Countryside & Small Stock Journal articles from November 2000

Countryside & Small Stock Journal archives from November 2000

Woodburning safety and bread baking ...
November 1, 2000... This is my favorite time of the year. It s wonderful to be out in the crisp air while doing chores, or just taking a stroll through the woods -- without those annoying mosquitoes! The fire in the woodburner feels especially nice on these...

Shiitake mushroom experiences.
November 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: I read the piece about mushrooms in the Sept./Oct. issue with interest. Now I'll contribute my experiences. In 1993 I bought shiitake spawn from Field & Forest. Now, seven years later, I picked a few mushrooms from my oak logs....

They found an easier way to grow mushrooms.
November 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: You may remember me from an "old" article about growing Shiitake mushrooms a few years ago. In that story, our family inoculated 300 real hard-wood logs with the method recommended by Field & Forest, Inc. You have to have a...

APPPA's real e-mail address.
November 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: Thanks for the article mentioning APPPA on page 83 (Sept./ Oct.). In case you get any inquiries, the e-mail address there is incorrect. It should have one more "P" in it - apppa_grit@yahoo.com. We also use grit@apppa.org. Thanks!...

English readers thank you.
November 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: I would be grateful if you would put a note in the next COUNTRYSIDE thanking the many, many people who have contacted us in England with regard to the letter in the July/August issue about swapping news, info, etc. with us. There...

Sugar-free cola cleans best.
November 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: You recently had a little helper hint, use Coca-Cola to clean up battery build up on post and terminals, etc. It is a great help, especially when there is not a grocery store to get some sodium bicarbonate, i.e. baking soda. I...

Encroaching civilization letter hits home.
November 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: First of all, I want to thank you for a truly wonderful and inspiring magazine. And thanks so much to all the people out there who contribute their advice and support! I received this subscription from my good friend, Denise, as a...

Anathoth article appreciated.
November 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: I really enjoyed the article on the Anathoth community (July/ Aug.). I had heard about it but never knew what it was about in such depth. That article was appreciated! I always look forward to the magazine. -- Betty Jauernig, PO...

Alone no more.
November 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: Yippee!! COUNTRYSIDE Contacts is back. Thank you! Having recently ordered and read a number of back issues, I discovered the old Contacts column. I was very sad to have discovered your magazine only after the Contacts column...

Ponds are not a natural part of some ecosystems.
November 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: I was avidly reading my very first issue of COUNTRYSIDE (84/3) and was so impressed that I will be a dedicated COUNTRYSIDE reader for the rest of my life. Unfortunately, this issue contained an article on how to build your own farm...

Pine tar and weather forecasting.
November 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: We were lucky enough to move to the country a few years ago. As luck would have it, right next to the foremost "hog butchering man" of the area -- maybe the world. His family has done it for others for generations. He has taught us...

They improved their English-style henhouse.
November 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: The Sept./Oct. 1998 issue has plans for the English-style henhouse. We thought and thought, and switched the roof so we won't get wet going in the door during rain/ snow. I also wondered how a person could keep from wandering into...

They view wildlife as a "bonus".
November 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: My husband and I are recent subscribers. We really love this magazine and enjoy the articles from fellow subscribers. However, we are slightly peeved and puzzled by some of the "complaints" we read about. Such as, when a couple...

Shouldn't houses be small?
November 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: I have been a long time subscriber. I would like to make a comment about the last few magazines. I have noticed more staff written articles rather than reader written articles and I miss them very much. It seems as if the only...

Questions on using cisterns without bleach or filters.
November 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: I am interested in learning more about using a cistern for drinking water. So far the things I have read make it all so complicated, with the need to use bleach (which I think is so unhealthy) and all these elaborate filters that...

Fox eats chickens, bobcat chases fox ...
November 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: I have been getting COUNTRYSIDE for many years and I read them from cover to cover. I will say I liked the old format better, but I simply take my pleasure where and when I can. I have been retired for 25 years, and my garden...

Starting over is easier with family's help.
November 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: We sold our 2-1/2 acre homestead in an over-populated, overpriced "rural" area and were greatly in debt. (Not necessarily all due to poor financial judgment as much as an over-inflated economy which continues to rise.) Needless to...

