GARLIC PLANTING: THE COMPLETE GUIDE

IT’S TIME TO PLANT YOUR GARLIC! 

It’s not too late so don’t let another year pass by - this is your year to grow your own garlic….I’m giving you the details but if nothing else just go outside & put some garlic in the ground (source seed garlic from a reliable supplier - skip to bottom of page) 

So this is my second year planting garlic (Thanks to my friend Barbara for inspiring me) and I can’t believe how easy it is. I really wish I had known this before because you’ll never buy garlic again and I’m going to show you why….

For those that want to give it a try here’s my 10 steps for planting garlic - feel free to comment or give your own experience since I’m always open to improvements. 

1. Purchase organic garlic - the first year I ordered from Johnny’s selected seeds - German extra hardy & German red (total initial cost $18); this year I planted 6 of my home grown extra large bulbs (see numbers below) & I also purchased some new exciting heirloom varieties online from a few local Michigan companies (MIgardener & Great Lakes Garlic Farm) - I love supporting local farmers (see contact info below)!!
2. Pre-planting storage: store your bulbs at 50-60 degrees with good airflow - I keep mine in their mesh bags and put them into my wine cooler (54 degrees) until I’m ready to plant. 
3. Soil prep: Garlic does best in neutral pH soil with added nitrogen. 
1. TIP: If you’re planting late fall (after the first frost) you can amend the first few inches of soil by mixing in pelletized sulfur granules which will create a more acid soil for the winter helping to prevent root rot from bacterial/fungal disease (MiGardener pro tip)
4. OCTOBER: Plant your garlic (ideally you want to plant 30 days before your first frost…some say around Halloween 🎃 while other resources say mid October for lower Michigan) - I planted mine October 20th - you basically want the roots to establish before the snow starts
1. Don’t separate the bulbs into individual cloves for planting until the day of planting
2. Plant the largest cloves free of blemishes (rule of thumb: eat the small, plant the larger)
3. Plant garlic with 3-4 inch spacing & 2 inches deep
4. Plant with the root plate oriented down and pointy side up
5. Cover with 2-3 inches of mulch
5. Then basically do nothing all year (except keep your chickens out of your garlic field) 😜
6. JUNE: Harvest garlic scapes (hard neck varieties) when it has completed a full curl and sautéed and served as a side dish or used to make pesto or diced and used fresh in eggs or cheese. The scales are picked to encourage larger bulbs (like most plants when you pick the flower (scape) you encourage more root growth (the garlic bulb) 
7. JULY: When 1/3 of the lower stem is brown you can harvest your garlic - the leaves represent the wrappers on the bulb, so watch and harvest when there are 3-5 green leaves left). Do not pull garlic out of the soil instead lift  using a spade or fork (you don’t want to damage the protective wrappers around the bulbs because this is what gives you a longer shelf life) PS - Don’t wash or disturb the bulbs at this point. It’s much easier to brush them off once they are completely dry
8. Dry/cure your garlic - let it hang to dry in bundles or lay it out on a shelf (not outside in the rain…I learned that the hard way but my garlic still did awesome) but in a shaded dry room with good ventilation & out of direct sunlight (i.e. garage, basement, barn, etc) for 3-4 weeks
9. Once cured you can trim garlic: use scissors to clip the roots to about 1/4 to 1/2 inch long, clip the neck to about 2 to 3 inches long and remove any loose and dirty wrappers. Brush off dirt from garlic and store in mesh bags or paper bags
10. Keep the best & largest looking bulbs to plant for next October; Repeat and enjoy home-grown delicious garlic nearly all year around. Storage life 6-9 months.

2019 Garlic Season - I harvested 40 garlic bulbs in July (spent $18 on seed garlic so ~ original cost is $0.45/bulb) - I would sell these but I want to plant more so I kept 6 of my largest bulbs….which turned into 65 garlic cloves from next season (you do the math…I still have 34 bulbs left for winter cooking PLUS I’ve increased my harvest for next year without spending any additional money) 

2020 Garlic Season - I have planted the following and can’t wait to see what we get…

• 43 Northern Jewel Organic Garlic (Hard neck)- Michigan Heirloom garlic (from Great Lakes Garlic Farm). Fun fact: Donna and Les Abel of Michigan Garlic Farm, in Pinckney, Michigan (45 minutes from my house) propagated a variety of garlic in the 90’s with a purple stripe they've named "Northern Jewel."  This garlic is longer storing than most hard necks. It’s hot when eaten raw but sweetens with cooking.  
• 57 Chesnok Red Organic Garlic (Hard neck) – Heirloom: Very cold hardy. Each plant produces 9-10 medium sized cloves per bulb. My favorite because of it’s purple stripe color. Great for eating raw (mild flavor with a nutty aroma) as well as for sautéing, and roasting. 
• 65 Chubb E. Acres Homegrown (mix of German Extra Hardy & German Red Organic Hard neck Garlic) - Very easy to grow, extremely cold hardy, and very consistent large size (German Extra Hardy 4-7 cloves/bulb and German Red 8-9 cloves/bulb). Flavor is rich and spicy garlic flavor, high in allison content which makes this a very popular cooking garlic.

