❤️❤️❤️ BEAUTIFUL ❤️❤️❤️. YOU HAVE FOUND A GREAT WAY TO DO SWEET POTATO'S... OK WOW.. I LOVE BEING ABLE TO USE THE LEAF'S WITH WHAT EVER PLANT IT IS YOU GOING FOR...
Glad for the up date.. I think your past updates is what helped your channel grow..so many of us watch not only because you are an adorable couple but your ability to teach and walk us through the stages is what has helped so many of us around the world..may God bless you and keep in all you do
Oh my goodness!!! Those pigs are just too cute!!! Donna and Linda….I like it!! So cute…..Oh!! Hi Charlie!! He’s very handsome…. And Mertle…..their all cute!!!
I really feel like congratulating you both,, your farm produce ,, veggies or animals is so meticulously clean, it's basically your hard work.... God blesses those who look after his creatures ,,,!!!!! Plants or animals doesn't matter ❤️❤️❤️
I grew sweet potatoes in large tubs in north FL this year and had a great harvest. As soon as the vines got a couple of feet long, I started keeping them very lightly braided together to keep them under control and maneuvered into one area. It was the first time I've done that, and it worked well.
@@marycouper6727 yes, I've heard that, but some people say it makes your main potatoes smaller. I thought about letting the vines from just one pot re-root to see if I could tell much difference, but I didn't. I might do that next year, just out of curiosity.
For shade for the chickens I suggest morning glories. They don't require the watering, grow quickly and provide lots of shade. And they're beautiful and support pollinators and hummingbirds. You can direct sow them too. The pigs are certainly warming up to Kevin, their biggest fan. So cute.
Loved seeing how well Donna and Linda have adapted. Also excited to see the sweet potatoes when it is time to dig them up. You both are amazing and always explain things so well. Always look forward to your videos.
Piggies look so happy, as do the sweet potatoes. Please do reconsider planting grape vine over the chicken moat. After a couple of years it will be mature enough to provide a leafy dappled shade, and the chickens loooove ripe grapes and then raisins as they drop over the early winter months. Nice snack bar, too, for your family. Good to see you both looking so happy and healthy.
Donna and Linda look awesome! They look so happy. Charlie is loving the melon. Love the sweet potato experiment. Keep on growing and stay safe up there.
As a child, my aunt and uncle that we lived with raised the large white pigs. Many a time, we were chased back over a fence by the sow. The Idaho Pasture Pigs look so much more friendly. If my husband and I ever get into pigs, it would definitely be IP pigs.
Hello from TN! This was a wonderful video. You covered so many things! I love the fan system in the Big Greenhouse! Those Sweet potatoes are going gangbusters! We hope you have a great harvest! I wish we could find the Crystalex tubs! Have you thought about a 2 liter bottle with sand on the neck end and a screw on waterer that you shove into the ground? For the trellises of the chicken moat! It should last 2 or 3 days. Might make it a bit easier. All of your videos are great. Enjoy all of them. GOD bless
Your sweet potatoes look awesome! I dehydrate my sweet potato greens, powder them, and add them to my jars I call “super greens”. They are also wonderful cooked like spinach. Thank you for showing us how well they’re doing in the greenhouse.
For the chicken shade trellis. Plant berry vines and let them grow/train up over. Planting in the ground you wouldn't need to worry about watering as often. Other option could be to plant an orchard tree. As it grows train the branches to go over the trellis. These are slow growing options. To help out till they fill in, grow squash or cucumbers in the ground on the road side of the trellis to make it more convenient to water (plant straight in the ground, dead plants will work well for mulch in that area).
Sweet potatoes look awesome, I've tried cooking the greens off them however. I will have to do that in future. Those pigs looking great. For the TRELLISIS[; Have you looked at using Hunting camo Gilly cloth to drape over the panels for shade. would perhaps look little more natural than just a covering and they let some air through also, not trapping heat under them. Totally enjoyed the Tour update, Thanks. Hope having time with both girls was a memorial time.
Vining fruit plants that grow well in Missouri are grapes, several varieties. Plant them once in the ground, no buckets, no need to water once they take hold, just prune every so often. They'll come back every year and will grow all the way over the top from one side to the other.
Grapes for the trellises... It may take a little time for them to grow over but the vines would be permanent throughout the year and plant them in the ground instead of in buckets... It is how my grandma created a beautiful archway on her farm while still having the harvest of grapes.
Failures are NOT failures if you learn from them. Obviously you have learned lots of what not to do's and still have your hopes! Go for the WIN! and thanks for sharing so we can learn, too.
Great shirt, Kevin, if I say so myself! So glad you like it and can show off our shared love for IPPs. Enjoy! ~ Colleen ~ That Little Farm in the Country
I cried when I heard the names you picked for your new pigs. I have lost 2 of my sisters. My sister Linda passed from a brain aneurism and my sister Donna passed from diabetes
I would vote for grape vines for chicken shade. They leaf out early and keep them well into fall. You only have to plant them once and you can just plant them in the ground. You could put a barrel on the road side with a drip system coming out of the barrel. Just dump the water into the barrel and walk away. wouldn't take long to set it up or maintain it. Just pick a variety you guys like. Of course, the chickens would take the low hanging fruit, but you would enjoy the rest.
