Planting, Growing and Harvesting Sweet Corn

Sweet corn is an annual with yellow, white, and bi-colored ears. A long, frost-free growing season is necessary after planting. Sweet corn is wind-pollinated, so it should be planted in blocks, rather than in single rows. Early, mid, and late-season varieties extend the harvest. If you miss the optimal harvest time, corn will go downhill fast as sugars convert to starch.

Planting
Corn is picky about its soil. Work in aged manure or compost the fall before planting and let over winter in the soil.
Starting seeds indoors is not recommended.
Plant seeds outdoors two weeks after the last spring frost date.
Make sure soil temperature is above 60 degrees for successful germination. (Up to 65 for super sweet varieties.) In colder zones, the ground can be warmed by a black plastic cover if necessary. Plant seeds through holes.
Plant seeds 1 inch deep, 4 to 6 inches apart. Space rows 30 to 36 inches apart.
Thin new plants to 8 to 12 inches apart when they grow to 4 inches tall.
For sufficient pollination, plan your plot right. Don’t plant two long rows, rather, plant corn blocks of at least four rows.
You may choose to fertilize at planting time, corn is meant to grow rapidly. If you are confident that the soil is adequate, this can be skipped.
Water well at planting time.

Care
Be careful not to damage the roots when weeding.
Soil must be well drained and able to keep consistent moisture.
In dry conditions, be sure to keep corn well watered due to its shallow roots. Water at a rate of 5 gallons per sq yard. Mulch helps reduce evaporation.
When the plants are 4 to 5 inches tall, thin them to stand 16 to 23 inches apart.

Harvest/Storage
Harvest when tassels begin to turn brown and cobs start to swell. Kernels should be full and milky.
Pull ears downward and twist to take off stalk.
Sweet corn varieties lose their sweetness soon after harvesting.
Prepare for eating or preserving immediately after picking.
Sweet corn freezes well, especially if removed from ears before freezing.

Recommended Varieties
There are three types of sweet corn: Normal, sugar enhanced and super sweet. Each one contains a different level of sucrose, changing the flavor and texture of the corn. Sweeter varieties will stay sweeter for longer after harvest.

‘Iochief’ Midseason normal-sugar variety. Yellow.
‘Silver Queen’ normal sugar-variety. Resistant to some bacterial diseases. White.
‘Challenger Crisp n Sweet’ supersweet variety, resistant to some diseases, high yield. Yellow.
‘Pristine’ sugar enhanced variety, good taste. White.

Oat and Oatmeal Types

Oats are a major cereal grain that provides sustenance for people across the globe. Oats can be purchased in a number of different forms, the most common of which are described below.

Oat Groats
This is the whole wheat berry that has had the inedible outer chaff removed. Although the chaff has been removed, the oat bran remains intact. These whole grains are quite hard and must be soaked or cooked prior to eating.Most groats are further milled or processed to make them easier to cook and digest.

Steel Cut Oats
Steel cut oats are oat groats that have been cut into large pieces. These pieces are chewy, but flavorful and offer a variety of nutrients. Steel cut oats are popular in Ireland and are therefore also known as Irish Oats. Steel cut oats may also be referred to as "pin head" oats, referring to their milling size. Steel cut oats require approximately 30 minutes of simmering to become tender.

Rolled Oats
Rolled oats are whole oat groats that have been been rolled flat, steam treated, and then toasted. Steam treating the oats makes them more shelf stable and faster cooking, while toasting adds to flavor. Some rolled oats keep the bran intact, while others have it removed.Old Fashioned Rolled Oats - Old-fashioned rolled oats are larger, thicker pieces and require one to three minutes cooking time.

Quick Cooking Rolled Oats - Quick cooking rolled oates are smaller, thinner pieces that rehydrate quickly and only require about 60 seconds of cooking time.

Oat Bran
Oat bran is the outer coating of the grain (not to be confused with the inedible chaff) that contains high amounts of fiber and essential fatty acids. Because fatty acids can go rancid, the bran is often removed to make oats more shelf stable. Bran can also be purchased separately from the grain and used as a food additive to increase nutritional content and texture appeal to food.

