Countryside & Small Stock Journal articles from January 2006

Countryside & Small Stock Journal archives from January 2006

From the editor: homesteaders can take what the future dishes out.(Editorial)
January 1, 2006... The calendar page has turned and we find ourselves with a new year once again. A time of new beginnings, fresh starts... the beginning of the rest of our lives! So why are many people so pessimistic about the future? Granted, the news...

Carla Emery: 1939-2005.(Country conversation & feedback)
January 1, 2006... COUNTRYSIDE: It seems we keep losing friends of the small family farm, and now we've lost another one. I am sorry to report that Carla Emery, author of The Encyclopedia of Country Living, has passed on. She was more than merely an author; she...

Nubian/Boer goat crosses can have a positive outcome.(Country conversation & feedback)
January 1, 2006... COUNTRYSIDE: I just wanted to give a quick answer to Travis and Melissa Horst's question about crossing Nubian does with a Boer buck. By all means, do so. We have been crossing our Nubian milkers with a Boer or Boer/Mytonic buck for several...

Make a fireplace insert out of car exhaust pipes.(Country conversation & feedback)
January 1, 2006... COUNTRYSIDE: In response to Jeannie in Arizona's question about a fireplace insert, I had a home made one that worked real well made out of exhaust pipe. The insert was four or five two-inch car exhaust pipes bent in a "C" shape (flat on the...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
January 1, 2006... On page 94 of the Nov./Dec. issue, Pinetree Seeds' phone number should be 207-926-3440 (not 270). And Ronniger's Potato Farm: 208-267-7938. We apologize for the inconvenience.

National animal ID program to go into effect.(Country conversation & feedback)
January 1, 2006... COUNTRYSIDE: Has anyone else heard about a federal animal ID program? I'd heard snippits here and there that the USDA wanted to tag livestock, but not on this scale! Are there any other groups opposing this? I hate to see Monsanto get...

Avian flu concerns.(Country conversation & feedback)
January 1, 2006... COUNTRYSIDE: I am extremely concerned about the avian flu. I have 17 chickens and a few ducks. Should I be worried about the possible transmission of avian flu to my children, who take care of these animals? What should I be doing to prepare...

He feels better after venting.(Country conversation & feedback)
January 1, 2006... COUNTRYSIDE: Thank you for the opportunity to get some things off my chest. The first and foremost item is how much I enjoy COUNTRYSIDE. I read it cover to cover several times between issues. Next is the Wal-Mart discussion: This is free...

From cults to corn: weighing in on a number of topics.(Country conversation & feedback)
January 1, 2006... COUNTRYSIDE: Here are a few bits of feedback maybe, hopefully, you can use. * "Community or cult?" My family and I are "very" familiar with the group now known as "Twelve Tribes." We first met them over 25 years ago. I never like to speak...

Canning with steam isn't safe.(Country conversation & feedback)
January 1, 2006... COUNTRYSIDE: Once again I see "steam canners" touted as an acceptable method for food storage. These have been tested and are not recommended by any reputable source. They do not heat the contents of the jars enough to kill organisms which can...

Questions about food preservation? Get answers here.(Country conversation & feedback)
January 1, 2006... COUNTRYSIDE: According to its web site www.homefoodpreservation. com, the National Center for Home Food Preservation is your source for current research-based recommendations for most methods of home food preservation. Topics include...

Country life can be overwhelming on occasion.(Country conversation & feedback)
January 1, 2006... COUNTRYSIDE: I would like to make some comments about country living. I grew up in the country in the 1940s and 50s, and left home for a military career, which was about the only choice we had then. I came back home 24 years ago with my family....

Draft animal and equipment source.(Country conversation & feedback)
January 1, 2006... COUNTRYSIDE: My wife and I raise European Belgian draft horses, also known as Brabants. Of the 16 horses we now have, all will stand for the farrier except one. She has to be put in the shoeing stock. A friend's team of American Belgians also...

Can you care for livestock while living in town?(Country conversation & feedback)
January 1, 2006... COUNTRYSIDE: For many years I have wanted to own some acreage and have livestock such as sheep and chickens. My husband and I compromised and bought a house on a city lot in a small town. I have wondered, however, if it might be possible to...

Readers' questions answered.(Country conversation & feedback)
January 1, 2006... COUNTRYSIDE: In the Nov./Dec. 2005 issue there were several requests for assistance. Perhaps I can help. To Liz in St. Charles, IL: The best place to look for coal is to find your local blacksmith's guild and get it from them. They use a...

