Countryside & Small Stock Journal articles from September 2003

Countryside & Small Stock Journal archives from September 2003

Annual MREA Fair doesn't disappoint attendees. (From the editor).
September 1, 2003... Dry and dusty were the words on everyone's lips--as opposed to last year's monsoon rains--during the three-day Midwest Renewable Energy Fair around the Summer Solstice in Custer, WI last June. But sunshine during a "solar fest" is definitely a...

Chemicals and mulches. (Country conversation & feedback).
September 1, 2003... COUNTRYSIDE: Just my opinion of course, but I thought the July/August issue was outstanding! On another note: The comments written by M.Culver regarding garden poisons and mulch are a little misleading. Comet cleanser and hairspray, both,...

Cheap worm medication for barn cats. (Country conversation & feedback).
September 1, 2003... COUNTRYSIDE: In response to M. Molitor's letter about Ivomec (July/ Aug. 03), I have horses and cats and have routinely given my cats leftover oral Ivermectin paste designed for use in horses with no ill effects. For cats I mix it into canned...

Ivomec is also used for alpacas. (Country conversation & feedback).
September 1, 2003... COUNTRYSIDE: I raise alpacas and currently there are no approved medications for alpacas. So every medication I give my animals is off label, including Ivomec. We depend on past experience, testing, and good judgment by our vet and other vets...

He appreciates candid physician's advice. (Country conversation & feedback).
September 1, 2003... COUNTRYSIDE: Wow, much kudos to "Dr. Normal" of Maine for his excellent letter (July/August 2003). He must not be one of those modern doctors, in it more for the money than medicine; bet he has a few gray hairs, a gentle way and a smile. He...

The country life ... in Peru. (Country conversation & feedback).
September 1, 2003... COUNTRYSIDE: First off, I am not impoverished, poor, substance living or without reliance on others. I took an early retirement from the competitive and unremitting grind of corporate USA and now spend six to eight months a year living close to...

Treats for your puppy. (Country conversation & feedback).
September 1, 2003... COUNTRYSIDE: Thank you for your great magazine. Our copy is always dog-eared and we use it all the time for recipes or gardening tips or for just about everything on our mini-farm. I am looking for a recipe for a cornstarch dog bone. You...

Do your family a favor--make a will. (Country conversation & feedback).
September 1, 2003... COUNTRYSIDE: Your article "What if I don't have a will?" by Donald Daugs in the July/August 2003 issue came a little too late for my family. Hopefully our experience will move others to action! We were totally taken by surprise by my...

Two motivated homesteaders seek advice. (Country conversation & feedback).
September 1, 2003... COUNTRYSIDE: My parents always wanted a homestead. They dreamed about it for as long as I can remember. Both were born and raised, on Long Island, New York, so I'm not sure where their ideas came from. I am the second of four children and was...

Gardening in the desert; linoleum for the birds. (Country conversation & feedback).
September 1, 2003... COUNTRYSIDE: Two and a half years ago my husband Dan, our four children and I gave up city life in Phoenix to settle down on our very first "real" property: 1-1/4 acres 10 miles from a quaint small town in central Arizona. I no longer work...

Elevated drip irrigation system works. (Country conversation & feedback).
September 1, 2003... COUNTRYSIDE: To sum up all the best suggestions I have gotten from COUNTRYSIDE readers... buying Drip Works parts from Home Depot is the concensus! The working systems all have an elevated barrel and some configuration using Drip Works parts....

Peat moss is pretty amazing stuff. (Country conversation & feedback).
September 1, 2003... COUNTRYSIDE: Having been a subscriber for many years, I'd like you to know that I still subscribe, and still love the magazine. I have some questions that I hope you can answer regarding peat moss. Why is it that peat moss can help to...

Your car can be used as a dehydrator. (Country conversation & feedback).
September 1, 2003... COUNTRYSIDE: For years, we drove a small, black sedan--economical, but hotter than "Billy Blue Blazes" (as my father used to say) in the summertime. If the car was parked in a sunny spot, it would be too hot to enter until we rolled down the...

Harvest picnic in New York. (Country conversation & feedback).
September 1, 2003... COUNTRYSIDE: We would like to extend a hearty invitation to all COUNTRYSIDE readers to the Fall Harvest Family Picnic, October 4th at The Smiling Skunk Farm in Chateaugay, NY. This pot-luck picnic will give folks a chance to recount their...

