Countryside & Small Stock Journal back issues from May 2003:
Last month the question was posed: how do you live on half of your income? (Country conversation & feedback).
May 01, 2003 ... Here are some responses: COUNTRYSIDE: Over the years I have made the transition from city to country at least four times. I did not fail in the country, but life's ups and downs have dictated the moves. I am currently headed back to the country and what I have learned is that ...
Don't make soap without vinegar. (Country conversation & feedback).
May 01, 2003; ... COUNTRYSIDE: I have been making soap since the 1940s. Rule #1, which is rarely mentioned is: Dig out the vinegar jug and keep it handy! Lye is caustic. Vinegar counteracts it, so if you accidentally spill some of the lye water on yourself, the cupboard, or the floor, douse good ...
Cheese keepers. (Country conversation & feedback).
May 01, 2003; ... COUNTRYSIDE: Cheese keepers can be found at Cumberland General Store, 1 Hwy. 68, Crossville, TN 38555. The ...
Life overseas isn't all bad. (Country conversation & feedback).
May 01, 2003 ... COUNTRYSIDE: I was upset to read the letter about "caution living overseas." It sounds as if the writer had been in trouble somewhere and I note they did not add their name! As a person who has lived happily in Mexico for 15 years, the last 10 on an off-grid homestead, I would ...
More thoughts on midwives. (Country conversation & feedback).
May 01, 2003; ... COUNTRYSIDE: I appreciated the letter from "M" in Washington who wrote regarding midwives. I couldn't agree more--be very careful to whom you entrust yourself and your baby. We used midwives for six of our children with three of them being home births. We never used a midwife without the ...
Make yeast with potatoes. (Country conversation & feedback).
May 01, 2003; ... COUNTRYSIDE: I discovered your magazine about eight months ago and consider it one of my best investments, and the best magazine I have ever read. Although I have lived my whole life living the homestead lifestyle (but didn't know it had a name) I still find information that is new and ...
Calcium: it's a good thing. (Country conversation & feedback).
May 01, 2003; ... COUNTRYSIDE: I am glad to see an article on calcium since I do soil test and tell everyone how deficient the soil is in calcium. I want to know where you buy calcium for $12.50 a ton? We pay $125 a ...
How does lanolin get into a jar? (Country conversation & feedback).
May 01, 2003; ... COUNTRYSIDE: I am a small-scale dairy goat raiser in Minnesota. In the past (when we had children home to help with the work), we also had sheep. A friend recently asked me how lanolin gets from the wool into a jar. Perhaps you can give me the answer or point me to a place where I can find ...
Dig your own grease pit. (Country conversation & feedback).
May 01, 2003; ... COUNTRYSIDE: A very handy addition to your homestead is a "grease pit." Having one makes simple work of greasing, changing oil and hydraulic fluid, repairing mufflers and various other chores needed to keep your car, truck or tractor in good repair and is far safer than ramps. ...
Butterfly attractions. (Country conversation & feedback).
May 01, 2003; ... COUNTRYSIDE: Thanks for such a wonderful and useful magazine. I look forward to the arrival of each issue. I'm interested in planting flowers that will attract butterflies. I live in a secluded section of the Berkshire Mountains of NW Massachusetts. I'm also interested in the ...
Save the ginseng (and other vulnerable plants). (Country conversation & feedback).
May 01, 2003 ... COUNTRYSIDE: I belong to a group called United Plant Savers--Planting the Future. This group was started by Rosemary Gladstar, a well-known and respected herbalist. The group realizes ...
"Simplicity" does not mean "poverty". (Country conversation & feedback).
May 01, 2003; ... COUNTRYSIDE: One of the many interesting things I have learned from COUNTRYSIDE is that homesteading can be done according to individual desire. I live on a small lot in a small town. My priority is self-reliant life with a maximum of freedom and a minimum of needs. The game ...
Those sneaky moths! (Country conversation & feedback).
May 01, 2003; ... COUNTRYSIDE: I just wanted to respond to Ken, who wrote asking for help in getting rid of the "meal moths" in his kitchen cabinets (March/April 2003). I had a similar encounter with meal or pantry moths about two years ago. First I saw a few small, brown moths ...
