Author Topic: The Blessing of Country Living !!  (Read 20972 times)

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Richard Myers

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The Blessing of Country Living !!
« Reply #20 on: June 28, 2001, 06:47:00 AM »
Speaking of blessings, we picked and ate our first yellow crookneck squash yesterday!


Brother Clive, we grow collards for our greens. We plan a new bunch every year, but I leave the last years to grow also.  Have you ever tried collars?

Richard

Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

Suzanne

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The Blessing of Country Living !!
« Reply #21 on: June 28, 2001, 09:32:00 AM »
Brethren:

What a blessing to enjoy home-grown produce, sans the poisonous sprays, pesticides, and other dangerous chemicals so prevalent in store-bought fruits and veggies. Br. Richard, we too have a bumper crop of yellow crooked-neck squash. How do you fix yours for the table? The last batch we had, I sauteed it in water, (juice can be used) then cooked it in spaghetti sauce for about 15 to 20 min., and served it over brown rice. I am looking for other ways to serve it. Help!!!

Our tomatoes are plentiful but not ready--still quite green. It's hot here and the apricot trees are thriving--a bumper crop here too. ...We love it!!!!

SS


Clive Nevell

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The Blessing of Country Living !!
« Reply #22 on: June 28, 2001, 05:34:00 PM »
Brother Richard
I have never grown collards or heard of them, what do they look like? We may call them something else. For greens we have cabbage, silver beet, and different types of these.
We grow squash, never seen crooked neck type. I am sure we grow the same vegies but call them other names.
Blessings
Clive

[This message has been edited by Clive Nevell (edited 06-28-2001).]


Clive Nevell

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The Blessing of Country Living !!
« Reply #23 on: July 16, 2001, 06:11:00 AM »
We have a problem with wild ducks, they keep coming into the garden and eating what they like. They love the greens although not all of them. In particular Pak Choi and Wong Bok. They do not eat the Silver Beet or the English tpye of Cabbage.
Fences will not stop them from flying in, we may have to shift the dogs down there.

We have gone from the floods at the beginning of the year to the dust bowls of July with not a blade of green grass.

Blessings
Clive


Richard Myers

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« Reply #24 on: July 16, 2001, 12:08:00 PM »
Brother Clive, as I recall silver beet, it is a little more tender than collards. Silver beet can be a little bitter and collards are very mild and sweet when cooked with lots of onion. Our mustard greens can be very bitter. We have a green chard that is similar in texture to silver beet. For those not familiar with silver beet, it is the green from the beet root, though much larger than I have seen in the U.S.

Collards are high in calcium and like most greens, b vitamins.  It is a staple in our family.

Sister Suzanne, I like the yellow crook neck when small and tender, just cooked in lots of onion with a little salt. It has the taste of butter. I can remember what it (butter) tastes like.  :)

Our peaches are ripening as are our Asian pears. Salmon are jumping in the river and the squirrels are eating our green apples, just like they eat our green pecans and almonds.  :( It reminds me of the neighbor who used to eat our green tomatoes.  :( Which reminds me of the missionary who planted pineapples but never got to eat them until he became a Christian.  :)

Richard

Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

Curt

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The Blessing of Country Living !!
« Reply #25 on: July 19, 2001, 03:44:00 AM »
Oh, the joys of country living, but do not forget the creatures coming to the garden for supper as Bro. Clive mentioned. The Rabbits are chewing away at the tops of my carrots, potatoes dug out of the ground but the tomatoes are really big and promising.I am still looking around for Neem Oil to spray with.


Bro Clive - Collards seems to be an American thing since us Canadians do not speak much of it if at all.
Sounds like you have quite an assortment of trees Bro. Richard.

FAITH - As God's blessed sons & daughters we are to attempt the impossible to the extent that we will fail unless God steps in.   Keep the faith

Ron Lambert

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The Blessing of Country Living !!
« Reply #26 on: July 19, 2001, 07:19:00 PM »
Collards is my favorite greens. It is better known in the South, and my mother is from Arkansas, so we grew up with it even as Michiganders. The neat thing about collards is that it remains alive after it has frosted, and you can harvest it way into the dead of winter. Even the first few freezes do not kill it. I have harvested delicious collards in December, here in Michigan, with the temperature overnight in the 20's!

You can make an effective spray in a blender using garlic, red pepper (cayenne), and mint, diluted with water. Garlic paralyzes many types of worms, caterpillars, and larvae (including mosquito larvae), and mint confuses the sense of smell by which most insects find their favorite plants. As for the red pepper, well, let me relate this story: A friend sprinkled red pepper on the silks of his ears of corn, and was awakened that evening to hear some wierd kind of commotion in his garden. He switched on an outdoor floodlight, and discovered raccoons sneezing their heads off.

