Shot, do you own that or are you just 'pickin' yer own" there?
That is pretty fantastic!

GGG

what is that contraption you're running them through? never seen anything like that before.

Good grief! It looks like you are growing enough to sell them. Good looking plants.

Man o man, am I jealous! I can't wait to buy a place with more land so I can grow crops like that!!

I think (could be wrong) that contraption is a sheller - it shells the peas rather than doing it by hand. I've seen similar, but larger machines at the State Farmers Market.

Diana

GGG, those are mine. Thank you, ma'am for the compliment.

Thank you ESH. I am pleased with the peas this year. Helps make up for the loss of corn. I did manage to pick a couple of messes of corn. Think next week I will hook up the rotary mower and take my revenge out on the corn... Maybe one year (if I live long enough) I will do a pick n' pay. What ya think?

Diana, you are correct about the sheller. It works on the principal of the old wringer type washing machines... (if any of you are old enough to remember those). You feed the peas through like you would clothes through the wringer. Think of the hulls as the clothes and the peas as the water... two rollers rotating opposite directions. As the peas run through, the rollers squeeze out the peas as the wringer would squeeze out the water from the clothes. The peas fall into a pan and the hulls go through and fall into a bucket. Here I am with the novel again... sorry.

Here is a photo of the Lady Cream peas that I took this morning. Understand that these have already been picked over a couple of times already.

Shot

{{gwi:72290}}

So these are Southern Peas, they are a bush pea? I know little about Southern Peas. Educate me Shot.
Is that you with the legs?
What do you do with all those peas? Do you dry them? How do you dry them.

I am full of questions and awe.

GGG

HOLY MOLY is what I said when I saw that...very pretty, wish I had that much land to grow stuff on...but picking that quantity by hand...OH MY ACHING BACK....that's a whole lot of work...I'm sure well worth the effort though!!

How long do these produce for, Shot? I'm thinking they would make just the prettiest garden border. The way the peas stick up reminds me of using the hot thai peppers as a border in gardens...

GGG

GGG, here all this time I thought you were a southern girl... lol These are bush peas, however the red rippers do have runners and are sometimes planted in corn to give them something to climb. I tried that one year and it made pulling corn hard and picking the peas even worse.
NO, that is not me with the legs... I is the photographer :)
We enjoy fresh peas at meal time plus put a lot in the freezers. All of the people you see in the photos have kids and grandkids, so they get distributed about. They last about 2 weeks before they dry up. We have pretty well picked them and got 1.4 inches of rain Saturday, so hoping they will put on more.

RjinGa, the peas really did well this year and we hate to see food go to waste, so we invite family and friends over and we make a fairly fun time of it... if that can be fun.

Here is a photo of me plowing peas in 2006... I've aged since then... we be 64 next birthday :(

Shot

{{gwi:49552}}

Nice patch, wish I to had that kinda land to plant. If you were closer I'd buy some peas from ya, at least I'd sure try. I have a pea sheller just like yours, got it in Moultrie years back. Wouldn't take anything for it.

Now, that's kinda more how I envisioned you, Shot.
So they last two weeks huh?
Whadda plant after these? More?

GGG

Thanks TRUDYJEANS, if you were closer, I would give you some... what would a poor boy do with money? How many rich people do you know that are happy???
My wife bought our pea sheller right after we moved up here from Florida and it has been a God send. Think then they were a $300+. Saw on their website they are $500+ now. I couldn't even guess how many bushels we have shelled in the past two weeks.
This morning I did get the three buckets shelled and the corn finished (part of it anyway).

GGG, I am about peaed out (is there such a word???)!!!
My chores for today included shelling two buckets. I picked an additional bucket and then happend to wander down to the Silver Queen Corn patch. Was planning on mowing it down as thought the drought had got it. What? Is that a fat ear??? Pulled and shucked it and low and behold it was a pretty ear. Back to the house, got the truck and started pulling and throwing... Got too carried away and had to give some of it to my sister and the rest to my niece. Tomorrow morning it is suppose to be cool again, so will be back in the corn patch... WOOT WOOT!

I probably won't plant anything else there this year. The peas will continue to stay green and even produce some (if you keep them picked) until first frost.

So you figured I was a fat, old, ugly man huh? LOL... I think it would be nice if everyone had their pic in their HOME page... optional anyway. To me it's always nice what others look like that I'm communicating with. I would probably cheat and put up a pic of me when I was young... nope, that wouldn't work either as the black & white would give it away... :)

Shot

{{gwi:827387}}

Geeze Shot, ya look like a young buck in that photo! And you must be robust from all that good eating. I'm turning to jelly as I've not got a lot to do in the garden right now! No picking beans, no pickin' peas, no corn. Occassional tomato. Some lettuce..I can't wait until next year when I've got things ready with more planting space. And more picking places!

