Countryside & Small Stock Journal articles from May 2009

Countryside & Small Stock Journal archives from May 2009

Why it's important not to share gas and wood chimney flues.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2009... COUNTRYSIDE: I have just read the letter and response on page 46 of the recent March/April 2009 issue and felt compelled to write and flesh out the info given to the reader there, inasmuch as this can be a life and death matter. I have...

Any stove repairers out there?(Country conversation & feedback)(Antique Stove Hospital)(Directory)(Letter to the editor)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] COUNTRYSIDE: We have an old cast iron Army Cannon Heater that needs the "fire box" portion (lower half of the belly) replaced. Do you or any of your readers know of shops on the East Coast that do special cast iron...

Another source of antique stove info.(Country conversation & feedback)(Clifford Boram of The Antique Stove Information Clearinghouse)(Directory)(Letter to the editor)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... COUNTRYSIDE: Mr. Clifford Boram (The Antique Stove Information Clearinghouse, 421 N. Main St., Monticello, IN 47960), knows just about everything about stoves. Call him at 574-583-6465 or send him $3 and enclose a self-addressed stamped...

A thought on heat and hot water.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2009... COUNTRYSIDE: I don't know if this is something Phil might want to incorporate into his plans or not. I've seen articles on other systems that used low voltage pumps for off the grid applications. I hope to build a similar system for heat and...

What about chaps?(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2009... COUNTRYSIDE: Your article "Chainsaw Basics," in the Nov/Dec 2008 issue, had promise. Pete Peterson, who apparently has 45 years of experience with saws, said many of the right things. Safety, safety, safety. Use saws with a brake for the chain,...

Wonders if others share his economic fears.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2009... COUNTRYSIDE: I have been a subscriber for a couple of years now and love your magazine. I have lived in the country all my life. When I was a child I remember my mother, her sisters, and their mother canning vegetables and homemade soup that...

Free dowsing book available online.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2009... COUNTRYSIDE: FOR Tina Burgan from California, in regards to more articles on dowsing: On the Internet is a free ebook Letter to Robin by Walt Woods that is an introduction to dowsing. There are many dowsing teachers out there. One of my...

Homesteading is fun ... most of the time.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2009... COUNTRYSIDE: Thanks goes out to you at COUNTRYSIDE; what a great magazine. Everyone at work calls me and my husband "hillbillies," but now I see we're just homesteaders. We squatted on the land we planned to buy before the paperwork...

7th graders get a jump on vermiculture.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2009... COUNTRYSIDE: I recently subscribed to your magazine to refer to and use in my 7th grade horticulture and science classes. I am truly enjoying your magazine. With it, I can introduce backto-the-earth concepts. We have four worm composter...

Homesteading--there's no time like the present.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2009... COUNTRYSIDE: This is in response to the Nov/Dec 2008 issue about is it ever too late to homestead, and the continuing Greenhorn series. But first, I would like to give a little background information about our situation. My husband and I...

Readers show the true spirit of giving.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2009... COUNTRYSIDE: I have just finished reading the March/April 2009 edition of COUNTRYSIDE. I look forward each month to reading of others experiences in living the simple life. Your publication reminds me so much of what Mother Earth News was years...

Hit some auctions to find tow-behind bale movers.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2009... COUNTRYSIDE: In the Jan/Feb 2009 issue, Mark Ekeland was looking for a tow-behind round bale mover. They are pretty common here in north central Oklahoma, so I would start by making a few farm auctions. You can still find a lot of bargains at...

Does anyone have a bird seed wreath plan?(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2009... COUNTRYSIDE: My husband happened to go to a small country craft show and found a wild bird seed wreath that was so cool! We have tried to make them with unflavored gelatin with bird seed, but they fall apart. The one my husband bought was very...

In a perfect world ...(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2009... COUNTRYSIDE: First I want to say how much I enjoy your magazine and read it cover to cover. However a past issue brought up a problem perhaps you should look into as soon as possible. There was a letter from an older lady who lives in...

Home business articles offer timely advice.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2009... COUNTRYSIDE: This is a great magazine and the only one I really read. I had to write about the recent articles you have published because they are so timely to the business adventure we have embarked on. I have been making salves for the...

