Countryside & Small Stock Journal articles from July 2008

Countryside & Small Stock Journal archives from July 2008

They're not singing the blues.(Age of Asparagus)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... COUNTRYSIDE: My husband and I have been singing the "age of asparagus" after reading about it in the latest COUNTRYSIDE. That was one of the funniest things I've read in years! Thanks for printing it, as we need a good laugh now and then! ...

Don't use galvanized racks for heating food.(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... COUNTRYSIDE: I love your magazine and always look forward to receiving the next issue. However, on page 55 of the May/June 2008 issue there is a suggestion from a reader which could have serious consequences. I am referring to the...

What's wrong with being "rich"?(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... COUNTRYSIDE: Ronald Pesha's "Cash and Carry" (May/June 2008) was full of solid advice--things that used to be common sense, but now are uncommon virtues--but I was distressed at the secondary theme, "Stop making rich people richer." I...

Swarm prevention practices pay off.
July 1, 2008... COUNTRYSIDE: I got my first copy of your fine magazine at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival in May 2007. I recently subscribed and read with enthusiasm my first copy, the March/April 2008 issue. I immediately checked to see if the Apiary...

Auctions are great places to find bargains.(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... COUNTRYSIDE: At this time I'm stuck with a landlord, but work off part of the rent. I don't have a garden because his takes up all available space. One thing he does as a hobby is go to local auctions. He's a fanatic about it and buys the...

What are your thoughts on biochar?(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... COUNTRYSIDE: This question is for all those engineering/physics/smartreaders of COUNTRYSIDE magazine, because this is where I've read some of the most thoughtful, comprehensive articles of any of the magazines I subscribe to. Is it true...

Countryside is just what this gardener needed.
July 1, 2008... COUNTRYSIDE: I moved out to a small farming community--Burlington, Colorado--a year ago after I retired, hoping to live out my life-long dream of having an edible landscape. To my surprise all the books I had read over the years about growing...

It is cheaper to raise your own eggs.(Country conversation & feedback)
July 1, 2008... COUNTRYSIDE: In 2004 someone gave me a flock of chicks as a gift. I got my first egg on Christmas Day that year. In 2005, I tracked my feed/egg ratio from July 18 to September 10, when the feed was gone. It's been said that it costs more to...

He deterred tree-eating goats with lime "paint".(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... COUNTRYSIDE: I have a fairly economical solution for Richard T. Miller's tree-eating goats. I "painted" my trees with a mixture of powdered lime and water, only as high as the goats could reach. It worked great and only needed touching-up every...

The big question: Who owns the mineral rights?
July 1, 2008... COUNTRYSIDE: This concerns the story about Janet and SEECO (May/June 2008, p. 73). Your article did not indicate who owned the mineral rights. Think of a bundle of sticks. Each stick represents a single "right," such as the right to farm a...

Water conservation is vital for survial.(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... COUNTRYSIDE: As usual, I did enjoy your May/June magazine. It has a lot of good info. An additional comment on the water conservation article on page 48. Each one of us needs 3,000 (three thousand) cubic meters of water per person per...

Any ideas regarding rental income?(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... COUNTRYSIDE: I love your magazine and think it is the best out there. As many others have commented, I can hardly put it down. So much to learn and so little time for this 40-something gal. I have a question I am hoping other readers can...

Looking for the fruit tree dad grew.(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... COUNTRYSIDE: I am searching for a fruit tree my dad raised on his farm, the Jube. The fruit is the size of a large pecan, and when ripe it is brown on the outside and a light color inside. The tree grows tall and narrow. Does anyone remember...

You don't have to spend a fortune for alternative energy.(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... COUNTRYSIDE: I really enjoy COUNTRYSIDE, but I am beginning to see a change. I suspect that most of your readers do not have the funds to build a mountain-top hide-away (that must have cost close to 100 grand or more). ("Life on the sunny...

Vertical axis turbines available.(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... COUNTRYSIDE: This is in reference to the article by Rex Ewing in the Jan/Feb 2008 issue. Rex mentions that most residential turbines are in the horizontal axis, but there are companies making vertical axis turbines. One is PacWind...

Share your tomato preserve recipes.(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... COUNTRYSIDE: I read your publication from stem to stern bi-monthly. (Old retired Navy man.) I love your magazine. Very informative. Every time I read it, I look for recipes to give to my bride of many years, but have yet to come across any...

