Countryside & Small Stock Journal articles from September 2005

Countryside & Small Stock Journal archives from September 2005

Are soy and health problems related?(Country conversation & feedback)
September 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: I recently purchased a copy of COUNTRYSIDE from my local TSC store. I live on five acres, raise my own poultry for meat and eggs, and purchase as much organic food as possible from local sources. I read the articles about our food...

Don't lose your tomatoes!(Country conversation & feedback)
September 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: In the July/August 2005 issue, page 15, there is an article on flax, stock tanks and tomato tips by Kathy Belt. She discusses hanging tomatoes up in the garage to ripen. Why on earth did she lose half of the really green tomatoes?...

Dietary changes puts cancer in remission.(Country conversation & feedback)
September 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: My husband was diagnosed with cancer that had spread into his bones and lymph nodes in October, 1999. Because of his congestive heart failure and emphysema, he could not undergo surgery and was told he had only a few months to...

Communities will welcome newcomers.(Country conversation & feedback)
September 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: I am writing in response to Mr. Mark Long's letter in the August 2005 issue, "Would they be welcome in your community?" The answer to Mr. Long's question depends on his intentions and expectations of what rural living truly...

Some good medicinal herb books.(Country conversation & feedback)
September 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: There was a request for good herb books with medicinal information in the last issue. I have a few I'd like to share. Your Backyard Herb Garden by Miranda Smith (Rodale) is an excellent starting point. It is not real...

Diet change may increase energy.(Country conversation & feedback)
September 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: YOU are the best! In my opinion, there has never been a better magazine. Well, I am about to join the ranks of those who "have never written to a magazine before now." Besides, it was either write this letter or do the...

Save seeds and eat flax.(Country conversation & feedback)
September 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: Allow me to add my two cents worth of advice to Frank Marshall's inquiry concerning seed saving. Now we never saved the seeds of cabbages, and I have to admit I have never seen a blooming cabbage (broccoli yes). To get seeds from...

Eliminate bats from your attic with moth balls.(Country conversation & feedback)
September 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: AS we have had some experience with this, I thought that I would pass along my solution. First of all, how to catch a bat: Wear welding gloves, and use an old fish net (the kind with holes at least one-inch). The idea is to get...

Mosquitoes arrive in swarms.(Country conversation & feedback)
September 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: I would love to know what works against mosquitoes. We live in the middle of what I call a giant bog stretched along the St. Lawrence River Valley in southeastern Ontario. The mosquitoes here are horrible! We cannot enjoy an...

Readers send bug-catching tips.(Country conversation & feedback)
September 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: In reference to Linda Galvao's letter titled"Wasps as household guests," (July/August 2005), I, too, have frequent visitations by these little creatures--just a half an hour ago, in fact. They often build nests under the eaves...

Life in the country isn't glamorous.(Country conversation & feedback)
September 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: I enjoy each and every issue of COUNTRYSIDE and devour it when it arrives! In the July/August issue there is a letter titled "Would they be welcome in your community?" Having read many letters with interest about "city...

An authentic guacamole recipe.(Country conversation & feedback)
September 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: We all had a great laugh over the two variations of guacamole dip in the July/Aug. 05 issue. My Mexican friends thought they were printed as a joke! We're so afraid some dear soul in Iowa actually made up a batch thinking it was...

Family matters may cause friction in land deal.(Country conversation & feedback)
September 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: I have been reading COUNTRYSIDE for about four years now. My folks got me a subscription when I started talking about moving to the country and simplifying my life. Every time my dream starts to fade, I read an issue, and my dream...

Woodstoves will work fine in mobile homes.(Country conversation & feedback)
September 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: In the January/February 2005 issue Wolfgang L. was looking for information about woodstoves in mobile homes. My best guess is that the reason manufacturers say "do not install in mobile homes" has something to do with insurance...

Cooking on fire pit satisfies camping urge.(Country conversation & feedback)
September 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: This is in response to the article in July/August 2005 issue "Miscellaneous tips for homesteaders." The person wanted to know about others' fire pits. I am the main camper/homesteader in the family. We live on almost 13 acres...