Ooops ...
November 1, 2000... We forgot to add Solutions Unlimited as a source of garlic in the Sept./Oct. issue (pg. 47). Solutions, RR 1 Box60G, Sharon Springs, NY 13459; (518) 284-2055; . Write for free newsletter.

He's willing to help others learn from his mistake.
November 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: I'm sure some of you feel that homesteading, often living close to the bone, leaves little room for mistakes. Some people may spend hours studying others' experiences to save on your own; while some plan reasonably well and figure...

Response to lye-making advice.
November 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: I was glad to receive the May/June issue at the Midwest Renewable Energy Fair at the expo in Madison. The response to the question on making lye has some potentially dangerous errors in its advice. Commercial strengths of lye...

Easy soap-making recipe.
November 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: I was getting ready to make my soap for the year and thought I had to share the recipe. This is the easiest recipe I've found. It's low to no suds. I use a glass pot to mix it in and wooden spoon to stir. I picked up measuring...

A quick explanation of lightning rods.
November 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: No, lightning rods are not obsolete (July/August, pg. 94). Lightning rods are not designed or intended to draw lightning. Attracting lightning would probably not be an advantage. The lightning bolt is so intense that although...

He needs info on raising European night crawlers.
November 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: I subscribe to COUNTRYSIDE and read everything in each magazine at least once. Love it! I have a question though and thought I would write in to see if you or your readers can help. I'd like to grow earthworms and I was...

What she doesn't already know, she's learning fast.
November 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: I'm sitting here with my check in hand ready to send for another three-year subscription. I thought about the year that just passed. I'm more than surviving on an 85-acre cattle ranch with goats attached. This time last year I was...

First one to the mail box wins.
November 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: Just a note to tell you that your magazine is the best. We can't wait to read it. I always get it first -- there are advantages to being chief cook and bottle washer. Keep up the good work, and tell Jd to enjoy his retirement but...

She wishes everyone would be as happy.
November 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: Yours is the only magazine I buy, and, while I enjoy the informative articles and the fascinating ads, it's the letters from readers that make me feel I have an extended family in this world. I came into a $500 windfall at age...

There's strength in numbers.
November 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: I'm so glad I took a chance to try this journal. I've felt at odds with the world as I try to be green in urban areas, doing nursing in big hospitals, all the while wanting but fearing the move to the country. I finally moved...

They realize they don't need 40 acres to homestead.
November 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: Your magazine has been my friend and mentor for about 10 years now. Most of my life I dreamed of living in a remote place. COUNTRYSIDE and all its contributors helped me along the path towards at least being somewhat...

Opinions differ on overpopulation.
November 1, 2000... Not since the cat ate Grandma has a letter generated so much response. "Too many children?" (Sept./Oct. pg. 26) struck a lot of nerves -- on both sides of the coin. And we're pretty sure it will continue to be an on-going debate for decades to...

While computers continue to strike another cord.
November 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: The assumption that everyone has internet access smacks of elitism and does not really enhance the image of COUNTRYSIDE as a homesteader's-publication. We enjoyed the internet as a vast library of information for several years,...

... with some green bean tips thrown in.
November 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: Finally, someone with a computer that realizes there are people out here that do not have e-mail or even a computer. "Notes from the northwoods," Sue Robishaw, has not only her e-mail address, but the "real mail" address. By...

How do you store produce before canning?
November 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: I have no tips but I have a question your readers may be able to help with. We plan on building our "last" home. We have purchased five acres. We live in southeast Texas. It's hot here, with very short winters. Canning has always...

Historical fence information needed.
November 1, 2000... COUSTRYSIDE: I have been a subscriber to COUNTRYSIDE now for a while and I love the magazine burl have a question I can find nothing about. I want to build a fence along my yard but I want to do it in the old rustic-look, like during the Civil...

Fires create need for temporary shelter funds.
November 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: I was hoping to plead for help in the magazine as we are desperate here in Montana. As most of the country knows we are dealing with many many forest fires and many are being evacuated. We at Critters for Kids are organizing and...