Homesteading tips: from fruit to fallout. (Country conversation & feedback).
May 01, 2003; ... COUNTRYSIDE: Life can be simpler and less expensive in money and time. Here are some tips from Paul: * Why make bread? Too much effort and time. Make muffins instead--10 minutes mixing and 24 minutes in the oven. Any mix will do. Use soda bicarbonate and baking powder to rise, ...
How do you build with cordwood? (Country conversation & feedback).
May 01, 2003; ... COUNTRYSIDE: My husband and I are looking for any information, comments, tips, problems etc. in building a cord wood house. We live in Canada and have watched several of our friends build more traditional styled homes. The articles that we have found on cordwood homes intrigue us and we ...
More uses for bee hives. (Country conversation & feedback).
May 01, 2003; ... COUNTRYSIDE: In the Jan/Feb 2003 issue a reader described how she utilized old beehives to make plant flats. Since I have been a beekeeper for a few years now, I thought I might provide some additional information to other readers concerning the subject of used beehives. ...
She had the "perfect life," and then ... (Country conversation & feedback).
May 01, 2003; ... COUNTRYSIDE: Last year I came across your magazine and decided to buy it. Thank God! Your magazine has been so helpful to me in the past year. I was raised in rural Indiana and my grandmother always had us kids help in the garden and on the small farm they had. I remember making homemade ...
Possum: missing struedel is a clue. (Country conversation & feedback).
May 01, 2003; ... COUNTRYSIDE: I'd like to tell my Possum Tale: It was a hot summer about five years ago, and my habit was to stop at Casey Stores and buy coffee and 3/99-cent cookies. I usually had one or two cookies laying on the van's motor cover which I would eat the next day or so. Once in a ...
Correction.
May 01, 2003 ... The address for the National Food Institute (and Sam Thayer) is PO Box ...
Leaky cream separator is irritating. (Country conversation & feedback).
May 01, 2003; ... COUNTRYSIDE: In 1978 we moved back near the small town in Eastern Washington where my mother was raised as well as my siblings and I. With two teenagers and two grade school age children, we started out from "scratch" on 10 acres of wooded land. Some time in those first years we found out ...
Does anyone have chaparral seeds or plants? (Country conversation & feedback).
May 01, 2003; ... COUNTRYSIDE: Please help! I am frantically looking for" some chaparral seeds or plants to try to grow in our greenhouse. We are in zone 7. I use this plant's leaves in my antifungal salve, and would like to try to grow my ...
What is it? (Country conversation & feedback).
May 01, 2003 ... We had a picture of an unknown tool in the March/April, 2003 issue. Many of you knew it was a wire fence stretcher (which could also be used as a come-a-long, among other things). Thanks to all of you! Here are just a few of the responses: It is a hand operated winch, ...
Countryside contacts.
May 01, 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 homestead ...
Coming events.
May 01, 2003 ... May 10-11, 2003 9th Annual Llama Magic, Lake Elmo, MN. Free classes on llama care, packing, cart driving and how to use that wonderful fiber. Fleece contest, llama and alpaca show and many vendors. Contact Sheila Fugina at 715-246-5837 or bsfugina@pressenter.com. May ...
Little earthship out on the prairie.
May 01, 2003; ... My husband, daughter, and I were living in a trailer court when we found an ad about land for sale east of Colorado Springs with owner financing. We had been living in a mobile home for 10 years and I was more than ready for our own house with some property. We already knew what type of ...
Defensive gardening: you can have your deer and eat your veggies too! (The garden).
May 01, 2003; ... Our move to White Oak Cottage, our home in northwest Georgia was, in large part, because of the abundant wildlife of the area. Turkey, deer, quail and a host of other species are seen frequently as one wanders the byways of this, as yet sparsely populated and lightly developed, region of ...
Tom's terrific tumbler. (The garden).
May 01, 2003; ... At White Oak Cottage we compost everything that can be composted. We raise our vegetables in containers in a greenhouse so that they are protected from the large number of deer we host on our little patch of Paradise. The containers are filled with a mix of Georgia hill country soil and ...
