Countryside & Small Stock Journal articles from May 2002

Countryside & Small Stock Journal archives from May 2002

"America's first cookbook". (Discovered in the Archives).
May 1, 2002... As a newspaper writer, I often leave items of my work on the coffee table in my den. My friends and neighbors come and go... but seldom if ever do they notice anything I've left out. A cookbook I recently took home to review, however,...

Haylage warning. (Country conversation & feedback).
May 1, 2002... COUNTRYSIDE: Never, never feed haylage or silage to your horses, ponies or mules. We did and the result was two dead animals the next day, and two more dead two days later. The last two had to be disposed of because their throats were...

There's money in your dirty fish water. (Country conversation & feedback).
May 1, 2002... COUNTRYSIDE: I didn't know the dirty water from my fish tank was so valuable! If you are pouring out your fish water, you are pouring out dollars with it. I am referring to an agricultural system called "aquaponics." For the 99% of you out...

An easier way to measure. (Country conversation & feedback).
May 1, 2002... COUNTRYSIDE: In regards to finding a square angle using the 6-8-10 measurement, it is much easier to use the 3-4-5 measurement in inches or feet. Using the 3-4-5 measurement allows a person to do it by themselves with a ruler or a tape measure...

Don't put used oil in chainsaws. (Country conversation & feedback).
May 1, 2002... COUNTRYSIDE: Some time ago an individual wrote in about how they were an avid recycler (which I consider myself to be). They recycled everything possible including the used motor oil from their autos, which they then used in their chainsaws....

Corrections.
May 1, 2002... There were a couple of corrections to the article "Can your garden provide homestead income?" in the March/April issue. The address for Market What You Grow is PO Box 53198; ph. 770-640-9918. Cypress Media Group, Inc., Box 53198,...

Thoughts on construction. (Country conversation & feedback).
May 1, 2002... COUNTRYSIDE: What is it that really makes one owner/builder successful and creative, and another frustrated, confused and discouraged? Is it skill or commercial-grade construction experience? Sure these things help, but they mostly give you...

Countryside gathering in Indiana July 4-7. (Country conversation & feedback).
May 1, 2002... COUNTRYSIDE: For the last two years, we have invited, COUNTRYSIDE subscribers to a gathering at our homestead. We have met so many wonderful friends, we are once again inviting readers to join us. This year, the event will take place July 4-7....

Birds prefer homemade suet. (Country conversation & feedback).
May 1, 2002... COUNTRYSIDE: I just saw the inquiry in the COUNTRYSIDE Contacts section of the May/June 2001 issue. (I am a little behind in my reading). We have been making our own suet from a recipe given to us by a friend. The birds seem to prefer this...

Kids didn't appreciate their cushy lifestyle. (Country conversation & feedback).
May 1, 2002... COUNTRYSIDE: I have enjoyed your magazine for the past several years. My family and I bought a 17-acre farm in January of 1997. We started with a dog and now have horses, cows, goats, chickens, rabbits, a compost tumbler, a large garden and an...

Fight the "sugar giants," with stevia. (Country conversation & feedback).
May 1, 2002... COUNTRYSIDE: I enjoy the articles on the use of herbs. It's good to know more uses for our eating pleasure. However, every time I see an article on herbs, I never see any mention of Stevia Rebaudiana "The sweet plant of Paraguay." It's been...

Homesteading in Guatemala. (Country conversation & feedback).
May 1, 2002... COUNTRYSIDE: Although I live and work in the capitol city, my daughter and her family have a small country house in Antigua. It is about 1.5 ha large, and they grow coffee, oranges, tangerines, strawberries, and plant different sorts of...

She enjoys glimpse of foreign life. (Country conversation & feedback).
May 1, 2002... COUNTRYSIDE: I was reading the Sept/ Oct 2001 issue and enjoyed the article on Croatia. I decided to clean out a drawer I keep letters in, and lo and behold, I kept my letter to you suggesting articles on European countries, their...

