Countryside & Small Stock Journal articles from May 2004

Countryside & Small Stock Journal archives from May 2004

Is it spring yet?(From the editor)
May 1, 2004... COUNTRYSIDE'S "Question of the month" is a tricky thing. We obviously want as much input from readers as possible because it's much more interesting to read about what a number of people are doing on their homesteads as compared to what one or...

Surprise! "Real" people read Countryside.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... COUNTRYSIDE: My other half has prodded and pushed me into looking at a copy of COUNTRYSIDE for some time now. I thought it was just another "yuppie" magazine, so I stubbornly resisted. Well, she just pushed it into my face one night. Boy was I...

Acidophilus may beat the "bean blues".(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... COUNTRYSIDE: This is in response to the reader requesting help to reduce the side effects of eating beans (Nov/ Dec 2003). I recommend that she look into either increasing her consumption of yogurt, or raking acidophilus tablets. The yogurt and...

Readers chime in on big cat story.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... COUNTRYSIDE: I was so sorry to hear about the Davison's loss. They had some incredibly bad advice from the local experts. I can attest to that since as a zoo keeper at the San Diego Zoo and as a former wildlife biologist for the state of...

More tips on using wheat berries.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... COUNTRYSIDE: Carol has probably received many answers regarding her question of what to do with wheat berries after she opens the five-gallon container. I'll bet they're all different, too! I'll just tell you about my experience. I keep...

Small acreage calls for small pigs.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... COUNTRYSIDE: First of all: Where have you been all of my life? This is the most enjoyable and informative magazine I have ever read. I am an avid reader and 47 years old, so this says something. I would buy your magazine for the feedback...

Number of religious homeschoolers surprise some.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... COUNTRYSIDE: I just finished the story about homeschooling and I must say I am somewhat disappointed that the stories you chose to run seemed to be all leaning towards the "Christian" sponsored-type homeschool courses. We homeschooled our son,...

Grinders are cheaper than funerals.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... COUNTRYSIDE: While flipping through the Nov/Dec 2003 issue I saw something that sent a chill down my spine-Rosemary Schaffer's grinding "solution." She said in her letter that $50 for a new grinder was too much. Well what about $600 a day for a...

"Free" land for planting.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... COUNTRYSIDE: Here in western Nebraska the drought and increasing tax load, and just a doctor visit went up 100% this last year. I had an elderly woman tell me that she was just going to have to live on less. If you're in the same boat, consider...

Recipe wanted; and one to share.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... COUNTRYSIDE: We moved from Wisconsin to Missouri last year, and in the move I lost a wonderful recipe for making one's very own face cream. I remember using mineral oil, paraffin, and I believe glycerin, but I think there was another ingredient...

Reader shares tips on using cottonwood.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... COUNTRYSIDE: In the Jan/Feb 2004 issue, you posted my question about cottonwood and it uses. I just wanted to say thank you to all of the folks who responded by letter and e-mail. I received around 30 e-mails and letters from all over the U.S.!...

Inexpensive housing options.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... COUNTRYSIDE: Someone asked about inexpensive houses in the Jan/Feb 2004 issue. This might be of interest. Many Indians lived underground or partly underground, as did many Europeans, among others. Dug-outs, hogans and caves were used. ...

Homesteading and "free" land info.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... COUNTRYSIDE: I have been wondering about the legality of homesteading and am thoroughly confused about the standing of the law. I have tried writing to various government agencies about the matter, to no avail. I noticed in the COUNTRYSIDE...

Fecal tests will tell you when worming is required.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... COUNTRYSIDE: I've been following the dialogue via readers' letters on the use of Ivermectin in various species. There is no withdrawal time for milk, so it is contraindicated for use in adult dairy animals, both goats and cattle. "Name...

Chickens, goats and Dexter cattle get their attention.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... COUNTRYSIDE: My husband and I bought 40 acres two years ago. The first year we bought 25 baby chicks. After they got feathers, they were ready to be free-ranged, so we let the chickens out and the neighbor's pack of wild dogs killed five of my...

Computer "geeks" have questions and comments.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... COUNTRYSIDE: My husband and I live remote in northwest Washington and have enjoyed your magazine for several years. We moved to our homestead in 1993 and have built our home using recycled 12 x 14-inch square timbers. Although it still needed...