The charm of chives. (The garden).
May 01, 2003; ... Whenever I think of spring and the beginning of our outdoor herb growing season here at Timberlakes (mid-April to early May) my favorite perennial comes to mind: chives. Chives are about the sturdiest and most dependable herb variety we grow, and they take acclaim for the ...
Growing sweet Stevia Rebaudiana. (The garden).
May 01, 2003; ... Stevia seeds are hard to find be cause of problems with seed production and low germination. I did an undergraduate research project to investigate this problem. The results are published in an article entitled "Seed Germination in Stevia Rebaudiana." Get plants locally if you can. They do ...
Dill: it's not just for pickles! (The garden).
May 01, 2003; ... Dill is not only a pretty foliage plant, it's fragrance is a "comfort smell" for many people. I barely touch it's feathery leaves and the smell of homemade dill pickles, crisp and savory, rubs off on my hands. At the same time, dill is an herb that is often passed over as just a pickle ...
Make your own gourmet mustard mixes. (The country kitchen).
May 01, 2003; ... Making your own gourmet mustards mixes can be fun and interesting! The combinations are endless,delicious, aromatic and rewarding. These make great gifts which are very inexpensive to make. The basic recipe is: <Pre> 3 ozs. of brown or yellow mustard seeds 1/4 cup ...
You can grow corn. (The garden).
May 01, 2003; ... Nothing tastes better than sweet corn that has gone from cornstalk to cookpot in minutes. To get that fresh taste, you must grow it in your own backyard. Traditionally, corn is planted in 4-row blocks to insure maximum pollination. Corn is pollinated by wind, not by insects, so ...
Animal gardening. (Feeds & feeding).
May 01, 2003; ... You're a homesteader, and you want to be more self-sufficient. So you garden ... and raise animals. But you soon discover that the feed bill for the animals is as much as your own grocery bill used to be! And growing livestock feed conjures images of real farming, with all its machinery ...
Southern wilt could be devastating to some crops. (Crops & soils).
May 01, 2003 ... An outbreak of Ralstonia solanacearum, Race 3 Biovar 2, the pathogen that causes southern bacterial wilt, occurred in one of Goldsmith Plants' geranium production facilities in Kenya recently. Cuttings from Kenya were only imported to two U.S. rooting stations in Michigan and New ...
Pastures may need renovating after last summer's drought. (Crops & soils).
May 01, 2003; ... Excessive moisture in the spring followed by drought and high temperatures during the summer left many pastures in need of renovation. As a result, many pastures weren't renovated or farmers weren't able to seed as much as they had planned. Then summer came, and with it very dry ...
Another reason to "grow organic". (Crops & soils).
May 01, 2003 ... Growing crops and making illegal drugs would seem to have few things in common. But both may involve the use of anhydrous ammonia fertilizer, says John Shutske, agricultural safety and health specialist with the University of Minnesota Extension Service. "Using anhydrous ammonia ...
Vaccine for hoof and mouth disease may be at hand.
May 01, 2003 ... Scientists think the antiviral drug interferon could avert future foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) epidemics according to an article in Journal of Virology (2003). More than six million animals were slaughtered in 2001 as Britain struggled for seven months to stop FMD from tearing ...
Naturally colored Angora goats: perfect for the spinner's homestead flock. (The goat barn).
May 01, 2003; ... I would like to introduce you to the naturally colored Angora goat, a goat that I think is perfect for the spinner's small homestead flock. Colored Angoras, you say? Yes! Beginning with a dedicated group of breeders about 20 years ago, meticulously selecting colored goats (Spanish, Navajo, ...
Navajo-Churro sheep: a rare breed prized for its fleece. (The sheep shed).
May 01, 2003; ... The Navajo-Churro sheep, developed by and sacred to the Dine and at the core of their culture and economy, is the only domesticated breed of sheep indigenous to the Americas. Though driven to near extinction since the 19th century by government stock reductions that slaughtered hundreds of ...
Organic cattle wormers. (The cow barn).