I have successfully used this concoction to prevent rabbits from eating my bean sprouts when they first come up. You do have to apply it every day, and after every rain, because it washes off. Be careful not to use too much red pepper in a solution that you intend to spray on corn silks, though, because if it is too concentrated, it can burn the corn ears. (My uncle did that once when he used ten times the red pepper that I told him to use. He figured more would be better.)

Ron Lambert


Joan

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The Blessing of Country Living !!
« Reply #27 on: July 20, 2001, 02:42:00 AM »

Here are pictures of the veggie :
http://www.territorial-seed.com/testcat/vegetables/collards/CO255.html
http://humeseeds.com/collard.htm

Collards are shallow-rooted plants that can be damaged easily by too frequent hoeing. To avoid damaging the root system, most in the know apply a two to four-inch mulch around the plants as soon as they are several inches high. Collards are vegetables that are members of the cabbage family incase on is predispositioned to lots  of intestinal gasing (small warning  :) ). Because of this, they have a taste that is similar to cabbage and kale. The whole family of related veggies like cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower, collards are either loved or hated. Collards aren't only grown in the southern United States, but also in Europe. In European countries we use collards quite often in our cooking especially in Portugal. Here in Gemany they use ham or pork always with collards. WE veggie people just have to be more creative in putting herb spices together to give a good taste to to the meal.

I remove each collard leaf from the main stem, soak them in cold water for half an hour. Rinse each leaf thoroughly and then cut collards into small size pieces. Cutting off the stems completely helps making them less bitter and more tender. I boil them up first off and then simmer for 15-20 minutes. Don't overcook but they must be cooked to tenderness. I don't use the cooking water but drain the cooked collards before serving. Now seasoning is up to the household preferences so one can't arbitrarily say how to  in this case.

France has lots of families with the surname of Collard. I bet in USA there are also french decendent families with the name as well.

Joan


Clive Nevell

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« Reply #28 on: July 26, 2001, 04:12:00 AM »
Interesting references to collards.
At last we have had some rain after aan extended dry spell again. I have been preparing ground to plant tomatoes, aafter the rain today I thought it would be a good time to put them in. I would not normally transplant on a Thursday as it is too close to Sabbath and they would wilt for lack of water. With it raining today there should be no problem so I put out 60 plants, they should be ready before Xmas.
Blessings
Clive

Joan

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« Reply #29 on: July 26, 2001, 05:15:00 AM »

CHRISTMAS !! ...going outside and picking tomatoes at Christmas time is so hard for me to fathom. But maybe such miraculous events happening in this earth's system will get me accustom to living on the new earth with the tree of life bearing 12 different sorts of fruit each and every month.

If the livestock need to be watered on the seventh day then the dying plants need a drink as well. But that's just my conviction.

Joan


Curt

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The Blessing of Country Living !!
« Reply #30 on: July 26, 2001, 11:58:00 AM »
Sis. Joan - thank you for the information on Collards. I tasted it once for US Thanksgiving at my Brother in Philadelphia. Did not care for it much, guess it grows on you. I am not opposed to trying it again.


Bro. Lambert, glad to read you on the forum. My kids laughed at your story of the "sneezing racoons". I will try this formula also.

I have a new bed worked and planted. The plants that I used manure in the hole with the seed or young plants came up well. Where I did not put a bit of manure to start the growth, they died. This was a really dry piece of land I used and worked grass, top soil and manure into it before use. At least I got the tomatoes, sweet peppers and green beans from that plot.

FAITH - As God's blessed sons & daughters we are to attempt the impossible to the extent that we will fail unless God steps in.   Keep the faith

Curt

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The Blessing of Country Living !!
« Reply #31 on: November 06, 2001, 09:15:00 AM »
Well, it is fall and all is well.

The gardens are closed down. The tomatoes are in bottles and what a wonderful addition to food they are combined with the herbs of our first herb garden. Beverley sent soil samples for testing and they came back as 7.1 PH but lacking some nutrients (the report is not at hand to itemize).

We got a whole truck load of wood, a massive tree that was cut down and delivered to us free. We are thankful and enjoy trying to split the wood and stack it away. My 82 year old neighbor came over this morning and together we cut the limbs of the remainder with his chain saw and split the pieces of trunk with an 8 pound axe and sledge hammer. So I had my perspiration this morning (see new post on sweating producing bacteria fighter). SO now it is off to buy a brush to clkean the chimney. This may sound like a lot of work but they really are enjoyable activities and I get chance to interact with my neighbor. Of course I have to listen to all his war stories when in the German army. He reminds me so much of my grandfather who also had many stories to tell so I listen intently and we have a good laugh in between.

It is just a joy  to be out here in God's country.  :)

FAITH - As God's blessed sons & daughters we are to attempt the impossible to the extent that we will fail unless God steps in.   Keep the faith

Curt

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The Blessing of Country Living !!
« Reply #32 on: April 21, 2002, 07:29:00 PM »
Well,

all is warming up now. This weekend was very busy in the neighbourhood as many went to the stores to get their garden tools and supplies. Many are planting seeds to be ready for May 24th weekend when suddenly every garden gets a new crop in the soil. The joys of digging up fresh dirt, seeing the earth worms, hearing the birds in the trees and being so relaxed in the fresh crisp air.

