Countryside & Small Stock Journal articles from January 2003

Countryside & Small Stock Journal archives from January 2003

And the verdict is ... (From the editor).
January 1, 2003... A number of readers called asking how our Sonic Bloom test went (see pg. 72, July/August 2002), and as far as I can tell, Dan Carlson is onto something. I'll admit it right now, this was about as unscientific an experiment as they come. ...

Overwhelming response to Alaska Bush Rat. (Country conversation & feedback).
January 1, 2003... COUNTRYSIDE: You were sure right! (Ed. note: We "warned" Andy he would get a lot of mail regarding his solar set-up in Alaska.) I've been getting lots of e-mail from as far as the United Kingdom and all over the U.S. I got my copy of the...

Mexican land ownership laws are changing. (Country conversation & feedback).
January 1, 2003... COUNTRYSIDE: The piece, "Living overseas may require caution," (Nov/Dec 2002), appears to be in partial response to my article on building a strawbale house in Baja, Mexico (March/April 2002). However, it was written anonymously so there's no...

Wanted: cheese recipes. (Country conversation & feedback).
January 1, 2003... COUNTRYSIDE: I would appreciate recipes for using goat milk, especially cheese, soap, and lotions. I only have two Nubian does, but they are good milkers. COUNTRYSIDE is such a great magazine. People caring about others and helping with...

The darker side of using a midwife. (Country conversation & feedback).
January 1, 2003... COUNTRYSIDE: I am a devoted COUNTRYSIDE reader. I have two children ages one and two. I would like to comment on the July/August 2002 issue about traditional midwifery. I also believe that natural is the best way and am thrilled to hear of...

Used beehives get second life. (Country conversation & feedback).
January 1, 2003... COUNTRYSIDE: After we bought our first bees in conventional hive boxes that were in poor shape, we lost the bees the first winter. It was beastly cold up here, and we hadn't wrapped the leaky hives for insulation. (We had been told this didn't...

An ole' goat tale. (Country conversation & feedback).
January 1, 2003... COUNTRYSIDE: This is an experience in goat raising between a 65-year-old "retiree" and a 250-plus pound seven foot tall (on hind legs) Nubian buck goat. (My wife wonders which one is the "ole goat.") Two and a half years ago, my wife...

Comments on finishing a steer. (Country conversation & feedback).
January 1, 2003... COUNTRYSIDE: I have fed out (finished) many cattle over the last several years and have the following comments. Beef breed heifers are usually cheaper to buy on a price per pound basis. Heifers also usually finish at a lighter Weight but...

And ... (Country conversation & feedback).
January 1, 2003... COUNTRYSIDE: I read the article on "fattening out a steer" in the November/ December issue, and when you asked for feedback I thought I would pass on some of my experience. We started raising calves for processing and filling our freezer a...

He caught 184 feral chickens! (Country conversation & feedback).
January 1, 2003... COUNTRYSIDE: I just wanted to send a short "thank you" to all the readers who sent me suggestions on how to catch my wild chickens. Thanks to all of you, I have managed to catch and give away 184! If I can get about 30 more, I'll be happy. And...

String keeps the crows at bay. (Country conversation & feedback).
January 1, 2003... COUNTRYSIDE: While reading the July/ August 2002 issue of COUNTRYSIDE regarding scarecrows that really work, I was tempted to add my own experiences and ask for additional help protecting my mature crops. Seven 40-foot rows of corn can...

Scary as a ... tiger? (Country conversation & feedback).
January 1, 2003... COUNTRYSIDE: After 72 years of country living, I would like to pass on some of my "invaluable" advice. I have read a lot of articles bemoaning deer ravaging flowers and shrubs. I have snickered a few times about some of the preventatives...

USDA defines "organic". (Country conversation & feedback).
January 1, 2003... COUNTRYSIDE: In response to "Locating sources of organic feed isn't easy, but is possible." With respect to Mr. Scharabok I feel it is necessary to respond to his article in COUNTRYSIDE. Organic farm management is not for everybody but it...

Anyone establishing an "ancestoral home?" (Country conversation & feedback).
January 1, 2003... COUNTRYSIDE: Since I renewed last, I have learned the wonder of fencing with cattle panels and cable clamps, discovered the joy of successful kidding, the discipline of milking and the frustration of kids who will not give up the milk habit....

No modernization here, thank you. (Country conversation & feedback).
January 1, 2003... COUNTRYSIDE: I live in an overpopulated urban area, but I'm frying to live a farm life and having many problems with it. I don't believe in computers or modernization. If I can't get it out of my natural ways, I don't much need it. I grow...