Using pallets for fencing. (Country conversation & feedback).
May 1, 2002... COUNTRYSIDE: I'd like to share my method of keeping deer and other animals out of the garden. Some years ago I read a book by Helen and Scott Nearing. They said deer won't jump over a fence if they can't see what's on the other side, so...

Now we know ...
May 1, 2002... .3% of all road accidents in Canada involve a moose. 57% of British school kids think Germany is the most boring country in Europe. 60% of electrocutions occur while talking on the phone during a thunderstorm.

Advice from a veterinarian. (Country conversation & feedback).
May 1, 2002... COUNTRYSIDE: Everybody needs a veterinarian occasionally, and there are lots of things your vet can and should do with your animals. However, you both have to be honest and work together. Feed store drugs and nonprofessional advice won't give...

Eden alternative: pets welcome. (Country conversation & feedback).
May 1, 2002... COUNTRYSIDE: I read with interest the article on pets for better health. You might be interested to know there is a program going on in some nursing homes called "Eden Alternative." The health care center I work in is involved in the...

Owl decoy really worked. (Country conversation & feedback).
May 1, 2002... COUNTRYSIDE: My mother recently sent me a copy of your magazine and I quickly fell in love with it. My wife and I live in Dinwiddie County, VA The land is located just outside of the historic Petersburg Civil War battlegrounds. We have...

Potbelly pigs are edible. (Country conversation & feedback).
May 1, 2002... COUNTRYSIDE: Someone asked if potbelly pigs are edible. Yes they are, but they have an awful lot of fat on them. The lady I got my pigs from said they cut off the outside fat and then ground the rest into sausage. I have butchered three of...

Town life; country memories. (Country conversation & feedback).
May 1, 2002... COUNTRYSIDE: We had to move to town several years ago because of extreme health problems. My husband and I are both in wheel chairs and our family is out of state. We certainly enjoy a glimpse of what others are doing. We may be out of the...

Water purification technique. (Country conversation & feedback).
May 1, 2002... COUNTRYSIDE: K. and Y. Piiparinen wrote about their well and water storage problems (March/April 2002). We have been using an ozone system for some years now, which works very well. We pump from the well to a storage tank, and use the ozone...

Don't gamble with giardia. (Country conversation & feedback).
May 1, 2002... COUNTRYSIDE: In the Mar/Apr 2002 issue, Lester Hartford responded to "Water: Is it safe?", from Jan/Feb 2002. In Mr. Hartford's response, he referred to the testing of water for the giardia lamblia parasite which causes "beaver fever." At the...

Eating just from the garden is a challenge. (Country conversation & feedback).
May 1, 2002... COUNTRYSIDE: I have long been amused that one of my favorite animals--goats--were the subject of the popular song of long ago, as was noted in the March/April issue: "Mares eat oats and does eat oats and little lambs eat ivy. A kid'll eat ivy...

Canning meat. (Country conversation & feedback).
May 1, 2002... COUNTRYSIDE: I'd like to simplify your answer to Leo Muller's question concerning canned meat in Jan/Feb 2002. To preserve boned chicken, elk, and deer meat, we place one teaspoon of salt in a quart jar, fill the jar with the meat (to an...

Meal-stretching ideas. (Country conversation & feedback).
May 1, 2002... COUNTRYSIDE: Being from the Pennsylvania Dutch area, I have many frugal habits. Here are some of our meal stretchers. 1. "Rivels" thicken a soup and stretch it a bit. In a medium bowl add 1 cup flour and a few dashes salt and pepper. Mix in...

Indoor uses for diatomaceous earth. (Country conversation & feedback).
May 1, 2002... COUNTRYSIDE: Diatomaceous earth works great on shower doors, tubs, sinks (porcelain and stainless), all household utensils, ceramic tile and windows. It's inexpensive and earth-friendly. My supplier: Azure Standard, 79709 Dufur Valley Rd.,...