I smiled when you revealed the names. My name is Donna and I have a cousin Linda, that I grew up with. She and I had a lot of fun when we were younger. It will be fun watching Donna and Linda grow up together. I love your channel. I’ve been binge watching from the beginning and watching the new ones you put out.
Really loved the sweet potato patch, can't wait to see how they turn out. Thanks for the updates, it is good to see how things progress. How are the rabbits doing, and how is Henry? So many things so little time. Great video Sara & Kevin, thumbs up.
It's always a plus, that the new greenhouse is wired in. If you get a harsh winter, like last year, you'll be able to run temporary heat inside. You could even connect to a solar panel, and battery backup, just in case of power issues.
I know your primary focus is food production, but I think your trellises would love wonderful with some Star Jasmine growing on them. They'll take a couple of years to climb all the way up and over, but are totally worth the wait. Dense coverage, gorgeous blooms (you are ALLOWED to have some beauty!) and heavenly scent when blooming. You'll only need 3 plants, one per arbor, to cover them totally. It is a perennial vine and is evergreen, so once it's over the trellis, the shade is there for good. Think about it...
I recommend trying some tenacious perennial vines for the trellises that might only need careful watering the first year. Perhaps honeysuckle, concord grapes, cardinal climber, etc. They would leaf out early to provide shade, and put down roots that are very efficient when established.
Your boar is huge!! Henry I believe? Your sweet potato patch is really flourishing and so healthy!! It will be awesome to see the yield later on. Way better than last year. The dirt they were in got so hard, seemed almost like concrete. I loved all your other pigs, the momma and your two new registered, Donna and Carol. I'll have to tell two of my sisters they both share names lol. HOW DID EVERYTHING FINALLY YIELD OVER THE SUMMER? I wish I had some fresh tomatoes. I bought several more things in which to grow tomatoes, green onions, peppers, cilantro, and other herbs. I'm disabled so just wasn't able to get out there and buy fresh plants to grow at home. They sold out fast here. I still plan to start some things inside but I'm limited on space in the sun. I'll figure it out and get over the fear bug of starting. I hate that it's so hard for me. My Mom always had such success with her big gardens and flowers and my other sisters with plants, flowers, garden spots with one sister also having gorgeous yearly hummingbirds and other birds she feeds. She has to refill all her feeders like daily. Sully is her big pet parrot? that is so talkative. They all are animal lovers. We can't have pets where my son and I live.
An idea that might work on your shade arches in the chicken mote, is large water barrels (like the blue ones) and create sort of like a self contained hydroponic system. Arms Family Homestead did a thing on it a few years back. Although his was in his green house. Those plants went NUTS!! And by end of season the root systems were the biggest I had ever seen! You fill the barrels with water and nutrients, plant your plants in the top, and never have to water them again! As the water level drops the roots just continue to get longer in search of the water. You could do cucumbers, gourds, loofah, pole beans etc. That would be a time saving, shade providing and minimal work option. At least look into it and see if it would work for you. Just a thought 😉
We did a much smaller raised bed in our vegetable garden with slips from a couple bought sweet potato’s from the supermarket. Just harvested - we are in Tennessee - a fantastic harvest - most definitely doing it again next year !
I would plant rattlesnake pole beans on your trellises over your chickens. The vines grow very quickly. You can even Harvest some towards the top and the chickens can eat the ones toward the bottom. They will also eat the aphids. I would plant the bean seeds directly in the ground though using a piece of your fabric ground cover. Good luck on whatever you decide to do.
Thank you for the update. Appreciate your perspective and sharing your thoughts. Praying for you and your family. Asking for a blessing upon your animals, farm and all you aspire to achieve. ☝️🙏🙌✝️🇺🇸🎯
Folks for the chickens shade go find a lot of wild honeysuckles to plant in the ground. They grow, spread and cover well. Oh and along a fence line my chickens loved getting under them for worms and insects. You can buy other varieties too. Just a thought. But plant them in the ground 4" to 6" apart.
What about heirloom climbing roses for shade for the chickens? There is an antique rose project to seek old varieties. They have found them in ancient abandoned cemetaries blooming away while everything else is dead from the heat.
I love watching the pigs eat the watermelons. Didn't get to see your milk cow. I love your interactions with the animals. And those sweet potatoes look awesome. Can't wait to see what your harvest looks like.
Maybe you can put 2 liter bottles into the duck pen plant tubs? People bury them cap side down with the cap off, cut off the wide end, fill them with water so they water slowly over time. Also, they get water right down to the root area and it doesn't evaporate as fast as surface water. If you put 4 of those in each bucket, that could water them for a while and you would not have to be involved in daily watering.
