yourself dear reader... what you are about to witness is largely boring. It's not very interesting at all. Seriously, at one point Meghan looks at a chickens butt. However, toward the end, right before I am laughing hysterically behind the camera... Meghan gets pecked in the eye by a chicken. <br />
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Sleep with one eye open... because you can't open the other one because a chicken pecked it.</div>
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hahahahahahahahaha</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494770636412980044.post-49543289261836235892014-05-06T10:57:00.003-07:002014-05-06T10:57:33.209-07:00Raised Beds ( take 2 ) <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Some of you may remember our raised beds from last year. We used discarded pallets, broke them down to individual slats and rebuilt them into raised beds. Overall they worked wonderfully , but the major flaw was that they we a lot of work. It took us nearly two weeks ( on days off and after work ) to assemble 5 beds. This years effort took only about 2 hours to assemble and yielded over 80 square feet of growing area. </div>
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As always we start with pallets.</div>
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12 in all, all cut in half.</div>
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Using wood screws we begin to piece them together.</div>
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It's a surprisingly fast process.</div>
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We lined the bottom with tree trimmings that </div>
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would have been heading for the compost otherwise.</div>
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add 4 bales of straw </div>
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Break up and spread the straw</div>
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Add a layer of compost</div>
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Spread to near the edges and make sure it is 6-8 inches deep.</div>
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Water thoroughly</div>
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Plan and Plant.</div>
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The medium of straw and compost has maintained an ideal temperature for growing. Our sprouts are coming up strong and fast. Some seeds ahead of their expected germination. As always we let you know how it progresses. </div>
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Now enjoy this silly video of us ( and the dog helping ) build these beds. </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494770636412980044.post-34193036575142420992014-05-03T10:04:00.001-07:002014-05-03T10:04:41.161-07:00We are back !<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
After far too long of a hiatus The Littlest Farm is back in action ! We have moved to a new home and have new additions to our family and are looking forward to expanding and sharing our favorite activities with everyone again.<br />
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To begin I would like to introduce our new best friend...<br />
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Dusty !!!</div>
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He is a six month old German Boxer and Alaskan Husky Mix ( best guess ) also maybe a little Dingo a splash of Jack Rabbit and just a tiny bit Anteater... but who knows. </div>
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There is now also chickens coming home to roost !</div>
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Along with the chickens come exciting projects like building a coop out of pallets a chicken tractor out of PVC and general cuteness.</div>
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We have really missed creating and sharing our activities but now with our beautiful new home, faithful companion Dusty, 3 ( not as faithful ) cats and flock of 6 chicks things are bound to interesting. </div>
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Stay tuned ! </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494770636412980044.post-5827116392103993672013-06-25T16:18:00.000-07:002013-06-25T16:18:32.159-07:00After the rain<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
An unseasonable late June rain has just broken here in the East Bay of California... The plants were rejoicing...<br />
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We see much growth happening in the coming days.<br />
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Click on photos for high res :)</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494770636412980044.post-20261561234194420652013-06-18T12:49:00.001-07:002013-06-18T13:33:21.892-07:00Pallet Table (a.k.a. palatable)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">I apologize for the poor pun / word play of the table. I assure you that this is a serious post about making a table from a pallet and will involve no shenanigans or squirrels drinking beer.</span></i><br />
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<b>In the beginning there was a pallet & no where to sit. </b></div>
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<b>Nowhere to enjoy a meal.</b></div>
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<b>Nowhere to pry the fruit of its pit.</b></div>
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<b>Only bad poems written with zeal. </b></div>
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This table was built in the background over a couple of months, you may have (literately) noticed in the background in photos since we began. </div>
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We started with a pallet, a pry bar and an idea. This is our idea of re-purposing. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg36NXAuWVqnMaUr5GxefNmVlVWwTx4z2rxQ1__Y9gEA8YNlaRsOzUtm58kuhyphenhyphenpOIeMHAVfgIknldNNLmFmouyeFyqZUV4kQAOaBkhZAlKYlbB_AvBlD33GVZ4XdZK9walY5o6Xy47tqmU/s1600/IMAG3000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg36NXAuWVqnMaUr5GxefNmVlVWwTx4z2rxQ1__Y9gEA8YNlaRsOzUtm58kuhyphenhyphenpOIeMHAVfgIknldNNLmFmouyeFyqZUV4kQAOaBkhZAlKYlbB_AvBlD33GVZ4XdZK9walY5o6Xy47tqmU/s320/IMAG3000.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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It turned out one 4x4 wouldn't hold up the table.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMcl_NG46fuPRqnihxW_k280qJ8_7t0m5nnwcpoxFLQ8k_cEP8U7c48npGhxE3MPb3KkLIa44lCXxUh4VYRzC0MfCz7aS5yswUyD-SnTKNq91ni8lGENupprXRTaDe2ZJoPjyXWC1gaHE/s1600/IMAG3002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMcl_NG46fuPRqnihxW_k280qJ8_7t0m5nnwcpoxFLQ8k_cEP8U7c48npGhxE3MPb3KkLIa44lCXxUh4VYRzC0MfCz7aS5yswUyD-SnTKNq91ni8lGENupprXRTaDe2ZJoPjyXWC1gaHE/s320/IMAG3002.jpg" width="178" /></a></div>
