Portage View Farm

When we started using a cover crop our soil went from good to amazing.

And it’s such little work for such a huge reward!

Added nutrients, less soil erosion, less w**ds, less pests and bigger crops.

What’s stoping you from adding these to your garden this year?

Now is the time to start planning what your fall/winter garden is going to do!

So, go out and make your plan!!

And if you’d like us to walk you through it, then here’s how we can help with cover crops and your winter garden

Grab our GUIDE on Mastering Cover Crops - it will teach you what you need to know about them!

or

Join our Winter Garden Challenge where we not only teach you about cover crops but other methods to prep you beds for winter so they are working for you in the off season and are ready to go come Spring time.

Comment “COVERCROPS” and we’ll send you over all the info.

Comment “WINTERPREP” and we will teach you how to prep your beds for winter so you can grow a bigger and better garden next year while healing and protecting your soil!

Don’t say I didn’t warn ya…🥦🥕🫑🍅

Comment “TEG” and I’ll send you the link to our online course, The Effortless Garden(er) 🫶🏼

Kay and I were out in the garden all day on Saturday. We had the most glorious weather.

And while being out there, I realized that the reason we grow a successful garden is because we are out in the garden every day putting in the work.

So, if you’re planning to grow a garden this year, make sure you set aside time every day to get out there and work in it!

It’s so rewarding to be able to harvest the fruits of your labor, LITERALLY!!

Make a to do list, rearrange your house chores (or neglect some of them) and grow a garden!

Our February Garden challenge starts in 4 days! If you want to grow a garden that produces food, you'll find our challenges to be educational as well as helping keep you proactive!

We will be teaching all about Soil and it's role in the garden, Frost Dates, Watering & Sunlight needs, Seeds vs Starts vs Starting Seeds and Planning a fall garden!

It's super fun and we've got prizes and community building activities! The challenge runs for 5 days from Feb 9th-13th.

Here's more information and the link to register! We'd love to have you in it. Let me know if you have any questions about it!

Portage View Farm You do not have to check in everyday or do the task on the given but I highly recommend setting aside a few minutes each day to go through the challenge and implement the task. 

Skipping this step will result in a failed garden

When you have no plan in place you don’t know what you’re planting, where you’re planting it and what you’re doing when the plant is done.

Taking the time to sit down and map everything out for the season helps you stay organized and less overwhelmed.

These are the 5 steps we take each season to successfully plan and grow our garden and we like to get it done in January.

Now, if you’re feeling overwhelmed by these 5 steps and not sure how to put them into action, we can help!

This is what we did inside our January Garden Challenge where helped over 160 gardeners just like you get planned for the season.

The skills that they learned will help them plan for years to come. You can now join and watch all the planning lessons as well as the bonus trainings we did to get caught up!

Let’s make your 2024 garden the best you’ve ever had!

Comment “GARDENCHALLENGE” and I’ll DM you the link to register. The class will stay open until Jan 31st.

What’s stopping you from getting started with worm bins?

Merry Christmas!

We hope everyone enjoys a fun and safe holiday and takes a moment to remember the reason for the season!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

We hope everyone has a wonderful day spent with your loved ones!

We love and appreciate all of you and this community we have created. We love chatting with all of you and all the jokes we have created! We are looking forward to the new year and all the new things we will be sharing with you!!

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Love, The Clark’s - Kay, Jeff, Bryce, Jordyn, Reagan, Sullivan, Noah and Nolan

Introducing Nolan Riley Clark
Born on November 2, 2022 at 12:39 pm. 8 lbs 2 oz and 21 inches long 💙

We are happy, healthy and home!

What is stopping you from canning?
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
What are your concerns?
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
What do you need help with?
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Comment below!!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
•
•
•

Such a great weekend with amazing homesteaders and an amazing company!!

We love !

Have you used their salt or other products before?!

•
•
•

Kay and I are having a blast at the Redmond Homesteader Summit! We got to go down 800 feet into the salt mines, blow up some dynamite and learn about the amazing products that this company has!

