steelnut

Had great eggplants and peppers this year but we grew them under black ground cover on ground that has been fallow for a number of years. Lots of summer squash, kale and cabbage. What green beans that germinated were fine but many didn't germinate. Tomatoes were awful. Everything else was mediocre. The entire yard is in the process of being ditched for drainage. Looks as though a demented gopher has been at work. Oh, and I have some great broom corn if anyone wants to make brooms. 

I don't have drip pans but Bar Keepers Friend is one of my favorite 'degunkers'. I keep both the powder and liquid stocked.
You can use Dawn with either white vinegar or hydrogen peroxide and combine with baking soda or Bar Keepers Friend. That makes a good paste for cleaning and shining. 
ETA: Whatever you use, let it soak or sit (when using a paste) for awhile. 

PA Agriculture Department Continues Battle Against Spotted Lanternfly
July 17, 2019 12:21 am· Author: Joanne Bauer   HARRISBURG, Pa. – Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding and representatives from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) and others on Tuesday visited a Harrisburg site populated with Spotted Lanternflies to view the treatment being conducted across the Commonwealth.
“Although Pennsylvania had the unlucky fate of being the first state in the nation to be visited by the Spotted Lanternfly, we faced that challenge head-on and have made incredible strides in containment and control,” said Gov. Wolf. “This is a team effort and all hands are on deck, committed to protecting Pennsylvania’s agricultural products, preserving our quality of life, and keeping commerce flowing here in the commonwealth.”
Under the governor’s PA Farm Bill – a package of legislation designed to expand and protect agriculture infrastructure – the Pennsylvania Rapid Response Disaster Readiness Account will provide $3 million toward the containment of the Spotted Lanternfly. This is the second year in a row the governor has allocated funding in the state budget to increase spotted lanternfly detection, control, and eradication efforts. Over the past few years, the administration has allocated more than $10 million to protect Pennsylvania business and agriculture. Additionally, USDA recently dedicated more than $6.2 million in new funding to Pennsylvania’s efforts.
This May, PDA introduced the Spotted Lanternfly permit system to train businesses and employees on recognizing the life stages of the Spotted Lanternfly. Since then, the department has issued more than 900,000 permits to businesses that travel in and out of the quarantine area. Additionally, PDA and USDA teams continue to assess and treat high-risk properties, with survey teams scouting for insects across the state after receiving reports of sightings outside of the quarantine area. Penn State has taken the lead on conducting outreach and research.
“Pennsylvania’s progress in controlling the Spotted Lanternfly is due in part to the historic partnership we’ve made with USDA and Penn State and the critical funding we received through the state and federal budgets,” said Sec. Redding. “However, it’s important that Pennsylvanians remember that they play a significant role in this fight. They can treat their property with approved sprays, band their trees, or even use something as simple as a fly swatter to help control populations right in their own backyard.”
Businesses can obtain a Spotted Lanternfly permit at https://extension.psu.edu/spotted-lanternfly-permit-training. Homeowners with questions about treatment, including approved sprays, can learn more through Penn State Extension at http://extension.psu.edu/spotted-lanternfly.
For more information on the Spotted Lanternfly, visit https://www.agriculture.pa.gov/spottedlanternfly.                                                                                                                                                                                https://www.explorejeffersonpa.com/pa-agriculture-department-continues-battle-against-spotted-lanternfly/#more-235993

Sweet little baby girl!

They do some type of exercise with her eyes to strengthen the muscles. Tracking maybe? She was maybe 4 or 5 months old when we noticed she was starting to go cross eyed in that one eye. She went to the eye dr, she passed her vision test. She does have a light sensitivity when outside, I have that & wear shades on my glasses. Brandi found a pair of shades for her on Amazon, they have a strap that goes around her head. 😎
We just go day by day!!

I guarantee that if everyone on this site prays for her that last hole in her heart will close. She is a happy well loved girl.

I was playing with Faith while her mommy did an errand. We were playing with a wiener dog, they go “bark bark”, because that’s what real wiener dogs sound like. The dog would bark, then kiss her cheek, this is the reaction I got, 😂 😍

Had Faith entered in the Most Beautiful Baby in Elk Co at the fair last week. Brandi & I took Faith to her first Fair, plus you had to be there when they announced the winners. The pic with the wings is the one that was on her can you put money in it to cast your vote. ❤️

Sending prayers for baby Faith that it closed and she doesn't need surgery. 🙏 😇 

Yes she has, isn’t it wonderful!! She is starting to eat baby food now, she loves applesauce!! The rice flakes helped put weight on her also.
Brandi said every time a hole closed in her heart, she would go through a growth spurt. The last time it happened was when she grew 2” in 1 month, but they didn’t know the hole closed!!
Faith Marie has one more hole, it usually requires surgery to close it. She is hungry a lot, wants held more, sleepy, etc. These are all the same things she did a couple months back when she had that big growth spurt. We are all praying that the last hole closed up!! We won’t know till the end of this month. 🙏🏻❤️🙏🏻

Faith is 11 1/2 # as of last Saturday night. I got a phone call an hour ago asking if I could watch her till 4. 😍 ❤️
Here are a few pics I just took.