A good diet and exercise keep him in top shape.(Country conversation & feedback)
January 1, 2006... COUNTRYSIDE: I read the Country Conversation in the September/October issue with interest. While I agree that it may not be a good idea to feed infants too much soy, I also believe that soy is much healthier for adults than much of the other...

When building, it pays to plan ahead.(Country conversation & feedback)
January 1, 2006... COUNTRYSIDE: I use propane for a cooking stove, refrigerator, and hot water heater. My electric bill is $10, except during the air-conditioning months of August and September. The refrigerator is a Servel. It has a small capacity, but with...

Have a property inspection before selling your home.(Country conversation & feedback)
January 1, 2006... COUNTRYSIDE: We were recently forced to leave our little piece of heaven in the east mountains near Albuquerque to move back into the city. We had a buyer for the property and thought things were going to go smoothly, until the property...

Composting toilet plan causes building headache.(Country conversation & feedback)
January 1, 2006... COUNTRYSIDE: I have a question for COUNTRYSIDE readers. I have been looking for property to purchase to build my own home and keep running into roadblocks. My plans are to have a sawdust toilet system and it seems like every piece of property I...

Depression-era memories are valuable.(Country conversation & feedback)
January 1, 2006... COUNTRYSIDE: Thank you for printing Mrs. Orsborn's articles and a big thank you to Mrs. Orsborn for writing them! I have thoroughly enjoyed both installments and am hopeful that she will write more. I get so disgusted with how spoiled we are as...

Ask questions before buying this property.(Country conversation & feedback)
January 1, 2006... COUNTRYSIDE: In reference to Jim Linder's letter in the Sept./Oct. 2005 issue: My advice would be that under no circumstances should he proceed to build a house on the property he described. Jim has fallen in love with the land and lost sight...

Homesteading--in St. Paul, Minnesota.(Country conversation & feedback)
January 1, 2006... COUNTRYSIDE: My husband and I love your magazine! It is filled with wonderful articles and information for those interested in becoming self-sufficient. We were reading the Sept./Oct. 2005 issue when we came across an article on community....

Vegetable oil soap brings dry skin relief.(Country conversation & feedback)
January 1, 2006... COUNTRYSIDE: I thoroughly enjoy your magazine. It is such a refreshing change from the glitz and artificiality of the usual periodicals. I've been reading everything I possibly can find about health, nutrition, dollar stretching, and homemaking...

Ideas for a jar ring sorter and animal mover.(Country conversation & feedback)
January 1, 2006... COUNTRYSIDE: I had an awful time keeping my jar rings sorted and where I could use them until I tried using an old wire coat hanger. Simply undo the twisted metal around the large hook and leave the large hook alone. Turn the twisted end into a...

Tenderizing venison.(Country conversation & feedback)
January 1, 2006... COUNTRYSIDE: I have to take issue with an item in your Nov./Dec. 2005 issue. Regarding the article by Ralph Schneider of Eleva, Wisconsin, and aging venison. First, freezing does little or nothing to enhance meat tenderness. It, in fact,...

No color photos? No problem.(Country conversation & feedback)
January 1, 2006... COUNTRYSIDE: I am a new subscriber and I cannot put this magazine down. It amazes me-it's like opening a door and walking into another era. It's refreshing. At first, when I received my first issue, I said, "Heck, no color pictures? What...

Want to trade places for the summer?(Country conversation & feedback)
January 1, 2006... COUNTRYSIDE: I have been a subscriber for 12 years. My wife and I have been homesteaders for over 14 years in the mountains of Wyoming near the Bridger Teton Forest. We built a nice log cabin, drilled a well with lots of good water, have solar...

Blade-type sawmill input wanted.(Neighbors in need)
January 1, 2006... COUNTRYSIDE: I would like to build a blade-type sawmill with an automobile (diesel) engine with the capability of doing ship-lap siding, wood shingles, and double tongue and groove for log home construction. Anyone have experience or...

Have you ever made BBQ smoking chips?(Neighbors in need)
January 1, 2006... COUNTRYSIDE: I was wondering if anyone had experience making BBQ smoking chips from pecan or hickory trees that need to be thinned out? Also, I would appreciate any information on "loggers." I have 10 acres of old pecan trees and the trees need...

