Corn On The Cob

Fresh Picked Peaches and Cream Corn

There is nothing like the taste of those sweet kernels of fresh picked corn. Come to think of it the whole preparation, the dreaming, the plotting, the plowing, making the rows, planting the seeds, and caring for the young sprouts is a beautiful full circle experience. . Watering, feeding and watching them grow and blossom into a remarkable likeness of the picutre on the front of the seed package or catalogue is very satisfying indeed.

Windy harvest and a big load of corn !!!

It was time to pick the corn. I stepped outdoors and the stalks were bending north from the oncoming storm winds. I rolled in the wheelbarrel, gathered up the clippers, the camera and my gloves and made my way to the corn field of rattling stalks, and the flashy colors greens and golds. There was a promise of an adventurous harvest. I had to look twice at my yeild. The whole wheel barrel was full above the brim with corn.

I husked the corn outdoors that night.

We got word of a cold snap coming any day so I went outside my kitchen door that night and began shucking the corn. Some of them well, most of them had a worm at the top near the silks. They didn't eat much and I cut off the eaten part at the very top. I would knock the worms into a mason jar to serve to my hens. They love them!  I had a feelin' I would never get all these done but with each one I got faster and better. I wondered how we were going to eat all this corn?

I got the water to boil on the stove. Parboiled for 9 minutes

Then I plunged them into cold water to cool.

I laid them out on a towel to dry.

Then I put them in feezer bags and slipped in a straw and sucked out the air.

The next day, I delivered 2 dozen to my neighbor behind us and 6 to our neighbors next door. My husband took some with him to a co-worker and the father of my grandson's friend took 2 dozen home to his family! We all had delicious corn to enjoy ! Seems like everything just works out.

How was your harvest this year?

St. George Wagon Co. 1861-2011

St. George Wagon Co. Sign at Old Iron Springs Road.

On the way home from cutting wood out near Lund Rd, I began gazing out of the truck window at the roads we had traveled in the past 3 years. They wound through canyons, old mines, railroads and  lot's of big sage brush and juniper trees. It was Paul's Birthday and I was getting ready to ask Paul if he would like to have a picnic out there along one of those scenic roadside stops.  Paul opted to go to Chile's for dinner. We had a wonderful dinner and even shared a brownie with fudge and whipped cream! Yum!


The next day we went for a walk at The Three Peaks where we discovered narrow gullies and washes that wound their way through towering boulders of granite. Black iron streaked filings in the watermarked sand shone like large diamonds in the sun. The sky was blue.

That afternoon I got a call from Paul. he told me to get ready for a drive. He doesn't tell me where and I know it is a surprise of some kind from the sound of his voice. I had my camera and the dogs ready to go. He pulled his truck into the driveway and we loaded up. While on the road to, I do not know where, he hands me a paper called The Independent which is folded to an article that has pioneers on it. He asks me to read it while we are driving. I read the history of the Dixie Cotton Mission in 1861 and an adjoining article on the Sesquicentennial (150 year) Celebration of St. George, Utah. A reenactment of that period was going on right where we were headed!!! I could feel my emotions rising in my throat with such excitement. I had always dreamed of seeing the wagon trains crossing out on the land and hear the horses snort and the chains rattle and the groaning of the wheels and wood.

The Wagon Co. arrives as far as we could see.

He drove way out in the distance and we spotted signs on Old Iron Springs Road. They said St. George Wagon Co. in thick red paint with an arrow leading up a road to the west. I felt myself unable to sit still. Paul just then spotted the white cloth of the wagons making their way through the brush out of The Three Peaks. We parked and I got out with my camera. My heart was beating so fast I could barely get my footing on the ground. One deep breath and I gathered myself and began snapping pictures and video.

 

The costumes and the wagons and hand carts were beautiful and I felt like I was a pioneer myself standing out on the range back in the 1800's. The contrast of telephone poles and microwave stations made the whole experience timeless. Have you ever had a time when your dreams or imaginative thoughts were materializing right before your eyes? Another deep breath and I was sure footed and able to smile and wave and say hello as they passed.

