Countryside & Small Stock Journal articles from May 2000

Countryside & Small Stock Journal archives from May 2000

The best issue yet.
May 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: I had been trying to recover from a fit of consumerism (you know, when money burns a hole in your pocket), when the Mar/Apr 2000 issue arrived. First, let me say that any issue of COUNTRYSIDE brings me back to reality, but this is...

Debt-free and thankful.
May 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: My wife and I have never been so well-off! No debts, plenty to be thankful for, a race countryside home to live in, lots of our own food. Too bad everyone on the planet can't be as fortunate. We must thank all of you for...

Tips on beekeeping; honey production.
May 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: The articles on making sugar and honey production for profit (84/1) deserve a "cost-benefit" analysis. Honey for production is a long term process... to plan on using honey to sweeten your food is like purchasing a cider press the...

What to do with all of these acorns?(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: I read Maria Burke's article "Stalking the wild acorn" (Jan/ Feb 1998) with great interest. My father-in-law and I once gathered several hundred pounds of acorns to sell to nurseries in the south, but were left with a surplus. With...

Make bologna, at home.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: I would like a recipe on how to make bologna at home. We raise our beef and pork, and would like to have bologna like town folks have. -- Irma Hankammer, 6879 Hankammer Ln., Millstadt, IL 62260 The following recipe is from...

Outhouses cause cholera outbreak in Mexico.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: Thanks for mentioning our book, The Composting Toilet System Book, on your web page. Some thoughts on composting toilets: I just came from Baja, Mexico where I conducted a workshop on building composting toilets (one kind for about...

Make an inexpensive composting toilet.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: My first attempt at making a composting toilet was the dumb and lazy way. I pulled an old commode out of the cellar that was left by the previous owner of the house. I wanted to take the old seat off and put on a nicer one. The...

Dog owner needs recipe.
May 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: Jd, thanks for 30-plus years of the best magazine ever printed! Enjoy your well-deserved break. (Retire? Yah, right.) Although I've read COUNTRYSIDE for over ten years, this is the first time I've written. This is the only...

City living taxes more than just utility bills.
May 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: This letter is in response to Kurt Ek's letter in the Jan/Feb 2000 issue. Four months ago my family moved to the Tampa Bay area of Florida so my husband could finish his college degree. We left 20 acres in northern Michigan...

Elephant garlic isn't true garlic.
May 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: We have been developing a crop of elephant garlic for several years, increasing our yield with an objective of commercial sales. So far, the garlic has been doing very well and we are pleased with its response. We especially enjoy...

Aquaponics interest.
May 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: I just received my first copy (84/1) and was just so pleased to find a place to come for help with my homestead ideas. I am still on the grid, I have a phone and computer, but I do raise most of our food, along with chickens,...

Many predators find chicken tasty.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: Our chicken flock is disappearing one by one. We suspect a weasel. The head is all he takes, then he comes back for some fresh blood in another few days. We have tried everything except poison. What do we do? -- Mike Rogers, 403...

Peculiar chicken-catching technique.(rural life anecdotes satire)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: Regarding the letter "Do you like to be beaten, too?": Everyone has their own needs and wants, and Mr. Anderson has his right to feel as he does. I am 69 years old; I have electric lights/heat, electric stove, flush toilet, a...

Pinyon pines a.k.a, pine nuts.(letter)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: We are trying to locate a nut cracker for pinyon pines. We have a few trees and have figured out how to gather and clean the nuts from the cone, but the shell is another story. Does anyone know of an easy way to crack pinyon nuts...

Lye-making recipe resembles Grandma's.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: I'd like to try making my own lye for soap. My Grandma told me when she was little they used to take all of the ashes from the stove and put them in a hollow stump, then run water or let rain run through it to make their lye. ...

Herbalist too busy for "simple life".
May 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: Thanks for a great magazine! I haven't read COUNTRYSIDE in several years because I haven't had time. I became an herbalist due to the encouragement of fellow readers. In regards to being happy with the "simple life," the herb...

Y2K backlash defended by veteran homesteader.
May 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: It's been awhile since I've had the occasion to write, but after this last issue, and with a few other things that have happened around here, I feel compelled to. An acquaintance that I run into now and then jolted me the other...

She thoroughly enjoys her Pygmies.(pygmy goats)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: After raising goats for several years, I wanted to buy some Pygmy goats. I traveled 100-plus miles (one way) with my husband to look at some. When we arrived we noticed a goat with rather large horns and long hair. We knew it had...

He found you can't change people after 45 years of trying.(technology)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: Congratulations on the best issue yet! You've done a great job presenting a sampling of divergent thoughts, cultures, ideas and expressions in the Jan/Feb 2000 issue. I can sympathize with Jd's frustration over not being more...