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We added 3 more</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_XkxD_PPd2APgY3pNag5pZMgBhI3UJBMPWLQOb7WKCFsNYR6qx4X4xy7SSDNdVUfbZGQedBmnUK8ZmKWXtSlFM93XOdmO-WL-rNXOYOJ2h-PV3SUSn9_FkVwx6un1ERICwzhQEEIajvE/s1600/IMAG3044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_XkxD_PPd2APgY3pNag5pZMgBhI3UJBMPWLQOb7WKCFsNYR6qx4X4xy7SSDNdVUfbZGQedBmnUK8ZmKWXtSlFM93XOdmO-WL-rNXOYOJ2h-PV3SUSn9_FkVwx6un1ERICwzhQEEIajvE/s320/IMAG3044.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The last two pictures have our benches in the background :) ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg50_KHUy4pMwx6k5eUIpc79WXFB1o4apw1e7uwOcM7qRgAylrbqz18IpbIvbkAqdMxyfwRChNJGuC69DhXg0oBK1sxS-29z7ZeTyNpSDh9KJT61Ia1YcHmxU3nou516S0hyphenhyphen_unc9uyxCI/s1600/IMAG3081.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg50_KHUy4pMwx6k5eUIpc79WXFB1o4apw1e7uwOcM7qRgAylrbqz18IpbIvbkAqdMxyfwRChNJGuC69DhXg0oBK1sxS-29z7ZeTyNpSDh9KJT61Ia1YcHmxU3nou516S0hyphenhyphen_unc9uyxCI/s320/IMAG3081.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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We built them so the squirrel had somewhere to drink his beer</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHR9yapNxxEW-4XACk3cS07W0Ebwf308lgy9t4I9koNCb40j-ufDy3Nbt-iGj5dXOfqGn8CCRHL36rqUKFnt8CTji9fHyw7k7WQCf9EVcjVYwXxHQR-U9W5DicvV9za4aT6G_rWM5cYSw/s1600/IMAG3645.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHR9yapNxxEW-4XACk3cS07W0Ebwf308lgy9t4I9koNCb40j-ufDy3Nbt-iGj5dXOfqGn8CCRHL36rqUKFnt8CTji9fHyw7k7WQCf9EVcjVYwXxHQR-U9W5DicvV9za4aT6G_rWM5cYSw/s320/IMAG3645.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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A wee bit of paint...</div>
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Some found foam and purchased vinyl </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_UOUYIkyqvVVgviTAyjKIKm-8I2k9-O__XOSRf28BZTczzYgQ9jpUXlxohD92DX2bVDXUQpiCZb2g1UzPjwgckQu-ZQewe1nnG0ZQivQ_-AcKPZqtU5UATDjJRpEH-2DkwkD5RF8zzzI/s1600/IMAG4395.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_UOUYIkyqvVVgviTAyjKIKm-8I2k9-O__XOSRf28BZTczzYgQ9jpUXlxohD92DX2bVDXUQpiCZb2g1UzPjwgckQu-ZQewe1nnG0ZQivQ_-AcKPZqtU5UATDjJRpEH-2DkwkD5RF8zzzI/s320/IMAG4395.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Come on over... let's have a BBQ</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinyuFQejFSL1W3g1CZxJq2HkPZqHAqmJ78tRc_c4Ybhi0NdheuqSDgYsG6IwWHbpMejIwCvj5bDaVtbEEyMPcetxdQni0TLLeTyJoe-kNrpLbcFVh9IzmfXcmXlVgY2y-_xIbFrpjzDys/s1600/IMAG4393.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinyuFQejFSL1W3g1CZxJq2HkPZqHAqmJ78tRc_c4Ybhi0NdheuqSDgYsG6IwWHbpMejIwCvj5bDaVtbEEyMPcetxdQni0TLLeTyJoe-kNrpLbcFVh9IzmfXcmXlVgY2y-_xIbFrpjzDys/s320/IMAG4393.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494770636412980044.post-89899762918701294342013-06-15T14:49:00.000-07:002013-06-15T14:49:09.493-07:00Test your soil.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Is your soil alkaline or acidic? If you aren't sure here is a cool ( 9th grade earth science kind of cool ), cost effective and easy way to find out. <div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/UXyYbQ0SmDQ?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Science Rules</div>
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<b>You will need two containers approximately one cup in size</b></div>
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<b>1/2 cup of vinegar</b></div>
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<b>1/2 cup of baking soda</b></div>
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<b>A couple handfuls of your soil. </b></div>
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Go out in the garden and get yourself a nice fistful of dirt and split in into your two containers. </div>
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In the first container mix in 1/2 cup of white vinegar. In the second container mix 1/2 cup of water ( mix ) and then 1/2 cup of baking soda. </div>
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Product Placement ( I'm waiting for my check )</div>
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If container #1 begins to bubble and fizz it is alkaline. </div>
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If you have no reaction turn your observation to container #2. Is it bubbling ? Well, you have acidic soil. </div>
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I observed equally mild reactions placing our soil somewhere in the middle. A nice place to be since we can tilt the soil to the needs of a certain plant. Roses want some acidity... that's easy... just add some coffee grounds and the soil is suited in a couple days. </div>
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Enough about my dirt let's get back to you. If your soil turned out to be acidic you can amend it with wood ash or lime. If it was alkaline add sulfur or pine needles. </div>
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Yup, you just used science. Congratulations.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494770636412980044.post-11021445343590446982013-06-08T16:32:00.000-07:002013-06-08T16:32:16.329-07:00Learning about the Tomatillo<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>Let's learn about the beautiful & tasty tomatillo </b></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wADC6_k2vKw/UbOyUaBgNHI/AAAAAAAAkLg/QOqgQNBSBgw/s1600/22-Physalis+ixocarpa+fruits.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wADC6_k2vKw/UbOyUaBgNHI/AAAAAAAAkLg/QOqgQNBSBgw/s320/22-Physalis+ixocarpa+fruits.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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It won't be this sciencey but might include Latin </div>
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(you've been warned)</div>
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Let's start with the some fun alternate names for the tomatillo: "Husk Tomato", "Jamberry", "Husk Cherry", "Mexican Tomato".</div>
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The tomatillo is native to Central America and was domesticated around 800 B.C. </div>
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( see how it went from fun to facts there... it's going to be a wild ride )</div>
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There are two main types of tomatillo ( here comes the Latin )</div>
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<b>Physalis ixocarpa</b> : This is the tomatillo you most often see at the market. It's fruit is green and around 2 inches across, it's flavor is tart and it ripens to a pale shade of yellow ( much like our dining room if you have ever been over for dinner )</div>
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<b>Physalis philidelphica</b> : The lesser known of the tomatillo family ( maintaining it's amateur status ) is a slightly sweeter version of the tomatillo we all know and love except it is also purple and grows to a marble size.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BE8ophqpfx8/UbO2TdXNVbI/AAAAAAAAkMI/oY4x8tb25VE/s1600/Physalis_ixocarpa.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BE8ophqpfx8/UbO2TdXNVbI/AAAAAAAAkMI/oY4x8tb25VE/s320/Physalis_ixocarpa.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The tomatillo is part of the nightshade family ( Solanaceae ) meaning it is related to the tomato, the potato and the eggplant. Not only are the family reunions weird but they are delicious.</div>
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When given plenty of sun and well drained and very rich soil they will produce a very high yield. </div>
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Speaking of harvest... transplants will be ready to harvest around 70 - 100 days. You will know to pick when their husks ( or vascular tissue ) begin to split off of the fruit.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIQAEfhQT7GqvtD47pv3V58diLQB9kaLNYGUlMeMPX2KUyMXy2nu05XtDeRxkq8b40ksOkHHYHYhgxTOrLPWNJiotav5K4BYqpxktGimEHDI_KAAMDhyIe7DA2Al2RD8n-LoCuS66OKsI/s1600/article-new_ehow_images_a07_rc_72_tomatillos-ready-harvest-800x800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIQAEfhQT7GqvtD47pv3V58diLQB9kaLNYGUlMeMPX2KUyMXy2nu05XtDeRxkq8b40ksOkHHYHYhgxTOrLPWNJiotav5K4BYqpxktGimEHDI_KAAMDhyIe7DA2Al2RD8n-LoCuS66OKsI/s1600/article-new_ehow_images_a07_rc_72_tomatillos-ready-harvest-800x800.jpg" /></a></div>
