Struan Farm

Cherry Blossom Time

John's avenue of Awanui flowering cherry trees is starting to come into its own at Struan Farm. This is year three for most of the trees, although he added a few more to the end this past winter. He's planted them on both sides of the track that runs from the Homestead through the Cottage paddock, down towards the Pond.

The delicate line of pink blossoms leads the eye up to the red phoetinia hedge at the back gate of the Homestead through to the huge pink magnolia.

And even Mother Nature has helped us out, delivering bunches of snow drops in a nice ring around one of our "Reception" signs. Love it when that happens!

Ready for Prime Time

Hooray, the kitchen and composting toilet adjacent to Jim's Hut down at the river at Struan Farm are FINALLY finished!

Quite the little eco block this, with solar water heating and lights in addition to the Bioloo composting toilet.

The wee kitchen has a two burner gas cooktop, adequate enough to fry up some eggs, heat some baked beans or spaghetti, or saute a freshly caught trout, perhaps. The solar battery allows for just enough watts for a toaster, so the tea kettle is an old fashioned whistling version. We've redeployed the original stainless steel kitchen bench from the Homestead, which is perfect, really. While there is no refrigeration, I can run down supplies from up top or guests can bring chilly bins.

The shower is outside under the solar panels. We'll be hanging curtains for those guests who want privacy, but I suspect a fair number will prefer to look out directly on the hills and the Mangaotaki River!

It took us awhile to find and settle on the Bioloo composting toilet, which also happens to be used by the NZ Dept. of Conservation. Initially we were going to improvise a similar DIY system, but our builders and plumber encouraged us to find a more packaged solution. And this would be it. A vault under the floor is filled with a prescribed mix of organic matter (compost, spagnum peat moss, bark chips) before any usage. After guest visits, the housekeeper (aka Karen) will need to toss down a few handfuls of organic sawdust or wood shavings, which we've been saving as we've taken down trees for firewood. In a year we'll add some tiger composting worms to the vault. But it's quite low maintenance--we'll be emptying out compost every two years or so. 

And so our rustic and sustainable little Jim's Hut down at the Mangaotaki River is now ready for prime time. (Okay, truth be told: Karen needs to sow some paddock grass seed around down there once the danger of frost is past, the builders still need to install a railing around the deck, and nephew Mike is digging in some steps down to the shower this week, but we're pretty much good to go....!)

 

Gandalf Returns to Piopio

John arrived home to Struan Farm with a visitor in his car a few days ago.

It was Gandalf! 

Awhile ago John approached Kaipara artist Keith Bell about a commission to create a Gandalf, for whom we have quite the soft spot.

You may recall that Denize Bluffs in the Mangaotaki Valley of Piopio was taken over for a period in October 2011. (In fact, all of Piopio was pretty much taken over by the cast and crew.)  The Trollshaw Forest scenes in "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" were filmed here. Visitors can now book tours of this spectacular setting via Hairy Feet Waitomo.

At Struan Farm we were lucky to have a certain guest stay with us during this period, hence the connection to Gandalf!  

Now to decide where to install him at Struan Farm. Right now he's on our front doorstep, which John thinks is pretty neat, Karen less so, thinking he'd be happier in a garden or Middle Earth bush setting. Watch this space!

Daffs in Detail

Right now it's pretty much spring bulbs (daffodils and tulips) for the farmstay guest flower arrangements and our table at Struan Farm, with bits and pieces mixed in.

Daffodils look great in situ because of their vibrant colour, especially en masse, but up close individual flowers can actually turn out to be quite munched. So for arrangements it's all about finding those perfect flowers. Here are several, with the odd tulip for a pop of purple:

 

 

 

John is thinking I should plant a line of daffodils along our front roadside Pet Paddock fence near the entrance gate in autumn. It would probably take 2,000 or so bulbs to accomplish this, so I expect to find myself up close and personal with more daffodils then. I'm resting up!

Time for Tough Love

I've been instructed by John to sleep in. The lambs have been running my life at Struan Farm, not vice versa, and it's time for this to stop. Time for tough love.

I'll give it a try, and report back. They outnumber me 5:1. Rosie and Pip are quite vocal, while Pepper is quite pushy. Easy for John to say I should ignore the wails!
 

 

In Bloom

I did think twice about picking any of the tulips just starting to pop up at the entrance gate at Struan Farm. But there were farmstay guests at the Cottage this weekend, so of course I did!

 

Doesn't this just sing out spring?

And here's a second arrangement I did for the dinner table, old friends from Te Anau came to visit this week:

Rescuing Romeo

I briefly had a sixth pet lamb here at Struan Farm, but this story has a very happy ending.

I was out wandering the paddock near the tawa grove over the weekend with sister-in-law Anna and a visiting friend. They heard a noise, and looked down into a plumbing outtake pipe in the paddock to find a lamb stuck inside, oh dear! We jumped into action, pulling him out and carrying him off for a warm bottle of milk, not knowing how long he'd been stuck.

I tossed him into the Pet Pen amidst a chorus of baas from Rosie, Ruby, Pepper, Pip and Spanky, managed to get him to drink from a bottle by catching and holding him.