Homesteaders are ahead of the game.
July 1, 2008... COUNTRYSIDE: My husband and I live on a small farm and raise cattle, chickens, peacocks, and goats, both meat and dairy. We are becoming increasingly concerned as to how much longer we can keep doing this, due to the increased cost of...

Is FDA food testing unbiased?(Food and Drug Administration )(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... COUNTRYSIDE: I thought I'd share the following thoughts to use when discussing food safety with the unaware. Is FDA testing sufficient to indicate health-sustaining qualities of food, assuming such testing is unbiased? No. In support of that...

Grow hulless oats for human consumption.(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... COUNTRYSIDE: I am really concerned about skyrocketing grain prices. We are paying 48 cents per pound for whole oat groats. I am a homesteader in upstate New York and both myself and my parents receive your wonderful magazine. I can grow...

Mosquito bite "cure".(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... COUNTRYSIDE: Many years ago, I came upon an interesting piece of advice: if you have itchy mosquito bites, take two or three leaves of three different weeds-any weeds-and crush them between your fingers. Apply the juice to your bites, and the...

Ant repellant needed.(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... COUNTRYSIDE: We have Texas Leaf Cutter ants in Louisiana. They are close to our water supply so we cannot use chemicals. Does anyone have a way to get rid off these ants without chemicals? It would be greatly appreciated. Please e-mail me at...

Getting started on your homestead: homesteaders are always willing to lend a hand--and advice. Questions in the last issue from the young newlyweds starting their homestead journey garnered a lot of response! Here's what's arrived in our mailbox so far ...
July 1, 2008... COUNTRYSIDE: This is in response to the letter from the young married couple (May/June 2008, p. 14). We are social security-aged folks who started to do in the late 1960s what you are doing now. We learned from our parents, neighbors, books,...

Down home & downwind: using wind energy for direct water heating.(Life on the sunny side)
July 1, 2008... David Brugge hears it all the I time from the armchair energy experts: "Why don't you heat your domestic hot water with solar energy?" they needle him. "It would be so much more efficient than using wind." Possibly. But it wouldn't be nearly...

Building a straw bale home--at the age of 19.
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I'm 24, and I've been obsessed with the idea of building a straw bale building since I was 14 years old. I realize it might sound odd for a 14-year-old to make that his dream. However, I suffer from chemical...

They built a home in a hurry--with earthbags.
July 1, 2008... The books call it "earthbag building." The locals christened it the "mud hut." I call it hard work. We hastily needed something homemade and humble. We would call it home. We were eager to try designs from the $50 and Up Underground House...

The integrated homestead part II: tools.
July 1, 2008... The Homo sapien is above all a tool-using species. It is important to recognize that we are shaped at least as much by our tools as we shape them. For example, the invention of the plow and the sickle accelerated production of grain crops...

Lasagna gardening begins with layers.
July 1, 2008... Conservation and sustainability are key words when it comes to planting a lasagna garden. You may never have to dig and till the soil again, and it may just be what you need to revive your fruit, vegetable or flower garden. Lasagna...

It's high time to revive the working family garden.
July 1, 2008... If I asked, "How would you like to put at least 51,000 in your pocket this summer while enjoying the great outdoors?"--you'd probably alert the authorities and report me as a possible scare artist. No scam, trust me. The truth of the...

Dry it. You'll like it!(food preservation and dried foods)
July 1, 2008... My introduction to the world of food processing and preservation was a harrowing one. At a young age, I watched in drop-jawed wonder as my well-intentioned, but seriously underinformed mother blew the gasket on a pressure cooker full of...

Canning in the great outdoors.
July 1, 2008... No matter how crazy and erratic spring weather conditions may have been in your area and how they may have affected your garden planting schedule, some point during the summer and early fall months will bring on the full plethora of vegetable...

Got zucchini? So do all your neighbors!(Recipe)
July 1, 2008... Whether you grow your own zucchini or have a neighbor that brings you all those baseball bat-sized zucchini, you know what a surplus of it can be like. Zucchinis are best eaten when they are smaller, but there are plenty of ways to use the big...

Vegetarian volcanoes for special occasions.(Recipe)
July 1, 2008... How many times have most of us looked forward to a holiday dinner and, after the feasting, regretted our over indulgence? Bloated by rich foods, it usually takes us a number of days to get back to normal. In the meantime, we often suffer the...

Emergency kit for the coop.
July 1, 2008... "Expect the unexpected" is as true in poultrykeeping as anywhere else. Either prepare in advance, or scramble around in a panic when trouble strikes. Having done it both ways myself, I highly recommend preparation! First aid kit It...