I love watching your videos you guys! Look at you tech savvy homesteaders go! Whoot! 👍Love how you work smarter not harder. I'm in the same age bracket as you guys and I am loving your tips and tricks. Sweet potato looks amazing! Here's to a bumper harvest! 👍
I planted a climbing spinach called Basella rubra that grew passed my 6 foot trellis and was pretty also and edible. Loved the heat. I’m in middle Missouri. Maybe this could something for shade for chickens and good for you too. Love the pigs and your channel.
The trailing that has gone over the sides will not produce potatoes. Go ahead and cut them all off to give the potato producing plants energy to produce a bigger sweet potatoes for you
You could try a non toxic perennial like Honeysuckle or roses for your chicken moat shade. Or maybe a type of gourd? Donna and Linda look like they are adjusting well to their new home and I can't believe your sweet potato vines!
Sarah, Malabar Spinach grows super fast once it gets going. Chícharos (a legume) also grows dense and fast. Both flower very pretty and produce lots of seeds for the chickens to eat as treats.
Perhaps try growing grapes or some other vineing perennial on the trellises. Maybe a climbing rose for rose hips. A trumpet vine would draw in hummingbirds. Something you can plant in the ground, water it till it's established, then don't worry about it.
My dad raised a gilt for 4H and when she grew up to be a sow she would walk with dad to the school bus and when dad came home from school she would greet dad by the road and later I found out that my GPA bought a acreage and filled all the hog yards with pigs and when he went to sell them for market for all the pigs he sold paid off the note for the acreage and consisted to keep the yards full and later on he had to retire and my uncle moved back to farm and continue to raise hogs and now my cousin owns the acreage now but he works off the farm but just farms the surrounding ground around the acreage which I inherited a few acres from my dad. Thinking about getting a few Idaho pasture pigs.
I'm guessing just putting shade cloth on those trellises would be an easy way to give the chickens some quick shade with no more work from you 2 once it was set up. I understand that plants would be lovely but when you are so busy with other things sometimes the easy solution might be the best. Great video as usual!
Wow...good to see Wales here...my Mother was born in Mt.Ash in 1910 & my Grandfather and sons were coal miners...I am in Northeast USA in Connecticut. I love watching Kevin & Sarah...don't have a farm but when I was little my Dad's friend had a pig farm & I loved watching them frolicking and wallowing 🙂...Keep the Faith🌞 Hope
@@hopelk I live less than 15 minutes away from Mountain Ash. I was born in Maerdy, literally just over the mountain from there, and brought up in Cardiff. My grandmothers family were from Aberdare, the next village up the valley from Mountain Ash. Her maiden name was Richards then she married an Owens then my Grandfather James Parry. Who spent time in Canada, in the late 1800s, with his family, marrying there before being widowed and coming back to Wales and marrying my Grandmother. His sisters stayed and, I think one moved to USA What a small world! I love the Living Traditions Homestead videos, having followed Sarah and Kevin for several years now. The August preserving and canning videos were fabulous - am trying out some of the recipes, especially the tomato ketchup. Yum!!! Like you do not have a small holding, homestead, but would love to be self sufficient like S &K 😊😊
You might consider amending the soil and planting grape vines on the chicken run shades. They only need to be pruned once a year, and they'd already be up in early spring.
Hi Kevin and Sarah. I have a suggestion for the chook run. Try growing the sweet potato vines in buckets and train them up over the cattle penels to provide shade, they're sun and heat loving.
Can't wait to grow sweet potatoes next season.. just getting set up this year but next season will be growing tons of everything. Great video guys.. have a great weekend and God bless
Thanks for sharing with us, really glad your new green house is all done with everything working and ready for winter. Stay safe, looking great around there. Fred.🙏🏻🙏🏻👍👍👏🏻👏🏻👋👋
Wild clematis vine grow like a weed (I live in MO) so I know it grows great here. Might be something you look at for your chicken shade. It’s pretty also.
Hello Rose Eckstein! I looked up some plants that might work for them, and thought of clematis, but I found this article from HGTV- Generally animals know which plants are toxic and instinctively stay away from them. Harmful plants usually taste bitter so after young ducks take one taste, they learn which ones to avoid. Common shrubs and bushes you may have in your yard that can be toxic include azalea, bleeding heart, boxwood, castor bean, clematis, honeysuckle, ivy, larkspur, mountain laurel, nightshade, oak trees, oleander, pokeweed, rhododendron, wisteria and yew.
Next spring try cypress vine to cover your trellises. It grows up to 2 FEET a day. It puts out red flowers. Beautiful. It will reseed its self. Only need a few seeds to start. Just need to make sure safe for your feather friends to eat.
