Countryside & Small Stock Journal articles from September 2000

Countryside & Small Stock Journal archives from September 2000

Inspiring and long-needed articles.
September 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: Two excellent articles in the May/June magazine on monolithic domes and a comparison of kerosene lamps! I always enjoy reading your magazine but these articles were packed with information that I will refer back to over and over....

They oppose chicken wire in SB construction.
September 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: As a past contributor to COUNTRYSIDE (who still gets letters about straw bale construction even several years after my first article appeared) and a workshop leader who has participated in raising about 25 straw bale buildings, I...

Grow potatoes without digging.
September 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: We saw that a reader asked about potato growing rips. We have only grown them twice before and have just planted our third crop. We found an easy way that really works. We used the 12-18 inches of mulch method described in...

COUNTRYSIDE: an "alternative" publication?
September 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: I have subscribed to your magazine for several years and have loved every year of it. Each magazine is informative and includes just the kind of information and lifestyle I enjoy reading about -- that is until I received the latest...

He likes peace, out ...
September 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: Your report on "Welcome to Anathoth," a community of homesteaders and activists got me worried. Not about their way of living to each his own -- but the way you okayed their ideas of "peace activities" turns me off. I love peace,...

Answer to a drainfield dilemma.
September 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: Concerning Mrs. Miller's drainfield dilemma (July/August, pg. 32): First, get a bulldozer and run a single-blade width cut along the elevation of the "canyon" about 10 feet above the creek "bottom." At one end of the cut,...

Life can't get any better for these former "rat racers".
September 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: The arrival of your magazine is anticipated like the visit of a treasured friend. Thank you for being our best neighbor! Does anyone have information on recycling glass? I have heard of melting down bottles and molding them...

Dandelion wine woes.
September 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: I enjoy all the information that you have in your magazine. In issue 83:6 (Nov./Dec. '99, pg. 82) there was a recipe for Dandelion Wine. I made some but my corks kept popping out. They were tight when I put them in. A friend told...

Bottling homemade beverages.
September 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: Regarding homemade beverages (July/August, pg. 82). All homemade beverages using yeast and sugar (of any type) will produce alcohol. This is what produces the fizz. Beer bottles with screw-off caps can be used, but the glass is...

Homesteaders are good at "thinking outside the box".
September 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: I saw the letter on p.32 in the July/August issue and had to answer it! It reminded me of a story G'ma told me: When she was young, her folks got a farm in Colorado. It was not very good mostly rocky, clay, oil shale, which...

... And speaking of creative ...
September 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: My wife started using ear candles on me and the kids, and I became interested and puzzled on how they work. Were they magic? Was the wax in the ear being vaporized by the warmth and condensing in the candle? If the gentle vacuum...

How do you make ethanol from apples?
September 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: I have enjoyed your publication for many years. I like the freethinkers who contribute to COUNTRYSIDE. We are a homeschooling, goatmilking, garden-growing family of five who really enjoy our life. I found your magazine on a rack...

Homeschoolers can make it in "real life".
September 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: Your education article "Homeschooled Kids Targeted for This College," is scary. A college with students that write letters for members of Congress puts government ahead of art, literature, human services and the strength of an open...

Look who's laughing now.
September 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: Love your magazine. I got all of the back issues on Y2K and we were all ready. People laughed, and then when nothing happened they really thought it was funny. We live on 10 acres and have milk goats, calves, one horse,...

Legislation won't eradicate stupidity.
September 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: In response to (or in support of) Elizabeth Oscanyoan's letter regarding the government "looking out for us,'" I couldn't agree more and would like to thank her for putting the whole issue in such perspective. Anyone who lives in a...

Oatmeal flaker source.
September 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: In reference to COUNTRYSIDE, July/August 1999, page 12/ 13 "How do you hull and roll oats?" I would like to let you know that I sell a flaker to make oatmeal and I also sell grain mills both electric and manual. The products I sell...

Thoughts on age and homesteading.
September 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: (Regarding July/August pg. 29). Sandy, don't wait, do it while you are able! So what if you are pushing 50 -- you may live to be 100 or more. Life is a process that continually starts over at this moment in time. It doesn't take...

You're never too old to learn something new.
September 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: I bought some plant booster and tried it on my young plants in containers. They responded with rapid growth, but when I took some out to transplant them, I found that the root system had not developed as it should have so I had to...

