Murphysranch - Bank blues and garage sale thoughts

[big brown horse]

Also post that banana orange coconut jam recipe!



Xpc, you can get an 8 hour charge? This laptop holds only a 2 hour charge. :/ Then I have to get out of bed and "work" from my desk.

 

[murphysranch]

well, the CSA has decided to open a storefront on Thursdays and Saturdays. They do sell at the local Farmers Market, but up here, they are not fancy like in the Bay Area. By opening their storefront, it broadens their appeal to those who can't be bothered to go to the Fri nite market and/or compete with the junky craft tables also found there. I helped them get email addresses for their monthly newsletter and to get ppl aware of a non profit they started called FoCuS - Foothill Collaborative for Sustainability. I'm on the education committee now.

Island Banana Jam

3 cups ripe bananas, mashed (about 6 medium)
1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
cup diced orange pulp
1/2 cup dried coconut
1 T lemon juice (or half lemon, half lime juice)
1 box powdered pectin
1 tsp. EVER-FRESH or Fruit Fresh Fruit Protector (optional) (didn't use...)
6 cups sugar
2 T dark or light rum (dang it - forgot about this....)

Mix bananas, pineapple, orange, coconut, lemon juice, Ever-Fresh, and pectin in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add sugar and bring back to rolling boil, boil hard 1 minute. Remove from heat, add rum, and skim off foam.
Ladle into prepared half-pint jars, and process in a BWB for 10 minutes.

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

wow thats great - nice set up. did they build their boxes/display??

are the bags of stuff on the right of this pix bulk food?

thanks for sharing

 

[murphysranch]

this couple is all about local. So the pine trees were grown here, they were milled at a home mill, then the cabinet maker is local.

Yes, they evidently buy bulk organic, and then weigh it out and ziploc for small sales. They also go to Peaceful Valley Supply once a month, and we can order anything and save ourselves shipping, or they carry it for resale. This couple have about 15 acres in various spots (rented land) where they grow everything. Whatever they don't grow, they contract with Valley organic vendor to buy wholesale and then resell it. She's British, small and red haired, and he's a tall nordic looking blond, both about 40'ish. Very hard working couple. He was born and raised in this county.

 

[murphysranch]

 

[big brown horse]

Wow, that bin does look nice!

Thanks for the jam recipe, I like it even better now that you say it has rum in it!

 

[murphysranch]

I'm bummed today, but what else is new? This heat has gotten to my psyche. I hide out in the house after about 11 a.m. Even with a wet towel draped around my neck, I sweat like a faucet, and my head is booming. Then I hang on this dang computer too much....I hate the heat!!!!!!!!!!!!

The heat killed my bunny yesterday. I've been putting frozen liters of water in his fully shaded hutch, yet he still expired. So we buried him next to my puppy and my 3 yr old orange cat that we had to put down last week due to heartworm. Well, something dug the bunny up last nite. I didn't have the energy to search the 7 acres of dry weeds to find out if his body was still here. Guess if it was, the dogs would have brought him back to the house. I'm glad that Driver my pup and Speedy the cat were undisturbed.

One of my new chicks, the White Rocks, has been in my bathtub for 2 days. She had two owies on her leg just past where the feathers stop, and that hock (elbow? knee?) is swollen. By the time I figured out why she wasn't using that leg, the two spots had scabbed over. She's on a towel, with ACV water, some kefir liquid, scratch and some cooked rice. Very tame bird. Lets me pet her. Eating and pooping just fine. I brought her in cus she would just lay in the dirt in the run, with her beak open, while the others were in and out and foraging around.

Off tomorrow to take care of my mother in the Bay Area for a few days.

 

[Farmfresh]

I'm bummed today, but what else is new? This heat has gotten to my psyche. I hide out in the house after about 11 a.m. Even with a wet towel draped around my neck, I sweat like a faucet, and my head is booming.

Sorry to hear about your bunny.

When you are sweating this much you are losing electrolytes! You need to replace them with some Gatorade or other electrolyte solution.

When I sweat a lot my sodium levels get whacky and I will have migraines. I bet this is what is happening to you. Stay hydrated and check those electrolytes!

 

[TanksHill]

Sorry to hear about your bunny. I was freezing water for ours as well last week. It sounds like your chick is on the mend. I hope she feels better.

A couple days away may be just what you need. Enjoy your visit. It should be cooler there as well.

gina

 

[murphysranch]

I've been selling my homemade laundry soap at a tiny, new Wednesday farmers market. Yesterday was the second time there, but because of an Alaska cold front, it was 55F and drizzly up there (20 min and 2500 ft up in elevation from where I live). No veggie vendors showed up. I sold $1.50 worth of soap. The previous week, I sold $35 worth. See pics below.

http://thepinetree.net/photos/main.php?g2_view=slideshow.Slideshow&g2_itemId=58899

Yesterday, someone came up to my table and asked if I made goats milk soap. ummmm....no, but I could. I don't even know anyone who owns goats, but a member on here said to use canned condensed goats milk. Maybe I'll try it. I've only made bar soap once, and that was at a cooking class early summer.

Today, the local organic veggie store pictured in earlier threads, asked me if I'd like to sell my homemade laundry soap in their store. !!!!

As you might be able to see on the slideshow link above, I am recycling/repurposing any kind of liguid container I can get my hands on. But will I do a better job selling in consistent looking containers, hoping that volume will take care of the increased cost of the inventory? Currently I'm selling the liquid detergent at a net of $4.00 per gallon, doing the math when the containers are of varying oz sizes.

Advice and encouragement on either of the two subjects?