Countryside & Small Stock Journal articles from July 2007

Countryside & Small Stock Journal archives from July 2007

Don't forage for parsnips blindly.(Country conversation & feedback)
July 1, 2007... COUNTRYSIDE: I always enjoy your magazine and really read it from front to back. But the article on page 66 of the May/June issue about eating wild parsnips made me feel I had to write to you. Wild parsnips are excellent food, however,...

Keep snakes out of the hen house.(Country conversation & feedback)
July 1, 2007... COUNTRYSIDE: An economical way of blocking holes in your coop: if it's elevated, even slightly as mine is (built eight inches off the ground), you can cover the wooden flooring with overlapping metal roofing panels, then spread your straw...

Kitties on patrol.(Country conversation & feedback)
July 1, 2007... COUNTRYSIDE; In response to the letter from Barbara concerning the snakes in her coop, I also had a problem with snakes (chicken snakes) in my coop. They were eating the eggs and the baby rabbits. What we did was let cats roam the area in and...

Bring on the mothballs.(Country conversation & feedback)
July 1, 2007... COUNTRYSIDE: There are a couple of things that Barbara from Arkansas can do to help her and her chickens. When the weather warmed up and the snakes began to move, my father would go hunting for two King snakes. He would bring them home and let...

Bee diseases disappoint raiser.(Country conversation & feedback)
July 1, 2007... COUNTRYSIDE: I was somewhat dismayed to find an article by Florida beekeeper Jerry Hayes urging readers to get into beekeeping. I feel that you might unknowingly be doing a disservice to your readers. Both hobbyist and commercial beekeepers are...

A wealth of bee knowledge.(Country conversation & feedback)
July 1, 2007... COUNTRYSIDE: It was great to see that you made contact with Jerry Hayes for your beekeeping articles. I am sure that all of your readers will gain great knowledge of all aspects of beekeeping. I have been reading COUNTRYSIDE since 1979, I use...

Cleaning cast iron tip, and a greenhouse dilemma.(Country conversation & feedback)
July 1, 2007... COUNTRYSIDE: I am deluged with a plethora of inane and tacky magazines at the local supermarket, and then I come home to an island of calm, practical sense and sensibility: my latest issue of COUNTRYSIDE. Regarding cast iron: I use salt to...

Neighbors confuse free-range with open-range.(Country conversation & feedback)
July 1, 2007... COUNTRYSIDE: Concerning animal problems: Good fences do not make good neighbors; good people make good neighbors. I have neighbors that confuse free-range chickens with open-range and their poultry is all over the place. Some of them come to my...

The secret of peeling eggs.(Country conversation & feedback)
July 1, 2007... COUNTRYSIDE: I have a question for your readers regarding eggs. We have marvelous chickens that lay jumbo eggs. However, when we boil 'em up, they're hard to peel. We boil in salted water. Are they too fresh? Not enough salt? Is there a trick...

Which breed lays double yolks?(Country conversation & feedback)
July 1, 2007... COUNTRYSIDE: A few years ago I went to Norway and my cousin and I went to a street market to get eggs for our wives to do some baking. My cousin's wife only baked with double yolked eggs, and a couple months ago a person wrote a letter...

Coffee substitute from trees.(Country conversation & feedback)
July 1, 2007... COUNTRYSIDE: I enjoy your magazine and glean some information from each issue. We have a few Kentucky Coffee Trees (Glymnocladus Dioica) here and I've been told that early settlers used the seed for a coffee substitute. Can anyone tell me...

A fix for rough hands.(Country conversation & feedback)
July 1, 2007... COUNTRYSIDE: Some things are worth buying! If you have tried product after product for dry, cracked, rough hands, with splits by the nails, then buy Burt's Bees hand salve. This product is a "miracle worker." Five years ago I moved...

The stimga of "dollar stores".(Country conversation & feedback)
July 1, 2007... COUNTRYSIDE: I was looking through a few back issues of COUNTRYSIDE when I took it upon myself to re-read Ken Scharabok's sad tale of how his bargain store failed. I truly hate it for him. By all accounts he should have been prosperous. I...