"The good life" wasn't by choice.
September 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: I find your magazine interesting, but I'm 87 years old. For about 30 years the "good life" was our lifestyle. Not by choice -- it was the best we could do. A lot of it still appeals to me and I'm not too far from it now. But...

Where can he find good, hand-made boots?
September 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: I just read the letter from Bill Irish in the July/August (pg. 31) issue. I just now wrote him a note and enclosed some $$. He needs the support of all COUNTRYSIDE readers. We should act as a family! When one member needs...

Change can be good.
September 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: Regarding Larry Elliot's letter in the July/August issue on the internet -- sounds like in 1492 he would have been against Columbus' trip. -- Richard Whitehead, 3627 Route 6, Hammond, NY 13646

Tips on sprouting, bread, and hot sauce.
September 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: I'm sorry to say my vinegar-making, according to the recipes in 83/4:44, was a disaster. What was to be two gallons of white wine vinegar is instead two jugs of a disgusting liquid covered with a thick scum and black mildew. We...

Their tip: Don't buy a house under four feet of snow.
September 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: You've heard it before but I'll say it again: Thanks for COUNTRYSIDE! What a wealth of information, what a sense of connectedness, that we are not "weird" by ourselves. We were city-slickers, with not much sense, who bought a...

Fire and brimstone.
September 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: I received my first issue, March/April, 2000 -- fantastic. A lot of good info in articles, stories and ads. I read Mr. Belanger's "Final farewell" -- that's two pages of fire and brimstone. Sorry you are leaving the legacy you...

How to live with a low-flush toilet.
September 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: To improve the flushing efficiency of a low-flush toilet do two things. In the water tank, raise the water level to just below the overflow tube. When you flush hold down the handle until as much water as possible has left the...

Their brick oven dries beach treasures in Costa Rica.
September 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: We love your magazine more than any other written periodical in the world. Where else would we find out how to make an evaporation/ cooling chamber when we really needed it, that really, really works? Who else would tell me a...

Natural animal care.
September 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: I have heard and read a lot of helpful books and articles on organic gardening, and the use of herbs to keep the body healthy. But what I have not come across is a natural way to care for your animals, such as worming and fly...

Fleas and ticks are a real nusiance.
September 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: Do you know of an organic way to keep fleas and especially ticks off of my dogs? The ticks are so numerous and tiny where we live (mid-Tennessee)that it is impossible to simply pick them all out of the dogs' thick fur every day. We...

Build a wood-heated hot water heater from a gas model.
September 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: I've been reading your magazine for a couple years and you are really good at answering do-it-yourself questions. I hope you can come up with an easy-to-understand answers to my question. My husband is dyslexic and can barely read,...

Make feta cheese.
September 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: I'm trying to find a feta cheese recipe, -- Dorothy Bellamy, RR 4 Box 72, Carrollton, MO 646339433 Feta cheese is heavily salted and has its origins in Greece. It was originally made from sheep or goat milk and is often broken...

She grows tomatoes without a greenhouse.
September 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: Several issues back a lady requested information on potty training infants--from birth. Recently I came across a book containing two articles on this method, which was quite simple. The bookis No Greater Joy, Volume 1, and is...

"Scrap" wood bark isn't wasted in this garden.
September 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: We live in the "gold country" section of California. It gets very hot in the summertime -- we have temperatures over 100 [degrees] at times, from June to late fall. I enjoy having some potted plants around our house and...

Trap earwigs in the garden.
September 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: How do you get rid of earwigs in a garden? Also I would like to know where to buy a good wood stove. -- E. Ruff, 16451 King Rd., McGregor, IA 52157 Earwigs are reddish brown beetle-like insects with sharp pinchers at the tail...

Absorption refrigeration info wanted.
September 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: My question is on absorption refrigeration. I've seen all Lehman's has to offer and even wrote for larger freezers, but none are made. However, I believe there are commercial units on the market. I wish to hook one up to a...

Source for rare swine breeds.
September 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: I was surfing the web tonight and came across a homestead website with a number of addresses for various pig registries. A few in which I was interested didn't have an address and suggested you be contacted to see if you have any...

They prove you can homestead anywhere.
September 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: I'm enclosing pictures of our backyard. I hope this will encourage everyone living within the sidewalks to "bloom" where they are "planted." It's fun to plan and dream of life beyond the sidewalks, but a terrible waste to do...