Why cake can't sing.
November 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: Well, after a few years, I have finally realized the reason I keep getting mail about that Singing Cake recipe, (asking why it doesn't work), is because the ingredients were not printed correctly in the magazine! It may have been a...

Oxen training.
November 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: I would like to know more about oxen and training them. I would like to know if there are any books on the subject. Thanks! Jeremy Bloom, Rural Heritage is geared toward farming and logging with oxen, horses and mules...

Foot-powered pumps.
November 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: I am interested in purchasing a foot-powered water pump to transport water from a small stream to a garden. Can anyone offer any suggestions? Thanks.

Does anyone have root cellar plans?
November 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: I am thinking about building a root cellar. Do you have any plans I can obtain? Things I know: 1. I would like the top of the cellar to be at least two feet below ground level. 2. I have the book Root Cellaring, by...

Free electronic book offer.
November 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: Several years ago I self-published a book titled How to Earn Extra Money in the Country. While it received very favorable book reviews, not enough copies were sold to justify reprinting. It is over 200 pages long and includes well...

Treasures by the roadside.
November 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: I have been an avid reader of COUNTRYSIDE for several years. In the Depression days, my father's side of the family were all farmers in Indiana. We lived a mile from my Grandfather's farm, on the farm of another relative....

Hand-made boot sources.
November 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: After reading the letter from Ron Michaelson, asking where one might find handmade boots, I did a little digging, and found a couple of possible suppliers: * Cowtown Boots, 11451 Gateway West, El Paso TX 79926; 915-593-2929 ...

Whose "right" is right?
November 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: I would like to comment on several areas of Mr. Dishnow's article (Sept./Oct., pg. 94), particularly his use of the words "character" and "values" in a moral relativistic or absolute free philosophy. Without absolutes you...

Who wants to talk about herbs?
November 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: This is an attempt to cast a broad net over a subject I'm trying to learn more about: herbs. I'm a single woman in transition from a profession to vocation or right livelihood. I plan to attend the master gardener program...

Cures for fleas ...
November 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: In regards to the article in Sept./Oct. concerning the lady from Tennessee asking about natural remedies for fleas and ticks. My wife and I lived in Florida with all the sand fleas and ticks which are impossible to Control. We were...

... and ingrown toe nails.
November 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: I love your magazine. I have found that for fleas in the house, leave a pan of soapy water on the floor overnight against the wall under a plug-in nightlight, or in the middle of the floor under a low hanging light source. I have...

Countryside Contacts:.
November 1, 2000... 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. * You may...

Special feature: Heating with wood.
November 1, 2000... If you're new at using a woodburning stove, here's the information you need to burn safely (And if you're an old pro, consider this a refresher course) A friend of mine who I correspond with suggested that I send a version of a letter...

Get fired up over wood burning stoves.
November 1, 2000... The first heating bill of winter arrives and your eyes widen at the charges. The thermostat is immediately lowered, the family is cautioned about keeping doors and windows closed, and perhaps even encouraged to wear a sweater indoors. To...

How to cut wood -- safely.
November 1, 2000... Okay, that wood stove is installed and ready to go, but now you need wood... Many of us have vowed never to be caught unprepared and dependent on the public utilities for our very lives. The independent's likely fuel will be wood --...

Heat with peat!
November 1, 2000... What if you have no wood? This summer we had hoped to fill up our oil tank to run our winter heating on, but the price of crude oil has inflated beyond our purse yet again. So a few weeks ago back we went to the "moss" to turn and stack...

Save time with this log carrier.
November 1, 2000... Tired of all those trips to the wood shed? If you burn wood and find yourself carrying armloads of logs from the woodpile to the wood box, you are no doubt wondering if there is an easier way. There is! Use a log carrier. Now there's no...

Carbon monoxide.
November 1, 2000... Heating with wood is cozy and inexpensive, but be careful of the silent killer: A by-product of combustion, this invisible, colorless, odorless, and tasteless toxic gas gets into the bloodstream and weakens the body's defenses. Carbon...

Large hay bales on small holdings.
November 1, 2000... There are several reasons why we use at least some large round bales each year for our livestock: 1. At haying time, large round bales aren't as damaged by those "unforecast" rains. 2. They can be made to "keep" without costly shelter....