Chest pains controlled with homesteading.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: I was having chest pains and gastro-intestinal problems, but then I quit the high stress job, threw out the medicine and have felt great ever since. The job I have now is taking care of chickens, cows, cutting firewood, clearing...

Conveniences provide relief for now.(personal account of homesteading in the Ozark Mountains)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: We homesteaded for three years in the Ozarks. From April of 1996 until May of 1999 we lived off the grid. Our water was brought to our home (which we built ourselves) from a spring in the hillside via a homemade hydraulic ram...

A very, very happy subscriber.
May 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: Just to let you know how very, very much I enjoy your magazine! I have been subscribing since the late 80's. I see by your website that the new issue is out -- yippee!! Upon receipt of your magazine, I spend my time reading the...

We've always wondered about that ...
May 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: Referring to the Jan/ Feb 2000 issue on page 145: "Out with the old, in with the new kitchen wall calendar, that is... " Jd states "a real new year should start with the first planting, or the first lambs, etc." Well, watch what...

Call him Mr. Homestead.
May 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: Some 20 years ago, my wife said to me, "Look, here is a homesteading magazine, with a new wrinkle in every issue. Just what you need!" I have been a subscriber ever since. After my education I went to work, and the life I had...

Flood supports need for preparedness.
May 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: I agree some preparations are always needed for all the unexpected things that befall us nearly every day in life, i.e., ice and snow storms, hurricanes, earthquakes, not to mention lost wages due to illness, company downsizing,...

Advertisers beware.(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: Concerning 84/1:62, "Homesteaders and the computer age: They do go together." I have no complaint. I just don't order anything from an advertiser with no mailing address. -- M. Turner, RR 1 Box 62A, Waterbury, NE 68785

It is possible to design and build an energy efficient home.
May 1, 2000... These two award-winning designer-builders tell bow The challenge in building a comfortable, affordable, energy-efficient house is not in the engineering and design: it's in juggling the trade-offs. Every element of a home has ramifications...

Monolithic domes: Energy efficient, spacious, and nearly indestructible.
May 1, 2000... A few years ago, I spotted a domed home on the cover of a magazine. It was a futuristic-looking house called Eye of the Storm, built on Sullivans Island, South Carolina for a family whose previous home had been destroyed by a hurricane. They...

The farm pond: how to start and maintain it.
May 1, 2000... You can have a farm pond, whether you live on a few acres or 500. The water from a small stream is sufficient. A fraction of the flow from a large stream or river can be diverted, without depreciation or serious reduction in irrigation volume....

Pasture management: fly control.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... Flies can bother livestock to the point they become stressed and growth or overall health is affected. Fly control probably follows the 20180 rule (20 percent of the effort produces 80 percent of the results). It will not be economically...

How do I build a foot bridge?(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... A number of homesteaders have an inaccesible area of land, which could be accessed if there were a bridge of some sort. COUNTRYSIDE Forum readers have come up with some good suggestions for a foot bridge. Q: I have a ravine on my property...

Daily chores won't be "hit-and-miss" with old iron.(use of old farm equipment)
May 1, 2000... Let's face it: the call to rural life can be so strong that we are willing to compromise on a few conveniences. When it comes to washing clothes, grinding grain, pumping water or even plowing fields, we try to make do as best we can. Sometimes...

Comparing kerosene lamps.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... So many choices... Is there really a difference? Our family lives on 13 acres in southeastern Indiana. We live a pretty simple lifestyle. When we moved here the electric was in such a sorry state that an electrician friend told us the...

Gardening with a "green tunnel".(vegetable gardening)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... We moved this past year and garden space at the new house was very limited, so I wanted to make the most of every square foot. Also, for the last couple of years, I had been thinking about building a lattice house to provide partial shade to...

Black rot is ruining their grapes.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... Q: Our grapes have a problem. A lot of them turn into rock-like raisins before they get ripe. Last summer we lost the entire crop and we started with an abundance of grapes. We tried applying a triple action fungicide mildewcide/insecticide and...

Make a compost barrel.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... If you can find a large old (used and discarded) oil barrel, cut a hatchway out of one side; about -- 20" x 30" will do. Cut holes exactly in the center on each end to match the size of steel water pipe you plan to use. Measure the total length...

Sharing field work and equipment cuts costs.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... Just make sure all agreements are in writing Small and medium sized farmers may find it especially advantageous to cut costs and reduce risks by sharing machinery or hiring others for fieldwork. "Dairy and livestock farmers in...

Make money with purebred Cotswold sheep.
May 1, 2000... Several fellow COUNTRYSIDERS have written to me asking about Cotswold sheep. One common question was "How can I make money with purebred sheep?" Since many readers keep sheep, it occurred to me that this info might also help homesteaders make a...

