Plant an “Appliance” Garden

The magazine of modern homesteading

& Small Stock Journal Volume 97 • Number 1 January/February 2013

10 Foods That Keep Us Healthy

Know Your Dirt Secrets to Healthy Soil

Plant an “Appliance” Garden

Plus: • Tomatoes 101 • Benefits of crossbreed cattle • 10 common farrier questions • Honeybee hazards and much, much, more inside... 2 Countryside & Small Stock Journal,The January/February economy 2013 is in a shambles. 3 Government is a mess. The American Dream is dying. NOW what?

You don’t have to follow the news closely to realize that these are tumultuous times. Be aware of how the chaos affects your life, no matter who or where you are... and find out what you can do about it!

- Author J.D. Belanger — homestead er, former newspaper reporter, NEW! TIMELY! PROVOCATIVE! Co u n t r y s id e ’s founder and editor And the only account of how capitalism, democracy, emeritus, and one of the godfathers and consumers form a system that entraps of modern homesteading — builds his case for the coming challenges every one of us and controls our lives! we all face. In nearly 300 wide-ranging but fast-reading pages ENOUGH! investigates capitalism and democracy with unusual candor by linking to- 24 chapters, including: gether many often-neglected webs that make up • The Crash of 2008 • Understanding the a complex system. You’ll gain a new perspective on history, economics, industrial agribusiness, Capitalist Democratic System • Accounting for plastic shopping bags, cigarettes and sugar, 1918 homesteaders: a stacked deck • Understand- War Gardens and much more... ing needs, wants, luxuries, and the concept of This is a serious yet entertaining analysis of what has happened to America’s dreams in the “enough” • Working for a living, or a life? • The past 65 years as observed by a homesteading industrialization of food • The economics and journalist who pursued simple living throughout politics of sugar • The fascinating history of or- that period, allowing you to see these topics in a way never considered in school or the mass me- ganic gardening • In pursuit of creative leisure... dia. Gain new insight into the Crash of 2008, an appreciation for how the capitalist democracy and housing, transportation, system controls us (making it difficult even for education, health, global warming, and homesteaders to escape) and a much better understanding of what lies ahead in the New Nor- much, much more! mal. It will give new meaning and purpose to your homestead aspirations! What has happened to the American Dream and why won’t you achieve it? What does the New Frugality mean for you? How does homesteading fit in? Find the answers here!

Every homesteader, every American r3 Yes, send my copy of Enough! for $14.95 plus $4 S&H ($18.95). should read this book because it will help them realize that they have far Name:______more “stuff” than they need for hap- piness and well-being; how acquir- Address:______ing all that stuff messes up their lives and the planet; and most impor- City, State, Zip ______tantly, why it’s nearly impossible to Payment enclosed Charge my credit card escape from the economic system that m m demands their participation! Visa/MC #______Exp.______Order your copy now! mail to: Countryside Bookstore • 145 Industrial Drive • Medford, WI 54451

Or order toll free: 1-800-551-5691 or visit www.countrysidemag.com 4

Our Philosophy It’s not a single idea, but many ideas and attitudes, including a rever- ence for nature and a preference for In this issue country life; a desire for maximum Vol. 97 No. 1, January/February 2013 personal self-reliance and creative leisure; a concern for family nurture and community cohesion; a belief What’s happening this month on your Countryside homestead… that the primary reward of work should be well-being rather than money; a certain nostalgia for the Departments: supposed simplicities of the past and Country conversation...... 8 an anxiety about the technological Coming events...... 31 and bureaucratic complexities of the present and the future; and a taste for Features: the plain and functional. Energy, economics, peak oil, and population: Part II...... 28 Debunking the over-population myth...... 36 Countryside reflects and supports Instant jobs & bartering in challenging times...... 40 the simple life, and calls its practitioners homesteaders. Homestead business: Succeeding in an offline business...... 42 Co u n t r y s i d e & Sm a l l St o c k Jo u r n a l Fools for profit...... 47 Includes Small Stock Magazine Founded 1917 by Wallace Blair and Countryside Magazine Crops & soils: Founded 1969 by Jd Belanger

Soil 101: Know your dirt...... 51 Send your manuscript to: Co u n t r y s i d e Editorial (or [email protected]). The editors reserve the right to Soil health...... 52 select and edit letters/articles/photos to be printed. The opinions and advice given here are not necessarily those of the Publisher. The garden: Managing Editor: Planting an “appliance” garden...... 54 Anne-marie Belanger Ida Let’s talk tomatoes...... 55 Editorial assistants: Jerri Cook Elaine Belanger, Samantha Ingersoll Fulfillment:Chris Barkley, Laura Ching, The homestead kitchen: Ann Tom, Ellen Soper, Kelly Weiler Caring for carrots...... 63 Advertising office: 1-800-551-5691 10 Foods that keep us healthy...... 64 Classified ads: Gary Christopherson: [email protected] Preserve rosemary & parsley by drying...... 67 Display advertising: Alicia Komanec: [email protected]

The horse barn: Printed in the U.S.A. The 10 most commonly asked farrier questions...... 68 Co u n t r y s i d e & Sm a l l St o c k Jo u r n a l (ISSN 8750-7595; USPS 498-940) is published bi-monthly by Country- side Publications, Ltd., 145 Industrial Dr., Medford, WI 54451. Periodicals postage paid at Medford, WI The cow barn: and additional mailing offices. ©2013 Countryside What is a crossbreed or composite?...... 72 Publications, Ltd. Editorial office: 145 Industrial Dr., Medford, WI 54451. (715) 785-7979, [email protected]. Subscriptions (US funds): $18 per year; two years, $30: Countryside Subscriptions, 145 Industrial Dr., The henhouse: Medford, WI 54451. Breeding meat chickens...... 80 POSTMASTER: “POSTMASTER: Send all UAA to CFS. (See DMM 707.4.12.5); NON- POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: send Apiary: address corrections to Countryside Subscrip- What’s happening to the honeybees?...... 84 tions, 145 Industrial Dr., Medford, WI 54451. Monoculture farming can’t support honeybees...... 85 CountrysideHere’s &“almost Small Stock Journal, everything January/February you 2013 ever wanted to know”5 about self-reliant country living! Past issues of The very best in: • Gardening • Country Cooking • Animal Husbandry • Alternative Energy 20 & Small Stock Journal • Food Preservation • Self-Reliance ...and much, much more! For only $30!

• Regular Price: $80 • Save over $50! • FREE Shipping* when you order today!

We’re clearing out the warehouse by offering substantial savings on the issues listed below. All contain an abundance of priceless country wisdom! Order today and we’ll even pay the shipping*! Over 2,320 pages of timeless info on homesteading, gardening and self-reliant country living in 1 whopping 10-pound package!

Nov/Dec 2003 Vol. 87/6 Sept/Oct 2006 Vol. 90/5 • Rearrange your chicken yard Sept/Oct 2008 Vol. 92/5 • Build a one-log hauler •The wonders of vinegar for fresh grazing • Bountiful harvests from a • A non-electric chick brooder • Build a solar food dryer $2 garden • Herbs for the holidays • Make apple cider Sept/Oct 2007 Vol. 91/5 • Get great eggs for little cash • Earthen Construction An • 26 tantalizing tomato recipes March/April 2005 Vol. 89/2 Nov/Dec 2006 Vol. 90/6 Alternative Building Option • Learn to carve a wooden bird • How to sell your crafts • Free & wild winter food Nov/Dec 2008 Vol. 92/6 • Start reloading your own • How to choose a grain mill • A tropical greenhouse: • Homestead finance,how ammo • Build a solar shower at 9,100 feet less can be more • Grow grapes in the north • No plug? No problem! Jan/Feb 2007 Vol. 91/1 Jan/Feb 2008 Vol. 92/1 Handy Cordless Tools July/August 2005 Vol. 89/4 •Be prepared with a • Build a cold frame or • Make a solar cooker wilderness survival kit Jan/Feb 2009 Vol. 93/1 hoop house • Build a cold frame from • Choose the right knife • Earn Extra Money in the • Shear your own sheep scraps • Minerals for your horse Country • Raise ducks and geese • 9 tips for buying used tractors • Winter Care for Your on pasture March/April 2007 Vol. 91/2 Livestock Nov/Dec 2005 Vol. 89/6 • Getting started with bees • Is windpower right for you? • Solar and wind options for • Stand-alone solar water pumping March/April 2009 Vol. 93/2 grid-tied homes • Raising rabbits step-by-step May/June 2008 Vol. 92/3 • Protect Tender Plants with • Build a fieldstone smoke- • The Integrated Homestead Part 1: A-Frames & Hoop Houses house May/June 2007 Vol. 91/3 Soil Fertility • Make wine at home • Start your own business • Feeding & care of your new • Solar hot water, options for • The lure of the Dutch Rabbit Honeybees every climate Jan/Feb 2006 Vol. 90/1 • Choose the best cow for your • Coping with today’s economy May/June 2009 Vol. 93/3 • Soil fertility and improvement homestead • Hard economic times? • A look at cordwood July/August 2008 Vol. 92/4 Actions speak louder than words construction July/August 2007 Vol. 91/4 • Tools for the integrated homestead • Swap your lawn for an • Growing and using thyme • The importance of biodiversity • The time is right for a family edible garden • Build your own small-scale in livestock production garden! • Standby generator systems: chicken plucker • Keep your bees healthy • Dry your bounty choosing a personal power plant

3YES! Send me the 20 Co u n t r y s i d e Back Issues listed above for only $30, shipping Check or Money Order included included on U.S. orders (*Call for foreign and Canada shipping prices). I understand this is a limited time offer and available only while supplies last! (Substitutions may be made.) Charge my Credit Card

Name Visa/MasterCard/Discover/AmEx (Circle One) Address______Card #______Exp______City______State______Zip______Phone number ______

Mail this form along with $30 to: Co u n t r y s i d e BI, 145 Industrial Dr., Medford, WI 54451 Or Call 800-551-5691 Today! 6

When the going gets tough, the tough make bacon...... 87

The sheep shed: Urban sheep rearing adventures...... 89

A practical environmentalist...... 90

The hapless homesteader: Once a Marine...... 94

Poor Will’s Countryside Almanack...... 100

After chores: Money schemes...... 114 On the cover: Canadian geese paddle on a placid country pond near Dayton, Virginia. Photo by Pat & Chuck Blackley/Alamy

How can you contact us? Phone: 1-800-551-5691 Above: How’s your soil’s health? (8:00-4:30 Central) See pages 51 and 52 for soil types 145 Industrial Dr., and fertility suggestions. Medford, WI 54451

w w w .countrysidemag .c o m Left: If you have problems with Facebook: birds bothering your tomatoes, they’ll never aggravate you again Co u n t r y s i d e with a set-up like this! See page 55. & Sm a l l St o c k Jo u r n a l

o r e m a i l : Left: It seems there’s never a dull Cu s t o m e r s e r v i c e / moment on the b o o k o r d e r s : homestead. We’ll [email protected] bet the neighbors don’t have Adv e rt i s i n g o f f i c e : problems with [email protected] mini sheep (and chickens) sneaking through the doggy- Ed i t o r i a l o f f i c e : door! See page 89. [email protected] Countryside & Small® Stock Journal, January/February 2013 7 Berkey Water Purifiers - The Ultimate In Self Sufficient Water Purification Now you can enjoy virtually the Most Delicious, Freshest, Healthiest drinking water possible for only pennies a day.

Berkey ® Natural Gravity Purification Systems are the ultimate in water purification and the ideal personal protection and traveling companions. Used worldwide for normal, hostile and emergency environments to provide the purest, sparkling clean water possible… IDEAL FOR EVERYDAY USE, A MUST FOR EMERGENCIES FFor generations, health-conscious drinking water can be harder than you people around the world have might expect. Water is often laced with recognized that the foundation to a chlorine, lead, high levels of harmful healthy life and healthy body is clean, bacteria, and other unwanted chemicals fresh drinking water. This important and contaminants. Frequently these essential molecule is the basis for produce unpleasant tastes and odors. enjoying your longest, healthiest life. Even bottled water can contain these No amount of vitamins or supplements same contaminants, and moreover Easy Setup and Installation can substitute for the vital, life- bottled water is very expensive. What’s Berkey® systems set up in minutes. Simply sustaining properties found in more, other filtration systems are prime the purification elements, screw nourishing, healthful drinking water. It is inferior because most do not remove them into the upper chamber, attach the truly the foundation of life. viruses or pathogenic bacteria and many spigot and you are ready to purify water! UUnfortunately, securing your access remove the beneficial minerals that your to good-tasting, sparkling and wholesome body needs. TThe revolutionary Black Berkey® self-sterilizing and cleanable purification elements purify water by removing viruses, pathogenic bacteria, cysts and parasites and by extracting harmful chemicals such as herbicides, pesticides, VOCs, organic solvents and trihalomethanes. They also reduce unhealthy metals such as lead and mercury without removing the healthful and nutritional minerals that your body needs. Black Berkey® purification elements are so powerful they are able to remove microscopic food coloring particles from water without removing the beneficial minerals your body needs. Virtually no other filtration system can duplicate this performance. ® MMoreover, Berkey systems are ideal for the self-sufficient, because they have the capability of purifying both treated water and untreated raw water from such sources as remote lakes, streams, stagnant ponds and water supplies in foreign countries, where regulations may be substandard at best. Perfect for everyday use and a must in hostile or emergency environments where electricity, water pressure or treated water may not be available. What’s more, the Black Berkey® elements are cleanable and can be used over and over again. Black Berkey® elements will also fit most other major brand gravity filtration systems.

Descri ption Capacity Speed HT x Diameter Price ® Sport Berkey (Special Element) (not pictured) ~22 ounces Squeeze 11.5” x 3” Only $ 31 ® Go Berkey Kit * (1 Element) (not pictured) ~1 quart ~1.0 GPH 14” x 4” Only $155 Travel Berkey® (2 Elements) ~1.5 gallons ~2.75 GPH 18” x 7.5” Only $233 ® Big Berkey (2 Elements expandable to 4) ~2.25 gallons ~3.5 to 7 GPH 19.25” x 8.5” Only $263 ® Royal Berkey (2 Elements expandable to 4) ~3.25 gallons ~4 to 8 GPH 23” x 9.5” Only $288 Imperial Berkey® (2 Elements - expandable to 6) ~4.5 gallons ~5.5 to 16.5 GPH 25.75” x 10” Only $315 Crown Berkey® (2 Elements - expandable to 8) ~6 gallons ~6.5 to 26 GPH 30” x 11” Only $330 Note: Lower GPH (Gallons per Hour) flow rate based on systems being configured with two purification elements. Higher GPH flow rates based on systems being expanded to maximum number of elements. Flow rates calculated with upper chamber full to top. Flow rate decreases as water level declines. Due to magazine print lead times, prices are subject to change. Black Berkey® Purification Elements (set of two) 8.5”H x 2.25”D Only $109 PF-2™ Post Filter Fluoride/Arsenic Reduction (set of two) 6.0”H x 2.50”D Only $ 61 Items not yet available in CA or IA *Kit includes Stainless Steel system, 1 element, 1 sport bottle & nylon carry case Order Today - Toll Free - (888) 803-4438 International – 817-481-0717 Online – www.berkeywater.com Berkey® Systems - The World’s Most Powerful and Economical Personal Water Purification Systems, Providing Reliable, User-friendly Water Purification for Normal or Emergency Filtration Environments 8

Country conversation & feedback

social security and retirement in- winter freeze. We very much enjoy Tips for NM come. Due to the fact that we have having electricity to run our well to no debts, we can exist on our current water our farms, fans to keep our off-griders income, provided food costs don’t greenhouse cool, and to supply our Locale and lifestyle triple in price in the next 10 years. In non-essential electrical wants in our the last 10 years they did. In order to home. We are frugal and can become aren’t without pitfalls prevent our secure retirement from more frugal if a failing economy de- Co u n t r y s i d e : Reply to ‘‘live off grid, being threatened by hyperinflation, mands it. extra hands needed.” We are New we have taken our retirement savings Raising vegetables, even in a Mexico residents in La Luz. We hope and invested in all aspects of vegeta- small 1,000-square-foot greenhouse, that Heather has a lot of money to live ble production (growing, harvesting, is challenging. To do it without elec- on in the next 10 years, and is doing the selling). We have two farms and land tricity, without a readily available homesteading thing for a hobby! The to increase our current planting acre- water supply, without pressurized plan she laid out in Co u n t r y s i d e maga- age. We have invested in tractors with irrigation and, add to that a much zine, if not modified, is something we implements, green houses and a store colder climate, it sounds like she is feel may not leave her self-sufficient in in town to sell our veggies, as well as involved in a hobby. We are hoping the coming hyper-inflation, economy; other farmers’ produce in our area. that she is thinking of this greenhouse she has such a short growing season Our tractor and implements make it as a hobby that needs lots of money in her location. possible for two people to farm our put into it without getting cash value We would like to introduce our- current acreage. We have a climate out of it. There is no price to put on selves to you. Here in La Luz, New that usually allows for year-round Statement of ownership Mexico (outside of Alamogordo), we greenhouse growing. Our outdoor management and circulation have a half-acre garden and another growing season starts in mid-April Title of publication: Countryside & Small Stock three-acre farm about five minutes and continues from mid-October Journal. Publication no. 498-940. Published bi- monthly. Annual subscription price $18. Mailing ad- from our home. We are retired on to the end of November, before the dress of publication, headquarters of general business offices, publisher, editor and managing editor: 145 Industrial Dr., Medford, Taylor, WI 54451. Pub- Unauthorized Co u n t r y s i d e subscription lisher, Dave Belanger; Editor, Anne-marie Ida; Man- aging Editor, Anne-marie Ida. Owner: Countryside Publications, Ltd., Dave Belanger, 145 Industrial agent continues mailing efforts Dr., Medford, WI 54451. Known bondholders, mort- Hiding behind several different names including MPS (the latest incarna- gagees and other security holders owning or hold- tion), CBS, United Publishers Services, Publishers Billing Exchange and National ing 1 percent or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages, or other securities: None. Extent and Magazine Services, they mail notices, trying to sell subscriptions to Co u n t r y s i d e nature of circulation: Average no. of copies each Magazine (not calling it Co u n t y s i d e & Sm a l l St o c k Jo u r n a l —as well as dozens issue during the preceding 12 months (actual no. of other magazines—for exhorbitant prices far above the going rate. In the case of copies of single issue published nearest to fil- ing date): A: Total no. of copies printed: 143,000 o u n t r y s i d e of C they offer a two-year renewal for $69.96 ($124.95 for four years— (130,000). B(1): Paid/requested outside county the prices change), while the real price is only $18/yr. • The name may change, as stated on form: 100,013 (91,820). B(2): Paid but the address is always a Private Drop-Box—usually in White City, Oregon, or in-county subscriptions: 0 (0). B(3): Sales through Reno, Nevada. • This company is not connected with Countryside Publications, dealers, carriers, street vendors, counter sales, and other non-USPS paid distribution: 40,030 (35,913). Ltd. in any way, and has an “F” rating with the Better Business Bureau. They are B(4): Other classes mailed through the USPS: well-known for their fraudulent business practices. We have filed complaints with 0 (0). C: Total paid and/or requested circulation: various government agencies, but they still persist. • If you receive a notice like this 140,043 (127,733). D(1): Free or nominal rate outside-county copies: 34 (34). D(2): Free or nominal one please ignore it or ask them to remove your name from their mailing list. If you rate in-county: 0 (0). D(3): Free copies mailed at have renewed through them, call 1-775-345-3664 and ask for a complete refund. (They other classes: 0 (0). D(4): Free distribution outside have been charging some people $20 for the “privilege.”) • Genuine renewal notices the mail: 360 (0). E: Total free distribution: 394 (34). come from us here at the home office at 145 Industrial Dr., Medford, Wisconsin 54451. F: Total distribution: 140,437 (127,767). G: Copies not distributed: 2,563 (2,233). H: Total: 143,000 We have no connection with anything in Reno, Nevada at this time. (130,000). I: Percent paid and/or requested circu- If you ever have a question regarding your Co u n t r y s i d e subscription, call us at lation: 100% (100%). I certify that the statements 1-800-551-5691 or email [email protected]. made by me above are correct and complete /s/ Dave Belanger, Publisher, 9/29/12. Countryside & Small Stock Journal,9 January/February 2013 9 health benefits from homegrown vegetables. The cold in her area results in a shorter greenhouse gardening year. To have a greenhouse in her climate and off the grid would simply not be cost effective. It would cost more to get fresh food for a short growing season than it would to have food shipped to you. This is especially true if you see the need to supply workers Bottom aeration is the first and most important thing to with essential living requirements in do with pond water. Bottom aeration helps to get rid of order to have labor to do this. The bottom gasses and de-stratifies water. greenhouse would require a lot of extra money per year, and each year after it is built. Windmill Aeration for Your Pond Consider these points: Also selling Electric aerators, • The cost of the greenhouse Water Fountains and Pond • The recurring cost of three/ Filters. Uses No Electricity four-year replacement of the green- Great way to improve your pond!! house shell • The fuel to bring water to the • Your pond will take on J.L. Becker Co. greenhouse a whole new look 15286 St. Rt. 67 • Winterizing to prevent frozen • Clearer water for Wapakoneta, OH 45895 water lines swimming, boating, and 888-905-3595 or 419-738-3450 • Extra drainage to winterize a fishing www.aerationwindmills.com simple irrigation system for winter • Reduces algae and [email protected] drainage. cleanses the water • Wind damage repair • Helps prevent fish kills We accept • Normal planting expenses— plants and a warm or heated environment to grow from seeds • The investment in cooling and YOUR UGLY NAIL FUNGUS circulating air with fans in the greenhouse during the summer months CAN BE GONE! $16.95 INCLUDES POSTAGE Using solar charged batteries Dear Jim Long, to do this? Will you have enough “I have tried every over the funds in a few years to re-invest counter product made to in batteries to supply greenhouse cure nail fungus on both my power? Consider that there could be big toes, for over 40 years. I hyperinflation where the $2,000 off- have used your Nail Soak for 6 months and it looks like one grid power system could be a $10,000 or two more nail clippings and off-grid investment. Batteries don’t it will all be gone! I cannot last forever! believe it. Your product has In summary, perhaps Heather given me healthy, new nails. If you want a safe, should consider having fresh veg- I can enjoy the summer in sandals once again. Thank natural way to be rid etables shipped to her mountain- you!” ...Dave B., TN of ugly nail fungus, our top home, and invest her funds in formula works... something that could make her more Send $16.95 to: money than it would cost her to keep up a greenhouse where she lives off Long Creek Herbs GUARANTEED! Questions? the grid. A hydroponic greenhouse is P.O. Box 127-CS Check our Q & A button, on more costly than a traditional green- Blue Eye, MO. 65611 the Nail Fungus page of our house. If she can afford this hobby, (Phones answered website. Phone: 417-779-5450 please forgive us for writing this as Mon. - Fri. 8 - 5 Central) we only have her wellbeing in mind. www.LongCreekHerbs.com We just wanted her to consider these Major Credit Cards & PayPal Accepted expenses. We have invested a lot of 10 10Kindness is the golden chain by which society is bound together. — Goeth money in making our farm successful seeking help from all available sourc- with two greenhouses, an irrigation es, but have been turned down. The system, necessary fencing, and the last attempt was through a state luxury of a long growing season. organization called Penquis cap. It’s All of this with electricity providing for low income families and they help the necessary water and cooling. We with housing issues (insulation, win- don’t plan to receive a positive cash dows, etc.) and energy (appliances). flow (after repaying our investment) They said we didn’t qualify due to for several more years, but we believe not having electricity. I told them the best business is to provide the we are off the grid and will not ever basic essentials of life such as food. have mainstream electricity. We have Call Toll Free 888-902-2272 — La Luz Farmers a generator. This brings me back to the question, where can we obtain a system We’d like a $2,000 for $2,000? — Duane Roberts system too! Each situation is different. Contact Backwoods Solar (see ad, right) or check Co u n t r y s i d e : I was reading the Nov/ the Classified section to ask about sys- Dec 2012 issue and there is a letter tems that will work for you. about people needing an extra pair of hands while living off-grid. It was mentioned that they run their house It’s going to be a from a solar system that will cost under $2,000 installed. bumby ride We live in northern Maine and are off the grid. I have looked into several Co u n t r y s i d e : I read John Howe’s pa- systems. The least expensive system per (Nov/Dec 2012 issue) with great I have found is in the ballpark of interest; he covers a lot of ground and $5,000. We live on a set income—my covers it well. I’m a small farmer with disability. We have a Quonset-style degrees in nursing and biology, and home. The contractor we hired to have spent much of my life caring erect and install the insulation and for the living and the dying, both the interior to basically make it into a two- and four-legged varieties. My turnkey home, walked out with ap- view is not global, but it is pragmatic. proximately $20,000 and left us with I would simply like to note a few of a shell of a building. We have been the underlying assumptions inherent trying to recoup ever since. (This was in Mr. Howe’s analysis. I don’t mean in 2010.) to imply any error on Mr. Howe’s To give you an idea of our condi- part; he presented his facts based on tion, last year’s winter was very mild the data available regarding conven- for Maine, and we went through 23 tional agricultural practice, ie: Grow cords of firewood. We have been big animals in one place and a big single grain crop in another, planted fencerow to fencerow. Regarding his statement: “Any draft animal assistance has to be fed from the same land it is working, thus reducing the net food available for human consumption. It takes about 1/4 of a farm area just to ‘power’ the farm with horses or oxen.” Certainly, this is the case if the farmer is growing grain for draft animal feed, but when sustainability is not a trendy goal but an economic necessity, this feeding of significant amounts of food fit for humans to any farm animal is insanity, pure and CountrysideDay 1 & Small Stock Journal, January/February 2013 11

Day 2 From Seed to Feed in 7 Days: Day 3 Fodder-Pro Feed System… Hydroponically grown fodder is an ideal feed supplement for livestock and poultry, improving production and overall health, while minimizing feed costs. Day 4 Fodder can be grown in the Fodder-Pro Feed System with minimal With pasture land water required, all year long, regardless of climate and season. dwindling due to Produce up to 250 lbs. of nutrient-, protein- and enzyme-rich fodder drought and hay in short each day. supply, feed prices Benefits of a fodder-supplemented diet: are skyrocketing. Be Day 5 • Increased milk production in dairy cattle independent. Grow your and milk goats own fodder and save over 50%! • Reduction in sticky chicken droppings, resulting in cleaner eggs • Stimulated appetite, especially during heat stress Day 6 • Reduced respiratory problems from dusty or moldy hay Call for details on flexible financing solutions: Day 7 Terms up to 5 years, rates as low as 0%.* *Subject to credit approval. For more information on the Fodder-Pro It Is always best to consult your veterInarIan before changIng your Feed System, visit www.FarmTek.com/ADCTS anImals’ feed regImen. or call 1.800.327.6835 ext. 1267. 12 12 Every life is a profession of faith, & exercises an inevitable & silent influence. — Amiel simple. Better to chain your big beast to an old tire and let it graze the fence- Urban farming: rows, moving the tire a few times a day. When we run out of tires, we Time for an use a stump. This is how you make the system work. You don’t do any- increase? thing that can be done by one of your Co u n t r y s i d e : I am writing in response animals. Make them get their own to Maurice Hladik’s article, “Is Urban food, from parts of your land that are Farming an Urban Myth?” in the not suited for the growing of crops. November/December issue of your They’re happy to do it, except in the magazine. Mr. Hladik seems to believe worst of weather. Then, you have to urban farming is far from providing feed some hay, but if you’ve made si- a meaningful impact on our overall lage from the stuff you have left over national or international food supply. (such as corn stalks and hay), and if I respectfully disagree! you let root vegetables come up in I begin noting Mr. Hladik’s self- your fencerows, or feed the culls out disclosure in his article, that he him- of the family garden, this is generally self enjoys the fruits (and vegetables) all that’s needed. Remember to save of his garden labors but does not see your (open pollinated) seeds, too, so gardening as comparable to farm- you never have to buy them again. ing, fails to acknowledge that he I will be taking much of Mr. has been the embodiment of Big Ag Howe’s advice in the coming months —a degreed agricultural economist, and years. I’d make the additional diplomat, and an executive with an suggestion that everyone who’s international agriculture-based com- able should get themselves a back- pany. It would be most surprising if yard flock of chickens or ducks. Let Mr. Hladik saw self-reliant garden- them eat your weeds and garden ing and micro-farms as anything pests, fertilize your garden, and give other than hobbies or unsustainable you eggs and meat in return. Next, sources of food for the world. for those who have a bit of land: But let us consider his claims Study up on the heirloom varieties and see if they hold up to balanced of hogs and cattle that are compara- inquiry. tively small, thrifty, naturally disease I concede his facts that the Ameri- resistant and great foragers. Let them can land mass is classified as 2.1% plow and fertilize your land and urban and 19.5% cultivated farmland, clean up the plant debris in exchange excluding pasture and rangeland. for their meat and/or milk. You may Mr. Hladik goes on to state that the find you don’t need that plow horse farmland is “100% dedicated to and anyway, and the ox may end up on capable of producing food.” So does the dinner table. the 19.5% include the land that may And best of luck in you garden- be capable of growing food but due ing/farming endeavors, because to drought, flood, poor soil manage- as Mr. Howe has pointed out, our ment, or pending sale for develop- species is headed for a bumpy ride. ment that is taken out of productive — via email use annually? And does that 19.5% include maize, or sorghum, or wheat For information on heirloom live- which, while edible may in fact be stock, visit American Livestock Breeders grown for ethanol production or cat- Association, PO Box 477, Pittsoboro, NC tle fodder? So when we remove all of 27312; ph: 919-542-5704; http://albc-usa. these possible non- and indirect food org. growing acres, what percentage of the landmass is actually and effectively used for direct food production? And how much of what is grown for direct food production actually ends up being consumed? Mr. Hladik goes on and notes that Countryside & Small Stock Journal, January/February 2013 13 13 urban settings tend to be located at in urban gardens…in fact, integrated transportation hubs and suggests that systems where water from plant ir- this should be interpreted as meaning rigation flows down into pools filled the land is “often marginal for food with fish who then fertilize the water production.” Yet if that were true, which is used to provide the plant nu- how does one explain the market trients are a good deal less wasteful, garden cultures which have existed show less disease, and better consis- for centuries around the world’s ma- tency of production than traditional jor cities to feed the urban dwellers? large scale farming practices. London, Paris, New York City, Rio de Container gardens can provide Janeiro, Tokyo, Beijing, etc., all have just the right amount of food at the and still do depend on urban market perfect time for individuals and gardens to produce a substantial families . Urban farmers bury double amount of the basic foodstuffs for walled terra cotta pots to prevent their populations. too rapid evaporation and rainwater Mr. Hladik asks where are all these harvesting is reducing the need for urban farmers who are committed to piping in relatively expensive water. growing food seriously? I suggest These are only some, not all, possible Mr. Hladik do some research online solutions to practical challenges—ur- where he may be amazed to see how ban farmers are developing new tools pervasive urban farming is once and techniques constantly! For folks again becoming. Websites include who only have windows in their ur- the American Community Gardening ban settings, there are now Window Association (www.communitygarden. Farms (www.windowfarms.com/) org), City Farmer News (www.city- which allow for vertical growth when farmer.info), The Urban Homestead space is at a premium. Project (http://urbanhomestead. As more and more people flock org/) , and the writings of a fellow to urban spaces, I believe the need named J.D. Belanger found in his re- for urban farming will grow—im- cent book, A Complete Idiot’s Guide to porting fruits and vegetables from Self-Sufficiency(Ed.: See ad on pg. 13), thousands of miles away make no which suggests to the extent we be- economic sense and certainly are not come more self-reliant, as in growing good stewardship of our resources. I and preparing an increasing portion agree that there will always be a need Hands free chicken plucker gets THE FEATHERMAN PRO of our food, we attain a higher level of for large traditional farms, or even ’em clean in 20 seconds! self-sufficiency. Many folks are jittery smaller family farms, given the ex- enough about the future to acquire isting economic and cultural norms, and use the tools and techniques of but let’s not rule out the contribution farming on a small scale in urban urban farms make to American food environments—they may be micro- security now and in the future. — farmers, but they are farming. Marc Kivel, Frisco, Texa Now to get down to a few specif- ics in Mr. Hladik’s article which need How things were to be addressed in short order. Mr. Hladik seems to believe that done in the 1800s every urban farmer goes to the big box home improvement store and Co u n t r y s i d e : In the Sept/Oct 2012 is- Features: buys his soil and amendments and sue, Kevin Hemmert wanted to know • Tough, UV-stabilized, food-grade, plastic tub and housing plops them down on rocky soil caus- how people did things in the 1800’s. • 1 HP motor, 10:1 speed reducer ing “soil mines” elsewhere. Does this Here’s my reply. • Spray ring to wash feathers away happen? Sometimes, but most of the I am a bit of a history nut. I have • Feather chute for tidy work area urban farmers I know develop their spent many years engaged in accu- Ask about the “Set-Up Special” own compost from household and rate historical re-enactment. (Think yard waste. Many get their manure Ren Faire but with no turkey legs.) “Scalder, cones, & other equipment available” from local stables (the owners are So your question about how people thrilled to have someone cart it off) lived in the 1800s prompted me to www.featherman.net and some get it from raising rabbits or write. PO Box 62, Jamesport, MO 64648 hens. So mining soil isn’t mandatory First—are you talking early 1800s 660/684-6035 email to:[email protected] 14 14One ungrateful man does an injury to all who stand in need of aid. — Publillus Syrus

Quality!! Wood-fired Cookstoves • Cook • Heat • Save $$ Can heat up to 2,500 Interior view of a dwelling at Jamestown Settlement, Virginia. square feet! before the advent of canning, tele- ing and starve in the winter when Call or Visit our website graph, railroads, and sewing ma- you’ve had a bad crop year. for more information! chines? Or are you talking late 1800s? If you truly want to live in the 517-278-2214 If the latter—just talk to any member 1800’s, be expected to have 18-20 www.kitchenqueenstoves.com of an Amish community about how children, all born at home, and have they live. If you are talking about half of them die before the age of five early 1800s—that’s a completely dif- because of dysentery, typhoid, scarlet ferent matter. I would recommend fever or measles. Be prepared to get visiting historic Williamsburg, Vir- up with the sun and read by the light ginia. of your drafty fireplace. (Yes, the There are numerous diaries that Franklin stove was invented in the have been left behind by the folks late 1700s, but it weighed so much, who “traveled West” and the hard- most folks who went west didn’t take ships they endured; as well as diaries it with them. Of course, if you stayed of those who “stayed behind” in the in one of the “big” cities, you would civilized world of chamber pots and have access to whale oil or kerosene chimney fires. Reading these diaries for your lights.) gives a very good insight into how Be prepared to slaughter pigs and people lived. use everything except the “oink.” Are you interested in the day-to- (Think pickled pig’s feet). And you day life of agrarian people as opposed had better spend all day Sunday at to those that live in the city? If so—I church. recommend becoming a homesteader Let’s see—what else—oh yes, hy- without electricity, power tools or giene. It didn’t exist. There was usu- indoor plumbing. Also take away ally a pan with water in it (that you modern medicine (become an herbal- carried from the well in a bucket) for ist) and learn to recognize gangrene. rinsing your fingers before meals and Go to the grocery store for only flour, washing your face in the morning. coffee and sugar. Grow your own Everyone washed in the same basin linen (hemp is preferable to flax for of water. There was one bathtub full durability and comfort), and wool. of water that everyone used for their Learn to spin, weave and knit and Saturday night baths. And ladies— use only your own feet (or those of would you like to know the origin of a horse) for transportation. Dig your the phrase “on the rag?” Just one of own well, do your own blacksmith- the many uses of the rag bag. I heard Countryside & Small Stock Journal, January/February 2013 15 15

Take lessons in surviving the economy from 1800s immigrant A century ago, self-reliance wasn’t an option–it was a requirement, translator says

hile the current recession continues to hit millions hard, a researcher Wsays the example of our ancestors should inspire us. “We have become so accustomed to the fruits of our forefathers’ labor that many of us have forgotten just how tough they had it,” says Sigrid Wilshinsky, translator of My Life in America Before, During and After the Civil War (www. amazon.com). She translated numerous letters from German immigrant Louis Hensel, who wrote about life in the United States throughout the mid- 1800s to his German granddaughter, Emma, whom he had never met. “Reading Hensel’s letters is like peeking through a rip in the curtain of history and seeing through the eyes of one who had experienced so much,” Wilshinsky says. That includes meeting Abraham Lincoln in the White House while pretending to be a translator to various Native American tribes; life in New York City in the mid 1800s; training the Union Calvary as a master horse- man; the adventures of a traveling opera company, and various intimate details of an America that was still untamed yet quickly ascending as a world powerhouse. Today’s economic troubles are serious and we don’t know exactly where they are heading, Wilshinsky says, “but imagine losing a well-to-do business CS 2011.qxp 4/4/2011 1:14 PM Page 1 in France, thanks to a revolution, another in Long Island 10 years later, and yet another in Williamsburg (in Brooklyn) because of illness.” Wilshinsky provides tips for surviving today’s economic woes via inspira- SolexxTM puts greenhouses tion from Hensel’s example: • A jump-starter: Hensel writes that many immigrants who landed in in a whole new light New York took a few weeks to settle in, sightsee, and get accustomed to city life in America before seeking work. Not him; he writes that after acquiring comfortable lodgings—procured by a friend—he immediately walked the streets to find work, which he found at the end of his second day in the United States. • Capitalize on all your talents: Before fleeing Paris, Hensel had a thriving engraving company. He was able to use this skill to immediately land a job. Hensel continually honed his knowledge in order to work in a variety of capacities, Wilshinsky says. He learned equine veterinary medicine in his spare time, made nightly runs to the fruit and vegetable market in New York for produce sales, joined local theater groups and was hired by the Eliminate shadows and boost plant growth German Opera Company, with whom he traveled the United States during • Solexx creates diffuse light – the optimal the winters. light for healthy plants • Enjoy fresh, pesticide-free food from your • An indefatigable work ethic: For Hensel, not working was never an own backyard farmers market option. While writing his letters to Emma during his later years—he lived • Engineered to withstand mother nature

to be 91—he discussed life as a music teacher to locals, which meant plenty • FREE greenhouse shipping (contiguous 48 states) of traveling. Always an active man, Hensel loathed physical inactivity, and • Huge selection of greenhouses and work was a way of life for him. accessories • A helping spirit: Although Wilshinsky says Hensel may have “bragged Call 1-800-825-1925 a bit” about his deeds, he was nonetheless heroic in his aid to others during for a FREE catalog numerous incidents. and panel sample. • An open heart/open mind: Hensel naturally gravitated toward well-

educated people, and he learned from them. He valued honesty and integrity Advanced twin-wall in his business dealings, which earned him trust, respect and a strong network greenhouse covering of friends and colleagues. www.GreenhouseCatalog.com 3740 CS Brooklake Rd NE • Salem, OR 97303 REUSABLE CANNING LIDS 16 ® 16 Inferiority is what you enjoy in your best friends. — Lord Chesterfield a nurse tell a story that happened in (that you made yourself) to wash out to order, call 877-747-2793 or visit 1950. An old “bachelor farmer” came wounds. www.reusablecanninglids.com into the hospital and had to have both Housing. If you are living like a pair of long johns cut off him. He had “pioneer,” expect a drafty cold house BLACK SALVE had them on so long, his hair was with snow on the bed, no glass in the Drawing salve for warts, moles, growths growing through them. windows and two rooms. One room on the skin. Babies wore cloth diapers (if they is the bedroom, the other is for all Tablets for internal growths and wore anything at all) and the diapers other functions, including mending most virus problems. had to be boiled before hung on the the harness, sharpening and oiling Tiger-X Products • 1-800-909-4553 line to dry. Yes, even in the winter. your tools, spinning and weaving, You’d hang them out so they froze, cooking and relaxing in the evening. take them down and snap them so If you were smart, you put in a loft FAST�FENCE the water crystals would fly out, (heat rises). Up there you will find Info�and�buy�now�at then bring them in and hang them two beds. One bed is for mom and www.electricnets.com from rope you strung from one side dad and the baby, and the other bed of the house to the other. Clothes for is for everyone else. Half the heads on 800-356-5458 the rest of the family? One dress for the pillows at the “head” of the bed momma for church, and one dress for and half the heads on the pillows at the rest of the week. One pair of pants the “foot” of the bed. The bed will and a shirt for poppa for church, and have ropes tied about every foot go- one outfit for him for the rest of the ing across, and three or four ropes week. The rest of the family— hand- going from head to food. This is your me-downs. Clothes were remade and “box spring.” Your mattress will be remade and remade until they ended a piece of thick cloth (ticking) that up in the rag bag. Remember those is stuffed with straw or cornhusks funny pictures of baby boys wear- or something of that ilk. The feath- ing dresses? Yup! The ultimate in erbed (if there is one) goes on top recycling. By the way ladies—there’s to keep you warm. If you are “city no underwear from the waist down— folk,” you’ll have curtains around but there are chemise, corsets, corset your bed to help keep body warmth covers, and then a blouse on top, and in. You might be smart enough to the skirts were multi layered—up to make a house that has good chinking 16 layers. between the logs. In which case, you Animal husbandry. You’d better have to worry about “cabin fever”— like being pecked by chickens, trying which is really another name for to solve mastitis without antibiotics, carbon dioxide poisoning, because treating thrush (on your horses feet) you haven’t opened the door enough with iodine, and trimming the hooves to bring in oxygen after the fire and of everything that walks. Roosters all the people use it all up. need their spurs clipped, dogs need Here’s something else you can do their claws shortened and so do cows, in your spare time—boiling the horns goats, horses, sheep and just about from the cows so they can be flattened anything else you can think of except and used to make into spoons and the fish. Don’t forget that you should “glass” in the lantern. That’s after you not drink water that is “downriver” oil and mend all the harnesses, clean from where the animals drink. And all the glass lanterns of their soot, and if you want your animals to work for drop a live chicken down the chim- you, they need to be fed before you ney to break loose all the creosote. are. You had better have good neigh- (Yes—I know folks who do it.) bors to swap seed and semen with. Cooking. If you are living “out Remember, this is before artificial west,” you’ll be using dried buffalo insemination and seed catalogs. And dung for fuel. If you happen to live animals are dangerous. Just because where there is plentiful wood, you get they are cute, doesn’t mean they are to chop down trees. As in, with an ax. safe. Horses kick and bite. Bulls can There are saws, but most of them take gore you. A pig will eat you. Rooster’s two people. Look up bucksaw and spurs are sharp. I do hope you know “Swede” saw. Then you hitch up your how to sew up cuts and have alcohol horses to haul it out of the woods, Countryside - Original 2009_Layout 1 11/6/2009 9:12 AM Page 1