SUPPLIES FOR GARLIC PLANTING/STORAGE:

Garden label tags that actually last the season when you write on them

Garden pruners

Garlic mesh bags

WEBSITES FOR ORDERING GARLIC:

• https://migardener.com/search/?sq=garlic
• Luke Marion, founder of MIgardener, started his journey in 2011 and joined by his wife Sindy they have grown their organic garden into a large business with a huge following (their slogan “Grow Big or Go Home”). I’ll admit I’m addicted to his YouTube channel esp. because his videos are short but very informative, seasonal and timely as they match closely to our growing conditions here in Northville, Michigan.  
• https://www.greatlakesgarlicfarm.com/collections/all
• The Gregory family started their organic garlic farm in Buckley, MI in 2016 with 3 generations of farming before them they are committed to providing sustainable goring practices, free of chemical pesticides and fertilizers 
• https://www.rareseeds.com/store/vegetables/garlic/
• Owned by Jere Gettle (and wife Emilee) and based in Missouri this company is now the largest selection of heirloom varieties in the USA. Be careful, you can get a little carried away storing seed packets in your cart…speaking from experience…but I like what Jere and Emilee are doing so I am happy to support them. They have been working extensively to supply free seeds to many of the world’s poorest countries, as well as here at home in school gardens and other educational projects. It is their goal to educate everyone about a better, safer food supply and fight gene-altered frankenfood and the companies that support it. 
• https://www.johnnyseeds.com/search/?q=garlic&lang=en_US
• Well known large organic seed/bulb distributor - large variety with great resources

Green Tomato Chutney Recipe

Green Tomato Chutney Recipe

What do you do when life gives you green tomatoes….you make green tomato chutney!

This was my first time trying this recipe and it was super easy to do…just chop, bring to a boil then let it simmer for an hour (I did this while getting other household chores done and just set a timer so I wouldn’t forget to stir occasionally). When I make this recipe again (I will since it’s delicious) I would recommend straining/squeezing excess water out of the tomatoes before adding to the pot and adding less malt vinegar to reduce the liquid. It took about 3 hours to simmer the chutney down to a jam like thickness but it was worth it - the flavor it sweet and vinegary which pairs well with goat cheese (I’ve been making cheese weekly to stock up for the winter months…since we give our resident goats (and us) a break from milking in the winter), cured meats & bread. 

Anyone have other recipes they like to use to make use of your green tomato harvest???…Fried green tomatoes, green tomato pasta sauce, or green tomato ketchup…please share if you have recipes. I’m planning on significantly increasing the number of tomato plants next spring so I’m sure I’ll have to get more creative. 

Ingredients

6 cups - Green Tomatoes (2.2lbs) **I would recommend squeezing out excess water

6 cups - Red Onions (2.2lbs)

1 cup Raisins (5.2oz)

3 Garlic cloves (yep - straight from our farm this year : ) 

1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp Black pepper

2 tsp Sea salt

1½ cups Brown sugar

4¼ cups Malt Vinegar (32fl oz) **I would recommend reducing to 3 cups

Instructions

1. Rough chop the tomatoes, onions, and raisins; mince the garlic.
2. Place all ingredients into a stainless steel pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and then simmer uncovered for an hour. Keep an eye on it and stir occasionally.
3. The chutney will turn brown and will have reduced down within that hour's cooking time. It will smell great too.
4. Spoon the chutney into warm, sterilized glass jars and seal with lids. In my research, I found that chutneys don't need to be canned for longer storage but I felt better with a 15 minute water-bath to make sure they have a good shelf life. 
5. Label the jars when cool and store in a dark cupboard and use within a year. Refrigerate the jars once opened.

This recipe was adapted from: www.lovelygreens.com/

Traveling to Mackinac Island with your Horse: Tips & Travel Advice

We just recently got back from our trip to Mackinac Island with our horses and it was an absolutely amazing experience. This trip was planned a year in advance and definitely worth it! Here's a few tips and some things to keep in mind while planning your trip. 