Can frequent milkings be more profitable?
May 1, 2000... Increased milking increases feed and manpower needs -- or does it. Frequency can be a philosophical principle with many consequences. I always told my students that if they wanted to succeed on their tests, they must adopt the principle of...

Getting started with rabbits.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... You can easily raise rabbits in the city Here's another COUNTRYSIDE Forum question with insightful answers from readers. Q: We live in a small town at the edge of a huge metropolis. Our "homestead" is a very big backyard. I've wanted...

Living home security systems.(geese as home security alternative)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... If you are interested in living home security systems, consider geese as an alternative to dogs. I recommend hatching the eggs yourself so the goslings imprint on humans. That way your "security system" won't see you as a threat and attack...

Javas: An ideal homestead bird.(rare breed of chicken )
May 1, 2000... This rare breed of chicken is making a comeback Javas are one of the oldest, rarest and most useful dual-purpose chickens in North America. A history of this breed reveals that both the Black and Mottled varieties arrived in North America...

Sick goat? Doggie breath? Try essential oils for animals.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... Whether they are our faithful friends or part of our means to make ends meet, animals are part of the homestead and need special care. So whether you're treating doggie breath or soothing a calf, you're sure to find something in what follows....

The ART of baking bread.(Brief Article)(Recipe)
May 1, 2000... Bread baking is an ancient tradition, one that is performed in cultures all over the world. In today's modern mode of rushing around and clock-watching, few people still have the time required to bake a savory, lovingly prepared loaf. Yet, for...

Lessons in Candlemaking.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... Candles in our home are primarily a source of atmosphere, and, secondly, a source of light in emergency situations. For emergencies it's hard to compete with the kosher household candles we buy by the dozen for under a dollar. Candlemaking,...

My thesaurus equates mathematics with hard work.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... I have often puzzled over the demands of an algebra, geometry or trigonometry problem and wondered. Why I was not blessed with the brains of the "class nerd." Why I was not born a math whiz? Why my mom and dad insisted on me bringing my books...

Homeschooled kids targeted for this college.(Patrick Henry College )(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... Homeschooled students are being recruited by Patrick Henry College in Purcellville, VA for its opening this fall. The college has a few rules: Students will wear uniforms, will attend daily chapel, won't drink, and won't date unless the parents...

4-H Program builds character in kids.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... A national survey of 20,000 high-school and middle school students, conducted by the Josephson Institute, found that seven of 10 admitted to cheating on exams in the 12 months preceding the survey. Ninety-two percent said they'd lied in the...

You get what you pay for with financial planners.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... Hiring a financial planner is like a lot of other things -- you get what you pay for. If you pay a small fee of about $150, you're apt to get a computer-generated plan with little personal consultation, continuing service or detail. But if...

Gardening with Guineas.(Brief Article)(Review)
May 1, 2000... Gardening with Guineas, by Jeannette S. Ferguson; 131 pages, illus., $14.95; FFE Media, PO Box 804, Waynesville OH 45068; www.guineafowl.com We've been looking for an informative, readable book on guinea fowl for many many years. At long...

Carrots Love Tomatoes: Secrets of Companion Planting for Successful Gardening.(Review)
May 1, 2000... Carrots Love Tomatoes: Secrets of Companion Planting for Successful Gardening, by Louise Riotte; 220 pages paperback. Storey Communications, Inc. ISBN 1-58017-027-7 In a spring full of promise, we often aspire to a lush garden bursting...

These Canadian homesteaders finally found their dream.
May 1, 2000... I can't begin to thank you enough for your magazine. I would like to tell you how much it meant to me and my family. I grew up on three acres in the Okanagan Valley in British Colombia, Canada with Mother Earth News and Organic Gardening,...

This family works side-by-side.
May 1, 2000... And they've learned a lot in the process It was about two years ago that my husband, Fred, announced that he thought we should look for a bigger piece of property. Though there was talk about more privacy and more room for our six children...

Independence, privacy, health and happiness.
May 1, 2000... Just a few of the reasons they moved to the country We just moved to our country home three weeks ago. I am writing this letter by hand because my computer is in storage. We are living in a 30' trailer until our house is built. There are...

Bottled water or bullets?(homesteading)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... Here's a sampling of how homesteaders welcomed in the new year Friday, Dec. 31st I slept an hour late because it was not a work day. I tied up a few loose ends around the house and ran a few errands, all the while holding onto the...

These Florida seniors continue to plan ahead.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... I want to tell you how we prepared for Y2K, and even though the media says that everything went off without a glitch, the year has only begun and we still don't know what might happen. My husband, John, and I are in our 60s and 70s and we...