The Original World Countryside & Small Stock Journal,17 January/FebruaryThis is a must-have 2013 commentary 17 chop it into smaller pieces, stack it about money and finances, which when understood, will bring true and haul it into the house whenever freedom from stress and worry. If this you need heat. (Cooking, keeping was understood and lived by every warm, keeping the wool warm so human being on earth, the world it will spin, etc.) Ten cords of wood would be a very different place. And should last you a winter. A cord is 8' though that isn’t going to happen, you can personally free yourself from x 8' x 4'. With a chainsaw it takes me endless frantic striving and fear in a two weeks solid to cut 10 cords. world gone mad. And the only food you have is Order this transcription by Vernon Howard what you grow or kill. If there is a today! Send only $5 (Shipping included) to: drought, or a flood, or the locusts hit New Life • PO Box 2230-AJ • Pine AZ 85544 4 5/8” X 2 1/2” your garden, or you get sick and can’t www.anewlife.org carry the water from the well to water the garden, you’re going to go hungry. By the way, you will probably Don’t take it so hard ! only have two or three metal pans, Control hard water scale without electricity, salt or chemicals. a Dutch oven (or something that can A SoPhTec system makes hard water act like soft water be covered with coals), a frying pan • Controls hardness, calcium scale and corrosion • Removes existing scale • Prevents lime scale buildup and a boiling pan. (For 17 people, • Use less soaps & detergents • Maintenance & service free remember). Lots of cooking is done • Safe for soil, plant life & animals • Well or city water in crockery or wrapped in leaves and SoPhTec is a cost- effective, environmentally- friendly alternative to a salt type softener. stuck in the coals. Expect to eat a lot of 90 day money back guarantee & ten year warranty. soup, especially for breakfast. And if it’s before the time of Napoleon, noth- Total system cost for the home is $389 - shipping included (continental US) ing canned. It’s all fresh, dried, salted, To order or receive additional information: or fermented (think sauerkraut). Call Toll Free: 1-877-854-7638 Hopefully you have dug yourself a Or Write: MagneTec • 711 W.17th St Bldg. F-3, Costa Mesa, CA 92627 well wide enough you can keep stuff For more information or to order on line visit www.sophtecwatercond.com cool if you don’t have a springhouse or a root cellar. One of the reasons to make cheese is to use up all the milk MagneTec ad for Countryside you ended up with by milking all the cows by hand—after you weaned the calves. Another chore that isn’t The font for MagneTec should be fun—flour. If you grow your own Challenge Extra Bold grain, you’d better know the difference between a snath and a blade and or Blarney Scaps SSK how to sharpen the latter. Have we talked about shoes yet? Before the American Civil War there were no “left” and “right” shoes. Or rather, they weren’t made that way, but after wearing them often enough, they developed “left” and “right.” The country songs that talk about getting a “brand new pair” when the kids go off to school is pretty accurate—for the 20th century. Before that, you went barefoot most of the year. If you lived in the city and were a lady, you had satin slippers to go dancing in. Yes, satin material. No insole. No sole. Just a piece of satin material sewn into a slipper shape. By the way, did I discuss disease yet? You know all those vaccines that are pushed on you as a child? All those were diseases that killed 18 18A few strong instincts and a few plain rules suffice us. — Ralph Waldo Emerson or crippled. Polio, measles, mumps, chicken pox, small pox, influenza, Living sustainably diphtheria, tetanus, typhoid, whoop- ing cough, trench mouth, milk fever, in the city goiters, warts and worms. All those and all the “little” problems that we Co u n t r y s i d e : I have been reading face such as arthritis, heart attacks, Co u n t r y s i d e for many years. Long and diabetes, were out there with no before I married, or owned a house, cure. But there was opium! Because of or even understood what sustain- the high death rate among children, ability is. I learned many, many the “average” life span was 35. If you things about off-grid living, can- survived childhood, you had a good ning, homesteading, housekeeping, chance of living to be 60 or even 70. etc. before I ever did any project of But by that time you were so worn my own. The information has been out by all the work, you were ready. invaluable and I return to those back By the time you were 40 your skin issues now, more than ever, as our was very wrinkled, you had lost most life gets more involved in gardening of your teeth, and every joint hurt— and sustainability. It has been in my all the time. heart and mind the whole time and Yup, the “good old days.” as November approaches, I will take Two of my many sources are: out the November/ December maga- • America Eats, by Williams Woys zines from the past and read all of the Weaver, Museum of American Fol- ideas for this time of year. Starting kArt, Harper & Row Publishers, with the newest, which I read cover 1989 to cover, I then scan through past is- • Everyday Life in the 1800s, by sues to mark stories that I would like Marc McCutcheon, Writers Digest to read again. Books, 1993 — Kathy Belt When I first started readingC o u n - t r y s i d e , what I remember is the feeling in my gut, that instinctive Forum for cast iron knowing that I was supposed to be working in a garden somehow and enthusiasts that the sustainable lifestyle was Co u n t r y s i d e : I found a copy of your something I wanted to live. Growing Sept./Oct 2012 issue in Portland, food, digging in the ground, chop- Oregon. This was my first time to ping kindling, whatever it meant, I see a copy and I really enjoyed the knew I would one day have a way entire magazine. As a domestic cast to garden. I had the desire to move Murray McMurray iron collector, restorer and user, the toward a simpler life, but I still had Est. 1917 article by Drew Frank “Rusty Gold,” the impression that I would have was right down my alley. to move to Vermont or somewhere Always good to see articles sup- similar to have the space to do many porting the benefits of older and new of the things that homesteading and American made cast iron hollow off-grid living requires. ware. And as folks in the cast iron We decided to live sustainably circle have found, with a little care, a in the city instead of moving. We piece of cookware will last more than started by asking ourselves what was a long lifetime. attractive about living in a place like Lots of information can be found Vermont? It is a slower paced life— on the Wagner and Griswold Society we can do that here by making better website on the Internet. With many choices with our time. I want to be long-time cast iron enthusiasts visit- able to heat and cook with a wood ing their forum daily, the “newby” stove—so we installed the Elmira can learn the tricks of the trade in no wood stove. I want to grow our fruits time at all. and vegetables—we can do that in the Great magazine! Keep up the city also, with a little creativity and good work. — Duke Gilleland, Belton, patience. We want our commute and Texas work day to be as simple as possible, Countryside & Small Stock Journal, January/February 2013 19 NEW! 25th Anniversary Limited Edition Pro Model DR® Field and Brush Mower Our Lowest Price EVER on a Full-Featured Field and Brush Mower! We’re celebrating the DR® Field and Brush Mower’s 25th birthday. To mark the occasion, we’re offering a limited edition model at a fantastic price! In fact, it’s been many years since we’ve been able to offer a full- sized, full-featured DR® at a price this low! Accepts all optional attachments. CUTS • 4-foot high grass • 8-foot high weeds • Saplings up to 2" thick

Check-out our complete Field and Brush Mower lineup including our Tow-Behind model at www.DRfieldbrush.com

PREMIER PRO — 3 MODELS PRO-XL TOW-BEHIND — MOST COMPACT MORE POWER & WIDTH MOST POWER 2 MODELS 12.5HP, manual start, 24" 12.5HP, manual start, 26" NEW 18.5HP V-Twin 26" 15 HP Pro 44" (The Premier does 14.5HP, electric start, 26" electric start electric start

NOT accept optional 16.5HP, electric start, 26" 18.5HP V-Twin 30" 20 HP V-Twin 44" 76995X © 2012 attachments) electric start electric start DONE RIGHT Call for a FREE DVD and Catalog! TOLL FREE 888-212-0681 www.DRﬁ eldbrush.com WOOD GASIFICATION by: 20 Vapor-Fire 20Interest makes some people blind, and others quick-sighted. — Francis Beaumont • Up to 99.4% combustion efficient so we bought a house near our jobs • .45 grams/hour of emissions making it and can walk if needed, but currently #1 in the world for add on and central take public buses and carpool to furnaces. • Stainless Steel Electric commute. My ideal would be to stay Sauna Heaters - home and put my full day of effort (wall mount & floor models) into working in the garden, cook- • Woodburning Sauna ing, writing and crafting, and I am Stoves - (3 sizes) working toward that by paying off Lamppa Manufacturing personal debt and saving. Box 422 • Tower, MN • 55790 I once thought that we would 800-358-2049 email: [email protected] need a lot of space, but that simply www.lamppakuuma.com is not true. We live in Worcester, off. This year w e Massachusetts—one of the biggest took a big leap and cities in New England, and the lot got energy efficient we live on is only 100' x 50'. Many windows. Last night people, when seeing our home, had was only 40°F outside the first response of “what a great and it was still 65 inside. I a m starter home.” However, the first looking forward to the winter with time we walked through, I knew it the new windows and the wood was a perfect, workable size for a heat. If the house holds heat like it family of four. seems to right now, we will not use There was enough space to spend all of the wood we have stacked in time in the yard and have a garden the yard. one day. When we moved in, there Our garden last year was an was extra space, and as we lived, we experiment in planting as many dif- accumulated more and more stuff, to ferent things as we could to see what the point of needing a dumpster ev- would grow best here. We were able ery year to clear out enough to use the to can potatoes, corn, and carrots. house again. It isn’t dirty or verging We had a small amount of sweet on hoarding, but a small space filled potatoes. We also grew amaranth, up quickly with two growing teens at peas, cucumbers, pumpkins, but- the time, and with a creative family. ternut squash, Sunchokes, sunflower We simply had too much, but didn’t seeds, peppers, beans for drying and understand that we were participat- several herbs. Oh, and lots of cherry ing in a consumer-based lifestyle at tomatoes—we enjoyed a few each that time. day with dinner. We learned a lot We started our journey of learn- from our experiments! We will plant ing to be sustainable by taking care fewer things next year and only what of structural and foundational work: we will definitely eat, with a goal of first we replaced the roof, then we having extra to share with family fenced in the yard. We added garden and friends. beds, fruit and nut trees last year, We also planted five different ap- along with rain barrels. We also ple trees, three pear trees, an almond, installed an Elmira Cooktop Stove, two hazelnut, grapevines, kiwi vines so we could heat and cook with and several different berry bushes. Water Enjoy a new type wood. I learned about the stove in They all grew quite a bit, but we of water pump: o u n t r y s i d e Well easy drawing, C , and we found a local have to be patient to see what they Done! high-volume stove place to do the ordering and will do this year or next. water flow, and installation. We stopped using the I am sharing this because I be- rugged stainless steel design. Bison Pumps® air conditioners and had the extra lieve that we can all do something are the answer to accessing appliances taken away. We bought a to be a little more sustainable and your well anytime. Bison newer, energy efficient and smaller contribute. Rather than taking and Pumps® are easy to install and work right beside your electric refrigerator, and a new washer that using resources, how great it would pump in wells with static is energy efficient and easier on our be if we each could do just a little levels up to 200 feet clothes. bit for ourselves! With each of the deep. It sounds like so much in a list changes we have made, our energy bisonpumps.com like this, but really, we did one use has dropped, and although it has 800-339-2601 project at a time and then paid it created more work for us physically Countryside & Small Stock Journal, January/February 2013 21 Crafting Log 21 to chop wood, gather kindling, and I would love to talk with anyone care for the garden, the work is so who is interested in urban farming, Homes Solar Style rewarding. sustainability, living simply and Our city is currently working returning to the simpler way of towards allowing chickens in the life. Our story is here: adventureon- backyards here again (www.rec- planetearth.blogspot.com. — Michele worcester.org) and working to get Couture, 34 Pilgrim Ave., Worcester, the approval in place. At the same MA 01604 time the local food movement (www. masslocalfood.org) is growing. The typical American home has There are so many amazing pieces roughly 2,600 square feet of space ac- of conservation land that offer hik- cording to www.thetinylife.com. Mean- By Re x A. Ew i n g & LaVo n n e Ew i n g while a small/tiny house has 400 square ing, etc. One small place is near A down-to-earth guide to building solar- feet of space—akin to a large tool shed. powered log homes, complete with how-to our home, so we became volunteer If you’ve downsized to a “tiny house,” illustrations and photos plus enlightening pro- rangers and help out preserving the let us know. It’s something we’ll address habitats near us. This gives us the in a future issue. files of log home owners across the country. experience of the open spaces of Follow the authors’ journey of handcrafting Vermont, while we stay right in our an off-the-grid log home in the Colorado Rockies and discover how renewable energy own neighborhood. Chickens can eat is a perfect match for modern log home living, I don’t believe that my backyard maggots from small weekend cabins to expansive year- garden will change very much to round homes. 255 pages, $25.00 + s/h. big scale food growing or consump- Co u n t r y s i d e : The article in the Nov./ tion, but I know what it has done To order visit our website at Dec. 2012 issue about free chicken for my mental well-being and the food so intrigued me that I went and www.countrysidemag.com encouragement of our family. It is rounded up a couple of five-gallon or call 1-800-551-5691 so exciting to see wildlife in our buckets. If economic times get worse, yard (toads, chipmunks, squirrels, alternative ways of feeding livestock skunks, possums, many different may become necessary. We have lots of Ma k e y o u r o w n c l e a n birds, butterflies, bats, etc.). It has ’coons and ‘possums that would make p o w e r f r o m w a t e r changed our world to be able to walk ! the perfect “charge” for the feeder. in the backyard and pick a tomato However, I was discussing this Microhydro that we planted. If everyone could with a fellow poultry enthusiast By Sc o t t Dav i s just do one little thing like that, I do who told me that maggots don’t die believe that individual lives would Hydroelectricity is the like other worms and bugs when world’s largest—and clean- be greatly changed. And if enough the chicken eats them, and are detri- est—source of renewable individuals are changed, then who mental to the chicken’s health. Can energy. But despite lively knows what the effect could be in you shed some light on this for me? I interest in renewable energy the world? was all ready to build feeders, but am in general, there is an infor- I am very interested in the Tiny mation vacuum about this putting it on hold until I find out for House movement (imagine the smile technology that has been sure. — Jackie Simoneaux, Louisiana on my face when I realized that I dubbed “the simplest, most reliable and least expensive way to generate power off grid.” already live in a small home). I am Maggots and grubs are a part of Highly illustrated and practical, this is the also reading a lot about minimalism what make up a protein-rich free-range first complete book on the topic in many years. and simplifying my life, and at the chicken diet. Cattle, sheep and goats Covering both AC and DC systems, it first core of it, is the necessity to need less would be more susceptible to disease by introduces the important principles on which and have fewer requirements. I still ingesting maggots, which are fly larvea microhydro is based, including the advantages have and use the technology that I that eat feces or decaying flesh. Your and disadvantages of using small amounts of enjoy, and am currently donating poultry will be fine. (This is one reason water to generate power. Includes: how to assess your particular electrical needs; how to extra clothing, household items, etc., to make sure all meats are well-cooked before serving to humans, as some can assess your specific site; how to choose the ap- to three different organizations that burrow into living tissue.) propriate system for your needs; how to install a will get it to families that are really In fact, in 2011, Jungle George’s system; common regulations and incentives; and in need. Exotic Meats and Bugs, served the high- seven case studies that demonstrate microhydro I see that less “things” to care for protein USDA-grown maggots (cooked) possibilities. Includes glossary of microhydro gives me more time to spend with on hot sandwiches at Califor- terms, further reading and resources. 156 pages, family and friends, more time to nia and Colorado State $22.95 + s/h. Fairs. People thought meet neighbors and be involved in To order visit our website at they tasted like cheese the community, and more time to and crackers. www.countrysidemag.com garden. Or call 1-800-551-5691 22 22 Warning: “Cheap” essential oils aren’t best “This book is not what Co u n t r y s i d e : I am a fairly new sub- you’re expecting.” scriber to Co u n t r y s i d e and enjoy reading the articles by Millie Troth. I That’s the first sentence in the latest book on want to learn as much as I can about country living from Co u n t r y s i d e magazine’s using essential oils and natural health. founding editor Jerome D. Belanger. But then, I’ve never seen anything about Young what would you expect from a book titled Living—the company mentioned. From what I’ve learned, it seems that Th e Co m p l e t e Id i o t ’s Gu i d e t o they have the safest, purest therapeu- tic grade oils available. They cost more Se l f -Su f f i c i e n t Li v i n g ! than other oils, but are well worth the By Jd Be l a n g e r extra cost because they not only work better, but you can be sure that you are Above all, do NOT expect a rehash of all the old ideas about homesteading and country living. Yes, you’ll find plenty of good advice on not getting any pesticides, alcohol, or gardening and country cooking, raising small livestock, and shelter, energy chemicals in your oils. No, I am not and foraging, in this 400 page guide. a dealer or in anyway compensated But simple living takes on an entirely new meaning when it includes by Young Living. I am just a satisfied understanding your carbon and water footprints, the slow food movement, customer. I wanted to mention this the small house movement, the Maker movement, and more than passing company because before I recently reference to the effects of compound interest and the Great Recession. started learning about oils, I would Self-sufficiency for individuals is impossible. At the same time, have bought the cheapest oils possible self-sufficiency for Planet Earth is absolutely essential. This might be the first and not have a clue that I was doing book to provide an up-to-date analysis of the economic and ecological my body a disservice. I just thought realities facing both individuals and the Earth in 2010, from the stand- others would be interested. point of the experienced homesteader, and to suggest some possible I use wintergreen a lot and didn’t answers. (Hint: The Establishment won’t like the proposed outcomes, but will realize it was basically like liquid anyone have a choice?) aspirin. I love learning little tidbits Wide-ranging, lively, thought-provoking, humorous, sometimes like that. controversial — and yet incorporating plenty of practical how-to informa- I was also curious about the tion on self-sufficient living — this book is a must-read for anyone who is sulfur-in-a-sock method for chiggers. concerned about their future and the survival of the planet. Does this work for ticks as well? Does it need to be put all over the clothes The Co m p l e t e Id i o t ’s Gu i d e ® t o Se l f -Su f f ici e n t Li v i n g has the mak- ings of a long-lived, influential classic. But don’t wait to get your copy. vs. just ankles (for ticks) and does the “dust” that comes off when you Or d e r Yo u r Co p y To d a y ! whack the sock against you cause any health problems if breathed? Thanks so much for the info. — M. K., Kansas 3 Yes! send me ______copies of Th e Co m p l e t e Id i o t ’s Gu i d e ® To Se l f -Su f f ici e n t Li v i n g for only $18.95 each plus $4 shipping Inhaling any type of powder/dust & handling. ($22.95). can cause breathing difficulties. Name:______Mouse population Address:______hinders car drying City, State, Zip ______Payment enclosed Charge my credit card Co u n t r y s i d e : This is in response to Visa/MC #______Exp.______an article about drying produce in a car (Nov/Dec 2011). I haven’t tried it and probably won’t, because of the Mail to: Countryside Bookstore experiences I have had with mice in 145 Industrial Drive • Medford, WI 54451 my car. Or order toll free: 800-551-5691 When we moved to the country, Countryside & Small Stock Journal, January/February 2013 23 The Complete 23 my husband decreed that we should full of free homeschooling resources Idiot’s Guide to keep our garbage cans in the garage for pre-K through high school. I to avoid attracting wild animals. highly suggest any family who is Within a few months, he began hav- homeschooling purchase this book. Raising ing trouble with mice building nests — Linda, Georgia in his heater fan, the vents from the Chickens heater and air conditioner, and maybe West Virginia a few other places. We had the great good fortune of finding an honest, dream for sale competent and conscientious auto mechanic. He did not like digging Co u n t r y s i d e : Five years ago we bought out mice nests with living, dying and a bit of West Virginia woodland with a very dead mice, so for a time we had tired house and two drooping sheds. to take his car to a different mechanic. You could see behind the house where At the time, he had a 1990 Toyota and there once was a garden and the full I had a 1989 Pontiac, which the mice canopy forest had never been touched. weren’t as attracted to. Now we have the house, a barn with We moved the garbage cans out a loft, a feed barn, kennels, several of the garage and the mouse problem pastures with run-in shelters, raised improved, but it never disappeared beds, a greenhouse, a chicken coop, entirely. and ATV roads throughout. In 2005 I bought a 2004 Toyota Illness caused us first to slow down Highlander, which promptly ac- our efforts and finally to give up. We quired a family of mice. I am an ani- have a fully functional breeding farm By Jerome D. Belanger mal lover and hate killing any animal. for goats, dogs, and rabbits, and still Founder of Countryside I wouldn’t mind the mice so much more work to be done than we can (they haven’t destroyed anything in ever hope to do. As our abilities di- You’re no idiot, of course. You the car…yet) if they didn’t cover the minished we narrowed our focus so know there’s nothing like the taste floor spaces with droppings. we could get the breeding business of fresh, free-range eggs from Does anyone have a non-lethal going and we left more and more chickens you’ve raised yourself, suggestion for keeping mice out of non-essential tasks to be done later. but you’re wondering if owning our cars? Well, now it is “later” and we can’t get your own flock of birds would be I have one other issue. I am trying the tasks done. Our farm is busy and all it’s cracked up to be. In this extremely hard to find a property to fruitful, but cosmetically a wreck, and Complete Idiot’s Guide you’ll find buy in Gates County, North Carolina. some of the first things we built have advice on locating and buying I would like to raise rare or endan- been used hard and are beginning to your first chickens; tips for buying gered breeds of poultry. I hope to find need fixing and I can’t fix them. I was or building the right coop; learn a three- bedroom, two-bath home, there when our animals were born, all about eggs from conception to at least five acres for not too much and I raised them to be the wonderful cooking; learn to identify normal money. If you know of such a place, partners they are. The thought of them behavior in healthy chickens and please email me at Barbaracody@ leaving here and possibly falling into what to do when something goes verizon.net. — Barbara Cody, West- harsher hands is heartbreaking. wrong, and decide for yourself minster, Maryland I’m sharing all of this for three rea- if raising chickens organically is sons: First, I really hope someone will right for you. As a first-time flock hear of this and want to buy our place owner, you have questions, this Homeschool book and pick up our dream where we have book has the answers. 160 pages, to leave off. Also, I hope you will share $14.95 + s/h. recommendation with us wisdom gleaned from your Co u n t r y s i d e : I’m sipping coffee and own re-locations. And finally… once again find myself re-reading As you put your heart and re- To Place Your Order older issues of Countryside. sources into your dream, I hope you I wanted to share probably the will give some thought to “what if it Call Toll-Free: best homeschooling investment doesn’t work out?” If instead of an we’ve ever made—a book called economic disaster you have a health 800-551-5691 Homeschool Your Child for Free, (ISBN disaster, what then will you do? — 0-7615-2513-0), by Laura Maery Gold The Doohan’s, HC 75 Box 32, Strange or visit and Joann Zillinski). I paid $3 for it Creek, WV 25063; doohanbill@yahoo. on an on-line auction. It’s just packed com. www.countrysidemag.com Make Your Own High-Performance, 24 Sun-Powered Food Dehydrator 24 It is often better not to see an insult than to avenge it. — Seneca couple bags of feed from the pickup The Solar Food Dryer Some essential to the shed, a bale of straw to the By Eb e n Fo d o r homestead tools hen house, the hen house cleanings to the garden, or just to entertain the Solar food drying is the healthy, Co u n t r y s i d e : Because we heat our little fourth generation on a lazy summer sustainable way North Dakota home with a 112-year- evening, the tool I would least like to to preserve high- old Superior 227 wood burning stove, do without is my wheelbarrow. (And quality, locally our buzz saw is essential to our home- I have managed the chores with a grown foods. The Solar Food Dryer stead. The buzz saw, with a 32-inch canvas tarp.) describes how to blade, is mounted on the three-point Thank you Co u n t r y s i d e people for use solar energy hitch of our 1953 Jubilee Ford tractor being there, for standing what you to preserve your and is run by a belt attached to the stand for, and providing a breath of summer’s harvest. With your own solar- pulley. The saw plays a major role in sanity in a world lost in a wilderness powered food dryer, you can quickly and keeping a sufficient supply of wood of wrong thinking (or non-thinking). efficiently dry all your extra garden veg- I can hardly wait to order J.D.’s new gies, fruits and herbs to keep their good- for the winter. ness all year long—with free sunshine! In addition, we enjoy the benefits book! — Kate Patrick, Oregon Included are complete step-by-step plans of a homemade hydraulic wood for building a high-performance, low-cost splitter, which also attaches to the See page 3 for J.D. Belanger’s newest release, ENOUGH. You can find more solar food dryer from readily available three-point. At the ages of 73 and 75, materials; solar energy design concepts; titles at www.countrysidemag.com. food drying tips and recipes; resources, we are happy that we don’t have to references, solar charts and more. Highly split the wood by hand. We also own illustrated with both photographs and a good Stihl chainsaw. s helpful design and construction plans. 119 We not only save a ton of money, pages, $15.95 + s/h. but benefit by good exercise. And the Co u n t r y s i d e : I am responding to the constant heat—no furnace going on invitation on p. 99 of the Sept./Oct. Call 1-800-551-5691 and off—keeps our house warm and 2012 issue regarding what I find are www.countrysidemag.com cozy. We have heated with wood for essential tools. 145 Industrial Dr., Medford, WI 54451 30 years. — Jerry & Carolyn Erickson, Essential Tool #1: Ask your den- North Dakota tal technician or dentist to save for you handheld dental tools, usually Chicken Tractor picks that are broken. (Make sure The Homestead (3rd) Edition s they’ve been sterilized.) The Permaculture Guide to Dental tools have a hardened, Happy Hens and Healthy Soil Co u n t r y s i d e : What’s my favorite small steel hook on both ends, in sev- homestead tool? We all know no eral shapes, and when one breaks, By Andy Lee and Patricia Foreman homestead is complete without its they are usually thrown away. contingent of shovels, rakes, saws, This is the book that tells If your dentist will save some for you how to integrate small axes, etc. Then again, I’ve used a well- you, you will find them invaluable flocks of poultry in with chosen rock as a hammer or made a for many household and farm tasks, family food production. saw of a Ginsu kitchen knife. (Not such as: There is a “back to the recommended for firewood.) • Cleaning out accumulated dirt land” movement happen- One could make furrows or dig from inside corners. ing across the world, and it’s happening in back- praties with an old tire iron (remem- • Hooking onto and retrieving yards and on small par- ber those?). After all, some of my something that fell into a very small cels of land. Chicken tractor systems have ancestors did all their farming and space. become so popular that the term “chicken foraging with little more than a sharp • As a spring hook to re-attach a tractor” is a household word. This is the de- stick and an elk-hide bucket. spring to its post. finitive book that leads the way. Learn how Thanks to the generosity of my • During soldering, to pull off you can: raise homestead flocks for eggs, meat and money; use chickens to create children, I own a riding lawn mower solder splatters or pull off cold sol- super-rich soils that enable hyper-productive (which my grandchildren are willing der joints. If you have it, you’ll find gardens; easily, step-by-step, process poultry to exercise occasionally), a key-start all sorts of uses for it. at home; build custom chicken tractors for walk-behind (my own preferred So before you strap on your tool your homestead; make a straw bale coop for machine), both a heavy-duty and a belt and head out to the farm, make your flock; understand how to select, buy light-weight tiller, electric chainsaw, and raise the best chickens for your goals. sure you have one of two dental 312 pages, $19.95 an assortment of cordless power tools picks in your belt. They don’t take and the expected array of handy up much space, but many times they hand tools. come in handy. Call 1-800-551-5691 But when it comes to getting a #2: When discarding used wind- www.countrysidemag.com Countryside & Small Stock Journal, January/February 2013 25 Homemade Cheese25 shield wipers, remove the long, thin people could submit an idea that Recipes for 50 Cheeses from steel shank inside. To give the wiper they have found makes work or Artisan Cheesemakers some “spine”, these steel shanks are handling stock or fences or feeders By Janet Hurst placed inside the wiper blades. They easier. We all come up with a few are handy for a variety of household things that help with the work. Here is everything tasks and also around the farm. I enjoy each issue. — Wayne Mo- you need to know These steel bars are long, thin, seley, Mississippi to make cheese at and fairly flexible. They have a small home! Expert advice from experi- Thanks Wayne—we love to hear barb on both ends, which makes them enced cheesemakers ideas from readers! handy for a variety of retrieval jobs includes easy and If you’d like to take Wayne to task, or to snag a line. basic recipes for send your photos/submissions to csyed- They take up no space at all in a butter, yogurt, moz- [email protected] or Co u n t r y s i d e Editorial, toolbox, but if you have them there, zarella, and chévre 145 Industrial Dr., Medford, WI 54451. it’s amazing how many times they as well as advanced, step-by-step, how-to Please send photos in jpg format, but advice on the use of molds and aging your are just the tool you need. we can also work with PDFs. Of course, #3: A torsion-rod from a tractor- cheeses—from cheddar and brie to feta, hard copies always work, too. blue cheese, and more artisanal cheeses. trailer makes an excellent tamping And there are directions for crafting cheese rod. They’re about four feet long, Resource for using with cow’s, goat’s, or sheep’s milk. Author made of steel, and as strong as they Janet Hurst is a twenty-year veteran home are heavy. But when you want some- greywater cheesemaker and educator as well as a goat- thing to tamp rock or earth around a keeper. Plus, twenty established artisanal Co u n t r y s i d e : I was re-reading the newly-installed post, there’s noth- cheesemakers share their hard-won advice, July/Aug. 2012 issue and saw Wal- ing like it. recommendations, and favorite recipes. ter’s letter asking about books on 160 pages, $19.99 #4: Vice-grip pliers, for when using greywater (p. 22). The article on you need three hands, or for when it page 39 of the same issue has some must not move! Call 1-800-551-5691 good general information, but allow #5: 4-in-1 screwdriver. Takes up www.countrysidemag.com me to recommend Create an Oasis with minimal room in the tool pouch and Greywater, by Art Ludwig and the I always find a need for it. website www.oasisdesign.net which #6: High-strength, 3/16" diam- has information about using greywa- eter, nylon cord, 50 ft.; for when you ter (and also sells the book). — Forrest Chicken and Egg need a strong line that doesn’t take Stevens, Princeton, Idaho up much space. A Memoir of Suburban Homesteading with 125 Recipes I would also like to submit these Need a fundraiser suggestions to Co u n t r y s i d e in the idea? By Janice Cole spirit of wanting to add upon what’s Photographs by Alex Farnum already good. It’s in the bag • Readers “Wanted” page. A Chicken and Egg Co u n t r y s i d e : I think people might be place where members of the Coun- tells the story of interested in my non-profit’s “Rural veteran food writer tryside “community” can put up and Proud” tote bag. We designed, Janice Cole, who, a small, short “I’m looking for this hand silkscreen print, and sell the like so many other thing/product/tool, etc.” I think bags as a fundraiser. urbanites, took up readers would “eat up” a page All of the funds raised go towards the revolutionary like this. Kind of an offshoot of the providing housing and business hobby of raising country neighbor-helping-neighbor resources for the small rural town of chickens at home. From picking out thing. Green River, Utah. the perfect coop to producing the miracle • A “What Is It?” page, otherwise Here’s the tote bag’s listing known as “What’s That Tool?” or of the first egg, Cole shares her now-expert on Etsy (including a description insights into the trials, triumphs, and bonds something similar. Lots of subscrib- and photos): www.etsy.com/list- that result when human and hen live in close ers would enjoy the puzzle of it. ing/75494053/rural-and-proud- quarters. With 125 recipes for delicious Our forebearers, lacking electricity, screenprinted-canvas. chicken and egg dishes, poultry lovers, invented some pretty amazing tools More information on our non- backyard farmers, and those contemplating and gadgets. Reader submissions profit: http://ruralandproud.org. taking the leap will adore this captivating 256 pages, $24.95 ought to be plentiful enough to keep — Ashley R. illustrated memoir! this page going. • A column for “Tips and Tech- See the next page for a fundraiser 1-800-551-5691 niques,” or “Hints & Kinks,” where cookbook idea. www.countrysidemag.com PF 7 x 10 #PF-3896_PF 7 x 10 (bleed 8.25 x 10.875) 11/6/12 1:27 PM Page 1

26 Design your own Co u n t r y s i d e Ca s s e r o l e Co n t e s t Custom Cookbook! Co u n t r y s i d e & Sm a l l St o c k Jo u r n a l is hosting a cooking contest. Send us your best casserole recipe for a chance to win a prize of $500 toward your own custom cookbook by G&R Publishing. Earn extra prize points by incorporating home grown produce and/or homemade ingredients into your entry. The winning recipe will be published in the September/October 2013 issue of Co u n t r y s i d e . Clogged arteries could Flatten your stomach virtually disappear when What you should never To Enter without gut-wrenching eat when taking pre- By E-mail: Send e-mail entry with subject line “Casserole Contest you add this to your life exercises. scription drugs. Entry” to [email protected]. All entries must be received by midnight once a day. central time on February 28, 2013. Please see Contest Rules (below) for more details. Most Comprehensive By Mail: Send entries by postal mail to: Co u n t r y s i d e Casserole Contest Online System! Entry, 145 Industrial Dr., Medford, WI 54451. All mailed entries must be Your entire cookbook order, legible (illegible entries will be voided). Entries submitted by mail must be “HONEY Can from start to nish, can be received by February 28, 2013. Please see Contest Rules (below) for more completed online: simply enter details. your recipes, design your book and submit your order! Prizes Heal WHAT?” G&R Publishing loves cookbooks—especially family (By Frank K. Wood) breast, colon, and prostate cancer! instead and watch the pounds drop off. If you want to learn how to use gentle � Clogged arteries virtually disappear when Pennsylvania State University study. and community-based cookbooks. Favorite recipes folk remedies to unleash your body’s heal- you add this to your life every day. � Flex your mental muscle and send Alz- are as cherished as a family heirloom, and creating ing power instead of resorting to dangerous � It protects your heart, lowers your cho- heimer’s packing. Simple mental activities a custom cookbook is a great way to preserve these prescription drugs or risky surgery, you lesterol, fights cancer, and much more! that build your brainpower and ward off treasures. For more than 35 years, G&R Publishing has need The Folk Remedy Encyclopedia: Olive Researchers take a good look at this “mir- the ravages of Alzheimer’s. Oil, Vinegar, Honey and 1,001 Other Home acle” mineral. � Open up blood vessels narrowed due to PUBLI enjoyed helping folks across the U.S. create custom SH Remedies, an informative new book just � Kills cancer cells dead in their tracks! heart disease. Relax with this beverage IN G cookbooks. released to the public by FC&A Medical Duke University study proves this tiny seed and decrease your chances of suffering a Publishing® in Peachtree City, Georgia. packs a powerful punch! debilitating stroke. G&R Publishing is pleased to offer the lucky winner of the Co u n t r y s i d e a prize of $500 towards publishing a custom cookbook. You’ll be amazed by how many inex- � Just 2 glasses a day of (you won’t believe � Nature’s insulin controls blood sugar and Ca s s e r o l e Co n t e s t pensive, easy, natural cures you can find this — but it’s true!) lowers your choles- type 2 diabetes. What is it? Cinnamon! It This custom cookbook can be created completely online at www.gandrpub- all around you — in your pantry, garden, terol — and prevents heart attacks too! helps your fat cells recognize and respond lishing.com. The prize winner will be able to create a custom cookbook of garage, and grocery store. � Trick your body into losing weight! Melts to insulin better. favorite recipes as a fundraiser or as a family project. The authors provide many health tips off fat safely, naturally, and best yet, easily. � High blood pressure? You know you have to limit alcohol and salt, but did you also Prizes are not transferable, have no cash value, and expire December with full explanations. � Give your brain the nutrients it needs for � A natural way to rejuvenate your veins and a better memory. Don’t let your brain dete- know certain oranges can cause your blood 31, 2013. arteries that will have you feeling brand new. riorate when you can so easily power it up. pressure medication to build to toxic levels? � That “spare tire” is doing more than just � Discover an antioxidant that’s so powerful Read about some other hidden dangers and Contest Rules slowing you down ... it raises your risk of for your eyes that it fights night blindness, some unusual methods of defense. many life-threatening illnesses! Burn it off cloudy corneas, and can even successfully � Keep your arteries clean with this simple u Each entry must be received by midnight on February 28, 2013. without gut-wrenching sit-ups or grueling treat an eye disorder that leads to blindness! bean! u Each entry must include full name, address, phone number and e- fitness regimens. � What you should never eat when taking this Learn about all these natural healing Request Your mail if available. � One super vitamin protects your vision, prescription drug. This is critical news you fights infections, keeps skin, bones, and won’t hear from your doctor or pharmacist! folk remedies and more. To order a copy, L UB ISH P I FREE Guide Today! N G u Each entry must include the recipe name, number of servings, com- cells healthy, plus fights heart disease, � You can improve your eyesight without just return this coupon with your name and plete ingredients list including measurements, and step-by-step cooking cancer, memory loss, arthritis, liver disease, glasses, without contact lenses, surgery, address and a check for $9.99 plus $3.00 Parkinson’s, and complications of diabetes. drugs, or medicine of any kind. shipping and handling to: FC&A, Dept. instructions. Photos are encouraged but not required. PF-3896, 103 Clover Green, Peachtree u - Are you getting 100%? � Tomato juice for high cholesterol? Yes, Each contestant may enter unlimited recipes. Entries may be sub � Miracle healing seed lowers blood pressure, tomato juice can keep your cholesterol from City, GA 30269. We will send you a copy mitted together as long as each entry is complete with requirements listed reduces risk of stroke, plus fights arthritis, oxidizing and attaching to your artery walls. of The Folk Remedy Encyclopedia: Olive above, including full contact information and complete recipe requirements. heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stomach A new study shows how much you need to Oil, Vinegar, Honey and 1,001 Other Home Remedies. Cookbook u Each contestant by entry in the contest verifies the entry is an disorders, and even mental problems! drink each day. Guide � Prevent high blood pressure, colon cancer, � Rebuild your joints and relieve arthritis You get a no-time-limit guarantee of original recipe by contestant, and that the recipe has not been previously satisfaction or your money back. Helping you create custom cookbooks for senility, and fragile bones. All with one — pain. Natural ways to help your body repair fundraisers, families and businesses! published for payment. yes, one — inexpensive daily supplement itself. You must cut out and return this u The winning recipe will appear in the July/August 2013 issue. that keeps you healthy and strong. � Unclog your arteries with purple grape coupon with your order. Copies will not u Each contestant agrees to allow to publish any entry in � Here’s the secret to naturally block out juice! Studies show that purple grapes can be accepted! Co u n t r y s i d e IMPORTANT — FREE GIFT OFFER the magazine or on the website, without compensation. calories from foods. Just add this when you reduce blood clotting by 91%. eat — and watch the weight melt away. � The amazing healing power of honey. It’s EXPIRES FEBRUARY 19, 2013 u Entries that are not complete with instructions listed above will be � Nature’s wonder food for your body — not just a sweetener anymore. Use it to cure All orders mailed by February 19, disqualified. once praised by Gandhi. Fights heart dis- these 4 common problems. 2013 will receive a free gift, Eat to Beat Send your best casserole recipe today — the entry deadline is ease, high blood pressure, stroke, arthritis, � Frustrated because you can’t lose weight? the Top 27 Health Problems, guaranteed. type 2 diabetes, and even protects against Forget dieting! Just “fluff” up your foods Order right away! ©FC&A 2013 February 28, 2013! www.fca.com PF 7 x 10 #PF-3896_PF 7 x 10 (bleed 8.25 x 10.875) 11/6/12 1:27 PM Page 1

