Welcome to Open Hand Farm. Our little homestead in the middle of town. Our goal is to build community within our city and within RU-vid. Our heart is that you come along with us as we learn, work, laugh and love. We would love to have you as part of our lives.
We would love to hear from you! You can email at Pennylingo@gmail.com Or through USPS to Open Hand Farm PO Box 3352 Independence, MO 64055-3352
That’s what I used to do. And I thought that was fine until this year. I had too much space to do that with. But more power to you friend! I’m glad it works for you! We are all definitely very different. That’s what makes things fun! 😜🤣
The best part of your garden (to me) is that it is so open (like your channel name) and full of options. I love that I can see the sites of all the veg homes and appreciate volunteers within the confines of your paper dreams. It looks airy, refreshing, and productive even when it is weeds. A truly happy place to spend time and gather food and become productive while using your energy for doing good. I adored seeing your garden with some of your ideas and some of the gardens ideas mixed together - a beautiful team. Your original hard work in the winter has really paid off by getting so much infrastructure done ahead and I think will pay off for several years to come. Just make updates on your paper dreams now while it is still fresh in mind, which can also be more fun this time as so much of the work is already done with sizes and sun directions and experience. I'm so happy for you and for the wild sunflowers that are beaming big smiles down from way up high while they enjoy their visitors perched in their arms. Oh, by the way, how do you eat/cook the spinach?
Hi Mary! Thanks so much for all of your kind words! I do love the looks of the garden this year. I like the way it has its nice rows and yet other areas where I could just put things and not feel like they had to be perfect. And yes, those crazy sunflowers! There is one behind the chicken run from where we look out our window and it is about 5 feet above the chicken run that is over 6 feet tall. It is gigantic! I love looking out and seeing all of those yellow smiley faces! Thanks so much for the idea that I should right now take notes on what I would like to do differently next year so that I don’t forget. You are so absolutely right about that. I always love learning from you. My favorite way to eat the spinach is to chop it up and sauté it just for a minute or two in butter or ghee and then put about 2 teaspoons of cream cheese in it and melt that down and it makes the most delicious creamy spinach. 😁 Blessings friend! ❤️
I have always planned my garden in January when it is cold and snowy. I am planning for future happiness. My only concern for doing the same for next year is that crop rotation helps keep the soil healthy. I never plant the same crop in the same spot year after year. Blessings.
I have picked it and picked it and offered for any of my friends to come even if I’m not home and just go for it. It is beautiful. I told my husband yesterday that if somebody needed a hedge just during the summer, it would be perfect! You could do a whole wall of it. Thanks for watching and for commenting! Have a blessed day! 😁
Love your garden layout, and I always enjoy a tour of all you have going on your property. This year was the first time I wrote logged what I planted , and when I've fertilized, etc. Baby steps! Have a blessed day, my sweet friend!