They had traveled from the City of Parowan and were traveling to St. George on an eight day journey 100 miles away. Here they are on their way to Desert Mound.  We have seen their support vehicles, water, fire, toilets and equipment and supples. They even wrote a daily journal posted on http://www.sgcity.org/wagontrain/journal11.php  here is one of their entries in their journal.

St. George Wagon Co. Dixie Cotton Mission Tues Oct 11th

Tuesday Journal Entry
For some reason I thought our colder days were behind us but this morning proved me wrong. A crisp morning with hot cakes and eggs set the stage for the push toward Page Ranch today. I think they named the area Desert Mound due to the fact that you can't take more than five steps without walking through an ant mound. Anyway, we hitched up and left camp on time around 9:30 this morning.

We traveled 14 miles today, mostly uphill. The handcarts started out ahead but the wagon teams and riders caught up quickly. The temperature quickly warmed up as we marched our way out of the Iron Springs Valley. We must have had a faster team leading today because the pace seemed to be much improved from yesterday.

"While at lunch one of the teams took off unattended. In no time the wagon tipped on it's side and the tongue broke-off leaving it inoperable. The driver stayed behind and waited for parts to arrive before fixing the wagon and resuming the journey. Neither man nor beast was injured. On Pinto Road freshly graded dirt and gravel made it easier on the teams but tougher on the handcarts. It was almost as if we were pulling the carts through sand."

Lunch time for all. St. George Wagon Company

That night we felt the cold and thought of the Wagon Company out there on Desert Mound. The next day we decided to see them again on their way to Page Ranch. We arrived again to see them traveling down the road. Again we greeted them as they went by and they stopped a short distance down the road for lunch. They commented on our dogs, how pretty they were, and two young boys from the wagon train came to greet them. Their mother came with a Ziploc bag of dried apples and offered us some. They were delicious! 

Windy get some lovin'

I created a short documentary film about this experience and posted it on You Tube.com as
  St. George Wagon Co. 1861-2011

or you may watch the video below. 

Are you a pioneer? You do not need to ride in a wagon across miles of wind blown trails to be a pioneer.

I really feel we are modern pioneers and visionaries who have the qualities of commitment, courage and creativity. We venture into unknown lands with faith, hope and charity to make a better world for ourselves and others.

Delicious Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Homemade sun dried tomatoes on the dehydrator tray.

Originally published October 1, 2011.

Reposted September 16, 2023

I had a big red mixing bowl full of ripe heirloom cherry tomatoes fresh out of my garden. They had been sitting on the kitchen table and I was wondering what do do with them all. I used  them in salads,  tacos, and made a bit of salsa but there was still more left and more to come off the vines. 

I saw a great recipe for stuffed cherry tomatoes. The flesh and pulp were scooped out and filled with feta cheese and herbs. But I did not have any feta cheese on hand. Hey ! What about sun-dried tomatoes?  I looked up my favorite site, Pick Your Own and found it was very easy to make my own. I went out into my shed and found the Excaliber dehydrator. I have had it since I moved to Utah 14 years ago. It has an ample 4 shelves and temps up to 145 degrees. I set the dial for 140 degrees. And began to wash and slice each tomato in half.  I chose to leave my skins on as these were small . I gently removed the seeds by pushing them out with my thumb.

My dehydrator is wonderful. It is an Excalibur. 

I was happy to have enough to fill the 4 trays. They looked so pretty. I pushed in the racks and plugged her in. Soon the house smelled of tomatoes baking in the sun.

Homemade sun-dried tomatoes are delicious!

About 8 hours and they were done. I tasted one and then another and then another. To me they tasted like candy.

Home Made Sun-Dried Tomatoes

The big bowl of tomatoes made two portions. The tomatoes shrink to 1/4 their original size. I sealed them in a Ziploc and placed them in the refrigerator where they will keep for 18 months. I use them for pasta and snacking. These will be gone soon. I am looking forward to making more. 

There is nothing better than tomatoes right out of your garden but if you do not have a garden you can buy tomatoes at the market. Roma tomatoes are best because they have more flesh and less seeds and water content.  I would like to grow some of those next year.

Deborah Moon Moen
Little Utah Farm

Thank you for visiting Little Utah Farm !

Farming is Fun

Our new windmill needs to be fastened
down in the howling winds.