Countryside & Small Stock Journal, January/February 2013 27

Clogged arteries could Flatten your stomach virtually disappear when What you should never without gut-wrenching you add this to your life eat when taking pre- exercises. once a day. scription drugs. “HONEY Can Heal WHAT?” (By Frank K. Wood) breast, colon, and prostate cancer! instead and watch the pounds drop off. If you want to learn how to use gentle � Clogged arteries virtually disappear when Pennsylvania State University study. folk remedies to unleash your body’s heal- you add this to your life every day. � Flex your mental muscle and send Alz- ing power instead of resorting to dangerous � It protects your heart, lowers your cho- heimer’s packing. Simple mental activities prescription drugs or risky surgery, you lesterol, fights cancer, and much more! that build your brainpower and ward off need The Folk Remedy Encyclopedia: Olive Researchers take a good look at this “mir- the ravages of Alzheimer’s. Oil, Vinegar, Honey and 1,001 Other Home acle” mineral. � Open up blood vessels narrowed due to Remedies, an informative new book just � Kills cancer cells dead in their tracks! heart disease. Relax with this beverage released to the public by FC&A Medical Duke University study proves this tiny seed and decrease your chances of suffering a Publishing® in Peachtree City, Georgia. packs a powerful punch! debilitating stroke. You’ll be amazed by how many inex- � Just 2 glasses a day of (you won’t believe � Nature’s insulin controls blood sugar and pensive, easy, natural cures you can find this — but it’s true!) lowers your choles- type 2 diabetes. What is it? Cinnamon! It all around you — in your pantry, garden, terol — and prevents heart attacks too! helps your fat cells recognize and respond garage, and grocery store. � Trick your body into losing weight! Melts to insulin better. The authors provide many health tips off fat safely, naturally, and best yet, easily. � High blood pressure? You know you have with full explanations. � Give your brain the nutrients it needs for to limit alcohol and salt, but did you also � A natural way to rejuvenate your veins and a better memory. Don’t let your brain dete- know certain oranges can cause your blood arteries that will have you feeling brand new. riorate when you can so easily power it up. pressure medication to build to toxic levels? � That “spare tire” is doing more than just � Discover an antioxidant that’s so powerful Read about some other hidden dangers and slowing you down ... it raises your risk of for your eyes that it fights night blindness, some unusual methods of defense. many life-threatening illnesses! Burn it off cloudy corneas, and can even successfully � Keep your arteries clean with this simple without gut-wrenching sit-ups or grueling treat an eye disorder that leads to blindness! bean! fitness regimens. � What you should never eat when taking this � One super vitamin protects your vision, prescription drug. This is critical news you Learn about all these natural healing fights infections, keeps skin, bones, and won’t hear from your doctor or pharmacist! folk remedies and more. To order a copy, cells healthy, plus fights heart disease, � You can improve your eyesight without just return this coupon with your name and cancer, memory loss, arthritis, liver disease, glasses, without contact lenses, surgery, address and a check for $9.99 plus $3.00 Parkinson’s, and complications of diabetes. drugs, or medicine of any kind. shipping and handling to: FC&A, Dept. Are you getting 100%? � Tomato juice for high cholesterol? Yes, PF-3896, 103 Clover Green, Peachtree � Miracle healing seed lowers blood pressure, tomato juice can keep your cholesterol from City, GA 30269. We will send you a copy reduces risk of stroke, plus fights arthritis, oxidizing and attaching to your artery walls. of The Folk Remedy Encyclopedia: Olive heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stomach A new study shows how much you need to Oil, Vinegar, Honey and 1,001 Other disorders, and even mental problems! drink each day. Home Remedies. � Prevent high blood pressure, colon cancer, � Rebuild your joints and relieve arthritis You get a no-time-limit guarantee of senility, and fragile bones. All with one — pain. Natural ways to help your body repair satisfaction or your money back. yes, one — inexpensive daily supplement itself. You must cut out and return this that keeps you healthy and strong. � Unclog your arteries with purple grape coupon with your order. Copies will not � Here’s the secret to naturally block out juice! Studies show that purple grapes can be accepted! calories from foods. Just add this when you reduce blood clotting by 91%. IMPORTANT — FREE GIFT OFFER eat — and watch the weight melt away. � The amazing healing power of honey. It’s EXPIRES FEBRUARY 19, 2013 � Nature’s wonder food for your body — not just a sweetener anymore. Use it to cure All orders mailed by February 19, once praised by Gandhi. Fights heart dis- these 4 common problems. 2013 will receive a free gift, Eat to Beat ease, high blood pressure, stroke, arthritis, � Frustrated because you can’t lose weight? the Top 27 Health Problems, guaranteed. type 2 diabetes, and even protects against Forget dieting! Just “fluff” up your foods Order right away! ©FC&A 2013 www.fca.com 28 Expedients are for the hour; principles for the ages. — Henry Ward Beecher

Energy, economics, peak oil, and population Part II

thermal-solar heating, warmth when A quick recap from last time: the sun is shining, the needs of This paper was first delivered at the Maine Common Ground Fair (CGF 2011), humans are greater than the weak, and subsequently expanded as a handout for the 2011 ASPO-USA conference. sporadic power of direct incoming The purpose of this document is to subsume and condense the huge amount solar radiation. Plant life solves this of background information and jump directly to a critical analysis of our human problem very well with photosyn- predicament as we steadily deplete the finite energy required for future economic thesis, the biological process of using and food stability. the incoming radiation energy to Please read through and become pro-active. We’ve run out of time to face the combine simple carbon dioxide and perfect storm of peaking energy, ecological devastation, over-population, and water to form higher-energy, complex economic collapse. The time to become involved is now. carbohydrates. The higher molecular weight LEARN: makes these compounds solid and To guide my work after publishing the third edition of “The End of stable (for a while) at normal earth Fossil Energy” in 2006, I have used the acronym LEARN. This helps keep temperatures and able to store a my thoughts in order while attempting to explain our predicament and substantial amount of energy. Subse- options. To make this handout more complete by itself, I will summarize quent chemical reaction with oxygen and update each of the five letters, some of which stand for more than (burning or metabolizing) releases one word: the stored energy much faster (higher L: Limits and localization power) than it was accumulated, as E: Education, energy, economics, efficiency, ecology… a fuel when we need it, to keep us warm, moving around, and to do all of interest for remote sites or fanat- the wonderful and bad things that By Jo h n Ho w e ics with lots of money. That said, the define us as intelligent primates. The possibility of direct electrical energy obvious examples are wood or food A: Adapting to solar energy from a “magic” panel that would conveniently stored for us by plants Back in the early 2000s, when I keep producing for decades was the or other animals farther down the first became totally convinced of peak obvious path to explore. The dilute food chain. oil and an imminent world-energy and sporadic power output could Electrical energy and batteries: crisis, it seemed possible that solar be overcome by a vast potential for The preferred method of electrical- energy, in its many variations, could increase in scale. However, like any storage in the industrial age is the be the “light” at the end of a long other great promise, closer examina- battery, which converts a chemical dark tunnel. At that time, world oil tion revealed a “cloudier” picture. We process to electricity and back again prices were still in the $20 range. It will start with the many variations of (in the case of rechargeable batter- was very difficult to find alarm and solar energy. In reality, most all our ies). The ubiquitous lead-acid (L/A) support from anyone about a coming energy sources, including ancient battery has been the work-horse for energy crisis. But, as a life-long, ca- sunlight converted by photosynthesis residential applications for over a reer, product development engineer, to convenient storage as fossil fuels, century. If treated well, it can have a I was very accustomed to peering are forms of solar energy. The only ex- useful life of more than 10 years. On into my own crystal ball to anticipate ceptions are nuclear and tidal energy. the debit side, it is heavy, environ- future direction and market needs This section will focus on the promise mentally hazardous, inefficient, tem- long before the public was remotely and limitations of renewable forms perature sensitive, slow to recharge, aware that life (and business) as usual of solar energy. But first, we need to and quickly degraded if discharged could or would soon change. At that address the storage problem: quickly. But, we have millions of tons time, photovoltaic (PV) solar panels Energy storage: “Storage” is the in the system and it can be recycled. cost over $5 per watt and were only critical weakness. Except for direct For meaningful motive power Countryside & Small Stock Journal, January/February 2013 29 such as personal or commercial as remaining oil becomes steadily same diesel-powered 18 wheelers. transport, or agricultural work the more expensive and is critical for How will this be done without liquid L/A battery is even more limited food production and distribution. fuels? Battery-powered trucks? And because of its poor energy density Batteries that weigh 80 times as much worse (!), apparently, like other toxic and intolerance for excessive current (20 times as much for Lithium-ion) processes, we’re shipping a substan- draw (Peukert’s Exponent). I have as equivalent petro-fuels cannot lift tial part of our L/A battery recycling been investigating the pros and cons their own weight off the ground at to foreign countries, especially Mex- of PV and grid-charged L/A power speeds sufficient for the lift of a wing. ico. According to a new report from for eight years and have built five My L/A battery-powered MG will go the NGO, Occupational Knowledge concept vehicles for personal use and 100 miles without recharging but at International, 261,000 pounds of used test: a golf cart and a Farmall Cub very slow speeds, especially uphill batteries (12% of all used L/A batter- tractor with on-board panels, a 1962 when the batteries have to lift their ies, of over 1,000 tons total) and other MG, a 1939 Ford N9 and a 1948 Ford own weight. lead scrap were shipped to Mexico in 8N tractor without on-board pan- From my years of work with elec- 2010 to avoid stricter environmental els. These last three vehicles can be tric vehicles, I would summarize by regulations in the U.S. (Ref: Home charged directly from the utility grid saying, without grid back-up, direct Power #145 Oct./Nov. 2011). or from the 750 watt, high voltage PV solar power is very feeble and cannot In addition, how about all the array permanently installed on the possibly replace fossil fuels. On the other parts of a high-tech society we Farmall Cub. The two larger tractors other hand, compared with the al- take for granted? I could not pos- each have a 1,200-pound battery pack ternatives of draft animals or human sibly build and ship my thresher/ (ten 12 volt batteries in series for 120 muscle-power, a few panels would winnower without gasoline or diesel- volts) to store 12 kWh of energy at have been magic for our ancestors. powered UPS delivery of motors and 75% depth of discharge (DOD). This And, when oil is no longer avail- myriad other components (also used is about the equivalent energy of not able, I was encouraged that, at least in the electric vehicles). This pessi- more than 1-1/2 gallons (11 pounds) with solar-power, especially solar PV mistic discussion about the imaginary of gasoline, good for one or two hours on a distributed personal basis, we future of solar power leads directly to of serious plowing or harrowing at could find a “modern” future without the last two letters, “R” and “N.” But up to 100 amperes (12 kilowatts or 16 collapsing back into prehistoric levels first, a few more thoughts about the horsepower). To recharge this much of survival. Now, after more study other forms of solar energy and stor- energy would take at least 16 hours and pondering, I don’t believe any age which face the same dead end of of direct sunlight shining on the 3/4 acceptable future is possible without complexity when there will soon, in kilowatt array on the Farmall Cub. residual oil, natural gas, and coal; all our children’s lifetimes, no longer be All of this work can be seen on my finite energy sources and being used the support umbrella of fossil fuels site: www.solarcarandtractor.com. at a prodigious rate. Our society is for all we take for granted. For agricultural power, the weight too high-tech and the population has Lithium batteries: No discussion of the L/A battery is acceptable, and increased about five-fold too much. of electro-chemical energy storage most of the tractor-use is needed in A good example is the ubiquitous would be complete without consid- the long summer-sunlight days. In L/A battery. When our PV-charged ering the panacea for our personal the winter, the heavy battery pack can residential, tractor, or personal ve- transportation in the post-oil days, supplement the residential storage hicle battery pack (forget commercial lithium, in its many iterations of needs. For transportation, the heavy diesel or air travel!) battery gives up battery design. A recent book by L/A battery presents a much bleaker after a few years, what are we going Seth Fletcher, Bottled Lightning, is an picture. When we travel and/or excellent current summary of every move something to somewhere else, facet of the subject. I learned a great we need to carry our energy supply deal. For instance, there is no short- with us and be able to stop along the age of lithium in the world including way to refuel. vast deposits in Bolivia, Chile, China, Presently, about 90% of the energy and Nevada. Possible variations on we use for travel comes from oil. We its use, including Lithium-sulfur, will never go far or fast again without lisilicone, and li-air, keep the dream it. Winter travel will be especially to do, jump into our cars and go to going of a transportation-energy fu- problematic. We will never fly again Wal-Mart for a replacement? ture with lighter-than-gasoline power without gasoline or jet fuel. It gets worse. Today, all the L/A and a 500-mile range. Unfortunately, The age of air travel started just batteries are picked up and shipped in my opinion, much of the hype is over 100 years ago when the Wright long-distance to one of a handful of “fueled” by the 2009, $2.4 billion brothers first added a gasoline engine huge recycling centers like the East- stimulus package specifically for to an air frame. Public air travel can- Penn facility in Lyons, Pennsylvania. clean energy and one-million electric not last more than another 50 years New batteries are returned by the cars (hybrid or otherwise) on the road 30 No man is responsible for his father. That is entirely his mother’s affair. — Margaret Turnbull by 2015. Already, this temporary whom can hardly afford their next other variation of weak solar. Heated funding is drying up, leaving U.S. tank of gas because we’ve already convection currents move from one solar-panel manufacturers going spent our low and middle class location to another. In fact the swept bankrupt or moving to China where American-wealth for gasoline)? In area of a wind turbine blade at peak labor is cheaper. Without the main- what time frame could an electric au- performance will produce about the stream public acceptance of the new tomobile system be built, considering same power as a PV panel of similar electric cars, like the Volt at $41,000, the imminent crash of oil-powered area. I do not believe that residential there can be no future for even a tiny civilization starting now? And, fi- (distributed) wind turbines are valid part of our life on the road to life nally, how about commercial diesel, when compared to the alternative of without oil. agricultural power, and aviation fuel? distributed PV. I know of instances Where does the energy come Clearly, electric transportation, espe- where small turbines have been in- from? If we ignore or look beyond cially solar-powered, is not going to stalled but failed to deliver because of the limitations of range and charg- save us as the oil-age winds down. a poor wind regime or maintenance ing facilities for electric vehicles, No one wants to hear the pessimists. problems. Larger, regional installa- we must still come to grips with It’s the same old story. tions are very unpopular, even with the energy-source problem. There Hydro-power: When heated, the the alternative-energy “green” crowd, cannot possibly be enough wind or atmosphere can absorb and hold ad- because of noise and aesthetics. solar electricity to pick up today’s ditional moisture in large quantities. In addition, the problems of residential electrical requirements, As the dense air pushes higher and is random, sporadic electrical output, especially without natural gas “spin- cooled, the moisture precipitates and distance, and right-of-way are much ning reserve” when finite coal and redistributes the liquid water to high- greater than with PV. Industrial-scale nuclear begin to eventually wane. er levels. The potential energy from a wind energy is already cost com- Where will the additional energy for large land-area of moisture collects in petitive with fossil-fuel electricity, electrical transportation come from? streams and rivers and can be stored but can never supplant liquid-fossil More questions: How will the in dams to be converted to mechani- fuels in the timeframe of peak-oil. massive infrastructure for electric cal or electrical energy as it returns to To scale-up from industrial-scale vehicles be funded? By oil companies, a lower level. We all know this, but high-plains or offshore sources will our government which is already in overlook the facts that it takes a large take decades and billions of dollars massive debt, or consumers (most of land area and substantial vertical of infrastructure including towers, topography to accumulate significant turbines, and transmission lines. The water energy. Sometimes the water present political wisdom, on both Ultimate Guide To gets out of control and other times, sides, and in Canada would rather Wilderness Living there is not enough to fill the dam for build oil pipelines from Canadian use as needed. In fact, hydro-power tar sands, south across the U.S. to Surviving With Nothing But Your is decreasing since the middle 1990s refineries; or across pristine Canadian Bare Hands And What You because of climate change-caused forests to be shipped to the highest Find In The Woods decreased water flow. Micro-hydro world bidder. “Highly recommended.”—Les Stroud, is insignificant in its potential and Bio fuels: We would not be here AKA Survivorman suffers the same problems as dis- if not for bio-fuels. They may com- b y Jo h n McPh e rs o n a n d Ge r i McPh e rs o n tributed wind discussed below. For pete with our food, and only in very Packed with in-depth in- years, if suitable terrain is available, limited quantities, should be the last struction and photos, Ulti- water has been pumped back uphill resort for domestic heating. Any use mate Guide to Wilderness as pumped storage to be used as a of bio-fuels for the generation of elec- Living teaches you the skills supplement to other forms of energy. tricity is totally wrong. To begin with, needed to survive and live For all these reasons, hydro-power is it takes considerable liquid petro- in the wild using only those fuels to harvest, process, and ship in things found in the woods. one of the best sources of energy but Featuring over 600 step-by- will always be limited to about 5% a short time the energy it took Mother step photos. Learn how to: of today’s energy consumption. In Nature half the oil age to accumu- • Ignite a fire with a two-stick hand drill • Erect the future, as finite, pre-stored fossil late. The use of agricultural or forest temporary and semi-permanent shelters • Chip fuels steadily decline, hydro-power “waste” for commercial heating or stones and bones into primitive tools • Trap ani- will be our best chance for perpetu- utility-scale electricity is an obvious, mals and hunt with a bow and arrow • Fire pots, ating a small fraction of a modern abrupt termination to biological life weave baskets and tan buckskin • Prepare and cycles and the environment of which cook wild foods. 316 pages, $15.95 + s/h. lifestyle. But, there is always the need for maintenance of dams, waterways, we are an integral (and destructive) Call 1-800-551-5691 and the electric power and distribu- part. As stated above in section “L”, or visit us at tion infrastructure. How will this be all nutrients and organic matter must www.countrysidemag.com done without petro-fuels? return to their source. Wind: Concentrated solar: Another to place your order Wind power is just an- Countryside & Small Stock Journal, January/February 2013 31 form of solar electricity is to focus growing number of poor. This is not a 20 million gallons per day. Instead and concentrate incoming radiation new concept. It was first proposed by of two gallons, each driver would be onto a liquid collector system which the Pope of Peak Oil, Colin Campbell, allotted 1.9 gallons. can, in turn, turn a turbine to gener- and thoroughly covered in Richard • It would be so simple to save ate electricity. The storage problem Heinberg’s book, The Oil Depletion 10% just by driving slower or 50% can also be solved by using molten Protocol. Independently, I defined a by doubling up. salts to absorb the energy and give “Five-Percent Per Year” plan to re- • Vacations and recreation could it back as needed. This scheme is duce and save energy in substantial be easily accrued for on stay-at-home under pilot operation in several parts quantities, which would allow us to days. of the world, but takes tremendous bridge the gap to a sustainable future. • All drivers would be encour- capital investment and transmission My plan focused on all energy; it aged to purchase or use their more infrastructure. Like industrial wind, was for U.S. only; and it could have economical vehicle. it only makes sense in remote parts started in 2005. In 2009, I added a • The plan saves 182 million bar- of the country, far from population comprehensive, 14-page essay to my rels of oil per year or about 25% of centers. website (www.solarcarandtractor. our strategic oil reserve. At this point, it sounds like John com) with the above title and more • An overall reduction in national Howe is saying “nothing works.” If technical details. consumption of 5% per year would so, I’m not alone. That is the central Now… some form of rationing, lower world oil demand and price, thesis of this presentation as well as starting with gasoline and combined and leave more oil in the ground (at many of the books in the included with a reduction of birth rate is our least in the U.S.) for the future. bibliography. Referring back to my last hope to reach a future. A volun- • The tradable cards could be basic graph, shows the potential of tary reduction of consumption will used for barter or to redistribute all renewable energy at best, in the not work because that is not the na- wealth between those who can afford next 50 years, climbing to 10% of ture of the genetic drive for survival. more and those who choose to ride our present world oil extraction of Individuals will not go without if their bike. 75 million barrels per day. Even that others can’t be trusted to do the • Most importantly, the reduced possible energy level of 7.5 MB/D same. But it can be done collectively. would only be about 4% of our total I remember World War II as a boy present energy consumption from all when we had coupons for three gal- Live a better life, sources. But there is hope, at least for lons per week. We gladly shared the a long remission, only if we consider sacrifice because it was a “national with the the last two letters of our acronym, emergency” and all our oil was going Have More Plan LEARN and become aggressively to the war effort. What could be more proactive on a mass-movement scale. of an emergency than now, as we The Have-More We must not let the barrage of “feel- face the end of modern civilization? Plan, a 60-year- good” documentaries lull us into Consider the following details: old homestead complacency while we wait for the • It would be nationally admin- classic, this is the scientists to save us with dreams of istered in America only. We cannot book that en- algae and cellulosic ethanol. control the rest of the world. couraged thou- • Right now, we consume about sands to go “back R: Rationing, 400 million gallons a day (1/8th of to the land” to world oil consumption) or two gal- find a better life are you kidding? lons per day for each of 200 million after the Great Whenever a critical resource be- licensed drivers. That’s about 50 Depression and World War II. Charming gins a shortfall in supply, two things miles per day, an absurd amount of “old fashioned” illustrations and quaint happen: the value (price) increases travel. We all know the myriad ways wisdom that will help you make a small and consumers start competing for we could cut way back individually, cash income into the best and happiest the remains. This is the situation but totally ineffective on a national living any family could want. Let it guide with oil since 2005 when the peak scale. you into the 21st century with its histori- of extraction could no longer follow • Tradable Fuel Cards in the form cal perspective and homestead ideas that the steady upward trend in demand. of electronic swipe cards (TFC’s) are as valuable today as they were 60 The only answer, to buy time and could be distributed monthly by each years ago! 70 pages, $9.95 + $3.50 s&h. minimize chaos, is to equitably dis- state department of motor vehicles. (WI res. add 5.5% tax.) tribute the remaining supply with Those in special need because of criti- rationing. cal employment or hardship could Call the Market forces and/or increased apply for extra cards. Countryside Bookstore today! taxation only polarize the consum- • The first year, overall consump- ers between fewer wealthy and the tion would decline 5% (0.05 x 400) or 1-800-551-5691 32 All men are brothers, but, thank God, they aren’t all brothers-in-law. —Anthony Powerll price and forced reduction in gasoline indifference of Mother Nature inter- but their parents will be there to see purchases will leave more money spersed with the aggressive, biologi- them suffer in a world which will get in the economy to begin again the cal, genetic hard-drive to compete for a whole lot uglier. Isolated bunker demand for all things other than insufficient, meager resources. The mentality will not survive the coming gasoline. best example is any of the team sports tsunami because of the limitations like football, soccer, basketball, or of localization summarized in sec- N: Negative population growth lacrosse where the intent is to pos- tion “L” above. The planet is a finite If you think gasoline rationing sess a single resource (like a football, entity so we must respect the reality is a tough sell, this topic will be the which could represent a chicken) and of numbers. Please join this mission grand finale. return it, regardless of bodily harm, and get involved. At this point, please refer again to home with cheering dependents. ASPO-USA Supplement (Peak- to the main graph and the concept If there were footballs (chickens?) all Sex and review) November, 2011: of population momentum. One more over the stadium, there would be no We are a society saturated with sex. time…because we expect to live to see incentive to “fight.” The men could The innate desire to mate is one of our children, and their children and, stay home, build high-tech gadgets the most dominant drives, especially hopefully, our great-grandchildren, to avoid exercise, eat too much bad among males. Along with fleeing the bulge (momentum) of total popu- food, attract mates, and make more from danger, accessing food, and lation grows long into the future even babies. competing with other males, all at a reproductive (sometimes called The included bibliography in- insure continuity of life. In most suc- fertility) rate of only one child per cludes many titles specific to the pop- cessful species the males have little female (1CPF). As shown, the popu- ulation problem starting of course concern for the biological outcome or lation for a closed group of any size with Thomas Malthus who was future of a union between thousands at 1CPF will reach peak population “proven wrong” for the last 200 years of spermatozoa and millions of (in about 30 years after the start of the because of new lands, high-tech agri- the case of fish) female eggs. A few program and far beyond peak oil and culture and unlimited fossil fuels. The centuries of “modern man” cannot the sum of all energy, starting right best contemporary authors start with erase eons of successful survival. It about now. The numbers are based Al Bartlett (The Essential Exponential). takes hundreds of generations for on a typical demographic pattern He has given thousands of lectures the genetic code to slowly adapt to of: average age of reproduction at 25 on population throughout the world. a changing environment or develop years old, and average death at 80. Now, in his 80’s, he still has an office improved ways to access food, attract The starting date for the methodol- at the University of Colorado where females, and avoid being food for oth- ogy used assumes an age distribution he was teaching in the 1950s when ers. But the basic impetus to mate is as follows: 1 to 20 years old, 40%; 21 I was there as a young engineering always lurking, only recently hidden to 50 years old, 43%; 51 to 80 years student. Another author who com- by a facade of civilization. Combining old, 17%. bines both sides of the population- the need for food-energy and the urge If other age distributions are as- resource equation is Lindsey Grant for sex provides the backdrop for the sumed, the results would be slightly (The Collapsing Bubble and, Too many story of life, ours included. different, but the conclusion would People). He is instrumental in the U.S. We might start with the assump- be exactly the same. Because, with NGO, Negative Population Growth, tion: “higher intelligence” leads to modern medicine and dependable Inc. (www.npg.org), which focuses the obvious conclusion that a good food systems, we are so adept at directly on the subject. Another U.S. long life for all is only possible when death control, our population grows NGO is World Population Balance population is carefully kept within much larger for even a small birth (www.worldpopulationbalance. the carrying capacity of finite re- rate. Before industrial times, the av- org). In the U.K., several of the best sources. The antithesis is “less intel- erage age at death was much lower books are: The Rapid Growth of Hu- ligence,” that is not concerned about because of infant mortality and con- man Populations by William Stanton excess numbers and out-procreates tinuing through brief adulthood with and The Growth Illusion by Richard the visionaries who are striving for plagues, famines, childbirth death, Douthwaite. Similar work is spear- population control and long-term wars, and just a hard, short life. We headed by the Optimum Population sustainability. Is intelligence a regres- can’t have it both ways. Modern Trust (www.populationmatters.org). sive gene? health care is not compatible with a Many are trying to get the facts out. Frequently, our every-day activ- fertility rate higher than 1CPF, espe- To date, few are listening. ity and public interaction is openly, cially now that energy in the essential The only possible way to achieve or subliminally, concerned with sex. forms of food, fuel, and transporta- 1CPF in a modern, free society is with This is accepted and may be allowed tion will soon decline precipitously. vast publicity and peer pressure. The to run rampant depending on the Population control: This is obvi- public must realize that extra children times, marketing, religion, or local ously the fundamental challenge if born today will not only compete culture. The result of sex, beyond we don’t want to defer to the cruel with everyone else for resources, pleasure, obviously is population. Countryside & Small Stock Journal, January/February 2013 33 Yet, the subject stops there! We can can 1cpm be enforced, as a law of agreement regarding resources and openly discuss sex, but not popula- the land or financial credits? Can population. There are far too many tion because it is personal and taboo. the vasectomy be reversed if the differences in religion, tradition, In our great wisdom, we neuter our one child dies? At least the topics distance (especially in a future with pets and farm animals to insure of 1cpm or 1cpf should be publicly much less oil for long-distance move- population control, but now face the debated and addressed as in China ment), national resources, customs, threshold of a catastrophe because for thousands of years. The nations language, and the innate tendency for the inevitable decline in fossil-fueled that resolve the declining-energy/ procreation, survival and greed. (See food can only feed a fraction of the increasing population conflict will Dawkins, R., The Selfish Gene.) present world population. There are have the best chance to prevail in the Attempts to prove otherwise, like those that argue that if we all eat like next hundred years. the European Union and the United third-worlders or invent new ways Review: The basic premise of this Nations, are tentative and weak. Wars to manipulate agriculture, we will be entire document is that we are pre- are the results of disagreements and able to feed the nine billion mouths cariously late coming to terms with a worldwide “depletion protocol” of- projected by the U.N. in 2050. As- the growing tension (gap) between fers little hope for bridging disparate suming this was remotely possible increasing numbers to feed, and regional interests. and the crowding is acceptable, what declining fossil-fuels. Now, we must 2. National: Autonomous nations then? Sooner or later, population reduce population as discussed in have the best chance of surviving a must reach the ceiling of finite land, section “N” with 1cpf, or as a better post-peak oil future. They must be soil, water, and energy. The result, as alternative, 1cpm. The summary- large enough to have substantial Malthus calls it, is “misery.” We argue graph #2 shows why it requires both energy resources, national security, that peak oil and finite limits will an orderly reduction in per-capita en- food, and crop diversity. They contain equal peak food, but are we ready ergy usage, like rationing, plus nega- familiar and compatible cultures, for peak sex? tive population growth at the level yet still are large enough to insure a One child per male: I, for one, am of 1cpf (or 1cpm) to have any hope continuity of a high-tech, low-energy all for continuing sex, but not popu- of reaching a renewable, sustainable, industrial base, plus resilience to lation growth. In my opinion (and low-energy future. In what form of weather fluctuations and climate from personal experience) the best social structure can these goals pos- change. Each must ration critical re- way to achieve one child per female sibly be achieved? We will consider sources and control population, with (1cpf), and best hope for a controlled five levels starting with one extreme, or without cooperation from other descent from peak oil to transition the world, where the total population nations. They will have to defend to an acceptable low-energy future, just soared past seven billion. The their own borders (with the help of is to switch the gender emphasis on next lower step with a better chance traditional topography) to control population control, and the onus of of prevailing is a national structure population numbers and prevent responsibility, from females to one of government that exists with a attacks. child per male (1cpm). democratic framework of laws, or They must have the knowledge, In modern times the answer is so possibly a benevolent dictator (like resolve, and support of a majority simple. After one child, every male Plato’s ideal, an “independent phi- of the populace. (See sect. “E”.) A gets a vasectomy. After an hour in losopher”). The third level, where, in national level is the optimum bal- the urologist’s office and a couple of isolated instances, public discourse ance of size for a post-oil future with days of discomfort life can go on… and tentative steps are beginning, is sharply reduced travel and trade. A without social contention, abortions, “local.” This movement is discussed strong national leadership has the abstinence, frustration, birth control, in section “L” and needs further only chance of implementing ration- unwanted pregnancies, and extra division because the numbers could ing and population control. mouths to feed and care for. In ad- vary between millions, as in a regional 3. Regional, or state: Smaller com- dition, an only child will receive the component, province, or state in a ponents of a national level have less entire focus of love, attention, and fi- sovereign nation, down to several chance to survive alone. They over- nancial resources from two parents. hundred or a few thousand in a local lap in history, language, population, Sounds simple but, like gasoline community like a “transition town.” travel, and are too small to be energy, rationing, the devil is in the details. The fifth level is personal, which weather, and food resilient. Borders We will still have to respect traditions includes the immediate nearby fam- cannot be defined or secured. To do of cultures like the Amish. At least ily, and may be, at most, a few dozen so would duplicate national security they have a much-lower energy- people. The writer’s opinions on the and prohibit the flow of goods and impact and, like many Hispanics, are effectiveness of each size and popula- people, usually with common goals much better at growing food. Low tion level are summarized next: and language. birth rate is already fact, but not as 1. World: There is no hope for 4. Local: The potential for unique, low as 1cpm in some countries like a world of seven billion humans isolated, long-term survival, or resil- Italy, Japan, and Russia. Why? How to reach and enforce any type of ience in a localized community of a 34 34What’s a proper punishment for bigamy? Lord John Russel: Two mothers-in-law. few hundred people is practically nil for all the reasons discussed in section “L.” The group is too small in numbers and diversity to continue a complex, modern society by itself. 5. Personal: This level infers complete control of our own fate. Not true. Primitive survival required at least the support of a village, but still reflected the sum of individual contributions. Small, autonomous groups cannot possibly dictate leadership on the required national level unless they are just a part of a much larger movement with a common voice.

CGF B Bibliography Listed below are most of the books in my library, which bear directly on the interdepen- dent subjects of energy, economics, peak oil and population. Most are available from amazon. com, some for as little as one cent plus shipping. Many of the titles use the words “limits” or “collapse.” Some are decades out of print. Obviously, I can’t have read them all completely. I’m just a messenger. Time has run out. Is anybody listening? (Ed.: Due to space limitations, this list has been condensed.)

Astyk, S. (2008) Depletion and Abundance, Life On and Fossil Energy. the New Home Front. Greer, J. (2008) The Long Descent; The Ecotechnic Bartlett, A. (2004) The Essential Exponential, For the Future, Envisioning a Post-Peak World. Future of Our Planet. Grover, J. (1991) Beyond Oil: The Threat to Food Bligh, J. (2004) The Fatal Inheritance. and Fuel. Brown, L. (1999) Beyond Malthus, Nineteen Dimen- Hardin. G. (1993) Living Within Limits, Ecology, sions of the Population Challenge; (2008) Plan B 3.0, Economics, and Population Taboos; (1998) The Ostrich Mobilizing To Save Civilization; (2011) World on Edge, How Factor, Our Population Myopia. to Prevent Environmental and Economic Collapse. Hartmann, T. (1998) The Last Hours of Ancient Bardi, U. (2011) The Limits To Growth Revisited Sunlight. Berry, W. (1977) The Unsettling of America, Culture Heinberg, R. (2004) Power Down, Options and Ac- and Agriculture. tions for a Post-Carbon World; (2005) The Party’s Over: Boughey, A. (1976), Strategy for Survival, An Explo- Oil, War, and the Fate of Industrial Societies; (2007) Peak ration of the Limits to Further Population and Industrial Everything, Waking Up to the Century of Declines; (2006) Growth. The Oil Depletion Protocol, a Plan to Avert Oil Wars, Terror- Baker, C. (2009) Sacred Demise, Walking the Spiri- ism, and Economic Collapse; (2010) Post Carbon Reader, tual Path of Ind. Civilization’s Collapse. Managing the 21st Century’s Crisis; (2011) The End of Campbell, C. (1997) The Coming Oil Crisis; (2003) Growth, Adapting to Our New Economic Reality. The Essence of Oil& Gas Depletion. Hopkins, R. (2008) The Transition Handbook, From Catton, W. (1982) Overshoot, The Ecological Basis Oil Dependency to Local Resil. of Revolutionary Change. Howe, J. (2006) The End of Fossil Energy, and Last Carroll, J. (1997) The Greening of Faith, God, the Chance for Survival. (3rd Ed.) Environment, and the Good Life. Klare, M. (2008) Rising Powers, Shrinking Planet. Carr-Saunders, A. (1922) The Population Problem, Kunstler, J. (2005) The Long Emergency, Surviving A Study in Human Evolution. the Converging Catastrophes. Cipolla, C. (1978) The Economic History of World Laslo, E.(2006) Global Survival, the Challenges and Population. its Implications for Thinking and Acting. Cohen, J. (1995) How Many People Can the Earth Magdoff, F. (2010) Agriculture and Food in Crisis, Support? Conflict, Resistance, and Renewal. Cobb, K. (2010) Prelude, A Novel About Secrets, Malthus, T. (1978) An Essay on the Principle of Treachery, and the Arrival of Peak Oil. Population. Cooke, R. (2007) Detensive Nation, Redefining the Martinson, C. (2011) The Crash Course, The Role Government. Unsustainable Future of the Economy, Energy, and Cribb, J. (2010) The Coming Famine, the Global Food Environment. Crisis and What We Can Do. Mesarovic, M. (1974) Mankind at the Turning Point, Czech, B. (2000) Fuel for a Runaway Train, Errant the Second Report to the Club of Rome. Economists, Shameful Spenders. McKibbon, W. (1998) Maybe One: A Personal and Daly, H. (1996) Beyond Growth. Environmental Argument for Single-Child Families. Deffeyes, K. (2001) Hubbert’s Peak, The Impending Meadows, D. (1972) The Limits to Growth; (2004) World Oil Shortage; (2005) Beyond Oil, The View From Limits to Growth: The 30-Year Update. Hubbert’s Peak. Murphy, P. (2008) Plan C: Community Survival Deffeyes, K. (2010) When Oil Peaked. Strategies for Peak Oil. Diamond, J. (2005) Collapse, How Societies Choose Orlov, D. (2008) Reinventing Collapse: The Soviet to Fail or Succeed. Example and American Prospects. Dawkins, R. (2006) The Selfish Gene, 30th An- Pimentel, D. (1996) Food, Energy, and Society. niversary edition. Pfeiffer, D. (2003) The End of the Oil Age. Douthwaite, R. (1992) The Growth Illusion: How Ponting, C. (1991) A Green History of the World Economic Growth has Enriched the Few, Impoverished Roberts, P. (2009) The End of Food; (2004) The End the Many, and Endangered the Planet; 2011) Fleeing of Oil: On the Edge of a Perilous New World. Vesuvius, Overcoming the Risks of Economic and Envi- Romm, J. (2004) The Hype About Hydrogen. ronmental Collapse. Rothkrug, P. (1991) Mending The Earth: A World For Erlich, P. (1971) The Population Bomb. Our Grandchildren. Fletcher, S. (2011) Bottled Lightning, Super Batteries, And a couple that just don’t get it: Electric Cars, and the New Lithium Economy. Cole, H. (1973) Models of Doom, a Critique of the Gelbspan, R. (2004) Boiling Point. Limits to Growth. Grant, L. (2000) Too Many People, The Case for LaRouche, L. (1983) There Are No Limits To Reversing Growth; (2005) The Collapsing Bubble, Growth Growth. Countryside FP 9-12 Coyote:Mother Earth 4.5 x7 8/31/12 5:22 PM Page 1 CountrysidePRO & Small StockTE Journal,CT January/February 2013 35 YOURFARM from guys like him.

SATISFACTION GUARANTEED oryourmoneyback!