Thank you Shari! I love having you come along. My goal is to write down when I fertilize as well but I haven’t yet due to all the rain we have had. I’m hoping to go out and use my comfrey tea today. Baby steps, indeed! You have a blessed day as well!❤️
Good morning friend. Penny, I loved your video and so pleased that your plan worked out.😊 In the years I've had my growing area I've always created a plan, otherwise you spend too much wasted time on wondering what to do where. As I'm sure I've mentioned I have no garden this year so living vicariously through you and loving seeing your progress. Can't wait for that tally at the end of the season and to see all your preserving efforts. You and Mark have a wonderful day, Louise. x❤
Thank you Louise, I’m so glad you enjoyed it. I thought of you when I wondered if other people planned. I am sure you are especially since you’re reworking things this year. I am so happy to have you come along with my garden this year and I’m hoping to see many pictures of yours next! I need to do a video on my tally so far. Things have just been very crazy as usual. It’s been a challenge to get videos made. I am so looking forward to August and the #EveryBitCounts challenge. I can’t wait! I hope you and your family have a blessed week! ❤️
The only thing I ever fermented was honey garlic and home made vinegar but this looks so easy to do and I have all the items necessary - except the food. But I'm very close to a thing called a grocery store and can make do! LOL I scooped out the center of a long stored butternut squash to bake for making soup. When I halved it, I saw a ton of long white sprouts on the seeds and thought - why not try them. And In ONE day, covered with seed starting soil and stuck in a plastic bowl with no drainage out on the sunny back porch (98F), they made green leaves!!!! I'm amazed at the will to live that they had and my soup was delicious! I see more green coming up now and it's been 4 days and I need to get a place ready to plant them to grow. I do love experiments, especially with plants. Have a great day, Mary
Hi Mary! I love making honey garlic. I was thinking I need to start some real soon before winter hits because I gave the rest of mine to a friend recently. That is amazing about those butternut squash seeds! I never heard of that and I cannot believe how well they’re doing. You should have lots of butternut squash for next year. I’m glad the squash was still yummy for soup even though the seeds were sprouted. I love experimenting too. That’s how we learn, right? Thanks so much for watching and for sharing your sprout story. Blessings on your week, friend.
Hi Holly! Yes, I really need to pay attention to the fine print in the future! Who knew? 🤷♀️ It is actually bubbling and fermenting so hopefully it should be good. Blessings to you too my friend. It is good to be hearing from you. I missed you! 😁❤️
That’s a great idea! I will try to do that video very soon. I’ll see if I have everything that I need and get ordered what I don’t have. Thanks so much for watching and for asking! Blessings!
After 5 years of fighting with squash bugs. Trying all the many different ways of killing them I am now trying insects netting. I have raised beds with conduit hoops and I have double netting clamped on the hoops and cheap bricks holding and gaps closed over my cucumbers, and squash plants. I planted cucumbers that are Parthenocarpic, meaning they don’t need to pollinate and produce seedless cucumbers. There are a few zucchini varieties that are also Parthenocarpic so they can also stay safe under the netting without any manual pollination. My summer squash and winter squash plants will need hand pollination but I would much rather put my efforts into some pollinating than bug and egg squishing. I don’t know how well this will work but I really enjoy going out into my garden and squishing the evil bugs that are on the outside of the netting trying to get in. Brings me great joy. Wish me luck that my netting works.
Thanks for commenting. I love what you’re doing. I actually looked up seeds for cucumber and zucchini, but I didn’t find any that said that they were definitely self pollinating. Could you tell me the varieties that you are using. I was wanting to do that this year as well. I am so excited to see how this works for you! Please keep me updated. I am so happy that you commented! Blessings on your squishing and blessings on your harvest! 😁