Take your time with new projects. (Country conversation & feedback).
May 1, 2002... COUNTRYSIDE: After 20 years, I finally made it beyond the sidewalks! I had to compromise a bit to do it. I am over half way to full retirement benefits with my real job, and therefore have decided to keep it until that time. Unfortunately, this...

Encouraging words for city dwellers. (Country conversation & feedback).
May 1, 2002... COUNTRYSIDE: I would like to write a few encouraging words for those who live in cities and small towns but long for a homestead lifestyle. Consider yourself a homesteader wherever you are living, then live that lifestyle in every way you can....

Thoughts on realtors and compost heaps.
May 1, 2002... COUNTRYSIDE: Two years ago we purchased our dream home. Fifteen acres, partially fenced, with a stocked pond, catfish, bream, bass and more. It was on a major state highway but that was okay, my husband drives an 18-wheeler and we needed the...

Countryside contacts.
May 1, 2002... 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 or brevity. *...

Coming events.
May 1, 2002... Send your events at least three months in advance to: COUNTRYSIDE Coming Events, W11564 Hwy. 64, Withee, WI 54498; csymag@tds.net April 14-15, 2002 Spring Planting Festival & Market Growers Conference, near Mansfield, MO. Hear the best...

Building a dream Part II: this is the second part of a two-part series as we watch the conclusion of a Pennsylvania couple ... (Homestead construction).
May 1, 2002... Over the past year many people stopped by the homestead; I'm afraid they tired of me working through their visit, although most would lend a hand while chatting. A house isn't much without a roof. Since the century turned, I'd been hinting...

Recycled outbuildings. (Homestead construction).
May 1, 2002... I would like to start by saying a big "thank you" to COUNTRYSIDE and all its contributors. Through your efforts and need to share, our lives have become easier to live and a lot more sane. With the help of friends and lots of back issues, we...

Going off grid on a budget.
May 1, 2002... My wife and I had enjoyed a big garden and raising chickens and livestock a few times during our marriage, and in the spring of 1999 we were tired of living in an apartment above our little store. We wanted space, and enough room to raise our...

Designing a grid-intertie renewable energy system. (The solar cowboy).
May 1, 2002... The components that make up a grid-tied system are similar to our last installment's discussion of stand-alone systems with some important differences. When we begin the design process we start by defining your goals. This feature will...

Hot water simply. (Notes from the Northwoods).
May 1, 2002... We are a society deeply enamored with hot water. If you stop people on the street and ask what is essential for the good life, "hot showers" will often come up at the top of the list. For many people, hot water is an out-of-the-faucet...

Tan a snakeskin: here's something we'll bet few people have tried ... (Homestead crafts).
May 1, 2002... Snakes and other reptiles often have extremely attractive skins and if properly tanned, they can be quite useful for a wide variety of applications. With a little effort and a very small amount of investment, these skins can easily be...

Considering a sheep dairy? Consider Icelandic sheep. (The sheep shed).
May 1, 2002... What struck me right away when my first Icelandic sheep lambed were the similarities that these sheep had with dairy goats. I had a commercial goat dairy in years past and these ewe lamb mothers had udders that would be respectable for a good...

Border Leicester sheep: they fare well even under primitive conditions. (The sheep shed).
May 1, 2002... The Border Leicester breed has what it takes for commercial operations, meat sales or handspinners. Breed development The Border Leicester's ability to transmit it's characteristics, has made it an invaluable asset both in the...

Boer goats: these African goats were bred specifically for meat production. (The goat barn).
May 1, 2002... Like the pilgrim spoken of in my favorite Kris Kristofferson song "The Pilgrim:Chapter 33," my goats may too appear to be "a walking contradiction." They were conceived in South Africa, born in Canada, and are now thriving in West Texas. They...

CAE has devastating effects. (The goat barn).
May 1, 2002... I have a buck goat that started limping on one foot so we checked his feet for founder since we felt that we were overfeeding. We had fed a mixture with corn-oats-min-vit-bran and molasses plus hay. So we eliminated the corn. The feet were not...