May 01, 2003; ... COUNTRYSIDE: I am trying to raise freezer beef as organically as possible. Are there any organic cattle wormers?--B.H., Crossville, AL According to Joel Salatin in Salad Bar Beef, he has had success with two products: Shaklee Basic H and Diatomaceous Earth (DE). ...
Do you have cool cows? (The cow barn).
May 01, 2003; ... Pay special attention to your animals' needs during hot, humid weather. The livestock heat index is different from the heat index reported on local weather reports. A heat index is not the actual temperature, but rather how hot the humidity makes it feel outside. ...
Don't count out crossbreds for tasty beef. (The cow barn).
May 01, 2003; ... COUNTRYSIDE: I picked up the Nov/Dec 2002 issue of your publication and have been fairly impressed thus far. I've been a dairy farmer my whole life so I have a couple ideas on the article of fattening a steer. I've raised a lot of steers over the years. Most turned out pretty ...
High school students can learn about cooperatives.
May 01, 2003 ... The University of Wisconsin's Center for Cooperatives (UWCC) has launched a website for high school students and young adults--http:// www.wisc.edu/coops. This one-of-a-kind site offers learning modules on a number of relevant cooperative issues as well as resources on scholarships for ...
Our chickens live in a corncrib! (The henhouse).
May 01, 2003; ... We made our long-awaited move beyond the sidewalks in 1997. We had purchased 45 acres in a wooded valley five years prior, and had a garden shed, garage and pole barn built before our actual move. An older mobile home served us well as weekend living quarters during that period. ...
Providing grit will help prevent impacted crop. (Poultry health).
May 01, 2003 ... We have some nice Leghorn hens which have a big lump where the neck and breast join. It seemed to come on overnight and is about the size of an orange and quite hard. is this a tumor? How did it come about so soon? This is probably an impacted crop. It can occur quite quickly as ...
Infectious coryza is highly contagious. (Poultry health).
May 01, 2003 ... We have a small flock of chickens that was on our farm when we bought it. In the last week, we have seen quite a few of these chickens catching some kind of cold. Their nostrils run and their heads even swell up. They were laying eggs, but have stopped entirely. One died, but the rest seem ...
Don't use medicated chick starter for ducklings. (Poultry health).
May 01, 2003; ... We want to raise some ducks for table use, however there is no starter food for ducklings available in the area. Is it alright to feed them medicated chick starter that we use for our chicks? Although some people can get away with ...
My first pig. (The pig pen).
May 01, 2003; ... It is a cold, dreary day in January when we decide to raise a pig. Actually the "we" part is mostly my husband. I had seen a pig up close only once before. That was 43 years ago when my dad took me to a livestock show. Now, I find myself--a transplanted city slicker--living on a farm and ...
Helping pigs cheat death--in 1936. (The pig pen).
May 01, 2003; ... This is the story of the two hogs that should have died but did not--at least not right then. It was the spring following a terrible harvest after the drought. We had butchered or sold all of our hogs except two sows since we knew we would likely run low on feed before the next ...
Raising rabbits requires some planning. (The rabbit barn).
May 01, 2003; ... There is a lot more to raising rabbits than just putting them in a cage and feeding them, especially if you want any success on breeding year round. I breed rabbits year round with a 98 percent success rate, but that means a lot of care is given to my animals and a lot of ...
Building and re-building. (Notes from the Northwoods).
May 01, 2003; ... Building seems a natural outgrowth of homesteading. Sometimes it is simply to get an affordable roof over one's head, or over the chickens'. Or to house the motley collection of motorized mongers, natural mongrels, and other accumulated stuff. It can be an expression of your individuality, ...
A year-round solar greenhouse: Part III. (The Solar Cowboy).
May 01, 2003; ... CHRIS LA FORGE GREAT NORTHERN SOLAR When we returned from our research trip (see the March/April 2003 issue) we went out to the greenhouse and sure enough, even without the active solar heating system installed, the building was warmer than our passive solar house. A successful ...
Build a low-cost solar water heater. (Alternative energy).
