Been awhile!

What a beautiful day it is in Troy, this last week of August has been wonderful!  I have to apologize it has been awhile since we have done any posting but we have been busy, both on the homestead and in the community, plus our youngest zombie just left for college.

In the community we have been working hard on caring for fruit trees on city owned property.  An effort with Troy Urban Farming Initiative and community members to bring urban foraging to Troy. These trees are producing abundant fruit and seems the apple crop is gonna be a great one this year.  Plus we are working to help save a local farm that produces food for the people.

This Rutgers is just under 1lb.

Infected Cuke and Cantaloupe

On the homestead the growing was not so great!  Sadly we only got four habanero plants to produce and I use that term loosely.  We have only gotten four peppers.  In the list of other items we tried to do cantaloupe this year and we ended up with an infestation of stripped cucumber beetles and squash bugs.  No cantaloupes, cucumbers, butternut squash and only a few zucchini.  We did however have a crazy crop of tomatoes this year, featuring Rutgers Heirloom, Big boy bush and Roma's though blight is hitting them now.

Lettuce, celery and kale...god do we have kale!  Out shined every thing, not so much for our beets, most were no bigger than an olive.  Of course our potatoes have do outstanding, and we have already harvested about 50lbs. with more to go!

Sweet grass

We also started a bit of experimental growing outside of the cantaloupe.  We acquired some heirloom seeds, Algonquin Long Pumpkin, Uncle Leon Beans, and Vermont Red Cranberry beans.  The long pumpkin is battling squash bugs right now but we have thee pumpkins.  The beans did wonderfully and are now going into their fall growing after surviving rust and the heat.  Looking forward to some dried beans and seeds for next year.  We also got some plugs of sweet grass, for Zombie Di's basket making.  They are in cups now and almost ready to get in the ground.

As the summer wraps up we are planting fall crops now, including some hardy lettuce, more beets.  Hopefully the added compost will allow the beets to get a bit bigger.  We also need to get the peach tree in the ground as well as a Pussy Willow we started from cuttings.  That is about all for now but keep your eyes on Facebook as we work on some new recipes and share all that is growing in Troy and at the Zombie Jac homestead.