That cinnamon bread looks so delicious - amazing beautiful bread! Once again you have revealed your true nature - upon feeding 40 people you exclaimed it was wonderful but most would have said it was crazy or wild or exhausting. I'm so proud that I know you. My granddaughter came over today and brought her 3 boys (littlest turned 1 this week. They got busy and cleaned out as much as they could manage from my garden jungle. A beauty berry bush had grown up in the middle and I didn't even know it was there full of flowers and future jelly! I didn't even see they had cleaned out all the way back behind the bush and was shocked to see the edge of my garden again. They left the beauty berry not to surprise me but since she knew I loved that jelly most of all. I got all my seeds out and found things I wanted to plant that would produce within 70 days. Now I need to start the seeds tomorrow by setting up my station in front of my living room window. I'm so thankful for this gift and know my daughter and SIL will be happy, also. It was well over 100F today and they managed to work from 8AM until almost 1PM and were sunburned, red faced, out of breath and totally wet from sweat. I know she loves me - that's for sure! They all jumped into the pool to cool off and play and the baby had fun in the kiddy pool with his older brothers. What a fantastic day. What a fantastic family. I'm so blessed and happy and thankful. My 9 yo said we wanted to set up a chair and large umbrella in the secret part of the garden so I can sit out there and talk to my plants. I've missed that for over a year and will certainly be praising God when I get that chance. Can I tell you how excited I am? When you take your first in a long time bite from the sprouted everything bagels - you can feel what I am feeling right now. LOL
Mary once again thank you for your kind words. I’m glad you thought the bread looked good. When you come for coffee, I will make you some.😜 I cannot tell you how happy I am for you to be able to get into your garden. What a blessing your family is to you! And the sweetness of that little boy wanting to give you an area to go sit and enjoy is just precious. You are so blessed! The best part is that you know it and you are so thankful. I love seeing your sweet heart and appreciation to all that people do for you. You must be a delight to live around! I know you are a delight to me. Blessings on your garden time sweet friend! 😘❤️
Hi Penny.👋Oooh, my kind of day. The Amish fruit and veg looked fantastic. Would love to have bulk peaches at a good price to can but pleased I managed to can some pineapples recently. Glad to see you have your sprouting bagels back!😊 Love your Azure orders, living vicariously through you.🤣❤
Good morning Louise. All of those vegetables did just look amazing. I kept thinking how could I keep this? How could I find the time to process it? I have such a busy couple weeks ahead of me that I was really pushing it to get anything. I did pressure can 20 quarts of potatoes yesterday as well as mix up about a gallon of sauerkraut. I’m hoping to get to the peaches today. I’ve never canned pineapple, that sounds delicious! I am so happy to have my bagels back. So good to hear from you, friend! Blessings on your week! ❤️😁
Your veggie haul is amazing! LOL on all those cabbages, you must have got a fantastic deal on those. It's amazing how long they can last. I want to try making a fermentation of cabbage, kale and peppers with smoke paprika - it's so pretty in the jars. Have a blessed 4th of July weekend!
YUMMY Video! Just subscribed, Looking forward to checking out your videos. P\Would you please share your oatmeal raspberry recipe? Thank You, Penny! Blessings
Hello Connie! Welcome to our community! I will absolutely share! 😁 Here is a link…docs.google.com/document/d/14lFew1e6_b83b1S1C0wPw5DojusQwVlixFBkzl2KjDk/edit Let me know if the link doesn’t work. Blessing’s new friend!
Depends on your electricity costs in your area. My name is Ken. My wife and I did Penny's raspberries and blueberries. The cost is about $1.35 each day in electricity.
You certainly came by your goodness naturally! Your Ma sure was working for God, also. Hard working at that. What a blessing to have her as an example. I surely hope that one day you get a freeze dryer as I know it will be put to good use. I wish that churches could buy one then offer it for use by their members. They could offer it without charge except for having a share of the food for giving to those in need. That would really be something wonderful.
Thank you Mary! I love that idea of sharing. The church could have preservation days and have canning, fermenting, freezing and freeze drying going on for the community to learn and preserve at the same time! That would be amazing! 😁❤️
This was so interesting to learn all about the freeze drying process and costs to buy the fruit. I'm looking forward to moving to KC and getting nto all of these next-level food preservation methods! ❤
Great idea to use the tape! My squash problem is white moths laying eggs and catepillars eating eating eating. Uuuggh. I tried sprinkling 7 powder, but weve now started getting rain every day, so that's not working. So sad.
Hi Shari! Try a spray called BT. It kills all caterpillars when they bite into it. But it’s not harmful to you or the plants or other insects. amzn.to/3XC3blR Hope this helps!!! 😁
Hi Rosalie! Yes, that spinach is crazy! We are having 98 to 100° weather right now and it is growing even faster. I finally just cut the tops off yesterday because I just don’t know what to do with them. 🤣 I would love to send you some seeds. I need you to email me your address please. Pennylingo@gmail.com. Thanks for watching and for your comment. I love getting to know my viewers. Blessings!
@@OpenHandFarm okay awesome! I'll send you an email shortly. oh wow they are thriving! I have one little malabar plant growing hopefully it will take off soon with the warmer temps happening.