$ 95 ––––––––––––––19 SUPER LOW PRICE –––––––––––––– FREE SHIPPING On orders of 4 Nite•Guard Solar will be the best security system lights or more. you could ever buy against night animals, plus –––––––––––––– PROMO CODE 4FREE enjoy the secondary benefit of Nite Guard Solar giving the impression of a security DON’T BE system in place against intruders. FOOLED BY RECENT KNOCKOFFS

Mount the units eye level to the predator

If protection is needed in all four directions, four FOLLOW US ON FACE BOOK of the units are needed. www.facebook.com/niteguardllc

...... A FAMILY OWNED SCAN TO WATCH BUSINESS. CREATING VIDEO A SAFE ENVIROMENT FOR YOU AND YOUR See How It Works @ FAMILY SINCE 1997. PO Box 274 • Princeton MN 55371 ...... 1.800.328.6647 www.niteguard.com I36 was the 7th of nine children. When you come from that far down you have to struggle to survive. — Robert Kennedy Views differ on the population “problem”: Debunking the over-population myth

By Se a n La n a h a n Calculating calories produced in the year 2010. 9f Re s e a r c h ,©2012 Using the FAO world wide food Considering an average healthy La n a h a n 95@Li v e .Com production reports from 2010 and caloric intake of 2,000 calories per standard nutritional data, I have cal- person per day (2000 calories x 365 any in the world today…claim culated the total calories produced by days = 730,000) 730,000 calories are the world is on the brink of each food category, divided by seven consumed per person, per year. Munsustainable failure due to billion people per year (Calories, Per Generally men consume more our growing population. The entire Person, Per Year - C,PP,PY): than women. In 1971 American men population of seven billion people • Grains (corn, wheat, rice, etc.) consumed 2,450 calories per day, could take a nap inside the state of – 848,810 while women consumed 1,542, a Connecticut. The same amount of • Roots and tubers (potatoes, combined average of 1,996 calories people can live inside the state of Texas yams, carrots, etc.) – 113,856 per day. with the same population density of • Oils, pulses & nuts (olives, soy- The earth produced 1,661,460 New York City, leaving the rest of the beans, peanuts, etc.) – 302,586 C,PP,PY minus an average consump- globe devoid of human life. • Fruits and vegetables (oranges, tion of 730,000 C,PP,PY = 855,519 But that is not enough for most tomatoes, lettuce, etc.) – 78,091 extra calories, per person, per year. skeptics. They want to know about • Meat and eggs (chicken, beef, More than enough to sustain an ad- the impact of a growing population pork, etc.) – 113,856 ditional population of seven billion on food, water, air, waste, forests, • Fish and seafood (salmon, for a total of 14 billion people! oceans, animals, etc. Let’s take a look clams, lobster, etc.) – 21,496 at food. Is there enough? The earth is • Dairy (milk, cheese, butter, etc.) Land use more than able to support not only – 61,581 According to the FAO, there are seven billion souls, but up to two to • Raw sugar (sugar cane, sugar 12.07 billion acres of agricultural four times as much with a little work beets, etc.) – 121,483 land, all land capable of producing and little impact to other life. food. This includes arable land of 3.41 Most of the raw data that I use Total of all calories produced by billion acres capable of producing to prove my points are from official God’s creation—1,661,460 calories, temporary crops such as grains and government sources such as the FAO per person, per year or about 4,552 vegetables. Permanent crop land of (Food and Agriculture Organization calories, per person, per day! Multi- 375.8 million acres producing nuts of the United Nations) and USDA ply by seven billion people and you and fruits in trees or vines. Pasture/ (United States Department of Agri- have an approximate grand total of meadow land of 8.28 billion acres culture). 11.63 quadrillion calories that were providing for livestock foraging. Of the land above, only 769.8 million acres is irrigated. Most often irrigated lands can produce twice as much as non-irrigated. Total acreage of agricultural land per person equals 1.725 acres. All things being equal, 1.725 acres of land produces 1,639,964 calories per year (calories per person, per year, minus calories from fish and seafood). This is well over twice as much land as needed per person with very little that is actually irrigated! Countryside & Small Stock Journal, January/February 2013 37 Where do all the calories go? is the reason? developed world, thus they value A good chunk of the extra calories The developed world has the food more and waste little. produced each year are consumed equipment, infrastructure, and ex- If it were possible for the de- by the people of the planet. The perience to efficiently move product veloped world to consume more average American diet in 1971 was from harvest to retail with relatively efficiently (the same as Sub-Saharan about 2,000 calories a day. Accord- little loss. So much so that now it Africa), and the under-developed ing to a survey in 2004, that average costs a relatively small portion of world were to use modern equip- consumption has expanded to 2,247, personal spending. Thus, what is ment, infrastructure, and experience over a 10% increase and has likely in- not valuable to us is often taken (the same as North America and creased even more eight years later. for granted, the West has become Europe), by my estimation food loss It’s not just Americans that are eating picky, with little regard to throwing and waste could be reduced from more, but most of the world as well. away food that is no longer “ap- 34% to 19.8%—a savings of about From 1961 to 2003, the available (for petizing.” 235,213 C,PP,PY. Keep in mind that consumption) calories per capita has For example, for the past 80 if the under-developed world were risen from 2,254 to 2,809, over 24% years, the citizens of the USA have to use modern farming practices, increase in about four decades. enjoyed a steadily shrinking food not only would they preserve more In that same four-decade span, budget. From 1929 to 2010, food ex- food, but they would produce more the global population blossomed penditures as a percentage of dispos- as well. from three billion in 1961 to 6.3 able income fell from 23.4% to 9.4%. For example, modern irrigation billion in 2003, over double the At the same time, the food demand can increase wheat crop yields per population. At the same time, life from a burgeoning population has acre from 32.8 bushels per acre to 71.4 expectancy rose from an average of grown. Food production over the bushels per acre, a 117% increase. At 52.2 years in 1961 to 66 years in 2003, past 80 years has not only kept pace 60 lbs. of wheat per bushel, an extra over 25% increase across the globe. with demand, but surpassed it by a 3,434,628 calories can be produced. Not only did the population more great amount. Though I appreciate This is enough to feed an extra 4.7 than double, but we lived longer and Benjamin Franklin’s quote “waste people, per acre, per year (at a 2,000 consumed even more calories over a not, want not,” I can’t help but think calorie diet per day) just by adding lifetime. The Earth, along with our that in today’s overabundance, the irrigation. Many may wonder why fruitful domination, creativity, our better term is actually “want not, Africa is starving. The answer has hard work and ingenuity, and God’s waste much.” nothing to do with the earth’s ability blessed provision, has been able to The under-developed world un- to produce what they need. Rather, produce more than enough. Because fortunately does not have the equip- the cause is a ridiculous geo-political we have been created in God’s like- ment, infrastructure, and experience aberration surrounding faulty no- ness, we have the ability to do amaz- needed to efficiently move product tions of “sustainability.” ing and wonderful things. from harvest to retail. Threshing grain by hand, for example, incurs Feed people or cars? Over-abundance greater losses than if done by ma- There is also a contingent of food We’ve actually created an over- chine. However, once the product produced and wasted that does not abundance of food. So much so that reaches the store and the dinner end up in a landfill, but actually hundreds of thousands of calories plate, the under-developed world makes it into your fuel tank. Veg- per person, per year (C,PP,PY) are becomes very efficient in consump- etable cooking oil is now being re- lost or wasted every year. tion. Food costs as a percentage of covered on a large scale in the West, Roughly 564,532 (34%) calories, personal income are greater in the chiefly used for bio-fuels, specifically per person, per year are lost or wasted through the activities of The Original Manual For Living Off The Land & Doing It Yourself harvest, post harvest, processing, distribution, and consumption. The Encyclopedia of Country Living The developed world (Europe, North America and Industrial Asia) b y Carla Em e r y is very good at preventing losses Practical advice, invaluable information and collected wisdom from harvest to distribution, but is for folks in the country, city, and anywhere in between. Includes how rather wasteful from retail to the to cultivate a garden, buy land, bake bread, raise livestock, make sausage, grow herbs, churn butter, build a chicken coop, catch a pig, dinner plate. The opposite is true for cook on a wood stove, pinch pennies, create and live with renewable the under-developed world (Africa, energy sources, deliver a baby alone, preserve and can your own Asia and Latin America). Often their food, make a quilting frame, prune a tree, bathe under primitive largest losses occur from harvest to conditions, make your own vinegar, treat bites and stings from ticks, distribution, but they are very effi- scorpions, snakes and spiders, and so much more. 885 pages, $29.95 + s/h. cient at the consumption level. What 1-800-551-5691 • www.countrysidemag.com 38 A meal without flesh is like feeding on grass. — Indian proverb bio-diesel. Some corn, sugar beets, these types of seawater greenhouses and sugar cane (not included in the with the above specifications listed food data above), is being grown in the article: for bio-fuels such as ethanol. Some • 311,540 facilities could be built agricultural lands that are used to (50 hectares apiece) 10.592360 billion grow fuel could produce food for tons of food could be produced per human consumption instead. More year (about three times as much as calories would become available to the current grain, tuber, root, fruit feed more people instead of fueling and vegetable harvest, equaling cars and trucks. 3.580572593 billion tonnes per year) At a paltry 25¢ per pound, the value Farming in Israel of that produce could bring $5.29618 From its founding, Israel’s farm- trillion dollars in sales. ing has been a monumental effort of • 48.2887 trillion kilowatt hours self-preservation. They have literally has increased from 74,000 acres could be generated (at a better than had to cultivate hard, rocky soil in (30,000 ha) in 1948 to some 460,000 fair price of 10¢ a kilowatt hour, an arid climate to produce food for acres (190,000 ha) today. Israeli $4.82887 trillion dollars of revenue themselves. Over the past 60 years agricultural production rose 26% could be generated). And 249.232 they have become extremely suc- between 1999 and 2009, while the million jobs could be created. These cessful. number of farmers dropped from SWGs are not fantasy-land day- Wikipedia states: “Modern agri- 23,500 to 17,000. Farmers have also dreams, many are already in exis- culture developed in the late nine- grown more with less water, using tence and more are slated to come teenth century, when Jews began 12% less water to grow 26% more on line. settling in the land. They purchased produce.” land which was mostly semi-arid, The population of Israel has in- No longer doom and gloom although much had been rendered creased from 1.25 million in 1950 to At this point, your doom and untillable by deforestation, soil ero- 7.48 million in 2012, a 500% increase. gloom about the planet’s prospects sion, and neglect. They set about The otherwise “useless” land has should be lifting slightly, maybe clearing rocky fields, constructing been subdued and dominated to the causing a half smile to form across terraces, draining swampland, point of not only producing enough your lips. There is more than enough reforesting, counteracting soil ero- food for its rapidly growing popula- room, food, water, trees and space sion, and washing salty land. Since tion, but also an abundance for export for all our garbage. You’ve heard it independence in 1948, the total area to the tune of 22% of production. said that “necessity is the mother of under cultivation has increased from Since 1948 they expanded the total invention,” God, man and the earth 408,000 acres (1,650 km2) to 1,070,000 area of cultivation from 408,000 acres have not only met every demand acres (4,300 km2), while the number to 1,070,000 acres (about 150% in- from a burgeoning population but of agricultural communities has increase), while increasing production have exceeded them abundantly! creased from 400 to 725. Agricultural 16-fold. This is from what was once It’s true that the human family has production has expanded 16 times, considered desolate wasteland (read exploded in growth over the past three times more than population Mark Twain) combined with some several decades, but as I have dem- growth. sweat equity and God’s blessing. onstrated, our ability to produce “Water shortage is a major prob- food has grown even more so, creat- lem. Rain falls between September New technology ing huge surpluses, bringing down and April, with an uneven distri- What about the deserts of the the costs for food for all people. bution across the country, from 28 world? Consider the Seawater Green- Consider these calculations. If inches (70 cm) in the north to less house: you were to take every single man, than two inches (5 cm) in the south. “A single Sahara Forest Project woman and child on the face of the Annual renewable water resources facility with 50 MW of concentrated planet (nearly seven billion precious are about 5.6 billion cubic feet solar power and 50 hectares of sea- souls to date) and make them lay (160,000,000 m3), of which 75% of water greenhouses would produce down on the ground side by side and which is used for agriculture. Most 34,000 tons of produce, employ over head to toe, laying out an immense of Israel’s fresh water sources have 800 people, export 155 GWh of elec- “human carpet,” that “carpet” of been consequently joined to the tricity and sequester more than 1,500 human beings would not even cover

National Water Carrier, network of tons of CO2 each year.” the state of Connecticut. pumping stations, reservoirs, canals Let’s project this amazing poten- Here’s the math. This allows and pipelines which transfers water tial. The major hot arid deserts cover 18 square feet per individual (3' x from the north to the south. 15,577,000 sq.km. If but a meager 1% 6'). Granted, children would take “The area of irrigated farmland of that desert space was used to build up much less room, but they are a Countryside & Small Stock Journal, January/February 2013 39 bit squirmy and don’t sit still very Fortunately for most of us, we abl...ct_countries http://earthtrends.wri. well. don’t have to live in such relative org/searchabl...=8&cID=&ccID=0 • 18 square feet times seven bil- “claustrophobic” conditions. http://earthtrends.wri.org/search- lion people equals 126 billion square Unfortunately, a population con- abl...ct_countries http://earthtrends.wri. feet. trol movement in the world today is org/searchabl...ct_countries • 27,878,400 square feet are inside seeking to scare the masses with the www.fao.org/fileadmin/user_up... one square mile. “over-population” myth of “unsus- ns/GFL_web.pdf • 126 billion square feet divided tainability.” A scare tactic used by http://faostat.fao.org/site/377/ default.aspx#ancor by 27,878,400 equals 4,519.63 square them to control the lives of individu- www.ers.usda.gov/briefing/ miles. als and justify all kinds of dehuman- cpi...006table97.htm Connecticut is the 48th largest izing acts, primarily abortion and www.ers.usda.gov/Briefing/CPI... state at 5,544 square miles, only euthanasia. les/table7.htm beating out Rhode Island and Dela- www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publi- ware in size. That’s right, the entire Supporting links: ca..._1_033_033.pdf population of planet Earth can lay http://faostat.fao.org/site/567/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agri- down and take a nap inside the state Desk...geID=567#ancor culture_in_Israel of Connecticut with some room to http://nutritiondata.self.com/ http://blogs.ei.columbia. edu/2011/02...in-the-desert/ spare, leaving the remainder of the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obe- sity www.mbgnet.net/sets/desert/hot. globe completely uninhabited. http://earthtrends.wri.org/search- htm “But all those people couldn’t possibly live like that!” you exclaim. “Come on dude, get real!” Okay, what if all of those seven Handy Farm Devices billion inhabitants were to live in one big fully functional “mega city,” the and How to Make Them same size population density of New By Rolfe Cobleigh York City? They would fit inside the You will find hundreds of clever ways to transform those odds foot print of the state of Texas, again and ends that might seem like junk into very useful gadgets and leaving the remainder of the globe tools, from a treadmill that can power a dairy separator and completely devoid of human life. churn, to a drinking fountain for chickens. Other devices in- Here’s the math. The population clude a rig for moving large trees; a self-feeder for bees; a hand of New York City is 8,175,133 and garden cultivator; and gates that lift over snowdrifts. It's full of covers 303 square miles. useful illustrations and includes a whole section of tried-and- • 8,175,133 divided by 303 equals true tips. 304 pages, $9.95 + s/h. a population density of 26,980 per- To order call 1-800-551-5691 • www.countrysidemag.com sons per square mile. • Seven billion people living at a population density of 26,980 per square mile would require a mega Herbal Remedy Gardens city, which encompasses 259,451 square miles. 38 Plans for Your Health and Well-Being The state of Texas sits on 268,580 square miles—more than enough By Dorie Byers room. But, I doubt them Texans Even if you've never gardened before, you would appreciate all them city slick- can care for yourself and your family using ers moving in on their turf. time-tested herbal remedies harvested from The entire land mass on planet Earth (excluding Antarctica, and who your own medicinal herb garden. Customize would want to live there anyway?) a garden to suit your space and your specific is 52,208,738 square miles. Our fic- health needs with more than 35 illustrated plans for easy to-maintain container titious “mega city,” housing every and backyard gardens. Gardens included are cold and flu, decongestant, head- single individual on planet Earth, ache relief, healthy heart, woman's care and rejuvenation. 19 pages, $16.95 + some 259,451 square miles, would tax and shipping. only take up 0.5% of the entire land mass. That’s right, only half of one Call: 1-800-551-5691 or visit • www.countrysidemag.com percent, leaving 99.5% of terra firma Countryside Bookstore, completely uninhabited. 145 Industrial Dr., Medford, WI 54451 40 There’s a great power in words, if you don’t hitch too many of them together. —Josh Billings bors willing to pay cash or perhaps trade with others for these services. I wrote an article in another publication on ways to make your own diesel fuel for 80¢ per gallon out of Instant jobs waste cooking oil discarded from any fast food restaurant. While the process is very simple, it does require & bartering some specialized tanks, filters, and pumps, and these are available in do- it-yourself kits for under $2,000. The in challenging times article includes contact information for suppliers of this equipment and directions for getting started. With the high cost of diesel fuel, others are By Jeffrey R. Yago, P.E. CEM parts are available over the Internet finding out it is easy to produce all the with overnight delivery, so you can fuel they need for their diesel vehicles hen economic times get get by without having a large parts and farm equipment. However, you hard, and unemployment inventory. Industrial catalog supply better make friends fast with the Wrises, there are still many houses sell starter kits of all types manager of your nearest restaurant or ways to create your own full-time of small hardware. For example, for you may find yourself fighting with or several part-time jobs if you find under $20 you can buy a partitioned other diesel fuel producers trying to yourself facing a job loss. plastic box containing a few of every pump out the restaurant’s waste oil It’s true that during an economic size bolt you will need. Similar kits tank each week. downturn there are fewer movies and are also available with every size of I know a husband and wife team less eating out, reduced driving, and metric bolts, retainer rings, shaft key who has started an office cleaning ser- more stay-at-home mac and cheese stock, washers and springs. There are vice. This is a perfect second job since dinners; but there will always be several schools offering home study office managers want the cleaning people with money who need the courses on small engine repair, and and trash removal done after hours or services of others. It’s also possible to many trade schools offer night classes at night. I know another couple who acquire things you need from others that teach the basics. provide window cleaning services by trading or bartering without any I know a really agile man who can for stores and offices having lots of cash involved. climb anything, and he is making a windows, and another couple who great living cutting down or topping have started a mobile pet groom- Start a family business: large trees in people’s yards. Storm ing service. I know a young student I own a lawn mower, weed-eater, damage makes people wary about doing car detailing by working out log splitter, wood chipper, golf cart, tall trees near their home, and most of an old panel truck he drives to and portable generator, but at least adults cannot climb trees, or lack each client. The great thing about all one is always malfunctioning, need- special climbing gear. With only a these service businesses is they only ing parts and repair. However, I can chainsaw, several ropes, and climbing require basic tools and supplies. never find anybody who knows gear, he can quickly climb to the top If you are facing a very long what they are doing and the large and bring down the largest tree—one period of unemployment and are equipment repair centers are always limb at a time with no danger to any currently just starting to receive months behind. I have an almost new nearby structures. Since most clients unemployment benefits, this would Honda generator that I have returned just want the tree removed, this is be a perfect time to take a few trade to the local service center three times also a great source of firewood he school classes that could lead to a with the same problem and they still can split and sell later. Sometimes he totally different career path. cannot fix it right. In the past I would brings a helper along to do the rope usually just go buy a new one, but work from below and clean up. Since Re-training: during hard times more people have he does not have a checking account While it’s been longer than I can to make do with what they have, and he only accepts cash. No doubt his remember when I was in high school, this means repair instead of replace. back-pocket accounting system could my engineering work has included Every town needs somebody who lead to future tax issues, but his projects in hundreds of high schools is great with tools and understands yearly income most likely is below and trade schools over the past few small engine repair. Start-up costs the threshold for paying taxes. years. I was amazed to see all of the are very low if you already own your Anyone who owns a riding lawn modern trade school facilities in to- own hand tools and have a small shed mower, tiller, pressure washer, or day’s high schools. Not only did I see or garage to work from. Most repair farm tractor can always find neigh- an automotive shop in every school, Countryside & Small Stock Journal, January/February 2013 41 but most schools also included shops around town and collect discarded or Exchange” requires you to report as teaching block laying, wood framing, defective toasters, radios, and other income the “Fair Market Value” of electrical wiring, hair stylist, culinary electrical appliances. I also found that anything you trade, even though you arts, computerized machine tools, most of these only required a good are just exchanging one item for an- child care, computer aided graphics, cleaning and a new power cord to other and receive no cash. Currently photography, roofing, welding, steel put them back into working order. I the tax code kicks in during any tax fabricating, basic electronics, comput- then sold these for cash to purchase year when your bartering items were er repair, and greenhouse gardening. hand tools and supplies, or traded valued at $600 or more. I also found that some high schools with others who also had limited When economic times get difficult and trade schools offer adult night cash but were willing to give up and job loss really puts a dent in your classes for retraining at little or no something they had that I needed. cash flow, most people have a large cost. Enduring months of unemploy- What many people may not realize is accumulation of “things” that they no ment may not be enjoyable, but using that bartering is actually better than a longer need, but cannot sell because this otherwise lost time learning a cash transaction since both people get everyone else is also suffering finan- new skill set or trade can make the exactly what they wanted. Nobody cially. Clearly bartering or trading is time much more rewarding. feels like they paid too much or got an easy way to get the items you both ripped off. Everyone has something want, instead of cutting the price each Bartering and trading: that they can live without and no week until finally sold through a local I think bartering or trading for the longer need. You both are getting newspaper ad. products and services you need is a something from someone else that is This country is still facing a moun- lost art that is starting to come back exactly what you need, and no cash tain of debt, a real risk for hyper-infla- into public acceptance as cash re- changes hands. tion as cash continues to lose its value, sources become scarce. Our ancestors There are people who get really and a slow job recovery due to business found that even when poor, it was good at bartering and I have known belt-tightening when hit with higher possible to trade garden produce, some real “horse traders” who made taxes. I hope you find something in this handmade furniture, or their own a living just trading for everything special issue that helps you improve labor to others who were willing to they needed. Sometimes this means your income or job prospects during trade for things they had in return. trading for something you do not these difficult times. While you may no longer find a local really want because you know some- dentist willing to trade filling your body else who does, requiring you to Barter and trading web sites: kid’s cavity for a chicken or goat, you make two separate trades to end up Swap Ferit: www.swapferit.com still can trade for many of the things with what you really wanted. Check Barter Quest: www.barterquest.com Barter Business Unlimited: www.bbarter.com you need without using cash. your hometown paper for scheduled Trade Away: www.tradeaway.com You may be surprised to learn that “swap meets” or go in with several U – Exchange: www.u-exchange.com there is a growing number of others neighbors and have your own garage Swap Treasures: www.swaptreasures.com in your town who are willing to trade sale. Swap Market: www.market.swap.com the things they have for sale if offered A word of caution is in order. It’s things they need in return. To help one thing if you trade a neighbor Jeff Yago is a licensed professional en- put traders together, there are now your unused weed-eater for a case of gineer and certified energy manager with many websites advertising products beer. However, if you plan to barter or over 30 years of experience in the energy and services available for barter or trade with others on a regular basis, conservation field. He has extensive solar trade. I started bartering as a teenager be warned that yes – there is a tax photovoltaic and emergency preparedness when I had no money, but did have form that collects income taxes even experience, and has authored numerous the skills to repair household appli- though no cash changes hands. IRS articles and texts. His website is www. ances. I found I could ride my bike Form 1099-B “Proceeds From Barter pvforyou.com.

+ = 42 The thing generally raised on city land is taxes. — Charles Dudley Warner Homestead business: Succeeding in an offline business You don’t need a computer to run a business on your homestead

By Je f f e r y Go s s , Jr. It’s not incredibly hard; you just has its own extension agent and one PO Bo x 14122 need the basic skills of research, net- or more specialists. One university Sp r i n g f i e l d , MO 65814 working, and recordkeeping. Those generally operates the program in three traditional business skills were each state. You can find the county s recently as several years around long before the computer office number by calling the ag de- ago, I didn’t anticipate that was ever invented. As for commu- partment office for that state. AI would ever be writing an nication, there is almost no impor- Another way you can sometimes article like this one. After all, I never tant business activity that cannot be find the address or phone number anticipated that merely not using the done by mail, telephone, or fax. Up for a farm is by contacting an associ- Internet would be considered by some until recently, everyone in business ation that deals with the farm’s crop people an oddity, like being “off-grid” knew how to do these things. But in or animal specialty. There are asso- often is. the past decade or so, many small ciations for specific crops (e.g., Kan- Read business magazines and business owners have become so de- sas Soybean Growers, Missouri Nut you will see hundreds of articles pendent upon the Internet that they Growers Association), particular telling people how to use comput- would be “basket cases” without it. breeds of livestock (e.g., Heartland ers and the Internet in their entre- And the worst part is that they think Highland Cattle Association, Finn- preneurial ventures. Yet you will it’s not feasible to operate a business sheep Breeders Association, Ameri- seldom see anything written about off-line, so they don’t even try. can Angus Association, etc.), and how to do business without using The primary purpose of this ar- particular farm. For instance, if you computers or the Internet. It amazes ticle is to help those who have lost are trying to make contact with an me more and more every year, how these skills, or who never learned organic soybean grower in Missouri, many people think you can’t run a them. you might call the Missouri Organic business without those technologies. Association and the Missouri Soy- It’s mainly white-collar city people Finding information bean Growers to find out if he/she who think this, but I have occasion- What do you do when you need is a member. Then, if you don’t find ally encountered the same assump- to find some information, maybe an out that way, you might call the ex- tion in rural America. address or telephone number for an- tension office in the county where other company, and you don’t have the farmer appears to be located. You’re not alone it (and no Internet to look it up)? To track down an individual, or First, let’s get some perspective The local chamber of commerce an unlisted home business or farm on this. For all the millions of folks in the town where it is located will is sometimes a bit harder, but not who use the Net, the fact remains probably know about it. Your local always. If the person is listed in a that there are billions who don’t. chamber of commerce will probably phone book this will be available Approximately 90% of the world’s have a copy of a directory that lists nationally, through directory assis- population consists of non-computer the addresses and phone numbers of tance at any major library. Instead users. There are roughly 100 million chambers nationwide. Just call the of calling a paid directory assistance Americans and 18 million Canadi- appropriate chamber number, and service, try first calling the reference ans who don’t use the Internet, ac- ask about the business you need to desk at your closest large library. cording to relatively recent statistics. find. The service is free, and the librarian So if you think you’re the only one If you are trying to contact a farm can usually find the address and/or who’s not online these days, you’re or a rural or agricultural business, telephone number of anyone in the wonderfully wrong. In fact, non-us- you can often find the information nation (if you’re in the U.S.). In Can- es are a majority in most rural areas by calling the cooperative extension ada, you may have to dial a library in North America. office closest to the farm or compa- number in the same province as the So how do you run a business ny. The cooperative extension (in the person you are trying to locate. without a computer? Quite simply, United States) is a program operated Newspapers, city halls, and li- you do it the way businesses have by each state’s university, and each cense offices are other sources of been run for the past century or two. county, district, or parish usually information that can often help Countryside & Small Stock Journal, January/February 2013 43 you find a number or address for front pages of your phone directory) lar books are examples of reference a business, church, organization or and try to figure out the likely cur- literature. A major way that individ- notable individual in a particular rent area code for the old number. uals and businesses have obtained community. Sometimes it takes two necessary information for the past or three brief telephone calls to find Hit the books few hundred years is by keeping a out how to reach someone, but if it is You can find most of the reference small library of reference works to a person or business with any public information you need from a sur- consult as the need arises. or community presence at all, it usu- prisingly small collection of books. ally won’t take more than four calls. Some of them are probably already Advertising, announcing, and Keep a notebook or sheet with a list on your bookshelf. Reference works awareness of the “intermediate” contacts you are available on just about any sub- In addition to paid print and ra- use a lot. For example, if you need ject, and the most useful are those dio advertising, there are a number to locate and contact companies in with a large volume of entries as op- of places where you can advertise Montana frequently, keep the phone posed to a long section on each of a for no cost or almost no cost. Some numbers for Montana newspapers, more limited number of entries. Try newspapers allow free classified extension offices, and chambers of to find directories or dictionaries of advertising; the Four-State Farm and commerce. You’ll soon have a col- information on subjects you need to Home (Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas lection of the contacts with which research often. Certain books con- and Oklahoma) is an example, and to work. Then you will be able to tain a wide variety of information, one that tends to get good results, quickly locate almost anyone you such as the World Almanac, which although you have to send in the ad need to find, with just one or two comes out every year and is a quick the same month as you clip the ad calls, and no more time spent than a reference on commonly sought form from the paper. few minutes. data. The populations and leaders Local bulletin boards (found at What about finding other kinds of countries, the dates of historical stores, post offices, laundromats, of information, such as market data? events, the membership numbers of etc.) are another easy venue for Usually the most commonly sought well-known associations, the basic free advertising, but not always the farm commodity and livestock pric- highest-volume way to get response. es are published in the farm section However, since there are a rela- of your local newspaper, and aired tively small number of people who on the radio. Wherever you are in are likely to see the board, there is North America, you can almost actually a high percentage rate of re- certainly find a radio station with a sponse. Sometimes you can make re- daily “ag news” segment, usually in sponse easier by leaving the bottom the morning or at noon. If you don’t of the flyer as cut strips containing know which stations broadcast this your telephone number, so readers information or at what times, just can tear one strip to take home. You ask around. If you are looking for will see this technique often on bul- harder to find U.S. crop prices (e.g., letin boards. Some of the best places lentils or pecans), check with the Na- for such ads are in small-town post tional Agricultural Statistics Services offices, and in places where the (NASS) by calling 800-727-9540 or types of people you are trying to 202-720-0127. If you want to check reach congregate. (Note that bulle- up on farm commodity futures, call tin boards and flyer tables in librar- Dreyfus Commodities (the source ies are usually off-limits to for-profit of many newspaper agricultural re- business ads.) ports on price) at 888-381-0760. Simple roadside signage is an ef- Sometimes you will encounter a fective form of advertising for some telephone number that appears to be stories of major news events during businesses, especially for farm- “out of service.” Although the num- the past year, and hundreds of other related businesses. For example, ber may indeed be decommissioned, bits of information; this one volume if you breed Cheviot sheep, you quite often (especially in the case of alone saves a great deal of research. might put up signs stating “Cheviot numbers taken from old sources) The Pocket Reference guides are Rams & Ewes For Sale,” followed the area code has been split, and the good for scientific and mathemati- by your address and phone num- number remains the same but in a cal information, if you often need to ber (large and legible enough to be different area code. For example, look up those sorts of things. Farm- noted without effort by potential New Mexico was divided into two ers‘ Almanacs, plant and insect iden- buyers). The signs could be located area codes in 2007. Look on a map tification guides, state or provincial not only at your own farm, but at of area codes, (usually found in the atlases covering your area, and simi- other places in your area, on other 44 Business is a combination of war and sport. — André Maurols farmers’ land (with their consent), a computer user even if they have for off-line business owners, but it or at road intersections, although in no reason to think so, or they will can also be done in various ways. some places the highway crews will give only electronic methods to con- Some payment processing services remove intersection signs. (Know tact them. These are some examples accept written lists of charge card the local laws.) Depending on what of things you will likely hear: transactions (as for a mail or cata- you are selling, you may even find “I can send you our basic in- log-based business); for a storefront it worth your while to put signage formation, what is your e-mail ad- or other business in which custom- up in surrounding counties or town- dress?” ers/clients physically come to you, ships. Even if your business is not a “Just go to our website to get or a “merchant machine” can be farm, road signs can still be effective your questions answered, it is….” obtained at a relatively cheap price, advertising in many cases. Recall the “Feel free to contact me on- allowing you to “swipe” cards. old “Burma Shave” products, which line…” were promoted almost exclusively “I’m sorry, I don’t have that ad- For the record by humorous rhymes posted on dress, you will have to look it up on Keeping records is an important signs placed along rural roadways. (insert any popular computer search habit for whatever you are doing, If you are trying to buy or sell a engine).” whether it be farming or freelancing one-time item or series of items, you “Instead of just telling me this, or operating a storefront or service can use the radio trading-post shows why don’t you send me an e-mail?” business. Human memory is notori- that air in many communities. Most ously unreliable, and money is no- of these shows are on AM (MW) sta- All of these are typical examples toriously adept at slipping through tions during the morning hours, but of how business people sometimes cracks (just as time does). Even re- some stations air them later in the assume, either out of arrogance cords you might not think are im- day. You simply call into the show, or ignorance, that everyone (or at portant should be saved, since you tell them what you have to sell or are least everyone worth dealing with) never know when you might need seeking to buy, and leave your tele- uses the Internet. This assumption them. phone number. This is a free way to is encountered much more often in With computerized businesses, make the contacts. In some regions some industries than in others, but much information is automatically there are free advertising papers you will likely encounter it at some recorded electronically. But with a that serve the same purpose; in Mis- point. Often the easiest way to deal traditional, “analog” business, you souri, the Weekly Trader is a place with it is to calmly say, “I don’t do must do it on purpose. I use paper to advertise any item priced under email” or “I don’t use a computer.” folders that are color coded to or- $1,000 without any advertising fee; Usually the person you are talking ganize documents. A black folder the only stipulation is that the item to will at that point suggest another holds orders (filled on the left and may not be a live animal. method of communication, or ask outstanding on the right), a blue Some businesses have Fax on you how you want to do it, and folder holds formal letters and con- Demand (F.O.D.) service, in which then you can suggest an appropri- tracts, a darker blue one holds in- the interested party can use a fax ate method (telephone, fax, postal formation sheets, etc. machine to get an automated flyer mail, etc., depending on your situ- You should always have at least or bulletin about the business. This ation.) Once in a while, though, one notebook devoted to keeping service was quite popular for some someone will say that because of contact information. This “address time, and is still standard in some business policy, “we will only send book” can be divided according industries, but can be expensive to it by e-mail” or “this is only avail- to region (local contacts, long-dis- set up. It may be worth doing if you able online.” These business people tance, categorized by state or prov- have, or anticipate, a high demand are generally not worth dealing ince). You can arrange them by sub- for information for your business, with anyway, if they are unwilling ject or type of significance, but this but otherwise it would likely be un- to accommodate traditional meth- is generally not a good idea since economical. ods of communication. But in such those things can change, and quite cases it might be good to advise the often someone you contact for one Making connections business owner, in a friendly way, reason one time will be the person and transactions with statistics such as those given you get in touch with for a differ- Networking, the art of connecting at the beginning of this article, that ent reason later on. You can also do individuals is one of the fundamen- there are many other off-line peo- strict alphabetization, although you tal skills needed in any business. ple, and that their business is be- should remember to leave enough In business-to-business (B-to-B) ing lost. These conversations often room that you don’t find yourself communications, you will probably become quite interesting, and even unable to squeeze in a particular have to deal sooner or later with constructive. address or phone number at the the hubris of the online community. Accepting payment via debit or correct place (e.g., trying to find a Sometimes they will assume you are credit card is sometimes a challenge spot for John Smith’s information Last trainCountryside out to & get Small off Stock the Journal, grid? January/February 2013 45 Amazing “Solar Generator” Is Like Having A Secret Power Plant Hidden In Your Home! number one reason you don’t want to be caught in a #5. Multiple Uses. time of crisis with a gas generator is… BY MiKE WALTERS You can use your solar backup to run STAFF WRITER, OFF THE GRID NEWS Gas Stations Can’t Pump Gas essential appliances when emergencies arise. Without Electricity! You can recharge phones, run shortwave radios, It’s true. When the power goes out, you’re ew solar powered backup provides televisions, lights, fire place or furnace fans, as left with whatever gas you have on hand because instant electrical power in any outage or well as computers and printers. Plus, if you need the gas station pumps all run on electricity. A few disaster. to work in the woods at the cabin or in a boat, N gallons stored in a gas can means a little electricity If you have ever wanted to have an emergency you can use the solar backup to run power tools, for a little while, then it’s quickly “back to black.” backup system that supplies continuous electrical trimmers, blowers and coffee makers. Here’s the thing: I could go on and on about power, this will be the most important message you life without electricity and what a nightmare gas #6. Plug And Play Means instant Power. will ever read. Here is why. generators can be. But here’s the bottom line: The emergency backup system comes There is now a completely portable (and Solutions From Science is now offering an amazing ready to go. Just start plugging in your favorite ultra-high efficient) solar power generator which power generating system that can provide plenty household essentials. produces up to 1800 watts of household electricity of electrical power in the event of an outage or By the way... the units go for about on demand when you need it most. News of this emergency. And the best part is that you can have $1697.00 plus shipping and handling. “solar backup generator” (it’s the first “off-the-grid” the power safely in your house. But I’m going to show you a way around breakthrough in 50 years) is spreading like wild fire that. I have negotiated a very special offer for all across the country! A True Breakthrough in readers of Countryside magazine. Why? Home Power Generation! Here’s the deal. You can use coupon code The answer is easy. You see, this solar generator CS120 to get one for $200.00 off as a reader of is extremely powerful and yet very simple to use. Let me try to explain the features and benefits of a solar generator as simply as possible. If I could Countryside magazine. To do that, the absolute It produces continuous electricity and runs with bring one over to your house and let you start fastest way to get one is by going to the website absolutely no noise whatsoever. It emits no fumes. plugging in appliances, you would immediately at: But the best part about the solar generator is that understand what all the fuss is about. But I can’t do www.MySolarBackup.com once you own one, you can... that. Anyway, here are some of the reasons I think If you would like to order by phone, you Generate Free Electricity From The Sun! you’ll want a solar generator: can call toll-free by dialing 800-218-4615. Charged by the sun with a powerful solar panel, #1. Maximum Power in Minimum Time. Tell whoever answers that you want the “Solar the unit then stores the power for your use when Backup Generator” system rushed to you and The solar generator can be set up in just a few you need it. We all face natural disasters, with you have a coupon because you are a reader of minutes. Then, all you have to do is start plugging hurricanes, tornadoes, snow and ice storms cutting Countryside magazine. things in. It can run both AC & DC appliances off electrical power to millions of Americans each Or, if you prefer to pay by check or money anywhere… anytime. year. order (payable to Solutions From Science), Then there are man-made disasters and outages. #2. Back Up Power When You Need it Most. simply send your payment to: Blackouts and rolling brownouts are becoming It’s called a “solar backup” because it’s designed Solutions From Science common in many parts of the United States as our to come to your rescue when power trouble starts grid gets stretched beyond its capacity. and your lights go out. Run a small refrigerator Dept. Solar Backup CS120 The truth is, we are extremely vulnerable to all (high efficient ones are best) to keep your food from 815 W. Main St. kinds of meltdowns that can create temporary or going bad. P.O. Box 518 even permanent electrical outages. That’s why if Thomson, iL 61285 you are one of the few Americans that thinks ahead, #3. Portable Power. you need to… If the going ever gets too tough where you are I’m so convinced every American household needs a Solar Generator, that I’ve Have A Solar Powered Backup in Place! and you decide to “get out of Dodge,” you simply throw it in the car and take off to a safer destination. arranged for this special deal to get one to you When you compare a solar generator to a gas at this dirt cheap price. (When you call, ask #4. Generates Permanent Power. generator, the difference is pretty remarkable. Here’s about their free shipping offer as well.) why. First, gas generators make an incredible amount The unit provides 1800 watts of electricity at Just hurry, call 800-218-4615 of racket… if you can even get them started in the peak power. That’s enough to run many appliances first place. With a gas generator, you pull and pull in your house. The generator is recharged constantly Sincerely, some more, all because your generator has been by the sun allowing you to use the system while Mike Walters sitting in the cold and the carburetor is playing charging it at the same time. Many users choose to P.S. One more thing. it’s very important. hard to get. This, of course, is not a lot of fun in the keep appliances plugged in permanently to reduce Make sure you use coupon code CS120 to get dark. Another reason to avoid gas generators is that electrical costs and help pay for the unit. all the discounts you have coming as a reader you just can’t safely run one in your house. But the of Countryside magazine. pgs 46 & 47 color