Bellfair miniature cattle: a small, all-around breed. (The cow barn).
May 1, 2002... Bellfair miniature cattle are the first dual purpose miniature breed of cattle developed in America. Developed by Tracy Teed of Conway, Washington, Bellfair cattle are 50% Jersey, from high test Jersey cows bred to a small 35" Dexter bull,...

Talk to your horse; without getting the whole barn in an uproar. (The horse barn).
May 1, 2002... I think the single most important thing you can do for a horse is to talk to it. Firm, consistent training methods are terribly important as well, of course. Taking the time to make the horse supple and athletically capable of what you are...

Raise a pig in your backyard. (The pig pen).
May 1, 2002... I never thought I would raise my own pig, but as Thomas Jefferson once said, "I am an old man, but a new gardener." Well, I am only 35, and I am but a new pig farmer. Here is what I learned while raising a pig during the summer of 2001: ...

Reintroducing guinea fowl. (The poultry yard).
May 1, 2002... Many people are aware of the benefits that guinea fowl bestow--and yet some may remain hesitant to introduce the species to their homestead. Such ambivalence is understandable; no other "domesticated" creature is subject to the many...

West Nile virus heads toward Texas. (The poultry yard).
May 1, 2002... West Nile encephalitis is making its way to Texan waterways. The virus has recently spread from the east coast to Louisiana and Arkansas, putting Texas veterinarians on alert. "West Nile encephalitis belongs to the same group of diseases...

Birds hit the sky once again. (The henhouse).
May 1, 2002... Phase II of the effort to establish a permanent legislative solution to the air transport of day-old chicks, adult birds, and other animals is underway. The President signed the "Phase I" legislation on November 12, 2001 that provided interim...

Pastured poultry produce profits. (The poultry yard).
May 1, 2002... Properly managed and marketed, pastured poultry can turn a profit for farm owners, University of Wisconsin researchers found. Besides the low capital investment, one person can run the operation--and the kids can help. Researchers studied...

Homemade ration recipes. (The henhouse).
May 1, 2002... COUNTRYSIDE: I was wondering if anyone has a recipe for chicken feed? We let our chickens roam, but still must feed them a commercial feed during the snowy, colder months. What did people feed them in the winter before commercial feed came...

Antique turkeys attract interest. (The poultry yard).
May 1, 2002... "My grant process got me my hatchery," says Mike Walters of Stilwell, OK. "The money is helping me support my turkey habit." Mike, a member of the Society for the Preservation of Poultry Antiquities, raises turkeys for breeding and dressed...

Tips on running a commercial rabbitry. (The rabbit barn).
May 1, 2002... Plans for this summer include building a goat shed, rabbit barn, chicken house and adding on to the cabin. We have plans to buy commercial-quality breeding animals to begin a commercial rabbitry. We had one years ago and missed it terribly...

In praise of the lowly corn cob: corn cobs are great for animal bedding, heating homes, and don't forget jelly. (Feeds & feeding).
May 1, 2002... A few days back I stopped by one of the neighbor's to see how their chickens were laying. They had just come back from town and were unloading a couple of bales of woodshavings from their pickup. I asked them what they wanted the shavings for...

Feeding field corn and stalks saves money; and sheep love it. (Feeds & feeding).
May 1, 2002... In Wisconsin last May and June, as we were trying to plant our corn, we had massive amounts of rain from several storms. The plantings were late, on land that was worked too early, resulting in a poor stand of corn on some of our land. We were...

Treats for your rabbits.
May 1, 2002... COUNTRYSIDE: I am 68-years-old and have raised rabbits since the age of seven. I never gave my rabbits lettuce (which causes loose bowels), but always fed cabbage and related vegetables. Now Sheila Hoag says that's a "no-no." Why? -- Lester...

Extend your grazing season with proper pasture management. (Feeds & feeding).
May 1, 2002... Proper summer forage management can extend the grazing season. Homesteaders should focus on two issues properly using summer annual grasses and looking ahead to fall and winter grazing. Sudangrass, sorghumsudan hybrids and pearl millet will...

