Countryside & Small Stock Journal articles from July 2006

Countryside & Small Stock Journal archives from July 2006

From the editor: NAIS, water, and other homestead subjects.(Country conversation & feedback)(Editorial)
July 1, 2006... Life in the country is so peaceful... until you have to jump up off the porch step where you've been taking a breather to corral the goats that have just climbed over the fence to visit the neighbor's adjoining pasture. Then you may spend...

Countryside get-together in Indiana.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2006... COUNTRYSIDE: We are once again inviting homesteaders--and all those who'd like to be--to a weekend of fun and interesting activities at our homestead in Indiana. We had a wonderful weekend last year, with a grand total of 170 people at...

Reader provides plenty of food for thought.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2006... COUNTRYSIDE: Thing One: Thank you for printing the letter concerning the NAIS/NIAA/APHIS/USDA from Glen Slack, NIAA CEO. That was one of the funnier things I've read this year. Thing Two: I did not write immediately in response to Jerri...

Cordwood efficiency debate continues.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2006... COUNTRYSIDE: I found Richard Flateau's and Rob Roy's reply (May-June 2006, pg. 84) to my cordwood concerns (March-April 2006, pg. 8) very interesting. While I appreciate the polite tone, the substance of the reply is that the problems I have...

Word-of-mouth found their cistern builder.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2006... COUNTRYSIDE: We have concrete cisterns that initially filter the water with sand filters and then a whole house filter where it comes into the house. We are planning on a more comprehensive filter system and a different pump when we can afford...

There is hope for animal allergy sufferers.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2006... COUNTRYSIDE: I am writing in response to Liz Hildreth from Wisconsin in the March/April issue about her allergies. I am 32 years old and have been told most of my life that I would never own an animal because of my severe asthma and allergies....

Rainbow Cornish are awesome.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2006... COUNTRYSIDE: About two years ago I read somewhere about a breed of pasture raised chickens called Rainbow Cornish. They were a fast growing breed promoted as 10 or 12 weeks to finish (not six weeks, as some are), and they could run and forage,...

Internet--friend or foe?(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2006... COUNTRYSIDE: Having just read Kevin and Donna's article, "Where did all the money go?", I am prompted to respond. The one thing which blew the whole essence of their thesis was the stereotypical ending, "www.geocities.com..." That one...

Homesteading "alone" has perks.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2006... COUNTRYSIDE: Regarding the Question of the Month (May/June 2006): I grew up in a rural area as a child, left home for the "big city," and finally found myself trying to grow corn plants in flower pots on my tiny apartment porch with my city...

Is is possible to "rejuvenate" kerosene?(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2006... COUNTRYSIDE: About six years ago, awaiting chaos from computer malfunctioning and resultant Y2K panic in this country, I stocked up on a lot of "things." Included in this "stockpile" are several hundred gallons of K-1 kerosene. Over the past...

Homemade deodorant and tee shirt uses.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2006... COUNTRYSIDE: Our homemade underarm cream prevents odors. Mix equal parts petroleum jelly (melted over a double boiler) and stir in baking soda. We make all of our yogurt thanks to the easy directions in a recent issue. How can I make...

Stevia: a natural sweetener.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2006... COUNTRYSIDE: Stevia does produce seed, but the germination rate is very low. I have tried several times to raise it from seed, but failed each time. It can be purchased in plant form which is the best bet. To process it to use from the plant is...

Lighten those bread "bricks".(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2006... COUNTRYSIDE: Here is a suggestion for folks who have heavy bread "bricks" coming out of the oven. Mix a tablespoon of wheat gluten and a tablespoon of seven-grain cereal in the dry ingredients. The bread will turn out great. I use a bread...

Avian flu has been around for decades.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2006... COUNTRYSIDE" This is a letter I wrote to my congressional representatives. Maybe it will help other COUNTRYSIDE readers put the avian flu epidemic in perspective. "When is a pandemic not a pandemic? When very few people get sick or die...

That's a lot of shells!(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2006... COUNTRYSIDE: I have just acquired about 3,000 duck eggs that have been blown and bleached. Outside of the obvious Easter angle, does anyone have any ideas on how to develop them for a commercial market? I had thought to make some into Christmas...

Busy, but not fast-paced lifestyle.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2006... COUNTRYSIDE: My husband and I have three young children, and live in the country in an Amish settlement. We have a small, 10-acre farm, on which we raise most of our food and pasture for our horses and cow. Our cow is a Jersey and is the source...

Readers don't agree with NAIS.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2006... COUNTRYSIDE: Reading the information about NAIS (National Animal Identification System) makes me wonder if our government has lost its collective mind. This is the most unenforceable silliness I have seen recently, but it seems to be only the...