Too many children?
September 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: While catching up on a stack of recently ordered back issues, the review of Jeffery Jacob's book New Pioneers (82/1) caught my eye. Jacob, is absolutely correct that sustainability is the critical and central key to...

Thoughts on snail mail addresses.
September 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: Several days before I received the latest issue I sent you an e-mail for possible publication. After receiving and devouring the magazine as usual, I got to thinking about what I read on page 12 -- "Everyday decisions take...

She needs advice on marketing her wares.
September 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: I am 32 years old, a wife and the mother of three boys. I love simple, country living. I have two spinning wheels and wash, card, spin, knit, and crochet our wool. I quilt, bake, garden, can our own food and butcher our own...

Now this is dedication!
September 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: I live a long way from my mailbox and am wheelchair bound. Sometimes I have to wait for relatives to come from Dallas to go to the box to retrieve my mail. I am 72 years old, very arthritic, cannot do any of the things COUNTRYSIDE...

It takes teamwork to make a good magazine.
September 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: Just a note to say "Thank You!" I read every issue from cover to cover... over and over again! Your magazine is a real treasure chest full of practical and timely information. Every issue seems to be full of articles and readers'...

No fluff here.
September 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: I don't believe in wasting money on magazines (all shallow fluff and even less substance). But I must say COUNTRYSIDE is the only magazine that's packed with pure substance! I'd be a nut to ever let my subscription lapse. I learn...

Make an inexpensive axe blade cover.
September 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: An inexpensive axe blade cover can be made from 3/4 inch automotive hose. Use a length of hose that is 1-1/2 inches longer than the blade and slice through one side. Punch two holes 3/4-inch from each end and from the cut. Thread...

Geese really are a cheap and reliable security system.
September 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: In the May/June issue I read an article that not only made me laugh, but also made me think. "Living home security systems" was an article that made complete sense to me. Geese are not the first thing most people think of when it...

It always seems to start with a chicken ...
September 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: When my husband got out some back issues of COUNTRYSIDE recently, I spotted the first issue we bought ever. That was three years ago. What a difference COUNTRYSIDE has made in our lives! When I think of where I want to be with...

Give and you shall receive.
September 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE: I live in the suburbs, well, sort of. I live in a city but have about 3/4 of an acre, of mostly rock. Even so, the adjustments I made in preparation for a crisis have been useful for my quality of life. Some things were...

COUNTRYSIDE CONTACTS.
September 1, 2000... The free bulletin board where you can contact neighbors just down the road or across the country. This is your opportunity to make contact with other readers to ask a question, locate a book, recipe, penpal or other hard-to-find item. ...

Grow shiitakes on a log.
September 1, 2000... (or on toilet paper under your bathroom sink) A COUNTRYSIDE STAFF REPORT "Everybody should have a home mushroom garden," according to Joe Krawczyk. And he's ready and able to help. Joe and his wife, Mary Ellen Kozak, have become...

Everything you need to know about: Growing great garlic.
September 1, 2000... Allium sativum, the modern garlic, is thought to have evolved from a wild species, Alingicuspis. It is native to south-central Asia in the steep ravines and mountains of the Tien Shan Plateau of northwestern China into southern Uzbekistan. But...

Garlic is available in many varieties.
September 1, 2000... Stiffneck groups The distinctive subgroups are based on color, sheen and shape of the bulbs and cloves. Rocamobles These perform best at latitudes greater than 40 [degrees] north. In wet, mild winters they often bulb poorly if at...

Some like it HOT.
September 1, 2000... Every day, across the country, macho guys puff themselves up and walk into little stores specializing in hot sauce to ask, "What's the hottest thing you've got ?" Move over Tabasco, the ultrahotsauce craze has arrived. In fact, some of the...

Alternate heat sources for food dehydration.
September 1, 2000... GEN MACMANIMAM LIVING FOODS DEHYDRATORS 3023-362ND AVE. SE FALL CITY, WA 98024 My background was as a farm girl living where stored food was a necessity. Then I grew up and wished to find a way to dry my herbs, which led to both the...

A solar food dryer that really works.
September 1, 2000... LARISA WALK RR 3 BOX 1603 WINONA, MN 55987 No more climbing up on the roof! Over the years I've tried about every solar dryer design imaginable. The only common factor in all those attempts was their very limited usefulness here in the...

No-frills oven-drying of fruits and vegetables.
September 1, 2000... MMC Wisconsin Our family especially enjoys fruits. It was hard to imagine giving them up (Y2K), or limiting ourselves to the apples and strawberries found within walking distance of our house. Yes, we could purchase fresh fruit and can it...