Recycling improvements.
May 1, 2002... Use of recycled paper seems to slip in and out of vogue. So how are we doing overall? Here are some recent statistics from the American Forest and Paper Association: * U.S. paper mills recovered 49.5 million tons of paper and...

Foliar feeding.
May 1, 2002... In making your own foliar feed tea, you should look at what herbs combined with a seaweed base will provide a balanced nutritional diet for your plants. The timing of the foliar spray application for your plants' different growth phases is also...

What's "permaculture"?
May 1, 2002... The concept of permaculture, short for permanent agriculture, was developed by Bill Mollison in the 1960s and '70s and has spread throughout the world as a force for ecological development. Mollison, who was recently declared "Ecologist of the...

Unique marketing ideas; little things can make or break an orchard venture. (The orchard).
May 1, 2002... One lesson gleaned from the Garden of Eden is this: there's just something irresistible about ripe fruit dangling from a tree. Things aren't that simple for orchard owners today, though, and temptation is too easy to come by. The flawless and...

What's bugging my apples?
May 1, 2002... COUNTRYSIDE: I have several fruit trees, pears, apples, prunes. I would like to know what I can apply to the trees for worm and scab problems that is safe? Thanks.--Carol Sturdivant; casturdivant@aol.com First of all you need to identify...

Tougher regulations for GM baby food needed.
May 1, 2002... The English Royal Society called for tougher regulations before genecitally modified (GM) food is passed as safe for human consumption in England. It also drew particular attention to the potential risks for babies, who are more susceptible to...

The beauty and bounty of basil. (The herb garden).
May 1, 2002... Basil is considered one of the most widely used herbs in the world, and it is touted as the most popular herb in America. Here at Timberlakes, it is by far the top-seller in our fresh herb market, outranking all other 18 herb offerings...

Soil fertility basics. (The garden).
May 1, 2002... The major nutrients required by plants can be divided into two basic groups, cations and anions. Cations are ions (atoms) that carry a positive charge. The major cation nutrients, which are used in relatively large quantities by plants,...

Profit from your milkweed.
May 1, 2002... If you have an area overrun with wild milkweed plants, instead of considering it a weed or pest, harvest the pods. The silky floss within them is used as filling for pillows, comforters, sleeping bags and winter coats. It has high insulating...

"Mr. Stripey" tomatoes and other garden goodies. (The garden).
May 1, 2002... I grow a variety of vegetables and can and freeze. Tomatoes of course are very important and I've discovered a variety I love. While buying plants one spring I noticed a plant in a cup (I never buy single plants) with my first name marked...

What's in my compost? (The garden).
May 1, 2002... Great gardens begin with great compost. Here are the nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) contents of some common materials. Manure %N %P %K Bat 6.0 9.0 3.0 Cattle (fresh) ...

Raised bed gardening and other tips. (The garden).
May 1, 2002... As retirement got closer, I started thinking of gardening differently. I used to have the long rows and walked on paths between the rows; losing precious gardening space. I went to a lumber mill and purchased rough hardwood boarding...

Plan early for pumpkin pies.
May 1, 2002... COUNTRYSIDE: Love your magazine! I noticed in the Mar/Apr 2002 issue that folks are still revisiting the pumpkin pie question from the Nov/Dec 01 issue. As we all should be planning our gardens now for this fall's pumpkin pies, I thought I...

Meat canning basics: it took both families several days to cut up and can moose meat ... No wonder the Native Americans camped wherever they killed a moose! (The country kitchen).
May 1, 2002... "Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man how to fish, he'll eat for a lifetime." Did anyone ever give you a jar of canned food? When it was gone, it was gone. However, if you were able to duplicate their recipe you'd have...