A wedding venture.(Neighbors in need)
January 1, 2006... COUNTRYSIDE: We are considering an all-outdoor wedding facility on our hobby farm of 3.4 acres. We are surrounded by farm fields and our closest neighbor is 1/2 mile away. However we are not far from town, within five minutes. Do any of your...

Coming events.(Calendar)
January 1, 2006... Send your coming events at least three months in advance to: Countryside Coming Events, 145 Industrial Dr., Medford, WI 54451; csymag@tds.net. January 27-29, 2006 New York: 24th Annual Organic Farming & Gardening Conference, presented...

25 years later... and still having fun.(Notes from the Northwoods)
January 1, 2006... We'd been on our homestead less than three years when we got a call from Dave Skoloda from Jd Belanger's COUNTRYSIDE magazine. Could he come out and interview us for the magazine? The year before Steve had written an article on our solar...

Series and parallel wiring: successfully compounding amps and volts.(Life on the sunny side)
January 1, 2006... When I began putting together my first solar electric system way back in the last century, I soon noticed there was an easy part and a hard part to the installation. The initial tasks--welding the heavy steel frames for the solar panels,...

Bikes are big business.(Life on the sunny side)
January 1, 2006... Bicycle sales have taken off in the past 12 months according to Tim Blumenthal, executive director of Bikes Belong. Bike sales haven't been this hot since 1973, with 19 million sold in the past year, while almost 20 million were sold during the...

Energy in the news ...(Life on the sunny side)
January 1, 2006... * Some geologists expect 2005 to be the last year of the cheap-oil bonanza, while estimates coming out of the oil industry indicate "a seemingly unbridgeable supply-demand gap opening up after 2007," which will lead to major fuel shortages and...

Cordwood: for a distinct log structure.(Homestead building)
January 1, 2006... Building with cordwood has become a hot topic lately. Cordwood is an environmentally friendly, renewable resource. The homes are aesthecially unique, well-insulated, and solid. The use of cordwood has been around for 1,000 years, with some...

Spousal support in the home craft business.(Your homestead business)
January 1, 2006... A customer once told me, "You two are the only people I know who live in the country and work from home." Then she added, "But I don't know how you can work with your husband. If I had to work with mine, we'd kill each other." That exact...

She turns "weeds" into household accessories.
January 1, 2006... After reading the articles in the Nov/Dec issue regarding starting your own home-based business, I decided to write to share some of the projects I have found and really enjoy. Each project may or may not be appropriate for everyone, nor will...

Preparing for emergencies? Try the gourmet approach.(The country kitchen)
January 1, 2006... A home grain mill and some heat guarantee a nutritious and delicious food source in case the power goes or food supplies are interrupted--but only if the mill still works. If you're learning or yearning to be better prepared, you'll want to...

Mediterranean style flat breads are excellent with dipping sauces.(The country kitchen)
January 1, 2006... Betty Quinn's flax bread recipe sounds delicious, all except one thing: Sweet n' Low? Splenda? My whole family (even the kids) said, Yuk! Have you read the medical studies on that stuff? Or are you just gonna believe the FDA? (Not to mention...

The versatile avocado: Mexico's nutritious gift to the world.(The country kitchen)
January 1, 2006... An attractive pear-like fruit which, in the main, is consumed as a vegetable, the avocado is gaining popularity in North America as an important nourishing food. Increasingly, this vegetable/ fruit with a creamy texture and subtle nut-like...

It's about thyme: use of this herb is becoming more popular.(The garden)
January 1, 2006... The next few months of winter evenings will find many of you snuggled up by the fireplace or woodstove, browsing through seed catalogs and making plans for this spring's garden. When it comes to planting out herbs, seriously think about...

Alaskan gardening tips.(The garden)
January 1, 2006... As a garden writer, I focus on making it easier for northern, maritime gardeners to grow what it takes to survive in our region. Here in southeast Alaska, where summers are cool and winters are mild, I've found it best to concentrate on six...

'What's in your soil?(The garden)
January 1, 2006... Before starting to plant, you will I probably have to improve your soil's fertility, especially if it is a first-season garden. Of course, the first harvest will give you some indication of soil quality, but conducting a soil test is a more...

The "National Animal Identification System": a new threat to rural freedom?
January 1, 2006... Small farmers and homesteaders have chosen their way of life because they love their freedom--the freedom from urban noise and congestion, the independence from government and corporate interference, the self-reliance of providing one's own...

