You can't see it now but just on the other side of those young Honey Locust trees is a small spring that pumps out about 30 gallons an hour or so and meanders to the Northeast filling a stream that provides water for my Northern Apiary. Between the two yards is another two miles or so of open fields just like this one filled with Goldenrod.
It's still too early yet though. I saw several plants that appeared to be fully yellowed and ready but so far the girls are ignoring it. The wasps and flies are on it heavily but not the bees yet. I have noticed that it's usually a couple of weeks after I think the Goldenrod is actually ready that the bees start hitting it heavily. My guess is they are still working the various Sunflowers and I know they are bringing in some large amounts of a grey pollen as well.
The Honey Locust pods are beginning to ripen but not quite there yet either although I did see plenty of half eaten early pods laying around on the ground. The deer love these pods and they are edible by humans as well in an emergency. I have mentioned how useful the Honey Locust tree is before and although it isn't listed as an important honey crop tree across the country, around here it is. The tree supposedly get's it's name from the fact that the pulp inside these pods is very sweet and honey-like.
The beans inside the pods can supposedly be prepared and eaten like other dried beans although I haven't tried em myself. Maybe I will do that this Winter if I can beat the wildlife to enough pods to make it worth my time.
I would make sure you can tell the difference between a Honey Locust and a Black Locust tree before you go chowing down on pod innerds or beans though. The Black Locust pods are highly toxic. Just sayin. If you ever have a chance to see em together you would never mistake one for the other again but the Black Locust pods are much smaller than the Honey Locust ones.
Also I have read there is a type of beer that can be brewed from Honey Locust beans and Persimmons. If this is true this might also be a good Winter to look into something like that because the Persimmon harvest looks to be spectacular in a few places I know of.
That is if I can beat the coons to em.
Those thrice cursed Raccoons have already completely stripped all the Wild Plum trees out there. I saw so many over weight Raccoons dead along the highway this weekend because they had stuffed themselves until they couldn't move fast enough to get away from the cars. There is a line of Wild Plums down by the West Apiary that always produces massive amounts of fruit and were full a few days ago but when I drove by this afternoon only a few Plums remained. As for the Persimmons, well those have to wait until we get the first frost before they become ripe so there is plenty of time to plan my attack.
This last picture is a view East up the hill with my truck partially in the picture. The tall stuff you see there in the middle is a big patch of Cattails that grow here year after year fed by the spring I mentioned. There is a culvert under the road right behind my truck that allows the stream to flow under the access road here.
Another good source of emergency food right there and I have tried em before although not the actual Cattail pod-thing, I never seem to pick them early enough. The roots and new shoots off the stems however can be steamed or boiled and eaten. Honestly it isn't all that bad, or rather it was pretty tasteless the time I tried it some 35 years ago anyway. Kinda reminded me of bamboo shoots without the oriental sauce.
Just a few pictures from a small walk about to see if my bees were hitting the Goldenrod yet. I must say this season looks as if it was a good one for everything. I really need to think about some Persimmon harvesting. I will take a few pictures soon so you can see why.
Keep Prepping Everyone!!!
I had a test one time that asked what was a use for cattails and I said to cover up the cat's ass, well I missed that one, though I still say I was right.
ReplyDeleteWe don't have a lot other than stick weed and some goldenrod right now, a little white clover.
Finally got a bucket of tomatoes to work on, not sure what I will make out of them, the wife says salsa and I say pizza sauce.
Sf - I am actually behind on Tomato processing now. I have another couple of trays sitting on the freezer that need cutting or pulping or whatever and 100's I am just letting rot now. Actually killed my first hornworm in weeks this afternoon though I don;t know why I bothered. I have no more room to store Tomatoes.
DeletePerhaps the answer was balance?
We have enough kudzu (edible) that I would have to watch my weight if I started munching on it.
ReplyDeleteRuss - You need to cook some of that up and tell us how it tastes. Never know we might be envious :)
DeleteHow much land are you sitting on???
ReplyDeleteRob - Well my little section is only 25 acres but I connect onto my Step Dad's place which is about 350 acres or so. He hasn't farmed or done anything with it except some hay and food plots in years so I have pretty much the run of the place. The only thing he uses it for is his own private deer hunting preserve. I have taken to black powder hunting late in the season though so who knows?
DeleteWow, bowing to the mighty land owner, That's great.
DeleteYour property is just beautiful. The guys that stay on our property are avid hunters and outdoorsy. I'll have to have them explain to me how to identify and eat swamp cabbage. They swear by it. Although they do say, it is not unlike the garden grown variety of cabbage, it causes gas... There are some strange edibles out there.
ReplyDeleteIzzy - Hmmm I wonder if that grows up here. I must look into it.
DeletePP,
ReplyDeleteNice property and truck!!!
You can always make tomato powder, this way you don't have to store tons of tomatoes.
Sandy - Ya I need to look into more tomato storing possibilities.
Delete