GGG, it's the camera angle... lol Robust??? Like I told ESH, round is a shape, too! It has been hectic around here for the past couple of weeks, but I think we are in the short rows now (iffin you know what that means). If it ain't illegal, immoral or fatting... I don't like it!

How is the church work coming along? Thought that pretty well kept you busy. You sound like a work-a-holic... they say hard work won't kill you, but I don't want to take the chance as I don't buy green bananas anymore.

Already got some peas picked and a bucket of corn cleaned, so fixin' to go to town... WOOT WOOT... have a hankerin' for some chicken livers & gizzards... now that is healthy food.... READ THAT ESH??? lol

Shot

Yeah, I'm reading. I like chicken livers (but they do have to be FRIED), but will pass on the gizzards.

How's the corn coming along?

Don't buy green bananas any more ... afraid you won't see them ripen? Boy, it seems that is all they sell in the store these days, the green ones! And up to 64 cents a pound. I swear it seemed like they were 29 cents a pound just last year. Probably not.

ESH, the gizzards were devine! There is a service station as you go into Dublin that has hot meals also with a few tables for dine-ins. Got there about 11:30 a.m. so they would still be hot and before the lunch crowd. Oh yeah, they were fried to perfection!

Just mowed down the peaches & cream corn :(
We got just a few bags of it. The silver queen did a little better and have been busy past few days putting some in the freezer. We decided we would only cook it on special occasions.

You got it right about the green bananas... I love bananas and eat them pretty much on a regular basis to prevent leg cramps at night. I know - I know... just wait until you are older and wake up in the middle of the night with a cramp... can sure spoil a night's sleep.

Do yall ever make homemade ice cream? My favorite is to mix in a couple of ripe bananas and a box of frozen strawberries, you know the one that with the syrup... YUM YUM

When I was single I would only go grocery shopping when I was hungry, otherwise, nothing looked good. Now my wife does it and I hear each week about the increase in prices.

Shot

Shot, it is actually vitamin B12 which stops the leg cramps. I just throw a tablet under my tongue in the AM and I don't get them. People with thyroid trouble can get those cramps awful bad.
Thanks for asking about the church garden! It's coming along fine. We were in Georgia Organics magazine a month or two ago showing off the new raised beds they've helped us build. The tomatoes and beans are going great guns in there. Today we watered and picked blackberries, blueberries and a few 'maters and beans. I will have to go in again on Saturday to pick, it's coming along that fast.

Say, anyone know when abouts Golden apples will be ready. Judging from the marks on our apples, they are golden (we've never got a crop before in the 6 years I've been there, squirrels got 'em all before! They are getting ripe but it's hard to tell when they'll be ripe. Much smaller than the apples we grew in Canada which are not ready until the fall. These have brownish markings near the stems indicating some ripeness...

We have a HUGE crop of figs in store at church too, and have been clearing the way for more fruit. I'm going to see if I can get some tree guys to come in and trim up some canopy so I can get in more berries, two paw paws, a pineapple guava, a STella Cherry and some nanking cherries in the fall. Good 'eatin!

GGG

HAPPY 4TH TO ALL! Let's not forget those who past & present that made & make it possible for us to enjoy our gardens & the food they provide.

GGG, thanks for the info on the B12 for the cramps. I don't get them in the daytime as I think I move around too much. Don't get them too often at night, but when they hit at 0300... I jump outta bed and shout HALLALUYAH!!!

Didn't know you were a Canuck. How long have you been in Georgia? Congratulations on making the magazine. I think we all appreciate someone else appreciating what we've done. I know the senior citizens appreciate you at church.

We were blessed with a little rain last night. Worked out great as yesterday I plowed & put out some nitrogen to the butterbeans in hopes of a second round. The first round pretty well dried up and went defunk.

HAPPY 4TH ALL.

Shot

Shot...did you thin your peas after they got started? If so, how close together are your plants?

I've got a very small pink-eyed pea patch (VERY SMALL, especially when compared to yours) and my dad said to think them out to about six inches apart. Yours looks so thick and beautiful. I just hate to pull plants and throw them out. I know...you have to thin some things for them to have room to grow, but it still seems like such a waste!

Thanks
Beverly

Hi BevInGa. Thanks for asking about my peas. I always enjoy talking about my garden and such. Bev, I would never go against what your dad tells you, HOWEVER, I did include a link to Clemson University where they suggest 4-6 peas per foot which I think comes out to 2-3 inches apart... hows that??? I planted mine with planters behind a tractor and probably more along the line of what Clemson suggests.
I understand about not wanting to pull up healthy plants... just goes against the grain, doesn't it???
Pinkeyes are a good choice... my sister's fav so I planted 8 rows mainly for her, but others have enjoyed some too.
My personal fav is red rippers which produce a dark soup, but are not quite as large a pea as pinkeyes.
Keep me posted on how yours are doing. Any questions... just ask... I may not know the answer, but will try to find it.

