Countryside & Small Stock Journal articles from November 1996

Countryside & Small Stock Journal archives from November 1996

Homesteading, farming, and green beans. (there is a difference between homesteading and farming)(Editorial)
November 1, 1996... It's exasperating, trying to tell the uniniated that homesteading is not farming. What's frustrating is that I haven't been able to explain the difference. Now, maybe I The revelation came to me yesterday afternoon, while Diane and I were...

'Plain living' vs. 'capitalistic culture?' (includes related articles)(The Question of Community)(Column)
November 1, 1996... Someone who has seen only one issue of COUNTRYSIDE (as the next correspondent has) is, perhaps, forced to judge the book by its cover. Although we try to present a balanced picture over the long haul, no single issue can depict all the nuances...

Miracles from Michigan: you don't have to be within shouting distance to have, or be, a good neighbor. (article on failure at goat raising brings unexpected community help)(The Question of Community)
November 1, 1996... The last time I wrote was regarding my biggest homesteading failure, a goat named Mandy (80/1:69). Well, a lot has happened since then. Since that article I have made a lot of new friends. Donna Raybon from Dandridge, Tennessee saw the...

The community of Wal-Mart. (a new widow finds unexpected help from her co-workers at the store near Pineville, MO)(The Question of Community)
November 1, 1996... My parents came from California to see our Missouri homestead for the first time, and we had a nice visit. On a Monday morning we had breakfast together, took pictures, kissed, hugged, cried a bit, and they left to continue their journey....

'I have always hoped for a community of support ....' (a future homesteader's dream)(The Question of Community)
November 1, 1996... Not everyone is fortunate enough to find helpful, like-minded people to share homestead dreams, ideas and work with. But as the next correspondent indicates, that doesn't mean they don't yearn for that sense of community. I am nestled up...

The urban homesteader: a veterinarian with no animals - yet living in a condo with earthquakes.(The Question of Community)
November 1, 1996... When speaking of community, it's important to realize that not all homesteaders live far beyond the sidewalks, and very few consider themselves "independent" of other people. Here's one who lives in the city... in a condo. Take...

Our town is booming: come join the crowd! Can this be a homesteader talking? Yes - and it might be the wave of the future ....(Place)
November 1, 1996... If you still aren't convinced that homesteaders aren't all hermits, we'll give it one more shot. Here's a homesteader who lives in a rapidly growing area, but invites more people to move in! The catch is, she'd prefer members of the...

A second opinion on Virginia: one person's nightmare is another's dream come true.(Place)
November 1, 1996... In our May/June issue a correspondent described some unpleasant experiences related to a homestead in Virginia. Predictably, many other readers took issue with various parts of that story. Some were from Virginia. Here is one example. The...

West Virginians left on impression on the lad. (The Intentional Peasant)(Place)
November 1, 1996... The story on Virginia prompted the Intentional Peasant to recall his experiences with some people from West Virginia. In his gentle way, perhaps he's suggesting something that people who can't get along with others should give serious...

How to profit from livestock. (includes related articles)(Livestock)
November 1, 1996... When a reader said he had lost his job and couldn't afford to keep livestock, I expressed the opinion that homestead animals should pay their own way. That opened a Pandora's box involving everything from economics and the current farm...

Finding opportunities in a cattle crash: some people know how to profit even when times are tough.(Livestock)
November 1, 1996... The cattle industry works on about a ten-year cycle. At the moment it is on the downward slope with projections of it bottoming out in late 1997 or early 1998. For someone with the time and energy there can be opportunities available to...

Backpacking with goats. (includes a related article on a goat packer's diary)(Goats)
November 1, 1996... Goats. What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear or see that word? "Nannies and Billys"? Scraggly, unkempt animals, eating tin cans? Hoof prints on your car? What used to be a flower bed? Or, how about looking skyward after being...

Is there a draft animal in your future? (includes resource information)(Draft Animals)
November 1, 1996... Horses, mules, and oxen make good economic sense on today's homestead. Better yet, they're environmentally friendly. They won't compact tillable soil like a tractor will, nor damage standing trees and disturb soil as much as a logging skidder...