Tomato tips. (Country conversation & feedback).
January 1, 2003... COUNTRYSIDE: I have seen in the last two issues request for tomato recipes, here are just two. Great Tomato Sauce Wash tomatoes, core and cut out any bad spots. Quarter and put in a blender. Set on liquefy and watch closely--it doesn't...

Homesteading Act repealed years ago. (Country conversation & feedback).
January 1, 2003... COUNTRYSIDE: I am writing in hopes that I can find some information on the possible resurrection of the Homesteading Act, by which the government grants incentives to people who want to get back to the land and/or start small businesses or...

Poison ivy relief--from a deodorant? (Country conversation & feedback).
January 1, 2003... COUNTRYSIDE: Poison ivy remedies--I've tried them all. Here's a new one which I have found surprisingly effective. It is a deodorant stone (also known as deodorant crystals and commonly available in health food stores). Basically it is a...

Hoop house correction. (Country conversation & feedback).
January 1, 2003... COUNTRYSIDE: I have a question about the hoop house in the Sept/Oct 2002 issue, page 41. Shouldn't the list of materials have specified a 20' length of PVC for the bows. Ten feet wouldn't make the bow as pictured. We think you're right...

Cotton batting recommendations. (Country conversation & feedback).
January 1, 2003... COUNTRYSIDE: Sue Robishaw ("Design your own insullating window quilts," Nov/Dec 2002) warns readers from using cotton batting in making window quilts because "the cotton batting clumped and shifted, leaving areas with no batting at all." As a...

Tips on using woodstoves. (Country conversation & feedback).
January 1, 2003... COUNTRYSIDE: I am looking for a woodstove that was made in New England by some small foundry during the fuel crunch of the 1970s. It was 24" x 22" x 22", had two eight-inch hole plates on top for cooking and a 13" square door in front. ...

How to use willow as rooting medium? (Country conversation & feedback).
January 1, 2003... COUNTRYSIDE: I understand that soaking willow twigs in water overnight will produce a good rooting medium for cuttings. Can you tell me if there is a particular ratio of twigs to water, is one overnight soaking sufficient, and what is the shelf...

Early storms give folks a taste of winter. (Country conversation & feedback).
January 1, 2003... COUNTRYSIDE: We're roughing it today. The storm that blew in from the north last night (late October) brought snow and power outages. So out comes the camping stove, the warm sweaters, and woolen socks. The woodstove soon burns and warms at...

Watch where you point that gun. (Country conversation & feedback).
January 1, 2003... COUNTRYSIDE: In Volume 86, No. 6, page 106, the "Homestead life is a learning experience," by Diane McIntyre, she describes an absolutely unsafe practice: shooting a gun into the air. She has no idea where the bullet will end up! Please,...

Countryside contacts.
January 1, 2003... Countryside Contacts: Your listing is free; however, please keep the following in mind: * We reserve the right to accept or reject any and all submissions for any reason or no reason at all. * Submissions may be edited for clarity...

Homesteading in Malawi, the warm heart of Africa.
January 1, 2003... I pushed the pile of ivory maize kernels off my lap, luxuriating in their coolness and smoothness as they slid through my fingers. The sun is just beginning to spear through the bare branches of the Baobob tree behind my hut, promising another...

Make cheese! Kidding time is just around the corner. What in the world are you going to do with all that milk?
January 1, 2003... A person doesn't have to be in goats very long before they start wondering what to do with all the surplus milk. Even here at Hallcienda, where our winter milk supply comes from one Nubian and four Pygmies, we sometimes get behind in milk...

Organic sheep cheese in Vermont.
January 1, 2003... WILLOW HILL FARM MILTON, VT Willow Hill Farm is a diversified farm. Certified organic by VOF (Vermont Organic Farmers) for NOFA-VT (Northeast Organic Farming Association) since 1992, the farm is predominantly a sheep dairy but we also...

Build your very own goat cart. (The goat barn).
January 1, 2003... THE HARNESS GOAT SOCIETY AFFILIATED WITH THE BRITISH GOAT SOCIETY WWW.GOATS.CO.UK The size of your carriage should depend on the size of the goat that is to pull it. The most you should ask a goat to pull is one and a half times the goat's...

Build a lightweight cart for your goat. (The goat barn).
January 1, 2003... To make this cart you need some wheels (I used 20-inch bicycle wheels but any will work as long as you adjust to fit the dimensions), 1/2- and 3/4-inch electrical conduit, bender for each and either an oxy-acetylene torch or wire feed welder....