46 46 but finding no line space between Show your enthusiasm the entries for Mary Sloan and Joe Snyder, oops!). for homesteading! Wear this comfortable, Putting ink to paper Another thing traditional busi- brand new, high-quality, ness owners sometimes wonder is how they can print their own an- Countryside nouncements, flyers, advertisements, questionnaires, and so on. But, of course, these things were being done T-shirt long before computers were ever invented. For many types of businesses, you can use a small copy ma- Now Makes chine’s shrink-and-enlarge function Available In to make bold headings, designs, and a Great layouts. Use a typewriter to make the captions and perhaps symbol designs BROWN! Gift! (symbol art is a well-recognized practice) on a 4-1/4" x 5-1/2" sheet from a note pad, put it on the copier glass with the top of the paper on the top Only ORDER YOURS TODAY! line and centered to the arrow, and expand to 200%. The resulting letter- $14 ! sized sheet can be used as a frame to Countryside T-Shirt Order Form type any more desired text and add All T-shirts are $14.00 each and available in red, navy blue and NEW brown — photos. and two styles. Please specify size(s) and color(s). The typewriter can also be used, of course, to write business letters Adult size small Color______Quantity _____ $ Adult size medium Color______Quantity _____ $ and formal correspondence. Chances Adult size large Color______Quantity _____ $ are you already have one, but if not, Adult size extra large Color______Quantity _____ $ a used typewriter can easily be found Adult size 2 XL Color______Quantity _____ $ for under $50. (One of mine was Adult size 3 XL Color______Quantity _____ $ purchased for $5, no joke.) The only Women’s cut size medium Color______Quantity _____ $ caveat is that a typewriter of a dis- Women’s cut size large Color______Quantity _____ $ continued brand, such as my $5 Sil- Women’s cut size extra large Color______Quantity _____ $ ver Reed, is hard to get fixed or to get Women’s cut size 2 XL Color______Quantity _____ $ parts for. The easiest typewriters to Order total $______get fixed are Brother, IBM (including Shipping & handling $______4.00 Lexmark and Selectric), and Olym- Subtotal $______pia, all of which are companies still in WI res. add 5.5% tax $______existence. For perhaps $100 you can Total enclosed $______obtain a DP machine or word processor, which is a machine used by Name: ______some small-town newspapers. It can Address: ______lay out text and you can erase before printing if there is a mistake. Some City:______State:______Zip:______models have spell checking, as most E-mail:______Phone:______computers do. And if you learn how Check Enclosed Charge my credit card to use it, you may be able to obtain a Visa/MC/AmEx/Disc No.:______Exp.:______small used letterpress (a “job press”), a stand-alone typesetting and print- Mail to: ing device for not much over $100. Countryside Regardless of your reasons for not 145 industrial Drive, Medford, Wi 54451 having or using a computer, there is or call Toll-Free: 800-551-5691 or Fax: 715-785-7414 no reason for that to keep you from www.countrysidemag.com operating a small businessor even a large one. pgs 46 & 47 color

Countryside & Small Stock Journal, January/February 2013 47

Fools for profit

By Je r r i Co o k matter how many times the corporate realm of public policy armed only Co u n t r y s i d e St a f f media hacks tell us it is. Information with media-approved misinforma- is nothing more than data transmitted tion. The familiar folksy witticisms ay back in 1983, 50 corpora- in a particular arrangement. Informa- we’ve come to expect are still there, tions controlled the Ameri- tion is passive, suspended in the ether but by parroting the self-serving W can media. While people just waiting for someone to come rhetoric of big media, Joel Salatin like Ben Bagdikian were labeled along and grab onto it. has placed himself in the untenable alarmists for pointing out the danger Knowledge, on the other hand, is position of defending McDonald’s, of consolidating media into only a few active. Knowledge is information that Haliburton, and Big Media. hands, the media mergers continued has been man-handled, turned on its The corporate media has perfected unabated. In 1992, Bagdikian was head, and then put into context. Any- the spin cycle. It’s not uncommon for widely mocked after publishing The one can be spoon fed information. But people to get lathered into a frenzy Media Monopoly, in which he predicted if it’s knowledge you’re hungry for, by a news story. Then, they rinse that before the decade was over, there you’re going to have to grab it with themselves in a pool of self-moraliza- would be only a half-dozen media your own two hands, and that’s go- tion—all decent human beings would companies controlling nearly all of ing to be a lot harder than you think. feel the same way about whatever America’s radio stations, newspapers, A.J. Liebling also observed something negative incident the so-called news magazines, film studios, wire services, else that should send chills down the outlet reported. Then, the story gets and pool photographers. spine of everyone who values a free repeated so often it becomes part As it turns out, Ben Bagdikian and independent media. “Freedom of of the lexicon. At which point, the was right on the money. Today, six the press is guaranteed only to those story solidifies in the minds of the corporations own and control over who own one.” masses as true. Even if it’s a complete 90% of media outlets in the United Quality knowledge can only be fabrication. Case in point: Liebeck v. States. Time Warner, Disney, News gained by actively analyzing qual- McDonald’s Restaurants. Corporation, Bertelsmann of Ger- ity information. But as we’re about We all remember the story. Some many, Viacom, and General Electric to see, almost all of the information elderly lady spilled a cup of hot cof- control both the content and flow of Americans have access to has been fee in her lap and collected over $2 information in the United States. The twisted—corrupted by corporate million for her trouble. This case has consequences of such consolidation greed for big profit. None of us is become an integral part of American were predicted in Business Week back immune to the manipulations of big culture, and is routinely referred to by in 2004, “The danger is that more and media, not even Joel Salatin, arguably those who demand caps on damages more ‘news’ will parrot the press re- the most recognized leader of the in civil litigation. It’s the seminal case leases of government, corporations, heritage food movement. when referring to American greed. and lobbyists of the left and right” Toby Keith sings about it in his song (Business Week, 7/12/2004 Issue 3891, Lather, rinse, and repeat, and American Ride. ”Spill a cup of coffee, p104 1p). repeat, and repeat… make a million dollars.” In Folks, This Another prediction by another I admire Joel Salatin. We’ve imple- Ain’t Normal, Salatin uses the case to “alarmist” has also come to pass. A.J. mented many of his fencing methods illustrate how treacherous the legal Liebling, one of America’s legendary and pasture management practices system is for business owners. Here’s news correspondents of the last cen- on our farm. He took information that the problem. The whole story is a tury, was one of the first to point out may have otherwise gone unused lie, made up by McDonald’s public the power of the media to influence and molded it into knowledge that relations department; fabricated to and persuade, “People everywhere helps modern small-scale sustainable perfection in order to protect the confuse what they read in newspa- farmers thrive, much to the chagrin corporate image of McDonald’s. pers with news.” That’s exactly what of giant agribusiness. has happened. Unfortunately, in his newest book, Burn baby burn Business Week, Bagdikian and Lie- Folks, This Ain’t Normal, Joel leaves Back in the early 1990s, American bling saw the problem as plain as day. his knowledge of sustainable farming society was reaching a new mobil- Information is not knowledge, no behind. Instead, he wanders into the ity. We were spending more time in 48 The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, and a hell of heaven. — Milton our cars. We were also doing things the freshest and the hottest, at least The manufacturer of the plastic in our cars that we used to do in 10 degrees hotter than the competi- lids that covered the coffee also our kitchens—like eating breakfast tion’s coffee. expressed concerns that the high and drinking coffee. The fast food Have you ever seen a Styrofoam temperatures would compromise industry seized on this new-found cup melt? The manufacturer of the the integrity of the plastic, causing mobility. The competition for drive- cups used by McDonald’s had. The spills. thru customers became heated, with evidence shows that the manufac- Even the company that made the national chains using every market- turer had voiced concerns that the commercial coffee makers expressed ing trick available. For McDonald’s high temperatures could weaken the concern about the temperature of it was their coffee, specifically the structure of the cup, causing it to melt the coffee. Bunn sent McDonald’s an temperature of their coffee. It was or collapse. urgent letter warning them that keeping the temperature so high posed A Memoir of Suburban serious dangers to anyone who hap- Chicken and Egg Homesteading with 125 Recipes pened to splash even a small amount on exposed skin. By Janice Cole, Photographs by Alex Farnum Armed with this knowledge, McDonald’s did nothing, continuing Chicken and Egg tells the story of veteran food writer Janice Cole, who, like so many other urbanites, took up the revolutionary hobby instead to promote their coffee as the of raising chickens at home. From picking out the perfect coop to hottest around. Complaints began producing the miracle of the first egg, Cole shares her now-expert rolling in, hundreds of them. Reports insights into the trials, triumphs, and bonds that result when hu- of babies in car seats being scalded man and hen live in close quarters. With 125 recipes for delicious when the Styrofoam cup collapsed chicken and egg dishes, poultry lovers, backyard farmers, and those from the near boiling coffee. Reports contemplating taking the leap will adore this captivating illustrated of customers suffering third-degree 256 pages, $24.95 + s/h. memoir! burns on their hands and thighs. Mc- 1-800-551-5691 • www.countrysidemag.com Donald’s knew there was a problem, but correcting it would jeopardize their marketing campaign. In 1992, 79-year-old Stella Liebeck The Backyard Homestead Guide was a passenger in her grandson’s to Raising Farm Animals car. The pair decided to go through By Gail Damerow the drive thru. Stella only ordered Imagine a weekend breakfast featuring eggs, bacon, and honey from your one item—a 49¢ cup of coffee. After own chickens, pigs, and bees. Or a holiday meal with your own heritage- receiving their order, the grandson breed turkey as the main attraction. With The Backyard Homestead pulled the car into a parking space Guide to Raising Farm Animals , even urban and suburban residents can so his grandmother could put her successfully raise chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, rabbits, goats, sheep, cows, pigs, and honey bees. It’s easier than you think, and it can be done on small plots of land. This essential guide cream and sugar in. She placed the covers everything from selecting the right breeds to producing delicious fresh milk, cheese, small cup between her thighs and honey, eggs, and meat. Whether you want to be more self-sufficient, save money, or just enjoy removed the plastic lid. At that point, safer, healthier, more delicious animal products, you’ll find all the information you need in The the cup collapsed, spilling its contents Backyard Homestead Guide to Raising Farm Animals. 360 pages, $24.95 + s/h. into Stella’s lap. She suffered horrific 1-800-551-5691 • www.countrysidemag.com burns on her thighs, buttocks and genitalia. The pictures are far too graphic to be printed here, but if you have the stomach for such things, you Chicken Tractor can see them in a documentary by The Homestead (3rd) Edition Susan Saladoff titled Hot Coffee. The Permaculture Guide to Happy Hens and Healthy Soil Stella almost died from her in- By Andy Lee and Patricia Foreman juries. When her family contacted This is the book that tells you how to integrate small flocks of poultry in McDonald’s and asked for help pay- with family food production. There is a “back to the land” movement hap- ing the medical bills, which were in pening across the world, and it’s happening in backyards and on small par- the tens of thousands, the company cels of land. Chicken tractor systems have become so popular that the term offered them $800. That’s it. The fam- “chicken tractor” is a household word. This is the definitive book that leads the way. Learn how ily hired an attorney, and the attorney you can: raise homestead flocks for eggs, meat and money; use chickens to create super-rich did what attorneys do—he filed a soils that enable hyper-productive gardens; easily, step-by-step, process poultry at home; build custom chicken tractors for your homestead; make a straw bale coop for your flock; understand lawsuit. how to select, buy and raise the best chickens for your goals. 312 pages, $19.95 + s/h. The jury awarded Mrs. Liebeck $160,000 in actual damages and $2.6 Call 1-800-551-5691 • www.countrysidemag.com Countryside & Small Stock Journal, January/February 2013 49 million in punitive damages. To a per- driver and the phone company. Good tool of insurance companies looking son, the jurors were disgusted by Mc- for him. That’s what “justice for all” to increase their profits in light of Donald’s callousness towards Stella is about. Unless of course, big media controversial healthcare legislation. Liebeck. The jury later revealed that can convince you that the real victim When you agree to binding arbi- the punitive damages were the sum was the phone company. If so, they tration, you agree to have your case of two day’s worth of McDonald’s can manipulate you into working heard by a private arbitrator, paid for coffee sales in the United States. But against your own interests, which is by the company. The person hearing an activist judge set aside the award exactly what happened to Joel Sala- your claim will likely not hold a juris because he thought two-day’s worth tin, who defends food security on one doctor, the degree required to practice of coffee sales was an unreasonable hand while he defends a fast-food law in the United States. Instead, amount for a corporation to pay. In- corporation on the other. private arbitrators are likely to hold stead, McDonald’s and Mrs. Liebeck The fact is few unmeritorious a professional degree in legal stud- settled out of court for an undisclosed actions make it past the first hear- ies, such as Master’s or Ph.D. While amount. Mrs. Liebeck crossed over in ing. The legal system is an expen- these professionals are certainly 2004, and to this day, her surviving sive place to pursue petty claims. qualified to handle small disputes, family members are not allowed to It doesn’t happen that often, but if they are about as qualified to decide talk about the agreement. you believe large corporations and serious matters of law as a part-time Joel Salatin takes on law and the politicians they own, frivolous employee at McDonald’s. public policy, pointing to the Liebeck claims like Stella Liebeck’s threaten to In Folks, This Ain’t Normal, Sala- case as an example of individual and destroy American capitalism. Again, tin shares with readers that anyone attorney greed. But it’s exactly the this is the exact antithesis of the truth. wanting to hunt on his land must sign opposite. It’s a case about holding Who in their right mind would refer a contract agreeing not to sue him for corporations responsible when they to a near-fatal accident that could any injury they receive as a result of place profits over people. It’s about have been avoided or third-degree their presence on his property. Inter- justice in every sense of the word. I burns on an elderly woman’s genital estingly enough, this is the same way can’t fault him for his mistake. In fact, area as frivolous? Haliburton does business. as Saladoff shows us in Hot Coffee, Where can the average citizen get As a condition of employment, even the Great Communicator, Ron- justice when a corporation harms Haliburton employees sign away ald Reagan himself, was manipulated them or their family? Certainly not their constitutional right to have by big business and their pals in big the criminal justice system. While an impartial jury hear their claim. media. In footage from the campaign corporations enjoy personhood for The push for private arbitration has trail, we see Ronald Reagan bemoan- tax purposes, a corporation cannot grown in the past decade, fueled by ing frivolous lawsuits. He tells the be incarcerated, but they can be sued. insurers trying to reduce their expo- story of a man who was struck by a While a few million dollars might sure. For them it’s not about justice. car while standing in a phone booth. seem like an astronomical amount to It’s about profits. This arrangement The man then sued the phone com- those of us who don’t routinely deal might save big businesses a bucket pany! How ridiculous is that? with that sort of money, to a corpo- of money, but it destroys the legal Not ridiculous at all if you know ration like McDonald’s, two-day’s rights of consumers and employees. the real story. The phone company worth of coffee sales doesn’t amount No one understands this more than had received dozens of complaints to a hill of unroasted coffee beans. Jamie Leigh Jones, former Haliburton from people who had been inad- There’s no doubt that a Wall Street employee. vertently locked in the phone booth suit could never do what Joel Salatin As part of her employment agree- when they shut the door behind does. Yet, in Folks, This Ain’t Normal, ment with Haliburton, Jamie Leigh them. Police had been repeatedly he suggests that the American judi- Jones agreed to surrender her right called to extract stranded patrons. cial system would be more efficient if to bring a complaint against the com- On the day in question, the guy in we could just substitute lay people for pany in court. Instead, she agreed to the phone booth saw the car careen- attorneys and judges. By that logic, binding arbitration for any and all ing towards him. He had time to get Donald Trump should be able to do disputes between her and her em- out of the way, or at least he would a better job raising chickens than Joel ployer. She was then sent off to Iraq, have had time if the door would have Salatin. Now, that’s ridiculous. where Haliburton was providing opened. He had never used the phone Like so many others who trum- support to the military. booth before and had no idea what pet corporate America’s call for tort Despite Haliburton’s assurance peril he had placed himself in when reform, Salatin argues that justice is he closed the door. better served by the growing trend Grain Mills, Mixers, Juicers, The vehicle slammed into the of mandatory binding arbitration. Dehydrators, phone booth at full force, nearly kill- Binding arbitration is essentially the Baking Supplies ing the guy inside. He lost his leg and privatization of the American judicial www.SonshineGrains.com never fully recovered. He sued the system. It has become the favored 866-499-1251 ● Monte Vista, CO

Grain Mills, Mixers, Juicers, Dehydrators, Baking Supplies www.SonshineGrains.com 866-499-1251 ● Monte Vista, CO 50 Man is unjust, but God is just; and finally justice triumphs. — Longfellow that female contractors would be absurd proposition, we could ensure It’s normal for poor-performing housed separately from the male a more efficient government simply doctors to end up in America’s im- contractors in the Haliburton bar- by surrendering more of our rights. If poverished communities treating racks, Jones was assigned a bunk Joel Salatin would just stop demand- the working poor and uninsured in a dormitory full of men. Within ing that he have a say in what goes who depend on low-cost or free days she was drugged and brutally on at his farm, the USDA wouldn’t state-run medical assistance. These gang-raped. When she reported the be so burdened. Again, such an idea non-profits protect against the high- incident, the company responded by is ridiculous on its face. cost of malpractice insurance by locking her in a metal building. She It’s also worth noting that because requiring patients to sign away their was able to talk one of her guards of the Leigh case, there is now prec- right to sue before the provider will into letting her call her father back edent for not recognizing manda- see them. Where are these folks and in the States, and he managed to tory binding arbitration clauses in their families supposed to turn for gain her release after talking to his contracts that don’t expressly explain justice when an incompetent medi- Senator. what right the consumer is giving up. cal provider costs them life or limb? When she returned Stateside, Mr. Salatin may not be as protected If those on the binding arbitration Jones sought medical care for her as he thinks he is. bandwagon have their say, it will physical and emotional wounds. be the poorest among us who will She also demanded that Haliburton When the bough breaks suffer most. Not only will they be compensate her for her ordeal. Unfor- Not only does Salatin throw out forced to endure second-rate medi- tunately, she signed away her right to the baby with the bathwater, he tosses cal services, they will have no legal make any such demand. She agreed the tub and towel right on top of recourse if they are harmed. While it to accept whatever the “indepen- the poor kid. Perpetuating the myth might strike some as normal, it sure dent” arbitrator decided was fair. She that medical malpractice insurance isn’t right. was shocked. She had no idea that causes good doctors to hang up their Before you read Joel Salatin’s lat- with one stroke of a pen, legal rights shingles comes natural to almost ev- est book, I strongly urge you to see had been won and lost. She had lost eryone these days. Mr. Salatin claims the documentary Hot Coffee. Bor- hers without ever knowing it. that his wife’s ob/gyn provider went row it from the library. Download In 2009, a U.S. Court of Appeals out of business because he couldn’t it from the Internet. Move whatever ruled that Jones could pursue her afford malpractice insurance. How mountains you have to move in or- hostile work environment claims in many times have we heard this story? der to see it. You will not be disap- court. But in the end, she got noth- Different doctor. Different patient. pointed, but you will be thrown ing—not one blessed drop of justice. Same story, lathered, rinsed, and clear of your comfort zone. You’ll No one was arrested or charged, or repeated ad infinitum. realize that we’ve all been fooled for even fired for that matter. She didn’t The truth is bad doctors cause profit. Big business, big government, even get an apology from a corporate good doctors to go out of business. and big media have tricked us into giant that was supported by taxpay- Period. Medical malpractice insur- working against our own interests, ers. ance is underwritten based on risk. just as predicted by Business Week, Even though she managed to get And the risk that a patient will be Bagdikian and Liebling all those her case to a jury, the time lost cost her harmed by an incompetent medical decades ago. dearly. The corporate spin machine practitioner is huge, and the medical You’ll also realize that the few re- flooded the media with details of her industry only has itself to blame. maining independent media sources personal life, and the media passed Physicians protect other phy- are an endangered species. Your it on to anyone who would listen for sicians. They are slow to report support is crucial. over three years. She lost her case, colleagues whose practices are When you watch an independent and was ordered to pay $145,000 for questionable. Even when a medical film instead of a corporate-produced Halibuton’s court costs. There is no provider is investigated by a govern- blockbuster, you stave off the com- doubt that justice delayed is justice ment licensing agency, their licenses fortable numbness induced by the denied. Ask Jamie Leigh Jones. are rarely suspended or revoked. consumption of popular media. The process of binding arbitration Instead, they pay a fine, complete When you refuse to surrender your is touted by insurance companies government-approved remedial constitutional rights to big corpora- and their pals in the media as a way training, and are then unleashed tions, you inspire others to do the to ease the pressure on the over- on an unsuspecting public as long same. Remember the words of Ben burdened court system, but what it as they can afford the malpractice Franklin at the signing of the Decla- really does is fool Americans into insurance. The insurance company ration of Independence. “We must surrendering their constitutional collects huge premiums from phy- all hang together, or assuredly we right to access the judicial system sicians and then lobby for laws that will hang separately.” Such is the in the name of efficiency. If we are protect them from paying out on price of independence in govern- to believe the reasoning behind this malpractice claims. ment, business and media. Countryside & Small Stock Journal, January/February 2013 51 Crops & soils:

Soil 101 Know Clay soil’s particles are hard to separate. your dirt surface and drains extremely slowly. This is why when you have an area that is mostly clay it is super slick after it rains. Clay is also harder to till, because the particles are difficult to separate. Normally, land that has high clay content will need to be By Mi r i a h Re y n o l d s are negatively charged. These nega- irrigated and fertilized less than an Be l g r a d e , Mo n t a n a tively charged surfaces attract posi- area with sandier soil. Also, due to tive ions such as zinc, magnesium, the tight spaces, aeration is limited, oil, dirt, earth, dust, or filth, calcium, iron, and potassium. Being inhibiting root growth. Mixing clay whatever you prefer to call it— that clay’s particles are less than .002 with a larger particle soil will in- Swe all depend on it. To people millimeters in size, they bind tightly crease permeability and root growth. who do not work the land, dirt is filth to one another, holding these great However, be careful adding sand to that should stay outside, but to the nutrients, making them readily avail- clay for permeability because often farmer, soil is the heart of survival. I able for crops. the large particles of the sand embed am taking a class in college about con- Good soils have good permeabil- themselves into the clay and almost servation management, and we are ity, meaning that water and air are form concrete. studying “the nature of soils.” Yeah, I moved through the particles more Silt: Silt falls between clay and thought it was pretty interesting—for easily. Since clay’s particles fit close sand when it comes to the particle the first week. Week two of the same to one another, the permeability is size. It is just a tad grittier than clay. topic and I did not want to attend class. limited. Clay holds water on the Areas near a river, or that have once Now here I am, in week three of more soil studies, and I have decided that even though studying dirt and erosion may not be too interesting, it does have a huge impact on everything around us. From the cost of tomatoes in the grocery store, to the cotton grown to make our underwear, soil is a critical aspect of farming and living. I’d like to share with you the different types of soil and a glimpse of the growing qualities of each, and I promise not to take three weeks! Soils are divided into two categories: fine earth and coarse fraction. Fine earth soils include clay, silt, and sand. Coarse fractions would be any particle larger than two millimeters, such as gravel, cobble, stones, and boulders. Fine earth soils are the most ideal for growing crops. Clay has the finest particles of any soil and believe it or not, they You’ll find silt soils near river beds. 52 Kindness is the golden chain by which society is bound together. — Goethe Crops & soils:

Soil health

By Jo h n Hi b m a Borage (also known as starflower) grows in front of a greenhouse in irtually every person on this planet sooner or later comes in contact Idaho. with earth and soil. Whether they are a farmer, a gardener, or a home- been flooded, are where silt can be Vowner with a big or small yard, people have some interaction with the found. Soils with a high silt content ground that’s yielding a plant intended to be either food or an ornament. Even make for fertile land because silt a city dweller who is surrounded by canyons of concrete and steel probably originates from quartz and feldspar has a couple of potted plants to take care of. Except for those limited examples minerals. One of the downsides to silt of hydroponics or an algae that’s growing in a lake or pond, everything we is that it erodes quickly from wind grow is grown in soil. Soil is essential to plant productivity. Healthy soil is the and water. Silt is better at holding foundation to successful agriculture and, on a different level, the existence water and nutrients than sandy soil, and stability of productive societies. and drains more quickly than clay. But it’s also very easy to take soil for granted or to abuse soils. There’s You’ll need to use moderate watering so much of it around that it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that we’ll and fertilizing (if any fertilizing at all) never run out of good soil. Such is not the case. for silty soils. What is soil? Soil is an aggregate of four basic components: mineral solids, Sand: Sand has the largest parti- water, air and organic matter. Depending on how much of each is present in cles in the fine earth category. Unlike soil determines its potential to be used to grow crops for human and animal clay, sand has fast drainage. This is consumption or for flowers that will adorn the dining room table. why sand is generally used in play- Soil health (also referred to as soil quality) can then be defined as “the grounds; to avoid mud. Normally capacity of a soil to function within ecosystems and land use applications plants that grow well in sandy soils that can sustain productivity, maintain environmental quality and promote have deep root systems that can find plant and animal health.” Characteristics of healthy soil include: water and nutrients in another layer • Good soil tilth of ground. Be aware that with sandier • Sufficient depth soils, plants can dehydrate quickly, • Proper levels of nutrients so you’ll need to irrigate and fertilize • Good drainage more than with a clay soil. • Large populations of beneficial organisms Loam combines clay, silt, and • Resistance to weeds and degradation sand to make the perfect soil for • Resilient when unfavorable conditions occur growing crops. The best loam soils have an equal amount of each, for the Many of us don’t have to look any farther than our home yards and lawns optimum permeability. Loam retains to be able to understand basic soil health. The flower beds have soil that is moisture and nutrients, but also al- dark in color and crumbly and loaded lows excess water to drain from the with earthworms. The soil drains very soil. Loam is also easy to work with quickly after a summer thunderstorm and can be manipulated for certain and the plants that grow there are climates. For example, you could add vigorous. The lawn has sections that clay to hold water if you live in a hot never seem to need water, but then climate or sand to increase drainage there’s that patch right in the middle if you get a lot of precipitation. that always turns brown in the sum- Overall, soil is a huge part of our mer no matter how much water it life as farmers. I have decided that gets. Grass is difficult to grow there, there is more to the dirt on my boots but weeds love it. Over the years than what meets the eye! (Adapted from the Rodale Institute) you’ve learned that a couple of bags Countryside & Small Stock Journal, January/February 2013 53 A B

Several methods that are commonly used in the field to evaluate soil health are: a) a penetrometer to measure the compaction of the soil at different soil depths, b) digging a spade full of soil and examining the structure and texture of the soil as well as the roots and other organic matter present in the soil, c) using a soil core probe that takes a profile of the soil that can be analyzed C in a soil testing laboratory, and d) a rain simulation sprinkler steadily raining on a measured sample contained in a sieve below and the soil that is not washed away is used to compute the aggregate stability of the soil. The sprinkler can be adjusted to simulate varying intensities of rainfall. D

components that result in improved ment that compacts soils and makes productivity and environmental it impossible for roots to grow. The quality. (See diagram on previous lack of rotating crops over time will page.) eventually deplete soil of essential Probably a better way to learn nutrients. Poor drainage will drown what constitutes good soil health and out root systems. There must be quality is to study what constitutes enough organic matter to facilitate unhealthy soils. The most obvious chemical transfer of carbon as an clue to an unhealthy soil is the fact energy source for the soil microbes. that nothing will grow in it or, if it Microbes are necessary to decompose does, it grows poorly. Poor quality organic matter to make available of manure or topsoil have improved soils are the result of soil compaction, chemical ions that must by taken up those areas. You’ve learned that surface crusting, low organic matter into the plant. certain plants grow better in a more and minerals, increased pressure Managing soils to maintain health acidic soil and others do well in an from diseases, weeds, and insects as and quality is as much a science as alkaline soil. well as the lack of beneficial organ- it is an art. Good soil aggregation— Achieving and maintaining a isms. the minerals, air, water and organic healthy soil involves the integration Soil degradation can result from matter—is essential for maintaining of physical, chemical and biological the overuse of heavy farming equip- good soil structure that enables ad- 54 If country life be healthful to the body, it is no less so to the mind. — Ruffini equate air exchange and water drain- on their back. We now had a raised age. The texture of a soil is a good bed! He got river bottom soil and indication of its health. Soil texture is mixed it with compost and manure so usually classified as clay, clay loam, it could have good rich soil. loam, sandy loam, or sand. Any of the We have found a lot of benefits three loams are generally the most from this kind of gardening. The re- desirable types and most productive frigerators are the perfect height to use soils. Loams tend to have the best soil as a raised bed so that we do not have characteristics that allow for good to bend much, which is great as you drainage, aggregate stability, organic get older. Then the task of weeding matter and active carbon. Planting an is much easier. It is not as daunting Testing of soils for chemical, a task to weed just one refrigerator a biological and physical attributes is “appliance” garden day. Another benefit is that the bug a useful tool that will help determine population, which tried to get onto the health of soils. Check with your By Gr a c e N. the plants, is down. I presume that local ag extension agent or local bugs either do not like to climb up that soil conservation district for more ur refrigerator garden hap- high to get on the leaves, or maybe information about soil testing. Basic Opened partly by my husband’s their sense of smell is geared toward tests include using a penetrometer to ingenuity and partly because of my ground level. measure soil compaction and taking nagging. Having just moved into a When the plants are young and soil samples to determine soil type mobile home on five acres of land, there is a danger of frost, it is not hard and structure as well as biological we found ourselves with two extra to cover them up. As a matter of fact, activity. refrigerators the previous owners we have found that sliding glass doors Improving the health of a soil had left behind. They both still ran, and shower doors will fit perfectly on will take time and patience. Often, so my husband was reluctant to just top of the refrigerator. Thus we have a there will be more than one problem throw them away. cold frame readily available. Of course, with a poorly productive soil and a We could use them outside for a the doors we used are recycled. My management plan can be developed while just to store “extra food” in. We husband does some maintenance on to restore functionality to the soil. had company coming and found our a group of apartments and when the Several of the main categories of ac- refrigerator in the kitchen did not have sliding doors or shower doors needed tion for soil management are listed enough room to hold the potato salad, to be replaced, he grabbed the old ones below: coleslaw, and fried chicken that was for the garden. The same held true of • Reducing or modifying tillage prepared for the next day’s picnic. I refrigerators. • Crop rotation took the food outside to store in one of What started out as a two-refrig- • Growing cover crops the refrigerators overnight. Little did erator garden has been expanded. We • Adding organic amendments I know that some raccoons are adept have raised garlic, onions, zucchini, • Adding chemical amendments at opening doors. So the next morn- cucumbers, strawberries, cantaloupe, ing, I found that our picnic lunch had peas, turnips, carrots and beets in Soil management practices are already been spread out on the lawn, them. We have also put refrigerators very dependent upon farm-specific half-eaten by the pesky varmints. in the greenhouse and have lettuce conditions such as soil type and I had decided then that the refrig- growing in them year round. the kind of crop to be grown. Each erators had to go. We could not use When people ask, ”How does situation must be considered inde- them for fear of raccoons, and besides your garden grow?” Our answer is pendently. that, there was the eyesore factor. So as inevitably, ”Why with refrigerators, For most of mankind’s history the my husband contemplated their fate, of course.” land on which we grow crops must he considered all the angles. To take have appeared to be inexhaustible. them to the dump would cost $25 a Old refrigerators have many uses. But no longer is that the case. As piece, so that idea was scrapped right However, there are gases and oils that the world’s population continues to away. Then there is a question, how need to be removed safely before you grow, estimated to be at nine billion does one recycle a refrigerator? As repurpose the appliance, as these can con- taminate the ozone, soil, and adversely by mid-century, healthy and pro- he explored this possibility, he came affect your health. Call a local appliance ductive soil is rapidly becoming a up with an ingenious answer: start a repair shop or recycling center to ask how scarce resource. Recognizing the vital refrigerator garden. to safely remove the pollutants. It may importance of healthy soils to the First he moved the refrigerators to not be free, but it’s a small price to pay sustainability of agriculture should the garden area. As they stood upright, to help save the environment and your make us realize that healthy soil is he took the doors off and removed the health. And it’ll be a lot cheaper than the a resource that we cannot afford to racks and the vegetable bins. He then $25,000 EPA fine for letting contaminants squander. gave them a shove so they would land escape into the atmosphere! Countryside & Small Stock Journal, January/February 2013 55 The garden:

Let’s talk tomatoes

By Wa y n e W. Mo s e l e y Mi s s i s s i pp i

love to grow tomatoes. Sure, I grow other things in my garden, Ibut tomatoes are my prime crop. I look forward to it each year and I have a lot of success at it. My first attempts, however, were not so much fun. Because of allergies, I do not have a dog or a cat. This means the birds in my area do not have any deterrents to their incessant predation upon my tomatoes.

Bird trouble It’s mockingbirds, mainly, that caused the most havoc to my tomato crop. They’d take a peck or two on a tomato, then go do the same on another one. Never would they just stop and peck away at one tomato, Tomatoes planted in tires with lots of mulch helps preserve moisture and re- but just a peck or two and off to an- duces the need for weeding. other one. They ruined my crop, so I vowed revenge. The cage: My first attempts to keep them Since I was planting 48 plants each year, I picked an area 26' x 30' for four off my tomatoes were not effective. rows of 12 plants each. Then I got a neighbor to cut nine cedar trees to make I’d drape netting over the tomatoes, posts 13-feet long and eight inches in diameter at the base, one at each of four but the birds would use the netting corners, one at four mid-points, and one in the middle. Then we dug holes as something handy to land on, then three-feet deep and 12 inches wide at each of the locations and set the posts peck through the netting. Or, they in quick-set concrete. (Believe me, they weren’t going anywhere.) This left the would land on the ground, walk posts 10 feet high above ground, giving me plenty of head-room for walking under the netting and fly up inside it around inside, even considering the natural sag of the netting on the top. and on to their game of ruining each I then placed 2" x 4" treated lumber between each post on the periphery and every one of my tomatoes. of my cage, about 1/4 into the soil for the bottom rail of what was to be my They were picky about it, too, cage. waiting until the tomatoes were I ran one-inch galvanized chicken wire fencing (I would recommend 3/4- turning red before pecking them. inch openings if you can get it) around the outside of the posts. Then I took Mockingbirds in Mississippi are pro- lath strips (1/2" x 1" x 8') and sandwiched the bottom of the chicken wire tected, so I couldn’t kill them, I had between it and the 2 x 4s and screwed the lath strips to the 2 x 4s every two to find a way to keep them out. It’s feet. Next, came the arduous task of lacing together the overlap junction of at that point that the birds met with the two chicken wire runs with 50# fish line. For this, I used a large, curved my rock-hard resolve. I would make carpet needle, which can be found at any craft store. a cage to keep them out. Next, came the top to take care of. First, I got out my ladder and stapled 56A passion for flowers, is I thnk, the only one which long sickness leaves untouched with its chilling influence. — Felicia Hemans electric fence wire from the top of each post to the post opposite it, and diagonally also, with many wires crossing over the top of the center post. This formed a support system for the netting that would cover the top. When I cast about for the perfect netting for the top of my tomato cage, my friendly neighborhood feed store man recommended Memphis Net and Twine. They manufacture fish netting that is strong enough to stand up to the elements and the rigor of netting fish. I contacted them and chose a knotted netting with small enough holes to keep birds out. I placed this netting over the top of the 10-foot posts with the help of my wife, using 20-foot lengths of two- inch diameter pvc pipe attached to the leading edges of the netting. We were blessed to have a wind from the right direction come up at precisely Chicken wire keeps the tomato patch bird-proof. the right time, which helped immea- surably and the netting went up and cereal bowls inverted over the top of Weeds and grass over with no trouble. It overlapped the posts to keep the rain from rot- Weeds (and I include grass) are by about two feet on all four sides. ting the posts from the top. This had the bane of gardening. They spring At that point, I again laced the an additional advantage of creating up everywhere, causing us to rototill, edges of the fish netting to the chick- a smooth surface for the fish netting hoe, stoop down to pull them up, and en wire with fishing line. All that was to rest on. Windy days had caused the it’s a lot of work. If we ignore them, left now was to make a door and my netting to rub back and forth against they will take over our garden, their tomato cage was bird-proof. the post tops and the glass bowls roots will choke off our crops, and all I later decided to place clear glass prevented frayed netting. our hard work will be in vain. And there seems to be an inexhaustible number of weed seeds in common garden soil. Billions of them. So we must be smarter than weeds. And here’s how I do that. The following are steps I had to do only one time. I till the ground, then I scrape it flat and let a few rains compact it. Next, I lay down black plastic weed sheeting (available at Wal-Mart in early spring) that comes in rolls three-feet wide and 100-feet long, overlapping the runs slightly. This plastic has tiny holes in it to let excess moisture run through, but it prevents weeds and grass from growing up through it. Then, I lay down newspaper sections, overlapping each section with another. This also keeps sunlight out and prevents me from slipping when walking on the mulch that goes on top of it. Now comes 12 inches of cut-grass Watering through PVC pipe ensures moisture gets to the roots of the plant. mulch on top. After the grass was Countryside & Small Stock Journal, January/February 2013 57 cut, I used the mower to blow several passes of cut grass into one windrow, which I raked up and transported to my grass compost bin made of used pallets. The grass had over- wintered since I mowed it, and had gone through the “heat phase.” Eight inches of mulch will compact down to about six inches after walking on it during the season, but it keeps weeds down to nothing. If I had oat straw available to me, I would use that, but so far, cut, dried grass mulch has prevented any grass sprouting up in my garden.

Preparing spots Back before I used the thick mulch system in my tomato cage to combat weeds, I was simply using a weed-eater to hack away at them. Weed-eating them down to the dirt Wayne’s planting methods result in a bounty of healthy plants and fruits. was quite satisfying to me (we are in a war against weeds, you know) to the top. These actions cause soil Soil amendments but the first time I goofed and hit a “granules” to compact. We disc or Knowing the N-P-K composi- tomato stem with my weed-eater, that harrow, and then we till at the be- tion of your soil is important. N-P-K method was discarded for good. ginning of each spring to loosen the stands for nitrogen, phosphorous, I switched to tires. The barrier that soil up, but too often we don’t disc, and potash (or potassium.) These tires provide against hoes and weed- harrow, or till deep enough. When three most-important components eaters was too good to pass up. I used gardens are “cut up,” as we say in of soil chemistry need to be in proper a jig-saw to cut the sidewalls out of the South, whatever process we use balance with each other for garden 48 tires, leaving just the belt, which doesn’t involve actual plowing of plants to grow well. I placed over each of the spots in the the soil. There are self-test kits available at four rows where I was to plant my Most garden tilling I’ve seen reasonable cost, or you can send a soil tomatoes. I got the used tires from a doesn’t loosen up soil to more than sample to your local extension office. local tire dealer. They would never four or five inches of depth, at the Using either method, you will find see service on the road again and most. What lies below that is, es- what levels of each component your in exchange for a few bags of green sentially, hardpan. So what happens soil lacks and choose a fertilizer that tomatoes (he loves fried green toma- when it rains? The water moves eas- will address your garden’s needs. In toes), the trade was made. ily through the loosened soil, down addition, you will find your soil’s Next, I removed the mulch from to the top of the hardpan and stops acid/alkaline level. inside the tires, cut away the news- right there, saturating the soil above Garden soil’s acidity or alkalinity papers and black plastic, and pushed it. What we need to do is plow deeper is of utmost importance. Usually, I the tires about one inch into the soil than the first six inches, to provide have found soils to be too acid. I use which anchored them in place. Then I proper drainage. lime to counteract over-acidity and I dug down 12 inches inside the tires to But guess what? Once our tomato do it at the plant level, not the overall almost the full width of the tire open- cage is set up with the black plastic garden level. Here’s what I do for my ing. It is important to give the tomato sheeting and newspaper cover, we garden—yours may need different plants loose soil to grow in and if you can’t use any of those methods to fertilizers or lime amendments. don’t dig a deep, wide hole, the plant create drainage past the hardpan. A I put my lime and fertilizer into “sees” just hard-packed soil into quick way to provide that drainage each hole before planting. Here’s how which to try to grow its roots. is to take a three-foot solid metal I do it: First, I put half a handful of At this point, we have to talk rod with a sharpened end and a 5# triple-8 fertilizer (8-8-8) in the bottom about the soil density. Soil left alone, sledge hammer and drive about five of each hole. I find triple-13 to be too compacts more and more, year after holes into the bottom of each hole, strong. On top of that, I put half an year. Rains come and the moisture about eight to 10 inches deep. Do this inch of soil. Then, to stop blossom- soaks into the ground and dry spells one time and you shouldn’t have to end rot, I put down a full handful cause the moisture to percolate up repeat it in following years. of pelletized Dolomitic Limestone, 58 A fool flatters himself; the wise man flatters the fool. — Bulwer so that’s what I go with.