Website for homeschooling families.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... COUNTRYSIDE: I enjoy reading COUNTRYSIDE tremendously as I am one of those who is tied to an urban environment until retirement, but have already purchased my acreage to homestead on once I do. One of the organizations I work with is the...

Alternative treatment for MS works for him.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... COUNTRYSIDE: I have multiple schlerosis (MS). It was discovered in 1996 by spinal taps and MRIs. By 2000, my life had become so bad that I started taking daily injections of Copaxone which helped slighly. In 2002, I switched to Betaseron with...

Some singles feel overwhelmed.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... COUNTRYSIDE: Here is a question for readers concerning women who spent the best years of their lives raising a family. Now the family is raised, hubby has gone on to greener pastures, and the woman is left to struggle on her own. Here is a...

What's up with all the fat?(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... COUNTRYSIDE: The people who write in sometimes just amaze me. I read an article in the Jan/Feb 04 issue on homemaking tips (page 88). I thought I knew about making lard, but the different terms confused me. What's the difference between beef...

Vegetable production.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... COUNTRYSIDE: Do you know of a resource that tells what quantities different vegetables produce? For example, a 50-foot row will produce so many quarts of canned (or frozen) corn, etc.--Judy Boles, Albuquerque, New Mexico While there are no...

Family album.
May 1, 2004... COUNTRYSIDE: Here is my 16-month-old son Ian Percy on my sister's ranch in Ponder, TX. After watching her drive the tractor, he decided he was fully capable... and proceeded to show us! Luckily, it takes more than a key to start this...

Goat milk soap recipes from the web.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... COUNTRYSIDE: I had to respond to Zoe Bleck's comments on soap making in the March/April issue of COUNTRYSIDE (Vol. 88, No.2). I agree with her comments; however, she left me hanging by not explaining how to work with goat milk when making soap....

And ... they're off!(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... COUNTRYSIDE: To all writers and readers alike--thank you! My husband and I picked up our first copy of COUNTRYSIDE back in November 2003. After one magazine, we were booked. We have read many articles and books, and have decided that the...

Muscovies to the rescue.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... Countryside: In an issue from 2003 there was an article about grasshopper eating ducks (or geese) called Muskaveh (spelling?). I have been searching for ducks with no results. Could you supply more information or the source where I can purchase...

Goats have personalities!(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... COUNTRYSIDE: We were very much impressed by our first copy of COUNTRYSIDE. We never knew we were homesteaders until we read your magazine. However, I knew we were different because people ask us what old country we were from. I think it must be...

Countryside contacts.
May 1, 2004... 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.(Calendar)
May 1, 2004... Send your events at least three months in advance to COUNTRYSIDE Coming Events, Wl1564 Hwy. 64, Withee, WI 54498 April 25, 2004 Fruit tree grafting, North Wind Organic Farm, Bayfield, WI. Tom Galazen will instruct how to change the...

The beauty of stucco.(Homestead housing)
May 1, 2004... Houses covered with stucco need not be limited to the dry southwest. This is a good option for do-it-yourself homesteaders anywhere. There are some distinct advantages to stucco, such as low maintenance, low cost, and good insulation qualities....

Living underground.
May 1, 2004... We live in an underground house that we designed and built from the ground up with our own four hands. We did everything ourselves except install the septic system and lay the carpeting. We were living in an older mobile home on our five...

Fighting fire with a homemade system.(Homestead safety)
May 1, 2004... An acute fear of fire and a desire to reduce the cost of fire insurance led Dan Gallery of rural Nowata County, Oklahoma to devise a method of fire protection that almost immediately proved its worth. The system is relatively simple and...

The pronghorn: back from the edge of oblivion.
May 1, 2004... We've all heard of the tales of the enormous herds of bison that once roamed the American west. It's almost unimaginable to think of how the sun could have been totally obliterated from view as the result of the dust from a buffalo stampede. It...

Identifying and harvesting wild plants.(Foraging)
May 1, 2004... Identifying and harvesting wild edible and medicinal plants can be a lot of fun for the nature lover Maybe you are just looking to identify some of those "weeds" that you come across on a daily basis. Maybe you are a survivalist looking to...

