Countryside & Small Stock Journal articles from January 2005

Countryside & Small Stock Journal archives from January 2005

Enjoying winter; steadfast builders; and shoddy people.(From the editor)
January 1, 2005... Happy 2005! Once again we get a "fresh start" on an other year. We can visualize the largest most productive garden yet, the doe kids that will be born in just a few months (as opposed to all bucks!), and the ample supply of eggs piling up in...

Mail delivery woes.
January 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: We have been pretty well self-suffient most of our 39 years of marriage. We enjoy COUNTRYSIDE and read it cover to cover, but we will not be renewing our subscription as our post office very seldom delivers the issues and those...

Food security is still an issue.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: I too, appreciated T.W. Smestead's article on food security--it prompted me to get in touch with local politicians. Just like Kathryn Quakenbush I have noticed with growing uneasiness the regulations that seem determined to spell...

Cleaning up a sticky situation.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: About two years ago, before my third baby, I was in a bread baking phase. It was fun, surprisingly easy and everyone loved my bread. The problem? Clean up! I spent more time cleaning my doughy utensils than I spent kneading bread....

Countryside's back issue list.
January 1, 2005... Nov/Dec 1992 Vol. 76/6 * Oxen on the homestead * Deer proof your garden * Kerosene light and heat * Heating value of wood * Great Pyrenees Sept/Oct 1997 Vol. 81/5 * Harvest-time recipes for country kitchens ...

Ingredient sequence may affect bread in machines.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: I have to write in about the article "Sourdough Revisited" submitted by D. L. Salsbury, DVM, and say "wow" and "thank you." I learned a great deal from the article, and was able to make sense of some of my recent mistakes with my...

Gardener grows whopper spuds in straw.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: I just wanted to thank you for your publication--we truly enjoy every issue. I also wanted to thank Russ Goates for sharing his method of growing potatoes in straw featured in your Nov./Dec. 2003 issue. I was delayed planting this...

ATV accidents can be deadly.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: I am writing regarding your September/October article on ATVs and the circle of history. It is a very good article full of good ideas for ATV use around the house. The article mentions small spray units as still being a major use...

Homeschooling is legal in all states; attorneys can help.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: I would like to respond to Cheryl Obland. I wish her letter would have been longer, because I'm struggling to understand the details. Home schooling is legal in all 50 states and it does not matter if your child has special needs...

Cleaning is essential for roach control.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: I grew up in New York City where roaches were abundant. Although they can live on almost anything, it seems they like people and pet food best. Keep all food in tightly sealed containers or in the refrigerator, including bread,...

Use caution when feeding dried leaves.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: This is a response to Barb Siegal's use of dried leaves as a winter time treat for her animals. Everyone needs to know that Acer Rubrum, also known as Red Maple or Swamp Maple, is toxic to horses--bark and leaves. I know from...

Tips on modifying barrel cookstove.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: I just finished reading the article on building a wood burning cookstove by W. Wayne Robertson in the Nov./Dec. issue. Having been born and raised with wood heat, I would like to make a suggestion from 67-plus years of...

Woodstoves can be installed in mobile homes.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: I keep looking at wood burning stoves in various catalogs, and it always says "do not install in mobile homes." There is a story in another magazine, however, of a guy having done exactly that in an off-the-grid singlewide. ...

Homemade white wash recipe.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: Maybe some people can't afford to buy paint for their outbuildings and wood fences. I have a solution for them: it's called Dehydrated Lime White Wash, or White Wash. Recipe: 1 gallon water 1 lb. salt or 2 cups 5 lbs....

Turtle butchering tips.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: Regarding turtles in the Nov./Dec. issue, page 69. To catch: Tie two lines to an empty gallon milk bottle, one long enough to reach the bottom with a rock (or other weight tied to it), the other of equal length with a medium treble...

Chokecherry jelly is yummy!(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: Just wanted to drop you a note to comment on the article about chokecherries from the July/Aug. issue. I agree that the darker berries are sweeter, however, I tried to use my Victorio Strainer without the spring as your homesteader...

Financial transactions on-line has drawbacks.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: I had to smile when I read Ken Scharabok's article regarding Internet scams. Christmas is coming and I have had two of them tried on me in just the last week. I received an e-mail regarding compromised bank accounts and requesting...