Oat Flour
When whole oat groats are ground into a powder, they become oat flour. Oat flour can be used similarly to other grain flours, including wheat, to make bread and other products. The bran may be left intact prior to turning the grain into flour or it may be removed.

How To Grow Potatoes

Growing potatoes in your garden can be lots of fun. With the variety of types and colors available, planting potatoes can add interest to your garden. Learn how to grow potatoes and when to plant potatoes in your yard with these simple steps.

When to Plant Potatoes

When growing potato plants (Solanum tuberosum), it is important to keep in mind that potatoes are cool weather vegetables. The best time when to plant potatoes is in early spring. Planting potatoes 2 – 3 weeks before your last frost date will produce the most satisfactory results.

How to Grow Potatoes

A growing potato is an undemanding plant. They need very little other than mild temperatures and soil, which is why they have been a historic food staple.

Planting potatoes normally starts with a seed potato. Seed potatoes can be prepared for planting by either planting whole or cutting up the seed so that there are 1 – 2 buds or “eyes” on each piece.

There are many ways used for planting potatoes:

Straight in the ground – Farming operations and large plantings of potatoes are normally planted this way. This method for growing potatoes means that seed potatoes are planted 1″ under the soil. As the growing potato plants get larger, the soil is mounded up around the plants.

Tires – Many gardeners have been growing potatoes in tires for years. Fill a tire with soil and plant your seed potatoes. As the growing potato plants get larger, stack additional tires on top of the original and fill those with soil.

Straw- Growing potatoes in straw may seem unusual but it is very effective. Lay out a loose layer of straw and put the seed potatoes in the straw. When you see the growing potato plants, cover them with additional straw.

Harvesting Potatoes

Much like when to plant potatoes, the best time to harvest potatoes is when the weather is cool. Wait until the foliage on the plants has died back completely in the fall. Once the foliage is dead, dig the roots up. Your growing potatoes should be full sized and scattered through the soil.

Once the potatoes have been dug up from the soil, allow them to air dry in a cool, dry place before storing them.

Does a Hen Need a Rooster to Lay Eggs?

This is the most-asked question by people curious about chickens. Most people are quite relieved to learn that the answer is "no"-- the hen (female) lays eggs with or without a rooster (male) present.

What Happens When a Rooster is Present?

Hens lay eggs on the same schedule as without a rooster present.

If the rooster is allowed to mingle with the hens, there is a high likelihood that the eggs will be fertilized. This could result in chicks if the eggs are allowed to incubate (either in the nest under the hen or in an egg incubator).

Collecting the Eggs

Eggs should be picked up daily and refrigerated immediately for proper food handling. Additional safe egg handling resources below.

At What Age Does A Hen Start to Lay Eggs?

The age at when they start laying varies somewhat with the individual bird, the breed of chicken, and the time of year (sooner for spring chicks, later for winter chicks), but most start to lay eggs around 6 months of age.

The first eggs may be misshapen or soft or even have a small amount of blood on the outside shell.

When a hen starts laying eggs, the diet should be switched to "layer feed" to ensure proper nutrients. I also offer crushed oyster shells for calcium.

How Often do Hens Lay Eggs?

This is another "varies with the individual bird and the breed" answer. Some chickens lay an egg almost every day, others every 1.5 to 2 days. Younger hens (called pullets if less than one year old) will lay smaller eggs at larger intervals until they reach maturity.

How Long do Hens Lay Eggs For?

For backyard/pet chickens, the peak laying time is the first 3 to 4 years of age. Again, this can vary greatly between individual birds and breeds. Hens don't have a definite end to egg-laying, but eggs become fewer and at greater intervals as they age.

When Does a Hen Sit on the Nest?

Typically the hen waits until a clutch of eggs is laid, then begins sitting to incubate the eggs and ensure that they all hatch around the same time.

How Long Until the Eggs Hatch?

Fertilized eggs will hatch 21 days after the hen begins incubating (sitting on) the nest.