On Friday we were pleasantly surprised to see a Ground Hog in our back yard chewing on the greens. They are very nervous and any little noise will chase them away. As we called out to each other to look out in the back, he (she) heard us and was off in a second. I have not seen him (her) for a while.

This is my Father's world, and the best place to view it is in the presence of nature.

FAITH - As God's blessed sons & daughters we are to attempt the impossible to the extent that we will fail unless God steps in.   Keep the faith

Joan

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« Reply #33 on: May 04, 2002, 01:07:00 PM »

Hi there to you Curt  :)

I just love singing that song "This is my Father's World", do you know it ? It's a lovely praise song. Of course what with all the damaged done by the Evil One it is a shadow of what it should be, and could be and will be... when it gets all remade.

I live in a forest area with very sandy soil in our 600 square meters land where our cottage is on. The ground water is high so we can put in srubs and trees that grow well but little of nutrients are in the soil. Because of the wild animals that roam around loving anything of veggies planted I haven't started a food garden here.I have had 18 years of cultivating our veggie garden in the other place we lived in. But here is different. We have such tall trees that the east and south sunrays in the sommer wouldn't hit the gardenpatch rightly for giving the needed synthesis for growth. West sunrays is ok for late developing veggies like pumpkins, squash, cucumbers perhaps.

I will do my cocktail tomatoes in the decorative flower buckets vats outside again this year and will try out those hanging strawberry from pots. There is a very good place where the sunrays are hitting the side of the house. I thought to do a hanging garden in that area. It's big trend here for many who don't need much produce for the family. Just a hobby sort of thing. We have a bio-organic farmer supplying us with our vegetables.

What I am into is high-bed shrubs/bushes/small japanese trees. Up front of the house I have such a fine bed going strong there with wonderful greenery between the big beech trees. It separates my house front from the main road and the greenery is making us almost non-seeable. We have lots of health joggers and walkers go past our place to the paths into the woods for their exercise hours. I was able to gather lots of farn from the woods for free and they are giant farn. They are coming up now just wonderfully but aren't finished uncurling to start spreading out and growing those broard fans. I have already talked to a gardner who will help me for the planning of a high-bed greenery in the backyard coming soon.

We have routed our house's rainwater drains into big barrels. Each barrel a height above the other with a spigot spyphoning water-overflow into the next one. When all 7 are filled up (plus the three others elsewheres) we can rightly water our high-bed plants and all the fir trees around the grounds.  We have this hand-waterpump which we attach to the garden hose and throw into the barrel. It has a long wire and we plug it in for the needed e-power. It is real quiet, but powerful enough to pump the water out through the hose and through the sprinkler in a weak way but effective enough.I just have to keep checking it to see if it hasn't turned off. When the buoy float doesn't have a certain level it shuts off the power.

The black birds are digging like mad in the moss to get at the worms. Not bad because it loosens up the soil. I like moss but many think it is awful in the lawn. My bird feeding is still going on. I leave a bit of catfood out at nights for the igel that has been seen wandering around. The wild pheasants are beautiful. I just love how they strut in rythmic slow elegance over our lawn to the birdfeed area and peck up what they need. I need to look up the picture of grouse to see what it looks like and if that may be also what has visited. The forest doves fly in to my place as well. But the antics of the red squirells show me that they get excited about good food nuts when I lay out some for them. The root of their tail goes all wiggley and it looks so wild when they then toss that fluffly tail back and forth for joy. And often they have finished all the nuts, one comes over to the window and looks in by standing up on back legs and leaning front paws on pane of glass, while seeming to say with body language " Hey, gal...get up and come give us more!"  :)

Joan


Richard Myers

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Re: The Blessing of Country Living !!
« Reply #34 on: August 29, 2023, 08:51:45 AM »
Has anyone noticed that in America it is getting very expensive to buy property in the country?  Many of my friends have moved to Idaho. The price of country property in Idaho is as expensive as country property in California.  :(   Another indication that Jesus is even at the doors!!
Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

rahab

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Re: The Blessing of Country Living !!
« Reply #35 on: August 29, 2023, 02:44:42 PM »
Thank you for sharing this.

Curt

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Re: The Blessing of Country Living !!
« Reply #36 on: August 29, 2023, 06:17:42 PM »
Sister Rahab. This particular piece of sharing was truely a lot of fun, a lot of exchanging of information and ideas and experiences from some beautiful saints of the forum. Each time I come into this post I re-read and wish others would also read and share it. I long to have a bit of that experience again.

Thank you for encouraging me to read it again.
FAITH - As God's blessed sons & daughters we are to attempt the impossible to the extent that we will fail unless God steps in.   Keep the faith