Heirloom vegetables in your garden.(Notes from the Northwoods)
May 1, 2004... There are many good reasons to look to the heirloom varieties for your vegetable garden. Some of these reasons are downright depressing and makes one question the sanity of the human race--the dismaying and alarming proliferation of genetically...

Grow lavender.(The garden)
May 1, 2004... My husband, James, and I were living in a large city and running a natural body care store. But the city was getting too big, the traffic was too congested, and we were unhappy living in a tiny house jammed into a crowded neighborhood. We loved...

No-till, no-weed gardening ... another view.(The garden)
May 1, 2004... I'd like to share some of my experiences during the past five seasons with heavy mulch, no-weed gardening. This style of growing vegetables seems to be gaining in popularity, as witnessed by recent articles in COUNTRYSIDE and other...

Raised beds make gardening a joy.(The garden)
May 1, 2004... I have gardened for more than 30 years, and two years ago decided that I would like to garden more effectively. I started researching options for making raised beds and I couldn't find an acceptable material. Of course, I didn't want to use...

Poor gardener's hail insurance.(The garden)
May 1, 2004... Some 20 years ago I finally got tired of lots of work and expense to get a garden up and growing, only to have hail beat young plants into the ground in just a few minutes while I could only watch and curse. I found a better way. Hail...

Fern fiddleheads: the succulent stalks of spring.(Foraging)
May 1, 2004... Almost everyone has heard of "fiddlehead ferns," a gourmet wild vegetable found across much of North America in the springtime. Few wild edibles are so well known, so convenient and tasty, or so widely available. Yet unfortunately, few of them...

Foraging during the Depression.
May 1, 2004... I am a child of the Depression of the 1930s. Food and shelter were sometimes hard to come by, especially around 1935 when jobs were really hard to get. My sister and I would go to a mulberry tree on the corner of our block. In mid-summer the...

Control garden pests naturally.(The garden)
May 1, 2004... There is demand the world over for pesticide free food, but the information on the various natural pesticides is lacking and therefore, these methods are little used in Pakistan and other developing countries. Neem is known to work for the...

Delightful eggplant dishes from Eastern lands.(The country kitchen)
May 1, 2004... Appealing to the eye, delicious tasting and versatile, eggplants are a vegetarian's dream vegetable. In all shapes, from round or egg-shaped to finger-like and tiny, this attractive vegetable comes in all shades of colors--mainly from jet black...

The honest pleasures of slow food.(The country kitchen)
May 1, 2004... Lately I've been hearing a lot of talk about something called the Slow Food Movement. Proponents of slow food have adopted the snail as their mascot and meet regularly in convivial groups called conviviums to celebrate food, and to share it...

It's easy to make your own yogurt.(The country kitchen)
May 1, 2004... I learned an easy way to make yogurt when I had dinner at the home of a friend from India. Since yogurt takes the bite out of a hot and spicy meal, it was part of most dinners, and my friend liked to serve it fresh and warm. To make...

Give your e-z poker a decorative twist.(The blacksmith shop)
May 1, 2004... Okay, you have now had time to make the poker featured in the March/April 2004 issue, so now let's put a nice decorative twist in it. A twist, and how decorative it is, is really just limited by the base stock, your tools and your...

Europe surpasses the U.S. in renewable energy use.(The Solar Cowboy)
May 1, 2004... Altech, Voralsburg Austria Well, it's research time again, and the Solar Cowboy is on the road to see just how far Europe is ahead of the U.S. in the deployment of renewable energy and other means of sustainability. We've long known that...

Construct a solar cooker from an abandoned satellite dish.
May 1, 2004... In my part of the country lots of outdated, abandoned, eight-foot-across (2.4 m) satellite dishes such as the one above clutter the landscape. They are abandoned because they have been replaced by much smaller dishes, or by technologies not...

Olde English Miniature Babydoll Southdown sheep.(The sheep shed)
May 1, 2004... Windwood Acres Farm located in southern Michigan, is a breeder of the Olde English Miniature Babydoll Southdown sheep, and lots of them. What started out as a pet enterprise, now has become a hobby farm with endless rewards each lambing season....

What's a geep?(The sheep shed)
May 1, 2004... I read several articles in COUNTRYSIDE regarding goat and sheep raising. Unfortunately I could not find any information on whether it is possible to crossbreed these animals. Maybe you can help me.--Gus Sheep and goats very rarely...