Shipping crates are great source of free wood.(Country conversation & feedback)
July 1, 2007... COUNTRYSIDE: I subscribe to and really enjoy your magazine! I have some info that may be useful to others who have a number of building projects, like I do! My wife and I own an outdoor power equipment store and also are avid small scale...

An endangered species: middle class America.(Country conversation & feedback)
July 1, 2007... COUNTRYSIDE: You may not think of yourself as endangered. Wake up! Rapidly the middle class is disappearing from the American landscape. The division between wealthy and poor is getting bigger all the time and the middle class is falling in the...

Sprouts are good for man and beast.(Country conversation & feedback)
July 1, 2007... COUNTRYSIDE: I am an 85-year-old WW II vet, 100% disabled. I was raised by a very strict mother and father. My mother was the only person I've met in my lifetime that could squeeze a nickel so hard that she had the Indian riding the Buffalo....

Swisher rake reviews wanted.(Country conversation & feedback)
July 1, 2007... COUNTRYSIDE: Do you have any reviews on acreage rakes like the Swisher acreage thatcher/rake? My parents are in their 80's and live on six acres tucked in the woods. Naturally they have to deal with an abundance of oak leaves every spring. So I...

Miscellaneous homestead tips.(Country conversation & feedback)
July 1, 2007... COUNTRYSIDE: Here are several ways to rescue green tomatoes before the first frost ruins them. The force-ripened tomatoes cannot compare with the vine-ripened kind, but they will be no worse than the hot house store bought kind. * Pull the...

Zone 4 fruit tree recommendations wanted.(Country conversation & feedback)
July 1, 2007... COUNTRYSIDE: Your magazine always has something useful in it. Thanks to Jeff Gerken and his tire holder for the water bucket. My husband made one immediately and now the calves don't dump their water and it really does help the water not to...

Renting out your quadriped weed wackers.(Country conversation & feedback)
July 1, 2007... COUNTRYSIDE: I have been getting your magazine off and on for about four years now. I enjoy everything about it. I have learned so much from others, and also have tips for some on things I read. In January/February 2006, a lady asked about...

Don't let frugality become an obsession.(Country conversation & feedback)
July 1, 2007... COUNTRYSIDE: I would like to comment on the article from Lori Matheson Smith on "Tips from an urban homesteader," March/April 2007. I enjoyed very much reading her tips on saving money in different areas of her life. It sounds like she is doing...

An easier liqueur recipe.(Country conversation & feedback)
July 1, 2007... COUNTRYSIDE: I read with interest the article by Thomas C. Tabor "Make your own liqueurs at home." I tried making some according to the directions using apples, blueberries and grapes, which were the fruits I had on hand. They turned out pretty...

Living with a cistern.(Country conversation & feedback)
July 1, 2007... COUNTRYSIDE: As a child we had cistern water which was pumped into the cistern by our windmill. This was really well water. It was pumped into a large steel tank which was located on a stand about 10 feet off the ground. We lived in southern...

Livestock barn must serve dual purpose.(Country conversation & feedback)
July 1, 2007... COUNTRYSIDE: In response to your request about animal shelters, I also am looking for ideas, but I'm having little luck. I want to build an underground concrete or concrete block barn that could become a human shelter should the need arise. ...

Tarentaise cattle aren't plentiful, but they're hardy.(Country conversation & feedback)
July 1, 2007... COUNTRYSIDE: I'm writing in response to Maureen Horne's letter "Any advice for hardier cattle?" that was published in the March/April 2007 issue of COUNTRYSIDE. Everyone has their own opinions about the best breeds of cattle, but I have a...

No cat neutering on this homestead.(Country conversation & feedback)
July 1, 2007... COUNTRYSIDE: Regarding May/June 2007 ("Free-range cats are a nuisance"): What I am hearing is yet another citizen brainwashed by the liberal idea of neutering cats. The animals in question are unlikely to belong to a neighbor "over a mile...