Authentic tortilla recipes. (Country conversation & feedback).
September 1, 2003... COUNTRYSIDE: I went on a recipe hunt and wound up on your website. One woman was looking for a tortilla recipe; I've spent enough time in Mexico to have it down. Mix flour (mostly white or wheat) and a little corn flour if you want, with...

Woodworking wonder. (Country conversation & feedback).
September 1, 2003... COUNTRYSIDE: This is a kitchen cabinet. It is nearly exact in size and shape of a kitchen wood cook stove. It has an opening in the back for a stove pipe, and there is a real oven and a real oven thermometer in the middle door. I make...

Grow potatoes in straw. (Country conversation & feedback).
September 1, 2003... COUNTRYSIDE: Sweet corn and potatoes are the number one veggies in my household, but were I live ain't nothing but clay. For about four years now I've trying to produce a good garden but nothing but quarter-size taters will grow. One of my...

Several really useful products. (Country conversation & feedback).
September 1, 2003... COUNTRYSIDE: I have been a subscriber since way back when. Enjoy each issue anew, although I miss Jd. Here are three products that actually do what they say, that I wanted to pass on to readers. I came upon each of them either by accident...

This big sister shares her recipes. (Country conversation & feedback).
September 1, 2003... COUNTRYSIDE: My name is Goldie Szklarz and I am almost 16 years old. My family and I have recently moved from England (my father is in the U.S. Air Force), as my mother was expecting triplets. The hospital here at Lackland A.F.B. is...

Melt candle wax safely. (Country conversation & feedback).
September 1, 2003... COUNTRYSIDE: I enjoyed the ",Homestead by candlelight" article in the May/June, 2003 issue, but the author's method of melting wax raised alarm bells for me (fire alarm bells). It sounds like he puts a pan containing the wax directly on the...

Muscovies eliminate pest problems. (Country conversation & feedback).
September 1, 2003... COUNTRYSIDE: I have information that would be helpful on West Nile Virus solutions. Everyone is trying to use chemicals to solve this problems when mother nature can do a big part of it. I read the article on chickens and pest control...

Another housing option: used travel trailers. (Country conversation & feedback).
September 1, 2003... COUNTRYSIDE: Ken Hargesheimer, in the July/August issue, mentioned used mobile homes as a cheap housing option and I have another suggestion related to it: Check out used travel trailers. My husband and I batted about the idea of remodeling vs....

This artist appreciates a little imagination. (Country conversation & feedback).
September 1, 2003... COUNTRYSIDE: I really lit up when I saw the picture of Pages' cordwood livestock house. I am big on people who let their imagination and artistic juices flow. I guess what caught my eye was the roof pickets and the whimsical rail along the...

Sumac lovers. (Country conversation & feedback).
September 1, 2003... COUNTRYSIDE: I wanted to thank you for the "Sumac: the wild lemonberry" article (July/August 2003). When we moved to Kansas last year, we were suprised to see so much sumac all over our property. We just assumed it was poisonous and stayed...

They have more time for livestock, now that they're 80. (Country conversation & feedback).
September 1, 2003... COUNTRYSIDE: When our five children were growing up, my wife and I raised a lot of our own food and we've had an itch to have some animals around for a long time. So now that I've turned 80, we're starting in again (modestly) with meat birds...

Life is an adventure. (Country conversation & feedback).
September 1, 2003... COUNTRYSIDE: Howdy y'all from the Arkansas Ozarks! Just to let you know, I'm alive and well and have moved into the 21st century although I am still operating my homestead in the old way. This past year has been a very serious trial for me;...

Countryside contacts.
September 1, 2003... 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. * Honest-to-goodness...

Coming events.
September 1, 2003... August 22-24 Southern Energy Environment Expo, WNC Agricultural Center, tickets $6, Fletcher, NC; 828-687-1414. Clean Air Car Fair will be held in conjunction with Southern Energy Enviroment Expo, WNC Agricultural Center, Fri. 12:00-6:00,...

25 years off the grid, a retrospective. (Alternative energy).
September 1, 2003... Like Groucho Marx, I never wanted to belong to any organization that would have me. But, in the early 70s, worn out by the war and pending nuclear doom, I cast my lot with the "back-to-the-landers." Why not, we asked ourselves, work on a...

A year-round solar greenhouse: Part V. (The Solar Cowboy).
September 1, 2003... With summer burning along it's time for the fifth installment on the year-round solar greenhouse, where we'll focus on the details (where the devil is!). The first detail we want to look at is the vents. The design for passive air flow...