PLANNING AHEAD

• Plan a year in advance - they book up fast
• Horse boarding - Mackinaw Community Equestrian Center
• https://www.mackinachorses.org/boarding
• TIP - become a member and save 10%
• Everything you need to know about paperwork, vaccine requirements, etc. is included on this website so review 
• Bed & Breakfast closest to the equestrian center 
• The Inn at Stonecliffe https://www.theinnatstonecliffe.com/
• TIP - they occasional have discounts for equestrians so ask
• TIP - rent bikes at the equestrian center (it’s way cheaper this way ($25/stay and it’s about a 10 minute bike ride to get to barn so be prepared to get some additional exercise while visiting the island)

GETTING THERE

• Trailer horses to St. Ignace ferry dock (FYI this requires you to go across the bridge so plan ahead based on weather)
• TIP - don’t plan to travel on Labor Day (it’s the only day the bridge is completely closed from 6am-12noon)
• TIP - horse boarding in case of bad weather, travel plans or emergency (Hiawatha Horse Ranch 231-445-2495)

FERRY RIDE

• There are 2 ways to get there: 
• Star Line Ferry is the most common (this is the option where you park your trailer/truck, tack your horse and take everything on foot onto the ferry) Price $80/horse (round trip); don’t forget your adult passes ($25/ round trip) 
• TIP - we choose the Star Line option because it was 1/2 the cost and took our camping/hiking back packs with all of our clothes/gear; we used saddle bags to pack the horses feed
• Arnold Ferry (you can take your truck, trailer and horses all in one but you have to have someone drive your trailer back) - Price $200/horse
• Arrive about an hour before ferry time (to park trailer, tack up your horse, put all your gear on your horse or self)
• Ferry ride is about 30-45 minutes and you are allow to stand next to your horse (tied to the rail on the inside of the boat) 
• You can have a dray pick up your luggage at the dock but you need to call your hotel in advance to schedule this (we just brought our camping packs so we didn’t have to work about extra steps

ARRIVING TO THE ISLAND

• If you ever want to see if your horse is really, really desensitized to things, take them to Main Street Mackinaw Island on lunch hour (which is pretty much when all the horse ferry boats arrive (leave at 11:30 - and it’s about 30-45min ride) Bikes, people, carriages, music, food smells, sensory overload for anyone. Our horses weren't phased a bit. 
• You're not allowed to ride downtown so we had to walk up to the top of turkey hill (steep hill) It’s probably about a 1/2 mile walk. About 1 mile from the barn you can mount your horse and ride the rest of the way

HORSEBACK RIDING TRAILS TO TRY & PLACES WHILE THERE

• RULES: Horse drawn carriages have the right away, then your horses, then bikes and then people. Stay to the right and if you’re passing a carriage (on horse or bike) announce yourself and pass on the left. 
• British Landing - shore access & you can tie your horse while you eat at Cannonball Drive-Inn
• Allouez trail - nice/flat trail for gaiting
• Coffee trail
• Lousignon trail 
• Scott’s (cave) Rd and Scott’s shore Rd (shore access) 
• Manitou Trail to Robinson’s Folly - beautiful scenic outlook 
• TIP - tranquil bluff is not so tranquil once you get close to Arch Rock (lots of very steep hills)

OUR FAVORITE PLACES TO EAT/DRINK

• Mary’s Bistro Draught House - they have 50+ Michigan Beers; outdoor seating waterside
• The Pink Pony - great food and beer selection 
• The Gate House - yummy food and outdoor seating 
• Lucky Bean Coffeehouse - great coffee
• Island Slice Pizza - best bread sticks
• Seabiscuit - yummy appetizers and they have the Seabiscuit movie on continuous play :) Fun fact - this restaurant was opened by two sisters and their father’s (a veterinarian) favorite movie was Seabiscuit (hence the name) 
• Woods restaurant (a Grand Hotel Restaurant but it's right next to the Inn at Stonecliffe) - very cool history and they have America's oldest duckpin bowling alley. 
• May’s Candy Shoppe - best pricing for fudge and free samples 

OTHER FUN THINGS TO DO WHILE AT THE ISLAND

• The Original Butterfly House (behind Sainte Anne’s Church) 
• Eat Fudge….obviously 

Enjoy! If you have any questions feel free to email or message me.

Melissa

Easy Recipes so your Summer Harvest doesn't go to waste!