Plus, hanging out with a bunch of awesome YouTube/Instagram friends!

Check out our stories to see all our adventures!

•
•
•

Where should you plant your veggies?

Here are our tips for deciding what plants go in the greenhouse, raised beds or the ground.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Planting in the greenhouse allows you to plant early and get a head start on your growing season because the greenhouse stays warmer. Examples include, lettuce, carrots, beets, cilantro, radishes etc.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
After the last frost, we then plant the same things outside in the garden boxes. We prefer to plant smaller vegetables that don't spread wide in the boxes. This would be the same list as above along with cauliflower, cabbage and broccoli, beans, or peas. **This is just our list!**
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
*We also have a 'tomato house' that is specifically for tomatoes & peppers that always stay in there!*
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
We try to utilize the best of the space and don't prefer big plants (cabbage, cauliflower) inside the green house. The beds aren't big enough. We just wait a little while longer to plant those directly outside in the boxes. We have time and space to get a good crop.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The ground is great for planting larger crops, such as pumpkins, squashes, and cantaloupe. These can be planted in a box but only one per box is recommended and we don’t want to waste the box for that. Plus, the w**d cloth we laid down helps tremendously with blocking w**ds and makes the large plants extremely manageable.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
You can plant vertical as well but it requires a lot more attention and we don't want to do that right now.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
We will then utilize the greenhouse in the later summer to start our seeds for the fall season.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
What does your planting space consist of?

•
•
•

Why plant spacing is so important and a quick spacing guide for easy referencing! 🌱 (READ THIS & THEN SWIPE & SAVE!)
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🌱 One of the most important things you should understand when planting a garden is that different vegetables require different amounts of room to grow. 📏
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🌱 Every variety you choose should not only be chosen for the end product (fruits 🍓 , veggies 🌶 , flowers 🌹 ), but also for their ability to fit into the space you have to work with.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🌱 Why is plant spacing so important? There are in fact several very good reasons why providing just the right amount of space between your garden plants is so important. The right plant spacing will:
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🔸1. Help to reduce competition for the sunlight that is vital to growth. ☀️
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🔸 2. Help to conserve water by keeping the soil around the plants shaded. 💦
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🔸 3. Help to ensure each plant gets the maximum amount of available nutrients. 🌱
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🔸 4. Help to reduce the amount of space for w**ds in your garden. 🙌🏽
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🌱 While you can add more nutrients to the soil in your garden, it is much better for your plants if they don't have to struggle for those that are already there. It is much better for your plants if you leave the right amount of space between them. 🌱 🌱 🌱
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
👉🏼SWIPE to see a quick spacing guide I made for you. Don't forget to SAVE this post so you can refer back to it and tag your gardening friends in the comments so they can have this information too! 👩🏻‍🌾🧑🏻‍🌾
•
•
•

Plan & Grow with us: BROCCOLI
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Add these notes to your 'plant profile' page in your garden! Broccoli is really easy to grow so if you're a beginner, this is a must have!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Do you like to grow broccoli?
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

How to Sort and Cure Fresh Potatoes for preserving:

1. Separate the ones best suited for storage.
Newly harvested potatoes lack the tough skin that protects them from rot- handle carefully.

You want big potatoes without large puncture marks or blemishes. Some varieties store better than others.

To prepare for curing, lightly rub extra dirt off and set on newspaper, not touching, in a dark space for up to two weeks.

After curing, you can store in any container that allows for ventilation, such as a cardboard box or paper bag.

Move potatoes into a cool, dark room, around 35 to 40*F. Refrain from using the refrigerator-this will cause them to shrivel.

Cover the bins to prevent light exposure and cut some ventilation holes if necessary.

Inspect potatoes every few weeks to sort out any that have sprouted or are going soft. Rotten spuds can spoil an entire bin.

When stored correctly, they should last up to eight months.