When we were outside a short while later feeding the other lambs lunch, we heard a ewe baaing in the paddock. I realised that this might indeed be "Romeo's" mum, trying to find him. (O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo? But translated into "baas.") So I scooped him up and popped him in the paddock. He started baaing as did she. Reunion ensued. 

So a very happy ending for all involved. "Romeo" is back with mum and Karen didn't really need a sixth pet lamb, did she?

A New Kind of Farmer

Don't laugh, but I've just set up a worm farm in the backyard at Struan Farm!

I've been reading about making DIY seed raising mix; the most common recipes call for worm castings, sand, compost and coir/coconut husk. Also that vermicast and "worm tea" are really good for the veggie garden. So I took the plunge, buying a "worm cafe" at the garden centre on sale, along with a box of tiger composting worms. 

 

What I hadn't known beforehand is that worms are pickier than I'd thought. While they eat food and vegetable scraps, it must be cut into pieces (no onions or citrus, although they also eat tea bags and coffee grounds). Newspaper and cardboard must be shredded and soaked.  You can't feed them too much or too little. The farm needs watering weekly. They are covered by a blanket (we used a piece of leftover carpet). Quite pampered, really.

So we'll see how I go with this experiment as a worm farmer!

There's No Place Like Home

 

To quote Dorothy in "The Wizard of Oz." I was musing a few days ago about what constitutes "home," and that the cliches "you can't go home again" and "home is where the heart is" are actually quite true.

A few years ago I returned to my hometown of New Vernon, New Jersey (USA) for the funeral of my mother. None of my family lives there any longer, but we continue to know many people there with whom my siblings and I grew up. I hadn't been back in many, many years. It was interesting to see what was the same, what had changed. Of course I drove past our two former houses and my primary school, Harding Township. There was the history of a connection, but it didn't feel like "home" at all any longer. It was about memories.

And then last year on my annual trip to California I found myself using more and more kiwi words, and being affronted by aggressive upselling/cross-selling retail efforts that I wouldn't have been bothered by previously. I didn't even drive past my home of sixteen years in Manhattan Beach--it just wasn't "home" any longer. Seems I've moved on.

This is interesting to me because I've always had connections to certain places, homes or not. I feel the power of mountains, almost a spiritual connection at times. There are people who feel that home is where they lay their heads or hang their hats. I am not one of those. I am grounded in and by places, the earth and my nest.

Struan Farm in Piopio is now my home on a number of different levels.  I knew this (obviously..), but hadn't had a chance to think it through, I've been so busy gardening and feeding pet lambs. So there you are.

Here's Hoping

For plums in our orchard at Struan Farm this year, that is! The good news is that our biggest plum tree is laden with blossoms, and the cross-pollinators are all in flower too. First time, hooray, this is what is supposed to happen.

I'm meant to learn to bottle/can this year, and plums would be high on my hit list for that. But I'm also thinking of homemade crumbles and crostadas... 

Renegade Rosie, Continued

No sleeping in permitted here at Struan Farm! Guess who I discovered on my doorstep this morning?

 

Not the best picture, but oh dear? I was a bit late with the bottle.

We have put spare posts at the bottom of the fence too. Only other option is to feed her so she'll grow and can't fit between the fencing, I guess...

Renegade Rosie

Apologies for yet another pet lamb themed post this week, but that's kinda where we are right now at Struan Farm!

Rosie continues to operate as the "Queen Bee" of our little flock of pet lambs. Her latest trick is to crawl under the wooden fence separating the paddock from the backyard. I'm finding her in the yard more often than not. She's one smart lamb, since the grass is much better, not picked over by the sheep like the paddock grass! She also positions herself near the back door to see me when I come out with bottles at feeding times. 

However, this can't continue. The backyard isn't fenced completely, and I'm worried she might wander around the garage and down the driveway. She's also getting pretty heavy and squirmy for me to pick up and toss back over the fence, which is what I've been doing before she comes straight back into the yard.

So I suspect one of us (John? Mike? Karen?) will be putting spare fence posts along the bottom of the fence shortly to thwart her efforts...let the wails begin?

There's a New Lamb in Town

Meet "Spanky," the latest addition to the ranks of pet lambs here at Struan Farm. 

We got a call from the neighbouring farm on Friday night. They asked us if we'd take on an abandoned ram lamb, despite our preference for ewes. We decided (of course) we would, even though with four pet lambs already we're pretty much testing the capacity of "the system" aka Karen. It was starting to settle down pretty well with two out in the paddock and two in the pen with the same feeding schedules.

But how could we say no? So John and I motored over with a bottle in hand and picked him up. He drank straight away, so no drama on this one. 

BTW, "Spanky" was one of the little boys on the "Our Gang" series (also called "Little Rascals"). Along with Alfalfa and Buckwheat (both are also good pet lamb names in my book!).

And so Spanky is settling into the Pet Pen, learning to jostle with Pip and Pepper at bottle time. To be honest it's me who's having the more challenging time!