Making plant cages Each plant will have a cage around it. I make cages from “cement wire” which has six inch holes, and is five feet high. It comes in rolls of 50 or 100 feet. Unroll it curl-side down, put weights on it, and cut into four- foot lengths, cutting up the five-foot length close to the squares. Form the cut piece into a cage and with pliers, bend each of the cut wires into a hook and fasten them to complete the cage. Warning: If you unroll the cement wire roll with the curl-side up, when the wires are cut, they will snap back with a lot of force and injure you! For that reason, I unroll it cut-side down and put heavy objects on it to keep it flat on the ground before, during, and after cutting. If you have any Preparing the soil before planting will help prevent blossom end-rot. left-over wire, when you roll it up to spread evenly, and another half-inch of soil over that. From my experience, store it, be very careful when rolling the main cause of blossom-end rot is an insufficient supply of lime (calcium) it back up. from the beginning of the plant’s life in the garden. When the plants have been placed in my garden for about six to seven Watering weeks, I include limestone in the water I provide the plants. I pour a pint of Before planting, I cut 10 feet sec- limestone into 20 gallons of water and stir and use that mixture to water my tions of 1- or 1-1/2-inch thin-wall plants for the remainder of their bearing life. Do this and you should have PVC pipe into 24" sections, enough no blossom-end rot at all. for my 48 plants. Then I drill six 1/4- The soil I surround the plant roots with is a mixture of things. I have an inch holes in the bottom six inches old cement mixer which has been kept very clean each time it’s used, so of each pipe. I will place one pipe there’s no cement left in it. Using it, I mix equal shovelfuls of soil and worm in each hole with the bottom right compost (potting soil can be used, but it’s rather expensive.) The idea is to up next to the roots. Then I put the make the resulting “soil” more friable. tomato start in the hole and place the Friable soil has a crumbly texture which is ideal for the plants’ root growth. holed-end of the PVC pipe next to the Loam is an example of friable soil. If you can take a handful of your garden roots. The pipe is then angled toward soil, squeeze it, then open your hand and find a compact ball of soil there, the walkway for ease of access. your soil probably has too much clay content and not enough decomposed I place the tomato start at the vegetation in it. I find worm compost to be ideal to “loosen up” my soil and bottom of the hole and add the soil/ fortunately, there is a local provider. worm compost mixture up to the gar- At the same time I mix soil and worm compost, I add about a quart and den surface. Now bring in the mulch a half of lime to a half cubic yard of the mixture. The cement mixer does a and fill it to about three inches above great job of mixing it all up. the top rim of the tire. In a few days, Worm compost is what’s left after what worms feed on has been through it will compact a little, bringing it the worm. It’s what people prefer to say rather than “worm manure.” By level to the top of the tire. Water only the way, worm compost tests out on the NPK scale at 3-3-3, a very balanced through the PVC pipe at all times; do and gentle natural fertilizer; plants thrive on it. I have tested using worm not water the mulch. compost for growing tomatoes and planted one whole row with all-soil, My watering method puts the another with half-and-half soil and worm compost, and one row with all water right to the plant’s roots. This worm compost. keeps water away from the stem The row with all worm compost grew much faster, had very healthy- and leaves at the top of the mulch looking foliage, and was twice as high as the all soil row. However, without and eliminates mold damage to the the triple-8 below it, at the half-growth stage of the plants’ life, they had plant. Also, you will be surprised at depleted the worm compost and flagged for lack of sufficient nutrients. how little water each plant will need. The best row was the one planted with half soil and half worm compost, Here in Northeast Mississippi, with Countryside & Small Stock Journal, January/February 2013 59

Mantis Does It All! • Speed Weeds In Minutes • Tills New Garden Beds • Digs Planting Holes • And Much More… Precision Cultivator!

One Year RISK-FREE Trial Easy-to-Use Tiller! Busts Tough Sod! Gardeners! Stop Struggling …and Save Your Back! Discover The Mantis Difference…In Your Own Garden! The Mantis Tiller is the lightest weight, easy-to-use gardening powerhouse that makes back-breaking hand tools…OBSOLETE! From sod busting a new garden, to weeding around delicate plants, or digging a hole for a new shrub…the Mantis can do it all! • Powerful enough for big gardens… • So lightweight that it’s a breeze • Power weeds the average nimble enough for small. to handle in the garden. garden in under 20 minutes! • Turns even tough, • Cuts through tough soil and roots FREE SHIPPING! hard clay soil into rich, like a chainsaw through wood! Plus Save $20 crumbly loam. • Create and maintain beautiful (on selected models). planting beds all season long. Call for complete details.

Call Toll-Free For Your FREE Catalog and DVD…TODAY!

Easy-to-Handle 1-888-240-4556 Dept. MT130101 Weighs Just…20 lbs YES! Please rush my FREE Catalog and DVD plus details on …and It’s All Muscle! your one year NO-RISK Trial, FREE Shipping, and $20 Savings (on selected models).

NAME ______

ADDRESS ______® We Make Gardening Easier ® CITY ______STATE ______ZIP ______www.mantistiller.com Mail to: Mantis, 1028 Street Rd, Dept. MT130101 Southampton, PA 18966-9941 © 2012, Schiller Grounds Care, Inc. 60 Never give a man up until he has failed at something he likes. — Lewis E. Lawes only 50% more—a pint and a half. Watch your plants and you will see that in most cases, curled leaves will straighten out in less than two hours once water is applied.

Planting I plant tomato starts that are about 12 inches high. I prefer the Big Beef variety of tomato for its hearty stem structure and its resistance to many plant diseases, but primarily for its great-tasting tomatoes that are larger than most other varieties and quite A fully ripened tomato will have a deep red—not pink—color. solid inside, as contrasted to Beef- steak which have a lot of liquid and hollow areas in them.

Caging In the next-to-last step, I place my plant’s cement-wire tomato cage inside the tire belt, pushing the exposed bottom wires down into the ground.

Cage supports The wind will topple your cages unless you provide supports. I use four-foot-long lengths of 3/8-inch diameter steel rebar, driven one foot into the ground on the inside of the tire, up next to the cage and use short pieces of binder twine to tie it to the cage. If you live in windy areas, I suggest an additional piece of rebar on the opposite side of the cage.

Diseases high humidity and hot summer temperatures, if the temperatures are below Experts recommend that you 100°F, the plants will need only one pint of water every four days. plant tomatoes in different areas from Do not over-water your tomatoes. Over-watering is the most common year to year to avoid plant diseases error gardeners make (besides not applying lime to their gardens). Here’s from recurring in subsequent years’ how to tell if a tomato plant needs water. When you go out to the garden crops. I can understand that, but since early in the morning, say at 6:00 a.m., before it gets hot, look at the leaves. If I cannot move my tomato cage, I have the leaves are fairly flat, your tomato plant does not need water. If it’s curled to come up with methods to combat inward in the morning, it needs water. the problem of planting in the same Now if you are in the garden at noon (and I try not to be) or in the late place each year. afternoon, and you observe your tomato plants’ leaves are curled, do not be The first year, you can just use alarmed. There’s no need to water them then. All tomato plants send water the soil at the spot. But in succeeding from their roots up through the stems and out to their leaves. There, the years, since I have to dig a hole for moisture transpires through the stomata on the leaf surfaces and evaporates each plant anyway, I remove the soil into the air. If the air is very dry, the leaf will lose moisture faster than the from a dozen holes into a wheelbar- root-and-stem moisture-delivery system can replenish it and the leaf curls row and dump it on another part of up. During the night, most times, the plant will get sufficient moisture out my garden. Then I take soil from an to the leaves and they will straighten out by morning. unused part of my garden and use it The rule is: only water when you see leaves curled in the morning. And for my soil-compost mix in planting. remember not to water more than a pint (half-quart) when you do water. That way, my soil changes from year Only when we had 105°F weather did I need to give them more and then to year. Countryside & Small Stock Journal, January/February 2013 61 As for the cages, exposure to the handle. Cut a vertical slice to allow harvested before they are ripened elements for nine months of the year the plastic to overlap and grip your because of delays that transporta- seems to keep them free of contami- duster tube. Tape in place with duct tion to market involve. As a result, nation by springtime. tape. Now your duster will blow dust store-bought tomatoes are essen- upward. tially tasteless. If they are hothouse Fungus prevention Chewing insects cause an equal tomatoes, they have one additional In the first 30 days of a tomato’s amount of devastation to your to- negative quality—they are tough. We growth, it is very susceptible to mold mato plants. The most common is the home gardeners have the advantage or fungus attack of various types. For Tomato Hornworm, a big (three-inch of being able to pick our tomatoes 15 that reason, it is necessary to keep a long), fat (1/3-inch across) green- minutes before we sit down to eat. As hand sprayer handy that contains a colored worm with a single horn a result, we can wait until nature fin- good fungicide. When the plant is at curving upward at the top of its head. ishes her supernal ripening process mid-growth or even 2/3 its full size, You have to be on guard against these and offer to us tomatoes rich in flavor I spray it with a solution of Maneb, a voracious leaf-eaters as they will di- and texture. There’s no comparison at foliate fungicide, to prevent fungus, vest a tomato plant of half its leaves all between home garden tomatoes even though I find no evidence of in no time at all. and those bought in the store. fungus growth. At this point, there’s One of the things you must condi- When we harvest our tomatoes, almost no tomatoes formed. If a fun- tion yourself to do is to look at your we need to let the ripening process gus takes hold of your plant, do not plants’ leaves each time you visit the proceed until they’re fully ready, as delay, but pull it out of the ground, garden. If you find an area of tomato indicated by their color. A fully ripe take it to a remote area of the garden stems devoid of leaves, look closely tomato will have a complete deep and burn it, then spray fungicide on for the hornworm because he’s there red color, not a pinkish color. Wait your garden gloves. Fungus prolif- somewhere—you just have to spot for the right moment and you will eration can spell the death of your him. Their color is so close to the experience a much richer flavor than entire tomato patch if not attended color of the tomato leaves and stems, picking it half ripe and letting it ripen to quickly and thoroughly. that it makes it hard to find them, but in the windowsill. eventually you’ll find him. Part of a tomato’s flavor has to Insect intervention Pull them off by hand and step on do with its natural acidity and that Insects are a menace to your them, but the next thing you must do is governed by its genetics. I choose tomato crop. They will devastate it is fetch your hand-cranked blower the “Big Beef” variety, because of its unless you take action against them. I and your package of Dipel® dust. robust taste. There are other varieties divide insects into two groups: suck- What works for sucking insects will which can offer more acidity or less ing insects and chewing insects. not work for chewing insects and acidity, to the taste of the partaker. Sucking insects like aphids, etc. Dipel® kills hornworms like magic. If Mother Nature makes a handy will suck the life juices out of leaves— you find a hornworm on one plant, change to the tomato stem when check the undersides of the leaves dust them all. it’s completely ripe. There is a little for infestation. Plant symptoms will Remember, the rain will wash off “knuckle” in the stem about one- be droopy-looking leaves, but don’t garden dusts. Re-apply after a rainy half inch from the tomato. Tomatoes wait for that indication—check for period. naturally resist picking until they are sucking insects each time you visit Mosquitoes do not bother tomato ripe, then the knuckle easily separates your tomato patch. The best thing plants, but they will bother you! If from the vine. I’ve found to combat sucking insects you use the PVC method of water- When you pick a tomato, do not is 5% Sevin® dust, broadcast on your ing, together with thick mulching, plants with a hand-cranked blower. you will eliminate most mosquito It is more important to dust the un- problems. I avoid visiting my garden derside of the leaves than the topside, at dusk, which is the time I notice as that is where most sucking insects most mosquito activity. The most ef- are found. fective mosquito repellents are sprays Most garden dust blowers have a that contain Deet®. They work quite straight tube which I modify to dust well. I have been wanting to try out the underside of the leaves. I create a the advertised electronic mosquito plastic extension to the tube, curved repellent devices that you clip onto Proclaimed by qualified design engineers to be the simplest, quietest, and the most practical grain mills to direct the dust upward to the un- your collar or shirt pocket, but as yet in the world. Send $2 for flour sample and a color derside of the leaves. Find a plastic have not, so I have no idea if they are catalog of grain mills and other related items to: half gallon milk container and cut it effective or not. Since RETSEL Corporation 1963 in half, retaining the upper portion, 1567 E. Hwy 30, McCammon, Idaho 83250 which is curved. Now cut off enough Harvesting Tel:208-254-3737 www.RETSEL.com of the top to remove the spout and Store-bought tomatoes must be Grains at wholesale prices 62 He only is exempt from failures who makes no efforts. — Whately attempt to remove all of the green stem at the tomato surface, but grasp the stem up close to the tomato with your thumb on the knuckle and press on the knuckle. It will cause the stem to separate cleanly and easily at the knuckle. This leaves a short part of the stem and the top “leaflets,” intact. Leaving these attached to the tomato will better preserve the tomato until it’s ready to be washed and eaten.

Yield As the years have marched on, I have reduced the number of my tomato plants from 48 to 36, with three cherry tomato plants. During normal seasonal weather conditions, barring excessive rains or prolonged drought, I harvest over 800 tomatoes from the 36 Big Beef variety of tomatoes. Over half, I sell to grocery stores and the rest are given to family, neighbors and a local nursing home. As for me, I consume more than a When the season is over, pull up the plants, and plant in a new spot each of the body should, I guess. BLT sandwich- two following years. es are summer delights. The people sessions at a local physical therapy Season’s end: at my church’s pot luck dinners love heated pool and her friends there Overwintering plates of sliced, peeled tomatoes can’t wait for her to arrive with a new When the bearing season is over, with their rich flavor. Some go to the supply of my tomatoes. You’ll have do not delay to pull the vines up, take barber shop, friends, or people who an abundance of friends when you them to a remote part of the garden are special to you. My wife goes to give them perfect tomatoes. and burn them. This will insure that insects will not feed upon the remaining juices in the leaves and vines and Bake winter squash then proliferate and reproduce to cause you anguish next year. Burn Co u n t r y s i d e : I bought a bunch of winter squash and was going to boil it up ‘em and be done with them. and freeze it. Well, the more I thought of having to cut it up and peel it (for those of you who have peeled Butter Cup and Butternut squash, you know Winter dreaming that it’s a pain), the more I dreaded it. I got thinking, why not bake it in the After the final harvest is done, oven? you can still enjoy tomatoes through I cut each one from the stem to the bottom on each side, cored out the later months as canned or frozen seeds and placed them upside down on a cookie sheet. I placed them in the tomato chunks, tomato paste, or oven and baked them until they were tender, (I have no idea how long and tomato puree. But eventually, in the what temperature, because I cook with a Home Comfort half gas/half wood depth of the winter, on a quiet night, stove, the needle was between hot and very hot.) You just have to keep pok- you will find yourself sitting in your ing it with a knife to see it it’s tender, then when it is done, you let it cool a easy chair thinking about next year’s bit then scrape out the squash, and place in bowl. Let it cool, then place in tomato garden. bags and freeze. When I thaw a bag, I heat it up and then season. The reason This will most likely have been I don’t season it before freezing is because I may want to make pies with it prompted by the arrival of a seed and then you have pepper in your pie. catalog in early January, which you — Beckie, Thanks again for having one of the best magazines out there. will immediately take to your chair Delaware and read, dozing intermittently with visions of lush tomato foliage on Thanks for the tips Beckie. We bake the squash in the oven most of the time, since there’s usually something else baking. Our method: Prepare the squash as healthy plants with big, red tomatoes Beckie mentioned, and place it in a 350°F oven for 30-45 minutes. As Beckie states, on them, and scores of tomatoes to you’ll still have to poke it occasionally to make sure it’s done. The time will vary harvest daily—now that’s a pleasant with the size of the squash. dream. Countryside & Small Stock Journal, January/February 2013 63 The homestead kitchen: Caring for carrots

By Dr e w B. Fr a n k

utumn arrived faster than it normally does. My father A warned me that would be the case, as I got older. He was correct in this, as he was in many things. Sunday was a beautiful fall day, so I took the opportunity to harvest some of the few remaining vegetables still growing in the garden. The late planting of carrots had matured enough that they were ready for the freezer. The other items still growing are the beets, tomatoes, peppers, and cabbage. The rest of the garden is looking pretty sad. Unfortunately, I had neglected the chore of weeding a bit this year and After blanching the carrots, cool them immediately to stop further cooking. it showed. ies them for the freezer. Carrots and beets are hardy Normally we use a vacuum-type bag (available from major manufac- plants. They can be planted early in turers at the big chain stores), but I found that we were out. So I bagged the spring and will grow well into the carrots in standard freezer bags. I marked the date on the bags for later the fall. The remaining crop had been reference, and placed them in the freezer. I only freeze small portions, since planted at the end of June, reaching the only ones who eat them are the wife and I. The children abhor carrots, harvest stage in less than 90 days. as children are wont to do. I used a spade to gently loosen When we are craving carrots, all we do is dump a pack of them (still the soil around them, taking care frozen) into a microwave safe bowl, add a bit of water, and heat them up not to cut them with the blade. Then in the microwave. They taste as good as right from the garden! I gently tugged them free. Using a hose, I cleaned the dirt and debris Drew's book Night Whispers is available at: www.Createspace. from them. Then they were peeled Com/3541836 . and the tops and ends cut off. The tops and peelings went into the compost bin to help nourish next year’s crop. (Ed. note: The peelings contain most of the nutrients. A good scrubbing will suffice.) I took them inside and washed them once again. While doing the washing, a pot of water was put on to boil. Once the water was boiling, the cleaned carrots were dumped into it. I let blanched them for five minutes and then drained them. They were then put into ice water for the same amount of time they were in the boiling water. Doing so stops the cooking process and read- Freshly dug carrots, headed for the kitchen. 64 Tact: The ability to describe others as they see themselves. — Abraham Lincoln The homestead kitchen:

10 Foods that keep us healthy

By Ha b e e b Sa l l o u m prescribed garlic as a remedy for the cancer and has curative effects on common cold, senility, menstrual peptic cancer and on the formation f you had to choose, what 10 disorders, impotence and cancer. of gallstones. The oil is excellent “Ifoods would you recommend Modern researchers have found that for sufferers from debility or those for one who is interested in a healthy garlic is full of antioxidants that help who are underweight. Drunk pure, life?” a colleague asked when I told to fend off cancer, heart disease and two ounces per day makes a superb him that I was a fan of healthy foods. aging. Mortan Walker, author of 42 laxative. His question started me thinking, and books on alternative medicine calls An excellent blood builder, spin- I began to review my over a quarter garlic “nature’s gift to mankind,” ach, filled with antioxidants, is with- century works written for magazines. and maintains that all the ancient out question, about as wholesome It was a question that gave me an myths about its power to heal are not and health-giving a food as can be opening to assess my view of various folkloric stories. Rather, they truly imagined. It contains chlorophyll that foods and their health values. describe its healthful qualities. helps to lower the activity of cancer From my reviews, I came up with Lentils, one of the most nutri- causing agents. Made up from over these 10 foods: fatty types of fish tious foods ever grown by man, are 90% water, it has no cholesterol and like salmon, garlic, lentils, olive oil, rich in carbohydrates, calcium, iron, is a rich source of minerals and vita- spinach, tomatoes, potatoes, yogurt, vitamin B, and especially protein, mins. Large amounts of calcium, iron, bananas, and honey. It is not a list making them a vegetarian food par phosphorus, potassium and vitamins that everyone can agree with, but it excellence. A healthy legume with A, B and C; and some carbohydrates, is my own idea about the best foods many side benefits, lentils are recom- fat, magnesium, sodium and high on which to dine. mended in cases of low blood pres- quality proteins are contained in Fish, especially fatty types like sure, emaciation, anemia and ulcers. this nourishing green. One ounce of salmon, have excellent nutritive Containing a higher percentage of spinach will supply half the average properties. Fish contains about 20% protein than an equal amount of person’s daily requirements of vita- protein and small amounts of cal- lean meat, they surely have a bright mins A and C. cium, iodine, iron, magnesium, phos- future in a world with an exploding Tomatoes provide North Ameri- phorous, potassium and sodium. In population. cans with a greater percentage of addition, fish is a good source for Exceptionally rich in potassium, their nutrition than any other veg- vitamins A, B, D and E, and is almost olive oil, a mono-unsaturated fat, etable. A dieter’s delight—a medium carbohydrate and fat-free, making it has the ability to reduce the LDL tomato has about 30 calories—they popular as a low-fat fare. Its omega-3 (bad) cholesterol without reducing contain no cholesterol and are low oils are good for the immune system the HDL (good) cholesterol in the in carbohydrates. When sun-ripened, and help to prevent arthritis and blood. The oil also contains vitamin tomatoes are rich in vitamins A and headaches. In 2003, research at Har- E, a powerful antioxidant that plays C, and minerals, especially potas- vard University established that men a role in reducing the risk of cancer sium. In addition, they contain some who ate about three to five ounces of and heart diseases. Soothing for in- calcium, chlorine, fiber, iron, mag- fish one to three times a month were sect bites, itching and bruises, it also nesium, phosphorous; and traces of 43% less likely to have a clot-related aids in relieving liver disorders and fat, protein, sodium and vitamins B, stroke. abdominal indigestion. E and G. Long before modern medicine, Studies have shown that the Unlike green vegetables, they in China, India and the Arab lands, high antioxidant activity in olive oil lose few of their vitamins in cooking. the herb doctors in these countries reduces the development of breast They are also a major source of the Countryside & Small Stock Journal, January/February 2013 65 antioxidant lycopene that helps to Place salmon steaks in a cas- reduce lung, prostrate and stomach serole then combine the marinade cancers. ingredients and pour over steaks. Potatoes, called the “noblest of Refrigerate and allow to marinate vegetables,” are one of the healthiest for 1 hour, turning the steaks over foods in the human larder. An easily once or twice. grown plant, potatoes have the abil- Make a sauce by combining the ity to provide more nutritious food ingredients, set aside. faster on less land than any other Wrap fillet with aluminium foil food crop, and in almost any habi- then barbecue over medium heat tat. They are jam-packed with fiber, The use of pomegranates has become for about 10 minutes, turning over minerals—chiefly potassium, pro- popular with cooks in the past few wrapped steaks once. Serve with teins, the vitamins A, C and D, and years. sauce. complex carbohydrates—the body’s Garlic Chicken main source of fuel. A medium six- twice the carbohydrates, three times Serves 6 ounce potato has about 120 calories, the phosphorus, five times the vita- 2 tablespoons olive oil is virtually fat-free and contains no min A and iron, and twice the other 2 lbs. boned chicken breasts, cut into cholesterol and only a small amount vitamins and minerals. Hence, it is 1 inch wide strips of sodium. Potatoes provide more better to say, not an apple, but “A ba- 1 head garlic, peeled and crushed 1 teaspoon tarragon protein and calories than any other nana a day keeps the doctor away!” 1 teaspoon salt food crop—five times more than corn, It has been scientifically established that honey contains some 75 1/2 teaspoon pepper soybeans and wheat. 1/2 teaspoon thyme Modern nutritionists have estab- ingredients, including 23 types of 1/8 teaspoon cayenne lished that yogurt is almost a medici- minerals, five enzymes, five organic 1 cup water nal food. On the average, 100 grams acids, aromatic volatile oil, fruit and (about 3-1/2 oz.) of regular plain grape sugars, proteins, seven vita- Heat oil in a frying pan, sauté yogurt contains 77 calories; and 7.1 g mins of the B complex group and chicken strips over medium heat for carbohydrates, 5.3 g protein, 3 g fat, other components needed by the hu- 5 minutes. Add garlic, stir-fry for 3 229 mg potassium, 181 mg calcium, man body. Containing more minerals minutes. Transfer frying pan contents 142 mg phosphorus, 75.5 mg sodium, and vitamins than sugar, this highly to a casserole. nutritious bee by-product has been, and vitamins Bl, B2 and B12. It has been Combine remaining ingredients found that yogurt contains a digestive for thousands of years, employed as then stir into the casserole. Cover and enzyme that prolongs life. Humans a medicine. Some 50 studies pub- bake in a 350°F preheated oven for naturally produce this enzyme in their lished by the British Journal of Surgery 30 minutes. Uncover, then bake for childhood but it becomes deficient as and other publications, attest to the another 30 minutes or until chicken they reach adulthood. It has also been healing qualities of honey, especially is tender. Serve hot with mashed proved that besides all the healthful el- in banishing infections, promoting potatoes or cooked rice. ements found in milk, yogurt contains skin growth and in the prevention of scarring. a teeming load of bacteria—about 100 Lentil and Potato Soup million per gram. These multiply in From these 10 foods, great healthy dishes with one or the other of these Serves about 8 the intestines and, by getting rid of the 4 tablespoons olive oil foods as a main ingredient can be accumulated germs, relieve stomach 2 medium onions, chopped ulcers, dysentery, and promote excel- prepared, such as these few below: 4 cloves garlic, crushed lent digestion. 4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh As they ripen enzymes in ba- Barbecued Salmon Steaks coriander leaves nanas convert their large amount Serves about 6 1 small hot pepper, finely chopped of starch—about 20%—into easily 2 pounds salmon steaks 7 cups water digestible natural sugars—sucrose, 3/4 cup dried lentils 2 teaspoons salt fructose and glucose, all of which Marinade: 1 teaspoon chili flakes 1 teaspoons pepper the body uses. They are rich in fiber, 4 tablespoons soy sauce l teaspoon cumin potassium and vitamins A, B, and C, 4 tablespoons honey 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger and contain calcium, fat, iron, magne- 2 tablespoons water 2 medium potatoes, diced into 1/2 sium, phosphorus and protein. Each 1 tablespoon grated ginger inch cubes 100 g (3.5 oz. ) of their creamy white 4 tablespoons lemon juice edible flesh includes 100 nutritious Sauce: calories—higher than most fresh 3 tablespoons mayonnaise Heat oil in a saucepan, then sauté fruits. When compared to an apple, 2 tablespoons honey onions, garlic, coriander leaves and a banana has four times the protein, 1/8 teaspoon cayenne hot pepper over medium heat for 66 Try not to become a man of success but rather try to become a man of value. — Albert Einstein 8 minutes. Stir in remaining ingre- ing reserved oil in a salad bowl, add dients except lemon juice. Bring to potatoes and eggs. Toss just before boil and cover. Cook over medium/ serving. low heat for about 50 minutes or until lentils and potatoes are well done, Chickpea and Yogurt Platter adding more water if necessary. Stir Serves 6 in lemon juice and serve. In Damascus, this dish is usually served as a part of a hearty breakfast. Garlic Sauce 1 medium head garlic, peeled 2 medium loaves Arabic bread (pita), 1 egg toasted; then broken into small pieces 1 teaspoon salt Chickpeas and Yogurt Platter 1 can chickpeas (19 oz.), drained 1/2 cup olive oil 1 cup plain yogurt 2 tablespoons lemon juice then place in boiling water and cook 1 clove garlic, crushed for 3 minutes. Drain and place on Salt and pepper to taste Place in blender, garlic, egg and serving platter, but keep warm. Seeds of one pomegranate salt and blend for a few moments. Heat oil in saucepan, then sauté 2 tablespoons lemon juice Slowly drip in oil and blend for a onions over medium heat for 10 1 tablespoon tahini 2 tablespoons butter minute. Add lemon juice then blend minutes. Stir in garlic and hot pepper, 4 tablespoons pine nuts or slivered until a frothy sauce is formed. Serve then sauté for a further 5 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients, then almonds with all types of grilled meat. 2 tablespoons chopped parsley cover and cook over low heat for 15 minutes, adding a little water if Spinach and Potatoes Spread bread evenly on a platter; necessary. Spread evenly over Swiss Serves from 6 to 8 then spread chickpeas evenly over chard, serve. 4 large potatoes, peeled, then cut as top and set aside. for French fries Thoroughly combine yogurt, gar- 4 tablespoons olive oil Potato Salad 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 small can anchovies (1.75 oz), cut into lic, salt, pepper, pomegranate seeds, 2 teaspoons shredded fresh ginger small pieces and the oil reserved lemon juice and tahini; then spread 1 teaspoon salt 4 tablespoons parsley, finely over chickpeas. 1/2 teaspoon pepper chopped Melt butter in a frying pan; then 1/4 teaspoon cayenne 4 tablespoons green onions finely sauté pine nuts or almonds until they 1/2 cup water chopped begin to brown. Spread nuts over yo- 1 — 10 oz. pkg. spinach, thoroughly 2 cloves gar1ic, crushed gurt mixture; decorate with parsley washed and chopped 1/2 small hot pepper, very finely and serve. chopped In a saucepan stir-fry potatoes 4 tablespoons olive oil 3 tablespoons vinegar Banana and Yogurt Delight until they barely begin to brown. Add Serves from 4 to 6 remaining ingredients, stir. Cover, 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 2 medium ripe bananas, peeled and cook over medium/low heat for 25 4 medium sized potatoes (about 3 chopped minutes or until potatoes are well inches long each), boiled, then peeled 2 cups plain yogurt cooked. Serve hot or cold. and diced into 3/4 inch cubes 6 tablespoons honey 4 hard boiled eggs, chopped 2 tablespoons lemon juice Swiss Chard and Tomatoes 1 teaspoon vanilla Serves 6 to 8 Combine all ingredients, except 1 large bunch Swiss chard with ribs the potatoes and eggs, but includ- Place all ingredients in a blender removed, cut into large pieces and liquefy. Chill; serve as a dessert 4 tablespoons olive oil or for snacks. 2 medium onions, finely chopped 4 cloves garlic, crushed Pomegranate and Almond Delight 1/2 hot pepper finely chopped Serves about 6 4 medium tomatoes, finely Seeds from 4 medium sized pome- chopped granates 4 tablespoons fresh basil, finely 1 cup slivered almonds chopped 4 tablespoons soft honey 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons rose water 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander Thoroughly combine all ingredi- seeds ents until the honey coats all pomegranate seeds and almonds, place in Thoroughly wash Swiss chard, Pomegranate and Almond Delight a serving bowl. Chill, serve. Countryside & Small Stock Journal, January/February 2013 67 Preserve rosemary r & r parsley by drying Rosemary

By Dr e w B. Fr a n k between them. When one basket was full, I put another on top and he first frost of the season was forecast for the overnight hours. Some continued. of our crops were still producing, so I grabbed a basket and headed When the rosemary was done, I Tout to the garden. moved on to the parsley. I trimmed I picked the last of the green and wax peppers and brought them in. The the leaves from the stems and put the beets could wait since the cold doesn’t affect them too badly. On the way finished items on trays, again keep- back to the house though, I noticed that the rosemary and parsley were ing space between the herbs. still going full force. When done, I put the top on the- After depositing the peppers inside, I grabbed a pair of scissors and dehydrator, set the selector to 95°F went to the herbs that were growing out front. I made a few deft snips and and plugged it in. filled the basket with freshness. The afternoon brought an entic- Once back inside, I rinsed them under cold water and patted them dry. ing aroma from the kitchen as the Then I found the Nesco food dehydrator and put it on the counter. herbs dried. I allowed them to dry I trimmed the cut rosemary to a length that would fit into the dehydra- for 24 hours and checked them the tor and placed it on the trays. I kept them fairly uniform, allowing space next day. The parsley was finished, dry and brittle. I placed the leaves into a pint mason jar for storage in the dark pantry. The rosemary still contained moisture, so I removed the trays that had held the parsley and put the top back on the machine. I bumped the setting up to 105 this time. Another 24 hours and the rosemary was done. I used a jelly jar for storage, stripping the herb from the stem. This jar will also reside in the pantry. There you have it; two jars of herbs that will grace our winter fare. You can find Drew at Harrisburg Magazine or follow him on Twitter!

For more information on dehydrators, check out Pleasant Hill Grain Co. (pg. 12), or Excalibur (www.excalibur- Herbs can be dehydrated—just set at a lower temperature if you use a machine. dehydrator.com) 68 We inherit nothing truly, but what our actions make us worthy of. — Chapman The horse barn: #9: Is there a high risk of back injury? To honestly answer this question, The 10 I must start by saying that horseshoeing is a physical activity and just like any hands-on activity, there is a most commonly chance of injury. However, there are two measures a farrier can take to lessen this risk. The first is to prepare asked for the activity by stretching and exercising. Many farriers do a daily farrier questions routine of stretching the lower back muscles before doing their work; very similar to that of a baseball catcher comparable to muscles—only through before the start of each game. The By Br y a n Fa r c u s MA, CJF exercise will they develop and become second involves preparing the horse. ©2012 “Fa r r i e r -Fr i e n d l y ”™ definite. A master craftsman or artist Most often the majority of injuries in any field can have some difficulty result from failed attempts to shoe The unanswered... explaining how his or her work turned An anonymous author once untrained horses. Forceful pressure out so beautifully. Similarly, an ex- wrote: or restraints put upon a horse will pert horse shoer can perform his or “Everything that is either timeless or always increase the level of a horse’s her work on such a level that there priceless comes to us in the form of art. “trapped fear” and, in turn, that in- seems to be an indescribable beauty Those things which are based on mechan- creases the farrier’s odds of getting about it. On a fairly regular basis, I ics alone must be updated periodically seriously injured. Instead, I recom- am approached by many people and and for a price.” mend that we rely on a “lasting” I receive a variety of questions. The training technique, in order to gain most difficult to explain are those that Each time I read this passage, I the horse’s trust before attempting involve the “feel-of-the-skill.” In all am reminded of the importance of any horseshoeing. honesty, the clearest understanding of recognizing our work as an expres- any art involves going beyond what sion of art. And, to express one’s self #8: Does a farrier any words could ever reveal. requires that we get in touch with our get kicked often? artistic abilities. These abilities are Any experienced farrier knows The easily answered... all too well about this. I think I’m not Fortunately, there are a few ques- alone in saying that on an on-going, tions that are simple and general almost subconscious level the fear of enough to answer. In top 10 order, getting kicked exists and the amount they are as follows: of risk a farrier assumes is based on his or her personal experiences. More #10: How can a person definitively, I can say that by nature become a farrier? a horse will kick for one of two rea- There are two ways to obtain the sons: a) the threat of an attack, or b) horseshoeing and horsemanship the threat of being trapped. In my skills that are necessary in order to opinion, to lessen the risk of a kick become a professional farrier. One is and at the same time gain a more through a farrier studies program at “lasting” control of the horse, the various accredited schools, and the farrier should prescribe to the horse other is through a private appren- owner a logical horsemanship train- ticeship program offered by many ing technique. There are several Basic older, more experienced farriers. Body Language Systems (BBLS’s) Personally, I recommend a combina- currently being used and promoted tion of both. In most cases, expect by successful trainers. at least two years of basic training. Also worth mentioning is the idea #7: Can you make a living of continuing education. This can be as a farrier? achieved through clinics, seminars, According to a recent survey Shoeing a horse is like trimming your “ride-alongs” with more experienced published in the American Farrier’s toenails—done properly, it doesn’t farriers, or just simply taking some Journal, the annual income for a far- hurt at all. Photo by Miriah Reynolds time to research new ideas. rier can easily reach “six figures.” Countryside Magazine Ad 2007 0710-1452 Oct 2007

Countryside & Small Stock Journal,69 January/February 2013 69 This, of course, varies according to at home the individual’s experience and de- ™ mand factors. in nature

#6: How much does it normally rom seaside getaways cost to have a horse shod? Fto mountain retreats, Depending on the extent of the the Pacific Yurt goes work, which is based on the health of the horse’s feet, the price (after cal- where you want to be. culating trip fees and recommended Call today for a brochure: hoof care products) may often end up 1.800.944.0240 in the $100 range. email: [email protected] www.yurts.com #5: How often do horses need farrier work? This will depend on the overall condition of the horse, the climate he lives in, and what his job is. On an average, most farriers will recommend a visit every six to eight weeks.

#4: Are there different shoes for different horses? Yes; modern horseshoeing requires that the farrier choose the shoes that will best support and pro- No One Knows Yurts Like Pacific Yurts™ tect the horse and at the same time World’s Leading Manufacturer Cottage Grove, Oregon allow him to perform. A qualified farrier will examine the conformation and movement patterns of a horse, in order to select the shoes that are most beneficial. Pure Survival Water

#3: Why do some horses need special shoes? In this situation, you may hear some farriers referring to the concept of “corrective” shoeing. Perhaps it is more easily explained if you consider this simple thought: “A horse is shod correctly if his shoes promote strong feet, strong legs and strong gaits (way of traveling).” If, for some reason, a horse is weak in any one of these areas, special shoes could help. These are three of the most common situations: a) Weak, tender feet often Worried about having safe, fresh water in the event bruise easily. Flat padded shoes can of a power outage or natural disaster? prevent such occurrences. b) Weak limbs, resulting at birth or due to an The Waterwise 1600 Non-Electric Distiller will save the day. injury, can be supported by various combinations of Bar shoes and/or Purity made simple! Degree (wedged) pads. And c), oc- up to 16 gallons a day of pure, steam distilled H O casionally, horses have trouble mov- 2 ing freely and this weakness in gait virtually any heat source use indoors or outside could cause the horse to experience a hitting (interfering) of his limbs. FREE Report ($1500 Value) 800-874-9028 Ext 721 Various toe or heel adjustments of PO Box 494000 Leesburg FL 34749 • www.waterwise.com/cty 70 70 Art, like morality, consists in drawing the line somewhere. — G. K. Chesterton the horse’s shoe can improve the shape the nail. Each time a farrier support, timing, and direction of his works on a horse’s foot, he or she footfall patterns. learns the quality or “vertical depth tolerance” differences that exist from #2: If horses in the wild one horse to another. A competent can survive without farrier work, farrier will spend hours practicing why can’t the others? the mechanics of accurate nailing The truly “wild horses” as we techniques. These hours of practice know them are a thing of the past. can be compared to the countless In modern times, horses are prod- number of bullets a marksman will ucts of human influence. Being as it fire at a target in an effort to become may, horses are now managed and a sharp shooter. The ability to devel- even bred selectively to meet human op a strategic approach toward nail standards. Unfortunately, these stan- placement, along with the ability to dards are not always in the horse’s analyze the health of each foot, is the best interests. As a result, over the key to keeping the shoeing process centuries weaker traits have become “horse-friendly.” more dominant. Remember that in the actual wild only the strongest of Resources stallions and mares successfully bred. • www.farrierfocus.com This was the natural order of selec- • www.butlersprofessionalfar- tion, which in most cases produced rierschool.com L i v i n g o f f t h e stronger, healthier feet. • www.myhorsematters.com And the #1 question, most often • Shoeing In Your Right Mind, Dr. asked is… Doug Butler • Six Figure Shoeing, Dr. Doug Does nailing-on a shoe Butler hurt the horse? • American Farrier’s Journal If done properly, the horse does Land? not experience any pain. The kera- Additional reading tinization process (division of dead Farrier-Friendly series, “Far- cells) that occurs within the horse’s rier Phobia,” “How Your Farrier hooves is the same as that of our Will Choose Those Shoes,” “Barefoot We can help! finger and toenail growth. Within Facts,” and “General Horse Foot reason, you can cut through or re- Care.” Lehman's has been providing non-electric, practical tools, appliances and books for Family over 55 years to the homesteading community. album:

Co u n t r y s i d e : Every Lehman’s night at bedtime, On the Square in Kidron, Ohio these two cozy up Lehmans.com together. For awhile, Ph: 1-877-438-5346 I thought Hallie was broody, and kept taking her out of For a FREE copy of the catalog and special e-mail offers, mail to: the buck stall and Lehman’s, Dept. 2KYH, putting her on a nest 289 Kurzen Rd. North, of eggs, she’d freak Dalton, OH 44618 out and run back to the buck stall, finally Name: figured out that she’s in love with Address: Holstein.— Joanna Wilcox, Boone, North Carolina; http://boone- Zip: dockswilcox.blogspot. com/ E-mail: Countryside & Small Stock Journal, January/February 2013 71 Find your place in the country... with the real estate company that can get you there.

With over 500 offices and thousands of lifestyle properties nationwide we specialize in all types of country property. No matter what you’re searching for, a country home, wooded acreage, waterfront retreat, hobby farm or historic B&B. We are the #1 real estate company in and around the smaller cities and towns across America.