Steel studs save wood. (Homestead construction).
January 1, 2003... A gentle breeze whispers softly through the green pines, soothing the ruffled feathers of a bluebird frightened by our movement. The scent of pine reminds us this place is special. This place is home. Home not only to all of us but home to the...

A year-round solar greenhouse: Part II. (The Solar Cowboy).
January 1, 2003... When we last left, we were getting ready to describe the planning behind the new solar building. Personally my hat is off to my partner, Amy Wilson, for her judicious research and planning for the new building--a self-heating solar greenhouse....

Waterhole at White Oak.
January 1, 2003... The past three years have been years of drought for much of the country and no less so for Georgia. As last summer's drought deepened and streams began to dry up, we decided to build a temporary impoundment in the hollow next to our house. I...

Winterkill prevention on ponds and lakes. (The homestead pond).
January 1, 2003... Ponds and lakes in the northern United States have in the past experienced what I will term a "fish kill" related to lack of dissolved oxygen present in the water. Oxygen is essential to the metabolism of all aerobic (air breathing) organisms....

Put your ponds to work ... raise turtles!
January 1, 2003... In 1993 Fred Millard may have been the world's largest turtle farmer according to Volume 17, Number 6 (1993) issue of Farm Show magazine. He raised or bought and processed thousands of turtles a year, shipping the meat to distributors all over...

Changing jobs/changing life. (Notes from the Northwoods).
January 1, 2003... Several years ago Steve cut his part-time, too-often-stretching-to-full-time, computer tech job to one day a week. He wanted to get back to his too-long-neglected woodworking. Which worked fine--for awhile. Then the one day a week expanded to...

"Trendy" vegetables. (Question of the month: how do you generate income on your homestead?).
January 1, 2003... Like many folks, we plant a lot of extra garden space and sell organic produce, mainly at farmer's markets. We pay close attention to specific "trendy" varieties (such as bi-colored corn) and plant what will hopefully sell best. We also sell...

Writing is a nice way to earn a living. (Question of the month: how do you generate income on your homestead?).
January 1, 2003... Many years ago, we discovered that writing could provide us with the opportunity to live wherever we wanted and enjoy our family and COUNTRYSIDE lifestyle. We're in the newsletter publishing business. All we require is a telephone and...

Collectable carvings. (Question of the month: how do you generate income on your homestead?).
January 1, 2003... We live in a small town so are not homesteaders in the true sense of the word. We do generate some extra income through my wood carving and my wife's Hardanger embroidery. We are both retired, living on a small pension, our Social Security, and...

Computers and crafts put change in their pockets. (Question of the month: how do you generate income on your homestead?).
January 1, 2003... As I sit here writing this my husband is walking around our little nine acre homestead carrying a five gallon plastic pail of grain. As he goes around feeding our assorted animals, they all honk, cluck, crow or thump their pleasure upon seeing...

Custom embroidery brings in customers. (Question of the month: how do you generate income on your homestead?).
January 1, 2003... I make a living on our homestead from custom embroidery. I have a website where most of my business comes from. I was at a county fair years ago and saw an embroidery machine and just loved it. I wanted something to do to bring in money and...

Kids are catalysts for home business. (Question of the month: how do you generate income on your homestead?).
January 1, 2003... It all started back about '82 after our children started appearing and we decided that their going to school in the big city was not a good idea. We located our "farm" and bought it. I was commuting about 75 miles each way five days a week and...

Baking helps home economy. (Question of the month: how do you generate income on your homestead?).
January 1, 2003... My husband and I have always attempted to balance family life and earning money, but it is not always easy. For years, we had our own business, but periodic rushes would mean we were working almost around the clock. For the last seven years we...

Market gardening is a popular venture. (Question of the month: how do you generate income on your homestead?).
January 1, 2003... Late fall I decided to get serious about earning money off my little place. With about 200,000 miles on each vehicle, obtaining a homestead income sounded like a wonderful idea! I started out by speaking to a gent who has several farmers...

They too, find a market for vegetables. (Question of the month: how do you generate income on your homestead?).
January 1, 2003... We started selling extra vegetables at small town farmers markets and each year found us growing more. The income was small, probably not even covering expenses. Opportunity knocked and we joined the farmers market in a large city. The...

Here's a novel idea: a family co-op. (Question of the month: how do you generate income on your homestead?).
January 1, 2003... We never intended to start a coop, but it happened. My husband and I have been married 4-1/2 years and this will be our fourth baby in four years. We cook, bake bread, make cheese, sew, make soap, candles, milk goats, paint murals and I'm a...