Economic quilting tips.(Country conversation & feedback)
September 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: This is in response to the letter from Marian Bosch or anyone else trying to make money by selling quilts. If she is selling quilts for $250 made with $9 a yard fabric, she needs to rethink what she is doing. She might...

Another use for flax.(Country conversation & feedback)
September 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: I enjoyed all the info on the use of flax seed in the recent issues of COUNTRYSIDE. When I was growing up on a farm in Minnesota, my father diversified and planted some flax, which he marketed. My three sisters, Viola, Olivia,...

Why doesn't his bread rise?(Country conversation & feedback)
September 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: I have a fuel oil stock tank heater that Dan and Robin may be interested in. (I am located in west central Minnesota.) On that same subject, why wouldn't a wood-fired Snorkel stove work to prevent stock tanks from freezing? I may...

Enjoys "looking back".(Country conversation & feedback)
September 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: I have been receiving COUNTRYSIDE for a long time but this is the first time I have written in. I just got the July/August issue and really enjoyed the "Looking back" section. The people that write in have so much to offer to...

Reader needs tips on water wheel power.(Country conversation & feedback)
September 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: I am a new subscriber and I've got to say that the price for this magazine is money very well spent. It is such a great resource for information and stories. I have been learning as I go and I have some questions I hope...

Thoughts on living abroad.(Country conversation & feedback)
September 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: Regarding L. Olsen's letter in the July/August, 2005 issue, "Investigate foreign countries before you move," I for one was glad to hear that he has decided against moving to Costa Rica and hope that many other readers who might...

Machine guns are outlawed.(Country conversation & feedback)
September 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: I enjoyed the article in the May/June 2005 issue titled "Blow guns can be useful but they aren't legal everywhere," until I read the last paragraph which states "Some states do outlaw the tool, which is sad as no state outlaws...

Heirloom apple tree source.(Country conversation & feedback)
September 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: TO the guy who is looking for heirloom apple trees: I buy mine from Miller Nurseries, 5060 West Lake Rd., Canandaigua, NY, 14424-8904; 1-800-836-9630; millernurseries. com. There are other places to get them but because Miller's...

Make "mother" of vinegar.(Country conversation & feedback)
September 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: While looking at articles from past articles on your web page I read about making vinegar. In the article it mentioned "mother" of vinegar. Years ago a neighbor of mine gave me a "mother." It was about 1/2-inch thick and about...

Homestead help wanted.(Country conversation & feedback)
September 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: Are you desperate to escape the city like we were six years ago? We are blessed with everything but money and would like to share in exchange for help with domestic chores. Flexible schedule/duties, room/board. Could raise own...

Mite cure for chickens.(Country conversation & feedback)
September 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: Use kerosene on chickens' legs with a paintbrush from base of foot up to the feathers on both legs to keep ticks and mites off. Use once a month or as needed from May until the first freeze. Ticks transfer disease and you will...

Vampire rooster?(Country conversation & feedback)
September 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: Vampire bats do exist. They are abundant in South America, where they roost in caves and mines. I live in the Andes, at 9,300 feet, near Cusco, Peru. My area is rife with vampire bats. Normally, so I thought, vampire bats feed...

It's "cheaper" to buy "good" machinery.(Country conversation & feedback)
September 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: In Janelle Dailey's article about sewing she mentions buying a sewing machine from Wal-Mart. That may not be a good idea. My daughter bought a sewing machine there and it lasted only about six months. The repairman said the insides...

Frugal tips; "hippy" magazine?(Country conversation & feedback)
September 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: I'd like to add my two cent's worth. I'm a "wannabe" homesteader. I was born and raised on a farm so I know the program. I'm somewhat disabled because of an auto accident. I live right on the edge of town so I enjoy "nearly"...

Fashionable hats on a budget.(Country conversation & feedback)
September 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: I recently re-read Rebecca Herrington's article in the May/June 2004 issue of COUNTRYSIDE. While I am many years past being a senior citizen, I still like to dress nice and I can identify with Rebecca. I do dress well on a...

The Wal-Mart debate rages on.(Country conversation & feedback)
September 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: After reading the articles on Wal-Mart in the last few issues, I happened to run across an article on Wal-Mart titled, "The World According to Sam," in the June, 2005 issue of Gourmet magazine, by Nina Teicholz. It is very...

