Welcome to Painted Hand Farm

Painted Hand Farm is a 20 acre Civil War era farm located in Cumberland county, Pennsylvania. We raise meat goats, veal calves, turkeys and organic vegetables using humane and sustainable agricultural practices.

Search This Blog

Friday, July 11, 2008

Look at Ralph's Elephant Garlic!

Anyone who knows Ralph, knows he doesn't screw around when it comes to growing garlic. The book said that giant elephant garlic couldn't be grown in our climate zone. Don't tell that to Ralph! This is one of the first heads he has harvested and it's a little one, weighing in at only 2.5 pounds. Neighbor Bill wants to help with the harvesting and brought his own tools. Bill's son has talked Ralph into entering the garlic in the local Shippensburg Area Fair. I'm sure he'll win a blue ribbon. This week the turkeys left the brooder in the barn and are now officially on grass. It will take a few days before they get the hang of eating greens, but then watch out! We'll have to move the tug-along coop at least twice a day once they catch on. Believe it or not, we are still at zero mortality with this batch. There's one in the group with funny, bugged out eyes and we're guessing he'll be low man on the totem pole who eventually get pecked to death by the others. There's one like that every year.
Speaking of birds, can you believe these are the baby Robbins who hatched only last week? They are feathering out and getting their distinctive orange breast feathers. We have been keeping Megs the Merciless inside otherwise they would have been on the half-shell kitty snacks by now.

2 comments:

  1. Anonymous5:24 PM

    I just loved the garlic photo and enjoy your blog - Gypsyheart Lady

    ReplyDelete
  2. So that's what those were in the other picture...garlic. I like the bird shot.

    ReplyDelete