In love with angora rabbits.
November 1, 1996... I fell in love with spinning and angora rabbits after reading Kathy Hart's article (Vol. 79, No. 2) last year. However, her warnings about wool block and "flystrike" kept me away from these beautiful rabbits for six months. Then I met a local...

Raising turkeys on pasture.(Turkeys)
November 1, 1996... We moved onto Polyface, Inc. - the farm of Joel Salatin and family - in 1987. Having watched the development of the pastured poultry model (see Joel's book Pastured Poultry Profits), the next logical step for me was to expand the model to...

Watch out for poisonous ... toads. (harmful to dogs and other pets)(reprinted from Your Dog, Tufts Univerity publication)
November 1, 1996... Magda Liska, Appomattox, Virginia, writes: "I thought it was funny when Mona (my 17 month old Border Collie/Australian Shepherd cross) found a toad, grabbed it, spit it out and then shook her head repeatedly while foaming and drooling heavily....

Raising squab. (includes a related article on ostrich farms and prices)
November 1, 1996... In 1987 I got an idea on how to manage to buy a piece of property and move from the city and go back to the land. Pigeons! (More properly, squab.) There was no market in Phoenix at the time, but a few phone calls to the executive chefs of...

Gardening produces more than food.
November 1, 1996... The object of life is not just to survive, but to live happily and productively. People want more from their daily routine than three meals and a place to sleep. They are looking for opportunities to do things that will make life soar beyond...

Sometimes pollinators need a little help. (includes a related article on the decrease in wild bee populations)
November 1, 1996... Are there no apples on your apple trees? Are there few vegetables in your garden? Maybe they aren't receiving adequate pollination. Many plants cannot produce their bounty without help from outside sources. That's where bees, moths, birds,...

Soap: a satisfying, creative adventure! (includes a related article on soap making and weather)
November 1, 1996... Making soap is a satisfying, creative adventure. There are batches of soap that come out perfectly, and then sometimes you cannot figure out what went wrong. Fortunately, the latter grow further and further apart as time goes by. But even a...

The Natural Soap Book.
November 1, 1996... The Natural Soap Book, by Susan Miller Cavitch; Storey/Garden Way Publishing, Schoolhouse Rd., Pownal VT 05261; 1-800-441-5700; 182 pages. softcover; $12.95 + $4.95 S&H. Susan Miller Cavitch took three years to study and learn soapmaking....

The five-gallon tool: it might look like an ordinary bucket ... until you take another look. (plastic buckets)(Recycling)
November 1, 1996... That plastic bucket you just kicked out of the way may well be the most useful thing you have on the homestead. "Go fish," you say. Right, you could... and carry your bait to the pond with you and carry the catch of the day back. ...

Plastic bottles can be useful tools, too. (includes a related article on recycling nitrogen from surplus munitions)(Recycling)
November 1, 1996... After all these years of receiving, I guess I should try to give something back. I've used many Ideas from the magazine over the years, thanks to all who contributed. Particularly, I've grown several thousand pounds of sweet potatoes since Ms....

Trouble-shooting the submersible pump. (includes a related article on cold weather watering)
November 1, 1996... You turn on the water faucet... and nothing comes out. And you have a submersible pump. What Now? The first thing to do is to ascertain "What is the problem?" Before pulling the pump out of the well, check to make sure it is getting...

Build a maximizer barrel stove: it extracts the maximum amount of BTUs from your wood, while leaving the maximum amount dollars in your wallet.
November 1, 1996... First, a disclaimer. This project assumes a certain basic level of metal fabrication skills: welding, cutting, shaping, etc. The article is not intended to cover construction in great detail as it would be too lenghty for Countryside to print....

They get their water from the desert sky. (for an adobe 'earthship' type house)
November 1, 1996... The July/August 1996 Countryside presented articles on water. We thought we would bring you an update on current systems. Can you live with a truly independent water collection system, without a well? For us the answer is a resounding...