Our parents grew up on a farm. Mine in Indiana and Paul's in South Dakota. They chose the city to raise their families. Paul and I dreamed of farming. Sometimes you just got to pinch yourself when your Dream is realized. Everyday we appreciate and LOVE our Farm.

The rising summer sun makes a bright golden haze on the fields.

We just harvested hay. Arapaho, our llama,
 thinks it's good and ready

Our little alfalfa field is very beautiful and yields about 1/2 week to 2 weeks worth of hay. It is just big enough to give us a farming experience. We cut it with a special blade that fits in the weed whacker. Then we rake it by hand and stack it in the sun. When it is cured about, 3 days, we put it in the wagon. We just picked up 5 bales of a blend of 60%Timothy grass and 40% 'alfalfa. First cut may contain fox tails so we check it before we buy it.

We love our tractor

This me on the tractor.  Paul taught me how to run it and use it. I like looking back at the earth as it undulates under the sharp blades and the smell of earth and the promise of crops to come.

The Wild Jungle of Love

The Jungle of LOVE is Paul's creation. It is the lushest place in Cedar City Clay. A magical place with ground cover that protects the wildflowers. Next year I will plant one in my cornfield for protection from harsh winds and hard clay.

Ok now you gotto realize that 2 years ago these were 1 1/2 ' sticks with a few roots. I ordered 64 willows and trees and the post woman drove up with one whimpy green plastic bag. Pretty disappointing after wanting for those lovely trees and flowers in the catalogue. I commenced to digging forever holes and planting forever trees and willows. Today they are growing so nicely. See? Taller than an elephants eye and great wall for wind and snow for the llamas. The man in this picture I LOVE. He is so handsome and willing, don't you think ? ♥ PAUL ♥ Is my LOVE Husband ♥

Bizzy Beeezzz in The Jungle of Love

There are plenty of happy bees on our organic farm. They are so buzzie and bizzy, and gather so much yellow pollen their little legs are full of it. I love this wildflower garden and so do they.

This spinach is divine. I snip off the leaves as
 I use them and pinch the flowers off

My first cabbage ever. Ain't she pretty?
We have beets, Italian parsley and
chamomile too.

Rainbow eggs everyday

My girls are so sweet. Henny Penny, Betsy
Callie and Peck. I have 6 more.

Sunsets are absolutely scrumptious
with drama, color and variations.

Each day here is weaves a story of precious memories of textures, color, sound, and temperatures are a  reflection of our life long dream of living in the country in a rural setting. Farming is fun.

Animal Reiki : Peace In The Coop

Reiki is a Japanese spiritual practice that brings balance. Reiki is being used in hospitals and medical centers as well as animal shelters and rescue facilities to help people and animals cope with the stresses of life or their treatments. Stress is the main cause of dis-ease whether it be human, animal, or plant. The relaxation response is key in bringing us back into balance. I have more information on Reiki on my  site Deborah's Little Gems. You may click on this link if you would like to learn about Reiki. http://deborahslittlegems.blogspot.com/p/introduction-to-reiki.html

Animal Reiki:Now there is peace and co-operation in the coop

I had noticed some of my young hens losing feathers to the point of exposing the skin and even some redness and bleeding. Aside from the conventional remedies and adjustments in their freedom from boredom, I made time to assist the peaceful co-existence within the coop with the practice of Reiki . Reiki is an applied meditation and usually done with light touch or touch hovering over the personal or animal. Reiki can also be done remotely. I brought my green chair inside the coop and sat in in a place where I could see all the hens. I began my practice of calming myself by noticing my breathing. I begin to relax completely and ceremoniously offer Reiki to the hens by simply allowing my calmness to extend outward. Those who practice Reiki may feel warmth or sensations in the hands. there is no need to touch them. I sat with my hands in my lap. It was early evening and the sunset signaled the hens to roost. One by one they entered their sleeping quarters and jumped to the roosting bars. As the   time went on I noticed the aggressive hens falling asleep or closing their eyelids and bowing their heads while the younger hens took their place on the roosting bar  below. We had suspected the attacks happened during this time as there is usually a great fuss and squawks as the girls got their appointed places. Tonight it was different. There was peace.