Mussings on NAIS, micro-chips, and land patents.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2006... COUNTRYSIDE: I love your magazine! I'm glad there are so many people in our country who stand up for their rights. In reference to the articles in the March/April 2006 issue about the National ID program for animals, one person wrote "how...

Real estate agent expands on advice.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2006... COUNTRYSIDE: I think your magazine is great. I always find something interesting in it. I hope the attached document will be of use to your readers. In response to the article I read in the May/June 2006 issue titled "Investigate Real...

Don't use ammonia to deter bears ...(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2006... COUNTRYSIDE: In my letter in the May/ June issue of COUNTRYSIDE, I intentionally left out the reference to a baited balloon, as a means of deterring a problem bear; but alas, this is one of those horrible ideas that just won't go away. Since it...

And electricity may not be the way to go, either.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2006... COUNTRYSIDE: I got around to reading the last issue of COUNTRYSIDE (Vol. 90/3) and noticed an error on page 18. I am referring to the response to the article "Outwitting this sly bear wasn't an easy task." Although I think there are several...

Coming events.(Calendar)
July 1, 2006... Send your coming event at least three months in advance to: COUNTRYSIDE Coming Events, 145 Industrial Dr., Medford, WI 54451; csymag@tds.net. June 23-25, 2006 17th Annual Renewable Energy & Sustainable Living Fair, Renew the Earth...

Homestead water procurement: water is a vital element for any homestead. This well bucket can be a god-send if the power goes out.(Homestead water)
July 1, 2006... Whether natural or manmade, rips in the fabric of modern civilization can occur with devastating consequences. Disasters seem to be happening more often, in more places, and impacting more and more people. All too often too much water (flood,...

A back-up water supply.(Homestead water)
July 1, 2006... All living things on this planet need to drink water in order to continue to live. Just a few days without it, and you will die. It's that simple. Our water supply is gathered from streams, rivers, large lakes, and dams. Our waterways are...

Self-sufficient for how long? One family shares their list of emergency preparations.(Homestead water)
July 1, 2006... Okay, I admit it. Like Thomas Jefferson, I am an obsessive list maker. I make shopping lists, a list of what to take when I go birding, a list of what to take when camping with the Boy Scouts, a list of everything with me when I cross a border...

Keeping electricity in its place.(Life on the sunny side)
July 1, 2006... IS there an off-grid solar-electric system lurking somewhere in your not-too-distant future? If so, you've probably spent a bit of time looking over schematics of simple installations. I'll bet they were neat and uncluttered, with tidy wires...

A po' boy's hydraulic bench press.
July 1, 2006... Here is a project that can be finished in short order, and is so useful for any po' boy who works with his hands. You may have been in someone's shop who is well financed and drooled over his equipment, thinking that only those who have a lot...

The Manytracks solar oven.(Notes from the Northwoods)
July 1, 2006... There is something quite satisfying about walking into your garden, harvesting some well grown vegetables, and cooking them in the quiet, practical but efficient solar oven. The meal doesn't have to be simple, it can be as elaborate as you...

Perfect for the solar oven ... One-pot meals from the garden.(The Country Kitchen)
July 1, 2006... Summer's here, the garden is producing like mad, and the last place you want to be is in the kitchen cooking and dealing with the dirty dishes. Throw everything into one pot, turn the stove to a simmer, and go out and enjoy the sunshine! Better...

Tomato and pumpkin recipes are always favorites.
July 1, 2006... When most people think of tomatoes they think of casseroles, soups, salads, and sandwiches. Enjoy the bounty of your garden all winter with these unusual and delicious marmalades, jams, and butter. Not only will the color be a bright reminder...

Salsa and zucchini.
July 1, 2006... Salsa Sauce cups tomatoes, cut in small pieces (dip in hot water to take off skins) 1 large diced green pepper 1 cup onion, diced 1 jalapeno pepper, diced 1-1/2 tablespoons chili powder 1 tablespoon sugar...

Pumpkin and peach recipes.
July 1, 2006... Here is a great recipe using pumpkin that I thought Mary Knutson and other COUNTRYSIDE readers might enjoy. It is delicious--and I do not know why it is called fruitcake. Pumpkin Fruitcake 1 cup white sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar...

Authentic tomato salsa.(The county kitchen)
July 1, 2006... Quite a few years ago, my husband and I were in search of a jarred tomato salsa that had enjoy. The jars we had encountered, at that point, were too tomatoey, too chemically heated, too pureed...too blah! Call me "slow," but it suddenly...

Tips for growing tomatoes on a patio.(The country kitchen)
July 1, 2006... COUNTRYSIDE: I am 91 years old and have been growing tomatoes for 50 years. I'm a member of the Tomato Genetic Society, which consists of major tomato agronomists. Forty-five years ago I processed my seeds, had envelopes printed and sold three...

