Author: Anya Rushworth

Duckling

We, like last year, hatched some ducks this year. Also like last year, all but one died. Also like last year (This time I just copy-pasted it so I did not have to type it again, then felt obligated to tell you that, then felt obligated to tell you that I felt obligated to tell you that… well, yeah, um, I am good at getting stuck in loops like that, and now I have typed an entire line or two so just to say that, and by now it would have been less effort to have just typed it…), The duckling follows me around like a shadow. NOT like last year though, I did not name the duckling Shadow. Anyway, two days ago, the duckling went for its first swim! Also, it LOVES a weed called plantain. But only if I pick it first, and if I don’t, it will just nibble at me until I do.

Farm stuff Food Maple Random

Maple syrup

Do you know how people make the sweet, thick maple syrup that you put on your pancakes? They tap maple trees in late winter and gather sap from them! It does not stop there, they gather the sap and boil it down so that the water evaporates and eventualy, it becomes maple syrup. It does not hurt the tree, don’t worry, and the tree still has plenty of sap to make buds. You may be wondering: why in the winter? Well, I will explain it as simply as I can. it is because the trees, in the summer- fall store sugar and water that they gather and put it into the roots. Then they go into dormancy in the winter. When it starts to warm up, the tree starts coming out of dormancy and getting the sap up into the branches to make buds. Also, you cannot go too long because once the tree starts to bud, the sap get a floral flavor. It sounds like you would want it, but it puts a bad tast into the syrup.

Farm stuff Food Maple Random

Black walnut syrup

You know that on our farm we make maple syrup (I think, and if you don’t, I will post about maple syrup in a bit!). But last year-ish, we bought a property next to ours with a river on it. It also had a lot of woods, with quite a few black walnut trees (And a lot of other types of trees, we even think possibly some chestnut trees) in it. Well, we have known for a bit that you can make syrup out of black walnut sap, but we have never had enough trees to do it ( The sap is very low concentrated in sugar). But this year, we decide that we should try it with the black walnut trees down at the farm ( This is what we call the new property. Also, yes, we do get a lot of black walnuts, even though personaly I do not like them that much.). Well, we got about two pints, and it is delicious! Also, we found somone buying it for, like, 320 dolars a gallon!