 EASY SUMMER RECIPES

(*no seriously….quick & easy recipes to utilize your summer veggie harvest)

Refrigerator pickles

Bring the brine solution to a boil while you are filling jars. Pour hot brine into jars over the cucumbers. Let cool and place in refrigerator. Let sit for 1 week and enjoy up to 4 weeks. 

Brine - 4 cups water, 2 cups white vinegar (you can also use apple cider vinegar) 

In each 12-16 oz jar place: 

1-2 pickling cucumbers (sliced to your liking) - not recommended whole

1 small bunch of dill (more or less if you like you really can’t mess that up)

1 clove of garlic skin removed, cloves smashed (or chopped) 

3-5 peppercorn kernels

Baked Zucchini Crispers 

1-2 med-large zucchini or yellow squash

2 farm fresh eggs (preferably from Chubb E. Acres Farm) 

1-2 cups of almond meal (I use the Trader Joe’s version) 

1 cup of parmesan flakes 

Preheat oven to 425. Slice zucchini into 1/2” rounds. Whip both eggs in a small dish (large enough for zucchini discs). Coat both sides of the zucchini well with egg then transfer to large flat pan with almond meal/parmesan and coat throughly/ Place on a baking sheet (I find that using wax paper and spraying in with oil olive helps so that they don’t stick to the tray). Cook for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and turn over zucchini then bake for another 5 minutes. 

Veggie Pizza Casserole 

1-2 zucchini 

1-2 yellow squash 

2 green/red peppers 

1 onion

1-2 cloves of garlic 

pizza quick sauce or spaghetti sauce

1 lb ground hamburger/turkey 

Pizza quick sauce 

Spices - anything you’d like (I use garlic, salt & red pepper) 

Instructions: Dice and sautéed all veggies (in butter or oil) - drain liquid. Cook and drain meat. Combine all ingredients into a 9x13 pan. Top with mozzarella (or cheese of your choice). Bake in oven for 10-15 minutes (until cheese is melted). Enjoy. 

Strawberry Rhubarb Jam 

*Makes ~ 4 cups of jam - you can make it with 5 cups of rhubarb & 2 cups strawberries) 

5 cups strawberries (halved & hulled) - approx. 2 pints)

2 cups rhubarb (about 3-4 small stalks cut into 1/2” cubes)

2 1/4 cups of sugar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (requires about 1/2 a large lemon)

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients in a medium to large saucepan over medium heat. Once mixture starts to bubble, reduce heat to low-simmer. You'll want the heat set to the point where it continues to bubble but not violently when stirred (you'll understand once you start cooking if jam bubbles start to pop out of the center of the pot). Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the jam has thickened. Approx. 1 hour and temperature of the mixture is over 205 degrees F. However since it’s on simmer you can multi-task while it cooks down. 

While the jam is cooking, sterilize four 1-cup jelly glass jars plus their rings and lids. I do this by boiling them in water for 10 minutes or I boil the lids and run the rings and glass jars through the dishwasher.

Have a very large covered pot of boiling water ready. There needs to be enough water in the pot so that when the filled jars are submerged, they're covered by at least 1" of water. Fill each jar with hot jam, leaving at least 1⁄4" of space at the top. Place lids on jars, and secure ring bands. Secure just tight enough so that they are hand tightened but you can easily unscrew.

Transfer filled jars to pot of gently boiling water and let boil for 10 minutes. Transfer jars, set at least 1" apart, to a dish towel and let cool, undisturbed, for 24 hours. You should hear the seals on the lids pop pretty soon after removing from the water. If any jar is not fully sealed, or you chose to skip the canning process, jam should be refrigerated and used within 2 weeks. Sealed jars will keep, in a cool, dark place, for up to a year.

I would love to hear what your favorite summer harvest recipes are! Particularly those that use up tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini (see previous blog for zucchini bread recipe), and/or yellow squash. 

- Enjoy - 

Melissa

My secret to a plentiful garden in Michigan....even with this year's crazy weather...

Several friends have commented that they don't have any produce from their gardens yet and no tomatoes that are ripe. They asked...what am I doing differently. So while I'm not the expert (yet :) here's a few tips I've learned from my Dad...