Sheep scrapie susceptibility test offered.
May 1, 2004... Scrapie is an infectious and fatal disease in sheep. It is one of several diseases classified as Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopahties (TSEs) and is the most common. The Veterinary Genetics Laboratory at the University of California Davis...

Keeping cattle without losing money.(The cow barn)
May 1, 2004... When we retire we will move to a small family farm which is now down to just the homestead area, outbuildings and about 30 acres of pasture. We need to do something agricultural in nature in order to keep the zoning (and much lower property...

Be kind to your horse with The Spring Tether.(The horse barn)
May 1, 2004... In my mind, one of the most dangerous and non-horsemanship things that a horse owner can do is tie their horses too long to a trailer or a hitching rail. The horse often ends up entangled and injured. It could be a simple rope burn or...

Prevent the spread of swamp fever.(The horse barn)
May 1, 2004... Swamp fever, technically known as Equine Infectious Anemia, is a communicable viral disease of horses and other equine-type animals, It occurs in many parts of the world, including the U.S. This disease is serious, not so much because of its...

One reader takes offense at sale barn remarks.(The goat barn)
May 1, 2004... As a fellow goat raiser, Party's article (March/April 2004) was the first one I turned to when I picked up my new issue of COUNTRYSIDE. For the most part I could not agree with her more. In one major point, however, I could not disagree with...

Rabbits require proper feed to perform well.(The rabbit barn)
May 1, 2004... I read with interest Mary Kilmer's article "Gleanings from Woodland Rabbitry." I have bred and. raised rabbits for 38 years and I think I have some insight into why Mary is having trouble getting her does to successfully rear their litters. ...

Start with good stock when raising meat rabbits.(The rabbit barn)
May 1, 2004... I have been wanting to write for a long time. We have been getting COUNTRYSIDE for many years. We live on a 73 acre homestead in West Virginia. We have been here for a decade and I have learned a lot along the way. I could write books about all...

The Far Out Farms' off-grid brooder.(The henhouse)
May 1, 2004... I have been raising mail order chicks off-grid for years. Until reading the article "Raising chicks without electricity" in the March/April issue, I did not know what an easy and trouble-free brooder I have. Our farm--Far Out Farms--is three...

Beware of poisonous arrow grass in western states.(Crops & soils)
May 1, 2004... Poisonous arrow grass causes serious livestock losses in the western states. Each year these poisonous plants, of which the arrow grass is one, kill three to five percent of the cattle, sheep and horses on the range. Poisonous arrow grass...

Tips on purchasing that perfect place in the country.
May 1, 2004... I was fortunate that I grew up on a small farm in the country as a kid. But as so many farm kids do, I couldn't wait to get off the farm. So when I was old enough I entered the army and traveled half way around the world to Germany. While I was...

Be wary of health product claims!
May 1, 2004... There was an article entitled "Heal the body and the environment naturally," by Dr. Ilene Backes in the Nov/Dec 2003 issue of COUNTRYSIDE. Her article claims that low body pH, or an acidic body, is one of the causes of health problems; however,...

Water bottles need to be washed.
May 1, 2004... Once they're opened, water bottles become contaminated very quickly. Commercial water bottles are made with plastic designed for onetime use. They're made for recycling, not reuse. The water bottles sold in sporting good stores are made...

Dressing well on a budget: for days when jeans and faded sweatshirts just won't do ...(Homestead finances)
May 1, 2004... I moved to a country town of about 30,000 people nearly three years ago, and we love it! We used to live in Toronto, a great city, but huge, and an expensive place to buy a house. I still need to go to Toronto on business though, and I also...

Managing your cash flow.(Homestead finances)
May 1, 2004... True financial planning involves learning how to handle your cash flow. It involves setting some personal goals and objectives and then making sure your money management methods will help you achieve them. The lack of knowledge and...

To probate or not to probate.(Homestead finances)
May 1, 2004... After reading the article about probate matters in the last issue, I feel that perhaps my experience with the probate procedure would encourage still more people to take care of this most important piece of business in their lives. I also feel...

Homesteading with draft animals.(Question of the month)
May 1, 2004... My fascination with oxen started when I was a young lad. My grandfather's cousin (a neighboring dairy farmer) had a team of Milking Shorthorn oxen. "Old McDonald" as we kids referred to him, still did some of his chores the "old way" using a...