Lol, we just had them today with home made pesto, we absolutely love them!
Back to the garden, everything but the peppers look great and are doing well. I'm just so puzzled about the peppers because for over 30 years, not one problem except before the electric fence, the deer loved to munch them. We used to give away 4 - 5 bushels every year after I made spaghetti sauce, pickled peppers, peppers in sauce, pepper relish, sub peppers, stuffed hot sausage peppers that we froze for the winter and I know I'm forgetting some things.... Now two years in a row they're terrible, frustrating!!!

I'm assuming that you are rotating your crops annually so the crop before can help feed the crop after, and not leave behind a soil deficiency.
How does crop rotation affect the soil? 
Each crop has different fertilizer requirements. By changing the location of your crops you can avoid the risk of depleting the soil of specific nutrients. Some crops will actually add essential elements to the soil.  By using crop rotation, you can actually build up the soil over the years.
 
How do I do this?  
It’s easy!  Plants are often grouped by families that share similar growth habits and cultural requirements. By knowing your plant families (and their garden companions) you can create a plan for your own garden rotation. The following example divides the garden into four sections.  As you can see, each year, the vegetable groups are planted in a different section of the garden.
 
There are a few simple rules for crop rotation:
•      Don’t follow tomato, peppers or eggplant with potatoes, or each other.
•      Allow 3 years before replanting the same group in any given bed.
•      Onions may be planted throughout all groups.
•      Beets, carrots and radishes may be planted among any group, and replanted as early crops are removed.
•      Don’t forget to interplant with companion plants to minimize pesticide use.  See the Companion Plants handout for some ideas on this practice.
•      Keep good notes so you can duplicate successes.
 
Another interesting idea-“Green Manure” 
To help build organic matter, you might also consider using a “green manure” sometimes called a cover crop.  There are both summer and winter cover crops.  Buckwheat makes a great summer cover, and would be used in conjunction with your garden rotation plan.  Cereal rye is a good choice for fall planting.  Sow it after your fall garden cleanup and then till it under in the spring.  By adding organic matter in this way, you will increase aeration and water holding capacity of your soil, prevent weed growth and soil erosion, and support the beneficial organisms necessary for a healthy, living soil.
  
 
 
 
 
 
Year 1
Nightshades
Peppers,
Tomato
Eggplant
Potato
 
Greens
Cauliflower
Cabbage,
Broccoli
Lettuces
 
Legumes
Peas
Beans
Pole beans
 
 
Squash /Corn
Cucumbers
Squash
Corn
Pumpkins
 
    
 
 
 
Year 2
Squash /Corn
Cucumbers
Squash,
Corn
Pumpkins
 
Nightshades
Peppers,
Tomato
Eggplant, Potato
 
Greens
Cauliflower
Cabbage,
Broccoli
Lettuces
 
Legumes
Peas
Beans
Pole beans
 
 
 
 
Year 3
 Legumes
Peas
Beans
Pole beans
 
Squash /Corn
Cucumbers
Squash
Corn
Pumpkins
 
 
Nightshades
Peppers
Tomato
Eggplant
Potato
 
Greens
Cauliflower
Cabbage,
Broccoli
Lettuces
 
 
     
 
Year 4
Greens
Cauliflower
Cabbage,
Broccoli
Lettuces
 
Legumes
Peas
Beans
Pole beans
 
Squash /Corn
Cucumbers
Squash
Corn
Pumpkins
 
Nightshades
Peppers
Tomato
Eggplant
Potato
 
Also, was the soil ball root bound, did you mix the proper fertilizer into the soil before you planted (1-1-1) and follow it up every two weeks with another top feeding.  Did you prune out the central leader to make the plant bush out?
 

Zoodles! Steelnut introduced me to them. They are very good....with everything. 😊

We have a new rule here. Zucchini at every meal. Try this one. Slice zucchini very thin like with a mandoline or a food processor. Marinate on the counter with lemon juice. When it softens layer it on toasted crusty bread. Sprinkle with olive oil and parmesan cheese. I'm going to try it as a salad here shortly. I think it would be just as good on lettuce. 

It's called microclimates. There was a time that I couldn't grow peppers while a relative a half a mile closer to town got beautiful peppers. We had cooler nights due to our location. That seems to have changed. Now we get pepplers and hot weather crops to fruit and the cooler weather crops are not doing so well. Last year onions were great. This year they are not doing well. Broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage did nothing last year. This year they are ok but not as vigorous as they were 5 years ago. Fairly sure it is the weather. With all the rain I had a farmer tell me that he has some of the best corn and some of the worst corn he has ever had depending on when he planted and where. Climate has a great deal to do with how well crops grow. Ask a farmer. 

