Countryside & Small Stock Journal back issues from January 2006:
From the editor: homesteaders can take what the future dishes out.(Editorial)
Jan 01, 2006; ... The calendar page has turned and we find ourselves with a new year once again. A time of new beginnings, fresh starts ... the beginning of the rest of our lives! So why are many people so pessimistic about the future? Granted, the news these past few months (or years ...
Carla Emery: 1939-2005.(Country conversation & feedback)
Jan 01, 2006; ... COUNTRYSIDE: It seems we keep losing friends of the small family farm, and now we've lost another one. I am sorry to report that Carla Emery, author of The Encyclopedia of Country Living, has passed on. She was more than merely an author; she was a good friend, a mentor, a kindred spirit ...
Nubian/Boer goat crosses can have a positive outcome.(Country conversation & feedback)
Jan 01, 2006; ... COUNTRYSIDE: I just wanted to give a quick answer to Travis and Melissa Horst's question about crossing Nubian does with a Boer buck. By all means, do so. We have been crossing our Nubian milkers with a Boer or Boer/Mytonic buck for several years and are very pleased with the outcome--fast ...
Make a fireplace insert out of car exhaust pipes.(Country conversation & feedback)
Jan 01, 2006; ... COUNTRYSIDE: In response to Jeannie in Arizona's question about a fireplace insert, I had a home made one that worked real well made out of exhaust pipe. The insert was four or five two-inch car exhaust pipes bent in a "C" shape (flat on the bottom) with a one-inch piece of flat stock ...
Correction.(Correction Notice)
Jan 01, 2006 ... On page 94 of the Nov./Dec. issue, Pinetree Seeds' phone number should be 207-926-3440 ...
National animal ID program to go into effect.(Country conversation & feedback)
Jan 01, 2006; ... COUNTRYSIDE: Has anyone else heard about a federal animal ID program? I'd heard snippits here and there that the USDA wanted to tag livestock, but not on this scale! Are there any other groups opposing this? I hate to see Monsanto get another noose around the food supply, not to ...
Avian flu concerns.(Country conversation & feedback)
Jan 01, 2006; ... COUNTRYSIDE: I am extremely concerned about the avian flu. I have 17 chickens and a few ducks. Should I be worried about the possible transmission of avian flu to my children, who take care of these animals? What should I be doing to prepare for a possible pandemic? Should I be stockpiling ...
He feels better after venting.(Country conversation & feedback)
Jan 01, 2006; ... COUNTRYSIDE: Thank you for the opportunity to get some things off my chest. The first and foremost item is how much I enjoy COUNTRYSIDE. I read it cover to cover several times between issues. Next is the Wal-Mart discussion: This is free enterprise folks, the American way, build ...
From cults to corn: weighing in on a number of topics.(Country conversation & feedback)
Jan 01, 2006; ... COUNTRYSIDE: Here are a few bits of feedback maybe, hopefully, you can use. * "Community or cult?" My family and I are "very" familiar with the group now known as "Twelve Tribes." We first met them over 25 years ago. I never like to speak ill of anyone, however, this is a group ...
Canning with steam isn't safe.(Country conversation & feedback)
Jan 01, 2006; ... COUNTRYSIDE: Once again I see "steam canners" touted as an acceptable method for food storage. These have been tested and are not recommended by any reputable source. They do not heat the contents of the jars enough to kill organisms which can destroy the food. They do produce enough heat ...
Questions about food preservation? Get answers here.(Country conversation & feedback)
Jan 01, 2006; ... COUNTRYSIDE: According to its web site www.homefoodpreservation. com, the National Center for Home Food Preservation is your source for current research-based recommendations for most methods of home food preservation. Topics include canning, freezing, drying, curing, smoking, ...
Country life can be overwhelming on occasion.(Country conversation & feedback)
Jan 01, 2006; ... COUNTRYSIDE: I would like to make some comments about country living. I grew up in the country in the 1940s and 50s, and left home for a military career, which was about the only choice we had then. I came back home 24 years ago with my family. Our oldest daughter went directly to college ...