This morning as I was was feeding the hens, I noticed a significant change in the atmosphere within the coop. There was co-operation even some politeness occurring while the hens wandered around the "scratch and mash market' shopping for food. they pecked and scratched their food, not each other, taking in their nourishment. Instead of the worry and wonder of the well-being of my hens, there was ease and calm.

We have many ways to help our fur and feather family through vet care, medicines and supplies. Reiki can be very a useful and effective practice for ourselves, our family and our animals. To Learn More about Reiki please go to my site Deborah's Little Gems and enjoy the pages and posts on Reiki.

http://deborahslittlegems.blogspot.com/p/introduction-to-reiki/.html

Weddings and Dreams of a Garden







Our lovely apple blossoms


My new garden beds are awaiting the seeds of beets, lettuce, carrots and parsley. Oh I must not forget the heirloom tomato seedlings and buttercup squash and cucumber seedlings. I am amazed at this weather. Last week the wind, the hail, the snow and rain still visited all in one day. I watch the weather reports and the temperatures are up in the 60's and the night temperatures are in the 30's still. We will have good rain next week so I am going to bury some seeds on this full moon of ours.

I have a summer job mowing the neighbors lawns and pasture along with watering. It is a beautiful acre like ours. Here is the windbreak of Russian Elm they planted by hand 8 years ago. I love how the lawn tractor makes fresh green rows between the long blades of grass.



Russian Elm Windbreak



I have purchased a Knock Out Rose plant and some burgundy columbine. The hot pink roses are hardy here and I have always loved the columbine flowers along the high country trails while hiking. The sweet peas, snap peas and spinach have sprouted. It will not be long before they climb up the trellises. I am excited for it all.




Knock Out Roses



I met a very nice new friend this weekend at a wedding down the road at the Willow Glenn Inn. It is always a treat to find someone who talks the same language and has similar ideas. She was also from California. Willow Glenn Inn is lovely bed and breakfast.




Willow Glenn Inn Bed and Breakfast and Weddings


The wedding grounds this time of year are filled with the fragrance of jasmine and honeysuckle.




Pink Jasmine




Fragrant Blooms



Willows sway in the breezes



The willow branches sway gracefully in the light breezes and the spring birds fly and perch on the dogwood and vines.







Woodland Paths



I love all the well established trees, the woodland paths and



the sounds of water trickling from the fountains nestled in the gardens.

 Now I will go plant my seeds before the rain. The full moon and the rain will help everything grow. What is the weather like where you are ? What did you plant this year ?



Spring Lambs, Rainbows and Purple Fields



Spring lambs



"The Lambing" in spring, is one of my favorite occasions. The ewes give birth here in the frosty cold winds of early spring. The precious human like cries of mother and baby, fill the air day and night. Look at how cute they are ! Such a precious sight for us to see.

This little guy was white and buff. Such a peaceful spirit. This darling little face  staring up into mine just made my day. I keep the lambs and ewes in my kindest thoughts and prayers that they have a safe birth and life. I do not know much about sheep ranching but I would like to learn. I love the cyclical nature of sheep ranching, the tradition, the herding and the lambing. I would love to interview a sheep rancher and find out what their life is like, why and how they got into the sheep ranching business.



An afternoon rainbow for Easter Sunday.



 The delicious smells of Easter dinner was emerging from the oven. I wondered how my garden was doing in the wind and rain. I left the warm kitchen and wondered out to view my garden. There, just outside my kitchen door I see a brilliant rainbow bursting forth in front of dark blue clouds.  Each color was beautiful displayed, purple, blue, green, yellow, orange and red. Rainbows are such an inspiration. Rainbows are a symbol of hope and unity. They bring a sense of joy and peace. I just love this big bright rainbow. It arched clear over into the next county. Near the end of the colorful display, a double rainbow finale appeared. It faded as the afternoon sun came shining through the clouds. Rainbows are such a happy uplifting event.



Oceans of purple flowers.



Oceans of purple flowers spread over the fields and lawns here in the spring. They are not anything you would want to have in your yard come summer. But the fresh green grass and lovely young weeds put on quite a show here. The silver, sun blanched finish of the old Mormon barns set the stage don't they?



The water is flowing into the farm fields.



Melted winter snows flow from the mountains and channel into canals for irrigation. Everywhere water flows and sheets out over the fertile alfalfa fields. We wonder how the water is allotted and what a water share is. In the meantime I love to watch it flow and gurgle through the land.

