Countryside & Small Stock Journal articles from March 2001

Countryside & Small Stock Journal archives from March 2001

Country conversation & feedback.
March 1, 2001... Contact us at W11564 Hwy 64, Withee WI 54498; e-mail csymag@tds.net Their underground home isn't dark or bunker-like COUNTRYSIDE: Wow! Where to start? Mike Oehler's article on underground housing surely ruffled my feathers. You see, I...

Countryside Contacts.
March 1, 2001... Countryside Contacts: Your listing is free; however, please keep the following in mind: * We reserve the right to accept or reject any and all submissions for any reason or no reason at all. * Submissions may be edited for clarity...

What makes a plant an heirloom?
March 1, 2001... Some argue heirloom plants and vegetables are those introduced before 1951, when hybrids were developed from inbred lines. However, not everyone agrees with this definition. While people have been talking about heirloom vegetables for more...

The struggle of Association Kokopelli.
March 1, 2001... Many plants of the world are becoming extinct at an alarming rate, and seed savers around the world are rallying to save them. Unfortunately, saving these seeds is not without complications. Here is the story of one French company's struggle to...

Medicinal plants.
March 1, 2001... Twenty-five percent of commercially manufactured medications are derived from plants. Just one-fifth of the world's plants have been studied for any possible benefits. -- Millenium Seed Bank

Start saving your own seeds.
March 1, 2001... Saving seeds is relatively simple. Allow the seed heads to become fully mature and to dry on the plant until the pod browns and splits open, or the petals shrivel and fall off, depending on the plant. On a sunny, dry day and after the...

Planting and harvesting your herb garden.
March 1, 2001... Dill Dill is an easy-to-grow herb that can be used in many recipes. The seeds can be used in soups, pickles, in fish dishes, with cabbage and in cakes and breads. The leaves can be chopped and used in potato salad, cream cheese, eggs and...

Millennium Seed Bank.
March 1, 2001... 24,000 rare seeds to be collected by 2010 Hundreds of millions of seeds from the world's most endangered species are to be housed in an underground vault, deep in the English countryside. The Millennium Seed Bank Project will safeguard...

Herbs: As useful today as they were centuries ago.
March 1, 2001... Herbs are defined as "useful plants." But there are many useful plants. No one would dispute that a lettuce or tomato or bean plant is useful. Shade trees are useful, as are ground covers. So, what is meant by "useful" when referring to herbs?...

Add an herb "theme" garden to your landscape.
March 1, 2001... They're functional as well as beautiful! We are all inspired to plant gigantic vegetable garden every year to cut costs at the grocery store. But have you ever thought about combining your hobby with your landscape? Many herbs and...

Make liquid soap.
March 1, 2001... Save all those tiny pieces of soap (that might otherwise get thrown away), break them into small pieces and put them into an empty squeeze bottle. Fill the rest of the bottle with warm water and let it sit for a few days. Then squeeze out...

Antique, flower bulbs.
March 1, 2001... Vegetable herb gardens are great, but antique flower bulbs add a touch of color and charm. Part of the appeal of cottage gardens is their old-fashioned charm, and most cottage gardens include old-fashioned plants. Though herbs and old...

Try something new: Grow a medicinal herb garden.
March 1, 2001... For thousands of years man has studied and used the healing properties of herbs. Physicians during the ancient times were expected to study and know the medicinal values of each herb. Healers gathered these beneficial plants from the wild,...

Super-sweet stevia.
March 1, 2001... Here's a sweetener that won't raise your blood sugar or have the kids bouncing off the walls -- and the best part is, you can grow it at home Stevia is a relatively new herb in the US. It's native to parts of Paraguay and Brazil and looks...

Heirloom seed and plant sources.
March 1, 2001... There are many sources of heirloom seeds and plants located in the US and Canada. A number of them are listed here. Abundant Life Seed Foundation, PO Box 772, 930 Lawrence St., Fort Townsend, WA 98368; ph. (360)385-5660; Fax: (360)385-7455;...

Slow food--A Celebration of Life.
March 1, 2001... At its most primitive level, food is simply the fuel that keeps body and soul together. It's an animal necessity, a mechanical requirement. Only when people have enough to eat can they afford to enjoy food. That's when variety, cooking,...