I planted buttercup squash in a raised bed next to my 2 end to end cattle panel arches. The squash migrated over to the two panels and went wild. If you want shade, that would be your great choice. HOLY MOLY!!! They grew like aliens. Up, over, lengthwise, down. Craziness! I had to cut off the ends so they didn’t take over my whole garden. We love buttercup squash but I’ll have to rethink my location next year because they shaded out the peas I planted on one side of the panels. . If you choose buttercup, I’d suggest putting landscape cloth down either inside or outside the arch (maybe both) and plant right in the ground. Container planting so so labor intensive as far as watering goes. Depending on rain is another issue, though, isn’t it? Good Luck!
Failures are part of the learning process. One year I made those trellis' for all my vining squashes, cucumbers always do good but my other pumpkins and watermelons were a flop. For now just staying with the good ole ground method. LOL
You may need to have a greenhouse put in just for the sweet potatoes at the new farm in the future when you move over to the new location. The new pigs looks so great.
Awwwww love all the piggies!!!! And I also love how yall explain things so well about your homestead. We don't own a huge farm or homestead but I built a little lean-to greenhouse this Spring and I really appreciate all the knowledge yall share about your gardens and especially the greenhouse. Thank yall for doing these videos...God bless you!!!
Why don't you plant in the ground rambling roses that are thornless. There are several types of hybrids like this. They would completely cover the trellises in a couple of years. Some hybrids of climbing roses grow very quickly. And although roses are pretty, most bloom only for a few weeks, yet the greenery flourishes. Another plant I would consider, that grows well here in Italy as shade cover for the pergola, is a grapeless vine variety that likes to climb. It too grows very quickly. Both roses and grape vines can be planted directly in the soil, and you could put a small fence around where they are planted so animals won't chew on them. Unlike wisteria which left to itself can become like a cluster of trees, and perhaps the flowers could even be toxic for chickens and ducks, roses and grape vines (the grapeless type) should do the trick. God bless you both. Your farm is amazing. Sending love in Christ from Tuscany.
On your shades over the chicken moats, try growing some Carolina Jasmine! An Evergreen. Blooms yellow fragrant blossoms several times during the summer seasons and into Fall. But it CAN become invasive ..... but it's a very prolific grower, that's for sure.
If you have extra landscape fabric try a brick try putting those over with chicken moat in sections To provide a shade area for the chickens. The landscape fabric should work water should go through it but it will keep we'll keep the area a little cooler. Just a thought.
What about thornless blackberries over your chicken moat? They grow fast and don't go away. The leaves stay green till well into Fall and they don't require a ton of water.. I have them growing up the fence of one of my vegetable patches. They may NOT be fast enough growing for your needs, but I thought I'd mention it.
Thanks for the update! Sweet potatoes look amazing, and Linda and Donna look right at home. For the trellis, is there any native vining wild plants you could put there? Wild rose or blackberry maybe? Native wild vines would grow fine with not much additional watering or care but some are really beautiful. Just a thought. Blessings!
Those fans will come in handy too if there's another deep freeze like last year. Moving air is actually warmer than no wind in winter which will allow plants to freeze fast. Even if you cover the plants during a deep freeze like last year some moving air will go a long way to help.
❤️❤️❤️ BEAUTIFUL ❤️❤️❤️. YOU HAVE FOUND A GREAT WAY TO DO SWEET POTATO'S... OK WOW.. I LOVE BEING ABLE TO USE THE LEAF'S WITH WHAT EVER PLANT IT IS YOU GOING FOR...
Glad for the up date.. I think your past updates is what helped your channel grow..so many of us watch not only because you are an adorable couple but your ability to teach and walk us through the stages is what has helped so many of us around the world..may God bless you and keep in all you do
Agree
Donna loves Kevin! Donna loves Kevin! So cute loves her scratches! Also love how they come when he calls them! Must be the respect he shows them.
Oh my goodness!!! Those pigs are just too cute!!! Donna and Linda….I like it!! So cute…..Oh!! Hi Charlie!! He’s very handsome…. And Mertle…..their all cute!!!
I really feel like congratulating you both,, your farm produce ,, veggies or animals is so meticulously clean, it's basically your hard work.... God blesses those who look after his creatures ,,,!!!!! Plants or animals doesn't matter ❤️❤️❤️
I grew sweet potatoes in large tubs in north FL this year and had a great harvest. As soon as the vines got a couple of feet long, I started keeping them very lightly braided together to keep them under control and maneuvered into one area. It was the first time I've done that, and it worked well.
Did any of your vines go into the ground and produce potatoes. I've seen that happen. Extra s
@@marycouper6727 I made sure they didn't.
@@dsr8223 you get free potatoes if you let it happen.
@@marycouper6727 yes, I've heard that, but some people say it makes your main potatoes smaller. I thought about letting the vines from just one pot re-root to see if I could tell much difference, but I didn't. I might do that next year, just out of curiosity.
@@dsr8223 sounds like a winner! God Bless.
For shade for the chickens I suggest morning glories. They don't require the watering, grow quickly and provide lots of shade. And they're beautiful and support pollinators and hummingbirds. You can direct sow them too. The pigs are certainly warming up to Kevin, their biggest fan. So cute.