Beware of outdated canning methods.(Country conversation & feedback)
September 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: I noted the recipe for Grandma's Zucchini Relish in the July/August COUNTRYSIDE, and I would like to suggest a correction. According to the County Extension folks, open kettle canning, which is described in this recipe, is no...

Don't confuse health care with insurance.(Country conversation & feedback)
September 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: I was appalled to read Joe Alexander's letter claiming that my focus at work is to protect the profits of an insurance company and that I would allow someone to die based on their ability to pay. As an RN, I have worked just...

Health insurance alternatives.(Country conversation & feedback)
September 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: In the July/August 2005 issue Travis Grummet asked about health insurance. I have some information about a Christian alternative healthcare program whereby members pay monthly at a very reasonable rate and then, when needed,...

Coming events.(Calendar)
September 1, 2005... Send your coming events at least 3 months in advance to: COUNTRYSIDE Coming Events, 145 Industrial Dr., Medford, WI 54451 or e-mail to csymag@tds.net September 16-18, 2005 CA: The eighth annual California Wool and Fiber Festival at the...

Botanical Latin for the plebeian reader.(The garden)
September 1, 2005... "Latin, schmatin." You may have heard this phrase used by those gardeners and farmers who deem it unnecessary to know the Latin scientific names of plants. Although a great number of gardeners are successful without learning much Latin...

Grow your own sweet potatoes.(The garden)
September 1, 2005... Everybody needs some sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving, but you will have to start thinking about them in late winter if you want to raise your own. Sweet potatoes will not grow from cut-up pieces of potatoes, like white potatoes do. You will...

Once-a-year U-pick pumpkin and autumn ornamental patch: a successful spare-time venture.(The garden)
September 1, 2005... We chose to live in the country to earn a part-time income from it, and to teach our two kids a little self-sufficiency such as collecting goose, duck and chicken eggs for Sunday brunch, harvesting green beans and corn for supper, and finding...

Horseradish: it's great with almost everything!(Notes from the Northwoods)
September 1, 2005... Cold climate gardeners can boast few crops that prefer their freezing winter abode but the sturdy horseradish not only prefers it that way, it requires that cold. It does need a long enough growing season to grow healthy leaves and good roots,...

Preserving your harvest with turn-of-the-century methods.(The garden)
September 1, 2005... It's a given: Tomato sauce, tomato juice, dried tomatoes and even frozen ones are great extenders of the summer season's bounty. Ditto for modern ways you can store other vegetables and fruits and prolong their usage well after the garden has...

Saving vegetable seeds.(The garden)
September 1, 2005... There are a number of reasons to save seeds. Perhaps you would like to preserve a wonderful or unusual variety, or perhaps you would merely like to be more independent. I have been learning about and practicing seed-saving for six or seven...

Composting with pallets.(The garden)
September 1, 2005... A simple, cost-effective way to build a dual compost bin is to use five wooden shipping pallets and two pallet tops. Pallets come in many shapes and sizes, give your compost a neater appearance than open piles, hold heat and moisture better,...

Delicious meals from dehydrated foods.(The country kitchen)
September 1, 2005... Verylight weight, takes tiny storage space, and, has decades of shelf life--that's dehydrated foods. A good selection of them on your pantry shelf is like money in the bank. They are the best security against emergency food shortage and often...

Red rain: read the instructions that came with your pressure cooker, or beware the ominous.(The country kitchen)
September 1, 2005... One of my most vivid childhood memories is that of my mother attempting to use a very large pressure canner she had purchased at the Base Exchange. It was the late 60s and pressure cooking was all the rage among the military wives of West...

A reader shares canning tips: not all were learned the hard way.(The country kitchen)
September 1, 2005... After canning virtually all the vegetables and much of the meat I eat in the winter (I don't like the expense of running a chest freezer all the time), I've learned several things the hard way. In an effort to spare others a course in the...

Important safety issues.
September 1, 2005... It is now recommended that everything be processed, whether it's a short 5-15 minute hot water bath or pressure canned (check the recommended time and pressure for whatever it is you're canning)--you want to destroy any bacteria present in the...