Broccoli sprouts regain popularity.
March 1, 2001... Broccoli sprouts are a big hit in Japanese supermarkets, especially for middle-aged women. The sprouts have been found to contain 20-50 times more sulforaphane (an enzyme believed to suppress cancer) than mature broccoli. Other popular sprouts...

Food in the fast lane.
March 1, 2001... * There are 23,346 McDonald's in 110 countries. * A new McDonald's opens every 6 hours. * Meals the average American eats at McDonald's in a lifetime: 1,810. * Percentage of the world's population that eats at McDonald's on an...

Baked beans and stews.
March 1, 2001... Slow food at its best Meals that take hours to cook seldom take more than a few minutes of actual preparation time. Among the best-known and best-loved of these are baked beans and stews. Long, slow simmering blends and enhances flavors...

Olive oil.
March 1, 2001... Olive oil is synonymous with "slow food." Here's the scoop on olive oils and olive varieties The olive tree is still the foremost national emblem of Greece and indeed of the Mediterranean. It generally has a life-span of between 300-400...

Breads survive the passage of time.
March 1, 2001... Of all the pleasing Culinary odors emanating from a homesteader's kitchen, possibly the most enticing of all is the aroma of fresh baked bread. What could be better than trying to get a bite before the melting butter has a chance to slip off...

Make sour cream.
March 1, 2001... To make sour cream, take 1 cup fresh cream (or heavy whipping cream from the store). Mix it with one tablespoon of sour cream (this is where the culture comes from). You need to keep this mixture at about 70 degrees for 24 hours. If the...

Bean flour gravies and sauces.
March 1, 2001... Fat-free, guilt-free, nutritionally correct Gravies and sauces have a bad reputation for being high in fat. When made using meat drippings, oils or butter, this reputation is well deserved. However, in the kitchens of today, gravies and...

Picking and preserving the wild plum.
March 1, 2001... Where jams and jellies are concerned, plums are a peach of a fruit, the apple of any picker's eye. The wild plum is a fickle fruit, ripening any time between late spring and late summer. It comes in a peck of colors, a barrel of shapes, a...

Fresh or hardboiled?
March 1, 2001... Are those the fresh eggs or the hardboiled eggs? It's hard to tell by looking, so give the egg a spin. If it wobbles it's raw, but if it spins easily, it's hardboiled.

Cranberries.
March 1, 2001... Not just for the holidays Americans consume more than 80 million pounds of cranberries during the winter holidays, but new research suggests that we should be consuming cranberry treats the rest of the year, too. Long thought to help...

Filberts are easy to grow.
March 1, 2001... Plant your filbert trees in specially prepared spots and build up the soil around them so the roots find a good growing medium as they reach out and mature. By the time the trees come into bearing, you will have built up a substantial layer of...

The garden: Growing winter raspberries.
March 1, 2001... Navigating snowy, ice-covered roads could be the biggest problem you face when growing and marketing winter raspberries. Imagine harvesting 80 flats of fresh, chemical and toxic-free raspberries from a 20 x 40-foot greenhouse in the middle of a...

Are walnut trees causing your garden to wilt?
March 1, 2001... Are plants in your garden beginning to wilt? Have you tried unsuccessfully to figure out the cause? You may want to look at the trees growing near the garden. If any of those are black walnut or butternut trees, you may have found the culprit....

Shrinking farms.
March 1, 2001... The number of Japanese farm households decreased by 9% to 3,120,000 compared to 1995, while the average area of cultivated and per farm household increased by five acres to 125 acres.

New Mexico battles bark beetles.
March 1, 2001... Bark beetle outbreaks have infested thousands of acres in New Mexico after two years of drought. The beetles caused fatal infestations of evergreen trees, while other species of the beetle have attacked high-altitude conifers and infested...

Caring for your drainfield.
March 1, 2001... Septic systems can cost up to $20,000 or more! Take care of that investment by Caring for your drainfield Owner's manuals contain instructions on how to care for your car. Septic systems often cost as much or more than cars....

Landscaping your drainfield.
March 1, 2001... Drainfields can be unsightly, barren patches of grass or weeds, but they don't have to be... As we mentioned on the previous pages, sewage systems and drainfields represent a large investment for homeowners. Protecting your system from...