"First Night" arrived without a bang.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... Any day, even an auspicious day like the end of the century (I won't get dragged into that argument about when the millennium begins) can be the same on a farm, even a small one like ours. There are ducks to water, sheep to hay, chickens to let...

They survived an unexpected turn of events.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... December 31, 1999 Tonight's the big night, but I have to confess I haven't given it much thought today. I'm distracted -- I was up a great deal last night with two sick kids. Once again great sweeping historical events are overshadowed by...

Status quo comes as a shock.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... She wasn't prepared for a non-event How did I survive the Y2K disaster that didn't happen? Not very well! That puts it in a nutshell. I have spent the first three days of the year 2000 existing in a state of psychological shock. For...

These desert dwellers are prepared.(homesteading)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... And their grocery list is a lot shorter, too Collective sigh of relief. Or, collective sigh of disappointment, depending on your view. For us, it was a sigh of relief that the world didn't grind to a halt at the stroke of midnight. We...

Homesteading is a good way to live his life.
May 1, 2000... December 30, 1999 I'm writing this at 11:20 P.M. to capture a few thoughts about Y2K. I am up late because the neighbor's incessantly yapping dog keeps me awake. We both sleep in the morning when the dog is resting from his all night...

An off-grid celebration.(homesteading and Y2K preparedness)
May 1, 2000... December 31, 1999 We're well into winter here in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. That means quite often there is snow to shovel and it always means there's wood to haul in. The cookstove wood box needs filling this morning -- six loads up...

No magical transformation, just an appreciation.(remembrance of past New Year's Eve celebrations)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... "Is somth'n s'posed to happen?" The scene from the movie "Mary Poppins" ran through my mind. Everyone held hands and uttered the magical words that were to allow the four-some to jump into the chalk drawing. But instead of becoming a part of...

She was hoping for a difference in the world.(effect of Y2K fears on human behavior)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... December 31, 1999 People love to say nothing will happen with Y2K, but the fact is, no one really knows. It is sort of like when Haley's comet was heading toward Earth in 1920. I remember my grandparents telling about the great uneasiness...

Time for a good tag sale ...(preparation for Y2K scenarios)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... December 31, 1999 We prepared the best we could. We just built a solar and wind powered house, on acreage. I gardened, canned and dried the produce; cured the pumpkins and squash; and stuffed the pantry. I purchased dry milk, rice, etc.,...

What did her preparations accomplish?(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... Nothing gets wasted here, not even the weather As I reflect on the last several days, a culmination of several years of waiting and working, I muse on what I have learned through all my preparations for the possible Y2K disaster. Obviously,...

Collecting paper trails and bottled water.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... We are a family of four living in a small Indiana town. We are not native to the area, but are here due to my husband's job as a correctional officer. The kids are Michael, age 14, and Hannah, age seven. We are in our mid 30s and have been...

It's chaos as usual on this homestead.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... December 31, 1999 This morning I overslept, then discovered the coffee can was empty. No problem, we have stored food in the cellar -- but I can't find the coffee! The newspaper is late, but I finally found the coffee and started a good...

A new year arrives without disruptive fanfare.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... Although a one-week disaster would bare been nice... I had hoped we would all be forced to leap across some chasm before landing safely in the new century. I wanted a rite of passage, a graduation, a signal or stamp of approval stating we...

New Products.(flashlights, saws, and assorted homesteading equipment and supplies)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... Squeezable light source Power out? Batteries low? No problem with the Forever Flashlight. It doesn't need batteries and works like a hand exerciser. It will generate light as long as you can keep on squeezing and squeezing and squeezing....

Minnesota farmers are younger than national average.
May 1, 2000... We've been hearing for years that the average age of farmers is increasing. That's true on a national level, but not in Minnesota. "The Census of Agriculture shows the average age of Minnesota farmers is largely unchanged since the 1950s,"...

Apparently few people are worried about safety.(storm-reinforced housing)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... People building new houses don't seem to be concerned with hurricane or tornado safety. "Builders tell me that if the public demanded it, they would build it," said Don Burgess of the National Weather Service office in Norman, Oklahoma, who is...

Does grain labeled "non-GMO" mean anything?(genetically modified organisms)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... Corn and soybean producers need to be cautious about signing any type of "non-GMO" certification or contract with a grain dealer or processor. Growers should be especially careful not to certify what they can't control, says Kent Thiesse, Blue...

Cleaner air by burning corn.
May 1, 2000... University of KY has found a way to operate its motor pool more cost-effectively and help the environment at the same time. Its recently-refurbished Motor Vehicle Service Center has installed a fully-automated, 24-hour refueling station for...