Our Pastor read this in church 2 weeks ago. He said it was perfect for Brandi, Deryk, & Peanut. He is right......

What a little beauty!

love that smile...God bless ya 

Faith was 6 mos on July 15th, that’s a 9-18% survival rate for trisomy 18 babies. Faith will defy the odds and keep proving that there is power in prayer!

I fell in love with the sweet potato vines too, I make a hanging basket of them every year for the middle of our gazebo. I just freaking so love spring time and planting and watching everything grow! And I wanted to say a big thank you to you for all of the help you've given me over the years, so very much appreciated!

Thank you so much Lavender. I'll go out tomorrow. And I will threaten hubby dire straits if he dares to get rid of them again without saving the seeds.
Edited: I forgot, I've had all colors in the past including white. I've been told that you don't know what color you'll get, I love them all!

Here is the article that was about Faith and the Daisy Award winner Nikole Kessler. This was when Faith Marie was 3 months old. Yes, I’m late with it.
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We are truly privileged to congratulate our most recent DAISY Foundation winner: Nikole Kessler, RN, of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at PH DuBois. Nikole helped to care for infant Faith Marie Spicher, who was born with Trisomy 18. Many babies born with this chromosomal condition do not live beyond their first few days or weeks of life. Faith, however, grew strong enough in the NICU that she was able to be discharged and go home with her parents. This week, Faith turned 3 months old. We are honored to share the beautiful words of Faith’s mother, Brandi, who describes the experience and how Nikole went above and beyond in caring for Faith during her time in the NICU: 
“Faith Marie Spicher was born on Jan. 15, 2019. She was diagnosed with Trisomy 18, incompatible with life. We knew that Faith would be cared for at the NICU after she was born due to her diagnosis. What we didn’t know was how much she would be loved and cared for by the staff.
Faith was placed on a ventilator by Jan. 17, 2019, due to episodes of apnea, and had more wires, tubes and monitors than could be imagined. It was hard to deal with; it was difficult to see our baby going through so much. But what wasn’t difficult to see was the compassion and love she received from the nurses and also the huge impact that this small life had on them as well as us. We will never forget the NICU nurses and all the memories we had with them. They will always be a part of our family and we are forever grateful for them. 
Nikole Kessler cared for Faith through the best times and hardest times. She laughed with us, celebrated with us and even cried with us. She was able to look past all the wires and tubes and only saw Faith. You could see a connection growing between the two. She not only took care of Faith as a nurse, she cared for Faith as if she were her own. She wasn’t afraid of Faith’s condition, as a matter of fact she took it on as a challenge; Faith would beat the odds and be her “feisty spice.” She made sure that Faith received the best care and all the snuggles she could give. 
Nikole walked with us hand in hand through Faith’s entire journey in the NICU. On Jan. 19, 2019, Deryk and I had to make a heartbreaking decision to discontinue the ventilator. We couldn’t have our baby live on a vent for the rest of her days. Nikole stayed with us, even off duty, through that difficult time. She took a turn holding her and cried right with us as we thought Faith’s time here on Earth was over. Nikole even handmade a wooden plaque for this day, “Too Beautiful for Earth, Faith.” As the minutes turned to hours and Faith amazed us all with desire to live, breathing on her own, Nikole shared in our tears as they turned from heartache to tears of joy and hope. 
The following day, Nikole checked on Faith as soon as she came into the NICU to make sure she made it through the night. She kept us updated through her entire shift and shared in our joy and relief as she continued to report that Faith’s vitals were stable and she was not having any episodes of apnea. 
Nikole made sure we didn’t miss any special moments. She carried the camera in her pocket and was quick to capture every significant second – the first time we fed our baby through her og tube, her first outfit, first bath. She filled two photo books and ran the printer out of paper just so we had every memory of the beginning and, what we thought, would be the end of Faith’s life. 
Nikole continued to be there for Faith even on her days off of work. She made the trip into the hospital and spent hours with Faith just to hold her.
Finally, the day came when Deryk and I were able to take Faith home and Nikole was there to do her discharge. There wasn’t a dry eye in the NICU, especially Nikole’s. She even escorted Faith out of the hospital just so she could soak up every last moment with her. 
To this day, Nikole continues to be a part of Faith’s life, keeping up with her and all of her firsts and celebrating with us every time Faith defies the odds. Nikole is more than the NICU nurse that cared for our baby, she is part of our family and we know Nikole will forever be a part of her life as long as Faith is with us on this earth.”
Please join us in thanking Nikole. We are so proud of her heartfelt dedication to caring for our littlest patients! Follow the link to read the very touching words Brandi wrote about the other members of Faith’s NICU nursing team as she said she wanted to recognize each person that was there fighting for Faith, caring for her and, most of all, loving her! http://bit.ly/Baby-Faiths-Story
 

I still miss Winky's.