Mushroom foraging in Tennessee.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: I have been enjoying COUNTRYSIDE for more than 30 years. I enjoyed the "Mushrooms and more" article in the Nov./Dec. issue. I have been hunting wild mushrooms for many years, and the mushrooms in the picture are the Hen of the...

Rural living requires some "sacrifices".(Country conversation & feedback)
January 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: I would like to say the article in the Sept./Oct. issue entitled "The pick-up truck," could not be more truthful. If I might add, there are more and more "city folks" who are moving and think they want to convert to country...

Don't rule out "undesirable" neighborhoods.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE." We recently moved from the city. We purchased a house on one acre of land only minutes from Washington, DC. We got it for a very reasonable price, hundreds of thousands of dollars less than homes in "more desirable" neighborhoods....

Is there a "perfect place" to live?(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: I am not sure if this is where I ask this, but could you tell me where is the perfect place to live? I live in Florida and the hurricanes are too much for me. I have seven acres of land and live in a mobile home. I would like to...

You get what you pay for--including helpers.(Country conversation & feedback)
January 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: We love your magazine and have subscribed for some time. I want to respond to the letters of two readers on "Where are all the homesteaders?," (Mar./Apr. and Nov./Dec. 2004). We are on the other side of the talk as we have...

"Wannabe" homesteaders need mentoring outlet.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: I've been reading COUNTRYSIDE for about two years now. I typically devour it immediately and have to wait for the next issue. I am with the readers who want it to go monthly. I am writing in response to several letters: in the...

Needed: advice on ram pumps, spruce gum and beer.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: After purchasing our 156 acre farm a few years ago, we learned a great deal from our many COUNTRYSIDE friends across North America. We have built chicken tractors and ventured into acquiring over 300 animals for our seven children...

Animals do the darndest things.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: I wanted to share this picture of my Northwest Farm Terrier (Marilyn Monroe), and her "kid." The doe had a horrible delivery and I think she was sure this baby caused all of her pain and suffering, and rejected the poor little...

Tea tips wanted.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: My husband Roy is 51 and I am 39, and we have 10 children. Three have already left the nest and the other seven range in age from three months to 16 years and are homeschooled. We lived in town for a number of years after we were...

Resources are out there, if you know where to look.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: In a recent issue there were a couple of people asking for help and information--they couldn't find enough books or Internet info. The one about using a drop spindle especially caught my attention because having learned from...

Calcium sources for garden plants.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: Here is an answer for one of your readers asking about adding calcium to her tomato and squash plants. (Nov/Dec 2004, page 16.) The best sources are organic--crushed chicken or duck eggs or leafy green (uncooked) vegetables...

Using a vice makes cracking walnuts a cinch.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: In reference to Jill Ott's letter (Nov./Dec. '04) concerning walnut harvesting, here is how I handled the problem. We lived on a farm in central Iowa where black walnut trees seemed to be everywhere. In the fall we gather the...

Which direction would you walk?(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: Regarding "lost in the wilderness" a very good article but I was disappointed that it failed to mention one fact that everyone who goes into the bush should know. A person who is right handed will have a tendency to veer to the...

Coming events.(Calendar)
January 1, 2005... Ewes needed 2005 Youth Conservationist Program at the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival, any heritage breed sheep breeders interested in donating a yearling ewe to a deserving youth, or youth interested in applying, contact: Elaine Ashcraft,...

A 12-volt "walking" water system.(Homestead water)
January 1, 2005... My wife Tah'tini and I moved to our latest homestead in Minnesota from the high mountains of Colorado five years ago. The "hunting shack" on our property is 20 feet square. We camped in it for two years while we cleared an area for our upgrade...

Ice cutting in the 21st century.
January 1, 2005... Food preservation has always been a matter of utmost importance since mankind gave up nomadic hunting and gathering and settled permanently in one place. Over the millennia many strategies have developed to fill this need: drying, salting,...

A homebuilt water system is the heart of this homestead.
January 1, 2005... Here at HM Ranch we have been off grid for six years now. It certainly isn't for everyone but with careful planning and some "creative" thinking, we have been able to live a fairly "normal" existence. We take showers every day, watch tv in the...

The summer of the cabin: this industrious lady describes the trials of single-handedly building a cabin on the range.
January 1, 2005... A rancher friend of mine mentioned that he had bought 32,000 acres of mountain land for pasture. Later he said, "The house is in bad shape and the barn is falling down." Right away I thought maybe I could fix up the house or a part of it, and...