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not entirely accurate view of splitting tomatillo</div>
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more of a stripping tomatillo</div>
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The reason I love that I am growing tomatillos you ask ? Well, It is because they are easy to grow. If grown in a pot and given enough drainage, they are very hard to kill. </div>
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Grow a tomatillo this year and share your favorite recipe with us </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494770636412980044.post-11144139744049730002013-06-08T08:14:00.000-07:002013-06-08T08:14:21.224-07:00Are we saving money ?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So, the question popped into my head when I looked into our shopping cart at the plant store last week... "Are we saving money by growing our own vegetables?".<br />
The short answer is no. The long answer is yes.<br />
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2012-2013 being the first growing season at <a class="g-profile" href="http://plus.google.com/116204008627934140314" target="_blank">+The Littlest Farm</a> we are saving no money at all. We didn't keep detailed records ( which I regret ) but we have spent quite a bit on dirt, compost, seeds, new equipment, etc. Even with all of our re-purposing and reusing ( raised beds of pallets etc. ) there were things that we just<u> had to buy</u>.<br />
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We are growing things that when we compare the price of a seed to the price at the supermarket are remarkably cheaper. Tomato is much cheaper to grow at home, as are lettuces and squash and next year when all we are buying is a couple cubic feet of soil booster it will be solid savings.<br />
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It's important that all gardeners learn that the investment phase of the garden is crucial. I don't speak only of the investment of money, but the investment of time. A properly planned and maintained garden will bring great amounts of food and enjoyment year after year.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SW0CtF9Wvdc/UbNI0jncsCI/AAAAAAAAkJA/FE61ijHGr-Y/s1600/home_gardening_infographic_0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SW0CtF9Wvdc/UbNI0jncsCI/AAAAAAAAkJA/FE61ijHGr-Y/s640/home_gardening_infographic_0.jpg" width="529" /></a></div>
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Looking at the above graphic you can see the return on investment ( bottom right corner ) is quite impressive. Add to that the gratification of growing your own food and frankly... who cares if you are saving money.... you are gardening. </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494770636412980044.post-78412256169998638112013-06-01T08:00:00.001-07:002013-06-01T08:00:37.543-07:00What happened in May.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Well, it's June and that means another month of growth is on the books and it's time to look back and see what we have learned before heading into another month.<br />
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We are already working on next years <a href="http://littlestfarm.blogspot.com/2013/05/chard-wars-part-2.html" target="_blank">Chard Wars for May the 4th ( be with you ).</a> The responses we received were great. It's nice to know that our readers like to laugh with us.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QG4YS4ZtV2c/UYUfQziHSUI/AAAAAAAAhok/MZz2G5Ny2k4/s1600/IMAG3923.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QG4YS4ZtV2c/UYUfQziHSUI/AAAAAAAAhok/MZz2G5Ny2k4/s1600/IMAG3923.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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A few <a href="http://littlestfarm.blogspot.com/2013/05/coping-with-loss.html" target="_blank">hard lessons came to us</a> in May with the loss of our celery and rainbow chard. We moved on and planted a few new plants... plants much better suited for our space.<br />
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We also picked a potato ( slightly prematurely ) and cooked our one tiny red potato to<a href="http://littlestfarm.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-littlest-potato.html" target="_blank"> eat and share </a>a recipe with our dear readers.<br />
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Our hope is that June brings even more success here on <a class="g-profile" href="https://plus.google.com/116204008627934140314" target="_blank">+The Littlest Farm</a> as we head in to BBQ season we hope to be sharing more recipes from the garden with you.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494770636412980044.post-6294464088725520472013-05-28T08:06:00.000-07:002013-05-28T08:06:25.404-07:00Cool ( as a ) cucumber thing.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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In yet another effort to use everything that we can get our hands on Meg grabbed some plum branches that were being pruned. The idea is to strip them of their bark, sink them into one of our raised beds, lash them together at the top with the stripped bark and use them for our cucumbers to vine.<br />
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Here is how she did it.<br />
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You will need:<br />
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<li>branches of a sapling</li>
<li>a knife</li>
<li>bucket filled with water</li>
<li>pruning shears</li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyOtbEToVL5dzjXPj1KCcH5Yh29umJEkSaU3dAoBnn3_bVAoUi-s-sqhgilfpA7TW19bX8r_q-DWLBMjaPaT9dJXklhvpsGeuDgPYQTE2_IuF8ByAB-0xyqJgyBM4J2uXFE6U11GT3TYo/s1600/IMAG4185.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyOtbEToVL5dzjXPj1KCcH5Yh29umJEkSaU3dAoBnn3_bVAoUi-s-sqhgilfpA7TW19bX8r_q-DWLBMjaPaT9dJXklhvpsGeuDgPYQTE2_IuF8ByAB-0xyqJgyBM4J2uXFE6U11GT3TYo/s320/IMAG4185.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvFKvIqrcudEXLHEYOZ-RRI7pib0TahMqre2mdChPnblaVYRQDHm1mUgxusEmoMoEE9HRfUTwUmi4eefV86RdBfd_1_SdWetojjbMql9GnsiIE3g8tKb9gw8LMKG6Y4GUJflsgr-1x3eA/s1600/IMAG4196.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvFKvIqrcudEXLHEYOZ-RRI7pib0TahMqre2mdChPnblaVYRQDHm1mUgxusEmoMoEE9HRfUTwUmi4eefV86RdBfd_1_SdWetojjbMql9GnsiIE3g8tKb9gw8LMKG6Y4GUJflsgr-1x3eA/s320/IMAG4196.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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First trim back all of the leafy branches leaving the strong main branch.</div>
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Hold onto those smaller branches though. You will need them.</div>
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After scoring the length of the branch peel back the bark</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0vxmXG2tuq8NqUibZpVvcsU2Wa7YR5VKMeE5PwIlE0SOwbiusnNdGuFuThHbnDAmga7ME6vdfksYrVwprD1BdQUT7ATpxnInpWEK-Pz0UE4ahU7FGWV9J9bVRoSvSv8l2AJnkeQ_tZ68/s1600/IMAG4208.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0vxmXG2tuq8NqUibZpVvcsU2Wa7YR5VKMeE5PwIlE0SOwbiusnNdGuFuThHbnDAmga7ME6vdfksYrVwprD1BdQUT7ATpxnInpWEK-Pz0UE4ahU7FGWV9J9bVRoSvSv8l2AJnkeQ_tZ68/s320/IMAG4208.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Soak bark for 15 to 20 minutes</div>
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Choose your location for the tripod</div>
