Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Iowa State Fair Memories & The Project

Gladiolus Show
The Iowa State Fair has officially wrapped up. Even though I might be a tad bit biased, we are extremely fortunate to have such a legendary event so close. Late Friday night, Adam and I took a break from work and checked it out.

For us, it was more exciting than usual because we have a farm. We've been dreaming of some livestock- Charolais and Shorthorn cattle, maybe just a few Berkshire pigs, chickens, and horses for me.

Enjoy!

Checking out the Big Boar








There was a tad bit of drama surrounding this year's famous Butter Cow





I was a ten year 4-Her in Plymouth County and every year that I was eligible, I had projects advance to the state fair. Of what went to the state fair, I received all blue ribbons in such categories as Food and Nutrition, Clothing, Personal Development and more! It was quite a feat because our county is extremely competitive. My favorite projects include violet jam, strawberry lemonade, a strawberry jelly roll, and even hamburger buns. The last project was definitely the hardest- not because of what it really was- but the circumstances that surrounded it. My grandma Waddell helped me bake these the same night that my father passed away at our home. Heavy stuff, I know but I couldn't have been the person I am without her patience and hard work ethic.

So, the project...
As you may know, I'm passionate about gardening, cooking, and a few other projects. I love to share my experiences and last week, we had a preliminary photo shoot at our farm. More details to come, that is... when the time is right!

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Summer So Far...

It is August.

Where did the summer go?

These are some views of the farm and of our summer so far. Enjoy!

Sunsets at the Farm

Finally, we've been harvesting some great things from the gardens

Sweet Corn in Iowa is officially ready!

Blueberry Pie Filling (Canning Project)

The first wave of cucumbers


Pickle Project


Chickens, our first animal at Heritage Hill Farm.