The "old ways" aren't always better.
September 1, 2000... Don't make your family sick (or worse!) After 20+ years of gardening, canning, freezing, etc., I'm puzzled that people still want to can something "the way Mom, Grandma, Cousin Sue" used to. I admit that I was just as guilty, until the...

Root cellars don't have to be a hole in the ground.
September 1, 2000... Unused rooms or outbuildings will work, too BEV CARNEY STOUGHTON, WI When we lived in town, I used to read accounts of root cellaring with envy. We had an older house, but the basement was still pretty warm. We could stash squash in...

"Root cellaring" in the hot & humid South.
September 1, 2000... Living in Southeast Central Texas, as with many parts of the Southern US, offers some real opportunities for long, if not year-round, growing seasons and grazing. Our homeschooling family of six thoroughly enjoys organic gardening here on the...

Stocking a healthy storage pantry.
September 1, 2000... Approximately 95% of those storing food for emergencies are storing both long-term storage foods and grocery products. Some food products are very healthful while others can be health hazards. If we stock our pantries with a year's supply of...

The flowering crab tree -- beauty plus value.
September 1, 2000... ARLEEN WIXTROM RT. 1 BOX 49 REPUBLIC, MI 49879 The goal of self-sufficient people is not only to make good use of what they have, but to find new ways of using available resources to benefit their families. This was not my goal when I...

Harvesting overabundant herbs.
September 1, 2000... KARLA WEINSTOCK 2271 DAKOTA DR. PELLA, IA 50219 For several years now my herb garden has produced an overabundance of basil. One way that I have dealt with this wonderful problem is to make pesto! I serve it over warm spaghetti or angel...

Blueberry sauce.
September 1, 2000... Heat applesauce to bubbling, stir in lots of blueberries (or other fruit, can be frozen), and serve warm over pancakes or waffles.--Rebecca Lyon, PO Box 34, Wetmore, MI 4989S

Don't let those acorns go to waste!
September 1, 2000... In 1976 Suellen Ocean moved to a one-room cabin in the mountains of Mendocino County, California with her two toddlers. Intent on eating nothing but foraged foods, she lived through a lot of stomachaches before coming up with a way to leach the...

Using homemade pectin.
September 1, 2000... To determine the amount of homemade pectin to use in jelly recipes, you need to test for the pectin content of the cooked fruit juice. According to The New Putting Food By, here is one of the simplest ways. In a cup, stir together 1...

Recycling tip for canning juice.
September 1, 2000... I use a steam-juicer (three-level kind with a hosed spigot) to make grape and cherry juice. When it's made about two quarts of juice, I sanitize recycled glass juice jars from the store (the kind with the twist-off caps), in my dishwasher....

Using mayhaws.
September 1, 2000... This sweet and juicy southern fruit makes delicious jelly SHERRY PENDLETON 5815 FALLVIEW DR. JACKSON, MS 39211 TEABOYKOKO@AOL.COM The glass jars sparkle like jewels in the sunshine as I line them up along the windowsill. The clear,...

Cook like Martha.
September 1, 2000... (Jefferson that is) Here are some interesting old recipes from The Early American Cookbook that have been adapted to the modern kitchen -- a different way to preserve those tomatoes and apples. Tomato Cocktail -- Martha Jefferson's...

Home canner testing aids in food safety.
September 1, 2000... Recipes are handed down from generation to generation and, in some families, so is the equipment needed to prepare them. Home canners are no exception. Many canners are passed down or bought at estate sales or yard sales. Often there's no...

Seed saving techniques.
September 1, 2000... CROW MILLER AUSTIN, INDIANA Saving your own seed is not much more difficult than growing plants from the crop that is harvested. It is all a matter of knowing what to do and when to do it. After trying some of the simple crops from which...

A time of anticipation and satisfaction.
September 1, 2000... SUE ROBISHAW RT 1 BOX 52, COOKS MI 49817 SUE@MANYTRACKS.COM WWW.MANYTRACKS.COM Hello from the northwoods. It's been a while since I've written, so I thought I'd stop by and say Hi, with a few extra words thrown in. I love all seasons of...

Make an apple press for under $100.
September 1, 2000... STEVE BELANGER COUNTRYSIDE STAFF Anyone with a good supply of apples sooner or later considers making cider. In many cases, that thought is set aside after seeing the price tags on new, commercially-available grinders and presses. Here...