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Using the soaked bark lash the tops together</div>
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Using the smaller branches begin your trellis. Lashing </div>
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sets of branches using bark. </div>
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Plant your cukes...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM1xTLVZT-jVI88ioDi0ymMnP11wBczjAGmupXhjLDM5HHbYY9bK7Y5cgvkhhV_eidRa76GcsTNC7NuB3T7ORb_9haZqkRd6X7tk05g0NEIhlzoSIFDFGFNlybpDaT0Di3vazs3m94aEs/s1600/IMAG4233.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM1xTLVZT-jVI88ioDi0ymMnP11wBczjAGmupXhjLDM5HHbYY9bK7Y5cgvkhhV_eidRa76GcsTNC7NuB3T7ORb_9haZqkRd6X7tk05g0NEIhlzoSIFDFGFNlybpDaT0Di3vazs3m94aEs/s320/IMAG4233.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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...stand back and admire. </div>
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All in all the the project took around an hour and was fairly simple to do. Plus, it looks really cool in the garden. </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494770636412980044.post-38856383934449176482013-05-18T10:09:00.001-07:002013-05-18T10:09:43.016-07:00Mounds of Squash <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We have a few squash going now in the lower garden ( squashes ? squishes ? what is the proper plural for squash ? ) anyway, we have some squishes growing now and I thought I would cover some squash basics that I have learned.<br />
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Fun fact : Squash are one of the oldest plants to be cultivated in the Americas. The other two are corn and beans.<br />
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Here is a common question..Why does squash need to be planted on a "hill" ? Well, it's because they love water but need excellent drainage. The soil also warms better this way. The mound or "hill" gives them everything they need to produce great amounts.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXe6kQLse_FY5Kd-mS5-8sDXruilzu3hLlbyhTk2A-Phj7NqjLnqAuq6aQYQfOrIGPbr4owcozAUcRVjwKgl45zjL1g8Kt1udQfw87oFgXAW5YoB3eM2_33MtrAa3YLthrlJu3tj1gWKM/s1600/IMAG4157.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXe6kQLse_FY5Kd-mS5-8sDXruilzu3hLlbyhTk2A-Phj7NqjLnqAuq6aQYQfOrIGPbr4owcozAUcRVjwKgl45zjL1g8Kt1udQfw87oFgXAW5YoB3eM2_33MtrAa3YLthrlJu3tj1gWKM/s320/IMAG4157.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0qJO9d4DLXWqdLfU1RfU5U5QEPaPo_jDf9SWXeqcWwQLrYh3yErArOKrK1BC9WwlQaY_nRWJ2PMLjNidnFIG42HrHiTUZJ3SLsyunJmOGA1pZIxdwF2znNm_87FCfANJMg53-4SYkXU8/s1600/IMAG4158.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0qJO9d4DLXWqdLfU1RfU5U5QEPaPo_jDf9SWXeqcWwQLrYh3yErArOKrK1BC9WwlQaY_nRWJ2PMLjNidnFIG42HrHiTUZJ3SLsyunJmOGA1pZIxdwF2znNm_87FCfANJMg53-4SYkXU8/s320/IMAG4158.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Summer squash can mature very quickly providing fruit in 50 days or so and the more you pick the more you will get.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwrDGRt2_L4n8fKQNM3O2TWZOZjNsYvqMaFfYtkIOj2R7Xzp_iBKf_agFo8dhHhYbnM_l8rOX8LWgm7eEEDVwKGdn9FJv0vtacpIovEqIqP41SE9g5wDd4hXeoftvXdu0sr5xU88tD6cI/s1600/squish-the-squash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwrDGRt2_L4n8fKQNM3O2TWZOZjNsYvqMaFfYtkIOj2R7Xzp_iBKf_agFo8dhHhYbnM_l8rOX8LWgm7eEEDVwKGdn9FJv0vtacpIovEqIqP41SE9g5wDd4hXeoftvXdu0sr5xU88tD6cI/s320/squish-the-squash.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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It is also recommended to participate in the sex life of your squash. Don't blush now. Hand pollination to ensure pollination of the female flowers in turn ensuring baby squashes. Even if you have busy bees and butterflies this is a good idea. Simply take a small paintbrush and transfer pollen from the male plant to the stamens of the female.( Both pictured below ).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicjlUvQUxPWv-VAGQPRyuimVc2SVlgL-JqEoJgcS25HZAGDRNrpXeYKii5RHKDd8C7JE_vHgjCXa2_d_FB2z5447IaIz4Anm0fNMpG2lowDNIiPGGqZ4RTJaSOPsSBWQ9NoN6MZOPNzCk/s1600/2009_07_14-Female.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicjlUvQUxPWv-VAGQPRyuimVc2SVlgL-JqEoJgcS25HZAGDRNrpXeYKii5RHKDd8C7JE_vHgjCXa2_d_FB2z5447IaIz4Anm0fNMpG2lowDNIiPGGqZ4RTJaSOPsSBWQ9NoN6MZOPNzCk/s320/2009_07_14-Female.jpg" width="246" /></a></div>
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The Female</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbQCSA5JGBlVQSFAIkAnz9OX3f8gYdihHZe2pXwkFAKdNvhPw1lG-GGkzpIHoGtQ1qHKw9WBwIPRDKKGfcMPSaI9PFxbE0RlgdysMkDU-0fj0q_SaANnpcIcP9cpXEqhiuQ6UoZEXpMaI/s1600/2009_07_14-Male02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbQCSA5JGBlVQSFAIkAnz9OX3f8gYdihHZe2pXwkFAKdNvhPw1lG-GGkzpIHoGtQ1qHKw9WBwIPRDKKGfcMPSaI9PFxbE0RlgdysMkDU-0fj0q_SaANnpcIcP9cpXEqhiuQ6UoZEXpMaI/s320/2009_07_14-Male02.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The Male</div>
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Do you have any squash growing tips? Share in the comments or hit us up on Google Plus or Facebook. </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494770636412980044.post-27333504601285571102013-05-14T10:34:00.000-07:002013-05-14T10:36:39.380-07:00The Littlest Potato<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
A recipe for one.<br />
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Not long ago Meg & I looked at our<a href="http://littlestfarm.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-great-potato-experiment.html" target="_blank"> Potato Cage </a> and we saw a little root poking out... and there it was...<br />
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The Littlest Potato</div>
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We stuck it back in its place, gave it some encouraging words and waited... staring at the dirt gets boring after a while so we went and did some other things. </div>
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Slightly less little potato</div>
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This stubborn potato fought again toward the surface so we plucked it, cooked it and ate it. </div>
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Here is our recipe for one potato. It probably isn't a good recipe for a dinner party. </div>
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First be sure to clean the potato thoroughly. It worked very hard at growing and deserves a proper death. Certainly don't yell "Get in my belly !" at it. It's very rude. </div>
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Boil for 10 minutes ( or until done ) </div>
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Drain and Slice your potato</div>
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Add 1/32 of a tablespoon of butter and 22% of a pinch of parsley.</div>
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6 grains of salt and a 1/4 grind of pepper. </div>
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Enjoy!</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494770636412980044.post-35680009146284788942013-05-14T08:59:00.000-07:002013-05-14T08:59:52.399-07:00Pics around the Littlest Farm<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Forget me not</div>
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Strawberry flowers</div>
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A buggy visitor</div>
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Cineraria "Giovanna's Select"</div>
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Poppy</div>