Love watching your garden tours! I would love some blue spice basal seeds if they become available. Happy to buy them and/or pay for postage. I'm fascinated by all of the different varieties of basil and how they can be used for tea. and have been trying to grow 8 different types this year. Your garden is looking great!
Thanks so much Mary! You are welcome to have some, no charge! It is amazing how many varieties there are! All I need is your address. You can email me at pennylingo@gmail.com. Thanks so much for watching and commenting. 😁
@@OpenHandFarm Hi Penny. So sorry that In didn't see your reply sooner. I will email you my address - just in case you have any seeds left. If you don't I will certainly understand. Thanks - either way. I always enjoy your videos!!
How wonderfully your garden has grown! I love your plant markers. Where did you get them? I noticed them last time we were in the garden. I am looking for something smaller to mark my perennials. When winter comes, everything dies back and I need a reminder of where things are and what they are. Lol. I find plastic markers with Sharpie reminders tend to fade. Despite 3 frost warnings this week, we were spared. Thank you Jesus!!! There are tiny tomatoes and sweet peppers fruit starting to grow. My rose will bloom next week and everything is starting to bloom. I don't care what the thermometer says it is Summer in my heart. Blessings on you and yours!
Oh Barb! I am so glad you did not have the frost! I am so happy your garden is coming along. What a blessing! I made the plant markers. Here is a video… ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-8bVR07zZb6k.htmlsi=98rk3UWz1akL-BfF Continued blessings on your garden! 😁
One month makes a huge difference and it looks so GOOD! I have several lists: DO IT NOW, MAYBE ANOTHER DAY, SOMETIME SOON, LET SEE WHAT HAPPENS, PROBABLY ONE DAY, and IN CASE OF COMPANY, and finally I DON'T LIKE THAT VEG MUCH ANYWAY. What was that beautiful flower you have planted that looks like tea cups? WOW. The heat here is 'feel like' 105! I should make a list that is: TOO HOT or I DON"T FEEL LIKE IT. So I'm inside making cards which is so much cooler. Are the kids still enjoying their outside kitchen or has it been deserted for the cooler inside? Thanks for your tour as it is SOOOO encouraging to look at. I remember a tomato that I planted and loved that was called Whapinsomething and it was just like you described your peach tomato - slightly fuzzy, productive, and very good. Hope your's turn out like mine did - yummy!
Good morning Mary! Your list sounds about the same as mine! You have to evaluate everything each day and go from there. And of course account for the little things that are thrown in that you don’t plan on. It looks like you’ve got some good heat going on there too. I’m glad you’re in the cool and enjoying your time making cards. That sounds like fun as well. I am so glad to hear that your tomato tasted delightful. I’m hoping mine does too. Sometimes I hope that though and then I’m so disappointed. But it will be a lesson learned! Thanks so much for watching and as always, thank you for your kind words. Blessings on your week sweet friend! ❤️😁
It was fun touring your garden. You have so many unusual plant varieties growing that I've never heard of. Can't wait to see you trying the sweet peach tomatoes! Blessings to you and your garden for great abundance ahead.
Yes please, I would love some blue spice basil seed❣️ Your garden is exploding with life! Harvest the Calima when pods are about the diameter of a pencil.
That was a lot of painting - and chip hauling. You guys did such a lot of work and made a wonderful new room outside! It really reveals how you feel about others when you didn't say visitors now have a place to sit but instead said, we now have so much more room for others who can even bring their own lawn chairs so we could have even more people! You two are such good examples. Glad you got such a relaxing and cooling place to sit and rest - you work so hard and sure deserve it and I know you will be using it. When I come for coffee, I now intend to stay for toasted marshmallows! LOL I'm thinking a big shiny glass and wrought iron light/candle holder would look totally welcome in the middle of that table. Maybe even a solar one that comes on by itself to make it inviting at night! My daughter strung small light bulb lights along the fence line and around the back yard patio and pit that work on a timer - off at 11:00 PM and they shine light into my bedroom window so I always know when to turn lights out for sleep.She sits with their dog at the table while he tries to scare the deer outside the fence at night and she sees the moon and stars while thinking/ relaxing quietly. The area has become a great source of pleasure for all times of the day/night. So happy for you all.