Draft animal and equipment source.(Country conversation & feedback)
Jan 01, 2006; ... COUNTRYSIDE: My wife and I raise European Belgian draft horses, also known as Brabants. Of the 16 horses we now have, all will stand for the farrier except one. She has to be put in the shoeing stock. A friend's team of American Belgians also must be put in a stock to trim their feet. Like ...
Can you care for livestock while living in town?(Country conversation & feedback)
Jan 01, 2006; ... COUNTRYSIDE: For many years I have wanted to own some acreage and have livestock such as sheep and chickens. My husband and I compromised and bought a house on a city lot in a small town. I have wondered, however, if it might be possible to also buy or rent some pasture/acreage about 15 or ...
Readers' questions answered.(Country conversation & feedback)
Jan 01, 2006; ... COUNTRYSIDE: In the Nov./Dec. 2005 issue there were several requests for assistance. Perhaps I can help. To Liz in St. Charles, IL: The best place to look for coal is to find your local blacksmith's guild and get it from them. They use a soft bituminous coal that works well in ...
A good diet and exercise keep him in top shape.(Country conversation & feedback)
Jan 01, 2006; ... COUNTRYSIDE: I read the Country Conversation in the September/October issue with interest. While I agree that it may not be a good idea to feed infants too much soy, I also believe that soy is much healthier for adults than much of the other food most of us eat. I also check ...
When building, it pays to plan ahead.(Country conversation & feedback)
Jan 01, 2006; ... COUNTRYSIDE: I use propane for a cooking stove, refrigerator, and hot water heater. My electric bill is $10, except during the air-conditioning months of August and September. The refrigerator is a Servel. It has a small capacity, but with no moving parts it should last for ...
Have a property inspection before selling your home.(Country conversation & feedback)
Jan 01, 2006; ... COUNTRYSIDE: We were recently forced to leave our little piece of heaven in the east mountains near Albuquerque to move back into the city. We had a buyer for the property and thought things were going to go smoothly, until the property inspection. We found out in a financially ...
Composting toilet plan causes building headache.(Country conversation & feedback)
Jan 01, 2006; ... COUNTRYSIDE: I have a question for COUNTRYSIDE readers. I have been looking for property to purchase to build my own home and keep running into roadblocks. My plans are to have a sawdust toilet system and it seems like every piece of property I find, there are codes and requirements that ...
Depression-era memories are valuable.(Country conversation & feedback)
Jan 01, 2006; ... COUNTRYSIDE: Thank you for printing Mrs. Orsborn's articles and a big thank you to Mrs. Orsborn for writing them! I have thoroughly enjoyed both installments and am hopeful that she will write more. I get so disgusted with how spoiled we are as a society and would love to change that, at ...
Ask questions before buying this property.(Country conversation & feedback)
Jan 01, 2006; ... COUNTRYSIDE: In reference to Jim Linder's letter in the Sept./Oct. 2005 issue: My advice would be that under no circumstances should he proceed to build a house on the property he described. Jim has fallen in love with the land and lost sight of the fact that it is not his land. In fact, ...
Homesteading--in St. Paul, Minnesota.(Country conversation & feedback)
Jan 01, 2006 ... COUNTRYSIDE: My husband and I love your magazine! It is filled with wonderful articles and information for those interested in becoming self-sufficient. We were reading the Sept./Oct. 2005 issue when we came across an article on community. This individual was writing about ...
Vegetable oil soap brings dry skin relief.(Country conversation & feedback)
Jan 01, 2006; ... COUNTRYSIDE: I thoroughly enjoy your magazine. It is such a refreshing change from the glitz and artificiality of the usual periodicals. I've been reading everything I possibly can find about health, nutrition, dollar stretching, and homemaking for the past few years. COUNTRYSIDE is a ...
Ideas for a jar ring sorter and animal mover.(Country conversation & feedback)
Jan 01, 2006; ... COUNTRYSIDE: I had an awful time keeping my jar rings sorted and where I could use them until I tried using an old wire coat hanger. Simply undo the twisted metal around the large hook and leave the large hook alone. Turn the twisted end into a hook and thread the jar rings onto it. An ...
Tenderizing venison.(Country conversation & feedback)
Jan 01, 2006; ... COUNTRYSIDE: I have to take issue with an item in your Nov./Dec. 2005 issue. Regarding the article by Ralph Schneider of Eleva, Wisconsin, and aging venison. First, freezing does little or nothing to enhance meat tenderness. It, in fact, stops the process that promotes ...