How to sharpen your garden tools.
March 1, 2001... Keeping tools sharp requires only a few pieces of equipment, basic know-how, and a little time. These are small prices to pay to keep work from going sour. Single-bevel edges are found on most garden tools. Sharpen these by filing or honing one...

How to drill a hole larger than your bit.
March 1, 2001... If you need to drill a hole larger than your largest diameter drill bit and you have old bits that are broken or damaged, sharpen the tip so that the point is offset. The size of the hole will be twice the distance between the point and the...

Solar cowboy: Site-specific analysis.
March 1, 2001... When we begin the process of designing a Renewable Energy (RE) system, the first concern is identifying the resources available and the comparable size of each resource. To do this a site visit and analysis are in order. Either we will need to...

Notes from the northwoods: Disposables, be gone!
March 1, 2001... "Disposable" has become such an entrenched part of our psyches that we often forget that there are alternatives. And often, the alternative is the better choice, regardless of philosophical bent or economic considerations. Becoming less...

Alternative to disposables for women.
March 1, 2001... Francine Chambers, President of Health Keeper Inc., has been promoting and selling "The Keeper" Menstrual Cap for the past six years. According to Francine, once women get over the fear of the unknown and give The Keeper a try, they absolutely...

The therapeutic qualities of essential oils.
March 1, 2001... How many times have you heard, or read, the words "essential oils" and have immediately thought of aromatherapy --just smelling a few nice smells? Did you know that essential oils are mankind's first and oldest medicine? Did you know that they...

Did you know?
March 1, 2001... The first draft of the American Declaration of Independence, the first draft of the U.S. Constitution and the first Gutenberg Bibles were all printed on hemp paper.

Natural remedies for fleas.
March 1, 2001... As a flea preventative our dogs and cats are fed 1/2 A teaspoon of minced garlic and 1-2 teaspoons of brewer's yeast year round. (We purchase brewer's yeast by the 50-pound bag from our local feed store, where it is known as Diamond V. Yeast....

Make your own flypaper.
March 1, 2001... Summer is almost here and along with the warmer weather come the flies. Here are three flypaper recipes to keep those pesky insects under control. Size or varnish a strip of paper around the edges to prevent the sticky material from spreading...

Other herbs for natural pest control.
March 1, 2001... Eucalyptus Eucalyptus makes insects want to go somewhere else. Dilute one teaspoon of eucalyptus essential oil in two cups of warm water to make an insect repellent. Dab onto the skin of people or animals. This can also be misted on...

Rejuvenating your pasture.
March 1, 2001... A good forage base is essential to healthy animals. Improving pastures will increase yields and improve forage quality, which will improve animal performance. "Due to last year's severe drought, many of our pastures lost stands of legumes...

The goat barn: Poisonous plants shouldn't be one of them.
March 1, 2001... Goats can get into a lot of things... Spring is a good time to check your pastures and grazing areas for plants poisonous to your goats. Starvation, accidental eating and browsing habits of animals are contributing factors to plant...

The horse barn: Caring for your horse's hooves.
March 1, 2001... The hoof is a vital part of the horse and a healthy hoof is essential to the well-being and usefulness of a horse. Trimming is necessary to prevent sand cracks and breaking off of the hoof wall, which often results in lameness. Trimming is also...

Wood burning stove tip.
March 1, 2001... Here is a tip from the COUNTRYSIDE forum (www.country sidemag.com) for those of you who use wood burning stoves for heat: If there is a supplier of coal near you, buy chunks from large fist size to head size. Wrap them in newspaper to avoid...

The rabbit barn: How to sex rabbits.
March 1, 2001... It takes some practice, but it is even possible to sex newborn kits Sexing rabbits may seem like a simple thing to experienced breeders, but it is very puzzling to beginners. In fact, even experienced breeders have problems sexing young...

The henhouse: Tips on getting hens to lay in cold weather.
March 1, 2001... Many folks wonder what they can do to get chickens laying in winter. All chickens only lay about 250 eggs per year. Starting about August or September they molt, lose their feathers, and will usually stop laying then. If they get wet feet...

Research continues on benefits of using poultry litter for fertilizer.
March 1, 2001... When the poultry industry first moved into Kentucky more than a decade ago, university agronomists began looking at how to best utilize the litter to fertilize crops. That research is ongoing but has resulted in recommendations on when to...