Build a home for under $5,000.
January 1, 2005... Can you build a home on less than $5,000? Yes, I did it. And it is solid, sturdy, warm in winter and fairly cool in summer. The first thing to do is locate land, reasonably priced, preferably with water. Mine was cheap--$29 a month for 20...

Notch your logs for a perfect fit.(The woodlot)
January 1, 2005... The diameter of a log shrinks dramatically, especially within the first three years. This is why the knowledgeable builder will allow 3/4" per foot of vertical wall for settling. If one scribes and cuts a notch to fit the natural contours of...

Build a firewood holder.(The woodlot)
January 1, 2005... Although our home is all electric, we thoroughly enjoy our woodburning fireplace, which is capable of heating our entire home. We live in the middle of 40 acres of Ozark woods and it is about 100 yards from our annual winter fireplace wood...

Campfire tripod/rack and trammel.(The smithy)
January 1, 2005... This issue's project will be a campfire tripod or rack and a trammel used to adjust the height of pots hung from it. Material required: Three lengths of one-half inch rod (mild steel or rebar), two 48" and one 54". One length of 1/4" x 1" mild...

Rise to a new height--the workshop mini-bench.(Notes from the Northwoods)
January 1, 2005... Whether your work bench is full scale, heavy duty, hardwood carpenters bench in a separate workshop or you make do with a corner of the kitchen table, there are times when you want something taller to work on. A cardboard box or a few scrap...

Security gardens: is it time to revive them?(The garden)
January 1, 2005... Green is considered the most restful and calming color to the human eye. Some hospital rooms have been painted green to relax patients and promote healing. In the Middle Ages when London's Blackfriar Bridge was painted green, suicides dropped...

Red plastic, egg shells and milk: a recipe for prolific tomatoes.(The garden)
January 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: I'd like to tell the Wisconsin man how I grow tomatoes (Nov./Dec. 04). I was quite successful in avoiding the wilt by using red plastic. I garden in raised beds that have plank sides. My beds are four feet wide by 65 feet...

Okra: Africa's delicious gift to the world.(the country kitchen)
January 1, 2005... Once only a soul food in the southern American states, okra is slowly becoming familiar in all parts of North America. Also, known as bamya, gumbo and ladies' fingers, it has been for hundreds of years a popular vegetable, especially in Africa,...

Thinking 'bout oatmeal.(The country kitchen)
January 1, 2005... We all have our favorites--sports, candy, place to vacation, chair, dog breed--the list can go on and on. They are the things we enjoy or value above all other things that comfort us when we encounter them. One day I was enjoying a cool shower...

A love affair with bees.(The beehive)
January 1, 2005... My grandfather retired for the first time when I was about six years old, and he moved back to my hometown of Bolton, NC. I stayed with my grandfather on weekends and during the summer when I wasn't in school. Granddaddy had five or six...

This homemade incubator broods chicks and cures cabin fever!(The henhouse)(Cover Story)
January 1, 2005... The icy winds of January tore through Western New York with a vengeance last winter. It was too cold to go outside and too early to start seedlings indoors. The garden was planned a month ago and the seed order was ready for the mail. There was...

Putting poultry manure to good use.
January 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: We have formed a poultry grower owned co-op to compost the poultry manure and make a value added product. We are in production and ready to promote "Early Bird Compost." Dennis Feezor is the founding co-op member and manager. ...

Guineas, chickens and the persistent setting pullet.(The henhouse)
January 1, 2005... My homestead is located in Brazoria County, Texas on the Gulf Coast in an area known as "Old Ocean." There is an Old Ocean, Texas post office, but the Sweeny post office serves my homestead. At 52 years young, I sold my house in town and moved...

Health care for the small flock.(The henhouse)
January 1, 2005... If properly managed, the homestead chicken flock will produce fine quality meat and eggs, and will stay healthy in the process. But the key is proper management. Stress conditions--overcrowding, inadequate ventilation, inaccessible waterers,...

How to check for non-layers.(The henhouse)
January 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: In the Nov./Dec. issue there was a question from Joy Coates about recognizing the layers, and perhaps culling the non-layers. The easiest way to check for consistent layers is to look at the vent. If the vent looks healthy, yet...