Internet music heard 'round the world. (Question of the month: how do you generate income on your homestead?).
January 1, 2003... I have been working on an internet music business that I operate from our homestead in the forest. As we generate our own electricity, my computer time is limited. I started this business in September, 2002 and have been able to generate...

Natural soaps are just one of their ventures. (Question of the month: how do you generate income on your homestead?).
January 1, 2003... We have been homesteading for the past seven years, although we didn't know it had a name until I subscribed two years ago! We have taken direct advice from past issues to build coops for $5 for pastured poultry. We eat the chickens and sell...

Red tape shoots down "organic" certification. (Question of the month: how do you generate income on your homestead?).
January 1, 2003... We started planting fruit trees and preparing for the garden space around 1994. Our greenhouse, potting house and canning house are some of our more recent additions to the business. Eight years, two major Texas droughts and dozens of revised...

Salvage groceries as a homestead business.
January 1, 2003... (This article is based on a situation which works for me, based on my goals, resources and personality. An identical set-up elsewhere may have totally different results--positively or negatively. I have been told similar operations are not...

Vetch improves soil, crops and profits. (Crops & soils).
January 1, 2003... In fall of 1997 we planted five acres of hairy vetch on mostly poor ground foul with weeds that wouldn't grow anything else. Well, the vetch came on like gangbusters. Putting on luxurious growth in spring, it reached a tremendous height by the...

Seed, seeding, seedling: what's the problem? (The garden).
January 1, 2003... Seed starting is a simple process. Though a few problems can crop up, it is not bard to avoid or Correct them. Here are a few of the most common dilemmas that organic gardeners face when starting seeds, along with their solutions. Problem:...

Genetic diversity dwindling in swine populations. (The pig pen).
January 1, 2003... The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy (ALBC) conducted the first comprehensive' livestock breeds census in 1985 as a tool for understanding the scope of needed genetic conservation. While there is continuous monitoring of breed populations,...

Cold weather planning for pigs. (The pig pen).
January 1, 2003... Cold weather requires some planning for homestead hog raisers. In the area of proper nutrition, thought and extra effort must be given to available supplies of fresh ice-free water at all times for all classes of hogs--the baby pig, the...

Important foaling reminders. (The horse barn).
January 1, 2003... Newborn foals bounding across pastures is a joyous sight. Horse owners can make the foaling process easier on themselves and their mares by paying careful attention to some important details. "The biggest thing is making sure the mare's...

Colony raised rabbits: on pasture. (The rabbit barn).
January 1, 2003... If rabbits are to be raised, the objective should be to produce the most pounds practical, as economically as possible. This is a proposal for how it might be done. Start by taking a look at nature. When conditions are right, a local...

First Miniature Belted Panda[R] calf born.
January 1, 2003... COUNTRYSIDE: "Precious" was the first Miniature Belted Panda[R] Cattle born in the world. She has now had her first calf, born 10/09/02. It is a little heifer calf that we have named Princess Gem. She has the same markings as her mother. This...

Clean your home with homemade products. (Country kitchen).
January 1, 2003... I use cleaning product I make myself. I make enough lye soap to last a year, using it for all washing, from body and dishes to walls and clothing. Use the recipe on the lye can. Be sure you follow it to the letter. You are dealing with...

Feed store grains aren't meant for humans. (Country kitchen).
January 1, 2003... COUNTRYSIDE: I would like you to print info on the safety of buying grains--wheat, oats, etc.--at the feed store. Is it safe? I'm 89 and enjoy every issue of COUNTRYSIDE, and I'm still dreaming about being off the sidewalk. Here are...

Pita bread recipes. (Country kitchen).
January 1, 2003... Pita Bread recipes 1 package active dry yeast, or equivalent 1-1/4 cups warm water 3 cups flour 2 teaspoons salt Dissolve yeast in water. Stir in flour and salt. Knead on a floured surface until smooth (about 5 minutes)....

It's maple syrup time.
January 1, 2003... Maple syrup and maple sugar are among the oldest agricultural products produced in the United States. And you can start a family hobby and produce your own maple syrup if you have access to a few maple trees in your yard or woodland. For...

Organic foods a growing segment. (Organic news).
January 1, 2003... Organic food is the fastest growing segment of American agriculture. At current rates of growth, most of the $360 billion in food sold at the retail level in the U.S. will be organic by the year 2020. In Europe, farmers in 130 nations are...