The sweet potatoes look amazing. I can't wait to see how well they did for you. And Donna and Linda are adorable... :)
Loved seeing how well Donna and Linda have adapted. Also excited to see the sweet potatoes when it is time to dig them up. You both are amazing and always explain things so well. Always look forward to your videos.
Piggies look so happy, as do the sweet potatoes. Please do reconsider planting grape vine over the chicken moat. After a couple of years it will be mature enough to provide a leafy dappled shade, and the chickens loooove ripe grapes and then raisins as they drop over the early winter months. Nice snack bar, too, for your family.
Good to see you both looking so happy and healthy.
I would suggest a temporary shade cloth on the inside until the grape 🍇 vines are established.
The piglets are beautiful,and those sweet potatoes are amazing.Everything is looking so awesome .love your vids.
the sweet potatoes look amazing well done
Donna and Linda look awesome! They look so happy. Charlie is loving the melon. Love the sweet potato experiment. Keep on growing and stay safe up there.
As a child, my aunt and uncle that we lived with raised the large white pigs. Many a time, we were chased back over a fence by the sow. The Idaho Pasture Pigs look so much more friendly. If my husband and I ever get into pigs, it would definitely be IP pigs.
Man, you two are going great guns! Those sweet potatoes are off-the-chart beautiful! Great job!! ♥️❣️🙏🏼❣️♥️
Glory be to God for your abundant blessings.
One muscadine grape on that arbor will do what you want/need. Good shade, easy care, no/low water and GRAPES. 😃
That big ole smile on your Sarah when Kevin was talking about the sweet potatoes gave it away😅 Such an amazing turn around for y'all.
Glad that they had a good gilt trip!!😆🤣🤣
Love your videos. Thank you
Hello from TN! This was a wonderful video. You covered so many things! I love the fan system in the Big Greenhouse! Those Sweet potatoes are going gangbusters! We hope you have a great harvest! I wish we could find the Crystalex tubs!
Have you thought about a 2 liter bottle with sand on the neck end and a screw on waterer that you shove into the ground? For the trellises of the chicken moat! It should last 2 or 3 days. Might make it a bit easier.
All of your videos are great. Enjoy all of them. GOD bless
I always carried a dried up corn cob in my pocket. Pigs LOVE to be scratched with one!!!
Your sweet potatoes look awesome! I dehydrate my sweet potato greens, powder them, and add them to my jars I call “super greens”. They are also wonderful cooked like spinach. Thank you for showing us how well they’re doing in the greenhouse.
For the chicken shade trellis. Plant berry vines and let them grow/train up over. Planting in the ground you wouldn't need to worry about watering as often. Other option could be to plant an orchard tree. As it grows train the branches to go over the trellis. These are slow growing options. To help out till they fill in, grow squash or cucumbers in the ground on the road side of the trellis to make it more convenient to water (plant straight in the ground, dead plants will work well for mulch in that area).
As usual another great video. God Bless y'all!
Thank for all your instructional videos, updates, and Q&A's.
You're great teachers, and a blessing.
Sweet potatoes look awesome, I've tried cooking the greens off them however. I will have to do that in future. Those pigs looking great. For the TRELLISIS[; Have you looked at using Hunting camo Gilly cloth to drape over the panels for shade. would perhaps look little more natural than just a covering and they let some air through also, not trapping heat under them. Totally enjoyed the Tour update, Thanks. Hope having time with both girls was a memorial time.
Whoaa those pigs are adorable, Donna and Linda, such cuties 💕
Vining fruit plants that grow well in Missouri are grapes, several varieties. Plant them once in the ground, no buckets, no need to water once they take hold, just prune every so often. They'll come back every year and will grow all the way over the top from one side to the other.
Grapes for the trellises... It may take a little time for them to grow over but the vines would be permanent throughout the year and plant them in the ground instead of in buckets... It is how my grandma created a beautiful archway on her farm while still having the harvest of grapes.
Failures are NOT failures if you learn from them. Obviously you have learned lots of what not to do's and still have your hopes! Go for the WIN! and thanks for sharing so we can learn, too.
Sweet potatoes look GREAT !!!!!!!!!! Yummy. Little pigs doing well also, you guys ROCK.👍👍👍👍👍
Great shirt, Kevin, if I say so myself! So glad you like it and can show off our shared love for IPPs. Enjoy! ~ Colleen ~ That Little Farm in the Country
I cried when I heard the names you picked for your new pigs. I have lost 2 of my sisters. My sister Linda passed from a brain aneurism and my sister Donna passed from diabetes
Sorry for your loss. Their good names and cute little pigs
I knew when he said those names that someone would have sisters or aunts with that name! I bet they were both born in the fifties?
@@rachelj4970 one in the 50s one in the 60s
I would vote for grape vines for chicken shade. They leaf out early and keep them well into fall. You only have to plant them once and you can just plant them in the ground. You could put a barrel on the road side with a drip system coming out of the barrel. Just dump the water into the barrel and walk away. wouldn't take long to set it up or maintain it. Just pick a variety you guys like. Of course, the chickens would take the low hanging fruit, but you would enjoy the rest.