Shot

Here is a link that might be useful: Clemson University on cowpeas

Oh my, Shot...I thought I'd posted a reply to your reply a couple of weeks ago. I must not have hit the right button when I finished. I'm sorry! I do appreciate the information you gave and that website is wonderful! I did thin mine a little, but not at 6". (Shhh! Don't let my daddy know!) I went with about 2"-3" and they are really doing well. I'm getting impatient, waiting for them to bloom and make peas. I am assuming they bloom and then make peas? LOL! It's been way too long since I've been in a pea patch that I can't remember the order of growth, but man-oh-man, can I ever remember sitting on the front porch and shelling those things with my brother threatening to put a fuzzy worm that he found in his bag on either me or my sister. And I remember shelling...and shelling...and shelling...and purple fingers...for days on end!!!

Again, thanks!
Beverly

Hi Beverly! My peas are all gone now and have mowed the remainer down and cut under.
I know how you feel watching them grow and waiting for the blooms. You know, depending on what kind of peas they are will determine what color the blooms are. If they are a white pea, like the creams (cream 8, cream 40, lady cream) (makes clear soup)) the blooms will be white. The pinkeye purple hulls make a blue or purple bloom and darker soup. After the family and friends had picked all they wanted then I had some people to pick on halves (half theirs & half mine). Took some up to the local farmers market and the ones that sold the best were the purple hulls.
There were lots of bees (mostly bumble bees) on the plants around the blooms, but they didn't bother anyone except by bro-in-laws girlfriend who grabbed one by mistake and it popped her once. Her fault and she just kept on picking.
We kept them pretty well picked and they just kept on making.
I planted a couple of rows of black crowders that a friend gave me. Got a mixed bag of reviews on them. Some loved them and some didn't. Being they are not available locally I am shelling some dry ones for seed for next year.
After I finish on the computer I am going to sit on the patio and shell'em out. Will think of you... lol (no worms though). I remember doing that as a kid with tobacco worms. Just a boy thing I think.

Keep us posted on yours and btw, I love pics :)

Shot

ah, purple fingers. thanks for reminding me, i totally blacked out that part of my memory. it'll take another 20-30 years to erase it again! ;)

shot-just found this site tonight and started reading about your peas.We plant big boy peas in the spring but takes till fall for them to be ready.We have alot of problems with the deer getting them too-so I wanted to ask you about the peas you plant.You harvest in June-right? I live in N.Ga in Dahlonega.That is just what I need so could you tell me the name of the peas you plant and where do you buy the seed?I love the purple hulls too but didn't plant any this yr.Having a good crop of tomatoes,the blue berries did good too.My peaches have some kind of fungus so am cutting down 4 peach trees.
well hope you can help me with the peas,nothing better than peas,tomatoes,corn bread and onion,yum love chicken livers too-lol
Annette

shot, got your message and seems understandable. How are the sunflowers doing now? Have the birds got them all?

ESH, thank you very much. Rode down and checked the sunflowers this morning and they are just standing black in the field (they are kinda ugly once they have died). Have already mowed down 4 rows for the doves & turkey. Soon I am going to mow down a couple of rows of field corn for the deer as it opens & shells some of the ears for them. Have got to get down there and pull some ears to shell for seed.

Hi Annette and thanks for joining us. You live in a very beautiful area. Vacation up that way many years ago and stayed at Amicalola Falls, the highest falls in Georgia and the start of the Appalachian Trail. Hope this is correct, if not, I'm sure someone will let me know... lol
In Jacksonville, Florida (where I retired from) there was a street named Dahlonega and the dispatchers could really butcher it trying to pronounce it.
Annette, I planted four different kind of cowpeas being Red Rippers, Black Crowders, Lady Cream & Pinkeye Purple Hulls. The reason being is different ones in family and friends have their preferences and I just enjoy growing them. As with you, the Pinkeyes are a big favorite as well as the Lady Cream. They were all planted at the same time and the Pinkeyes were the first to mature, so as to give you some sort of scale. The Lady Cream were next. They are real small and make a clear soup, but a big hit too. Don't think you could go wrong with any of the Creams if you prefer the white peas. My personal favorite is the Red Rippers which makes a dark soup. Cook dem babies up with a little bacon grease or bacon... yum yum.

I live in rural Georgia so we have several places that carry a good variety of seed. If you are not able to find seed locally then let me know and I will gladly provide the names and phone numbers of some. Can check to see if they ship before sending you the information.

For some reason we have always had trouble with peach trees also. Sorry to hear about you losing the four trees. Have a couple of pear trees that do well and the scuplins are maturing. The vines are loaded down with them this year. Yes, towards the last of June and early July for the peas.