Build a small-scale chicken plucker.
January 1, 2006... Butchering chickens is not a pleasant task, as anyone who has tried it can tell you. And plucking the birds is a time consuming chore. So before butchering season this fall, we decided it was time to get a mechanical feather plucker. After...

Chickens are sometimes strange, but I couldn't live without mine.(The henhouse)
January 1, 2006... Most of the time my chickens are roaming free in the yard, until I finally have enough of them getting into my flower beds and garden, scratching around and making a mess. Then they get shut up until I start to feel sorry for them and let them...

What can be done about "attack" roosters?(Country conversation & feedback)
January 1, 2006... COUNTRYSIDE: I have a rooster that is a little Cochin. He is a wonderful rooster, fights off anything that threatens the hens (dogs, cats, hawks, even raccoons). The only problem is, when the hens started laying, he started to attack his...

Can you mix chickens and cats in the barnyard?(Country conversation & feedback)
January 1, 2006... COUNTRYSIDE: Thank you for putting in my question a couple months ago about the Doyle blackberry. I only got about 10 responses (not very positive), but it was very interesting to hear from people. I have a question, probably a dumb one. I...

What's a good size for a rabbit cage?(The rabbitry)(Reprint)
January 1, 2006... The right size for a rabbit's cage depends on the size of the rabbit and who you talk to. However, there are some basic differences to keep in mind. You need a larger cage to house a doe and her litter than you need for a buck. Also, more...

"Wry neck" could mean listeriosis.(The rabbitry)
January 1, 2006... Our Californian buck began holding his head to one side. Thinking perhaps he had ear mites, I checked and found his ears clean. The next day he had a heavy discharge from both eyes and nose. Combiotic cleared that problem up within a few days,...

Good guesses may save rabbits.(The rabbitry)(Reprint)
January 1, 2006... I had a doe that had a litter of 13. This was her fourth litter and she wasn't quite a year old. Four bunnies died at first and then when her babies were almost two weeks old, the doe died. That week she wasn't eating at all and drank very...

Small family farms are dwindling across the country: can we afford another dying breed?
January 1, 2006... Sam Cunningham made a lot of trips to the milking barn in a 61-year career as a dairy farmer--approximately 44,530 by his calculations--and that's based on milking only twice a day. Sam and his family knew that a dairy farmer's life required a...

Last month we asked: what does the future hold.(Question of the month)
January 1, 2006... I can only imagine what other predictions of the future may surround this one. Thank you COUNTRYSIDE for giving us a place to share them. I'd guess every one of COUNTRYSIDE'S practical, self-reliant readers senses the folly and precariousness...

The country needs a homesteader's point of view.
January 1, 2006... I'm glad to see that the prophetic legacy of J.D. has returned to the pages of COUNTRYSIDE! As you expressed, it is a wide open question and I hope that it generates discussion for months to come. As homesteaders and potential homesteaders we...

Will our children believe how easy life was?
January 1, 2006... I am certainly not a gifted psychic and I can t see the future, but I am aware of what is going on in the world and try to stay informed about current events and what's new in science and technology. By paying close attention to the events in...

And then there's the threat of avian flu ...
January 1, 2006... I love COUNTRYSIDE and I love the thought of being prepared for the best of times, but having knowldedge, information and supplies to weather the worst of times. America, as I have known in my lifetime, has been one of the greatest nations...

Can we continue life as usual?
January 1, 2006... What does the future hold? We believe, not much, for a lot of people. People will go on with life as usual, after the initial shock of a disaster has worn off, and pick up where they left off. Just as in the recent tragedies of the last year,...

They've had mixed results being self-sufficient.
January 1, 2006... They say you don't have to be a weatherman to see which way the wind blows. Between the destruction of Katrina and the war in Iraq, what the future holds for us as individuals, as a nation and as a world remains unknown, but I find it...

Preparing spiritually is a good start.
January 1, 2006... What does the future hold? If only we knew! The meteorologist I listen to says we are going to experience a cycle of another seven years of severe hurricane weather. Does that mean we'll have another seven years of drought where I live like we...

Live like there are no "extras"--intentionally.
January 1, 2006... Ten years ago I started making a list of what I thought would be needed if someone had to go through a manmade or natural disaster. I couldn't afford everything I thought I would need, but I did my best. I lived with no electricity, raised a...

Understand what you really need to survive.
January 1, 2006... This month's question, "What does the future hold?," has left a wide open field for conversation. First, I would like to say that one of my favorite quotes is "that mankind in his own infinite wisdom will be the means of his own self...