Spring is a great time of year. In the city I remember the sweet scent of roses mingling with the smell of wet pavement, the blue skies and white puffy clouds. Here in the country, the leaves are just now unfolding from their sleepy buds and the bright spots of  dandelions are popping up in the garden and along the roads.  It is wonderful to see the fresh live green things growing up from the brown winter grasses and hear the sweet sounds of meadow larks, nesting robins and lambs.

Bind Weed, Red Clay & New Garden Boxes

Last year we we couldn't keep up with the persistence of bind weed in the garden. It is by far the most vigorous plant I have ever come in contact with. Bind weed pushes through the ground on great white spaghetti like roots that grow 20 feet into the soil. Bind weed twirls gracefully up the fences, forks out over the lawn with perfect balance and come up to grab the delicate stems of your fresh produce. You can hoe it and put the remains in your bucket and next day it will be back.





Bind Weed August 1, 2010

 

 Bind weed is so beautiful in late July and August. Her deep green leaves and burgundy blush on the cream tipped buds mesmerizes me. The bud opens to the sun as white as a wedding gown. When we moved in, the lawn was blanketed with the white flowers of bind weed and I was taken by it's beauty. It wasn't until it took over my garden that I began looking for solutions. Garden boxes is one of them. Garden boxes with a heavy duty layer of weed cloth on the bottom on top of the lawn. Paul had mentioned building wooden garden boxes for the spring growing season but I had no idea they would be so spacious and beautiful. I am a lucky wife to have such a talented and willing husband. Here is how he made 3 - 3'x7'x24" high garden boxes. Cost was $200.



Shopping list

200 coated outdoor screws 31/2" long
water based waterproof cedar stain
12 - 2"x12"x10'long lumber
3 - 2'x4"x8' cut into 22" pieces for inside corners
36 ' of weed cloth we used a natural cloth made out of corn.

Tools Needed:

skill saw
screw driver gun
staple gun
carpenter's pencil
tape measure
framing square
paint brush
2 saw horses
and 2 extra boards for a work surface.







  Line up the boards onto a few extra pieces of lumber to keep the boxes off the ground and level.

It was snowing outside and we did all of this under the carport. We listened to country music and the work went really fast.  Below Paul is putting in the screws to hold the box together.

 
 

The garden box is 24" high so we make 6 - 12" layers then paint on the stain.

 

 

These 2 saw horses came in handy. Notice the 2x4's lying under the saw horse. The next day the sun was out and the stain had dried. We carried the separate layers out to the garden and decided where to put them. Once we figured out where they would go, we attached the 2 layers together with 2x4's by screwing the 2x4's on the inside corners. We turned the boxes over and attached the weed cloth to the bottoms with the staple gun.

Next the trailer got hitched to the white Ford truck and Paul went off to town to buy some clean dirt. The boxes were filled one by one, load after load with the finest richest dirt I had seen since moving from Southern California. The red clay here in Utah is beautiful to look at but the hard pan is difficult to sink a shovel into. When it is dry it is hard as a rock and when it is wet you can sink to your ankles in the orange red mud. Growing delicate vegetables and flowers is difficult in the heavy red clods of plowed up earth. Big Sage, Rabbit Bush, Juniper and oh yes, Bind Weed do well. This black gold promised success with this year's vegetable and flower crop. We of course put in a bottom layer of llama manure then filled it with the new soil.

Below are my beautiful garden boxes filled to the brim with lovely rich soil. Paul is already plowing the cow manure into the cornfield. But that is another story.

Time For Dog Obedience School



This is Kollie now 6 months old.



Kollie is a teenage bombshell, full of independence, lot's of bursting energy and smart too! I was crushed one day when my obedient little puppy refused to come to me. "Kollie?" I repeated. No response except for a little come hither look in her eye and off she went in the other direction. All those hours of training and treats have gone to the wayside. She and I are at a crossroads and I am the one who needs training! Walker our 2 year old Australian Shepherd needs experience socializing with other dogs and training so we signed him up first.  Our human family members and Walker signed  up for obedience classes at the Hitchin Post in Enoch,  just up the road from us.