Homeschooler uses draft animals.(Question of the month)
May 1, 2004... I am 18 years old and I live with my family on a 70 acre farm in the northeast corner of Texas. The draft animals we use are three Belgian geldings that we bought from some of the local horse farmers. We had wanted to get draft horses for...

Their oxen are movie stars!(Question of the month)
May 1, 2004... We do own one draft animal, an ox. A sole ox at this time because his partner died a few years ago. This remaining ox (his name is Bright) hauled many a heavy load alongside his now deceased partner, Tears. There's a good chance that Bright...

They found power in the barn.(Question of the month)
May 1, 2004... I have been involved in some aspect of the horse industry for some 30 years--hunters, polo, breeding farms and training to ride and drive. As the years passed we have acquired a small farm of our own. Needing a power source, a draft animal...

Their horse works better than a tractor.(Question of the month)
May 1, 2004... Let me start off with saying you put out the best magazine available. I subscribe to many magazines that claim to be like you, but can't hold a candle to you. With that said we I will get to the real reason for this letter, the question of the...

Horse sanctuary.(Question of the month)
May 1, 2004... We run Western New York Equine Sanctuary, Inc., in New York. During 2000, we purchased and relocated several Belgian and Percheron mares from the Premarin farms in North Dakota. All the Belgians have since been placed, but a Percheron mare,...

Animals are eco-friendly.(Question of the month)
May 1, 2004... Here at Muddy Boots Farm, we use draft horses to do some of the work for us. Our 3-1/2 year old gelding, Wilbur, and his nine-year-old mother, Belle, are Belgians who will do anything we ask of them. They truly are "gentle giants." Wilbur was...

Haflingers have it all.(Question of the month)
May 1, 2004... We are homesteaders in Florida. We raise our own meat, eggs and garden. Horses have always been my passion. I have trained many breeds, but the ones I have now and will forever on, are Haflingers. They are really big ponies. Draft ponies. I...

Draft animals Alaskan style.(Question of the month)
May 1, 2004... While we don't have the most common type of draft animals (oxen, mules, etc.), we do use animals for work. We have eight Alaskan Huskies which are used to do all kinds of things. Their main job is bringing wood from the wood yard to the cabin....

Poor Will's almanac for late spring and early summer.(Calendar)
May 1, 2004... Out of its little hill faithfully rise the potatoes dark green leaves, out of its hill rises the yellow maize-stalk, the lilacs bloom in the dooryards. --Walt Whitman Astronomical data for May The phases of the Warbler Moon and the...

A piece of the American pie.(On the road)
May 1, 2004... Prague, Nebraska is a small town--a very, very small town. You'll not likely find it listed in the back of a United States road atlas and if it's on any given map at all, you'll need a magnifying glass to locate it. As a matter of fact,...

Starting over in Amish country.(Country neighbors)
May 1, 2004... I am 33, married, with a beautiful young son, an ex-Chicago native and an ex-executive; tired of the grime and crowdedness of urban living, tired of my supervisor's meaningless meetings, tired of the angry masses on the streets. What did I do?...

The price of romance.(Country neighbors)
May 1, 2004... It is not the bullet that kills you, it is fate.--Arabian Proverb I was awakened at 4:55 a.m. to the sound of Girl barking. Sugar and Girl are our swine pasture dogs, and they are bred to alert us on the presence of wild hogs. In rural...

Going home.(Country neighbors)
May 1, 2004... It was early summer 1971, my girl friend and I had been dusting the back roads with our old Willy Jeep Overland since dawn, and this wasn't the first, but the third time out in as many days. I had a friend who had told me a couple of years...

Countryside's breeders' directory.
May 1, 2004... ALPACAS/LLMAS Alabama CREEKSIDE Alpaca Ranch, Glenda Goennier, 25535 AL Hwy. 65, Estill Fork, AL 35745. 256-776-2932. Alpaca, Belted Galloway cattle. California ALPACAS OF MARQUEZ FARMS, Sara & Robert Marquez, 1085 Almond...

Let's do it again!(After chores)
May 1, 2004... Would you like the opportunity to: 1. Meet like-minded COUNTRYSIDE readers from all walks of life? 2. Visit these people in an atmosphere where differences in income, age, geographic location and even political and religious views are...