TEXAS SECLUSION – 29+ wooded acres HOW ABOUT IOWA! Priced has been MICHIGAN HOBBY FARM – 2 acre w/4 BR, 2 BA home. Family room, kitchen, reduced on this 3 BR, 1 ½ BA home w/bsmt farmstead w/older 5 BR, 2 BA farmhouse. enclosed porch, covered deck & balcony. on 3+ acres. Many new updates. New Several outbuildings. Add’l acreage Pond. $131,900 30x40 steel building. Pond. $125,000 available. $150,000

ULTIMATE PRIVACY – 10 NY acres w/ HORSE FARM - 5 fenced & cross-fenced COUNTRY LIFESTYLE – 6 GA acres w/3 BR, spacious Colonial w/4 BR, 2 ½ BA, FL acres w/barn w/tack room & connects 2 BA home boasting 2,300 sq ft. Kitchen bluestone FP, exposed cathedral ceilings, to 5 miles of trails. 4 BR, 2 BA home w/ w/stainless appliances opens to den w/ formal dining & much more. 2 garages. landscaped lawn. $110,000 FP. Enclosed porch & rocking-chair front Add’l land available. $199,000 porch. $174,900

FENCED & CROSS-FENCED – 32 AL acres HOME & GUEST HOUSE on 11+ TX acres. LOTS FOR THE MONEY – 3 BR, 1 BA on 2 ½ w/water in all pastures, 3 pole barns w/ 2 BR, 2 BA main home w/many updates & IN acres PLUS 6 outbuildings! $139,900 stalls, equipment barn & storage buildings. WBFP. Log guest house. Pipe fencing & 4 BR, 2 BA quad mfg home. Lots of pecan mature trees. Minutes to popular lake & Contact us for trees. $188,000 town. $179,900 information on these, or thousands of other properties nationwide.

OHIO COUNTRY HOME – 4 BR, 2 ½ BA EARTH CONTACT HOME on 6+ KS acres. Call Today for Your FREE home on 6+ acres. Several outbuildings. Pond stocked w/catfish. Lots of flowers, Real Estate Catalog! $139,900 bushes & wildlife. $115,000 800.999.1020 ext 86 · www.UnitedCountry.com/cs 72 Most people sell their souls and live with a good conscience on the proceeds. — Logan P. Smith The cow barn: Whatis a crossbreed or a composite?

By He a t h e r Sm i t h Th o m a s for these composites—Amerifax, that have been around a long time Id a h o Limflex, SimGenetics, Stabilizers, include Beefmaster, Brangus, Santa Rangemakers, Balancers, Southern Gertrudis, Red Brangus, Braford, oday we frequently hear the Balancers, Chiangus, Equalizers— and so on. These composites have terms crossbred, hybrid, com- and it’s like trying to choose between now become accepted as uniform T posite, synthetic—when refer- brand names at the grocery store. types of cattle that combine some of ring to certain animals—and we So what exactly is a crossbred or the advantages of the parent breeds often wonder exactly what these a composite animal? Technically, a and still retain a certain amount of terms mean. Some of these names crossbred is an animal produced by heterosis. are used interchangeably, especially breeding two purebred parents of dif- Some composites have their own when speaking of new lines of cattle ferent breeds. The term can also refer breed associations, with herdbook in which a planned mating method to an animal produced by breeding a and registration of association mem- is designed to combine the desirable crossbred animal to a cow or bull of bers’ cattle. Many of the original com- traits of two or more breeds into one a third breed, or might even refer to posites in the U.S.—like Brangus and animal, but these terms do not all the result of mating two crossbred Santa Gertrudis—were formed with mean the same thing (see sidebar on animals with each other. The term a specific goal in mind. The purpose terminology and definitions). crossbred generally refers, however, was to create beef animals that com- Because of the advantages of hy- to the first generation produced by bined beef-production qualities of brid vigor (heterosis) gained when mating animals of different breeds. British breeds with the heat tolerance utilizing crossbreeding in a beef pro- By contrast, a composite is an and insect resistance of Brahman (Bos duction program, almost every major animal produced after several gen- indicus) cattle so these hybrid animals breed has jumped on the bandwagon erations of selective crossing with could thrive and be more productive to get in on the action by creating and two or more breeds, to come up with in our southern climates. promoting composites that utilize a uniform group of animals that have Some of the newer composites their breed as one of the components. a fixed percentage of each of those have been created to simply produce They come up with fancy names breeds. Examples of composites a type of cattle with more hardiness and better performance in a variety of environments, taking advantage of the feed efficiency/gainability and increased fertility of the hybrid animal and seeking to blend the best (most desired) features of two or more breeds.

Heterosis Hybrid vigor, also called heterosis, is a phenomenon associated with crossing two breeds or species. A well-known example of the latter would be the crossing of a horse and a donkey to create a mule, or crossing bison and cattle to create a hybrid animal that some people have called beefalo. By crossing two different breeds or species (or sub-species), we are able to create traits in the offspring that are superior to or stronger than those of the parents. A composite cow and calf. For instance, crossbred cows tend Countryside & Small Stock Journal, January/February 2013 73 New Report on Surviving A Panic-Driven Crisis Reveals... Which Items Instantly Vanish From Store Shelves In A Crisis or Meltdown! In an emergency or crisis... he who hesitates truly is lost.

ecently one of our researchers completed the definitive closed stores, some people will give up altogether... and wait for Listen: When it comes to our families, we want a system that report on the top 77 items that literally vanish from store the government to save them. Others will get weapons and take will keep them safe, and well fed. Rshelves “faster than a rabbit” when hurricanes, earth- from those weaker than they. As we have learned in recent history quakes and killer snowstorms threaten. Yep. It’s the stuff that gets in the U.S., hungry people don’t hesitate to take what they want. And That’s How it Should Be! “Gone Before You Get There” hoarded when people freak out about an unknown future. It’s also But the report shows you a dozen devastatingly powerful but - I believe - is superior to all the stuff that will disappear the quickest in the midst of a food simple ways that can get you out of any situation like this - that’s the other survival reports and systems we’ve ever seen and read. shortage or other economic crisis. Every American needs to read right, ANY shortage or crisis - in an instant! Plus, this report (I know I’m going to make a lot of people upset by saying that, this report as soon as humanly possible. “turns the table on both the grid and the system”! but it’s what I believe in my heart.) I’m serious. This might be your only opportunity to get the This information can only be found in this report. No one I’ve looked at it from all angles, and this is the survival system new report on how to stay alive in a panic driven crisis. And let outside of the writer has access to this information. Honestly... I would trust with my life. me tell you... you will be among a handful of people on the planet who are Seriously... with all the weird stuff that’s been going on around it’s Truly Mind-Blowing! privileged to have this knowledge! here lately (I’m not comfortable telling you everything right now)... it’s obvious that someone doesn’t want you to have this As you can imagine, we’ve received nothing but glowing One of the things the report tells you to buy (which I can report. testimonials from the few readers who have read the report so guarantee you’ve never seen before) can easily be the one single far. These folks now know to take decisive action when things thing that keeps you alive! And when you read “Gone Before You Get There”, you’ll start to turn chaotic. I’ve had people tell me that they were blown The report also discusses society’s “pressure points” that you know why. away by the report because it was so brutally honest about what to must watch for to alert you of the coming storm. If you do, you’ll Listen, I don’t want to draw a lot of attention to myself when expect from human behavior when you take some of the structure predict panics and be able to prepare for trouble... I make this report available to our customers. I’ve got to be very of civilization away from them! Ahead Of The Crowd! careful how I go about this. I don’t want to take the chance of I agree. There isn’t anything else like it on the planet! creating too many red flags and getting my name on an “enemies” Even if you are caught with no food in the house, this report list again. And the best part is, everything you’ll learn in this report shows you easy ways to use your imagination and a little ingenu- called “Gone Before You Get There” is easy to learn how to do. ity to come up with more food than you can possibly eat. Don’t Be Left Out! You’ll master becoming prepared in no time with this report in Then, the report shows you what to do in the event you have to I would hate to have you miss out on this report - especially your hands. Each tactic puts you in the driver’s seat and you’ll when I know how important this information can be to your know exactly what to expect when polite society breaks down... get the heck out of Dodge! Knowing when and how to evacuate becomes pretty darn important in a breakdown. personal safety and well-being. But I also have to look out for Before Anyone Else! my safety and well-being... and right now I think I might be on Or if you find yourself in a flood, tornado or earthquake – the someone’s “target” list. You’re going to love this new report. It’s all about keeping report tells you how to get to safety in a hurry. your family alive and well when the grocery store no longer has If I can get this information to you now, instead of later, I’d Or if you find yourself confronted by “desperate” strangers. the things you’ve grown to depend on. And let me tell you, it’s feel a whole lot better. Not that I’m asking you for a “favor.” amazing! Plus, you’ll learn how to turn an ordinary garden into a sur- I wouldn’t do that. I want you to buy this report for your self-pres- vival garden and grow enough food for everyone. ervation, not mine. But my strategy is to get this into the public The report shows you a ton of ways to get out of any mess that before anything strange happens. a panic driven shortage or meltdown may bring your way. Even And here’s a nasty situation to be in: You need food right veteran “survivalists” get their eyes opened from this report! away. Stores are closed and your house is completely out of food. That’s one of the reasons I’m going to give you an attractive The report shows you how to find a source of food that 99 out of price discount on this report. The other reason is that it’s a “rough Like when the power goes out and it’s freezing cold outside. 100 people won’t know about. And find it fast. cut” with a few imperfections in it (because that’s all we have The report shows you how to stay warm when everyone else is to go with). You probably won’t even notice them though unless getting cold! Frankly, almost no one has a way out of this predicament. But the report has a clever section that enables you to have plenty of you’re a high school English teacher. Or, instead of not having a flush toilet, you can flush all you “new found” food when you need it most. This is awesome. want whenever you want!! $40.00 Report... Now Free! The report also shows you... You’ll also learn... Now I must confess something: This report isn’t “perfect” in • What to do when the power goes out. its present state, and I don’t feel right selling it to you at full price. • The things you absolutely must have in your house • How to make sure your family gets plenty of critical Normally, I would sell it for $40.00. But right now, I’m going to before any crisis strikes. proteins. give it away when downloaded digitally, or you can have a hard • How to have all the pure drinking water you need without • 8 survival habits that can save your life. copy of the report mailed to you if you just send us $5.00 to cover buying an expensive filter! • Exciting reasons to reconsider a solar backup. shipping and handling. • Which 3 food items have an almost indefinite shelf life • Why you need more water in a crisis. • 4 grains that have a two year shelf life You can call in to place your order for the hard copy by • How to deal with severe cold! calling...(877) 327-0365. One section teaches you about using grills and solar cookers • Fascinating, clever and “dirty” little tricks that enable when you’re hungry. you to escape desperate situations! Or by sending a check or money order directly to... • Crucial ways to keep your pets alive in a melt down. Sometimes in a crisis you can’t buy medications. You’ll learn Solutions From Science • Cheap and easy “tools” to stock for self-defense when what to do “for meds” in an emergency. PLUS, you’ll learn how hunger hits the public. Gone Before You Get There (Dept. CS121) much cash to have on hand and exactly where to stash it! • And much, much more. 2200 iL Route 84 Next, the report gives you 16 non-food items that your life may The best part is... you don’t have to be a backwoodsman to get P.O. Box 518 come to depend on. This list is so important that you are genuinely put- going and get prepared. ting your family’s lives at risk if you don’t have the items on THIS list. Thomson, iL 61285 And most importantly you’ll learn... How To Get Out Of The Most Dangerous You can’t beat that price (FREE for the download) - and you The Top 77 items That instantly Vanish From can’t beat the awesome survival insurance you’ll get from this Situations in The World! life-saving report “Gone Before You Get There.” it’s subtitled Store Shelves in A Panic! Probably the most perilous predicament to be in during a panic “77 items You Must Have... That instantly Vanish From Store is not having the basics of everyday living. Americans depend on As you can imagine, survival after the crisis hits is going to Shelves in A Panic.” Just go to... drug stores, grocery stores and hardware stores. But think about be deadly business. The writer of this report has been involved in www.PreparedForCrisis.com what it would be like if... ALL of them were closed. more than his fair share of high-intensity, life-or-death “survival situations” where you never carried food but always had to eat. Sincerely, Listen: When desperate people can’t get what they want... In a way, crisis survival is a little like hand to hand combat. when they want it... they tend to freak out. That’s life in America Bryce Pearson That’s why “Gone Before You Get There” is so perfectly suited when the stores ARE open. Think about millions of spoiled rotten “Gone Before You Get There” American consumers staring at “CLOSED” signs on all the stores for keeping you alive in a modern melt down. This is NOT a game. It’s definitely not for wimps. It’s a “take no prisoners” they normally depend on. “Gone Before You Get There” survival system that assures you and your family will survive in P.S. Get your copy of today while During the coming food shortage, folks will really panic which relative comfort when it gets tough. there is still time. This country is truly in for disasters of Biblical will make matters worse by a factor of a hundred. Faced with proportion. It’s that serious. 74 It is foolish to tear one’s hair in grief, as if grief could be lessened by baldness. — Cicero to be more fertile (reaching puberty sooner and breeding back quicker after calving) and to have a longer Livestock breeding life of productivity, producing more calves in their lifetime, than purebred terminology and definitions cows of either parent breed. Cross- bred bulls are more fertile and tend Crossbreeding: The mating of two or more breeds. to be more active and vigorous than Crossbred: An animal created by mating two purebred or straightbred bulls of the parent breeds. Crossbred animals of different breeds, or mating a crossbred with an animal of a third calves are hardier and have a higher breed. survival rate due to their stronger Purebred: An animal with parents of the same breed—which has been immune systems. They tend to gain pure since the beginning of that breed. A purebred may be registered or weight faster and more efficiently, unregistered. and adapt more readily to harsh Straightbred: An animal of just one known breed, though not neces- environments. sarily purebred or registered. Research has shown that part Composite: A uniform group of cattle created by selectively cross- of the reason crossbred animals are ing two or more breeds for several generations and establishing a certain hardier than purebreds is because of fixed percentage of each breed (such as the Santa Gertrudis that carries a stronger immune system. Animals 5/8 Shorthorn genetics and 3/8 Brahman, or the Brangus that carries 5/8 that embody heterosis tend to devel- Angus genetics and 3/8 Brahman, or the Beefmaster that carries approxi- op better immunity when vaccinated mately ½ Brahman genetics and the other half a blend of Hereford and or exposed to disease, and crossbred Shorthorn in roughly equal percentage). In essence a composite is a new cows supply their calves with more “breed” designed to retain a certain amount of heterosis in future genera- antibodies in their colostrum—which tions without crossbreeding, and can thus be maintained as a “pure” breed in turn keeps the calves healthier without further infusions of other breeds. through the risky days of early calf- Synthetic: This term is used to describe a new line of cattle from an hood. After the passive immunity open breeding program where new breeds can be added at any time. No wears off, a crossbred calf builds fixed percentage of certain breeds is required. Bulls used might be cross- strong immunity of his own. This bred or purebred, to add another breed to the mix. Many producers use all adds up to higher survival rate crossbred bulls to good advantage in this type of breeding program, creating in calves. whatever mix in the calves might be desired. For instance, a crossbred bull Heterosis beneficially influences can be used on crossbred cows of the same two breeds, to keep the mix traits like feed efficiency and longev- the same in the calves. Or a crossbred bull can be used on cows of differ- ity, which are important to beef pro- ent crosses, to add another set of desired traits to the mix. In this way the duction. In general, the more diverse producer can often gain the most benefit from crossbreeding (the biggest the breeds being crossed, the greater “shot” of hybrid vigor) and also avoid some of the limitations associated the heterosis we see in the calves— with traditional crossbreeding schemes. as when crossing Brahman or other Hybrid vigor (heterosis): The degree to which a crossbred or com- zebu-based breeds (Bos indicus) with posite animal outperforms the straightbred/purebred parents in any specific British breeds or European breeds trait (such as growth, health and immune responses, fertility, longevity, (both of which are Bos taurus). Greater milking ability, etc.) heterosis response is also gained Inbreeding: The mating of closely related individuals such as father- when crossing British breeds with daughter, brother-sister, half brother-half sister, grandfather-granddaugh- European breeds than when cross- ter, etc. to try to double up desired traits. The downside of this breeding ing them among themselves, since program is a decrease in genetic variations and also more possibility of dou- the British breeds are more closely bling up undesirable traits, some of which may result in genetic defects. related to one another than they are Linebreeding: A form of inbreeding that concentrates the genetics of a to most European breeds. certain ancestor; the mating of relatives to try to “fix” and retain the desired All “breeds” were originally cre- traits of that ancestor or bloodline. Like inbreeding, this type of breeding ated with some degree of inbreeding program must be done carefully, to avoid doubling up of undesirable traits and linebreeding to “fix” certain that were hidden in the original animals. desired traits that were seen in the Outbreeding/outcrossing: The mating of unrelated individuals within foundation animals. A breed is es- a breed to produce superior offspring by obtaining “new” genetics. Selec- sentially a closed group of cattle, to tive outbreeding is the best way to improve certain traits and retain vigor maximize uniformity and to exclude when staying within a certain breed, though the results are slower and less infusion of any other traits. Keeping dramatic than with crossbreeding. a breed “pure” always limits the genetic potential of these animals, Countryside & Small Stock Journal, January/February 2013 75 and tends to accumulate inbred traits over time. These traits include lack of hardiness, less immune response, less vigor. Inbreeding has the potential to double up recessive genes in the limited gene pool, or undesirable traits that result from mutations. Mutations occur in humans and animals all the time, but rarely cause problems unless doubled up by breeding related individuals that both carry the mutated gene from the common ancestor. Inbreeding limits variety and increases the probability that inherited defects will crop up. By inbreeding during the early history of a breed to establish uni- half European breeds. Leachman linebreeding has to be avoided in formity and “fix” certain desired Rangemaker is a composite that is future generations to maintain high traits, some degree of beef produc- 3/4 British (a certain blend of Red levels of heterozygous genetics and tion potential (the opportunity for Angus and Black Angus), and 1/4 heterosis. maximum growth and vigor) was European (a blend of Terentaise, Whenever a composite is formed, sacrificed. Thus crossbreeding is the South Devon, and Salers). Another there is always some loss of heterosis opposite of inbreeding. It opens the composite example would be the when the crossbreds are mated to one door for wider genetic variation and Leachman Stabilizer that is 1/4 Red another, but once the composite is es- results in heterosis, which in simplest Angus, 1/4 Hereford, 1/4 Gelbveih tablished and the herd is closed (just terms is essentially the recovery of and 1/4 Simmental. Another ex- mating the composites—animals that lost potential—the reversal of ac- ample is the Noble Line, in which all have similar breed blends—with cumulated inbreeding’s depression the genetic components are approxi- one another) the resulting heterosis of traits. In just one generation, the mately equal amounts of Gelbveih, will be consistent and constant. Un- crossbred offspring exhibit the great- Angus and Brahman blood. Many less the population of animals in est degree of what was lost (in growth popular composites are in use today, the composite groups is very large, and vigor) through many generations including blends of Angus-Gelbvieh, however, inbreeding will eventually of pure breeding within a closed gene Angus-Salers, Angus-Chianina, and reduce the effect of heterosis. pool. many other combinations of British If the composite was formed with and continental breeds. foresight, a complementary blend True composites The key to creating a reliable of breeds, planning, and adequate take many years to create composite that retains a certain numbers, use of a composite can A true composite is not easy to percentage of heterosis (and not los- simplify the goal of producing cattle develop because it requires several ing it to inbreeding) is to maintain a utilizing heterosis. It can be a feasible, generations and a large population large enough foundation herd size low-management alternative to tradi- of cattle. A composite animal is pro- to adequately represent the genetics tional crossbreeding schemes. duced by mating crossbred animals of each breed used—without dou- Advantages of composites in- of similar breeding; the breed mix in bling up those genetics. Inbreeding/ clude the ability to take advantages both the sire and dam is the same, and of desired traits in several breeds, has been standardized into a predict- offsetting the weaknesses of one able blend over several generations of breed with the strengths of another, breeding crossbred to crossbred. The and targeting a specific environ- animals all have the same percentage ment with cattle that can do well in of specific breeds—whether half-and- that environment—along with some half, or 3/8 and 5/8, or some other retention of heterosis over time and fixed percentage of two breeds, or a subsequent generations. For instance, specific mix of three or more breeds. a four-breed composite tends to One example would be the MARC maintain 75 percent of the hybrid (Meat Animal Research Center) com- vigor you’d see in a first-generation posites, such as the MARC II, which cross, and will retain it indefinitely is a blend of breeds that produce Crossbred cows pictured here and if the composite population is large individuals that are half British and above. enough to avoid inbreeding. 76 Countryside Bookstore New TitleS • New TitleS • New TitleS • New TitleS • New TitleS • New TitleS Preserving Made Easy Ball® Complete Book of Small Batches and Simple Techniques Home Preserving Ell i e Ti pp & Mar g ar e t Ho w ard 400 Delicious and Creative Recipes for Today

Preserving Made Easy is the perfect book Ed i t e d b y Ju d i Ki n g r y a n d La u r e n De v i n e for today’s busy cooks who still want to prepare and enjoy the homemade good- From the experts, the new bible in ness of fresh fruits and vegetables. These home preserving. Ball® Home Canning recipes were selected for their delicious Products are the gold standard in home taste and because they are easy to pre- preserving supplies, the trademark jars pare. Thoroughly tested and perfected, on display in stores every summer from each recipe offers something special--a coast to coast. Now the experts at Ball® new twist on an old favorite, a new way have written a book destined to become to mix and match flavors and tips to make the “bible” of home preserving. the whole process easier and more fun. As nutrition and food quality has The authors offer delectable recipes for jams, jellies, con- become more important, home canning and preserving has serves, pickles, relishes, chutneys, salsas, mustards, mari- increased in popularity for the benefits it offers: Cooks gain nades, flavored oils and more. Everything you need to delight control of the ingredients, including organic fruits and veg- family and friends is here. Using this book will ensure that etables; Preserving foods at their freshest point locks in nu- your family has only the best and freshest ingredients care- trition; The final product is free of chemical additives and fully prepared for their needs. Preserving Made Easy is ide- preservatives; Store-bought brands cannot match the won- al for first-time users who will benefit from the step-by-step derful flavor of homemade; Only a few hours are needed to introductions, and for experienced cooks who are just look- put up a batch of jam or relish; Home preserves make a great ing for that extra twist that will make the batch memorable. personal gift any time of year; These 400 innovative and 286 pages, $9.99 enticing recipes include everything from salsas and savory sauces to pickling, chutneys, relishes and of course, jams, To request a book catalog with a complete jellies, and fruit spreads. listing of all books available please write to: The book includes comprehensive directions on safe can- Bookstore Catalog Request, ning and preserving methods plus lists of required equip- 145 Industrial Dr., Medford, WI 54451 ment and utensils. Specific instructions for first-timers and or call 1-800-551-5691 handy tips for the experienced make the Ball® Complete Book of Home Preserving www.countrysidemag.com a valuable addition to any kitchen library. 448 pages, $22.95

Country & Cottage Water Systems A Complete Out-of-the-City Guide to On-Site Water and Sewage Systems, Including Pumps, Plumbing, Water Purification and Alternative Toilets

Ma x Bu r n s This indispensable guide will save those who live or spend their leisure time in rural areas time, money and headaches. Packed with solid, easy-to-understand advice—and clear, detailed illustrations—Country and Cottage Water Systems takes the mystery out of rural water systems and their components. Whether planning a new system or updating, expanding or fixing an existing one, the ideas, the know-how and the solutions are all here. The book includes tips for do-it-yourselfers, and guidance for those hiring a professional, on a variety of topics, including: Methods for testing water; Making water safe to drink; Choosing the right pump; Dealing with environmental issues and legal concerns; Planning a system’s connections; Types of wells and how to dig a new one or revital- ize an old one; Understanding and installing waste systems; Troubleshooting septic systems; How to reduce a septic system's footprint; The pros and cons of alternative toilets; How to build an outhouse; Getting rid of gray water; How to keep pipes from freezing in winter; How to winterize a seasonal water system for easy spring start-up. From getting water in to getting waste out, Country and Cottage Water Systems helps ensure clean, safe water for country and cottage dwellers, as well as hassle-free and environmentally responsible waste disposal. Hardcover Spiral-Bound, 181 pages, $39.95 Countryside & Small Stock Journal, January/FebruaryPoultry 2013 77 The Chicken Encyclopedia The Chicken Whisperer’s An Illustrated Reference Guide to Keeping Chickens Ga i l Dam e r o w Everything You Need to Know... and Didn’t Know You Needed to Know About Backyard and Urban Chickens New and indispensable for all chicken enthusiasts! Beginners and old pros An d y Sc h n e i d e r & Br i g i d McCr e a Ph.D. alike will welcome Gail Damerow’s Keeping backyard chickens is a latest contribution to the poultry world, fun, simple way to reconnect with the The Chicken Encyclopedia, a listing of earth, the community and your food more than 1,000 entries, 100% related to sources, even with limited space in chickens! Anything you want to know your backyard. about chickens is either included here Let the Chicken Whisperer (poul- or it’s probably not worth knowing. Not try personality Andy Schneider) only a reference work, it’s interesting teach you everything he knows— enough to read on its own, to get an education in chickenology. and everything you need to know— Or enjoy flipping through it to pick up fascinating facts on every about raising a backyard flock! Authors Schneider and Mc- page. The full-color photos and illustrations are also superb, both Crea explain poultry keeping with a unique and commonsense educational and a pleasure to look at. 320 pages, $19.95 perspective. It is quick and easy to read yet informative and enjoyable. Chapter 10, “Illness and Ailments” is outstand- Chicken and Egg ing. This fun, comprehensive guide is a perfect fit for your A Memoir of Suburban Homesteading with 125 Recipes busy lifestyle. Inside, you’ll learn: The Benefits of a Back- yard Chicken Flock; So You’re Eggspecting: The Art of In- Ja n i c e Co l e , Ph o t o g rap h s b y Al e x Far n u m cubation; The Art of Brooding; Home Sweet Home: Coops Chicken and Egg tells the story of & Runs; Nutrition, Health and Wellness...and much more! veteran food writer Janice Cole, who, 176 pages, $19.99 like so many other urbanites, took up the revolutionary hobby of raising chickens at home. From picking out the Storey’s Illustrated Guide perfect coop to producing the miracle of to Poultry Breeds the first egg, Cole shares her now-expert Car o l Ekar i u s insights into the trials, triumphs, and bonds that result when human and hen This definitive guide to North Ameri- live in close quarters. With 125 recipes can barnyard and wild fowl includes for delicious chicken and egg dishes, poultry lovers, backyard a brief history of each breed, detailed farmers, and those contemplating taking the leap will adore this descriptions of identifying character- captivating illustrated memoir! 256 pages, $24.95 istics, and colorful photography of more than 128 birds that celebrate The Small-Scale the birds’ quirky personalities and charming good looks. If it’s fowl Poultry Flock facts and photos you want, you’ll find An all-natural approach to raising chickens them all here. 287 pages, $24.95 and other fowl for home and market growers Harv e y Uss e r y Chicken Coops A comprehensive guide to whole- 45 Building Plans for Housing Your Flock systems, mixed-flock poultry hus- Ju d y Pa n g ma n bandry. Lively, thoughtful, and engaging, it is filled with essential Whether you keep one hen or 1,000 information on basic care, housing, hens, you will find a housing plan in pasturing the flock and putting it to this comprehensive book. Coops range work, holistic health, poultry in the from fashionable backyard structures kitchen, and creative strategies for to large-scale, movable shelters. You more home-produced feeds, includ- will also find plans for converting ing cultivated earthworms and soldier trailer frames, greenhouses and sheds grubs. Contains detailed butchering instructions with dozens using recycled materials and simple of photographs and the best guide to working with broody ways to make waterers, feeders, and hens available anywhere. 416 pages, $39.95 nestboxes. 166 pages, $19.95

78 COUNTRYSIDE BOOKSTORE Renovating Barns, Sheds Monte Burch’s & Outbuildings Pole Building Projects Over 25 Low-Cost Plans Ni c k En g l e r From the foundation up, from the Mo n t e Bu r c h walls in, and from the roof down, More than two dozen attractive, craftsman Nick Engler shows you practical and useful pole building how to save money, history, and ar- plans are fully presented, projects to chitecture when you renovate or improve your yard, farm, or home- restore your barn, shed, or outbuild- stead. Pole Building Projects include: ing. You’ll learn how to square and Small and Big Bale Hay Barns; Rec- strengthen the structure, repair or re- reational Vehicle Shelter; Mobile place the roofing and siding, enlarge Home Cover; Wood Shed; Lean-to and modify the building, install new Shelter; Two-Car Garage; Workshop; windows and doors, and add electricity and plumbing. Engler Barbecue Shelter; Livestock Shade; also includes practical information on how to evaluate an old Grape Arbor. 200 pages, $18.95 structure in light of current building codes, and provides a strong argument for the benefits of restoring rather than replacing your homestead structures. 247 pages, $24.95 Building Small Barns, Sheds & Shelters Fences for Pasture & Garden Mo n t e Bu r c h Ga i l Dam e r o w Extend your working, living and Filled with sound, up-to-date ad- storage areas with low-cost barns, vice and instruction, Fences for sheds and animal shelters. Build- Pasture & Garden makes fence- ing Small Barns, Sheds & Shelters building a task anyone can tackle provides basic, easy-to-follow with confidence. The author weighs construction methods for attrac- the pros and cons of various fence tive outbuildings. Here's complete systems—from traditional fences information on tools and materials; to the latest technology—and helps foundations and floors; framing, you select the best one for your sheathing and roofing; windows and needs. Helpful suggestions for plan- doors; wiring and plumbing; and fin- ning the fence ensure maximum ishing details. Specific plans and how-to-build instructions efficiency of labor and materials. And complete, generously for popular home and family-farm structures include: Multi- illustrated directions show you how to build wire fences, purpose barns; Woodshed, toolshed and carport plans; Com- rail fences, electric fences, high-tension fences, temporary bination small barn/studio; Barn-style garage; Underground fences, woven fences, snow fences, gates, trellises, and more. root cellar; Smokehouse; Housing for poultry, rabbits, hogs; 160 pages, $16.95 Various fencing designs. 248 pages, $18.95

Keeping Livestock Healthy A Veterinary Guide to Horses, Cattle, Pigs, Goats & Sheep

N. Br u c e Ha y n e s , D.V.M. Keeping Livestock Healthy is one of the recognized classics in its field. Small Farmer’s Journal called it “a major contribution to available farm veterinary literature.” Modern Veterinary Practice wrote: “. . . highly recommended to all livestock owners.” And Farmstead Magazine said, “So admi- rably organized and indexed that its information is instantly available.” Now completely revised and updated, this fourth edition draws on the very latest research from experts on each of the five animals covered - horses, cattle, pigs, goats, and sheep. It presents new information on vaccines, artificial insemination, ultrasonography, disease testing, drug treatments, and diseases such as Lyme disease, Potomac fever, bluetongue, foot-and-mouth disease, and mad cow disease. This complete reference on livestock health is an invaluable guide to preventing disease through good nutrition, proper housing, and appropriate care. 345 pages, $19.95

Countryside &COUNTRYSIDE Small Stock Journal, January/February 2013BOOKSTORE 79 Veterinary Guide For Animal Owners Caring For Cats, Dogs, Chickens, Sheep, Cattle, Rabbits and More! 2nd Edition

C. E. Spa u ld i n g a n d Ja c k i e Cla y This easy-to-use reference guide provides everything you need to know about caring for and treating pets and barnyard animals. With complete chapters on cats, cows, dogs, goats, horses, pigs, poultry, rabbits, and sheep, it includes hundreds of strategies for preventing and curing common problems. How to sex a rabbit; The best way to dehorn a buck; Preventing cannibalism in chickens; Treating saddle sores; Controlling shock; Nail care for dogs and cats; Giving medications... and much more! Veterinary Guide for Animal Owners provides a wealth of practical, no-nonsense information that no animal owner should be without. 432 pages, $14.95

For more homesteading titles visit www.countrysidemag.com

Feel free to use another sheet of paper, or call 1-800-551-5691 to place your order today! Order Form Title Quantity Price

Name: Total books $ Address: Shipping* $ City: $4 first item, $1 each add'l item *Call for Priority & Foreign Rates State: Zip: Subtotal $

E-mail: WI Residents add 5.5% sales tax $ Visa MC Discover AmEx Total $ No.: Expiration: Signature: Phone: Mail your order to: Countryside Bookstore, 145 Industrial Dr., Medford, WI 54451 Or call 1-800-551-5691 80 It is only during an eclipse that the Man in the Moon has a place in the sun. — Anonymous The henhouse: the broiler breeding stock, world-wide: Cobb-Vantress (the Vantress part having won the $5,000 prize offered by the Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company “Chicken of Tomorrow” contest in 1948); Aviagen; and Groupe Grimaud. Each of these has several brands, Breeding meat chickens but they are all specially developed and selected strains that are not what you’ll get from any hatchery. And it gets more ~ Leave it to the pros ~ complicated. The “primary breeding sector” breeds pedigree stock kept on high- level biosecure farms. Their eggs (and they are not good layers) are hatched in special hatcheries. The chicks go Co u n t r y s i d e : I have enjoyed your through great-grandparent and grand- magazine for many years. Although parent generations, also on specialized I’m not doing as much “physical” company-controlled farms. Only then farming as I did in earlier years, we do we get the parent stock that passes still raise egg and meat chickens, geese to the production sector. and my husband has a big garden So you might be able to duplicate each summer. this at home with your Cornish and Every spring we usually order 25 White Rocks, but not quite in the way you envision it: not without a great deal Cornish/Cross meat chicks as day of work, knowledge, money, and time. olds to raise and to put in the freezer Despite the names, they are not at all as roasters in about eight weeks. the same birds used in today’s Cornish/ Have done reading that they are de- Rock cross. veloped from crossing a White Rock Today, of course, with the publica- or Delaware rooster with a Cornish Dark Cornish hen named Penny. tion of the full chicken genome in 2004, game hen. I found Dark Cornish Photo by Tammy Ellis, Falling Waters, the primary producers are also involved chicks and White Rocks at differ- West Virginia in genomics research, as well as trans- ent hatcheries this summer—they genics — moving or removing genes, creating Frankenfoods. are now eight weeks old and very for the freezer. —Linda Steiger, For- estville, New York Which brings us back to the ques- healthy. Although the hatcheries say tion, why would you want to produce you can’t arrive at the Cornish/Cross a bird with well-known health prob- Good question! It seems so logical: if chicks by doing this crossing your- lems, a bird that is too lazy to forage so a Rock/Cornish hybrid is nothing more self, I am wondering why not? I had it’s all but useless as free-range meat, than a cross between the two, what’s the and a chicken that balloons into “a hoped to segregate a few White Rock big deal? Why can’t just anybody do it? flavorless mound of mushy meat with roosters with some Cornish hens next (Some people will ask, “Why would you drumsticks”? Their only advantage is spring, then incubate the eggs. The want to?” More on that in a moment.) economy, and keeping your own breed- hatchery said the Cornish are poor The problem is that it’s not that sim- ing flock(s) will soon take care of that! layers and their size makes natural ple. The first crosses (which incidentally A number of people have combined used Cornish males and Plymouth Rock fertilization difficult, and they are these with your concerns, coming up females, not the other way around, as used in the breeding program to cre- with crosses more suited to homestead- you’re proposing), had many problems, ate Cornish/Crosses for their unique ers than the poor industrialized Cornish/ including fertility issues, slow growth, flavor and it isn’t recommended to Rock. Some I mentioned in and disease susceptibility. These birds The Com- try to breed them yourself to achieve were gradually improved using mass plete Idiot’s Guide to Raising Chickens include the Corndel, which Tim Shell this end. selection, but the industrialization of produced from Cornish and Delawares, Is this true or is this hype to en- the poultry industry soon gave way to with line breeding and careful selec- sure homesteaders keep buying the much more sophisticated methods: birds tion; and the Black Walnut, from Gene Cornish/Cross chicks from them? might be examined with ultrasound or McGraw. No doubt there are many x-rays to study the shape of muscles and Do you have any insight on this others: if you don’t care to re-invent the bones, and blood oxygen levels were question? Would be very interested wheel, this would be the place to start. to have more info on this subject, as I measured to determine cardiovascular health. — J.D. Belanger can’t seem to find a definitive answer In a nutshell, research and devel- anywhere. If all else fails, I guess I opment became so important, and so J.D.’s books are available from the will keep the White Rocks in my egg expensive, that the primary breeders Countryside Bookstore. Call 1-800- laying flock (as I love their look and consolidated, until today, only three 551-5691 to order or visit online at dual purpose) and use the Cornish companies reportedly provide 80% of www.countrysidemag.com. pg 81 color

Countryside & Small Stock Journal, January/February 2013 81 WORLD’S FASTEST ONE LOG, SPLITTER! ONE SECOND. 6X FASTER THAN ORDINARY LOG SPLITTERS! DR® RapidFire™ Log Splitter SPLIT UP

TO ONE PATENT CORD IN PENDING ONE HOUR… CORD AFTER CORD, SEASON AFTER SEASON. OUTSPLITS A ALL-NEW LIKE A STEEL FIST 34-TON! The machined and hardened steel Watch the Lower-Priced ram propels the log through the video online. wedge and then automatically Models! retracts in 2 seconds! www.drpower.com/splitoff CUTTING EDGE POWER PLANT The 6 HP high-tech chain-driven overhead cam Subaru engine We’ve replaced hydraulics produces an astounding 8.34 ft. lbs. with two hefty cast iron ﬂ y-wheels that generate torque. (PRO-XL) up to 28 HP of splitting force. RAPID FEEDING AND PROCESSING Split dense hard-woods up The optional Steel Work Table provides to 30" in diameter. a stable surface for positioning logs and is ﬂ ared for easy ejection of split cordwood. TAKE IT WHEREVER YOU NEED IT 16" all-terrain tires allow you to move the DR® RapidFire™ where you need it. 76993X © 2012 DONE RIGHT Call for a FREE DVD and Catalog! TOLL FREE 888-212-0681 www.DRLogsplitters.com 82 82

New poultry waterer makes dirty, unsanitary water a thing of the past ChickenWaterer.com announced that it has developed the BriteTap™ chicken waterer, a waterer that makes it easy for small flock owners to provide clean water to their birds. The BriteTap chicken waterer is fitted with a set of one-way valves, or poultry nipples. When attached to a water supply tank, the BriteTap forms a closed-system that effectively shields water from contamination by dirt, debris and poultry droppings. The BriteTap chicken waterer can be connected to a wide variety of water supply tanks, but is designed to easily attach to a standard water cooler such as those sold under the the Igloo®, and Rubbermaid® brand names. Users install the BriteTap chicken waterer by simply unscrewing the cooler spigot and replacing it with the BriteTap. This can be done in less than two minutes and without the use of any tools. When fitted to a two-gallon cooler, the BriteTap waterer provides a one-day supply of water to a flock of as many as 16 chickens. Users can also attach the BriteTap chicken waterer to a wide variety of containers of their choosing including: food-grade plastic pails, plastic pitchers, and water storage containers designed for camping, etc. To convert these containers into a water supply tank, users make a 5/8 -inch hole in the side of the container with a drill. The BriteTap chicken waterer can be purchased at the ChickenWaterer. com website (www.ChickenWaterer. com) for $24.95 plus shipping and handling, or for $59.95 plus shipping and handling when paired with a two-gallon water cooler. Countryside & SmallHere’s Stock Journal, a January/February wonderful 2013 idea for: 83 u A “thank-you” for a helpful neighbor u A birthday u A homestead housewarming u A holiday gift u Or just a random act of kindness!

f you want a simple gift for someone who you know is interested in simple country living, there is no question about I it: Co u n t r y s i d e will be a treasure, and you’ll be a hero! Order as many gift subscriptions as you want to, simply by sending us the name and address of each recipient. Order a gift subscription for just $15. Better yet, order 3 or more and take another $1 off. Pay only $14 for each subscription and you’ll save $47.82—or more—off newsstand prices! And yes, you can even include your own renewal. On top of all that, we’ll send each recipient a gift card informing them of your kindness and generosity! With the major gift-giving holidays fast approaching, now is the ideal time to take advantage of this special offer. But you don’t need a special occasion to surprise somebody by doing something- unex pected, and very nice. Treat them to Co u n t r y s i d e .