No color photos? No problem.(Country conversation & feedback)
Jan 01, 2006; ... COUNTRYSIDE: I am a new subscriber and I cannot put this magazine down. It amazes me-it's like opening a door and walking into another era. It's refreshing. At first, when I received my first issue, I said, "Heck, no color pictures? What kind of a magazine is this?" I ate those ...
Want to trade places for the summer?(Country conversation & feedback)
Jan 01, 2006 ... COUNTRYSIDE: I have been a subscriber for 12 years. My wife and I have been homesteaders for over 14 years in the mountains of Wyoming near the Bridger Teton Forest. We built a nice log cabin, drilled a well with lots of good water, have solar and wind power that work well. The only ...
Blade-type sawmill input wanted.(Neighbors in need)
Jan 01, 2006; ... COUNTRYSIDE: I would like to build a blade-type sawmill with an automobile (diesel) engine with the capability of doing ship-lap ...
Have you ever made BBQ smoking chips?(Neighbors in need)
Jan 01, 2006; ... COUNTRYSIDE: I was wondering if anyone had experience making BBQ smoking chips from pecan or hickory trees that need to be thinned out? Also, I would appreciate ...
A wedding venture.(Neighbors in need)
Jan 01, 2006; ... COUNTRYSIDE: We are considering an all-outdoor wedding facility on our hobby farm of 3.4 acres. We are surrounded by farm fields and our closest neighbor is 1/2 mile away. However we are not far from town, within five minutes. Do any of your readers have ...
Coming events.(Calendar)
Jan 01, 2006 ... Send your coming events at least three months in advance to: Countryside Coming Events, 145 Industrial Dr., Medford, WI 54451; csymag@tds.net. January 27-29, 2006 New York: 24th Annual Organic Farming & Gardening Conference, presented by the Northeast Organic Farming ...
25 years later... and still having fun.(Notes from the Northwoods)
Jan 01, 2006; ... We'd been on our homestead less than three years when we got a call from Dave Skoloda from Jd Belanger's COUNTRYSIDE magazine. Could he come out and interview us for the magazine? The year before Steve had written an article on our solar chicken coop which they had printed in their ...
Series and parallel wiring: successfully compounding amps and volts.(Life on the sunny side)
Jan 01, 2006; ... When I began putting together my first solar electric system way back in the last century, I soon noticed there was an easy part and a hard part to the installation. The initial tasks--welding the heavy steel frames for the solar panels, digging and pouring the concrete foundation piers, ...
Bikes are big business.(Life on the sunny side)
Jan 01, 2006 ... Bicycle sales have taken off in the past 12 months according to Tim Blumenthal, executive director of Bikes Belong. Bike sales haven't been this hot since 1973, with 19 million sold in the past year, ...
Energy in the news ...(Life on the sunny side)
Jan 01, 2006 ... * Some geologists expect 2005 to be the last year of the cheap-oil bonanza, while estimates coming out of the oil industry indicate "a seemingly unbridgeable supply-demand gap opening up after 2007," which will lead to major fuel shortages and increasingly severe blackouts beginning around ...
Cordwood: for a distinct log structure.(Homestead building)
Jan 01, 2006; ... Building with cordwood has become a hot topic lately. Cordwood is an environmentally friendly, renewable resource. The homes are aesthecially unique, well-insulated, and solid. The use of cordwood has been around for 1,000 years, with some structures traced back to Greece and Norway. ...
Spousal support in the home craft business.(Your homestead business)
Jan 01, 2006; ... A customer once told me, "You two are the only people I know who live in the country and work from home." Then she added, "But I don't know how you can work with your husband. If I had to work with mine, we'd kill each other." That exact same sentiment was echoed in an e-mail I ...
She turns "weeds" into household accessories.
Jan 01, 2006; ... After reading the articles in the Nov/Dec issue regarding starting your own home-based business, I decided to write to share some of the projects I have found and really enjoy. Each project may or may not be appropriate for everyone, nor will they constitute a profitable business product, ...