May 01, 2003; ... It's been over 10 years since I installed a PV pumped solar hot water system on my house (COUNTRYSIDE Vol 85/1), and that success made me want to design a system for my shop/studio outbuilding. Because people saw the panel on the roof of my home, word got out that I knew something about ...
Experiences of digging our own well. (Homestead water).
May 01, 2003; ... When I was younger I helped drive and pull several wells over the years. Seemed someone was always needing a new well. In the early '80s it was our turn, we needed a new water supply. We had moved to our present location in the mid '70s and there was no family close and few ...
Was I plumb crazy to do my own plumbing? (Homestead water).
May 01, 2003; ... I am writing this from Baja, Mexico, where I have just "completed" plumbing my strawbale house--a job that has turned out to be tortuous, frustrating ... and a real learning experience. Would I do it over again? Probably not. Yet, with the skills I have picked up through many ...
Build your own tree library. (Homestead crafts).
May 01, 2003; ... Ever try building your own library? You can if it's a tree library. You needn't be concerned about steam shovels, mortar and brick. All you need are some clippers, a bag, paper, and some sort of adhesive. Building a tree library is a "pressing" matter, your concerns always ...
She does laundry with her truck. (Homestead crafts).
May 01, 2003; ... I can do laundry with my truck. Get a 50-gallon barrel, paint it black. Make sure it has a lid, the clamp-on kind with a bung to let air in. Set it in the back of the pickup, by the tailgate. Either fill it directly from the downspout on your roof gutter, or by any means you ...
Make a smoker from a cardboard box. (Homestead crafts).
May 01, 2003; ... I remember as a child growing up on a Michigan dirt farm how my grandfather used to make the most mouth watering, just plain incredible-tasting smoked delicacies. Hams, farm-reared chickens and turkeys, and whatever else happened to be handy. Even eggs were smoked! (As was homemade cheddar ...
Whip up some ghee. (The country kitchen).
May 01, 2003; ... Ghee is a form of clarified butter used in Ayruvedic cooking and healing. Through a slow cooking process, the milk solids containing the milk proteins, sugars and impurities are extracted and removed, leaving a pure form of healthy saturated fat. It is a great butter alternative for ...
Make your own jams and jellies. (The country kitchen).
May 01, 2003; ... Fruit jellies are semi-solid, preserved mixtures of fruit juice and sugar. Jelly making is a good way to preserve fruit flavors for. enjoyment throughout the year. Fruit jelly is a fairly easy-to-prepare product for the beginning canner and may be made without much special equipment. ...
Pumpkin bread in a jar (but it's safer to freeze it). (Country kitchen).
May 01, 2003; ... <Pre> Pumpkin Bread in a Jar 2-2/3 cups sugar 2/3 cup shortening 4 eggs 2 cups pumpkin--canned or freshly cooked 2/3 cup water 3-1/3 cups flour 1-1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon ground cloves 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 ...
Canning chickens, etc. (Country kitchen).
May 01, 2003; ... I am a believer in canning everything and anything. I start with four small whole chickens. I skin and remove the breasts. I save the breasts for dinner such as: stuffed breasts, teriyaki breasts, etc. I then put the remainder of the chickens in an 8-12 qt. stock pot, two-thirds ...
Raisin milk? You're kidding! (Country kitchen).
May 01, 2003; ... Every so often I get the idea I'm going to economize, so I buy powdered milk again! Within the time of using up a quart of that stuff I'm through with it for another couple of years. But not this time. Out of the blue, and I mean blue, I wondered why not add some raisin juice to the milk ....
What in the world is that? (Country kitchen).
May 01, 2003 ... * Bulgur wheat: This cracked wheat is popular in Middle Eastern cookery and the principal ingredient in tabbouleh, the popular parsley-enhanced salad. It is simple to prepare: Soak one part bulgur wheat in one and a half parts boiling water 30-60 minutes, until the water is absorbed. ...
Is there a profit in "functional foods?" (Country kitchen).
May 01, 2003 ... Some 85 percent of American consumers want to learn more about "functional". foods, according to a survey by the American Dietetic Association (ADA). The ADA survey concluded consumers are concerned about nutrition, know they could and should eat healthier, but don't want to ...