Predator in the henhouse.
March 1, 2001... I have a problem. My roosters' throats are being ripped open. What is doing this? Whatever is doing this doesn't eat them just hurts them and leaves them to bleed to death. Please help me! -- Sondra McLaughlin, It sounds as if a...

Is it common for free-ranging birds to be infected with parasites?
March 1, 2001... Are ranging flocks of poultry usually infested with internal parasites -- including tapeworms? When is treatment indicated? Specifically, how is tapeworm best treated? How are infestations of internal parasites minimized in ranging flocks? --...

The poultry barn: A pigeon feeding primer.
March 1, 2001... We don't bear much about pigeons anymore. They're easy to raise, very entertaining, and can be used as another meat source. A good quality, high protein grain combination is necessary for best results in raising pigeons. Growth razes of...

The machine shed: Reduce the risk factor when buying used farm machinery.
March 1, 2001... You can minimize the risks of purchasing used farm machinery by buying from a reputable source and getting the maintenance records. "A machine can be on the market for two reasons," says Dave Resch, Scott County educator with the University...

Emergency wood stove repair.
March 1, 2001... Special wood stove cement for repairing cracks in the stove is readily available at most hardware stores. However, if the stores are closed and you need to do something right away, here is an old-time stove cement recipe: 1 cup cool wood...

Country neighbors: Just do it!
March 1, 2001... Don't sit around waiting for the right moment... I was shocked at the response TO the article "Real food" in the Jan./Feb. issue. When I wrote it I had no idea that it would be printed. I sent it because after writing it I couldn't think...

Country neighbors: Relinquish the critters.
March 1, 2001... Loss of income, outrageous feed bills, it was time to... It's 15 [degrees] F outside today with a wind-chill of 0 [degrees]. I thought I'd spend the day inside keeping the wood stove company and take a little time to share some of the...

This is the good life.
March 1, 2001... Sometimes my husband and I can't help but wonder why we work so hard at this lifestyle. Most people go to work to make money then come home to rest and play. My husband goes to work to make money then comes home to work. Yes, he might get...

Country neighbors: A day in the life of a homesteading family.
March 1, 2001... Since my "barn" letter was printed (Nov./Dec. 2000), I've received may letters from folks all over the country asking how we homestead. Some even asked what we "do" with the children (they're homeschooled). Basically, we do it the same way...

County neighbors: In praise of geese.
March 1, 2001... SISTER KATE THE PLUMTREE PO BOX 8 RINEYVILLE, KY 40162 I think those of us who feel we cannot be complete without geese are drawn to their intensity and to their extraordinary fidelity, as much as to their beauty. If you have hand-raised a...

News from spaceship Earth: Solar power on the rise.
March 1, 2001... In theory, the amount of solar power available on Earth is more than 10,000 times greater than the total global energy consumption. So why isn't it more widely used? Cost. Electricity from solar panels costs from 30 cents to $1 per...

Male mortality risk rises with city living.
March 1, 2001... A man living "la vida" urban increases his likelihood of dying prematurely by 125% compared to a man residing in either the suburbs or bucolic rural areas, according to a new University of Michigan nationwide survey of 3,617 adults. The...

Small farms are gaining popularity ...
March 1, 2001... Running a small farm is "an increasingly popular recourse for a new generation who did not grow up on farms," according to The New York Times. These farmers know they need to be well versed in business skills and techniques in order to produce...

... however, farming can be deadly.
March 1, 2001... Farmers are five times more likely to be killed in work-related accidents than people in any other industry. Farming also ranks a close second to mining as the most dangerous occupation according to the director of the National Education Center...

Beat the power companies to the punch!
March 1, 2001... And make a slow-cooker to help Wouldn't it be nice to have lower energy bills? Wouldn't it be great to do this, and not have to work hard to do it? Wouldn't it be great to do this, and know that it is also good for the planet? ...

Bits & pieces.
March 1, 2001... * Lunchtime habits: 24% of employees eat take-out; 10% order in; and 4% utilize the office vending machine, according to American Demographics. * 49% of people iron their blue jeans, while just 5% iron their socks. (Same source.)