Alternative energy glossary. (The Solar Cowboy).
September 1, 2003... Single quadrant: Power is taken from a voltage source, delivered to a load. Power does not go back to the voltage source. Example: Current flows from the voltage source to the load, only. Current flows from a battery to a motor. The motor...

Building with stone. (Homestead building).
September 1, 2003... In the July/August issue, Sue Robishaw wrote about building with stone, but some stone is more suitable than others. Master Craftsman John Both educates us on choosing, types, buying, and projects with stone. Building with stone is likely...

Modifying plans worked well for this builder. (Homestead building).
September 1, 2003... COUNTRYSIDE: This is written in response to "Building a whale" which appeared in the Jan/Feb 2003 issue. I, too, have built this same type of building, but did not encounter similar problems. Instead of using the recommended "trough" made...

Cooking over the campfire: without any fancy utensils!
September 1, 2003... Food always seems to taste better when it has been cooked in the outdoors and especially while camping. What can possibly be more tantalizing than the aroma of a good steak being charred to perfection over the campfire? Or, maybe your favorite...

Half-ton or one-ton? PTO? Row crop? Things you should know about trucks and tractors. (The machine shed).
September 1, 2003... Trucks There is one thing almost indispensable on the homestead, and that is a truck. When you need to haul or pull something, a car just won't do. Once just a utilitarian and modestly priced tool of agriculture and industry, it has now...

Animal power. (The machine shed).
September 1, 2003... Just thought I'd pass along some thoughts about animal power. I'm not necessarily thinking about draft teams, although they are certainly a means of power for small farms. What I had in mind was to arouse some imaginations of people who may...

Keep your milk fresh and flavorful. (The goat barn).
September 1, 2003... COUNTRYSIDE: I recently had the opportunity to help a friend with the problem of off-flavored milk, and I'd like to share some useful points that we came up with. Properties of milk cause it to absorb odors and flavors very easily. Milking...

Why I love LaManchas! (The goat barn).
September 1, 2003... Twelve-year-old Regina has raised goats for six years, and her family raised them for several years before she was born. Here she tells about her love of LaManchas. I raise LaMancha goats for several reasons. First, I like the way they...

Goat 911: free emergency advice for goat owners. (The goat barn).
September 1, 2003... Goat 911 is a 24 hour free service, designed to provide free advice to fellow goat owners who don't have a veterinarian available for their goats during a medical emergency. Our service is staffed by a range of volunteers with a variety of...

Aussie goats caught in JD net. (The goat barn).
September 1, 2003... Goat producers in New South Wales are demanding a new approach to the management of Johne's Disease, saying they're being unfairly caught up in sheep and cattle restrictions for Ovine and Bovine Johne's Disease. Producers at the NSW...

Pasture and cattle: some tips for beginners. (The cow barn).
September 1, 2003... The Livestock Book by W. R. Thompson and John McKinney, 19.52, was intended as an introductory/overview of the potential of raising livestock as a career. Its sections on pasture, beef, dairy, sheep and hogs were written by those who were...

Sheep raising tips ... learned the hard way. (The sheep shed).
September 1, 2003... There are many excellent books that cover the nuts and bolts about raising sheep. Over the past 35 years I have discovered some things that work very well for me. I learned many things the hard way. Raising lambs requires more work than...

Raising wild horses "Reba" finds a home. (The horse barn).
September 1, 2003... Have you ever considered adopting a mustang? In elementary school I learned about the government adopting wild horses and burros to the general public through an article in the Weekly Reader. Ever since then I dreamed of adopting one of...

Weather and plant maturity affect hay quality. (Crops & soils).
September 1, 2003... The stage of forage plants at cutting is the most important factor affecting the nutritional content of hay. Nutritional quality drops as forage plants mature. Grasses mature faster than legumes such as alfalfa and clover. Thus, the nutritional...

Consider cutting alfalfa in October. (Crops & soils).
September 1, 2003... Harvesting alfalfa in October is not a common practice in some northern states, but it's likely to add to your winter hay supply according to Paul Peterson, forage agronomist with the University of Minnesota Extension Service. ...

Breeders needed for rare breeds and varieties of waterfowl. (The poultry yard).
September 1, 2003... Geese, once the traditional holiday centerpiece, have all but dropped out of the commercial poultry market in North America. Although many American Poultry Association (APA)-recognized breeds and varieties maintain healthy populations due to...