Homestead help needed in Wisconsin.(Country conversation & feedback)
July 1, 2007... COUNTRYSIDE: After reading the article written by Caren Black from the Titanic Lifeboat Academy located in Astoria, Oregon, in the last issue, I am sending this on to you hoping that you could find space in the next issue to publish it. (It was...

Your magazine stinks.(Country conversation & feedback)
July 1, 2007... COUNTRYSIDE: I just received my latest issue and it reeks of pesticides. Some of us are very sensitive to chemicals, especially pesticides and herbicides. Can you explain why your magazine smells? I love the articles, but if this continues I...

Touring the U.S.--on horseback.(Country conversation & feedback)
July 1, 2007... Here's an unusual "request" we were asked to pass along: If, sometime during the summer, you notice three people, five or six horses, and one dog traveling west, stop and say "Hi!" These adventurous souls will be touring the northern U.S. on...

Coming events.(Calendar)
July 1, 2007... Get the word out! Send your event listing at least 3 months in advance to Countryside Editorial, 145 Industrial Dr., Medford, WI 54451 or e-mail it to csyeditorial@tds.net. June 15-17, 2007 WI: 18th Annual Renewable Energy and...

Toad stranglers, chicken wranglers, global warming and forgiveness farming: on the loose at the 15th Annual Wisconsin Grazing Conference Part II.
July 1, 2007... The thick crowd trundled forward, moving towards the 2007 Grazier's Conference exhibitions in unison. I was still stirred up from the session I had just come from featuring Joel Salatin, grazier emeritus, and I was having problems keeping pace...

Of solar cells and calories, and elephants aplenty.(Life on the sunny side)
July 1, 2007... The guy didn't exactly call me a liar; he just refused to acknowledge that I was telling him the truth. The incident was all the more galling because it took place at the annual conference of the American Solar Energy Society (ASES) in Denver...

What's cooking?
July 1, 2007... Every so often we need a small, efficient and portable outdoor cooker-grill, whether for a car-camping trip or for use during a power outage. These small cylindrical jobs work quite well with charcoal, but you are unfortunately tethered to...

Construct a thermostatically controlled poultry scalding tank for under $65!(Build it yourself)
July 1, 2007... We have been raising and butchering homegrown chickens for years. In the beginning we would pick the chickens by hand, scalding them in a pot of hot water that was heated on the stove. Later a friend introduced us to a mechanical picking...

Keep your bees healthy.(The apiary)
July 1, 2007... How are you doing with your beehives? Have you gained some confidence? If you have, that is because you have made the effort to see how another specie lives. You have provided a space (hive) where they have built a home (nest) in a vast array...

Solar chicken coops have been around a long time: and the chickens love 'em.(The hen house)(Reprint)
July 1, 2007... This house was built by Steve Schmeck of the Grass Valley Homestead Research Center in Cooks, Michigan. His article and drawings are reprinted below: The basic concepts behind the construction of a solar-tempered chicken coop have been...

Rearrange your chicken yard for fresh grazing.(The hen house)
July 1, 2007... If you've spent time around poultry, you've noticed that chickens love to eat insects, weeds, and grass. They also love to scratch in the dirt and drop lots of fertilizer. Since chickens can provide natural insect control, weed control, tilling...

This shelter is tops.(The hen house)
July 1, 2007... In addition to the henhouse, shelter for range chickens can be a challenge. But if you have or can secure an "old" pick-up truck topper your problem is solved. We have two toppers and they quickly became popular spots for our 35 layers and two...

The large black hog: a rare heritage grazing pig.(The pig pen)
July 1, 2007... Today's small farmers are looking for a heritage breed of pig that can be raised on pasture and produce a superior pork for a niche market. Heritage breeds are those that were perfected more than a hundred years ago by farmers who bred for...

Horses I have known: there's a breed out there for everyone.(The horse barn)
July 1, 2007... In a recent issue of Countryside I read an article about horses and it contained a lot of helpful information, but I would like to expand on the part where the author advised against getting certain types of horses. Before going further...

Research is key to finding the perfect horse.(The horse barn)
July 1, 2007... COUNTRYSIDE: I'm writing in reference to an article that was in the Nov/Dec 06 issue by Eric Brown on finding a practical horse. The first item of interest that I noticed was his suggestion about not getting a horse taller than 15'2 hands....