My fiber adventures.
November 1, 2000... I would like to share with you a wonderful adventure, into the world of fiber. Each morning we wake and dress for another day. While we give so much thought into choosing the right "look," very little thought goes into how fabric is made. Since...

One of the forest's great pleasures: The huckleberry.
November 1, 2000... One of the forest's great pleasures: Is there anyone that can resist the aroma of a fresh-baked berry pie or the inherent pleasures that come from the first mouth watering bit of a homemade wild berry-filled muffin? Just to think about it...

Notes from the northwoods: El Nino frames.
November 1, 2000... Whether we blame it on El Nino or the gods, chaotic weather is too often a part of the gardener's life. While this makes life more interesting, it makes gardening more challenging. We can rant and rave and complain about the weather, or we can...

The garden: Understanding the carbon/nitrogen ratio.
November 1, 2000... Plants require a delicate balance of both There are two chemical elements in organic matter which are extremely important, especially their relation or proportion to each other. They are carbon and nitrogen. This relationship is called the...

Asparagus: It's not just for eating.
November 1, 2000... After the long winter, we delight in seeing the first spring vegetable -- the elegant asparagus. But the unique shape and delicious taste of this vegetable are only part of the joy of growing asparagus. The edible spears, not picked for eating,...

The garden: Composting is for the worms.
November 1, 2000... Preparing large holiday meals produces more than happy families with full tummies. It also produces waste -- peelings, shreddings, and choppings -- that make excellent worm feed. Don't stuff all that food waste down the garbage disposal:...

The cow barn: Milk fever isn't a fever.
November 1, 2000... Milk fever isn't a fever, but rather is caused by low blood calcium' Milk fever occurs in high milk-producing cows, with a greater incidence in Jerseys. Incidences in beef cattle are very rare, but it might occur with dairy/beef crosses....

Steve's goat barn project: Stop wasting all that expensive hay Make your goats a hay manger.
November 1, 2000... Do you have a good plan for a hay rack for goats that they can't get into or get their heads hung in? That seems to be a pretty good problem at my house (I should say, their barn). -- Mrs. Laster, Taylor, AR Goats are notorious for...

The poultry yard: Believe it or not, they have: Swimming chickens.
November 1, 2000... Believe it or not, they have: "Hey, those crazy chickens were swimming with my ducks!" A neighbor was telling me about some swimming chickens he had bought (unknowingly from my son). He asked if I had ever heard of anything like that....

The rabbitry: Help for orphaned kits.
November 1, 2000... Help! Our rabbits are raised in colonies, and penned against the side of a small hill, leaving them able to dig burrows into the ground. We had a lot of rain recently, and pulled a couple kits out of the holes to keep them from drowning. Now...

Steve's workshop: Build an outdoor oven for less than $200.
November 1, 2000... Outdoor ovens have been around for many generations, in many cultures, and many designs. They have enjoyed a recent revival, not only among homesteaders, but among the trendy "peasant gourmet" set. (This means you can buy one--for about...

The homestead kitchen: Beans for breakfast?
November 1, 2000... Better nutrition to start your day Research shows that a nutritious breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Not only does a good breakfast provide good fuel to get a body moving, it provides necessary nutrients to help us "think...

Homestead crafts: Goldenrod: a natural dye plant.
November 1, 2000... Five years ago, as my husband and I wandered around our two acres of newly purchased land surrounded by rolling hills, grazing Holsteins and Wisconsin cornfields, goldenrod grew everywhere. We wondered if we would ever get rid of this worrisome...

Homestead crafts: Make your own lip balms.
November 1, 2000... One of the nearest things about having a desire to be as independent as possible is the many things you learn to do on your own. Now, not everyone is going to need to learn how to make lip balms themselves! But come those cold winter, chapped...

The top 10 signs winter is on its way.
November 1, 2000... 10: You're no longer scratching insect bites. 9: You're busy cutting firewood for winter that should have been cut last spring. 8: Clouds have finally moved in to shade you from the hot summer sun, but now block the sun's wanted...