Oh Mary, those lights sound amazing!!! I would have lights everywhere if Mark would let me. For now I will be happy for the ones I have 😉. Toasted marshmallows it is! We will just hop all over the house and yard! 🤣. The candle holder sounds great as well! Thank you as always for your kind words! You are such a blessing! Talk again soon! 😁❤️
Penny, the fire pit area looks fantastic, so much more usable and ready for summer. Great work by you and Mark. I have a little outdoor furniture project that I hope to do in the next day or two so will share that when all done. Have a happy day friend.x
Fantastic video, that’s so perfect. That’s a beautiful slip cover. I absolutely love drop cloths, as I wash them and use them for table cloths, ect…👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼❤️❤️❤️
Thanks so much Marti! I love drop cloths too! They are so versatile. I really love to use them for curtains. Thanks so much for watching and I’m glad you enjoyed it. Blessings!
This is just genius. I have gardened for at least 40 years and wondered how I had never heard of this plant. On researching it I found it does not survive zone 3 winters where I live. I wonder if anyone knows of a similar plant that survives our -40°F winters? I am happy to report that last year my husband had the rain gutters replaced and designed a system that collects rain water in 3 big rain barrels. I am getting quite a workout hand watering our extensive flower gardens and our small veggie patch. Until I discover a similar plant that survives our winters, I will top dress with compost every spring and use the blue commercial stuff- yes Miracle Gro I'm talking about you. Thanks for the interesting less and blessings to you and yours. Happy Father's Day to all the Dad's.
Barb, I am sorry it does not grow there. Do you have dandelions? You could use those as well. Maybe that will work. www.housedigest.com/1482204/diy-dandelion-fertilizer-tea-garden/#:~:text=Stir%20the%20mixture%20to%20ensure,soil%20fertilizer%20or%20foliar%20spray. Blessings on your gardens friend!
Congratulations on your new fertilizer manufacturing station! I'm jealous but thanks to you and Mark, I can get one for myself. Now if I could only grow comfrey before the deer eat it all! LOL
Thanks, Mary! I’m so glad you’re going to be able to have one of your own. You might have to just put a straw in it in case the deer want to drink it 🤣🤣🤣.
try the montana jack with roasted garlic (esp on a burger)- very good- we order a lot of cheese also - we just love having many different cheeses on hand
It looks wonderful - so clean and I know you must feel so good about it. Can't wait to see how you decorate it you always inspire me to something. I've almost finished revamping my entrance garden and so excited to see something beautiful happening as I come inside. I know people will be glad I finally tackled this job as they know how much I love to garden. I've got big plans for more soon. Seeing how your porch looks is also inspiring. My daughter is planning on getting me a big wind chime to hand by the steps and I LOVE the sound of chimes so since it is right next to my bedroom I will hear it as I fall asleep. Next week the compose/soil mulch will be here and I know that will make such a difference in coming into my home pass the beautiful flowers. Yellow, white, a little purple/blue and a water fountain in the middle - a dream come true. I'm so happy that you have a fun front porch and share your mornings with Mark - strong ties are formed as you talk together. Hurray!.
I knew you would enjoy this Mary. I am so excited that you’re getting yours. All redone as well. You should definitely send me a picture of my email. Pennylingo@gmail.com. It sounds so beautiful!
Everything looks so fresh and inviting. Glad to hear you and Mark take time to enjoy all your hard work. Looking forward to seeing how you decorate the porch. Blessings on you and yours
Thanks so much Barb! Yes, we try to take advantage of it as much as we can. The weather has been perfect in the mornings. So glad to hear from you friend! ❤️