... Or beefalo.
July 1, 2007... COUNTRYSIDE: TO Maureen Horne, who was looking for guidance on a breed of cattle that might be able to survive in Oregon. We live in south central Minnesota, where we receive approximately 45" of snow per year and endure frigid temperatures...

The importance of biodiversity in livestock production.(Homestead livestock)
July 1, 2007... In every sector of agriculture today, a few breeds dominate. Over 90% of the North American dairy herd is made up of Holsteins. Similarly, in the beef, sheep, pork and chicken industries, a vast majority of the total population is made up of...

Cattle & the environment.(Homestead livestock)
July 1, 2007... I've read recently a lot about the scourge of cattle as a greenhouse gas emitter. Perhaps in the context of deforestation of the Amazon and industrial feedlot production, this is so. However, I live on a 15-acre property in Eastern Ontario and...

Rabbit breed profile: Jersey Wooly.(The rabbitry)
July 1, 2007... Weight: 3-1/2 lbs. Varieties: Black, Blue, Chocolate, Lilac, REW, BEW, Broken, Pointed, Smoked Pearl, Siamese Sable, Otter, Marten, Squirrel, Opal, Tort, Blue Tort, Chinchilla, and Chestnut The Jersey Wooly is a relatively new breed...

Malpresentations & manipulations.(The cow barn)
July 1, 2007... Sometimes a calf is unable to be born because he's not positioned properly to come through the birth canal. The cow may take a long time in early labor, or doesn't progress when she starts active labor (straining hard). Knowing when to help is...

Why organic growers disapprove of chemical fertilizers.(The garden)
July 1, 2007... Chemical fertilizers are quick-acting, short-term plant boosts and are responsible for: 1) deterioration of soil friability, creating hardpan soil; 2) destruction of beneficial soil life, including earthworms; 3) altering vitamin and protein...

What if your soil won't release nutrients? "Gimme that hydrogen!".(The garden)
July 1, 2007... Getting life's needs met involves smart trade-offs. For vegetative growth, the medium of exchange is hydrogen. A plant can get the hydrogen from water ([H.sub.2]0), using oxygen in its respiration, and trading hydrogen to get nutrients from...

The joys and challenges of growing herbs.(The herb garden)
July 1, 2007... Whether your herb garden is designed for pleasure, profit or production of homegrown flavorings for your home kitchen, the hot and sultry summertime months of July and August present a mixed bag of joys and challenges. At our Timberlakes Farm...

To water or not to water: spring meadow methods.
July 1, 2007... How well your garden soil retains the water it receives depends on what type of soil you have. Sandy soils have large air spaces between the particles. This allows for good drainage, sometimes too good; water moves through sandy soil fast and...

Killing nematodes naturally.(The garden)
July 1, 2007... Nematodes are the unseen menace (eelworm) in elephants, whales, gnats and even minnows; all have nematodes in their bodies. Nematodes can thrive in such varied environments from the most arid desert to farmlands to the icy saltiness of arctic...

The power of flowers.(The garden)
July 1, 2007... Some time ago, while driving through a rural Amish community, I found myself admiring the scenery; crisp linens flapping in the breeze, shiny black horse-drawn buggies, and meticulously well-kept barns. However, what I noticed the most were the...

Last month we asked you to show us your garden! Here's a peek at what other homesteaders are doing.(Question of the month)
July 1, 2007... Maine soil and climate isn't kind to gardeners BILL & WANNETTA WILSON CONNOR, MAINE After moving to our place in northern Maine, we built raised beds because the soil on our property is very rocky and needs a lot of work to get it...

Deterring Lepus californicus in high desert gardens.
July 1, 2007... Remember those cute little bunnies that you or your classmates had as pets back in grade school? Too far back to remember? Well perhaps your children or your neighbor's children had pet rabbits. If your rose garden has been invaded by hares or...

