Five Feline Farm, Author at Five Feline Farm

Persimmon Seeds and Wooly Worms

Somewhere in history someone came up with the idea that the color of wooly worms in the fall indicates the type of winter that will follow. The darker the coat the colder the winter. A striped coat means a varied winter. Lighter colors mean snow.

And who started this tradition of cutting persimmon seeds to see what the feature is inside? These little seeds are slippery and thin. Cutting them lengthwise requires a sharp knife, a steady hand and a willingness to risk cutting the pad off your finger to see what type of winter weather is forecast. Persimmon seeds when cut in half, show a fork, knife or spoon in the center. A knife indicates a bitter cutting cold winter. The spoon is deep snow and the fork predicts a light snow.

On Five Feline Farm we take note of signs of the seasons including the folk tale predictions.
So between the wooly worms and the persimmon seeds we are looking at a snowy winter.

Do you think the persimmon matches the wooly worm? Drop us a note in the comment section about your folk tale predictions.

Making Herb Butter

Five Feline Farm produces not only vegetables and fruit but an array of herbs to complement any dish. Unfortunately, the growing season is coming to a close in Central Illinois, so it is time to pick some herbs to be held over for winter use.

Herbs can be dried and stored in glass jars or chopped and frozen in ice cube trays. Both of these methods provide a warmth of flavor to winter meals enhanced by knowing there are no fertilizers or pesticides. The down side to dried herbs is a bit of a change in the flavor. Fresh flavor is diminished and although superior to herbs bought in plastic shaker, it is still a dried herb.

Herbs frozen in ice cube trays offer an advantage of holding onto some of the fresh flavor, but the cubes tend to frost over and stick together in time. Plus the added bit of water can be undesirable.

Both of these methods have a place, but recently I started making herb butters to preserve and utilize fresh herbs. Wrapped in waxed paper and sealed in freezer bags these have kept for several weeks. Since butter freezes well, it seems that herb butters should also freeze well.

To start, wash and air dry the herbs. Select a handful of herbs to snip into tiny pieces. Judge both the size of the pieces and the amount of herb by what you would want to find in your finished dish.

Mix the herb thoroughly in one stick of softened butter.

Spread the butter into a rough log about 2 inches from the edge of the waxed paper.

Fold the waxed paper over the log and lightly squeeze into a log.

Roll up the log in the paper and twist the ends.

Label and store in a freezer bag.

To use, unwrap and slice off the amount desired.

The freezer now contains butters with chives, basil, oregano, thyme, curry and rosemary. The options for using these butters is only limited by the cook’s imagination. A slice of chive butter on a baked potato or a bit of basil butter melting over sautéed chicken breast will warm the winter months with a reminder of summer.

What would you put herb butter on? Drop us a comment with your ideas.

Farm Tours and Future Plans

Two weeks ago we hosted a tour of Five Feline Farm for the EIU Academy of Life Long Learning. Twenty participants were treated to a presentation about the bees and life on the Farm.

One question posed by a number of participants was “where are you going with this hobby farm concept?”. The honest answer at this time is “we don’t know” but we plan to keep doing it and see where it leads. So far growth has been organic. What interests us and motivates us is to learn or experience new things. Sometimes you really just don’t know what your destination is until you arrive.

Everyone seemed to enjoy the history of the Farm and seeing the progress that has been made in such a short period of time. The land was a wreck, wild and untamed in 2002. After being able to move here in 2008, more progress is made every day.

We do have plans to increase bee friendly plantings. The south garden area will be expanded in the spring to include a series of raised beds with more flowers, pumpkins, gourds and anything else that strikes our fancy. This area will likely also see a garden shed with a porch and swing.

Another priority is to refurbish the John Deere Box wagon and convert it to a produce stand. It is time to start finding ways for Five Feline Farm to generate some income.

Drop us a note in the comment box and let us know your suggestions for the future of Five Feline Farm.

Natural Pest Control

On Five Feline Farm we strive to do things as naturally and organically as possible. To this end we use a natural pest control system across the Farm. This involves companion plantings, sprays that are made of natural sources and working with nature instead of against.

In the garden we had put up clanging pans to keep the birds from picking the newly planted seeds out of the garden. This was effective just after planting until the seedlings came up. At this point we noticed worms in the garden feasting on the plants. Removing the pie pans did the trick. Now the birds eat the worms and we have no need for a chemical spray.

Japanese beetles will destroy many plants and our first concern was grape vines. The traps for these pests seems to draw them instead of fight them, so we have concocted a spray that will address this. A solution of chopped onion, minced garlic, cayenne pepper and Dawn dish soap in water misted over the plants effectively repels these pests. The beetles drop off as soon as they are hit with this stinky spray.

In February, the fruit trees require a dormant spray as a pest repellant. Before the trees start to bud, this spray will prevent eggs from hatching that have been laid in the tree. This prevents disease and infestation. This spray is done early before the budding so that it does not interfere with pollination. The natural spray we use is Dawn dish soap, canola oil and water solution.

For weed control we have nearly discontinued the use of Roundup in favor of rock salt. A strong salt solution will kill weeds. In a brick sidewalk, just sweep the salt into the cracks allowing rain or ground moisture to saturate. For a spray, dissolve salt into warm water and spray as needed to kill weeds.

As a small test for the followers of Five Feline Farm: what is in the picture below and how can it be used to control pests? Post an answer on our Facebook page or below this post.