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Strawberry</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494770636412980044.post-9108685161354461512013-05-11T09:12:00.000-07:002013-05-11T09:12:08.215-07:00Miner Bees ( or Ode to the solitary bee ) <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We've discovered a new friend in the garden, a slightly reclusive yet diligent participant in taking care of our flowers. The females dig, the males dance and everyone pollinates - it's the miner bee ! Also known as a digger bee they are very different from honey bees and just as important.<br />
Unlike honey bees they do not form long term colonies and don't have a queen therefore they are not at all aggressive and rarely sting. They also do not produce honey.<br />
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I have used <a href="http://littlestfarm.blogspot.com/2013/01/insect-hotels.html" target="_blank">other methods</a> to attract solitary bees but none seems to work quite as well as having flowers and dirt.<br />
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The female bee digs a burrow to rear her own young. Their holes are approximately 1/4 inch in diameter and the burrow structure is often a vertical tunnel with smaller side tunnels ending at a single cell.<br />
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The female stocks each cell with nectar and pollen she has collected (from our beautiful flowers) and then deposits her egg on the food mass. </div>
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nomina ludo</div>
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The benefits of the bees cannot be stressed enough. As we have pointed out they are great pollinators but they also aerate the soil and add an entertainment factor when you catch the male dancing outside the females burrow trying to get her to go out for a drink. There is also varieties of wasp that are diggers and ferocious cicada killers. Remember that in 2030 my East Coast friends. </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494770636412980044.post-66302566174056119402013-05-07T08:53:00.000-07:002013-05-07T08:53:35.054-07:00Coping with loss<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So, we are new to gardening in the Bay Area of California and are literally stumbling through this season trying to figure out what to do. We are so used to Oregon weather and throwing everything in the ground at the slightest hint of spring that we were not properly prepared for the tumultuous and unpredictable weather of our location. There was a sharp spike in the temperature with no rain and we lost several plants who went to seed prematurely.<br />
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Please join us in a moment of silence for our fallen plants.<br />
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Rainbow Chard- we hardly knew yee</div>
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Red Stalked Celery you were too beautiful for this world</div>
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Also among those lost were our daikon radishes and our snow peas are producing prematurely at a height of only 2 feet.</div>
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But instead of filling the void on our plates with sadness we are promptly moving on to younger and better looking plants. Added to the fold are green and purple tomatillos , early girl tomatoes, piquillo pimento, orange and red bell peppers.</div>
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We are firm believers that if you don't fail you don't learn anything and boy are we learning a lot this year. It truly is an adventure in urban farming.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494770636412980044.post-32379660549527754642013-05-04T08:10:00.000-07:002013-05-04T08:10:12.924-07:00Chard Wars part 2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Happy Star Wars Day ! May the 4th be with you !<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494770636412980044.post-39155347836823563882013-04-30T08:23:00.001-07:002013-04-30T08:23:56.960-07:00April Update !<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Has it been a month already ?!<br />
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I do love our monthly update, getting to look back at the work and the rewards is a very satisfying experience.<br />
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We picked our first crop of radishes & made a delicious soup from them. Check our recipe for <a href="http://littlestfarm.blogspot.com/2013/04/radish-greens-soup.html" target="_blank">Radish Greens Soup</a>.<br />
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Yum</div>
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Our potato system seems to be working out very nicely. In just over two weeks we are seeing marked growth improvement with our<a href="http://littlestfarm.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-great-potato-nipple.html" target="_blank"> updated watering system.</a> </div>
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Before ( 4-12-13 )</div>
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After ( 4-29-13 )</div>
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While it is not yet quite canning time for us in California we did come across these cool <a href="http://freshpreserving.com/products/heritage_collection.aspx" target="_blank">100th Anniversary Ball Jars</a> that we can't wait to fill with jam. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiboJloftID55XFEBu6NVZ22hHYXrdFF0Ja1kAEvFSjex0Gr-va7iSTpNb6n6zE250RMpAXwo1EpX_IeqqklVX6dlG1lqXMGdDA8WehyxZoCP6hYVgurtxbqZwjRHAA3iVkYbauo0sroic/s1600/8549768513_b516c5acdd_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiboJloftID55XFEBu6NVZ22hHYXrdFF0Ja1kAEvFSjex0Gr-va7iSTpNb6n6zE250RMpAXwo1EpX_IeqqklVX6dlG1lqXMGdDA8WehyxZoCP6hYVgurtxbqZwjRHAA3iVkYbauo0sroic/s320/8549768513_b516c5acdd_z.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Because we have Blackberries & Strawberries coming in </div>
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Finally, for anyone interested there will be a new <a href="http://littlestfarm.blogspot.com/2013/04/chard-wars.html" target="_blank">Chard Wars</a> post on Star Wars Day ( May the 4th )</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUse22ysu9xtnqjWYHEYRu0ugnjbY5ltG625egMKNftpAhaz9h6i0lK2CAqJzbpkq9Dggl27FpcP_5ARX4MLvEv7Ekp1kxKosrC76X2ytDDd2KNRuOAQjpzmSkC1tNbIROef0JU1DjWZ8/s1600/IMAG3907.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUse22ysu9xtnqjWYHEYRu0ugnjbY5ltG625egMKNftpAhaz9h6i0lK2CAqJzbpkq9Dggl27FpcP_5ARX4MLvEv7Ekp1kxKosrC76X2ytDDd2KNRuOAQjpzmSkC1tNbIROef0JU1DjWZ8/s320/IMAG3907.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Episode 1 : A Very Confusing Cast</b></div>
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Coming May the Fourth ( be with you )</div>
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As spring turns to summer more and more is happening on The Littlest Farm. Things to look forward to in May include our chicken coops, lots and lots of growth in the veggie garden and a detailed tour of our flower and herb garden. </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494770636412980044.post-78785829558930134042013-04-27T09:59:00.000-07:002013-04-27T09:59:49.310-07:00Radish Greens Soup <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We picked our first prize from the garden last week and after proudly munching on it raw in the garden ( with huge grins ) we dashed to the kitchen to make something from it.<br />