Tips on setting up your own website.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2009... COUNTRYSIDE: I am writing in response to your article entitled, "Bring Customers to your Front Door--Increase your Sales with a Website" that appeared in the Jan/Feb 2009 issue. To begin, I have been a web designer/ developer since 1996, which...

Religion and politics in homesteading: sidelined by the word "myth"?(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2009... COUNTRYSIDE: In the March/ April edition, the article, "Welcome to the New Year! (How bad will it get?)," by Harvey Ussery was, for the most part, interesting and related to homesteading. But, there were a couple points that he made that...

Most religions have a myth of a creator.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2009... COUNTRYSIDE: Apparently some readers were disturbed by an article in the March/April issue, particularly by the sentence "Most religions I know anything about have a myth of a Creator who blessed us humans with a Garden of Plenty..." If...

You don't need maples to get syrup.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the editor)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... COUNTRYSIDE: I would like to make maple syrup, but I only have Silver maple. I was wondering if it's possible to make it from that kind, and do you add anything when it's cooking? Comments appreciated. Yes, you can make syrup from Silver,...

Can you make soap with store-bought lard?(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the editor)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... COUNTRYSIDE: I enjoy your magazine very much. I am interested in making lye soap and my question is: can I use store-bought lard (the kind used for cooking) to make my soap?--J. Hayes, Shepherd, Texas Yes, you can make soap with...

New parents want to hear from homeschoolers.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2009... COUNTRYSIDE: Even though our daughter is only 10 months old, my husband and I are starting to think about her education. Along with that comes the homeschool debate. I would like to homeschool our daughter, but my husband thinks she will miss...

This homeschooler is grateful for simple things.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2009... COUNTRYSIDE" I grew up on a small homestead in Cherrytree, a small village nestled deep in the woodlands of northwestern Pennsylvania. My parents both worked very hard to keep our farm together and pay the bills. Although we were fortunate...

Midwife wouldn't change careers for the world.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2009... COUNTRYSIDE: I love your magazine. I think it is the most amazing collection of information out there. I have been a subscriber for many years as well. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I read your article about home birth and loved it. I was...

Home births are relaxing; almost "enjoyable".(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2009... COUNTRYSIDE: I am about to have my 4th homebirth (5th child). I had my first child in the hospital and had many complications--nothing severe, just little things. First of all, since she was my first it was concluded as soon as I got there...

Attending niece's birth while in college: it changed her thinking about child birth.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2009... COUNTRYSIDE: I just got done reading your article "The Stork Stops Here" in the Jan/Feb 2009 edition of COUNTRYSIDE I ran over to the computer and sat down to write you! I have been praying for an opportunity to share my homebirth experiences...

Coming events.(agricultural trade shows)(Calendar)
May 1, 2009... Send your events at least 3 months ahead of time to: COUNTRYSIDE Coming Events, 145 Industrial Dr., Medford, WI 54451; csyeditorial@tds.net April 19, 2009 6th Annual Alpaca Heritage Budget Caper Halter Show. The ABC Show is a one-day...

Calling for backup: keeping the lights on when it really matters: part I: standby generator systems.(Life on the sunny, side)
May 1, 2009... Ever been in a major blackout? The last time it happened to us Mother Nature dropped three feet of snow on our high-plains farm and the electricity was out for five days. It was my job to figure out how to heat two mobile homes and pump water...

Portable generators: when the power goes out, you don't need to worry.
May 1, 2009... Electricity is one of the most dependable commodities we enjoy in America. From small rural co-ops to the massive electric companies that serve tens of millions, it is their priority to keep electricity flowing, and they do a great job of it....

A heavenly shower: fight high propane prices and still stay squeaky clean.
May 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] After a good day's work here at the Recycle Ranch, there s only one thing better than a nice long shower, and that's one taken outdoors and heated by the sun. I've always wanted an outdoor shower and when propane...

Wrap it up: here's a simple way to "super-dry" your firewood, use less firewood, eliminate cold-weather cutting, and dramatically increase heat value!(The woodshed)
May 1, 2009... Like so many people in northeastern Ohio and in other cold winter climates like ours, my wife Linda and I decided to install an outdoor wood burner behind our home and capitalize on some of the "free" heat stored in the trees nearby. (Free is...