So glad for the sweet potato success story. And I really enjoy seeing you enjoy the pigs & truly hope your breeding venture works well.
I smiled when you revealed the names. My name is Donna and I have a cousin Linda, that I grew up with. She and I had a lot of fun when we were younger. It will be fun watching Donna and Linda grow up together. I love your channel. I’ve been binge watching from the beginning and watching the new ones you put out.
Really loved the sweet potato patch, can't wait to see how they turn out. Thanks for the updates, it is good to see how things progress. How are the rabbits doing, and how is Henry? So many things so little time. Great video Sara & Kevin, thumbs up.
Those two pigs are gorgeous and so friendly
It's always a plus, that the new greenhouse is wired in. If you get a harsh winter, like last year, you'll be able to run temporary heat inside. You could even connect to a solar panel, and battery backup, just in case of power issues.
I know your primary focus is food production, but I think your trellises would love wonderful with some Star Jasmine growing on them. They'll take a couple of years to climb all the way up and over, but are totally worth the wait. Dense coverage, gorgeous blooms (you are ALLOWED to have some beauty!) and heavenly scent when blooming. You'll only need 3 plants, one per arbor, to cover them totally. It is a perennial vine and is evergreen, so once it's over the trellis, the shade is there for good.
Think about it...
I recommend trying some tenacious perennial vines for the trellises that might only need careful watering the first year. Perhaps honeysuckle, concord grapes, cardinal climber, etc. They would leaf out early to provide shade, and put down roots that are very efficient when established.
Your boar is huge!! Henry I believe? Your sweet potato patch is really flourishing and so healthy!! It will be awesome to see the yield later on. Way better than last year. The dirt they were in got so hard, seemed almost like concrete. I loved all your other pigs, the momma and your two new registered, Donna and Carol. I'll have to tell two of my sisters they both share names lol. HOW DID EVERYTHING FINALLY YIELD OVER THE SUMMER? I wish I had some fresh tomatoes. I bought several more things in which to grow tomatoes, green onions, peppers, cilantro, and other herbs. I'm disabled so just wasn't able to get out there and buy fresh plants to grow at home. They sold out fast here. I still plan to start some things inside but I'm limited on space in the sun. I'll figure it out and get over the fear bug of starting. I hate that it's so hard for me. My Mom always had such success with her big gardens and flowers and my other sisters with plants, flowers, garden spots with one sister also having gorgeous yearly hummingbirds and other birds she feeds. She has to refill all her feeders like daily. Sully is her big pet parrot? that is so talkative. They all are animal lovers. We can't have pets where my son and I live.
I love you guys! You are so kind to your animals.
We planted grapes over our chickens. It gave great shade and the chickens ate the grapes.
An idea that might work on your shade arches in the chicken mote, is large water barrels (like the blue ones) and create sort of like a self contained hydroponic system. Arms Family Homestead did a thing on it a few years back. Although his was in his green house. Those plants went NUTS!! And by end of season the root systems were the biggest I had ever seen!
You fill the barrels with water and nutrients, plant your plants in the top, and never have to water them again! As the water level drops the roots just continue to get longer in search of the water. You could do cucumbers, gourds, loofah, pole beans etc.
That would be a time saving, shade providing and minimal work option. At least look into it and see if it would work for you. Just a thought 😉
I'm amazed at all the food you grow! It's really incredible. Great job!
early squad! woohoo! good morning from houston, texas!
We did a much smaller raised bed in our vegetable garden with slips from a couple bought sweet potato’s from the supermarket. Just harvested - we are in Tennessee - a fantastic harvest - most definitely doing it again next year !
Thanks for all the updates, I like how you put it together, very nice, love the greenhouse excited to see all the seeds you planted grow.
I would plant rattlesnake pole beans on your trellises over your chickens. The vines grow very quickly. You can even Harvest some towards the top and the chickens can eat the ones toward the bottom. They will also eat the aphids. I would plant the bean seeds directly in the ground though using a piece of your fabric ground cover. Good luck on whatever you decide to do.
Thank you for the update. Appreciate your perspective and sharing your thoughts. Praying for you and your family. Asking for a blessing upon your animals, farm and all you aspire to achieve.
☝️🙏🙌✝️🇺🇸🎯
Folks for the chickens shade go find a lot of wild honeysuckles to plant in the ground. They grow, spread and cover well. Oh and along a fence line my chickens loved getting under them for worms and insects. You can buy other varieties too. Just a thought. But plant them in the ground 4" to 6" apart.
What about heirloom climbing roses for shade for the chickens? There is an antique rose project to seek old varieties. They have found them in ancient abandoned cemetaries blooming away while everything else is dead from the heat.
I love watching the pigs eat the watermelons. Didn't get to see your milk cow. I love your interactions with the animals. And those sweet potatoes look awesome. Can't wait to see what your harvest looks like.