Preparing for emergencies? Try the gourmet approach.(The country kitchen)
Jan 01, 2006; ... A home grain mill and some heat guarantee a nutritious and delicious food source in case the power goes or food supplies are interrupted--but only if the mill still works. If you're learning or yearning to be better prepared, you'll want to know more about manual and convertible grain ...
Mediterranean style flat breads are excellent with dipping sauces.(The country kitchen)
Jan 01, 2006; ... Betty Quinn's flax bread recipe sounds delicious, all except one thing: Sweet n' Low? Splenda? My whole family (even the kids) said, Yuk! Have you read the medical studies on that stuff? Or are you just gonna believe the FDA? (Not to mention the aftertaste!) Betty has already added sucrose ...
The versatile avocado: Mexico's nutritious gift to the world.(The country kitchen)
Jan 01, 2006; ... An attractive pear-like fruit which, in the main, is consumed as a vegetable, the avocado is gaining popularity in North America as an important nourishing food. Increasingly, this vegetable/ fruit with a creamy texture and subtle nut-like flavor is creeping into the daily menu of American ...
It's about thyme: use of this herb is becoming more popular.(The garden)
Jan 01, 2006; ... The next few months of winter evenings will find many of you snuggled up by the fireplace or woodstove, browsing through seed catalogs and making plans for this spring's garden. When it comes to planting out herbs, seriously think about thyme. Whether you grow herbs ...
Alaskan gardening tips.(The garden)
Jan 01, 2006; ... As a garden writer, I focus on making it easier for northern, maritime gardeners to grow what it takes to survive in our region. Here in southeast Alaska, where summers are cool and winters are mild, I've found it best to concentrate on six basic vegetables and a few fruits. Lesser effort ...
'What's in your soil?(The garden)
Jan 01, 2006; ... Before starting to plant, you will I probably have to improve your soil's fertility, especially if it is a first-season garden. Of course, the first harvest will give you some indication of soil quality, but conducting a soil test is a more precise way to learn about the makeup of your ...
The "National Animal Identification System": a new threat to rural freedom?
Jan 01, 2006; ... Small farmers and homesteaders have chosen their way of life because they love their freedom--the freedom from urban noise and congestion, the independence from government and corporate interference, the self-reliance of providing one's own shelter, water, food. Now the USDA's ...
Build a small-scale chicken plucker.
Jan 01, 2006; ... Butchering chickens is not a pleasant task, as anyone who has tried it can tell you. And plucking the birds is a time consuming chore. So before butchering season this fall, we decided it was time to get a mechanical feather plucker. After looking around for an inexpensive unit (we don't ...
Chickens are sometimes strange, but I couldn't live without mine.(The henhouse)
Jan 01, 2006; ... Most of the time my chickens are roaming free in the yard, until I finally have enough of them getting into my flower beds and garden, scratching around and making a mess. Then they get shut up until I start to feel sorry for them and let them back out-which I can see makes them happy. I ...
What can be done about "attack" roosters?(Country conversation & feedback)
Jan 01, 2006; ... COUNTRYSIDE: I have a rooster that is a little Cochin. He is a wonderful rooster, fights off anything that threatens the hens (dogs, cats, hawks, even raccoons). The only problem is, when the hens started laying, he started to attack his caregivers--and anyone else who is around! I have ...
Can you mix chickens and cats in the barnyard?(Country conversation & feedback)
Jan 01, 2006; ... COUNTRYSIDE: Thank you for putting in my question a couple months ago about the Doyle blackberry. I only got about 10 responses (not very positive), but it was very interesting to hear from people. I have a question, probably a dumb one. I have 10 hens and one rooster and have ...
What's a good size for a rabbit cage?(The rabbitry)(Reprint)
Jan 01, 2006 ... The right size for a rabbit's cage depends on the size of the rabbit and who you talk to. However, there are some basic differences to keep in mind. You need a larger cage to house a doe and her litter than you need for a buck. Also, more active breeds like the Checkered Giants, ...
"Wry neck" could mean listeriosis.(The rabbitry)
Jan 01, 2006; ... Our Californian buck began holding his head to one side. Thinking perhaps he had ear mites, I checked and found his ears clean. The next day he had a heavy discharge from both eyes and nose. Combiotic cleared that problem up within a few days, yet he still carried his head to one side. ...