Reader offers rabbit recipes.(The country kitchen)
July 1, 2006... COUNTRYSIDE: This is for Martha Schoen from Ohio who was searching for rabbit recipes: Rabbit Sausage 6 pounds rabbit meat (boned of course) 2 small onions, minced 2 level tablespoons salt 2 level teaspoons pepper...

Growing Oriental eggplant.(The garden)
July 1, 2006... We start Oriental eggplant in our solar greenhouse several weeks ahead of the last frost date, giving them a head start so they are about four to six inches tall when transplanted to the garden. Young eggplants are handsome with their velvety,...

Catnip (Nepeta cataria): the plant that cats go crazy for has uses for humans as well.(The garden)
July 1, 2006... Medicinal and food uses * Fun for cats; some cats like it dried, others fresh. In humans, catnip is a good muscle relaxant when drunk (either in tea, infusion, or tincture). When smoked, catnip is a pain reliever somewhere between Ultram...

Make your own liqueurs at home.(The country kitchen)
July 1, 2006... Whether it is part of a holiday celebration, or a finale to a fine meal shared with close friends, a small glass of a palate-pleasing liqueur is one of those simple pleasures in life that many of us have learned to cherish and hold dear....

The homestead milk supply safe or unsafe?(The home dairy)
July 1, 2006... Having a goat or cow for a home milk supply is part of the homestead ideal. Either one works well and the choice depends on your views and economics. Over the years I have had many goats including French Alpines, LaManchas, Saanen, and...

Corporate America versus the dairyman.(The home dairy)
July 1, 2006... Before I get into the gist of this letter, let me preface this by telling you a bit about my business. I've run Apple-Vue Dairy Services, LLC since September, 1986. It's a relief milking, cow clipping, and electric calf dehorning operation....

Feds eyeing your flocks & fields! Government control now under way for all agriculture.(Homestead politics)
July 1, 2006... If you grow animal or vegetable crops, imagine the following scenarios: * Being subject to searches, seizures and arrests, without a warrant, at any hour of the day or night. * Having all of your records of farm transactions, crop...

How to write congressmen.(Homestead politics)
July 1, 2006... Facts about representatives All members of the U.S. House of Representatives are up for re-election every other year. They are therefore often more motivated to keep constituents happy than senators. Representatives usually represent fewer...

Outlawed for "too few" pigs: a true account.(Homestead politics)
July 1, 2006... The new law made me a criminal because I had too few animals. "I just want full compliance by January 1," West Virginia's (then) state veterinarian Lewis Thomas told me as he hung up. The terse statement was to be his only response to my...

Sample letters and phone calls.(Homestead politics)
July 1, 2006... Here are two sample letters you can copy or adapt for your own communications to congressmen. Any point of disagreement you have with the NAIS program may be substituted for the one given in each of these sample letters, like the ones at...

Raising your own backyard pig: history of pig keeping.(The pig pen)
July 1, 2006... There was a time when every rural household had a pig or two they were fattening for the winter. In just one generation, pigs disappeared from rural America due to the industrialization of the hog business. Hogs are now raised in mega hog...

History of mules: we don't hear much about mules these days. Here two homesteaders with experience pay tribute to the wonderful (and sometimes maddening) properties of this forgotten draft animal.(The homestead mule)
July 1, 2006... There have been over 10,000 books written about horses, but only a few written about mules, so let me give you a little information on this breed. A mule is a cross between two different animals--a male donkey and a female horse. Mules...

A boy becomes a man--with a mule's help.(The homestead mule)
July 1, 2006... Our move to the farm when I was 10 would, I thought, allow me to take my place with my two older brothers as performers of real labor They did the meaningful jobs like shovel manure, supply the family's comfort by sawing the winter's stove...

Flea remedies for your dog.(The homestead dog)
July 1, 2006... Lemon lotion Rub lemon lotion into all parts of the dog's body to expel skin vermin. (A little may also be dropped into the ears.) To make lemon lotion, save lemon halves and place them in a gallon container, using at least 24 halves per...

Bring back the farmcollie.(The homestead dog)
July 1, 2006... The American dream was once set in suburbia behind a white picket fence with a yard for a dog. Today thousands of American families trade in their picket fence for a farm, set far from the city lights. Homesteaders have traded their loafers...

The recovery Of Little Duck.(The henhouse)
July 1, 2006... One day last July my mother land I ambled up to our Rhode Island Red pullets. My mom had her gun because we had been having skunk problems. Skunks had been chewing through our electric fence and killing the chickens. Suddenly my mother saw...

Creative livestock housing--an unused silo cap.
July 1, 2006... It seems you can never have enough outbuildings around the homestead. You need to store equipment and gardening supplies, house chickens and other livestock-and the list goes on and on. Creatively using what you have on hand is a must on any...