Country neighbors: Time for indulgence.
November 1, 2000... After homesteading for 40 years, difficult to switch gears I've been reading COUNTRYSIDE and never thought of it before, but I guess my husband and I have been homesteaders for about 40 years. When we were first married, we lived in a house...

Country neighbors: Life at homesteading journey's end.
November 1, 2000... Several years ago, we made the decision to live a more self-sufficient life. It certainly was much easier said than done (at times I doubted my sanity), but over all, we have succeeded in our decision. The problems and failures occur less...

Country neighbors: Taming the "wilderness".
November 1, 2000... He finds sanctuary in unusual places My good husband, Fred, loves nature and the solitude it affords. Our children have all grown up with the idea that Sunday afternoons mean exploring in the woods with Dad. Because we are city dwellers,...

Life as a caretaker on a Montana Ranch.
November 1, 2000... I've been reading COUNTRYSIDE for years now, and am always amazed at the number of people who write in complaining that they are struck in a rut and can't get out of it. They're always saying, "If only I had the money to buy a place out in the...

Country neighbors: The Barton family saga continues.
November 1, 2000... We've been working on a low-cost way to put up barns. I read an article in a sheep magazine and decided to tryit -- a barn made with wire stock panels and tarps! (Ed. note: The use of stock panels and tarps for shelters are nothing new in...

The kids' perspectives.
November 1, 2000... The Barton kids voice their opinions about homesteading in Wyoming: BOBBIE Jo (14-1/2) I like to live on a homestead because it's "cool" out here. We homeschool because we live too far out to go to public school and Mom doesn't want us...

Her brother built a boat house -- in the woods.
November 1, 2000... My brother John has always liked the country. We were raised in a shack of a house in the woods near St. Augustine, Florida, a mile off old Hastings Road (now known as State Road 207). That was back in 1944. John was known to all as "Crazy...

Pioneers for a year.
November 1, 2000... Two couples will carve a homestead out of the Canadian prairie -- with tv crews in tow COUNTRYSIDE: First off I want to say COUNTRYSIDE is the best magazine of its kind. Bar none. I look forward to each issue. I've learned quite a bit over...

Do you have a place in the country, or is your place in the country?
November 1, 2000... A whimsical look at real country life Let's look at these two ideas for just a few minutes. Your transportation: Most Americans have a mode of transportation, many have more than one. Four wheel drive, roll over bars, box liner with a...

Willard Cochrane and the America Family Farm.
November 1, 2000... "World food supply will suffer from a global, industrialized agriculture" The new industrialized agriculture is too important to be left to the vagaries of the free market, according to Willard Cochrane, professor emeritus at the...

Rammed earth What's old is new again.
November 1, 2000... I wanted to tell readers about a great small booklet originally put out by the government on how to build walls of rammed earth. This is a USDA "bulletin" entitled Rammed Earth Wails for Buildings. It's part of an information resource: Farmer's...

Even the Amish are split on computer use.
November 1, 2000... Amish harness maker, Moses B. Smucker, uses computers to help with bookkeeping and plans to start a computer-leasing business. His former partner, who was not Amish, brought in a computer and left it with Smucker when he moved on. Old...

Dirt can be good for you.
November 1, 2000... All of these antibacterial soaps and cleansers are actually weakening Americans' immune systems, according to Stuart Levy, a Tufts University geneticist. Bacteria can actually be good by strengthening our body's defenses and warding off germs....

The future of high-tech housing.
November 1, 2000... According to a recent Wail Street Journal report (8-22-2000) builders are getting their blueprints ready to market homes to the up and coming Y Generation. These new homes may contain: * A media room filled with DVD players, game stations,...

One-pupil school closes in Britain.
November 1, 2000... Britain's smallest school closed in August after three of its four pupils decided to leave. Caldey Island, which lies off the Welsh coast, opened its primary school in a converted wooden tea shop in 1982. "The school has shut down...

Storm sewer can carry pollutants into a lake or stream.
November 1, 2000... What's good for your garden isn't good for the water The storm sewer that carries water away from our yard during a rainstorm can also carry pollutants from our yard into a lake or stream. Lawn clippings, leaves, and pet waste can degrade...