Good guesses may save rabbits.(The rabbitry)(Reprint)
Jan 01, 2006 ... I had a doe that had a litter of 13. This was her fourth litter and she wasn't quite a year old. Four bunnies died at first and then when her babies were almost two weeks old, the doe died. That week she wasn't eating at all and drank very little. What could have caused her ...
Small family farms are dwindling across the country: can we afford another dying breed?
Jan 01, 2006; ... Sam Cunningham made a lot of trips to the milking barn in a 61-year career as a dairy farmer--approximately 44,530 by his calculations--and that's based on milking only twice a day. Sam and his family knew that a dairy farmer's life required a year-round commitment. The cardinal rule: cows ...
Last month we asked: what does the future hold.(Question of the month)
Jan 01, 2006; ... I can only imagine what other predictions of the future may surround this one. Thank you COUNTRYSIDE for giving us a place to share them. I'd guess every one of COUNTRYSIDE'S practical, self-reliant readers senses the folly and precariousness of popular society and its vulnerability to ...
The country needs a homesteader's point of view.
Jan 01, 2006; ... I'm glad to see that the prophetic legacy of J.D. has returned to the pages of COUNTRYSIDE! As you expressed, it is a wide open question and I hope that it generates discussion for months to come. As homesteaders and potential homesteaders we tend to easily fall into an isolationist ...
Will our children believe how easy life was?
Jan 01, 2006; ... I am certainly not a gifted psychic and I can t see the future, but I am aware of what is going on in the world and try to stay informed about current events and what's new in science and technology. By paying close attention to the events in the world, I have been able to make intelligent ...
And then there's the threat of avian flu ...
Jan 01, 2006; ... I love COUNTRYSIDE and I love the thought of being prepared for the best of times, but having knowldedge, information and supplies to weather the worst of times. America, as I have known in my lifetime, has been one of the greatest nations on earth with hardly any hard times ....
Can we continue life as usual?
Jan 01, 2006; ... What does the future hold? We believe, not much, for a lot of people. People will go on with life as usual, after the initial shock of a disaster has worn off, and pick up where they left off. Just as in the recent tragedies of the last year, around the world. We heard a comment ...
They've had mixed results being self-sufficient.
Jan 01, 2006; ... They say you don't have to be a weatherman to see which way the wind blows. Between the destruction of Katrina and the war in Iraq, what the future holds for us as individuals, as a nation and as a world remains unknown, but I find it personally troubling. With rising fuel and ...
Preparing spiritually is a good start.
Jan 01, 2006; ... What does the future hold? If only we knew! The meteorologist I listen to says we are going to experience a cycle of another seven years of severe hurricane weather. Does that mean we'll have another seven years of drought where I live like we did this last summer? There are even more ...
Live like there are no "extras"--intentionally.
Jan 01, 2006; ... Ten years ago I started making a list of what I thought would be needed if someone had to go through a manmade or natural disaster. I couldn't afford everything I thought I would need, but I did my best. I lived with no electricity, raised a garden, canned, and read a lot. I have enjoyed ...
Understand what you really need to survive.
Jan 01, 2006; ... This month's question, "What does the future hold?," has left a wide open field for conversation. First, I would like to say that one of my favorite quotes is "that mankind in his own infinite wisdom will be the means of his own self destruction" (Me). We live in central Florida ...
National, world, and personal predictions.
Jan 01, 2006; ... Predictions for the U.S. in 2006 1. More political scandal, mainly because of greed, hunger for power, not caring about the earth and the people on it, and a plain lack of "brain cells." 2. More chances of terrorist attacks. Sad to say, but Americans have become ...
Fear of work may hold some back.
Jan 01, 2006; ... I see the world going back to the days of living almost completely independent from money. Living off the land, producing the food that we eat; bartering instead of cash only; trading with neighbors to help support our friends and ourselves. I would assume that most people, if ...
Keep your options open.
Jan 01, 2006; ... I need to face it: no matter how much I plan, how much I prepare, how much I think or ponder or record ideas or read how-to books, I can never know just how tomorrow will turn out. It is good to make plans. People that don't plan ahead often miss valuable chances and spend a lot ...