 

 

 

 

Spring Cleaning Commences

As you might expect, I've got a long "To Do" List generally here at Struan Farm. But as spring kicks in the list grows exponentially. There's painting (garden trellises, chairs, the Garden Cottage), weeding (always!) and generally cleaning up after winter around the property.

This week I tackled the roadside bank opposite the Cottage, with nephew Mike picking up the associated trailer loads of rubbish and whisking them away to the burn pile (mostly branches, but some litter, grrrr). The good news is that gravity assisted my raking, everything rolled downhill!

Even with gravity, it was a wee bit of work. Meant to keep me young, right? 

 

Off to the Paddock

It was a big day recently at Struan Farm. Rosie and Ruby went out to the paddock near our house, leaving the confines of the Pet Pen! We'd had walks in the paddock so they were somewhat familiar with the territory, but now they'll be fed from there by the back fence.

 

Feeding times had started to be a scrum with the four lambs jockeying for position. Pip and Pepper are quite happy not having to fight them off at bottle time, so this was the right decision at the right time. Plus, everyone is starting to nibble the grass.

The only problem for me now is that there are wake up calls outside our bedroom window when they think it's time for breakfast. This morning that was at 6:13 a.m.!

 

Proudly Pepper

I've tried to stay away from the topic of pet lambs for a few days, figuring we'd all had enough of that for awhile. However I can only do that for so long this time of year! 

Funny thing: ever since we had the naming contest for our newest pet lamb last week on Struan Farm's Facebook page, by which it was determined she would be called "Pepper," Pepper has come into her own.

Before this she didn't baa, didn't run up to the fence of the pen at bottle time, pretty much blobbed out and was very shy and quiet. But now that she's Pepper she baas with the rest of the girls (almost as loudly as Pip, which is saying a lot) and pushes right up with the mob for her feeds.

What's in a name? According to Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet," "That which we call a rose. By any other name would smell as sweet."

In this case it has obviously given this little girl her mojo!

Tiptoe Through the Tulips

I was rather excited to see that nine (count them: NINE) tulips have popped their blooms out at our front entrance gate at Struan Farm this past week.

It's pretty early for them to arrive on the scene. Mostly purple (this must be a particularly early variety in the mix), but one random frilly pink and white number along with two red with yellow stripes.

 

 

And yes, I do have everyone tiptoeing through this area of the roadside wooded garden so my tulips don't get trampled. Mostly everyone behaves except Clifford, who chooses to ignore me, but I'm used to that!

Welcome Gardeners, Gardeners Welcome!

Gearing up for the annual Taranaki Garden Spectacular, being held this year from 30 October-8 November. In the past it was a primarily a rhododendron festival (Taranaki being known for its rhodos), but has grown to be much more than that, includes tours of amazing local private gardens, speakers, etc. etc. 

I decided we needed a sign at the main entrance gate at Struan Farm to make sure gardeners going down and back know we're simpatico. We're a good place to stay, being three hours from Auckland and 1 1/2 hours from New Plymouth. Seriously convenient for people travelling to and fro.

Report from the Glasshouse

Things are happening in my new glasshouse at Struan Farm. So far I've planted seed trays with various heirloom tomatoes (some seeds courtesy of "Mr. V" in Dargaville, delivered via John), a planter of lettuce for fresh salads, and trays with flowers (zinnea, marigolds, nigella, cornflower, snapdragons, sunflowers, delphinium).

Just to get started, really.

Need to wait a bit to plant zucchini, pumpkin and herb seeds and obviously lots of the veggies I plant are direct sown after Labour Weekend in October. Have dug out patches for the pumpkins, watermelons and corn and spread sheep manure.

But what's been amazing is how quickly things are germinating! The challenge now is to keep the trays moist; John purchased a head for the hose with a misting option, the plumber is arriving shortly to install a tap outside the door.

 

I'll be sowing carrots and coriander seeds directly in the garden in the next few days. They're meant to planted now, still quite early in terms of frost danger for most other things. My broad beans and kale have been planted for months now, they're hardy and not fussed by the frost either way.

Cooking, Again

 

Yep, have been back in the kitchen again. I've been testing out some recipes from Eleanor Ozich's "My Petite Kitchen Cookbook," including the "Cauliflower and Leek Gratin with Crunchy Hazelnuts & Thyme" above. Made this a second time for John and tweeked the recipe a wee bit, substituting some cream for a portion of the milk, and amping up the parmesan cheese. I've also made the "Caramelised Shallot and Thyme Frittata with Buffalo Mozzarella," the "Best Baked Bananas," the "Artichoke and Green Bean Salad with Toasted Pinenuts," and last but not least the "Rosemary, Olive Oil and Yogurt Cake."

All were good. She offers a number of gluten free flour options for most of the recipes if you're into that; also doesn't use refined sugar, but rather gives you the option of using honey, agave or maple syrup.  The recipes are interesting and healthy either way!

Oh, and during this latest rampage I also made pizza dough for the first time, inaugurating our pizza stones with Nadia Lim's "Smoked Salmon Pizza with Tomato, Rocket, Capers & Lemon Creme." While I need to practice shaping the pizza bases, everything tasted great--we'll definitely experiment further!