Did I cover all the bases??? lol

ESH is the native plant expert of which I know absolutely nothing about, so glad there is something I can speak of.

Oh, the June Bugs are flying now. Wonder if kids still catch them and tie a string to their leg. A cheap toy... can you tell I grew up poor....

Shot

Shot them pix well purple hull peas do well if plant them all peas be on top so easy picking. I'm from z8 in Georgia around Glennville zipper and pix well my favorite to plant pick eat. I still like silver queen corn just everyone around here likes u90 multi coler corn There good growing produce for corn called calcium 25 works for me everytime on other garden crops but direction have to be follow to T. I plant 1acre pixwell purple hull pes and 11/2 acres sweet corn to go alone with 6 acres blackberries.

Hi Gator. You are not all that far from me. Gator, to be honest, I don't pick that many peas. I figure if I break it, harrow it, plant it and plow it then others can dang well pick it.
Okay on the zipper peas. A couple of days ago I was down at a farmer friend's house and his wife's pea patch was doing great. One of the varieties that she had was "foot long". I had never heard of them and she said the seed was given to her by another farmer that has carried them on from year to year. They are a white pea and has a long pod. I told her to save me some of the dry ones as I would like to give them a try next year.

Gator, I like the Silver Queen, but think I like the Peaches & Cream better, so next year I am going to plant about ¼ to ½ acre of P & C in a place where I can keep it watered. Should be plenty for just immediate family and is a bicolor also.

About every two weeks or so the wife and I go to Buffalo's Western Cafe for hot wings. One of the sides is deep fried corn on the cob. Don't know what kind it is, but it is really good. A yellow variety and is filled out good too.

Six acres of blackberries...... WOW!!! that is a lot of berries. Do you do pick and pay or pick yourself and sell?
We recently bought some over in south carolina and turns out they were from Plant City, Florida... lol Didn't matter where they were from when wife made a blackberry cobbler and put a couple scoops of Bryer's Vanilla on top...

Guess you are getting some rain over your way from Fay.

Shot

OMG shot,I had forgotten about tieing strings to June bugs.I have 3 grandsons-8 and 5 that I am going to have to let them see how their nanny played,lol Thank You for that memory.I am sure I can find one still munching my roses.I did catch lighting bugs with them a few weeks back.We had the best of the best childhood days IMHO.I was born and raised in Atlanta and lived west of Atlanta most of my adult life until 10 years ago.The kids were grown,the husband gone,so I retired from being a Hospice nurse and bought a house here in Dahlonega.I had a brother that had moved here in the 70s,when land was cheap.I lost him 4 yrs ago.I love it here but I also love the good ole country.Have been thinking about selling my dream place and 2 acres and moving to a small place in the country.
Thank you so much for the names of the peas.I wrote them down.We do have a fairly good seed and feed place so I bet I will be able to find some.The deers are loving the big boys.My dog is too lazy to bark at them.My tomatoes are really keeping me busy.Having a great yr.I think I will just start throwing them in the freezer,lol.I give alot away and I still have canned tomatoes from 2 yrs ago,so don't see any reason to can any.I am just a born farmer I guess.My dad always had a garden and I have been gardening now for about 30 yrs.All southerns garden or should.I think I will stick around this group.I know GGG from wsing-Hey Glynis,I thought you were a southern too,lol I hated to read when the tornado got your trees.Hope you got that all cleaned up.
well good night and Thanks again for the pea names.Sounds like you are really living the good life.Nothing better than hard work, family,good food,and friends.What more could anyone want?
Annette

Mornin' Annette. Oh wow, such an honorable profession you had/have. Sorry to hear about your husband and brother. I am the youngest of 9 and have lost all except one sister that lives just down the road from me.

You know I don't see as many lightning bugs as I use to see. They provided much entertainment as a child. Oh, and speaking of June Bugs... the other day I was sitting out back with my two dogs and after I came back inside, I felt something crawling on my legs under my jeans... turns out it was a June Bug. Am sooo thankful that it was not caught on video as I was not very manly trying to find out what it was and removing it.

I know what you mean about the dog and the deer. My young one barks at them, but the old one don't bother anymore. He is on his last days I think, so I try to spend some time with him. He has gotten to where he won't eat and just prefers to sleep. He has been a good friend since 1996 and has shared some good times and bad with us.

It is nice to have your dream home as this is mine. When I was a kid, I use to hunt this land and towards the end of my retirement it came up for sale so I bought it. Kinda wish I only had a couple of acres or so instead of 52½ acres. Don't have any cows anymore and it is a chore to keep it all in check. With 2 acres you should be able to have a nice garden.

Oh, did you ever make little tractor things from your mother's empty thread spool? They were wood back then and with a rubber band, a piece of crayon and a kitchen match stick, we would make little wind-up things. They didn't go very far, but still fun.

Shot