Build a firewood box: (it makes a pretty good story-telling perch, too.).
May 1, 2009... I remember the days of my boyhood as if they were yesterday. I remember waking in a crowded bed at my grandparents house, with the aroma of bacon and pancakes drifting up the stairway to the bedroom I shared with my many cousins. Our chores of...

Build it with stone ... build it for FREE! Learn how, at the school of rock.
May 1, 2009... My wife and I have always loved stonework. We have often admired the tenacious stone craftsmen of earlier times who had no choice but to build with materials that they took off the land. The result of their work still stands testament to the...

The home craft business as a supplemental income.(Your homestead business)
May 1, 2009... For years I've been writing about the ins and outs of starting a home craft business. The focus of these articles has always been how to make such a business one's sole source of income. But with our recent economic situation, it might be...

Out-smarting those pesky squirrels.
May 1, 2009... We've been enjoying your magazine for over 20 years and finally think we have something to offer. We purchased a bird feeder and had it sitting on our porch for over a year before finally getting around to putting it up. This spring we...

Homesteading & your money or your life: revisited.(Homestead finances)
May 1, 2009... Are you truly totally self-reliant? Do you live in a cave, make your own tools and wear the skins of animals you killed? And of course you don't read this magazine since that would mean you rely on other people. For most of us, money matters,...

These hard economic times: are your actions in step with your thinking?(Homestead finances)
May 1, 2009... I keep asking myself, "Has the world gone crazy? What are people talking about when they say "these hard economic times?" I am so confused because I hear so many people say these are such hard economic times but, at the same time, what I see...

The well-dressed homesteader.
May 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] It's not about how much money you make; it's about how much money you keep, and if you believe the numbers from the Ohio Columbus Dispatch, most of us aren't keeping very much of it. Americans spend somewhere in the...

Save money, recycle and make new friends with a Community Treasure Chest!
May 1, 2009... Do you have odds and ends sitting around that you no longer need? Are you a "green" thinker, hating to throw items away that are still useful? Do you enjoy trading and swapping and just treasure hunting in general? Is your mantra "one man's...

How to hang clothes on the line: how hard can it be to stick a clothespin on the fabric and put it on a line? But, as many have discovered, the results can be stiff and wrinkled clothes.
May 1, 2009... Many people want to learn how to hang clothes on the line--whether it is to save money, protect the environment, or just because line-dried clothes smell so nice. An often overlooked benefit is how much line drying will save on wear and tear on...

Give them an inch, and they'll take ... a foot massage.(Homestead health)
May 1, 2009... Is it just me, or does everyone seem a little edgy lately? We all know there's not much we can do about the complicated problems gripping the world, but there is something we can do about our stress level, and the best part is: It's free, quick...

Edible estate: trade your grass lawn for an edible garden.(The garden)
May 1, 2009... Recently I had dinner at the home of a woman in West Sacramento who has been an organic gardener in California since the 1970s. The meal's contents came primarily from her fruit trees and vegetable garden. During dinner she described the...

K.I.S.S. your compost: (keep it scientifically simple).(The garden)
May 1, 2009... Imagine I first heard the word "compost" about 40 years ago. Around the same time, I first encountered the word "organic." Since then, the concepts represented by those words have become hopelessly complex and even ambiguous. As "organic"...

Keeping it cool: refrigeration is optional.(Notes from the northwoods)
May 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] You sit down in a restaurant and the server brings you a glass of ice and water. It s sub-zero outside with a wind chill that takes your breath away even if you're bundled up like a padded cow. And you get served...

From the udder to your salad... feta goat milk cheese! The Reynolds' easy secret recipe!(The homestead kitchen)(Recipe)
May 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] If you have a couple of goats in your backyard you are most likely swimming in milk come spring. Being a goat farmer (who is flooded with milk), I know that you have to be creative and find many uses for the...

Sumac: the undiscovered condiment.(The homestead kitchen)(Recipe)
May 1, 2009... Sumac, also spelled sumach or sumak, derived from the Arabic summaq, may be the last of the great condiments still to be introduced into the West. Yet, Middle Eastern cooks have employed it for thousands of years as a replacement for lemon...