Remember these guidelines for best success:
•Keep potatoes far away from fresh fruit, as the ethylene gas they put off can cause the potatoes to sprout.
•Potatoes often develop a sweet taste during storage because they are slowly converting starches to sugars. Prevent this by bringing the potatoes out of storage a few days before cooking them so that the sugar reverts to starch.
•Potatoes develop green skin when exposed to light. Not only does this skin taste bitter, but it’s also toxic. Cut away any green parts before cooking.
•Don’t wash until ready to use. Otherwise, you’re putting them at risk of creating habitat space for microbes that lead to rotting.
•Remove sprouts when you see them unless you plan to use them as seed potatoes.

Do you grow and store potatoes?

Using the Instant Pot (IP) to preserve your own food is much more complicated than just pressing a button on the machine!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Guidance from the USDA advise against using the IP for home canning. The biggest concern: It's unclear if the IP Max and other electric pressure cookers can meet the temp and pressure levels needed to destroy deadly bacteria inside canned food.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The way you kill bacteria is the right combination of time and temperature. It's not all about the pressure, it's the temperature that matters. We need pressure to get to a high enough temperature to kill bacterial spores in low-acid foods because they're heat resistant.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
That means those low-acid foods that require pressure canning are most at risk for carrying the bacterium causing botulism. If there's not enough heat & pressure in your cooker (along with the right amount of time), your jar of low-acid food could become a breeding ground for a bacteria that could make people sick -- or even kill them.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
IP representatives said that the Max model could be used for canning because it can reach an internal pressure of 15 psi. According to the NCHFP, that's not enough to prove that your jars have been properly heated throughout for a sufficient amount of time.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Just producing an interior pressure is not sufficient data for canning recommendations The NCHFP hasn't tested its researched canning methods on electric pressure cookers like the IP Max, so it can't confirm that conditions are hot enough inside to kill bacteria when you process your jars. Therefore, the center doesn't recommend you use the canning methods in electric, multi-cooker appliances.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
We will not be teaching or supporting the use of an IP MAX with our canning methods and will always recommend what we know to be safe.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
However, you are free to choose what you want to do!

Let’s grow tomatoes! 🍅 Add these tips to your garden journal on your plant profile page.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Tomatoes have a lot of information about them so this doesn’t include all if it.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
We will touch more on it later in the season!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
What’s your favorite tomato to grow?
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
•
•
•

Merry Christmas Eve!! Hope everyone has a Happy Holiday!

We love you and are so grateful to have such an amazing community to share our lives with!!

Come hang out with us in stories today if you’re bored!! 🎄🎅🏼

•
•
•

YOU HAVE TO TRY THIS CREAMED CORN RECIPE!!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
You guys, it's SO GOOD!! We have it everything Thanksgiving and Christmas and it is the most talked about dish. I'm NOT EVEN KIDDING!!!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
SAVE THIS RECIPE and go get the ingredients and make with your Christmas dinner. THANK ME LATER!!!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Finding safe, non-toxic pesticides for the garden that actually work can be a challenge! 👩🏻‍🌾
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
We all want to protect the environment, our families, and our food, but most natural chemicals available have limited effectiveness. Except for neem oil. 💛
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🌱Neem oil insecticide is everything a gardener could want. Neem oil is a naturally occurring pesticide found in seeds from the neem tree. It has been used for hundreds of years to control pests and diseases.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
‼️It can safely be used on food, leaves no dangerous residue in the soil, and effectively reduces or kills pests, as well as prevents powdery mildew on plants. ‼️
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🔸Neem Oil works reducing insect feeding and acts as a repellent. It also interferes with insect hormone systems, making it harder for insects to grow and lay eggs. Azadirachtin (the most active ingredient) can also repel and reduce the feeding of nematodes. Other components of neem oil kill insects by hindering their ability to feed.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The number one questions we are asked is how to handle the bugs! We would definitely suggest trying out a neem oil to see if that will help rid your garden of pests! 🐛
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
We recommend the Pure Neem Oil from because:
•It's 100% cold pressed
•OMRI Listed (for organic use)
•High Azadirachtin Content
•Free of water or additives
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Just add some into your Petra Tools sprayer and you can easily cover your garden space in no time! 🙌🏼
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
You can use discount code PORTAGEVIEWFARM for 10% off!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
If you use neem oil, tell us how it works for your garden! 👇🏼