Make an inexpensive poultry feeder.(The henhouse)
July 1, 2006... Making a poultry feeder from a five-gallon bucket is easy and very inexpensive. All you need is: 5-gallon bucket with the lid and handle 12-1/4" bolts 12-1/4" nuts 4-4" pieces of perforated galvanized strap First remove...

Trapping: it ain't necessarily so.
July 1, 2006... Anyone who grew up in the city watching Disney knows how bad trapping is. There are even multi-million dollar organizations raising money by telling you how evil it is. For example, the web site for the Humane Society of the United States says...

Texas Terriers: a small working dog.(The homestead dog)
July 1, 2006... The Texas Terrier began its evolution in the late 1960s by an accidental mating of a registered Treeing Walker gyp that was left at home and a neighbor's fence-lumping Schnauzer. We were using a particularly gritty breed of Fox Terrier for...

Part I: sensible business practices for the self-employed: if your home craft business fails ... blame the boss.(Your homestead business)
July 1, 2006... It's something none of us like to think about: the failure of our home business. And the trouble is, most failures of a home business can be attributed to one person: the boss. Look in the mirror. In our current society, the...

Gardening with grandpa.(Family album)
July 1, 2006... COUNTRYSIDE: We read COUNTRYSIDE in Suriname, South America, where we are serving as missionaries with our church. I look forward to each issue and go through the back issues again and again. Here is a picture (left) of my children digging...

Homesteading with kids and other challenging household members.(Kids on the homestead)
July 1, 2006... It's the last week in late April, 2006. On the way home from the small-town privately-owned bank with which I have dealt since the 1970s--I pass the farmhouse (situated on five-plus acres) where my two daughters and I "grew up"--after we...

How to escape from the city tips on relocating.
July 1, 2006... Cities usually haven't been the best places to live and raise a family in the past--and it seems like they are getting worse instead of better. Not only is crime more rampant and drug use more prevalent, but just as much "bad stuff" happens in...

Working wood safely.(The wood carver)
July 1, 2006... Several items have caught my attention recently regarding safety while carving wood, or doing other types of woodworking. One was a picture in the last issue of COUNTRYSIDE showing a man splitting wood while wearing open-toe sandals. This...

Passalong garden memories: a great way share with friends.(The wood carver)
July 1, 2006... Passalong plants. The term can evoke the sights and scents of a lush garden with its roots literally reaching back through generations of families and friends. Entwined among a plant's blooms are often the memories of a favorite person, a...

Technology on the homestead.(Question of the month)
July 1, 2006... Two letters in the Conversation section concerning Internet use this month got us thinking, how do you handle technology on your homestead? Do you shun all forms of electricity and "modern" communication devices, sticking with your...

California dream.(Country neighbors)
July 1, 2006... Like most Countrysiders, our hearts have always been on a homestead, but in February of 2002 we owned a nice home in the city, and made our living in Corporate America. We had a "normal" debt load, but were financially comfortable enough so...

Are conservation & communities history?(Country neighbors)
July 1, 2006... From all the reading I've done in the last several years, I have also come to the conclusion that the major factor which will shape tomorrow's world is the disappearance of our god, cheap oil. Here in southern California, the world around...

"Tightwad" grandma happy to embrace self-sufficiency: and wishes today's youth would, too.(Country neighbors)
July 1, 2006... I recently read with some humor, but also a sense of concern, the article in March/April issue of COUNTRYSIDE entitled, "Tightwad genes and recycled toilet paper." How true it is of us grandmothers who grew up in the era of the Great...

For this family, less is more, on their homestead.(Country neighbors)
July 1, 2006... For years we were consumed with the dog-eat-dog world of business. I had found a niche in the real estate investment market. We were doing well. My youngest daughter told me that I had a cell phone attached to my ear from the time she woke up...

Urban childhood during the Depression.(Looking back)
July 1, 2006... Ah Child of the Depression, that's me. Born in 1934, to parents who grew up on farms, each the youngest of their families. Moving during the Dustbowl to Tulsa, desperate for steady work, my father found livelihood repairing cars. But cash...

Homesteading terms.(Homestead humor)
July 1, 2006... I often wonder if beginners or readers living in the city could use some help with some of the words and terms used by homesteaders. This article should help define some of the words you might hear in the country but don't fully understand. ...

Poor Will's Almanack for middle and late summer 2006.
July 1, 2006... Look at this beautiful world, and read the truth In her fair page; see every season brings New change to her of everlasting youth--Still the green soil, with joyous living things Swarms--the wide air is full of joyous wings. William Cullen...

The rewards of going to the shoe shop.(After chores)
July 1, 2006... I've just discovered that it's a good thing to have shoes that need repairing. It has been well over a year. The long absence reminded me that everyday errands can be one of the simple pleasures of life--it afforded the opportunity to spend a...