Favorite canning recipes.(Question of the month)
September 1, 2005... Mam Maw's Chili Sauce It's not salsa, it's not chow-chow, and it's definetly not that nasty red stuff with the horseradish in it you buy at the store. What it is is heavenly relish with "heat" for eggs, beans, pork (my favorite) or...

Marinated cheese.(The country kitchen)
September 1, 2005... In response to Tanya Frost regarding canning cheese, the only canned cheese I have seen was a Camembert from Germany. It was not very good. You cannot can cheese in oil, but you can marinate goat cheese in olive oil. This recipe may also...

Taking care of your game meat.(The country kitchen)
September 1, 2005... One of the great benefits of hunting is being able to enjoy the meat that is harvested. If properly processed, in the field as well as at home, game meat can be some of the best eatin' you've ever experienced. On the other hand, if you ignore...

Goat meat sausage making.(The country kitchen)
September 1, 2005... Basically sausage is simple enough. It's just ground, seasoned meat. But there are so many ways to cook, cure, air dry and smoke the different kinds that making sausage becomes an art. Easiest to make is breakfast sausage--ground seasoned meat...

How do you start raising wild hogs?(The pig pen)
September 1, 2005... Rosie Hays wondered how Marcia happened to begin raising wild hogs (Sept/Oct 2004). Here is Marcia's reply: I happened upon my first pair of wild piglets at the local country store. An employee caught a mother sow with his dogs. She didn't...

Preschool project turns into chicken raising project for this family.(The henhouse)
September 1, 2005... We are planning our move from a nice suburban neighborhood to a farmhouse in the country a couple of months from now. Last year we bought an old farmhouse and have been fixing it up preparing for the move. Meanwhile, my daughter's...

Free-range your birds in this chicken tractor.(The henhouse)
September 1, 2005... Portable chicken coops are really handy for keeping your chickens safe--and out of the garden--while they provide eggs and/or meat for the family table. With a chicken tractor your chickens can forage (which reduces feed costs tremendously),...

Daily rounds: sometimes life can throw you a curve ball. Here's one homesteader who hasn't let health get in the way of her dreams ...(The henhouse)
September 1, 2005... While riding the elevator I scanned my labels. Room 18 needed a chemistry panel and blood count; room 22 gets a liver panel. I put them in order by room number and pulled out orders needing special supplies. The coagulation test for room 31...

Raising turkeys on the homestead.(The henhouse)
September 1, 2005... Turkeys, it seems, are a subject of great controversy among both small and large farmers alike. In this article I will try to dispel the old wives' tales concerning these majestic birds as well as help you decide how you would like to raise...

Finding and saving domestic and wild poultry populations.(The henhouse)
September 1, 2005... In the last couple months there have been several reports of locating It populations of feathered animals that were previously thought extinct. There was recent news that the Ivory Billed Woodpecker, long feared extinct, was located. At about...

Working your bees: "Bee Tai Chi" is useful.(The apiary)
September 1, 2005... The comment was made that building your own hive bodies is time consuming and requires "a lot of tools." I have to say that I'd disagree with that a bit, even though I'm not keen on using a table saw, I could (with help from my husband, who is...

Goat-raising tips for all stages of experience.(The goat barn)
September 1, 2005... General * First and foremost... Don't start too big. Learn your goats and add on slowly. Also, make sure you have a market. * A female goat is a doe; the male, a buck; the young, kids; a castrated male is a wether. * Goats are my...

Sometimes even the best fencing is no match for frightened animals.(The sheep shed)
September 1, 2005... "Mom, get Andy." "Why?," I ask as Audrey walks away from me quickly. Before I can hobble to his room to get him, she's already gone all the way around the house, through the front door and into his room. I got there in time to hear the...

Horses don't require confinements for hoof trimming.
September 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: I have had a subscription for many years, but have never seen anything on building (or buying) stocks for horses to better trim hooves. Is there a back issue that would have had such info in it that I have missed, or is there...

Tramp art makes a comeback with carvers.(The woodcarver)
September 1, 2005... Tramp art is a folk-art style of carving that dates back to the 1860s. It is said to have its beginning in Germany, and from there, spread to Scandinavia and the British Isles. With the emigration of Europeans to America, it came here in the...

How much wind would you like with your sunshine?(Life on the sunny side)
September 1, 2005... Most of the time we can navigate through life s complexities in a fairly simple manner. We make guesses and assumptions about the world, then buttress them with general observations and common sense. And somehow or another, what usually shakes...