 We were to leave our dogs at home for the first class. It is basically the humans that need training in communicating with their dogs. We were greeted at the door by a very large German Shepherd named Gunner. He was so gentle and well behaved. A beautiful and calm Siamese cat followed behind him and brushed past my pant leg. The wood floor was clear and open. The atmosphere was friendly and inviting. I could hear Ceasar Milan and my eyes caught his video playing on the monitor screen in a corner of the room. There where a few chairs lined up against the walls for us humans to sit while Pam gave her educational presentation on dog training.  My grandson and I sat down on the folding green chairs, while Paul went up and signed in for the course. Ceasar's heart warming and encouraging miracles gave me a spark of hope.  I was thinking of my little Kollie and our 2 other dogs and each family member and how we could achieve a harmonious way of life together. There were quite a few people there with various challenges and questions. Pam Williams, our trainer, explained to us that dogs are programmed just like wolves and our pets were not furry little humans. I felt my head sink as my visions of Kollie as my little baby dissolved. Though I could still love her as my companion and play with her it was also my responsibility to learn how to communicate in a way she could understand and educate her on the house rules. As Pam spoke and demonstrated with her own dogs, I was beginning to understand my dogs behavior better, I was beginning to see a miracle forming for our whole human and fur family!

 Our homework was to spend at least 15 minutes with our dogs heeling on a leash then having them sit down by our left side. Pam says we give verbal commands because we are human and need it but dogs can sense how you feel, what you want them to do and when to do it just by looking at you. Your expressions, your movements your posture all tell the story of who you are and what you can accomplish.We were also to grade the food we feed them also. This was a shocker. She told us to check the ingredients and change their diets. There is information on the internet about this grading system. I would check it out because in the 60 years dog food has been in business dogs are getting more diseases and ailments than they did before. If your dog is losing hair, scratching, has skin irritations, hip dyplasia or tumors, the diet is a good thing to check into.  Most vetenarians do not study nutrition. We love them and what they do for our pets but do your own research. It will save your dogs life and save on vet bills.

Here is the link for Grading Your Dog Food   .http://www.elkcountryanimalshelter.org/GradeDOG%20FOOD.html      Changing our dog food  has increased the shine on our dog's coats and their bowels are now firm. We also removed the ritual of dog bones after they ate because we found wheat made their bowels loose. Because the food is so satisfying they do not even look for their treat. Pam says we can give them a small slice of meat for training or treats. We also give a chunk of Taste of the Wild dry dog food. They love it and it is very good for them.



On the way home from our first dog obedience class, we formed our own alliance and agreed per Pam's instructions, to balance and center ourselves  before we walked into the house. This is one of the most important practices we can do as human beings for ourselves and for our pets. It felt good to be on the same page! Paul told us he was reminded of the training he did with his ultra cool dog Blizzard, a Great Pyrenees. He admitted he had forgotten many of the things he had learned when Blizzard walked the earth. This class was opening our eyes and our hearts. It is a lifelong process of practice and repetition

The truck pulled in the gravel driveway and we all exchanged confident smiles. We were ready and armed with knowledge. The door opened and our "energy" met with their "energy". Three sets of eyes looked up in awe at our balance and confidence. Little Miss Kollie hopped up to greet me and I told her firmly "Off".  It took only seconds for her to know that hopping up on my leg was not acceptable. We all made our way through the kitchen. It was quiet and still. They were reading us. I felt this thrill of accomplishment beam through my chest and I quickly took a deep breath to balance myself. Bedtime was equally as calm and quiet. We had become Leaders of the Pack and I felt respected and accomplished.

Read about when Kollie was a puppy just click on this link:
http://littleutahfarm.blogspot.com/2011/01/little-kollie-moen-border-collie.html


We will be taking Wind Walker to the first session and then we will take Kollie to the next session. We will use what we learn with all our dogs. But it is important to have Kollie and Walker each take a class for socialization and obedience training. The exposure and practice for our family is also valuable.


Contact information for Dog Obedience Training The Hitch'n Post Dog Training Center
 Pam Williams Trainer
The Hitch'n Post also carries some Pet supplies,and does Pet Grooming and Boarding

4200 N Wagon Wheel Dr

Cedar City, UT 84720
(435) 586-7530
Enoch, UT