Pirate Pastures

03/26/2026

It may not look like much, but these two little flowers bring me so much happiness. Dandelions and wild violets are two of the first flowers to make an appearance around most of West Virginia, and they make delicious jelly. I'm leaving them alone until the bees have some other food sources, but then I'll start saving them for personal use for jellies and syrups.

Sometimes food comes from unexpected places. Happiness too.

Happy spring, everyone.

03/21/2026

Just a reminder to folks who started seeds for tomatoes a week or more ago, check on your plant babies, especially if you have cling wrap over the trays/cups instead of a humidity dome. May have some leggy crooked tomatoes, but they'll still make some tasty SunGold tomatoes in a few months.

And with everything going on, I'm going to do my best to try to film any gardening type stuff I can for the simple fact that if you know how to grow food, you can save yourself some money. And I try to do things as cheaply as possible. After all, many an Appalachian grandmother, mine included, always stressed we should make do or do without.

On my corner of my family's farm, we spent as little money as possible. We purchased some lumber because we didn't have a way to process ours, a few metal raised beds, some solar lights, hardware and some fencing. Got tomato cages from a neighbor who was downsizing. We repurposed a wire shelf that didn't work as anticipated and was long past the return window into a way to trellis tomatoes. We made do, got what little we HAD to get, and otherwise we did without.

Long story short, I'm going to try to make a list of things you may want to buy, especially the things are really cheap.

Anyhow, go check your seedlings.

03/11/2026

The hardest part about moving is knowing when to start plants in a whole new zone....

Despite being a week early compared to my previous normal, I'm still a week (at least) late getting seeds started for tomatoes and peppers....

12/02/2025

I had no idea that the end product for cranberries changed the way they were harvested. Thanks, for the incredibly cool lesson!



https://www.facebook.com/share/v/19zA95jCzu/

11/11/2025

My chickens need a disco ball....

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1GL3M3WiGz/

Fun Farm Fact: When chickens are cooped up for the winter, experts say they need some type of enrichment. Enter the 🪩! Yes, some farmers say a disco ball mimics the light that comes through the forest and keeps their birds visually stimulated. So far, no disco dancing 🐔🐔🐔 have been reported!

10/10/2025

The BEST explanation I've seen of why we are so disconnectd from our food. As a lower middle class individual of the "wypipo" variety, I was fortunate enough that my family owned some land, but we grew a TON of our own food and foraged a little bit, too, just because grocery stores weren't super accessible and money was still pretty tight sometimes.

10/09/2025

I know this is a little off topic from what we usually post, but, let's face it, the world is going through some things right now, and I don't think I know a single person who's mental health is at its best right now.

I don't care who you voted for, what your education or work background looks like, where you're from, or anything else like that. We could ALL use a little extra love right now. But wouldn't it be cool if we could get a billion folks hugging who don't know each other? sounds like a pretty awesome thing. Just think, almost 1/8th of the world's population giving/receiving a hug.

I would be ever so grateful if you could help my friend Reed Byers get more shirts into the hands of folks with big hearts who just want to spread some love. I always have happily offered hugs, even to strangers, if they want one, cause you never know what someone is going through or justvhow much a hug could help them through that day.

10% of all sales are reinvested into Appalachian communities' youth programs in West Virginia and Ohio, and I can't think of anything that could use some extra funding right now more than programs that support some of the most vulnerable youth in the United States right now. I know there's a lot going on all over the States right now, but generational poverty and trauma run SO deep in these mountains, and these organizations do SO much on a budget most couldn't even fathom.

If you do purchase one, please let me know. I'd love to coordinate a "free hugs" day with friends!

The world needs your help.

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10/07/2025

I may not have ducks, but at least my chickens are in a row!

10/04/2025

I actually have frozen ground cherries this year. I have never managed to freeze any ground cherries in the five garden seasons I have had them, but this year, I somehow have about a quart frozen.

Ground cherries are great for freezing: much like blueberries, they freeze separately, so you can easily get the amount you need out of a big frozen bag. They also can substitute for frozen blueberries in most recipes. I know J keeps haranguing me to make a ground cherry pie, but I'm really looking forward to making some muffins or a cobbler out of them. C enjoys just eating them straight from the freezer.

If you've tried ground cherries, what's your favorite way to eat them?

10/02/2025

The deer have left the white zinnia from the other night alone, and I have another one blooming! I was hoping this was a Queeny or Envy or one of the other lime bi-colored zinnias, but it is still pretty. At this point, I'm just grateful to have any blooming at all!