Secrets for a great homebrew. (The country kitchen).
May 1, 2002... I have been enjoying the products of my homebrewing labor for many years and have learned through experimentation that "you will have to acquire a taste for this homebrew." Raw liver also falls into this category. But I know that perfect filet...

Hot, sweet, healthy peppers. (The country kitchen).
May 1, 2002... Unknown in the old world before Columbus, capsicums were brought to Europe by the Spaniards. Then their cultivation spread across the globe. Today fresh, dried, or powdered they are found all year in the markets of the world. All fruits of...

Haggis: a traditional Scottish delicacy.
May 1, 2002... DR. JOE LIPPINCOTT ROCKY COMFORT FARM 810 TOWER RD. ALBURTIS, PA 18011 Here's a recipe from the don't-knock-it-if-you-haven't-tried-it department. Haggis is traditionally made in rural Scotland when a lamb is butchered. It is essentially a...

Baker with a cause.
May 1, 2002... A healthfood store in Rouyn-Noranda, Canada, has received hundreds of free loaves and croissants, as part of a protest by baker Leandre Bergeron against regulations prohibiting him from selling bread prepared in his home. A former French...

Everybody has a story, so last month we asked: what (or who) influenced your homesteading decision? (Question of the month).
May 1, 2002... Two years in a dinky apartment The initial spark that ignited my desire to homestead? What I remember is more like a smoldering ember. I remember as a child no more than four years old, going out with my mother in spring to gather wild...

15 ways to live more cheaply.
May 1, 2002... There are some easy ways to pocket more money without compromising real pleasures or cutting out too many conveniences. Here are 15 ideas from leading frugality experts. Using just a few, however, can make for significant savings. Shop...

Whatever you do, don't save any money! (Homestead finances).
May 1, 2002... No, that's not a misprint. Even though falling interest rates are good when you want to get a loan, they are bad for people with savings accounts. In this economy your best investment, the best place to put your money, is into paying off...

Write your own financial profile. (Homestead finances).
May 1, 2002... It's fun to read financial profiles. Humans, by nature are curious how much other people make and how they live with what they make. Profiles can communicate someone's salary, how many children they have, how much they save, how big their...

Is your neighbor a millionaire?
May 1, 2002... The number of Americans with million-dollar incomes more than doubled from 1995 through 1999, as their salaries and their profits from stocks soared. The percentage of income that went to federal income taxes, however, fell by 11 percent,...

Everything changed in 1962. (Country neighbors).
May 1, 2002... Our little cabin is a cozy A-frame perched on a hill in the woods overlooking Indian Springs, a private park with lazy Shoal Creek running through it. My husband and I fell in love with the place half way up the driveway the first time we saw...

Organic milk available at Starbucks. (Country neighbors).
May 1, 2002... Horizon Organic single-serve milk is available in four flavors of 2% reduced fat milk: chocolate, vanilla, strawberry and plain. The eight-ounce package combines the popularity of single-serve products and the increasing demand for organic...

Keeping a journal on the homestead: keeping a journal is a great way to keep tabs on your homestead progress. (Country neighbors).
May 1, 2002... In the spring of 1996 I moved from Chattanooga, Tennessee, to rural Alabama. I began to learn to care for the animals we kept and the various pieces of machinery we used on the small farm. I also began keeping a regular journal. I needed to...

Something's missing. (Country neighbors).
May 1, 2002... After being retired for a month or so and my feeble attempts at making this small heaven into a farm, I finally got my glimmer of hope from my father, who passed away last year. It's funny how you look at something, add, take away, redo,...

A better way to dig. (New products).
May 1, 2002... When it comes to digging into muddy ground or sticky materials with a shovel, more time can be spent shaking the material off the shovel than actually digging. Whether it's a muddy garden, a lawn of gooey clay, a sticky shovel is something...

Soldiers get the gold. (News from spaceship Earth).
May 1, 2002... British gold coins (Gold Sovereign coins) were carried by British Special Forces commandos during WWII in case they got in trouble or needed to barter. They were carried as recently as the Persian Gulf War and they're probably being carried...