Caution is advised with some broody hens; they may keep laying or "collect" eggs into a giant nest that they are unable to properly incubate. Some hens will sit for periods much longer than 21 days.

This is not ideal for a couple reasons:

The eggs will rot (smelly!)
The hen may neglect her own health - forgoing food and water and at risk for collecting parasites (mites) from inactivity.

Tips for Housing and Fencing Goats on a Farm

Goats, whether raised for meat or milk, need basic protection from the elements: snow, wind, rain, heat. They also are notorious for getting out of enclosures, so you'll need some seriously tight fencing for them.

Goat Shelter

That said, goat shelter doesn't need to be elaborate. A hoop house can provide enough shelter for goats. And during the grazing season, trees or windbreaks, a three-sided shed, or a pole barn with just a roof may be enough for your goats. Just keeping them out of drafts is enough.

If you are kidding in the winter, you will typically need a solid building for your pregnant and/or lactating does and the kids. Inside the building, you can use livestock panels to divide the space into separate pens for each group of does and kids.

If you're creating goat housing, consider where you will store feed, straw or other bedding, and other goat-related equipment.

Also leave space for feeders and waterers, which will keep things cleaner and prevent wasting of feed. All animals should be able to eat or drink at one time.

If your goats will have access to a lot of woods, pasture, and other range area, you will need 10 to 15 square feet per goat indoors for sleeping space. If not, you'll need about 20 square feet per goat for sleeping space and 30 square feet for exercise (ideally, this would be outdoors).

Each adult goat needs at least a 4-foot by 5-foot kidding pen, so consider this space in your goat shelter depending on how many does you will breed at one time. You can have different does kid at different times in the same pen if you clean and sanitize the pen between kiddings.

Goat Fencing

Fencing is key to the safety and health of your goats, your other animals, and the integrity of your possessions! Fencing for goats needs to be secure, not just to keep them in, but to keep predators - foxes, bears, dogs, coyotes, and more - out. You will need perimeter fencing around the entire goat area or your property boundary, and then cross fencing within the goat area to keep goats separated from each other (this can be temporary or permanent).

Temporary fencing. Temporary fencing is meant to keep bucks away from does, and weaned kids from does. This can be poly tape or wire, electric netting, or high-tensile electric wire. If using high-tensile wire, you'll need five to seven strands of wire spaced about 6 inches apart on the bottom and a bit more for the top wires (8 to 10 inches).

Permanent fencing. Permanent fencing can also be constructed of high-tensile wire, but if your goal is to keep out smaller predators like foxes, they can easily crawl under a six-inch-high wire. Woven wire fencing is a better bet for perimeter fencing. A strand of electric or barbed wire at the top will help keep goats in and more predators out.

What to Do if Chicken Eggs Freeze in the Coop

Some winter days, the temps are so cold that eggs might freeze in the shell before you collect them. You might be wondering if you can still use them to cook with. The answer is yes, although their use may be limited. And the US FDA says you should not, although they are talking about storebought eggs. They say:
Shell eggs should not be frozen. If an egg accidentally freezes and the shell cracked during freezing, discard the egg. Keep any uncracked eggs frozen until needed; then thaw in the refrigerator. These can be hard cooked successfully but other uses may be limited. That's because freezing causes the yolk to become thick and syrupy so it will not flow like an unfrozen yolk or blend very well with the egg white or other ingredients.

But if you'd like to live on the edge a little, follow my advice:

First make sure they are clean. Because of the possibility of contamination through a crack in the shell, toss any eggs that are dirty.

Wash them really well, peel off the shell, and put the frozen eggs in a zip bag. Place the bag in a container of hot (not boiling, just hot tap) water, and let them sit for about five minutes. If you have time or are really impatient, you can keep changing the water or just let hot tap water run over the bag for a bit. I also like to smush the yolks through the bag with my fingers because they take longer to defrost than the whites, and this way I can help things along a bit.

Do frozen eggs work as well as fresh? Well, almost. I don't know if I'd bake a souffle with them, nor have I tried, but they certainly work fine as scrambled eggs or in baked goods.

UnFarms wishes you a Happy New Year