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What we picked was our radishes and what we made was Radish Greens Soup. A subtle yet hearty Italian inspired soup great for any day.<br />
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<b>Radish Greens Soup</b></div>
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<li>1 tablespoon of olive oil</li>
<li>1 cup chopped leeks</li>
<li>3 medium potatoes chopped</li>
<li>3 bunches of radish greens</li>
<li>5 cups of veggie or chicken stock</li>
<li>1/2 cup of cream</li>
<li>1 tablespoon of butter </li>
<li>5 tablespoons of grated Parmesan</li>
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In a large saucepan saute the leeks and radish greens in the olive oil for a few minutes ( until soft ). Stir in the potatoes and toss over medium heat for five minutes. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and let cook for 20 minutes.</div>
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Partially puree the soup in a blender and return to sauce pan. Stir in the cream, butter and parm. Garnish with julienne of raw radish and enjoy. </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494770636412980044.post-64670543929051532902013-04-23T10:10:00.001-07:002013-04-23T13:02:32.798-07:00The Life of Cabbage<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Among the produce we have growing is red cabbage. Neither of us have grown cabbage before and knew nothing going in. We have had a warm spell here in California that had us concerned that the cabbage ( among others ) was bolting and wasn't going to properly grow and produce.<br />
This prompted a Google search and a lot of learning about cabbage.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeIYCNPVPLohodSULYvUhWAbV7qE3RajgezqdM4SxieodCHFr_AHcKEjFF43k7Vx-KILN8adXTiPtgN71XXhP8G8jutjCdKlQxIRXiU723t5FyfHkD6q9HNCT68VgPGHODGCzRb8YkrVo/s1600/Cabbage-seedling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeIYCNPVPLohodSULYvUhWAbV7qE3RajgezqdM4SxieodCHFr_AHcKEjFF43k7Vx-KILN8adXTiPtgN71XXhP8G8jutjCdKlQxIRXiU723t5FyfHkD6q9HNCT68VgPGHODGCzRb8YkrVo/s320/Cabbage-seedling.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Stage 2 ( our current stage )</div>
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We looked at our plants and didn't see cabbage, we saw a weed like sprout in our beds. It will continue on like this, adding leaves and stems and leaves until stage 5 when it starts to look like it wants you to make soup out of it. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrWzhTJSz0fXOK-Sj8JQ2_DrR0AU2KPWiWyJEOE5HWg1G-YvgD8nl5RhG1tGQQBp34FvdAh4_XZNowCpNmMuUb3dJCZKZsowvNK9WWYAKW3wwCewjscnCCKtiS5dxODIDiPO7TXDCEXB4/s1600/DSC_0241+cabbage3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrWzhTJSz0fXOK-Sj8JQ2_DrR0AU2KPWiWyJEOE5HWg1G-YvgD8nl5RhG1tGQQBp34FvdAh4_XZNowCpNmMuUb3dJCZKZsowvNK9WWYAKW3wwCewjscnCCKtiS5dxODIDiPO7TXDCEXB4/s320/DSC_0241+cabbage3.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Stage 5 a.k.a "pre-cupping"</div>
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By the end of stage 5 the base and the stems are completely concealed when viewing from above. </div>
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When we hit stage 6 all we will be thinking about is corned beef recipes.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheylkGe_0sbnS7_fhDCC0FoXUv-xN3r7K5C4l6dmgr8FX2i8-aE5WYjrLAkTTE3XqyeWGNbSaJHjXbrSskdY5NbbOYQBBZPeD6yyBpJ4YKSDMA0oMd4cQLxq1TIna6a4CmIRTFT3mv_dw/s1600/DSC_0073+cabbage.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheylkGe_0sbnS7_fhDCC0FoXUv-xN3r7K5C4l6dmgr8FX2i8-aE5WYjrLAkTTE3XqyeWGNbSaJHjXbrSskdY5NbbOYQBBZPeD6yyBpJ4YKSDMA0oMd4cQLxq1TIna6a4CmIRTFT3mv_dw/s320/DSC_0073+cabbage.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Stage 6 a.k.a. "cupping"</div>
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At stage six we will have between 20 and 25 leaves and the innermost "heart" leaves will be concealed by the larger older leaves. Then we leap forward to stage 9 ... Mature Cabbage !</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5cZuIN3HO-1cpv-gcxBp1B3h_MsHb0tROz3Vmeg2f1rSu4s9Xld-4YmvoPvP2gitX4mEQkorrjGIwvt9SV5YLdnwVjXt4Kf91htIopIvaRL2BqdtJr4TS-JHYMrixAAMJbt0FRJvJZCc/s1600/VAcabbageFig5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5cZuIN3HO-1cpv-gcxBp1B3h_MsHb0tROz3Vmeg2f1rSu4s9Xld-4YmvoPvP2gitX4mEQkorrjGIwvt9SV5YLdnwVjXt4Kf91htIopIvaRL2BqdtJr4TS-JHYMrixAAMJbt0FRJvJZCc/s320/VAcabbageFig5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Huzzah ! Let's throw them at lousy vaudeville comedians !</div>
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I am rather disappointed that not a single paper I read, website I looked at or stranger on the street could explain to me how it is that creepy dolls come from cabbage. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbs9jF4U5oS2x4r4EyxMsMtp59z6hC0e0bTZENMUkcjW59ww2-bts-i1LkHq_RU5HWI_b5N84CDGlqpaq89ukd4uIViK_bbFIwhMQSnsbSUlbtKkU82XXLluflh9EvRN8c0i6DmRqrjao/s1600/cabbage-patch-kids-party-favors-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbs9jF4U5oS2x4r4EyxMsMtp59z6hC0e0bTZENMUkcjW59ww2-bts-i1LkHq_RU5HWI_b5N84CDGlqpaq89ukd4uIViK_bbFIwhMQSnsbSUlbtKkU82XXLluflh9EvRN8c0i6DmRqrjao/s1600/cabbage-patch-kids-party-favors-2.jpg" /></a></div>
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How ?! Why?!</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494770636412980044.post-790587473238130252013-04-16T17:38:00.000-07:002013-04-16T20:07:20.916-07:00The Little Things <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It's often overlooked in a lot of these blog posts how much little bits of work are put into the garden everyday. For us, Tuesdays and Saturdays are always jam packed with chores in and around the garden. There is ( of course ) weeding, watering, transplanting and contemplative squirrels to deal with but there is also the little things.<br />
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<b>Meg planting her Felicia Rose</b></div>
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(more to come on that rose later)</div>
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<b>Refilling the slug traps.</b></div>
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(one for me... one for my sluggies)</div>
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I''m really starting to appreciate the maintenance for the first time. Getting out there, getting dirty, and tossing slugs & beer off this slimy mortal coil while Meghan waters with sniper like precision. </div>
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<b>Weeding the soon to be epic herb and flower garden.</b></div>
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<b>Chewing on a bit of early harvest celery</b></div>
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The best of the little things happens tomorrow morning when we harvest the bulk of the radishes before work and get to share them with friends and family. </div>
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And that squirrel thing that you have been wondering about since you read the first paragraph...</div>
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<b>Contemplative Squirrel</b></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494770636412980044.post-59636132302362479882013-04-13T16:58:00.000-07:002013-04-13T16:58:45.866-07:00The Great Potato Nipple <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Today we made some modifications to <a href="http://littlestfarm.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-great-potato-experiment.html" target="_blank">The Great Potato Experiment</a>. It seems we missed a few small details in our slightly less than careful planning of our potato cage.<br />