That's toxic cotton you're eating. (Organic news).
January 1, 2003... Few people realize that 60% of a cotton crop, by weight, enters the food chain in the form of cottonseed oil which is used widely in processed foods, and as cottonseed feed for cows, ending up in meat and dairy products. Cotton is comprised of...

Washing produce reduces lead. (Organic news).
January 1, 2003... Washing your vegetables is good advice, and it will minimize health risks from soils that may be contaminated with lead. At high concentrations, lead is potentially toxic. There are two major sources of lead contamination: lead-based paint...

Homebrewing beer from scratch. (Country kitchen).
January 1, 2003... As a homebrewing--and a COUNTRYSIDE--enthusiast, I would like to address the topic of all-grain homebrewing. There are, as with all things, both advantages and disadvantages to all-grain beer brewing as compared to brewing beer from malt...

Money-saving tips that work: advice from a couple that did it. (Homestead finances).
January 1, 2003... This is in answer to Waymon Hobbs' letter in the Nov/Dec 2002 issue of COUNTRYSIDE, and to all the other reluctant dreamers--God Bless' em! They can do it! We did! Waymon, regarding your dream of a homestead, the key is in getting there as...

Luxury travel--cheaply.
January 1, 2003... As fun as living on the farm is, it is sometimes nice to go some place completely different. You get to be you without any distractions. How long has it been since you had your toes in warm sand? The "let's go" part is always agreeable. The...

The farm auction. (Country life).
January 1, 2003... It was just what I'd been looking for! Listed in the sale bill were 25 new, 16-foot hog panels. The 32-inch high wire mesh sections attached six inches above the ground to posts, would provide much-needed sheep fencing. I arrived early on...

Living the American dream. (Country neighbors).
January 1, 2003... I've been reading COUNTRYSIDE for a while now and I really enjoy the articles which share the experiences of others in their move to the country. I must say that I really feel badly for those fellow readers who seem to be having a hard time of...

I changed my life! (Country neighbors).
January 1, 2003... I was born an animal lover in a suburb near Seattle. If my parents could have afforded to send all four of us to college, I probably would have been a veterinarian. I actually nagged them so long they broke down and bought me a pony to keep at...

Sharing lessons in "failure". (Country neighbors).
January 1, 2003... Let me begin by saying how glad we are to have come across your publication several years ago. It's like expecting a visit with a close friend in between issues. Before stumbling onto COUNTRYSIDE, we felt alone in our self-sufficient struggles....

The life of a hermit: it isn't for everyone. (Country neighbors).
January 1, 2003... I have been wanting to write for a long time. I feel a bit alone in this world, especially in the notion of "homesteading." I fell in love with this thought when I was working at a health food store in Denver, Colorado between 1992 and 1996. On...

Amazing things can happen in just 18 months. (Country neighbors).
January 1, 2003... Since my article in the March/ April 2002 issue of COUNTRYSIDE my mail has been heavy and I still receive an occasional letter. I've written for COUNTRYSIDE before but never had this much mail. I am still trying to answer letters, but maybe...

Building a "whale". (Country neighbors).
January 1, 2003... We are working on our home and hope to have it "blocked in" by the holiday. The last letter I wrote (Nov/Dec, pg. 15) mentioned that we have a large silver building that we have named "The Whale." It was from an ad in the local newspaper and...

"Real" farm life leads to changes. (Country neighbors).
January 1, 2003... In this update of life at Family Acres, we are not just doing things different in the country than we did in the city, we are actually becoming different people. (With the way of life out this way being so simple, people-oriented and...

Countryside's Breeders' directory.
January 1, 2003... ALPACAS Alabama CREEKSIDE EXOTICS, Glenda Goennier, 25535 AL Hwy 65, Estill Fork, AL 35745. 256-776-2932. Alpaca, Belted Galloway cattle. Missouri WHIRLWIND RANCH, Llz Mitchko, 24649 Snowberry Dr., Lebanon, MO 65536-6471....

Countryside: 2002 index vol. 86/1 to 86/6.
January 1, 2003... 2002 Index Vol. 86/1 to 86/6 Age, Starting at 61, 86/2:106; Agriculture, Protecting from bioterrorism, 86/6:46 After chores, Following in pioneer footprints, 86/3:138; Living in a topsy-turvy world, 86/1:130; Why be...

The burden of Sunday guests. (After chores).
January 1, 2003... We think you'll smile at this letter. It was printed in The Rural New Yorker (July 5, 1924), under the "Woman and Home" department (right next to the ad for a Florence Oil Range which states "The stove is hot, yet the kitchen is cool..."). ...