The pitfalls of swap meets.
January 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: This is addressing the problem of chickens not laying as many eggs as they should. I certainly hope Joy doesn't have the problem I had, which was the infectious diseases MS and MG, which are both respiratory. I, too, was not...

Experimenting with chickens: finding the best meat and egg layers.(The henhouse)
January 1, 2005... While stashing six more chickens into the freezer after butchering recently, I reflected on how our chicken raising has progressed throughout the years. In the past, nothing was more satisfying to me than tending baby chicks in a corner of the...

Annual poultry show brings fanciers together.
January 1, 2005... Wisconsin's International Poultry Show attracted nearly 2,000 chickens, ducks, geese and turkeys to Portage, WI, September 25-26. Poultry devotees' finest expressed themselves in a loud variety of crows, honks and gobbles. The show is one of...

Ewe-nique wool products.(The sheep shed)
January 1, 2005... When it comes to niche markets, "ewe" never know hat to expect. Under-quilts made from the wool of sheep on Susan McCourt's Kerry Hills Farm at Ashippun, Wisconsin do much more for encouraging a restful sleep than counting sheep. So her...

What's bugging your horse? And how to get rid of it.(The horse barn)
January 1, 2005... External horse parasites include a variety of "bugs." Some of them are quite familiar; others are quite rare. But all of them feed upon their host thereby causing discomfort, loss of condition and sometimes actual disease. Flies Flies...

Are you sure you want to get livestock?(The cow barn)
January 1, 2005... I met my husband in June, 2000. He had a small place out in the coun-try and I had a run down mobile home in a restrictive trailer park. I had been raised in small communities and there was farming blood running through my veins. My husband was...

Homeopathy for poison ivy.(Homeopathy for homesteaders)
January 1, 2005... As with any medication, do your homework and ask around for other opinions before embarking on a medication course you are not familiar with.--Ed. Whenever we go out to cut up wood, my husband (like many others) has to deal with poison...

Keeping the books.(Homestead financers)
January 1, 2005... "If you did the math, you wouldn't do it!" This is a sentiment echoed by many veteran homesteaders who bit the bullet of an urban lifestyle in exchange for putting in long hours 24/7 towards the goal of more self-sufficient existence. ...

Prevent money mistakes.(Homestead financers)
January 1, 2005... * Think of your goal. It's fine to save pennies by clipping coupons and shopping around for bargains, but be sure to keep your bigger goal in mind. Why are you saving the money? Is it for your kid's college education, your vacation fund, a new...

The history of money: why do we need it, anyway?(Homestead finances)
January 1, 2005... I very much enjoyed Mark Entwisle's article in the Nov./Dec. 2004 issue "Flat paper money vs. real gold dollars." He explained very well how a flat paper money system always leads to runaway inflation which causes tremendous hardship for most...

Hitting hard times: getting rid of freeleaders: while some of these ideas seem a little drastic, sometimes desperate times call for desperate measures ...(Homestead finances)
January 1, 2005... There are, in the best of times, people who are leeches, and most of the time they are your own relatives--frequently your grown children. Sometimes they are shiftless neighbors, people in your church or at your workplace. The difference is...

Urban homesteading: it's not where you live, but what you do with what you have that counts.
January 1, 2005... We have lived in urban Atlanta for 31 years and live on 1/4 of an acre. We started renovating a historic house and got stuck. We never intended to stay in the city this long, however, I believe that we actually represent something I call "urban...

A taste for the plain and functional.
January 1, 2005... Homesteading today doesn't mean we can flop on a piece of land and if we're there for a certain period of time we can claim it. Today it means that we have to claim a lifestyle, and be committed to it. We have to decide to live simply in a way...

A day in the life of homesteaders-in-training.(Country neighbors)
January 1, 2005... My husband of two years and I are small-time field crop farmers who also have "regular" teaching jobs (Brian's full-time, mine part-time). However, we are working toward earning more of our living on the farm in a homestead manner. For those of...

Poor Will's almanac for Deep Winter 2005.
January 1, 2005... Yea, this is the hardest time of all: Hard for men and women, Hard for beasts as well. --Hesiod Astronomical data for January The phases of the Crow Gathering Moon and the Junco Passage Moon Great flocks of crows...

Spinning is good therapy.(Question of the month)
January 1, 2005... Last winter was very cold, without much snow, so with two small children and no tv we were overtaxing our indoor resources each and every day! To save my sanity, I turned to spinning. I spend one evening a week hand painting my roving in...