You two are so hardworking..and beautiful...
Maybe you can put 2 liter bottles into the duck pen plant tubs? People bury them cap side down with the cap off, cut off the wide end, fill them with water so they water slowly over time. Also, they get water right down to the root area and it doesn't evaporate as fast as surface water. If you put 4 of those in each bucket, that could water them for a while and you would not have to be involved in daily watering.
I love watching your videos you guys! Look at you tech savvy homesteaders go! Whoot! 👍Love how you work smarter not harder. I'm in the same age bracket as you guys and I am loving your tips and tricks. Sweet potato looks amazing! Here's to a bumper harvest! 👍
I planted a climbing spinach called Basella rubra that grew passed my 6 foot trellis and was pretty also and edible. Loved the heat. I’m in middle Missouri. Maybe this could something for shade for chickens and good for you too. Love the pigs and your channel.
The trailing that has gone over the sides will not produce potatoes. Go ahead and cut them all off to give the potato producing plants energy to produce a bigger sweet potatoes for you
You could try a non toxic perennial like Honeysuckle or roses for your chicken moat shade. Or maybe a type of gourd? Donna and Linda look like they are adjusting well to their new home and I can't believe your sweet potato vines!
Thank you for also showing what didn't work. Much appreciated!
Sarah, Malabar Spinach grows super fast once it gets going. Chícharos (a legume) also grows dense and fast. Both flower very pretty and produce lots of seeds for the chickens to eat as treats.
Perhaps try growing grapes or some other vineing perennial on the trellises. Maybe a climbing rose for rose hips. A trumpet vine would draw in hummingbirds. Something you can plant in the ground, water it till it's established, then don't worry about it.
My dad raised a gilt for 4H and when she grew up to be a sow she would walk with dad to the school bus and when dad came home from school she would greet dad by the road and later I found out that my GPA bought a acreage and filled all the hog yards with pigs and when he went to sell them for market for all the pigs he sold paid off the note for the acreage and consisted to keep the yards full and later on he had to retire and my uncle moved back to farm and continue to raise hogs and now my cousin owns the acreage now but he works off the farm but just farms the surrounding ground around the acreage which I inherited a few acres from my dad.
Thinking about getting a few Idaho pasture pigs.
Wow love the Tour you Guys have cute piggy's God Bless you both and those Sweet potatoes have flourished
I'm guessing just putting shade cloth on those trellises would be an easy way to give the chickens some quick shade with no more work from you 2 once it was set up. I understand that plants would be lovely but when you are so busy with other things sometimes the easy solution might be the best. Great video as usual!
Hi good afternoon from South Wales UK. Love seeing and hearing about the various parts of the homestead. 👍👍😊😊
Wow...good to see Wales here...my Mother was born in Mt.Ash in 1910 & my Grandfather and sons were coal miners...I am in Northeast USA in Connecticut.
I love watching Kevin & Sarah...don't have a farm but when I was little my Dad's friend had a pig farm & I loved watching them frolicking and wallowing 🙂...Keep the Faith🌞 Hope
@@hopelk I live less than 15 minutes away from Mountain Ash. I was born in Maerdy, literally just over the mountain from there, and brought up in Cardiff. My grandmothers family were from Aberdare, the next village up the valley from Mountain Ash. Her maiden name was Richards then she married an Owens then my Grandfather James Parry. Who spent time in Canada, in the late 1800s, with his family, marrying there before being widowed and coming back to Wales and marrying my Grandmother. His sisters stayed and, I think one moved to USA What a small world! I love the Living Traditions Homestead videos, having followed Sarah and Kevin for several years now. The August preserving and canning videos were fabulous - am trying out some of the recipes, especially the tomato ketchup. Yum!!! Like you do not have a small holding, homestead, but would love to be self sufficient like S &K 😊😊
I feel honored that you named one of your piglets after me! Lol Thank you for sharing . Have a wonderful weekend and God continue to bless you also.
You might consider amending the soil and planting grape vines on the chicken run shades. They only need to be pruned once a year, and they'd already be up in early spring.
Hi Kevin and Sarah. I have a suggestion for the chook run. Try growing the sweet potato vines in buckets and train them up over the cattle penels to provide shade, they're sun and heat loving.
Can't wait to grow sweet potatoes next season.. just getting set up this year but next season will be growing tons of everything. Great video guys.. have a great weekend and God bless
I can’t wait to see how many sweet potatoes are under those luscious vines. Glad you are eating the leaves too.
Thanks for sharing with us, really glad your new green house is all done with everything working and ready for winter. Stay safe, looking great around there. Fred.🙏🏻🙏🏻👍👍👏🏻👏🏻👋👋
Wild clematis vine grow like a weed (I live in MO) so I know it grows great here. Might be something you look at for your chicken shade. It’s pretty also.
I was thinking the same thing. Clamatis are great shade vines!