Managing mastitis: avoid it if you can--treatment is difficult.
July 1, 2008... Mastitis in lactating animals is a painful infection of the mammary gland, resulting in decreased milk production. If left untreated mastitis infections can destroy the mammary tissue and even be fatal to the animal. Most cases of mastitis...

A word about bulls: a few facts and tips.
July 1, 2008... General management Unless you are breeding all your cows by AI, you need a good bull, or several, relevant to the number of cows. Even if you breed AI, it pays to have a good clean-up bull, since conception rate with AI is never 100...

A lesson in halter breaking calves.
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Steve Herndon recently wrote: I have a herd of Miniature Zebu cattle in Cadiz, Kentucky. Recently the Trigg County FFA came to the farm to learn the skills of halter breaking. I'm attaching an article written by the...

Environmentally friendly fly trap.
July 1, 2008... The battle against flies is constant, but there are some products that can help reduce the numbers of these costly pests--without use of pesticides and toxic chemicals. One of the most effective methods is the Epps Biting Fly Trap[TM], invented...

Sustainable and bee-friendly beekeeping.
July 1, 2008... The media has featured honeybee health more than usual lately, largely because of reports from the U.S. of huge losses of colonies. Random tests on honey show that some beekeepers routinely treat colonies with antibiotics. The worldwide spread...

English Shepherds are great homestead dogs.(The homestead dog)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... COUNTRYSIDE: Our neighbors are both around 70 years old and they live on a hobby farm with about 12 head of cattle. Jake is a carpenter by trade and Connie is his wife. They raised eight children and have some of their sons and daughters and...

Goats are affected by nasal bot larvae.
July 1, 2008... COUNTRYSIDE: All of the material I have says nasal bots prefer southern states and warm climates, but they seem to be enjoying our northern Michigan farm just fine. Also, I've never even seen mention of the fact that goats get them, except...

Wholesale vs. retail: which is better for your home craft business? Part II: wholesale.
July 1, 2008... When someone starts making a craft item and begins to think about selling it, their natural inclination is to consider such retail outlets as craft shows, rent-a-space consignment stores, eBay, a webpage, or even a store front. Whatever route...

Having a cash reserve isn't a luxury--it's a necessity.
July 1, 2008... I've read several of your articles concerning homestead finance and I have found one suggestion lacking in the financial planning of any good household or business budget: the cash reserve. It is not an obvious suggestion, because many people...

What lessons have you learned from movies or tv?(Question of the month)
July 1, 2008... Jericho COUNTRYSIDE: The weekly tv series "Jericho" was a real thought provoking show. A series of nuclear bombs were set off in the United States, and it showed how the people in the town of Jericho, Kansas reacted. It showed the...

A new baby (21 years after the last one!), and a new life in Utah.
July 1, 2008... My idea of country life was much different than my husband's. We both agreed however, on the fact that we have a little baby to raise, and this time around we want to do it with more awareness and values in your home life. We had four older...

What grows in the wild stays in the wild.(wild rice)
July 1, 2008... The assignment was a simple one: Write an article about growing wild rice. It certainly seemed easy enough. Since I don't know anything about growing wild rice, I started looking for someone who did. I needed an expert on the subject, and I...

Rural women business owners lead the rural renaissance.
July 1, 2008... Long known for cornering the blue ribbon pie market at the county fair, rural women today are plowing new ventures, blending long-standing heartland values with farm-based businesses that reflect their love for family farms and the countryside....

Self-sufficiency, when it really matters.
July 1, 2008... Aaaah, the wonders of the homesteading life, and of self-sufficiency! I've got my acres; got my road cleared, leveled and constructed. Got my well drilled and the cabin built, all by myself. Who says I'm hapless?? Went down to the bank,...

Poor Will's Countryside Almanack for middle & late summer 2008.(Calendar)
July 1, 2008... In natural history, every event is a sign, and every sign is what it signifies. Every observation is the telling of a precise time of the earth's turn. --Bradford Townsend Astronomical data for July The phases of the Turtle...

After 11 new schools and moving 12 times, home is where the heart is.
July 1, 2008... I just received my first COUNTRYSIDE and it was fun to read. I never lived in the country--I was a son of a construction worker who traveled all over and lived in a trailer. I was called "trailer trash" by most people who lived in one place all...

Aunt Myrtle's mistake.(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... Aunt Myrtle, now deceased, had seen Grandpa make maple syrup many times in the early 1900s. He made several gallons each spring. One year after he had died she and Uncle Frank decided they were hungry for some real maple syrup. She knew that...