Heading into Harvest Time

It's that time of year again.  With temperatures in the high 90s and 100s, everything is looking a little crispy.  We haven't had significant rain in a couple of months, and we are at the point of needing rain now, or purchasing hay for the animals.

We have lost three goats recently.  One got his horn hung and we didn't find him in time, the other had liver flukes and the other I feel was due to the heat.  Not sure.  We are thinking of downgrading our goat herd.  I want to keep a small herd on hand for ag exemption purposes.  Here is my break down:  I need 10 acres covered in "something":

2 cows = covers 2 acres
10 goats = 5 acres
4 beehives = 3 acres
2 pigs = extra 

So we are good to go..The guidelines are 1 cow per 1 acre, 2 goats for 1 acre, and 6 hives for 5 acres (we will work on 4 hives for the Spring).  I think cutting our goat herd in half with help with the wear and tear on the land, and cut down on the hay bill. 

We will be butchering at the first cold spell two pigs and 20 chickens.  It would be nice to do a couple of goats as well, but we will see what PH thinks.

The 2nd floor bedrooms and loft have been insulated, and it is greatly helping with the heat.  It should also help with the heat in the Winter too.  Cannot wait for a little cooler temps.  Not freezing ones, just a tad more bearable.  We need to get outside and get the land cleaned up, and get our wood stacked.  It has been too hot lately to work outside.

Here are a couple pictures of our butchering this past Spring.

We were fortunate to be blessed with 4 large bags of jalapenos, serranos and banana peppers.  I made salsa and then pickled the rest.  The salsa came out EXCELLENT and the best I have ever made. Unfortunately, I did not use a recipe this year (I couldn't find my canning book) so I just winged it.  I cannot now replicate this masterpiece called Salsa.  It is sad day in South TEXAS.  I also made 14 quarts of Kosher Dill Spears.  We bought a large crate of cucumbers from a local farmer.