Hello Rose Eckstein! I looked up some plants that might work for them, and thought of clematis, but I found this article from HGTV-
Generally animals know which plants are toxic and instinctively stay away from them. Harmful plants usually taste bitter so after young ducks take one taste, they learn which ones to avoid. Common shrubs and bushes you may have in your yard that can be toxic include azalea, bleeding heart, boxwood, castor bean, clematis, honeysuckle, ivy, larkspur, mountain laurel, nightshade, oak trees, oleander, pokeweed, rhododendron, wisteria and yew.
Next spring try cypress vine to cover your trellises. It grows up to 2 FEET a day. It puts out red flowers. Beautiful. It will reseed its self. Only need a few seeds to start. Just need to make sure safe for your feather friends to eat.
Please show us how your orchard is progressing. I'm very curious on how the fruit trees look.
I planted buttercup squash in a raised bed next to my 2 end to end cattle panel arches. The squash migrated over to the two panels and went wild. If you want shade, that would be your great choice. HOLY MOLY!!! They grew like aliens. Up, over, lengthwise, down. Craziness! I had to cut off the ends so they didn’t take over my whole garden. We love buttercup squash but I’ll have to rethink my location next year because they shaded out the peas I planted on one side of the panels. . If you choose buttercup, I’d suggest putting landscape cloth down either inside or outside the arch (maybe both) and plant right in the ground. Container planting so so labor intensive as far as watering goes. Depending on rain is another issue, though, isn’t it? Good Luck!
How about roses climbing over the trellis for chicken mote? It will eventually bring pollinators to your orchard and provide shade.
Failures are part of the learning process. One year I made those trellis' for all my vining squashes, cucumbers always do good but my other pumpkins and watermelons were a flop. For now just staying with the good ole ground method. LOL
Morning glories are perennials and would look lovely as a cover for your moat canopy.
You may need to have a greenhouse put in just for the sweet potatoes at the new farm in the future when you move over to the new location. The new pigs looks so great.
I'm so glad that. you showed us your failures as well as success ! Thanks !
Awwwww love all the piggies!!!! And I also love how yall explain things so well about your homestead. We don't own a huge farm or homestead but I built a little lean-to greenhouse this Spring and I really appreciate all the knowledge yall share about your gardens and especially the greenhouse. Thank yall for doing these videos...God bless you!!!
I am looking forward to your sweet potato harvest. Vines look wonderful.
Why don't you plant in the ground rambling roses that are thornless. There are several types of hybrids like this. They would completely cover the trellises in a couple of years. Some hybrids of climbing roses grow very quickly. And although roses are pretty, most bloom only for a few weeks, yet the greenery flourishes. Another plant I would consider, that grows well here in Italy as shade cover for the pergola, is a grapeless vine variety that likes to climb. It too grows very quickly. Both roses and grape vines can be planted directly in the soil, and you could put a small fence around where they are planted so animals won't chew on them. Unlike wisteria which left to itself can become like a cluster of trees, and perhaps the flowers could even be toxic for chickens and ducks, roses and grape vines (the grapeless type) should do the trick. God bless you both. Your farm is amazing. Sending love in Christ from Tuscany.
Grow grapes for the chicken shade areas. They spread quickly, they are perennials, they are not heavy watered, they produce a nice crop.
On your shades over the chicken moats, try growing some Carolina Jasmine! An Evergreen. Blooms yellow fragrant blossoms several times during the summer seasons and into Fall. But it CAN become invasive ..... but it's a very prolific grower, that's for sure.
Y'all are so awesome. Great video, thanks for catching us up on everything this summer.
If you have extra landscape fabric try a brick try putting those over with chicken moat in sections To provide a shade area for the chickens. The landscape fabric should work water should go through it but it will keep we'll keep the area a little cooler. Just a thought.
What about thornless blackberries over your chicken moat? They grow fast and don't go away. The leaves stay green till well into Fall and they don't require a ton of water.. I have them growing up the fence of one of my vegetable patches. They may NOT be fast enough growing for your needs, but I thought I'd mention it.
for your chicken shelter, you may want to consider using the shade fabric that you use on your greenhouse.
Thanks for all the updates! You have a thriving homestead!
Thanks for the update! Sweet potatoes look amazing, and Linda and Donna look right at home. For the trellis, is there any native vining wild plants you could put there? Wild rose or blackberry maybe? Native wild vines would grow fine with not much additional watering or care but some are really beautiful. Just a thought. Blessings!
Those fans will come in handy too if there's another deep freeze like last year. Moving air is actually warmer than no wind in winter which will allow plants to freeze fast. Even if you cover the plants during a deep freeze like last year some moving air will go a long way to help.
Drums of water work like heat sink and warm up the green house during the night
My favorite homesteaders.
Wow! The sweet potatoes are bursting at the seams. Awesome.
Homestead is looking great! God Bless.
Maybe consider a misting system to keep cool while gardening in the greenhouse.
Have you considered climbing roses to provide shade for the chickens? Rose hips are very useful.