Our friends, Mike and Dara, are coming every day they can to help out as dozens of orders for seeds are rolling in right along. (Yesterday we had 45!) We all worked hard all day, then Will and I stayed up until midnight still working on them. Then Will’s computer crashed as he was trying to access his spreadsheet to enter orders! Oh oh! That sure didn’t help any! We don’t know how the big seed companies are doing it. I guess they’re not doing better than we are as many have closed ordering sites and tons of “sold out” varieties. Heads up guys; seeds are going to be even harder to get this year. We started out with a big container full of our Bill Bean tomatoes and today I sent out the very last pack, saving just enough for us to replant. Luckily, we do have a few very good “second choices” to replace it with.

I’m still saving seeds from squash we have stored. Here are some Lakota seeds, drying.

Yesterday I got a phone call that made me do the happy dance. Our local clinic called out of the blue and said they’d received a batch of COVID vaccine and did I want to come in and get vaccinated. Of course I said a very quick yes. Then they asked if Will wanted to come in and be vaccinated too. Another quick yes! So, on Thursday morning we both will receive our first COVID vaccination and won’t have to wait in long lines. (The clinic is in the town of Cook, population, 600.) We are so happy this happened. We’re too busy to get COVID!

I just had to share this cute photo of David and Delilah!

Will and Mike went out to the storage barn and pulled out a big batch of patio door windows. Will is going to make a permanent greenhouse for our seedlings this year, right out in the house garden. And we have most of the material on hand. As I spend about three hours every day moving seedlings in and out of the house and watering them, this will significantly cut down on my work, freeing me to do something more productive. The plants will also grow stockier as they will get more direct sunlight. Will also gained a big spot in the storage building.

It won’t be long before I’m starting seeds like these tomatoes. (Well in a few weeks…)

I can’t believe how fast winter is going. It won’t be all that long before I’ll be starting the first seeds inside; onions, pansies, snapdragons, followed by peppers. I’ve got to get to sorting my seeds. Homesteading is such fun! — Jackie

26 COMMENTS

  1. What a beautiful picture of David and his daughter! I’m going to be trying to use seeds I bought in 2019 and 2020 for this years garden. I haven’t started even planting them up yet! But we were dealing with some problems, my Mom developing cancer at 78, our beloved 16 year cat that was failing and our 8 year old dog with cancer. Mom may not need surgery just treatment. We put our two furkids to sleep. but things are getting caught up. I think 2020 has been the worst year ever! Hoping 2021 is better for everyone.

    • Another version of 2021 would be 202Won, because this is going to be another awesome year Blessed by heaven, if we stop looking at the bad reports and focus on the Lord! Easy to say, harder to do, but doable!

    • I know how it feels to get slammed with everything bad at once; been there, done that! Just read Starting Over and you’ll know. It will get better. Hang in there until it does!!!

  2. So glad you can get the vaccine. I got my first one about a month ago and am getting the second one Friday. I am a health care worker and see first hand what this disease can do. Glad I sent you my seed order to you when I did. Hopefully there will be enough to fill the order. Thank you for all you do!

    • Will and I both are now vaccinated with an appointment for our second shots. What a relief!!! But we’ll still mask up & social distance. Just because. We’re hanging in there with seeds. We have run out of a couple varieties, but still have most.

  3. Congratulations on the grand daughter! Thank you so much for the cooking, gardening, and home advice. We have found our seeds, after moving to the forest. Now to get some trees down and till for a garden. We will be ordering from y’all next time.

  4. Just for information Stokes is not selling to home gardeners in the United States this year! About a third of my order from Johnny’s Select was out of stock. I’m in pretty good shape as I ordered extra last year. My order from you is in progress. For what it is worth my grand son works in the only full service grocery store within a hundred miles an he says their orders are severely shorted lately! Hopefully people will help each other on up coming times of crisis. We should all do what we can to strengthen local community in these times of national turmoil!

    • Yep, I’ve seen a lot of this; Johnny’s is not selling to home gardeners now and most are severely out of stock. Because we’re small, we still have a good supply but have seen a drastic upswing in orders as folks become more worried about their food supply.
      I’m afraid it’s going to get much worse before it gets better.

  5. If this is not the correct place to ask this, I am sorry. In my growing and canning book I did the tomato soup. It said to set aside a quart of soup and Put parsley,I think, in it. It never says what to do with it. By the way,every ones LOVES the soup!
    If this is not the place to ask this then direct me to the correct place.
    By the way, no fairs this year, so no nuts to send. Sorry.

    • That’s fine, Nancy. We surely understand! You’ve been so kind to send us your gifts in the past!! You’ll have to refresh me on what page of what book it is as I can’t find it to figure out the error. Sorry!!

      • It is on page 196. Again, we love it! Better then Campbell’s. No fairs last year so no nuts. I missed Christmas.

  6. I am so glad that you and Will are both going to be able to get the vaccine . I would so miss getting to see your posts if you were ill for any length of time .

    • Yep, we do work all the time it seems. But we do love sending out all those seeds and envisioning wonderful gardens built from them, feeding families all over the country, and Canada too! The boss is kind of tough though…… lol

      • Sounds like a ministry of helping folks to focus on good things! I’m telling as many people as I can about your seed company!

  9. Is there anyone out there willing to part with 8 Seneca Sunrise corn seeds? I waited too long to send in my order and I am so bummed? I will pay you full price for just 8.

  10. I am so glad I saved seeds the last few years. I still grow the Bill Bean, one of my favorites, also the Amish gold slicer. So glad your business is doing well and how exciting to have a green house. That will be a huge help in the spring.

  11. I moved home to Florida 2 years ago, after 30 years in Maryland. Going to be starting my container gardening with your wonderful seeds this year. Praying the plants will grow correctly in the heat. Congratulations to you, Will and the rest of your family for the marvelous way you continue with your successful homesteading. I continue to be such a fan no matter where I am living. God bless us all in this new year.

    • Wanda, I live in Florida, too. Moved here from Montana. Took me awhile to adjust to 3 different growing zones. Planting in the fall and winter just seems so wrong!. But I can get 2-3 crops in a year, so it makes up for it. One thing to keep in mind: if it’s and annual up north it’s a perennial here. If it’s a perennial up there, it’s an annual here, or it won’t grow (not enough frost hours). The best book I ever bought for gardening here is Month by Month Gardening in Florida by Tom Cubbins. The second best resource I have is the extension service. Third, is IFAS. If you google any gardening subject then add IFAS, your results will all be from the University of Florida reserarch center. I wish you success with your gardening.

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