Making a list and checking it twice... a day.

No, I am not playing Santa Clause. I am ... a homesteader. This time of the year we start to feel the crunch time. Fall is right around the corner and winter will soon follow. Most days I feel like I am running in circles. So, to help me get to the tasks I need finished before the snow flies.... I make a list. Yesterday I was able to mark off a BIG task... building a grow out pen for the pig's and get the babies in there. Today...we moved strawberry plants. LOTS and LOTS of strawberry plants. The first strawberry bed we had is about 4 foot by 5 foot. This last spring and early summer we picked so many strawberries. Between 2 and 4 quarts a day! Great big strawberries too!

I had planted them in the summer of 2013. These are I believe "June bearing" They were a gift from a friend. Over this summer they sent out runners. A LOT of runners.... everywhere! So we decided to make a "real" strawberry patch and transplant them over. The new patch is about 30 foot by 40 ft. We planted 5 rows that are 4o feet long with just the runners! I didn't disturb any of the original crowns.... and there are still somewhere around 50 or so left. Oh boy, strawberry heaven. I don't think these new rows will be productive next year, most likely 2016. My plan is to pick them and take the surplus into town and sell at the farmers market. So, this morning I got out there right after morning chores and built up the rows.

After these were finished... it was time to transplant and water.

The temps decided to climb a bit today so we gave them a good long drink. Then it was time to put the bedding from the barn around them. This will keep the moisture in and insulate for winter.

So this is a big task I can now mark off of the list. My plans are that if they do well we will have enough to start selling at the farmers market. I have a feeling they should do well. Next year we are planning to focus on the thorn less blackberries. We need to move them over near the new strawberry patch and build an area for them similar to the strawberry patch. So, I have been able to knock out 2 big tasks this week. I don't even want to count how many are left on that list. I just know, there are enough to keep me busy until the snow flies.