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It seems obvious to us now, but we weren't getting enough water to the lower layers of taters... so after great debate and discussion we made what I am calling The Potato Nipple & for the record Meghan refuses to refer to it that way.<br />
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The problem was that the cage was 3 feet high and we needed water to make it at least 2 feet down so that it would soak the rest of the way down. 4 dollars in PVC pipe & fittings later we had it solved.<br />
Here is how we did it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdGd6QS3bkPItO9Okfe5Mj_XhALXmuGuO3gLXTSuBXf9Gkvwyo82uIx_Pt0-LeYk4JTVD0td8wz6pqEPDeRrPtxOpidG9Mr8F1KwXxZpsuku4gbu7ICT_UdZFBLZO15nirT6X1kR4SlXw/s1600/IMAG3738.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdGd6QS3bkPItO9Okfe5Mj_XhALXmuGuO3gLXTSuBXf9Gkvwyo82uIx_Pt0-LeYk4JTVD0td8wz6pqEPDeRrPtxOpidG9Mr8F1KwXxZpsuku4gbu7ICT_UdZFBLZO15nirT6X1kR4SlXw/s320/IMAG3738.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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The plants toward the top are doing much better than the one toward the bottom. So we wet the soil and hammered a 1 inch schedule 40 piece of PVC down the middle of the cage to create a cavity.<br />
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Once the wet soil had settled ( about 3 hours ) we pulled the pipe out & drilled several ( alot ! ) of 3/16 holes in the lover half of the pipe, put a cap on one end and a 1 inch couple on the other ( for stability )<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE2b-4Ueg3M31hxnRQ9cMeKMUq63f9eT5Cgax2kAobr_hgo-78Rdcq2xFWzo6aadGSevt8XVtCgKfwg81NwYntUDw8Qi_67g8RQuYhE6M0hyphenhyphenwhutTc-vF5nJF4YJFe3fgZYrW4X6Vmcz0/s1600/IMAG3749.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE2b-4Ueg3M31hxnRQ9cMeKMUq63f9eT5Cgax2kAobr_hgo-78Rdcq2xFWzo6aadGSevt8XVtCgKfwg81NwYntUDw8Qi_67g8RQuYhE6M0hyphenhyphenwhutTc-vF5nJF4YJFe3fgZYrW4X6Vmcz0/s320/IMAG3749.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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We reinserted the pipe into the cavity ( holes drilled & cap on ) and put an inverted bottle on top filled with water ( not whiskey ) to create a slow drip system.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnKX72JEiJg0tTTiNINRI8aLDAIdbs-q5gJoxCRTMlPib6xaEF6oHZwmKw4drsKP4Aeggsbh4-kArOwHDYyS3gDw7ZhcrpYVotHhejuosg7ES7HmAtStgxfKLGznbnj8wLMUR9AnaoCL0/s1600/IMAG3760.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnKX72JEiJg0tTTiNINRI8aLDAIdbs-q5gJoxCRTMlPib6xaEF6oHZwmKw4drsKP4Aeggsbh4-kArOwHDYyS3gDw7ZhcrpYVotHhejuosg7ES7HmAtStgxfKLGznbnj8wLMUR9AnaoCL0/s320/IMAG3760.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy Taters </td></tr>
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All of that being said, what we should have done is put a perforated pipe down the center of the cage when we initially planted, designated a hose ( or similar re-purposed drip system ) for watering. Either way we are still looking at a harvest of over 100 potatoes on a footprint of less than 3 feet. We got to be creative on an already creative idea and we are going to yield a lot of food.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494770636412980044.post-33544614304030611902013-04-09T15:07:00.000-07:002013-04-09T15:09:37.951-07:00Chard Wars <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's a beautiful day in the bay area. 73 degrees Fahrenheit, sunny and nothing to do in the garden but water and watch everything grow.<br />
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Or.... be silly and stage the many battles of the epic sci-fi series <b>Chard Wars </b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYxRzHJ0wjhlXkNvEJM-bfn2boW37WMK_xegYynIZ8kNH4zcLBYazpNR5gLcmtR5p43JDBZI6vXEuX1SvApFWtke93_lF-lpw8uKhs-7EyMhY9h9RuQ80rKT6Y8Z3Qhy9ILEAky4Fd3Ik/s1600/IMAG3702.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYxRzHJ0wjhlXkNvEJM-bfn2boW37WMK_xegYynIZ8kNH4zcLBYazpNR5gLcmtR5p43JDBZI6vXEuX1SvApFWtke93_lF-lpw8uKhs-7EyMhY9h9RuQ80rKT6Y8Z3Qhy9ILEAky4Fd3Ik/s320/IMAG3702.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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<b>Battle of Strawberry Buds</b></div>
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<b>The Empire invasion of Carrots </b></div>
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<b>Radish Troopers are done looking for droids</b></div>
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<b>The Epic Chard Wars.</b> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">patent pending :) </span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494770636412980044.post-24646948305302427522013-04-07T19:28:00.000-07:002013-04-07T19:28:46.563-07:00Building a raised bed<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It occurred to me today while helping a customer at the hardware store that not everyone knows how to build a raised bed... much less no how to plan what to put in it. So, starting today <a class="g-profile" href="http://plus.google.com/116204008627934140314" target="_blank">+The Littlest Farm</a> will be putting more effort into sharing the basics to help people get started growing.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/mPrMvItUIuQ?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<b>This is a pretty solid tutorial. </b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBQuasjbIK0VthyphenhyphenoHxiBTL_4ixpCa-waVgsl9YqfmGCKYZfmHRYjDsrnwQDsbkYWCfMK6_IpsL1M4omXoDSfN7i2mZrbbFEtDc02eh7jlTNjzii7LEulsNitBOcWTpmLvQP4QVmp9k_dQ/s1600/raised+beds+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBQuasjbIK0VthyphenhyphenoHxiBTL_4ixpCa-waVgsl9YqfmGCKYZfmHRYjDsrnwQDsbkYWCfMK6_IpsL1M4omXoDSfN7i2mZrbbFEtDc02eh7jlTNjzii7LEulsNitBOcWTpmLvQP4QVmp9k_dQ/s320/raised+beds+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Never forget that the internet is a never ending source of plans. My personal favorite is Popular Mechanics. Their <a href="http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/how-to-plans/lawn-garden/4308264#slide-1" target="_blank">raised bed plans</a> are unrivaled. </div>
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Happy Growing! </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494770636412980044.post-25123615988090525562013-04-02T08:54:00.000-07:002013-04-02T08:54:59.037-07:00Creatures of the night are eating my cabbage !<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Slugs, snails and other slimy creatures are attempting an invasion and we are holding our ground... slaying them by the dozens and using only natural techniques victory will soon be ours.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizlZ2fXwdKeJENUXqur4O1L8KQNekWClnOZfVc2ZGWSfrGuGd0yapg056CBhBQOdEWbQp7j7kSsEz_TcH4TeoUF8GkZRBa3S3osqZpsK6sSd8mVj0G8G5NpSWcCe7nKJfV45dbZpZIRUs/s1600/Common_snail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizlZ2fXwdKeJENUXqur4O1L8KQNekWClnOZfVc2ZGWSfrGuGd0yapg056CBhBQOdEWbQp7j7kSsEz_TcH4TeoUF8GkZRBa3S3osqZpsK6sSd8mVj0G8G5NpSWcCe7nKJfV45dbZpZIRUs/s320/Common_snail.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Most people see them like this</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD4EZ0NVDiVbGJmlbYwptADjprS4viWoLT_8NuJvCL2jq5g9_BW6LSkXhu_xekJPKZaFt1YqCVF6c-wbALtiyivcNvoBHIPp4d8xl9bm8HSGJipiqBHndSaS6CzEW9L9FZZl5YfgOZltw/s1600/Monster-Snail---34969.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD4EZ0NVDiVbGJmlbYwptADjprS4viWoLT_8NuJvCL2jq5g9_BW6LSkXhu_xekJPKZaFt1YqCVF6c-wbALtiyivcNvoBHIPp4d8xl9bm8HSGJipiqBHndSaS6CzEW9L9FZZl5YfgOZltw/s320/Monster-Snail---34969.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie0jl-MWz1_k540FmBRJ5sm__0yUO7-z-IO2pWQKirWRj9OSyNCAYm2ACZMqAlLvziDZNJfvp9CslRaQmFUOEtDnsU_1RxwQL-cxCC9pwN8IkL29R1TkA_ihOgdtgPJELpjJKpqR1CTFI/s1600/funny-pictures-nom-snails.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie0jl-MWz1_k540FmBRJ5sm__0yUO7-z-IO2pWQKirWRj9OSyNCAYm2ACZMqAlLvziDZNJfvp9CslRaQmFUOEtDnsU_1RxwQL-cxCC9pwN8IkL29R1TkA_ihOgdtgPJELpjJKpqR1CTFI/s320/funny-pictures-nom-snails.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Gardeners see them like this</b></div>