Cabbage: one of the most nutritious vegetables.(The homestead kitchen)(Recipe)
July 1, 2007... A member of the cruciferous family that includes Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, collards, kale and kohlrabi, cabbage is one of the most ancient of vegetables. It has been on the tables of mankind, especially those of the working...

Serving a variety of foods without killing the cook: menu ideas for serving homestead visitors.(The homestead kitchen)(Recipe)(Reprint)
July 1, 2007... If we were serving a visiting congressional delegation I would pick a variety of foods for them to try and yet at the same time, try not to kill the homestead cook by making that person go crazy in the kitchen preparing food all day. Following...

Easy ways to make fixing meals at home doable.(The homestead kitchen)
July 1, 2007... There's no way around it. Just accept the fact that tomorrow our family will eat three meals--again. People have been doing it since Adam and Eve started munching fruit in the Garden of Eden. Burying your head in the sand and not thinking about...

The wonders of amaranth.(The homestead kitchen)
July 1, 2007... Amaranth is a high-protein seed, rich in amino acids, and is higher in protein than other grains. This grain is considered gluten-free and good alternative in a celiac diet. The grain was a staple diet of Pre-Colombian Aztecs, dating back 2,000...

Easy noodle recipe.(The homestead kitchen)(Recipe)
July 1, 2007... COUNTRYSIDE: I'd like to add a recipe to the Indiana reader who sent her "Tips for homemade noodle success:" Lump noodles (The best and easiest to make) For each cup of King Arthur unbleached flour, stir in: 1/4 teaspoon...

Cleaning naturally: just the basics, please.(The homestead kitchen)
July 1, 2007... Do we really need to poison ourselves in the name of cleanliness? I am not the best example of housekeeping so when a new product comes out I will try it. If I like the product I will continue to use it, as most people do, to clean my house....

Don't quit your day job: at least not yet.(Your homestead business)
July 1, 2007... Can I have a show of hands from those of you who have faced unemployment at some point? You know the kind I mean--the sudden pink slip, the unexpected horror of finding yourself out of a job, that sinking sensation when all your bills seem to...

Carving a simple wood "spirit".(The woodcarver)
July 1, 2007... After worship services one Sunday morning, we attended a slide presentation by a friend who traveled to Tanzania, East Africa last winter to visit a member of our congregation who serves on the mission field there under the auspices of Heifer...

For the love of Mike.(Country neighbors)
July 1, 2007... When my dog received a card from the Veterinary clinic instructing him to tell me to make an appointment for his rabies vaccination, I thought, "That's kind of cute," and made a mental note to call for an appointment. On the next day an...

Precious moments.
July 1, 2007... COUNTRYSIDE: I have never seen anything like this before. I thought maybe you would get a chuckle out of it. One of our cats decided to have her kittens in the laying nest in the chicken coop and the hen does not mind sharing, as you can see....

Information websites for pet food purchasers.
July 1, 2007... LEXINGTON, KY (April 25, 2007)--As part of its ongoing service mission to monitor animal feed quality in, the University of Kentucky Division of Regulatory Services advises consumers who buy pet food to stay informed. The U.S. Food and...

Aerate your pond for better water quality.(Homestead water)
July 1, 2007... A pond or small lake located on your property is a very desirable assist for many people these days. Whether it is a small pool with a few ornamental fish in it or a large pond with varied uses, all ponds can benefit from aeration. With the...

Manual pump allows for dependable water supply from your well.(New products)
July 1, 2007... A few years ago, April of 1999 to be exact, a small family owned a plumbing and heating company in Houlton, Maine, and embarked on a new project. That project was the design and development of a totally non-electric, stainless steel, hand...

Poor Will's Countryside almanack for middle & late summer 2007.
July 1, 2007... I hear the wild bee wind his horn, The bird swings on the ripened wheat The long green lances of the corn Are tilting in the winds of morn, The locust shrills his song of heat. --John Greenleaf Whittier Astronomical data for July ...

Homesteading in the big city.(After chores)
July 1, 2007... Most homesteaders "live beyond the sidewalks," but not all of us. In fact, some of us see sidewalks everyday when we send our children to school and when we go off to work. In other words, for urban homesteaders, concrete is like grass. But...