Early riser.(Question of the month)
January 1, 2005... My favorite wintertime activity is waking up early! For some reason I can never get up early in the summer, but the winter I always wake up before dawn, ready to go. I fire up the woodstove, eat some cereal, then I'm out the door. I love the...

Shoveling in the morning.(Question of the month)
January 1, 2005... I grew up on a homestead and of course there were the usual many chores to do, both indoors and out. I always enjoyed any activity that took me out into the peace and stillness--even shoveling snow. I like playing with my siblings,...

Making syrup and fishing.(Question of the month)
January 1, 2005... What is our favorite wintertime fun? I guess it's a toss-up between making maple syrup (which anyone who does knows, it's a labor of love!) and ice fishing. Syrup-ing is just a sweet thing to do, and sitting out in the bobhouse on Lake...

Reminiscing by the fire.(Question of the month)
January 1, 2005... When the last of the autumn leaves have fallen and the colder temperatures begin to arrive, I know that winter is arriving in my southern homeland. One of my favorite winter activities is to sit by the fire. I like to call it "retreating to the...

Hooking rugs.(Question of the month)
January 1, 2005... My favorite winter activity is sitting by the fire and hooking rugs. I use up old, worn out 100% wool suits and/or skirts that have been dyed, washed and cut into strips and hooked on burlap, linen, rug warp or monk's cloth. Having the rug on...

Gardening in Arizona.(Question of the month)
January 1, 2005... What is my favorite winter activity? I have the good fortune to live in Arizona after spending many winters in states that include New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, and California. This means I've seen about everything winter has to offer and I...

Flowing with the seasons.(Question of the month)
January 1, 2005... Winter is one of my favorite seasons--right up there with spring, summer and fall. One of the joys of homestead life is the opportunity to flow with the seasons. The long, cold days of winter allow me to pursue interests that are put on...

Reading, sledding and baking.(Question of the month)
January 1, 2005... Our family's favorite winter activity is sitting around the woodstove in the evening reading. I love to read to my family and they love to listen. We will read for hours. We usually have several books going at one time--one that we only read...

Keeping family history alive.(Question of the month)
January 1, 2005... In the Sept./Oct. 2003 issue of COUNTRYSIDE, Monika Carless closes her "Country Neighbor" column this way: "I pressed the warmth of this summer day in my thoughts, to unravel later when the days are short and the nights are cold. This will have...

Watching, their pennies paid off.(Country neighbors)
January 1, 2005... About four years ago our family, which consists of our son and his wife, and our daughter, her husband and son, purchased an old run-down, 106-acre farm in Yadkin County, NC. As I write this, the six of us are in the process of getting rid of...

Dealing with "neighbors from hell".(Country neighbors)
January 1, 2005... Just about everybody has had, at one point or another, a neighbor from hell problem. It doesn't seem to matter where we live--suburban neighborhood, planned community, mobile home park, apartment, condo, etc. It doesn't seem to matter...

Homesteading in a New Mexico RV park: it all started with a 1963 school bus.(Country neighbors)
January 1, 2005... For years, I've wanted to write about various topics or just put my two cents worth in, but haven't taken the time. I guess I've been too busy homesteading. Then, before, anyone could flick a switch, both COUNTRYSIDE and I have grown older...

Getting an early start: this homesteader was buying "frying pan specials" at the age of 12.(Country neighbors)
January 1, 2005... We bought our small 1-1/2 story bungalow on a 40-foot wide lot as a "starter." Well, that was 17 years ago. I was raised on a small acreage as a kid. The old one-acre homestead that we rented had raised six children. Ma and Pa had cherry...

Countryside's breeders' directory.
January 1, 2005... ALPACAS/LLAMAS California ALPACAS OF MARQUEZ FARMS, Sara & Robert Marquez, 1085 Almond Ave., Biggs, CA 95917.530-868-5420. Suri & Huacaya alpacas. Education, after-sales support, specializing in helping first-time breeders. Idaho...

They were looking for a way to control the kikuya grass, never expecting Norman the friendly steer.(After chores)
January 1, 2005... My husband and I had a small farm on the island of Maui for 10 years, and I would like to share some of our experiences. There is no winter to speak of in Hawaii, so a farm experience there is in some ways a little different than in most places...