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Fortunately, there is a good selection of natural techniques to keep this hungry critters at bay. </div>
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Our first step is identifying what plants they have a particular taste for. You can't battle an enemy if you don't know where they are.</div>
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The next thing we do is set up a barrier. This can be done with crushed egg shells around the damaged plants, or discarded coffee grounds. You will want to make sure the barrier is between 2 and 3 inches thick. </div>
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We tend to avoid the copper method mainly because it can be expensive but you can try this at home by purchasing copper tape at your local hardware store or garden supply. This through either magic or science electrocutes the little monsters and kills them. </div>
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The favorite method at The Littlest Farm is beer. There are two ways to use beer, one more effective than the other. We save our empty cat food and tuna fish cans bury them in the soil, fill them with cheap beer ( slugs and snails have notoriously poor taste in beer ) and wait for those pesky mollusks to drink themselves to death. </div>
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The second beer method is to just drink the beer, ignore the problem and have a good time. This method is significantly less effective.<br />
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What methods do you use? </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494770636412980044.post-66244641178672898522013-03-30T17:05:00.000-07:002013-03-30T17:07:45.114-07:00March Update<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I've decided to do a monthly update in addition to our regular posts. It's almost impossible to tell you everything that we have going on here... but I'm going to try anyway.<br />
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First, some very exciting news. Our <a href="http://littlestfarm.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-great-potato-experiment.html" target="_blank">potato experiment </a>appears to be working !</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKYeavB92qFVIEStB3JXc9FFOWeQ1bY3241yVJc3LUhmXf70oh6bKoXPIm8L25FeezwKJ9g8BE167HupilZVVZIT1090Sr8zS03sFESawjK1oZCXoSz0j34qG1TmC49ov746I9QO8cpzs/s1600/IMAG3614.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKYeavB92qFVIEStB3JXc9FFOWeQ1bY3241yVJc3LUhmXf70oh6bKoXPIm8L25FeezwKJ9g8BE167HupilZVVZIT1090Sr8zS03sFESawjK1oZCXoSz0j34qG1TmC49ov746I9QO8cpzs/s320/IMAG3614.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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There is also a number of sprouts coming out of the side of the cage as we hoped. It's very exciting. It took 16 days from planting our potato cuts to seeing growth breaking through to bask in the sun. We are very proud of our tiny tubers. </div>
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Generally all around the garden we are seeing a lot of progress. Little green folks popping up all over the place. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_lQm-ppSxZCShM8wGTpul9RG3HatYclGFnBHu7uRAVzHmz6JRa22Hqy_tE4rL3VVD48t4Sputnv5ca-oVJjn8nUwoo_gE8zL20bkDjOUrf_KeOigI33lUOZISN-e1_P0LqiRV9tILD5Q/s1600/IMAG3618.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_lQm-ppSxZCShM8wGTpul9RG3HatYclGFnBHu7uRAVzHmz6JRa22Hqy_tE4rL3VVD48t4Sputnv5ca-oVJjn8nUwoo_gE8zL20bkDjOUrf_KeOigI33lUOZISN-e1_P0LqiRV9tILD5Q/s320/IMAG3618.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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Look at all our little green friends !</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxN7y2t2vC3EyY4edQuQk4RKY2n4GTOhSjzqBOCLQP2uFWrddvS_BV6DETKVTGOasCXw2vBB6SCv51Jn1bW_QKkCL7QW5H11ewL8yZnBAEy_eCahPnHgvcLJoP5C-otMlpGI8IKuNutXs/s1600/IMG_20130329_171905.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxN7y2t2vC3EyY4edQuQk4RKY2n4GTOhSjzqBOCLQP2uFWrddvS_BV6DETKVTGOasCXw2vBB6SCv51Jn1bW_QKkCL7QW5H11ewL8yZnBAEy_eCahPnHgvcLJoP5C-otMlpGI8IKuNutXs/s320/IMG_20130329_171905.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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We also picked and ate our first radish. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2-pDfBjA78fkio6DKcT8Ba0f0Vz9Hu3DbxsrsnUA2uUwCAnhG2paLRwNA5AnhEzdSpFIgl41Ets6U6FVgbLP7blGw5hyZyQ41RuJw1sHPjjyIc3xEEX43gglm1skLNat96Lb_R-Jb8E4/s1600/IMAG3615.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2-pDfBjA78fkio6DKcT8Ba0f0Vz9Hu3DbxsrsnUA2uUwCAnhG2paLRwNA5AnhEzdSpFIgl41Ets6U6FVgbLP7blGw5hyZyQ41RuJw1sHPjjyIc3xEEX43gglm1skLNat96Lb_R-Jb8E4/s320/IMAG3615.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The peas are starting to grab their trellis. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ2xmNi0qAEo4h9iAi31m_70M4Mj_f_4ypQq1XpJMdlSzcdbhqh011SUK1RHUnBnrf92h_-6lTDoHQVYyRo3N3zuk5tgpx4r-LbrBTgIf-Z5xb7h_Ivb9HSiK7mYpykSZ2Ofvv07omd6Q/s1600/IMAG3619.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ2xmNi0qAEo4h9iAi31m_70M4Mj_f_4ypQq1XpJMdlSzcdbhqh011SUK1RHUnBnrf92h_-6lTDoHQVYyRo3N3zuk5tgpx4r-LbrBTgIf-Z5xb7h_Ivb9HSiK7mYpykSZ2Ofvv07omd6Q/s320/IMAG3619.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Strawberries are doing great in their gutter.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVzsmSZPZGlPM_ax8kNLNDDcWPgHiLCdS9n9OAg_quJTspQUmCVO1-39VdQ4ERRD5V4VROcur2EzKlizckXxhiSvixK_ni1-oq887QrMIkeN6xQH_eGrjrdGeKBd26LwltNb2QFBeZa_g/s1600/IMAG3616.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVzsmSZPZGlPM_ax8kNLNDDcWPgHiLCdS9n9OAg_quJTspQUmCVO1-39VdQ4ERRD5V4VROcur2EzKlizckXxhiSvixK_ni1-oq887QrMIkeN6xQH_eGrjrdGeKBd26LwltNb2QFBeZa_g/s320/IMAG3616.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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This poppy should be in full bloom any minute now. </div>
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And just for fun here is a list of everything we are growing.</div>
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<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>Radish</li>
<li>Red Stalked Celery</li>
<li>Purple Broccoli</li>
<li>Carrot</li>
<li>Parsnip</li>
<li>Rainbow Chard</li>
<li>Chioggia Beets</li>
<li>Golden Beets</li>
<li>Sugar Snaps</li>
<li>Shell Peas</li>
<li>Basil</li>
<li>Chive</li>
<li>Tulsy Basil</li>
<li>Chamomile</li>
<li>Oregano</li>
<li>Cat Nip</li>
<li>Mint</li>
<li>Butter Lettuce</li>
<li>Spinach</li>
<li>Oak Heart Lettuce</li>
<li>Arugula</li>
<li>Bok Choy</li>
<li>Daikon</li>
<li>Russet Potato</li>
<li>Butter Potato</li>
<li>Red Potato</li>
<li>Red Cabbage</li>
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It's been a fun,exciting and challenging month at The Littlest Farm with so much more to come in April. <br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1