This recipe looks so amazing and we definitely plan to try it out next year with all our tomatoes!!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
SAVE THIS RECIPE so you can make it too!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Are you a fan of bruschetta??!!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Why Start from Seeds?
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
A huge questions that we get asked about all the time, is how to start with seeds! Let's work our way through this because it's a little more in depth depending on a few things!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
When planning for a garden, a key thing to consider is whether you want to start your garden from seeds or from young plants (“transplants”) bought from a local nursery.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Each option has its advantages and disadvantages. Buying transplants is certainly a lot easier and more convenient, but you are also limited to only growing the types of vegetables and flowers that you can find. Seeds, on the other hand, offer a wide range of varieties to try. Here are the main things to think about:
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
1. If you want to grow a lot of plants, buying packs of seeds is usually cheaper than buying individual seedlings from the nursery.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
2. While some nursery plants are grown really nicely, others may be of poor quality. When you plant your own seeds, you have control over the way the young plant is raised. This may be especially important if you are an organic gardener.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
3. Finally, there isn’t always a great selection of plants at local nurseries. When you plant from seed, you have a much wider choice of varieties, tastes, and textures—and you can experiment with new ones, too!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
For absolute beginners, it’s not a bad idea to start off with buying transplants, as you won’t have to stress over things like the timing of starting seeds or the care of young seedlings.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
That being said, there are many vegetables—such as carrots and radishes—that do best when started from seed, so consider employing both methods to suit your needs.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Do you want to try growing from seeds this year?
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Learn how to grow BUSH BEANS!!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Bush beans are really easy to grow and don't require much. We grow so much of these because when they are canned, they are so good!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
We plant 2 garden boxes full of these. One box for fresh eating and one specifically for canning. We are able to harvest large batches 3 times before they are done.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
We also planted later on in our greenhouse and had some for fresh eating later on in the season!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Take these notes and add them to your plant profile page in your garden journal to continue our series of planning your garden with us! (If you don't know what we're talking about and want more info, comment 🙋🏻‍♀️below and I'll send you the details.)
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Are you growing green beans in the spring?

Pressure Canning Tips:
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The idea of pressure canning is pretty simple.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
To kill harmful bacteria, ingredients need to be heated to 240-250°F. As water boils at only 212°F (at sea level), this higher temperature needs to be reached with steam heat.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The hot, trapped steam builds pressure in the kettle and raises the temperatures to 240°F and beyond, allowing low-acid foods to be safely preserved without any additional acids.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
And without having to add an acidic ingredient like vinegar, the flavor and color of food is maintained in its natural form.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
How to get your pressure canner, up to the right temperature:
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Once the jars have been racked and the lid securely fastened, open the petcock, or remove the weight from the vent pipe, and turn the heat up high.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
When the water reaches a boil and the steam is being forcibly exhausted through the vent in a funnel shape, maintain the high temperature and allow the steam to exhaust continuously for 10 minutes.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
After the kettle has vented, attach the weighted gauge or counterweight on the vent pipe, or close the petcock, and adjust the heat to a lower burner setting to maintain the correct pressure.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Hitting the exact temperature that you need can be a bit finicky with an electric range, so reduce or increase the heat in small increments for better control of the heat and pressure levels.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
We highly recommend you do a test run with your canner to get use to it and learn how it works!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
If you have canned before, share your first time experience and how it's going now!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

EASY 3 INGREDIENT DINNER IDEA using Chicken Thighs

Since we break our birds down we always want to make sure we have recipes that utilize all parts of the bird.

Chickens thighs are so tasty and this recipe will become a staple on your dinner menu!

We like to eat this one with some rice or potatoes and then add a veggie such as a salad, roasted veggies or even our canned green beans.

What is your favorite side dish to add to meals?

•
•
•