National, world, and personal predictions.
January 1, 2006... Predictions for the U.S. in 2006 1. More political scandal, mainly because of greed, hunger for power, not caring about the earth and the people on it, and a plain lack of "brain cells." 2. More chances of terrorist attacks. Sad to...

Fear of work may hold some back.
January 1, 2006... I see the world going back to the days of living almost completely independent from money. Living off the land, producing the food that we eat; bartering instead of cash only; trading with neighbors to help support our friends and ourselves....

Keep your options open.
January 1, 2006... I need to face it: no matter how much I plan, how much I prepare, how much I think or ponder or record ideas or read how-to books, I can never know just how tomorrow will turn out. It is good to make plans. People that don't plan ahead...

It can't hurt to be prepared.
January 1, 2006... The recent string of huge national disasters, from tsunamis to hurricanes to earthquakes, and all the political unrest all over the world have many people talking: What's it all about and what could happen next? This topic has surfaced often...

I don't count on Uncle Sam!
January 1, 2006... With the very recent hurricane taking out a major city in the U.S., it convinces me more than ever we all need to be prepared. If the performance of the federal government during this emergency didn't convince people that the government cannot...

Living through Hurricane Rita.(After the storm)
January 1, 2006... Wednesday, September 22 Tom and I realized Hurricane Rita was headed for southeast Texas. There was an evacuation order in place, and thousands of folks were packing up and leaving. The highways were quickly filled with bumper-to-bumper...

Lessons from an ice storm.(After the storm)
January 1, 2006... As I listened to the weather, I realized tonight was not the night to try to figure out how to cook a rabbit in the oven. Since it was January, I liked to use the oven to cook a meal and help keep the house warm. I was still experimenting with...

Be prepared-and save money-by buying more.
January 1, 2006... I have preached and taught on preparedness subjects for several years. Some of the basic ways that we live out our life here at our Texas home might seem strange to those who are not familiar with preparedness as a lifestyle. Those of you who...

Protect your family from influenza with homeopathy.(Homestead health)
January 1, 2006... Homeopathy has a fantastic record of success in handling influenza. With thousands of cases recorded in the 1918 Influenza outbreak, Homeopaths lost only 1% of patients, (none were lost that only took homeopathic remedies) whereas Allopathic...

Use peroxide for better health.
January 1, 2006... I would like to tell you of the benefits of that plain little ol' bottle of 3% peroxide you can get for under $1 at any drug store. My husband has been in the medical field for over 36 years, and most doctors don't tell you about peroxide, or...

Turn your yarn scraps into a handsome handcrafted hat.(Homestead crafts)
January 1, 2006... Creating warm winter hats is fun and inexpensive when you use leftover yarn from other projects. To make a hat you will need to know two stitches, knit and purl. (Any beginner level book from the library will give detailed instructions to learn...

Splitting firewood by hand isn't a matter of efficiency.(The wood shed)
January 1, 2006... It seems almost everyone tries to convince me to get a log splitter. Now let me say up front that I've never used one so I don't miss not using one. I'm always told that if I would use a log splitter I would never go back to splitting wood by...

The wood carver: carving shows and seminars can teach you a lot.
January 1, 2006... Carving shows and seminars are an excellent way to increase your carving ability and learn new techniques, and to improve on old ones. Most shows are held during the fall, winter and spring seasons. An excellent source of information on where...

Poor will's Almanack for deep winter and late winter 2006.
January 1, 2006... Chill airs and wintry winds! My ear Has grown familiar with your song; I hear it in the opening year, I listen, and it cheers me long. --Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Astronomical data for January The phases of the Chinese Witchhazel ...

Countryside's breeders' directory: reach over 300,000 people for just $60/year!(Directory)
January 1, 2006... Alpacas/Llamas Missouri WHIRLWIND RANCH, Llz Mitchko, 24649 Snowberry Dr., Lebanon, Md 65536-6471. 417-533-5280. Huacaya alpacas. Ohio LOFTY PINE FARM, Deb Yeagle, 2882 CR 82, Lindsey, OH 43442-9753. 419-665-2697. Llamas,...

The barn.(After chores)
January 1, 2006... The old barn fell down. It caved into the sloping ground on which it was built years ago. The faded siding and ancient timbers had been leaning to the east for several years. One March afternoon it came crashing down onto itself during a...