Cooking common: fish.(The homestead kitchen)(Recipe)
May 1, 2009... Some common and easy to catch kinds of fish often go unused because they are not regarded as food fish or they are somehow hard to handle. Following are some of the ways I have found for using fish that are common where I live. Perhaps other...

Have dandelion wine by Christmas.(The homestead kitchen)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... COUNTRYSIDE: I have been a loyal subscriber since 1994 and have every issue since then. I really enjoy your magazine. I felt I had to write a letter after reading about George Sims' try at Dandelion Wine. I found my old recipe and made a new...

In praise of Finnsheep.(The sheep shed)
May 1, 2009... When the first sheep came to our place in the early 1980 s I promised my husband she would be the only one. But you know how it is, they are like potato chips--you can't have just one. Our new sheep had been a companion for a horse. She was...

We love our buck goats ... butt ...(The goat barn)
May 1, 2009... If we would have known then what we know now, we might not have brought home two Nubian brothers. Maybe we might have, it all depends on whether or not Latte, when grown, would knock me down. As with most stories, it would help if I start at...

Haying with horses.(The horse barn)
May 1, 2009... Charlie Thomas grew up on a ranch in Wyoming in the early 1900s. His father had horses and mules, and one of Charlie's jobs as a child was to water them. As a young man he enjoyed working with teams--haying, feeding, logging, hauling supplies,...

16.2 million acres of farmland lost in 2007.(The horse barn)
May 1, 2009... WASHINGTON, DC -- "Once again we see a nationwide decline in land in farms," says Jon Scholl, President of American Farmland Trust (AFT). "While this does not automatically mean the land has been converted to developed uses, it does mean the...

Grants available to qualified bee clubs.(The apiary)
May 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Bees have come out of the woods and into the backyards and fields of beekeepers all across the U.S. When I was 10-12 years old I remember my dad finding a bee tree in the woods that surrounded our home, cutting it...

Living the good life ... an encouraging word for greenhorns.(Country neighbors)
May 1, 2009... We've owned this property for 5 1/2 years; we moved onto it only 2 1/2 years ago. Living in a travel trailer and using an outhouse, we managed quite nicely during the structure time of building for six months. The house was not completed when...

Why wait to homestead? Start where you are!(Country neighbors)
May 1, 2009... In the last year or so, I've come to the realization that homesteading is more about a state of mind than a piece of ground. Thus, I sit in my little cubical daily, contemplating my own "suburban homestead." The idea came to me out of the...

Intentional homesteading: it could help increase employment opportunities, among other possibilities.(Country neighbors)
May 1, 2009... My wife and I are homesteaders. We love many things about this lifestyle--fresh air and quiet nights, and lots of freedom from the rules and regulations required in the city. But we struggle with some difficult issues that cause problems for...

A broken heart and broken bones don't kill her dream.(Country neighbors)
May 1, 2009... I am an avid reader of your fine magazine and have been for years. I submitted an article to you and it was published in the November/ December 1998 issue. At that time, I was a homesteader in Oklahoma with my husband. Let me tell you...

"I'm gonna need a tow".(Country neighbors)
May 1, 2009... Here is a little story which is a common scenario that occurs frequently on farms. I thought readers would able to identify with it. Ron and I built our homestead from our woodlot about 12 years ago and I'm pretty used to this ongoing drama....

Creative dating.(The hapless homesteader)
May 1, 2009... Despite anything you may have heard to the contrary, I am not a cheapskate when it comes to dating. I prefer to think of myself as... er... creatively romantic, and, as everyone knows, money cannot buy romance. Well, actually, money can buy...

Poor Will's Countryside Almanack for early & middle spring of 2009.
May 1, 2009... Like the seasons, which are measurable in the minutiae of the changes that take place from day to day, our spirits, our selves, are made visible and given form in our observations of and our interactions with where we are.--Pliny Fulkner ...

Curry cat: a kitten with attitude.(After chores)
May 1, 2009... Just about every farm has barn cats. Milk and Honey Farm is no exception. From a humble beginning and unknown parentage, my best cat has evolved into a classic example of "cat-hood." However, in the beginning, it did not go well. One very...