Out with 2012 - Results

Harvest season this year really took it all out of me. Between preserving the harvest, Fall high school Volleyball and Cross Country and the holiday's the time flew by, and I find myself here on New Year's Eve realizing I have not posted in three months!

Despite the flea beetle fiasco, I did manage to can 67 pounds of tomato's into Jars of Joy, plum salsa, regular salsa and ketchup. With my bumper crop of cucumbers (45 pounds) I attempted some spicy pickles and some lemon pickles, despite my dislike of anything fermented. We were lucky enough to have two large boxes of plums sent our way from a couple of local backyards; these were made into salsa and jam and the rest dried for snacking. My Aunt's friend supplied us with well over 30 pounds of fresh Dungeness crab, most of which is long gone and thoroughly enjoyed freshly cooked and dipped in butter, the way nature intended.  The rest we have frozen to add to chowder soon.

This last year I resolved to track the results of our efforts here at Pollo Loco Homestead and my mission was accomplished!
Below are the results of our labors for 2012:

Harvested produce- 345 lbs.
Total eggs - 961 (80 dozen)
Total meat - 38 lbs. (rooster and Dungeness crab)

Savings - $1,511.03
Expenditures - $655.01
Total savings - $856.02

Since adding to the flock in Fall 2011 (for a total of 8 hens currently), our egg production was way up this year, with a peak of 144 eggs in the month of July. We only had a barren couple of weeks this year at the beginning of December.  Now that the solstice has passed, the young girls have already started laying again!

Tracking the production of the garden and chickens proves to me that the effort is definitely worth it, time well spent to feed my family gourmet, organically grown fruit and veggies.

Happy a happy and safe New Year!

Winter wonderland in Sunriver, Oregon