Solar with an attitude.(Alternative energy)
September 1, 2005... When reading the interesting/ informative article by Rex Ewing titled "Piecing together a spanking-new $600 solar-electric system," (July/August 2005) we were again thrilled that COUNTRYSIDE includes alternatives to standard grid living among...

Unfortunately, it's all but impossible to insulate a refrigerator: but there are energy-saving alternatives.(Alternative energy)
September 1, 2005... COUNTRYSIDE: I am trying to reduce my $100 a month electric bill. I currently heat water with wood or propane and cook with the same. After cutting all the other wattage eaters that I know of, I really feel that the big culprit that gobbles up...

Cold weather passive assist refrigeration.(Alternative energy)(Reprint)
September 1, 2005... If you live in a cold climate, your refrigerator is often running when the temperature outside is colder than it is in your refrigerator. A simple way of using the "coolth" from the outside to cool your refrigerator is by incorporating a heat...

Tale of a "new" washing machine.(Alternative energy)
September 1, 2005... There are times when something breaks, especially on a homestead, and you have to come up with a substitute that will work just as well. This was the case when my washing machine quit pumping water with a load of clothes in it. Even though we...

Building a water hole: it saves money on the water bill and rainwater is good for your garden.(Alternative energy)
September 1, 2005... From the days before time was kept, people have had to follow trails to the known watering holes. In the desert it was life and death for primitive people. They had to know where the water holes were, and following animal trails was a good...

Build a PTO power sprayer.(The machine shed)
September 1, 2005... When I was growing up, I remember that my father owned four spray delivery systems. The simplest was the bean duster, which one pumped to deliver a dust to string bean and lima bean plants. The most reliable was the cylindrical 1.5 gallon...

A homestead on Caney Creek.(Looking back)
September 1, 2005... One of the most memorable homesteads we have ever lived on was located about an hour and a half southwest of Houston on Caney Creek in Wharton County, not far from the community college where I worked at that time. Wharton is a unique town with...

Growing up in the depression: the story continues.(Looking back)
September 1, 2005... It was spring 1936 and my parents were sure glad winter had passed. My dad had managed to pick up a few jobs during the winter by painting the outside of a home, and cutting wood for some old folks. There was simply no work for anyone that...

A complimentary pair of hobbies.(Country neighbors)
September 1, 2005... I am a new subscriber and find COUNTRYSIDE delightful reading even though we are not homesteaders, just an old married couple that has long enjoyed our simple way of life. We live one block inside the city limits on a lot large enough to grow a...

Goats and sustainable farming give this homesteader purpose.(Country neighbors)
September 1, 2005... Although some time has passed since I last wrote, my thoughts have not been far from the many folks who read COUNTRYSIDE. Our little farm (1.2 acres) continues to thrive, with many new changes, additions and losses. Every year that passes...

How one woman's hobby became her life's work.(Country neighbors)
September 1, 2005... You've heard the adage, "Do what you love and the money will follow. Well, that is the story of the last three years in my world. I did leave it all behind--I was able to because I have some financial resources that came from investing. I spent...

It wasn't in the book.(Country neighbors)
September 1, 2005... I rolled my cynical eyes when I slid the book, Living the Good Life, by Helen and Scott Nearing, off the shelf because the cover had a picture of a man sweating behind a plow, and they considered it "good." Well... these authors turned out to...

Homesteading community forming in Missouri.(Country neighbors)
September 1, 2005... Many readers have pointed out how hard it is for them to purchase the land, buildings, equipment, etc., in order to live the "homesteading lifestyle" they so desperately want to live. Magazine after magazine is filled with the stories of people...

Poor Will's Almanac for Autumn of 2005.
September 1, 2005... Eventually I saw that watching the seasons not only helped me make connections between one natural event and another, but also trained me to discover relationships between natural events and my own emotions as well as between the condition of...

The potato patch.(After chores)
September 1, 2005... I grew up in Queens, New York in a garden apartment. The garden consisted of a forsythia bush and a strip of grass that was mowed and cared for by the maintenance crew. We ourselves never touched dirt, earth or what I was later to be informed,...