SECRETS to PLANTING TOMATOES: 

• I use the square foot garden guidelines for spacing and create raised beds to better control the soil. I use a 50:50 compost-topsoil mixture to start by bed. 
• Always plant Early Girl Tomatoes....well because just like the name says they ripen earliest (harvest in 50 days). **SPECIAL NOTE - now they also have Independence Day Tomatoes....yep you guessed it - it is so named because it can produce ripe fruit by July 4th (harvest in 49 days) in the typical climate. Even in regions with the shortest growing seasons, aka Michigan, the plant has been known to yield red tomatoes by early July. I think my Dad would have loved this variety. 
• Plant some pretty heirloom tomatoes as well to provide a colorful harvest. My favorites this year are: purple bumble bee tomatoes, cherokee purple and Brad's atomic grape tomatoes....are you seeing a theme here?? Can anyone guess my favorite color??
• You will get more substantial plants without sacrificing production if you "bury" your tomato bush at least halfway up the stem. The leaves underneath the soil with develop roots. This helps provide a deeper root system and healthier plant when it starts to produce fruit. 
• I crack an egg into the bottom of each hole before I place the tomato transplants into the garden. I don't waste good eggs but a few weeks before I freeze my cracked or damaged eggs for gardening. Call me crazy but there is research to support that this practice provides healthier plants and more tomatoes. Putting the egg or even just crushed egg shells at the base of the tomato plants creates big healthy plants and prevents blossom end rot. 
• Water tomato plants from the ground because watering from above can cause excess moisture on the leaves and fruit which in turn causes more diseases. Top secret - I use my cheese by-products (whey) to water my garden once every other week. Whey contains nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and other minerals that are essential to plant growth. It's important not to over do this so when watering I will dilute the whey 1:1 with water. 
• Provide lots of support. There are many ways to do this but I like to plant them against a cattle panel and then use garden ribbon to tie branches up. (see link below) 
• When harvesting use produce scissors (see link) so that you do not accidentally damage the tomato plant. 

SECRETS to PLANTING SQUASH/ZUCCHINI

• Plant 1 yellow squash plant and 1 zucchini plant (can provide enough harvest for a small family) and then baby them : ) I have learned that if you prune 30-40% of the large broad leaves so that the flowers are exposed to the sun & of course the pollinators. Extra credit: If you can provide honey bees for pollination. It might look scary after pruning but I promise you it works to provide a larger harvest. 
• Remove a few of the first flowers that develop (and sauté them with garlic and butter) - I'm not sure this does anything special but it does provide a tasty snack. 
• Remove any wilted leaves and any tiny squash or zucchini stalks that appear to be rotting - most of the time this is because they were not pollinated
• Always harvest using produce scissors so that you maintain a small portion of the plant stem (this will help with shelve life) 

The scissors I use to harvest produce: https://amzn.to/319ailf
The garden ribbon I use to attach my plants to the trellis: https://amzn.to/2SZhAVY
My new favorite gathering basket (Burpee large garden hod): https://amzn.to/2OA1lQR

Zucchini Bread Recipe: 
Now, we have TONS of zucchini to use up. I found a ZUCCHINI BREAD recipe that uses 5 CUPS of shredded zucchini! I have to admit that I learned how to make the best zucchini bread from my Mom : ) (Makes 2 loaves) 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 3 teaspoons baking powder 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg 1 teaspoon fine salt 6 large farm fresh eggs (from Chubb E Acres Farm), at room temperature 1 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar (I used 1 cup of honey molasses) 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar (I used 1 cup of honey) 1 1/2 cup vegetable oil 5 cups shredded zucchini Heat the oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Spray 2 bread pans with oil; set aside. Mix together flour, both sugars, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl and whisk together. Set aside. Mix the eggs and oil in a large bowl and whisk until the eggs are broken up and the mixture is thoroughly combined. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the flour mixture until just combined. 

Shred zucchini and after measure your 5 cups - squeeze out as much of the water as possible (I use a nut milk bag to do this but you can also use a kitchen towel). Fold the zucchini into wet ingredients until evenly mixed. Then combine with the dry ingredients. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and spread it into an even layer. Bake until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes to 1 hour. Alternatively you can use muffin tins and reduce cook time to 20-30 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool slightly, about 15 minutes. Run a knife around the perimeter of the pan and turn the bread out onto the rack to cool completely.

What tips do you have to share from your gardening experience???

Happy Gardening

-Melissa

Welcome!

This blog was created to help educate others
on the joys of living on the homestead...
enjoying organic farm fresh foods and
healthy non-toxic living.

Our small hobby farm is home to chickens, ducks, turkeys, Nigerian dwarf goats, barn
cats, emus, 1 mini horse, 2 gaited horses,
our trusty farm dogs, lots of tiny quail babies
& too numerous to count honeybees.

On our days "off" you can find us working on the farm and photographing farm life.
My dream is to retire tomorrow and work on the farm sharing yummy organic farm
to table food with others.

Hope you enjoy this group and feel free message me with any questions.