ALBC alert: Buff Wyandotte rescue needed. (The poultry yard).
September 1, 2003... COUNTRYSIDE: Conservation stewards are urgently needed to rescue the remaining Buff Wyandotte chickens in North America. Frank Reese of Lindsborg, KS, has a few birds that came from recently deceased Norm Kardosh's well-known breeding stock....

Relieve scours with this recipe. (Livestock health).
September 1, 2003... COUNTRYSIDE: A while back, maybe a couple of years ago, you ran an article about a remedy for calves with scours/ diaherra, and in this article there was a recipe for a herbal remedy using borage or comfrey. Now I can't find it and we need it...

Goats-R-Us to the rescue. (The poultry yard).
September 1, 2003... According to a Reuters news report, San Francisco is turning back the clock and clearing land the old fashioned way--with goats. Dozens of goats were herded on to land close to San Francisco International Airport last spring to chomp on the...

Homestead wine. (Notes from the Northwoods).
September 1, 2003... Beautiful, wild, plentiful, easy to pick--what more could one ask for in a fruit? Well, edible might be nice. But maybe that's being greedy. Actually, chokecherries and wild black cherries aren't inedible, in fact, an occasional tree will offer...

Native shrubs that won't impress the neighbors (if the neighbors are wildlife).
September 1, 2003... Quite a bit has been written about the use of native plants in urban/ suburban gardens. When you move into rural areas you rarely think about these things unless you run into a problem with the local wildlife. With the increasing rate of exodus...

Tanning deerskin. (Homestead crafts).
September 1, 2003... The buck cautiously walks through the woods towards your deer stand. Your pulse picks up its pace in anticipation of a shot. You carefully line your sights up on his shoulder. When you squeeze the trigger he drops in his tracks. As you walk up...

Make your own tanning tools. (Homestead crafts).
September 1, 2003... Some simple tools are needed when tanning hides. Some may be adapted from what you have on hand, or you may find some at garage sales or auctions. The first item needed is a fleshing beam. There are several different ways to make one. The...

Eel skins: put them to good use. (Homestead crafts).
September 1, 2003... My mother's side of the family was of Abnaki (Wabnaki) roots. One of the clever tricks of our indigenous people that my grandfather Jean Baptiste Isabel passed on to us is lacing made out of eelskin. To all of us who consider eels a tasty...

The importance of mid-summer watering. (The garden).
September 1, 2003... In mid-summer, plant growth and water demand are at their greatest, as is the desiccating power of sun and wind. Managing the water supply is the gardener's most important chore at this time of year. Understanding how and why plants use...

Water conservation in your garden. (The garden).
September 1, 2003... Water starts as rain, which we all know can be very fickle, if not downright scarce. If you could only capture all that rain as it fell, you could distribute it to all the vegetables in your garden just when they need it. Some of that life...

Hardy greens extend the season. (The garden).
September 1, 2003... Exotic or mundane, hardy greens yield an unforgettable taste. Whether they are a part of a traditional Jewish Passover Seder, served up by an African-American family with beans and cornbread, or are incorporated as part of an Asian stir-fry,...

New regulations for farmers markets in Kentucky. (The garden).
September 1, 2003... If you sell or buy products from farmers markets or roadside stands in Kentucky, be aware of the new regulations that went into effect in June. Under the legislation there are two types of home processors that can sell their products...

Using your greens. (The garden).
September 1, 2003... Hardy greens are a versatile and delicious addition to any diet. Dark leafy greens are often a good source of calcium, iron, and vitamins A and C. Spinach and arugula can be eaten raw and make an excellent salad when tossed together with a...

The herbs of autumn ... and preparing for winter. (The herb garden).
September 1, 2003... For most of us who toil with the soil--whether commercially or for our personal gardening pleasures--the coming of autumn receives a most hardy welcome. The cooler temperatures riding the waves of the September breeze not only signify fall's...

The joys of zucchini. (The country kitchen).
September 1, 2003... A long, slender, dark green variety of summer squash belong to the cucurbitaceae family of the genera cucurbita pepo, zucchini, in shape and size, resembles a cucumber. In Great Britain it is known as vegetable marrow, in France as courgettes...

Remember food safety when preserving wild game. (The country kitchen).
September 1, 2003... Food safety needs to be a main focus when processing or preserving meat from wild game. Don't forget to wash your hands vigorously for at least 20 seconds, and dry them thoroughly. (And don't tap the tips of your fingers on the side of the...

Last month we asked: "how are you preparing for retirement?". (Question of the month).
September 1, 2003... Share chores with family My situation is unique. My parents live a mile from us so we share--a lot! My husband and father draw benefits from the VA on top of Social Security while mom and I stay at home. Between the two households, our...