Ingenious ways to keep track of your tools.
September 1, 2000... CHUCK SLEPPY Box 826 TROY, OH 45373 Modification of hand crank grinder Bore a short shaft to receive the shaft of the grinder. Bore other end 1/4-inch about 1-1/2 inches deep. Install setscrews. You now have a hand-powered drive for...

Cherishing the natural beauty of Icelandic sheep.
September 1, 2000... MARGUERITE CHISICK 258 N. JACOB MILLER ROAD [C] 2,000 BY M. CHISICK PORT TOWNSEND, WA 98368 It is not uncommon for people who are living in dirty, dangerous, noisy cities to dream of starting over and going back to the land, to raise good...

Nigerian dwarf and pygmy goats captured her heart.
September 1, 2000... PATTY PUTNAM W331 S7421 HWY E MUKWONAGO, WI 53149 As more people move out of the city and into country settings, keeping small livestock seems to be an easy choice for many purposes. Goats are a perfect addition to that setting, offering...

Liver flukes are a growing problem in cattle.
September 1, 2000... Flukes are no longer associated with warm, wet regions only Liver flukes, parasites once thought to be limited to specific geographies, are proving to be a much more widespread and serious problem in cattle. According to the 1999 National...

Raising poultry in pastures is catching on ... again.
September 1, 2000... Pastured poultry are becoming more common in the U.S., due to the flavor and nutritional aspects of the meat. The chickens are kept in field pens that are easily moved to fresh pasture daily and are fed non-medicated feed. The farmers capture...

In days of old, hens were bold and proud of it.
September 1, 2000... A tongue-in-cheek tribute to the hens of yesteryear MILTON SUNDE PROFESSOR EMERITUS POULTRY SCIENCE Today's hens don't hold a candle to the hens of yesteryear. She was a conniving creature, who would lay a few eggs, but would rather...

What do I feed my ducks?
September 1, 2000... What do Mallard ducks eat? (At least I think they're Mallards, but being so young I'm not sure.) Anything different than the yellow ones I might obtain later? Has anyone ever trained ducks for stunts to entertain children, or had to doctor a...

Raccoon disco party in the garden.
September 1, 2000... ARLEEN WIXTROM RT. 1 Box 49 REPUBLIC, MI 49879 With pail in hand, I jauntily crested the hill to the garden, where my sweet corn would finally be ready to pick. I could hardly wait for dinner. There is nothing that can compare to the taste...

What do animals taste?
September 1, 2000... Pigs are partial to bitter flavors. Cats can't perceive sweet. In fact, different species perceive tastes differently. That's why researchers at the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine have perfected the Taste-o-matic, a...

Looks can be deceiving when it comes to predators in the garden.
September 1, 2000... Many of us have seen pictures of a cute raccoon staring out innocently from behind its black mask, as it holds an ear of corn in its little black paws. With hands as dextrous as a monkey's, this small mammal, a member of the bear family,...

They're very comfortable living on $8,000 a year.
September 1, 2000... "... if I had the least amount of discipline I could probably reduce expenses by another 25%." SANDY DAVIS SMD2@NETZERO.NET On COUNTRYSIDE'S website Forum thread "Consumerism or Consumptionism?" I mentioned that we live simply on...

Words to the Graduates of 2000.
September 1, 2000... The world is not black and white, but various shades of gray MICHAEL A. DISHNOW GUIDANCE DIRECTOR DE SOTO AREA SCHOOLS 615 MAIN STREET DE SOTO, WI 54624 With the greening of the lawns and hillsides and the passing of the...

The Septic System Owner's Manual.
September 1, 2000... COUNTRYSIDE STAFF The Septic System Owner's Manual, by Wm. Lloyd Kahn, Blair Allen and Julie Jones; 176 pages, 8x10; illus, by Peter Aschwanden; $14.95; ISBN 0-936070-20-X,. Shelter Publications, Inc., POB279, Bolinas CA 94924;...

The Legal Guide for Direct Farm Marketing.
September 1, 2000... KEN SCHARABOK WAVERLY, TN SCHARABO@AOL.COM Legal Guide for Direct Farm Marketing by Neil Hamilton ($23.00 postpaid from Neil Hamilton, Drake University Agricultural Law Center, 2507 University Drive, Des Moines, IA 50311) If you...