A homestead Christmas: enjoy holiday giving - without the credit card bills later. (recipes including ones for making marshmallows and calf's foot jelly)
November 1, 1996... The commercializing of the holiday season for many people means high credit card bills, more gifts they don't need and can't use, and keeping prices of gifts the same for everyone to eliminate hard feelings. However, there is an easier way to...

Make venison sausage. (recipes; also including venison salami, tomato relish, tomato gravy, and potato soup)
November 1, 1996... After the hunting season is over, the guns all cleaned and safely put away, it's time to do something with that freezer full of venison. Make that big pot of venison chili, tray of mouth watering tacos or my favorite - venison sausage. Chili...

Winter special for the country kitchen. (includes recipes)
November 1, 1996... I just wanted to share a few more recipes that maybe some of you out there haven,t tried. This cocoa mix is not as sweet as what you buy in the grocery store but once you try it you may find you won't want any other kind. Hot Chocolate...

Is 'the crash' wishful thinking? (economic slowdown)(Editorial)
November 1, 1996... "Do you suppose," asked a correspondent who has been around since the 60S, "that talk about the Coming Crash is just wishful thinking?" My reply: Definitely... yes, no, and no. There are plenty of reasons for intelligent and...

Preparing for the future wins converts: 'People who aren't Mormons are asking me what the year's supply is all about, and taking notes....'
November 1, 1996... Countrysiders might be interested In looking at the July Atlantic Monthly. The title says it all. Recipe for a Depression: mix falling wages, a push for zero inflation, and a bipartisan drive to eliminate the budget deficit. Simmer." The...

Current reality as seen here ... in the Ozarks. (homesteading for survival)
November 1, 1996... My wife and I have recently moved to the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas. We are rebuilding our long-abandoned homestead-retreat. We have a 40' sailboat that we still hope to take to southeast Alaska, but we have to get our priorities straight. We...

A homestead investment strategy: forget stocks, bonds, and CDs; plant trees and raise animals.
November 1, 1996... Let's face it, most homesteaders don't have a lot of money. Every time we get a few bucks ahead, we're less concerned with investing it than we are getting that much needed brake job on the pickup truck, or building a new poultry coop or some...

Homestead investing.
November 1, 1996... Reading this magazine might give you the impression that homesteaders are young, poor, and female. Much of the advice, including financial, appears aimed at that audience. In reality, 55% of our readers are male. The average age is between...

Computer user - at work, but not on the homestead.
November 1, 1996... As someone who uses computers and also strives for a "simpler" lifestyle, I'm deeply concerned about how quickly some homesteaders have been embracing new computer technologies. Some facts about me: I have two email accounts; I teach...

Dairy Goats for Pleasure and Profit.
November 1, 1996... Dairy Goats for Pleasure and Profit, by Harvey Considine, published by Dairy Goat Journal, P.O. Box 10, Lake Mills, WI 53551; 301 pages, softcover; $17.95 + $2.00 S&H. Harvey Considine has devoted more than 50 years to dalry goats, raising...

Taking Stock: The North American Livestock Census.
November 1, 1996... Taking Stock: The North American Livestock Census, by Donald E. Bixby, Carolyn J. Christman, Cynthia J. Ehrman, D. Phillip Sponenberg. Available from the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy, P.O. Box 477, Pittsboro, NC 27312; $15.95. ...

The Gardener's Weed Book.
November 1, 1996... The Gardeners Weed Book, by Barbara Pleasant; Storey/Garden Way Publishing, Schoolhouse Rd., Pownal VT 05261; 1-800-441-5700; 201 pages, softcover; $12.95 + $4.95 S&H. "Know your enemy" might be the main notion behind Barbara Pleasant's...

Poultry Matters.
November 1, 1996... Poultry Matters, a video, written and presented by Alexander Bastedo and David Bland, Light Sussex Productions. (Available through RoyalScot, see video classifieds.) Here in America horse and dog videos are rather popular as sources of...

Get ready for the 21st century!(Column)
November 1, 1996... To those of us who once thought 1984 (to say nothing of 2001) was a lifetime away, " The 21st century, conjures images of space ships, domed cities, and technology so advanced the 1900s will look like the Dark Ages. Where does that leave...