Salvage groceries as a homestead business: a eulogy. (Homestead business busts).
September 1, 2003... I closed the salvage grocery store, which was the subject of an article in the Jan/Feb 2003 issue, in late March 2003. While not a failure, it was not a success either. Probably the primary reason was I violated the three most important...

This homesteader makes money on eBay selling $200 diapers! (Homestead business).
September 1, 2003... I really like your magazine and thought that I might have some small thing to contribute. I often see people mention some book about homesteading that they think might be valuable. However, I know that to many homesteaders the price of...

Estate planning: it's essential if you want to keep land in the family. (Homestead finances).
September 1, 2003... Where will you and your homestead be 10 or 15 years from now? Too often, family members who inherit farmland unexpectedly are left with little choice but to sell out. Fortunately, good estate planning can help landowners achieve financial...

Life is good on their plot of Canadian paradise. (Country neighbors).
September 1, 2003... Hello fellow homesteaders. How wonderful to know that I am not the only one out there still canning, collecting water in rain barrels and growing my own food. I live with my husband and two daughters in Ontario, Canada, in the Georgian Bay...

Lessons from a pool in a box. (Country neighbors).
September 1, 2003... Last summer my husband, known as "Dad" to five, "took a dive." Times were tough, and with our large family to support, the figurative financial belt had already been tightened next to the last notch. Still, facing the long hot summer ahead, an...

Gardening with gophers. (Country neighbors).
September 1, 2003... From the title, one might think-this was some kind of cooperative venture but that couldn't be further from the truth. In reality, we tilled and raked and dug and planted and watered and weeded and the gophers ate. When my husband and I...

From the barnyard to the classroom. (Country neighbors).
September 1, 2003... I wanted to get a playmate for my six-week-old pygmy goat, so my husband and I answered an ad in the newspaper, and went to bring that special one home. Little did we know what was in store for us when we arrived. A farmer met us and led...

What? No sugar rush? (Food in the news).
September 1, 2003... The International Sugar Organization (ISO) has said that there is a possibility of a slight world sugar deficit in 2003/04 while prices are likely to remain largely at current levels. "There is a possibility that the situation on the world...

Art really is in the eye of the beholder. (Food in the news).
September 1, 2003... Arlington, Massachusetts is currently home to the world's only "Burnt Food Museum." The museum's art pieces range from a 10-year-old burnt apple cake to permanently preserved burned shrimp kabobs. Although the museum normally pulls in over...

Where should bottled water come from? (Food in the news).
September 1, 2003... Nestle is facing legal action for allegedly tricking U.S. consumers over the contents of its Poland Spring bottled water. According to the complaint, consumers purchase Poland Spring thinking they are getting a higher-quality natural spring...

Mustard oil--the latest health craze? (Food in the news).
September 1, 2003... Food specialists in India are promoting mustard-based oil as the latest healthy food choice, claiming its properties fight disease and prevent health problems arising. "Mustard as an edible oil is superior to other cooking mediums because...

Peanuts? Popcorn? (Food in the news).
September 1, 2003... While modern styrofoam packing material is called either "peanuts" or "popcorn," at one time popcorn was actually used for that purpose. During WW-II it was used as cushioning for such items as aircraft engines and would soak up any oil or...

Out of work? Consider a temp job. (On a serious note).
September 1, 2003... Many Americans are out of work and have been trying to get back in the game. A story in the Chicago Tribune recently took a new twist on the topic by shadowing workers who are from various industries and have taken temporary jobs. These...

Power shortages in China. (On a serious note).
September 1, 2003... Increased industrial output, lower electricity prices and greater usage of appliances such as air conditioners have contributed to the severe shortage, officials told the state China Daily newspaper. A report by the National Power Network...

Countryside's breeders' directory.
September 1, 2003... ALPACAS/LLAMAS Alabama CREEKSIDE Alpaca Ranch, Glenda Goennier, 25535 AL Hwy 65, Estill Fork, AL 35745. 256-776-2932. Alpaca, Belted Galloway cattle. Email: California ALPACAS OF MARQUEZ FARMS, Sara...

What is a homesteader? Whatever it is, this one doesn't have picker bushes. (After chores).
September 1, 2003... "The berry bushes have to go." "We'll give them one more year." "No, if we want berries, we'll go to the berry farm." "Well, I guess we're not very good homesteaders are we?" "Oh yes we are. If we need something, we know...