Homesteading 101: God's Country
The warm(ish) weather has finally arrived
It has turned into a rather busy spring here on the farm. So much to do!
Today, I have to head off to DC to speak with some very important people, whom I can’t name. But basically, no time for an extended essay. Instead, we are sharing the photos we have collected over the past week and the stories behind them.
Most of the fruit trees have lost their bloom, and now starting to leaf out.
My big early success is the wheat crop! We planted about a quarter acre of hard red spring wheat a couple of weeks ago, and so far, so good! Germination has occurred.
For those of you who watched the video of the planting, it is now up and looking pretty much like any other grass. But wheat it is!
I am seeing fungus on the cedar trees - never a good sign for the apples. This nasty fungus, which is soft and jelly-like now (it turns hard later in the season) is truly a menace.
This fungal pathogen causes apple rust. It primarily affects members of the Rosaceae and Cupressaceae families, including apple, crabapple, eastern red cedar, and other juniper species. This disease is widespread across the United States.
Our red cedar are wonderful trees- which are huge. They provide shade and shelter for so many birds.
But if one doesn’t use chemicals, these fungi are a real problem.
We pick those orange gelatinous globs off our cedar trees, which are magnificent and not coming down by our hand. Then, we prune out any affected growth on the apple trees.
Copper spray is often recommended as an organic alternative - but it is said to be somewhat toxic to birds and aquatic life, so we don’t use it anymore.
We have lots of native spring plants that we love and enjoy around the farm.
The purple dead nettle is everywhere right now. It is edible and can be added to salads, soups, and stir-fries and used as a garnish. It is also known for its medicinal benefits and can be utilized in herbal remedies. However, it is advised not to consume it in large quantities, as it does have a laxative effect if too much is eaten.
Medicinal Uses of Dead Nettle (from ChatGPT)
Dead nettle (primarily Lamium purpureum, purple dead nettle, and Lamium album, white dead nettle) has a long history in traditional herbal medicine. While scientific research is limited, the plant is valued for its medicinal properties and applications.
Key Medicinal Properties
Astringent: Helps to contract tissues and reduce bleeding, making it useful for minor wounds and cuts.
Anti-inflammatory: Reduces inflammation, which can be beneficial for skin irritations, joint pain, and other inflammatory conditions.
Antibacterial and Antifungal: Contains compounds that may help prevent infection in wounds and support overall immune health.
Diuretic: Promotes urine production, which can support kidney function and help with fluid retention.
Diaphoretic: Induces sweating, which can help manage fevers and support detoxification.
Purgative/Laxative: In larger quantities, it may have a mild laxative effect.
Antioxidant: Contains polyphenols and flavonoids, such as quercetin, which have antioxidant and immunostimulating effects.
Traditional and Folk Uses
Wound Care: Fresh leaves are often applied as a poultice to minor wounds, cuts, and abrasions to help stop bleeding and prevent infection.
Salves and Infusions: Used in homemade salves for skin conditions and as an infusion or tea for internal use.
Menstrual Support: Traditionally used to help with excessive menstrual bleeding (menorrhagia).
Respiratory and Throat Support: White dead nettle flower is used for sore throats, pharyngitis, and to reduce swelling in the airways6.
Allergy Relief: Some herbalists use purple dead nettle as a natural antihistamine to help with seasonal allergies, though clinical evidence is lacking7.
Digestive Aid: Used as a mild laxative and to support gut health due to its fiber and polyphenol content.
Preparation Methods
Poultice: Crushed fresh leaves applied directly to the skin for wounds or rashes.
Tea/Infusion: Fresh or dried leaves steeped in hot water; used for diuretic, diaphoretic, or anti-inflammatory effects.
Salve: Dried plant material infused in oil and used topically for skin conditions
Edible Uses: Young leaves and flowering tops can be eaten raw or cooked, providing nutritional as well as medicinal benefits
Safety and Considerations
Generally regarded as safe when used appropriately, but large quantities may cause a laxative effect.
Dead nettle is one of those native plants that is a joy to see and use.
Horse News
The two-year-old stallions are starting to come into puberty. As they are really rough-housing, so it is probably time to sell Ghost. As once stallions mature, the play stops being a “game.” We always knew we would keep Topaz, so we held back from selling Ghost to keep Topaz company as he matured.
This is Topazio - this is the one we are keeping.
Below are photos of Ghost - Jill will be making videos and ads for him to sell in the coming month. It is hard not to fall in love with a blue-eyed horse, that is so kind. We will miss him, as will Topaz, once he is sold.
But it is time.
Spring onions are everywhere - yes, we do use them in soups.
There are actually two types of spring onions that grow wild in Virginia.
Allium canadense (Wild Onion) is native to the eastern U.S. This species resembles cultivated spring onions but is more slender and taller, with solid, flat leaves that can be curly at the top. It tastes like onion and is great in Asian food, particularly soups.Allium vineale (Wild Garlic) is an introduced species. It is often mistaken for wild onion. It has hollow, tubular leaves (unlike the flat leaves of wild onion). It smells and tastes like a combination of onion and garlic.
The horses love them both, and often, after snacking on wild onions in the field, they will have strong garlic breath!
Old farms in the east always seem to have old farm equipment discarded long ago. This old horse-drawn piece of something has a big old cherry tree growing up through it.
We also have what appears to be a 2000+ gallon cement water tank - probably a hundred years old. It stands about twenty feet high.
There is a very heavy cement lid on the top, but we have never opened it. Some things on the farm may be better left alone.
Puddle goose is still a favorite.
About five times a week, she lays a great big egg.
Gizmo just keeps getting more interesting.
Gizmo is definitely a boy, as he makes this deep sound - that some say sounds like a grunt.
In trying to describe his vocalizations, I came across this video of the Jurassic Park Velociraptor sound design.
At the 36 second mark of this video, the “human sound” and then the “walrus” sound is probably the closest thing to Gizmo’s vocalizations.
He only makes its as a quiet greeting Frankly, it is deep, dark and a bit alarming.
Wild spring flowers are everywhere -
Wild violets
Jill’s rides on Jade through the pastures and hill country almost every day. Recently she found two huge pecan trees on some of the land we lease. Although the nuts are gone, by the size of the hull - the nuts are a good size and plentiful. So next fall, we can add gathering pecans to our foraged food!
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REFRESHMENT for our SOULS...THANK YOU BOTH!
I just love your homestead posts. Everything about them. Great photography, great descriptions. I have so many things to say, about each picture, each topic. So many things to say, but will sum it up in one sentence; what a healing, magnificent place that I would give my right arm for.