Please send a gift of Co u n t r y s i d e to the following people: (Yes, you can include your school or public library!)

From: Gift #2

Your name Name

Your Address Address

City, State, Zip City, State, Zip

Gift #1: Gift #3:

Name Name

Address Address

City, State, Zip City, State, Zip

Total number of gift subscriptions:...... Include my own renewal (name and address above):...... Total number of subscriptions:...... If 1 or 2, multiply times $15. If 3 or more, multiply times $14. Add $6/yr. U.S. funds for foreign delivery. Total amount:......

Check or MO enclosed Visa/MasterCard/Amex/Discover: Credit Card# CVV# (Last 3 digits on back of card): Expires: Signature: Phone number: CMYGP

Mail to: Co u n t r y s i d e Gifts, 145 Industrial Dr., Medford, WI 54451 • 1-800-551-5691 84 A speculator is a man who observes the future, and acts before it occurs. — B. B. Baruch The apiary: tors need a steady supply of pollen and nectar throughout the year and so there are no bees, wild or domes- ticated, living in this area year round. What’s happening The bees have to be shipped in from all across the country at a time of year when they are usually dormant, fed to the honeybees? sugar syrup and trucked thousands of miles just to pull off pollination for the almonds. But there is a problem Co u n t r y s i d e : I am a long-time reader and love your magazine—it is one of the in that there are no longer enough best! That said, I had to write in regards to the November/December article bees in the U.S. to take care of this “Impact of honeybee colony collapse disorder—fact or fiction.” feat. When colony collapse first ap- I am a beekeeper who is currently taking my Master Bee Keeping Cer- peared one beekeeper who owned tification out of the University of Nebraska. I am also a board member for 50,000 hives (anywhere from 55,000 Partners For Sustainable Pollination, a non-profit that promotes education on to 75,000 bees per strong hive) had pollinator habitat. At this time, in my opinion, there is not enough talk about his bees in California for the almond what is happening to our honeybees and wild pollinators. It is not just the pollination. In a two-week period honeybee that is dropping in numbers, it is the wild pollinators too. They he lost 40,000 hives to CCD. Do the often eat from the same plants, though their home needs vary. Mr. Haldik math. I believe it was the following forgot to mention in his list of suspect causes that nutrition is one of the major year that numbers had dwindled factors being looked at in this intensive research that spans 32 state universi- enough that it was evident that there ties working together. (That alone is almost unprecedented.) He looked at the was not enough bees to pollinate the crop production of almonds as the case that there seems to be no problem almonds in the U.S. The USDA did since the crop yields have increased. First off, the almond industry supplies something unprecedented in allow- about 80% of the world’s almonds and they are constantly planting more trees ing honeybees to be shipped in from in that area for production—I believe it is about one million acres now. This Australia just to fill the gap! This also is a monoculture. Nothing else is allowed to grow between the rows of trees brought exposure to new diseases and the trees only bloom for a two to three week time in March. All pollina- like Israeli Acute Paralyses to all our honeybees that traveled there. Yes they are also experimenting with Natural Beekeeping mason bees for pollination but it is not as easy to get a hive ready and Organic Approaches to Modern Apiculture on the ground as the honeybees. The fact is where there are monocultures Ross Conrad brings together there are not enough food sources the best “do no harm” strategies for these pollinators to survive. That for keeping honeybees healthy is the problem with monocultures— and productive with nontoxic they are totally unsustainable. The methods of controlling mites, almond industry would fail if these eliminating American foul- pollinators were not shipped in from brood disease (without the use of all over the U.S. and Australia! As antibiotics), selective breeding readers of this magazine may note, for naturally resistant bees, and we are constantly looking at how to be prepared and live off grid—to be many other tips and techniques. sustainable. One hiccup in that mass Whether you are a novice look- pollination migration would spell the ing to get started with bees, loss of most of the world’s almonds an experienced apiculturist as well as the loss of a billion dollar looking for ideas to develop an industry yearly. integrated pest management ap- You can not look at the amount of proach, or someone who wants crop land in the U.S. and compare it to sell honey at a premium price, this is the book you’ve been waiting in a statement that it is all the same. for. Foreword by Gary Paul Nabhan. 246 pages, $35.00 + s&h. Many places that were wild flower meadows have been turned into crop lands—the diversity of feed for pol- To o r d e r y o u r c o p y , c a l l t h e Co u n t r y s i d e Bo o k s t o r e linators in these meadows is not easy 1-800-551-5691 • w w w .countrysidemag .c o m to reconstruct even with plantings. Countryside & Small Stock Journal, January/February 2013 85 Bees travel two to five miles from to fight for bringing facts to people I decided to start a hive of bees their hive for forage and sometimes about the plight of all our pollinators this year by construction of a top bar farther. Very few beekeepers move and continue to do research into the beehive after supporting honeybees their hives for “source” feeding. Only facts of this very serious issue. Here using the traditional Lanstroth ap- large-scale producers move their are some web sites that might inter- proach several years before. I wanted hives around and most of them do it est you. to work with the honeybees again, to pollinate a crop for pay. Any migra- • www.xerces.org and harvest some of that raw honey tory bee keeper will tell you that bees • www.pfspbees.org using a different approach that is get stressed when moved and most of • www.bees.tennessee.edu (Look inexpensive. them don’t like that they have to do it for the Capps link to read scientific I have a developing orchard where but it is their income. The USDA just research being done around CCD.) I also trap insects for the Wisconsin awarded almost $1,000,000 in grants — Deborah McSweeney, Department of Agriculture and send to some of the leading scientists in in to my county every week through CCD to try and develop integrative the growing season. Unlike most of pollinator habitat into regular farm- Monoculture the other apple growers that submit ing practices. That is how serious numbers to the Pest Bulletin, I do not this is! farming can’t spray my fruit trees with anything, The spraying of chemicals is a support ever, and the numbers of insects I re- factor for any beekeeper. Herbicides, cord are much lower because benefi- fungicides as well as pesticides can honeybees cial insects are active. Last year I even kill honey bees and any other pol- identified an insect—the red-humped linator who gets too close. There are Co u n t r y s i d e : I found the article “Im- caterpillar (from a 1922 edition of certain chemicals that are the most pact of honeybee colony collapse the USDA Farmers Bulletin, which I serious threat and they were not disorder—fact & fiction,” disturbing believe is the most complete writing tested for the life of the honeybee or because it was not only misleading on insects that attack apple trees ever the life of a queen who can live for but irresponsible. The author Maurice written) and sent larvae to an ento- years. Chemical exposure in humans Haldik in his opening paragraph laid mologist working in that program. and animals can affect genetics—look out his bias in support of monoculture Apparently the red-humped cater- at what happened with the use of farming, genetically modified food pillar is a rare sighting in Wisconsin, DDT—a perfectly safe chemical we plants and pesticides by attempting especially I suspect, in orchards that were told but it is still showing up in to free them of any blame. spray. This insect is a minor problem breast milk of humans—how many years ago was that banned? Or Agent How To Build Animal Housing Orange, that has affected multiple generations since vets returned from By Carol Ekarius Vietnam, altering their bodies physi- In How to Build Animal Housing, author Carol Eka- cally. More research has to be done rius provides dozens of plans—with illustrated, step- on agricultural chemicals and how by-step instructions—for species-specific shelters that the long-term affect can change the health of pollinators. are well ventilated, safe, appropriate for the animals, And now to the food that would appealing, convenient, and a solid value for their owners. It includes disappear. I am a chef and the fact is complete plans and step-by-step, illustrated instructions for sheds, one-third of all we eat is pollinated coops, hutches, multipurpose barns, and economical easy-to-build by bees or the wild pollinators. From windbreaks and shade structures. 260 pages, $24.95 + S&H what I learned in my college nutrition class, I doubt we could survive on Renovating Barns, Sheds & Outbuildings wheat, corn and other grains. Like the honeybees, we need a varied diet By Nick Engler to supply the nutrients, minerals and From the foundation up, from the walls in, and from the vitamins necessary for life. It is an roof down, craftsman Nick Engler shows you how to extremely naive person to think that save money, history, and architecture when you renovate we could survive without most of the fruits and vegetables we now con- or restore your barn, shed, or outbuilding. You’ll learn sume. I believe it was Einstein, one of how to square and strengthen the structure, repair or replace the roofing our greatest minds, who stated that and siding, enlarge and modify the building, install new windows and if we lost the honeybee we would all doors, and add electricity and plumbing. 247 pages, $24.95 + S&H die in four years! That is one theory I do not want to prove. I will continue Call 1-800-551-5691 or visit www.countrysidemag.com Smoking86 Food 86 Earth hath no sorrow that heaven cannot heal. — Thomas Moore that eats a little foliage. ment and thus the ability of nurse A Beginner’s Guide From my observations, most of bees to make brood food. Effects on the pollination of apple trees in my the orientation, foraging, and com- b y Ch r i s Du bbs & Dav e He b e rl e orchard is carried out by bumble- munications behavior could also Smoking food is bees. Oddly enough, with a hive of impair the ability of worker bees to an art, not a science. Dubbs and Heberle honey bees within 15 feet of my plum find and relocate food sources…” so fearlessly reveal how trees, I never saw a single honey bee the introduction stated. simple the art can be. in those flowers, nor even bumble- What makes the misleading use They explain how to bees, in all the years I observed the of this study irresponsible is the choose the best fuels, plums in blossom; most of the plum fact that Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) how to build smokers from old refrigerators pollination is carried out by flies, is a naturally-occurring insecticide and cardboard boxes, some that are easily mistaken for used by some organic farmers, and and how to smoke everything from turkeys bees. Thus, I am very well aware of Mr. Haldik used that study to lump to turtles. Their advice is ingenious and the importance of native pollinators, together all GMO crops (“blame for cost-conscious. Aware of the needs and and also that there is a problem with this phenomenon on…genetically wants of the modern cook, they include low-sodium preparations, alternatives some pollinators in certain parts of modified food plants…”, “regarding to preservatives like sodium nitrite, and this country. I have read that certain GMO crops”) as having no negative thoughts on safely handling meat. With native bumblebees have even disap- impact on honey bees, whereas he more than 100 recipes and tips for making peared from an area of Wisconsin. stated non-GMO corn is problemat- brines, marinades, cheeses, appetizers, Getting to the article, Mr. Haldik ic when it requires insecticide treat- soups, and main dishes, Smoking Food is an invaluable resource for the home smoker. gave statistics he said are USDA sta- ment. 185 pages, $12.95 + s/h. tistics. What is interesting about his With his logic, Monsanto’s conclusion that he said was “far from RoundUp Ready GMO plants made Call 1-800-551-5691 an industry collapse,” is not the con- with synthetic insecticides that could or visit us at clusion of the USDA, who obviously also include DDT (another synthetic www.countrysidemag.com work with the statistics they them- insecticide), are safe for use around selves collect. In the USDA report honey bees which is not indicated to place your order titled “Colony Collapse Disorder in that study by the University of 2012 Annual Progress Report,” dur- Maryland. Raise Cattle Successfully ing the winter of 2012, they recorded Mr. Haldik also wrote that mon- 22% loses (October 2011 to April oculture farming has been around ~ Start Small, Start Right ~ 2012), the steering committee stated for a century, as if longevity is a valid Raising a cow for “…Nevertheless, the overall propor- argument for this farming practice. I milk or beef is easier tion of winter losses is still high, and would also note that growers have than you might think. the continued economic viability of been poisoning their fruit trees for With the information in this book you can pollination by honey bees remains over a century, too. The soil of an old reap the pleasures threatened….” orchard in the area was examined af- and rewards of us- Mr. Haldik provided what he ter all the Wealthy apple trees were ing your land to raise said was a “peer-reviewed study removed and the soil had amounts healthy and produc- conducted by the University of of arsenic not recommended for any tive animals. If you’ve been dreaming about Maryland,” where “GM corn pollen replanting unless the soil is cleaned raising a family cow, had no negative impact on honey- up. — Mike Gellerman, Wisconsin or even a small herd, here’s the book for you. bees.” Well, I looked at that study Whether your interest is in beef or dairy farm- and within the introduction in the Have a comment or question? ing, veteran cattle farmer and Co u n t r y s i d e very same sentence where it was contributor Heather Smith Thomas helps you make the experience satisfying, reward- stated there were no adverse effects, Write to ing, and even entertaining. You’ll learn how to: it was also stated the method of de- Countryside Editorial, • Select the breed that best suits livery has to be questioned because 145 Industrial Dr., your goals • Raise a thriving, it did not mimic the way pollen is contented calf • Groom your animals and provide ba- Medford, WI 54451, sic health care • Choose the best grain supplement naturally processed and fed to lar- or email to complement grass-feeding • Comply with grass- vae. The introduction continued: [email protected]. fed and organic guidelines • Maximize your cows’ “Furthermore, exposure to Bt pollen milk production • Market and sell your naturally- raised products • Recognize situations where you could have other direct and indirect We want to hear need a vet’s help, and much more! 281 pages, non-target effects in brood devel- from you! $16.95 + $4 s/h. opment in a honey bee colony. For Call 1-800-551-5691 young bees, the presence of Bt pro- or visit us at teins in ingested pollen may affect www.countrysidemag.com hypo pharyngeal gland develop- to place your order Countryside & Small Stock Journal, January/February 2013 87

When the going gets tough, the tough make bacon

By Je r r i Co o k The road ahead was dark for the could raise for her local 4-H club. Co u n t r y s i d e St a f f McGraths. Adam became violently Rebecca and Adam were excited that ill. He endured several long hospital they would have fertilizer and bacon. hen you make your living stays and bouts of chemotherapy. This was a brilliant idea. Except…. milking cows, you put your- He couldn’t milk cows. He could They looked everywhere they Wself and your family in great barely move. Adam’s wife, Rebecca, could think of for a couple of pigs. financial peril. Not only are you who was expecting their second Nothing fancy. No high-dollar genet- subject to the consequences of any child, and their 10-year-old daugh- ics, just a couple of feeder pigs that mistakes you may make, you’re also ter tried to manage the herd. It was didn’t cost an arm and a leg. Even at the mercy of the mistakes of others. overwhelming, and eventually the though they were willing to travel No one knows this better than Adam decision was made. The herd had anywhere within a three-hour radius McGrath and family. They were to go, and so did a healthy chunk to buy the animals, they couldn’t find scraping by on their dairy farm— of the land. any for sale. Frustration was setting nothing glamorous, but they had The family kept 11 acres of land in pretty heavy on one afternoon. no complaints. They had a beautiful and started over. Slowly, they built They had made a drive out to the daughter and another on the way. up a market garden and were able to middle of nowhere hoping to score Their life was stable and they were keep their heads above water with a couple of pigs, and were driving happy with that. Then the cloud the income. But without any cows, home with nothing. came—the cloud of chemicals, and they had no fertilizer. While green “Maybe we should just buy a things got tough in a hurry. manures are great fertility boost- bunch of pigs and sell them our- Adam was out in the pasture one ers, there’s nothing like a little old- selves.” It was Grace from the back- windy afternoon, coaxing his herd fashioned animal manure to keep seat. Adam and Rebecca swear it to stop grazing and come into the a heavy feeding vegetable garden clicked at the same time. They knew barn, when he noticed a cloud. He happy. They decided to buy a couple instantly that their little girl had a smelled it before he saw it—a huge of pigs. They could feed them scraps big idea. cloud of chemical herbicide being from the garden, compost the ma- It happened quickly, the way spewed from a neighbor’s sprayer. nure, and have meat for winter. things happen when you’ve made The chemical drench wasn’t reaching Grace was excited about the the correct choice on a dark path the GMO corn it was intended for. prospect of a couple of pigs that she and are rewarded with light. By Instead, it wafted across Crow Raven 2012, Crow Raven Farm had become Farm. He managed to hurry the cows the leading provider of feeder and away from the cloud and into the butcher hogs in the area. It was the barn to safety, but not in time. perfect transition from dairy farm- “The cows got sick first,” he says. ing for Adam. He took to it like a “They were twitching, bawling, not cheeseburger to bacon. The work eating, had problems standing. It was less physical, and the whole was bad.” After a few days, the ef- family could work together. Since fects of the chemical tide seemed to Grace is homeschooled, Crow Raven wane, and the cows seemed normal Farm became her classroom. enough. Adam, on the other hand, Adam holds a degree in animal would never be normal again, and husbandry, and while he had put neither would Crow Raven Farm. Grace cleans her hog pens at a show. that knowledge to work in his dairy 88Goats & gardens 88 The greatest remedy for anger is delay. — Seneca business, he didn’t know the first don’t always thing about raising hogs, so they mix... learned together. “Grace’s involve- ment in 4-H came in handy,” says Adam. “We were trying to find the perfect breed that would thrive on our farm.” While Grace showed her 4-H hogs, Adam would network with other families working on hog projects for 4-H. The McGraths took the advice of fair judges and partici- pants, and now they breed and raise Hereford hogs exclusively. According to the American Live- stock Breeds Conservancy, Hereford hogs, although unique to the United Measuring a hog with a hanger. States, are on the decline here. This is probably due to their medium size. knowing that the meat they get from At maturity, the Hereford hog will the processor came from the animal weigh in at 250 lbs. However, this they bought on the hoof. Adam has A good fence is essential for protecting breed matures in a hurry. It only devised a solution that works well. your animals, garden and home. With takes about six months for one of Because Herefords are naturally all of the new options available today these animals to mature, and they do small and sleek, it’s easy enough and the challenges posed by predators, it on less feed than other breeds. to measure your pork chops on the weather and terrain, it's hard to deter- Named after its bovine counter- hoof. Adam uses a wire coat hanger mine what type of fence meets your part, the Hereford hog is a striking (see photo) to measure the distance needs. Gail Damerow has written this animal with the same deep red- across the loin area before the hog is practical, easy-to-use guide to select- bronze markings as Hereford cattle. processed. “It’s easier than trying to ing, planning and building fences that They are remarkably easy to handle. do it with a tape measure,” he says. work: wire, rail, electric, high-tension, So much so that Grace, now 14, “Just measure at the widest point temporary, woven, and snow fences. moves with ease through the pens, between the hanger ends.” Also includes information on alarm sys- opening gates and sorting hogs. After processing, he pulls out tems, zoning laws, gates, trellises and Even though she is too young to a pack of chops and places two of more. be in direct contact with the hogs, them together at the cut side. Then Vera, a precocious four-year old, is he measures at the same point on Order Form eager to help. “She doesn’t want to the reassembled chops as he did just stand here,” explains Rebecca. when the hog was alive. “At the Fences for Pasture & Garden “She knows she’s part of the opera- outside most,” he says, “your chops 154 pages, $16.95 + $4 shipping tion. She knows she has to help. It shouldn’t be any more than one-and- (WI res. add 5.5%). just comes natural to her.” Vera en- a-half-inches smaller on the counter thusiastically helps clean pens and than they were on the hoof. If they Name: sweeps the walkway of the dairy are, you should start questioning barn that now houses hogs. Even at your processor. The processors we Address: only four-years old, she takes great work with have a policy in place and City: pride in doing her job correctly. The assurances that our customers are State: Zip: whole family does. getting what they paid for.” “When people buy their finished The McGraths are none the worse for wear after trudging through hard Visa MC hogs from us, they’re getting the best quality meat money can buy. We times. They’re excited about the Discover AmEx don’t want our quality compromised Hereford breed, and are working No.: during processing.” The McGrath’s hard to encourage homesteaders and other small farmers to consider Expiration: work with two local meat processors to ensure customers get a quality raising them. If you’d like to learn Phone: finished product. “They both do an more about the benefits of raising Mail your order to: exceptional job,” explains Adam. Hereford hogs on your homestead, Countryside Bookstore,145 Industrial “We check up on them.” you can contact Crow Haven Farm Dr., Medford, WI 54451 Consumers are understandably via their Facebook page or email at Or call 1-800-551-5691 concerned that they have no way of [email protected]. Countryside & Small Stock Journal, January/February 2013 89 The sheep shed: Urban sheep rearing adventures

By Li n d e n St a c i o k a s Fa i r b a n k s , Al a s k a Above: The sheep wait hopefully for someone to open the back door, since don’t know if this is proof of my the dog door has been blocked. powers of persuasion or the pa- Itient resignation of my husband of 29 years, but when I suggested that our suburban lot could support a pair of miniature sheep, he agreed with barely a grimace. In short order we had Wooly and Bully, eight-week- old Babydoll Southdowns, grazing in the backyard. Since their arrival two years ago, I have found there are many things the books I read in advance of 3. If you have a large dog door, after they watch the Irish wolfhound go in their purchase failed to mention. and out of the house a few times, they will begin using the door themselves. 1. I opted for sheep over goats You will come home from work to find the dog on your bed and the sheep because of the latter’s reputation for on the floor next to the bed. mowing down every piece of vegeta- 4. If you find them using the dog door hysterically amusing and don’t block tion in sight. I am here to testify that it off after the first home invasion, believing for some foolish reason that they sheep are no laggards in the greenery won’t do it again, they will come back in and bring a few of the chickens in destruction department. I thought I with them. This time you will find one dog, two sheep and three Jersey Giant had sheep-proofed the garden and hens in front of the television, apparently waiting for you to turn it on. backyard. However, the first year 5. A pregnant sheep is very much like a pregnant woman: tired, moody turned out to be a race, where they and hungry all the time. And they take a long time to stand up from a lying would figure out a way to reach position. something green and I would then 6. The ewe will select one of the rainiest days of the year to deliver, and throw up a fence of some sort to pro- will not use the hut but the muddiest part of the yard as her birthing area. tect the rest of that area. Who knew 7. The day she delivers, you will receive a panicked phone call from the that sheep will gobble down garlic husband (who did not grow up wanting an urban farm). “There is a baby, scapes, scallion tops, carrot and beet the mother has the placenta hanging out and you need to get home right greens, dahlias and marigolds? Or now.” that they will strip bark off trees, or 8. The straw from the bottom of their hut will smell and be a pain to rake leaves off thorned raspberries? up, but it will turn into the best compost you’ve ever had. However, if you 2. Male sheep are quiet but deadly. don’t shut the gate to the compost pile, the sheep will climb into the pile and Bully rarely makes a sound, even kick much of it back out into the yard. when creeping up to head butt 9. If they are wounded or the tail docking doesn’t happen just right, flies someone right behind the knees. will lay eggs in the dense curly wool. This will lead to vet visits, shots, and You may at some point realize that evening sessions of picking maggots out of your lamb’s butt. This is a two- the husband and the ram have been person job, one to hold the baby still and one to wash, pull out visible worms playing a head butting game, which and spray Blu-Kote on the wound. At some point, the husband will say, “This is possibly why Bully was so deadly was not exactly what I envisioned when I asked you to marry me.” accurate. 10. They are impossibly cute. You will fall in love. 90 90 A practical environmentalist

hat are you doing?” I asked “Wmy daughter. After living with me for 13 years, you’d think that she would automatically toss her aluminum soda can into the recycle bin. No, it was airborne and headed into the trash when the flash of sunlight on metal caught my eye. Rolling her eyes she fished the can out and put it in the right place.

The right place Sometimes I catch myself thinking about how much has changed—not just technology or building developments, but mindsets. As a child I Snorkel_SD131A:Countryside 10/24/12 8:44 AM Page 1 would not have thought about where I threw any can. As a child there were no soda cans, just bottles. Even then my parents did not purchase sodas for their kids; we drank water, milk or KoolAid. Hawaiian Punch was a treat served only on holidays. In my parent’s youth everything was used, re-used and then torn apart and used some other way before it was ever thrown away. That was before advancements in technology Beautiful hand selected Western Red Cedar, turned us into a “throw away” so- still water and crackling fire...all you need to enjoy a relaxing soak, under the stars. ciety. Plastic was one of the biggest Choose wood-fired simplicity at half the culprits. Suddenly you could make price of plastic spas or digital fingertip anything so cheaply that you didn’t control gas or electric heat.The moonlit have to bother to clean it up and use sky and peaceful relaxation are free. it again—just throw it away! Who • No Plumbing, No Power Bills! cares—it’s only worth about a nickel • Jets available for wood heat tubs and what’s a nickel? • Digital control gas/electric 30 Years About 20 years ago now it sud- heated systems available too. Made in USA! denly dawned on people here in the On Sale Now! good ol’ USA that just maybe all that Ask about Special Freight Offer. Wood Fire Heating Cost $0 waste was bad for us. By “us” I mean Under Water! with wood fire! not just the country as a whole, but Call Toll Free UNDERWATER for towns and communities that don’t Woodstove have any place to bury their trash, 1- 800-962-6208 heats water some places have to pay to have their www.snorkel.com AMAZINGLY garbage shipped to other places with fast! Dept. SD131A smaller populations and more land. Of course, at the same time we Countryside & Small Stock Journal, January/February 2013 91 Easy-On, Easy-Off Snow Plow Perfect for Homeowners! Pacific yurts Plow your own driveway and save! Pays for itself quickly if you currently hire a plow. Don’t struggle snow-blow- 2 x 30 top ing your entire driveway…give yourself a break with the RediPlow! One pass and you’re free to go! AT 68 LBS., the RediPlow quickly attaches and detaches. Never be 7-Foot Plow Blade for Trucks, trapped waiting for a snow plow again. And when you have time, clean up Vans, Jeeps and SUVs! the parking area or clear a path to the barn. For trucks, jeeps, vans, SUVs, ATVs, UTVs. Attaches to a front receiver hitch (included). Automatically engages when you drive forward and releases when you reverse. Works on gravel or pavement. 5-Foot Plow Blade Tough Enough for ANY Snowstorm! for ATVs! • 3" thick aluminum plow • No hydraulics or • Heavy-duty thick rubber blade edge electric components 77107X © 2012

SPECIAL OFFER Call for full details including FREE Next-Day SHIPPING! for COUNTRYSIDE Readers: TOLL SAVE $100! FREE 877-776-1726 Use the phone number or URL at left to save www.drpower.com/snow-cs $100 off list price!

Burn SAFELY with the STAINLESS STEEL Portable Burn-Cage™ Now Eliminating Your Yard and Household Combustible Waste Couldn’t Be Easier!

Old Leaves and Branches - Up in Flames! Safe Sensitive Financial Documents - Gone Forever! Burnable Household Waste - Sayonara! Waterwise Problem: Rusty Barrel Solution: The Stainless Steel Burn-Cage™ • Poor circulation won’t allow debris to • Cleaner more effi cient fi res. Perforatedbottom lid and burn completely. sidewalls maximize airfl ow and trap burning embers. • Flying embers can ignite surrounding High burn temperatures mean thorough incineration combustibles (like barns and houses). with less residue and ash. • Drums are heavy and fi ll with rain. • Lightweight, portable and folds for easy storage. 77082X © 2012 • Eventually, the drum will rust. • Peace of Mind. It’s the SAFE way to burn.

SPECIAL OFFER for COUNTRYSIDE Readers: Try it on your own Order the Burn-Cage™ Today! property with our... SAVE $70! TOLL Use the phone number FREE 888-550-0065 or URL at left to save www.DRpower.com/CYS2 $70 off list price! 92 Blessed is the man who, having nothing to say, abstains from giving wordy evidence of the fact. — George Eliot discovered that splitting the atom store these days and you can get any may have created huge new energy kind of fruit or vegetable at any time Family album: resources, but the process creates of year. You want fresh tomatoes in more garbage of a kind that can make January, corn on the cob in April, people sick. Then there are the fools young tender zucchini anytime… who want to live in the southwestern why not? So what if it takes a jumbo desert, but believe in their souls that jet out of Hawaii plus a huge tractor they have the right to use as much trailer driving 1,072 miles to bring water as they want so they can have you fresh pineapple in Amarillo— a lush green yard. it’s only a couple bucks at the store. Technology has spoiled us on a Of course, from picking to purchase number of levels. You go to a grocery it costs the world 9,504 gallons of jet fuel, and at least 180 gallons of diesel. That’s a lot of stinky stuff to dump 200 Easy Homemade into the air. Like a lot of people, I have ab- Cheese Recipes sorbed all the statistics and come to the realization that we as individuals From Cheddar & Brie To Butter & Yogurt really do need to change how we approach everything from what food By Debra Amrein-Boyes Otis in Wisconsin, boils beets gathering options we have to how Now it’s easy to make outdoors to keep the “red mess” we dispose of waste. What bugs me artisanal-quality cheeses out of the house during canning is that the minute you mention that in your kitchen, using season. just this book and a few you save aluminum cans or recycle easy-to-find cheesemak- computer paper, people automati- ing supplies. Illustrated, cally equate you with the wild-eyed choices of waste disposal companies step-by-step instructions frenetic extremists who sit in trees and I prefer to use one that recycles. cut out all guesswork Even so, before I throw something about tools and tech- and scream obscenities at passing niques. A whopping 13 recipes call loggers. away I consider whether or not it for sheep’s milk only; two call for sheep or Applause to the radicals who can be used in some other fashion. I goat; one calls for sheep and goat milk. The bring attention to a problem—it is do eat out on occasion and I use the author—a top Canadian artisanal cheese not how I prefer to live. They may containers they provide for other maker—tells how to make the most of her draw attention to a situation, but it things. Did you know that the small recipes using sheep’s milk. Practically all containers Kentucky Fried Chicken well-known cheeses are in this book. This is the average citizen living in a com- book also has easy recipes for yogurt (includ- munity, who will slowly and steadily uses for single servings of coleslaw ing Greek-style and Bulgarian), kefir, but- change it. People need to look around make great butter dishes? ter, buttermilk and some great recipes using and see what they personally can do In my handbag you can usu- homemade dairy items. 304 pages, $24.95 in daily life to make a difference. ally find a small plastic food stor- To order visit our website at I am an inhabitant of the high age box—the kind you can re-use. www.countrysidemag.com desert regions. My home has just un- If I know the restaurant’s leftover der an acre inside a small town. The containers are Styrofoam, I pull my or call 1-800-551-5691 community is large enough to have box out and use it instead. The water in my community is tasty. I run it through a filter and drink it, rather Secrets, Recipes and Know-How for Making than buying a lot of plastic water 115 Great-Tasting Wines bottles. That does not mean I shun any use of the plastic ones, there are times when that is preferable to other The Home Winemaker’s Companion options. By Gene Spaziani and Ed Halloran My husband and I prefer to buy locally, but if price differences are Here are 115 delectable wine recipes to guide dramatically different we don’t have you through everything from making your very any prejudices about bopping over to first batch of kit wine to mastering advanced Wal-Mart. My own organic garden techniques for making wine from fresh grapes. 265 pages, $18.95 + s/h. and the local farmers market provide most of my vegetables, and I like to can and dehydrate my produce. Call 1-800-551-5691 to place your order. The garden is on a drip system and www.countrysidemag.com Great Sausage Recipes Countryside & Small Stock Journal, January/February 2013 93 93 and Meat Curing I employ heavy mulching, so my Office coffeepot: Place a large By Rytek Kutas water usage is much smaller than my plastic container—like one of the Great Sausage Recipes neighbor with the lawn. ones pretzels come in from Costco or and Meat Curing is the The most amazingly short-sighted Sam’s—next to the office coffeepot most comprehensive waste is in the area of clothing. People with the words “Coffee Grounds” book available on sausage making and keep closets full of things they don’t written on the side. (Ed. note: Or meat curing. It is easily wear, or if they’ve worn it once or simply reuse an empty coffee container. understood, contains a torn it slightly, they may throw it They are made of waterproof plastic, have wide variety of away! If something is torn, I pull out tight-fitting lids, and are recyclable. Those recipes, and is very effective in helping solve needle and thread and stitch it up— are much easier to come by in the Co u n - common problems. then wear it again! Twice a year I take t r y s i d e office.) In short order everyone 552 pages, $29.99 + s/h. inventory of what I have. If I haven’t will be throwing the grounds into 1-800-551-5691 worn it because I got too fat or don’t the convenient jar. Take them home www.countrysidemag.com like it anymore, I give it to charity. and either bury around the plants You can get some really great clothes or toss in the compost heap for later. at thrift stores—from those people The filters are compostable too, but I The Winter who wore it once. usually soak the grounds off of them I own a total of six pairs of boots/ if I want to add the grounds directly Harvest Handbook shoes. Sass shoes has a very practical to my roses. By El i o t Co l e ma n black leather shoe I can wear all day Learn how to success- long in the office and be comfortable. Pretzel containers: Speaking of fully, and profitably, They are expensive, but great. Once those big clear containers, they are harvest fresh vegetables a year I buy a new pair. The old pair large enough for a lot of things: all year-round in even the coldest climates. 247 becomes my gardening shoes. The • Great place to store all sizes of pages, $29.95 + s/h. others are a seldom-used pair of screwdrivers, electrical outlets and brown loafers, a pair of black pumps switches, and power cords. going on nine years old, a set of tennis • Cut the thing in two. Use the To place your order call shoes, and some winter boots. There bottom half under flower pots, set the 1-800-551-5691 is a pair of cowboy boots somewhere top half over seedlings in the garden Countryside Bookstore, 145 in the back of the closet that I haven’t to protect them from bugs and high Industrial Dr., Medford, WI 54451 seen since 2003. winds. Creating a healthier environment • Empty the large bags of dried Make the Most of starts in the mind. Look around and beans or rice into them for ease of Your Woodlands see what you can do in your own use. home to make a difference. Start • Cut a small hole in the lid. Put A Landowner’s Guide to small, but do it repeatedly until yarn inside and draw out through Managing Your Woods it becomes a habit. Years later my hole. Keeps kids, cats and puppies daughter and I were at a friend’s out. How to Maintain a Small Acreage for house when her boyfriend chucked Long-Term Health, Biodiversity, and High-Quality Timber Production an aluminum can into the trash. We 1 mil poly bags size 12 x 18: Get a both flinched. box of 1,000 for $40. I got one three By An n Lark i n Ha n s e n , Mi k e Se v e rs e n , years ago and I am barely halfway & De n n i s L. Wa t e rma n Bakery plastic boxes: If someone through. (www.uline.com) This size Whether you own a few gets croissants or muffins from most is great for: acres of woodland or grocery store bakeries, they come in • Storing bread after baking many, A Landowner’s clear plastic boxes. Use these under • Setting next to the chopping Guide to Managing Your flower pots, or use as a soap mold. board and collecting veggie bits and Woods will help you be- They can contain items you intend to pieces (either use them for making come an active and ef- giftwrap, and they’re stackable. fective steward of your veggie soup stock or just tossing into forest. Beginning with compost heap later) an explanation of the natural processes Office shredder: Most paper and • Picking up “dog bombs” governing forest development, the authors ink is non-toxic. If you have a large • Great for displaying T-shirts or present active steps you can take to guide compost bin you can take the confetti other items for craft sales. your woodland toward a state of health and made by an office shredder and toss beauty and sustainably produce one of the it with other materials. This is espe- Freezer: The freezer uses less en- world’s greatest renewable resources— wood. 297 pages, $19.95 + s/h. cially good in summer when most ergy if it is full. If it has gaps, fill plastic of the material is green and needs jugs with water and set them inside Call 1-800-551-5691 balancing. until you order the next side of beef. www.countrysidemag.com 94A Veterinary Guide to 94 The soul is strong that trusts in goodness. — Massinger Horses, Cattle, Pigs, Goats & Sheep The hapless homesteader: Keeping Livestock Healthy By N. Br u c e Ha y n e s , D.V.M.

Keeping Livestock Healthy is one of the recognized classics in its field. Now completely revised and updated, this fourth edi- Once a Marine tion draws on the very latest research from experts on each of the five animals covered— horses, cattle, pigs, goats and sheep. It presents new information on vaccines, artificial insemination, ultrasonography, disease testing, drug treatments, and dis- By Ge o r g e Si m s eases such as Lyme disease, Potomac fever, bluetongue, foot-and-mouth disease, and mad cow disease. This complete reference on am a Marine. I know there are a livestock health is an invaluable guide to lot of ex-Army, ex-Navy, ex-Air preventing disease through good nutrition, proper Force guys out there, but we housing and appropriate care. 345 pages, $19.95 I + s/h. were taught that there is no such thing as an “ex-Marine.” Once a Marine, To Place Your Order Call always a Marine. Tough guys. Check out this horseshoe-shaped scar on the

1-800-551-5691 right side of my cranium. I got that in or write hand-to-hand fighting in 1970. Really. Countryside Bookstore I was leading a squad of eight guys 145 Industril Dr., Medford, WI 54451 in a night assault against a hill that was held by a full company of the foe—almost 200 men. In the violent struggle, my scalp was laid open by a vicious blow from an enemy’s The King rifle barrel. My buddies managed Arthur Flour to evacuate me from the battlefield, and Navy corpsmen sutured the 200th Anniversary Cookbook Jenny and George gash with a dozen stitches. I never By Brinna B. Sands even whimpered. And this was in the White River Valley of northeast- California, before I was ever sent ern Arkansas, was even lovelier than The pure joy of home baking is yours overseas. we’d remembered. Beginning with with this complete Marines never do things the easy our arrival early Friday morning, ev- guide to the baking way—always get by with little or erything was first-class, and the col- arts. You can learn no equipment—never say they’re lege administration, students, faculty, to make all sorts of sorry—never show emotion. I, and staff spared no expense or effort delicious and nutri- therefore, had absolutely no problem to make the transition to college life tious breads, pastries, pastas, and desserts. in driving my oldest daughter 250 a pleasant experience. Upperclass- This book will become your single lifelong miles to begin college last weekend. men appeared from nowhere and reference to all of the traditional favorites My wife is not a Marine. quickly made short work of unload- as well as an inexhaustible trove of baking We removed the back seat from ing the van and transporting all the ideas. About half of the recipes are new the mini-van, leaving enough room paraphernalia into the residence hall, creations, and others date back to medieval for the several dozen boxes of cloth- where Jenny’s 18-year accumulation Britain. This book lets you stand beside your ing, the refrigerator, the teddy bears, soon filled the small room. Soon, her great-grandmother as she filled the kitchen the makeup, the formal dresses. I roommate appeared. Katrina’s father with warmth and wonderful food. Contains recipes for yeasted breads and rolls, cakes remembered that I had travelled and stepmother unloaded an equal and crumbles, sourdough, whole wheat, pies halfway around the world in 1970, amount of material from their ve- and pastries, fun for the young, and much lived for a full year, and had been hicle, followed shortly by her mother more. 616 pages, $25.00 + s/h. allowed to take only one sea bag and stepfather, who’d brought yet and a small valise. My daughter is a third carload up from Lubbock, Call 1-800-551-5691 not a Marine. Texas. Look at all this stuff. Katrina is The campus, snug on a hilltop in obviously not a Marine, either. www.countrysidemag.com NEW! TIMELY! PROVOCATIVE! Countryside & Small Stock Journal,95 January/FebruaryAnd the only account of 2013how capitalism, democracy, and consumers form a system that95 entraps every one of us and controls our lives! I stepped outside and watched a couple dozen of the older students A Critique of Capitalist Democracy And a as they helped the newcomers to Enough! Guide To Understanding the New Normal settle in. An industrial-sized sound By Jerome D. Belanger system had been set up and the kids began to dance the macarena. You don’t have to follow the news closely to be aware that these are tumultuous times. Every American should read this book to understand what has hap- Having learned all the moves from pened to the American Dream—and what the New Frugality really means. Of a recent Newsweek article (and hav- all the changes in recent history, one that stands out is how many ‘wants’ have ing secretly practiced a time or two now become ‘needs,’ and the dire consequences that follow. For too many people their chief before the mirror), I moved closer, purpose is to produce and consume beyond all reason. The chaos affects everyone. ENOUGH! 299 pages, $14.95 + s/h. preparing to jump in, until a stern will help you understand the mess from a homestead perspective. look from Jenny stopped me in my www.countrysidemag.com • 1-800-551-5691 tracks. She led me back inside and installed me in a corner of the room and admonished me to behave and Free-Range Chicken Gardens not to embarrass her. I watched Jenny and Katrina’s How to Create a Beautiful, Chicken-Friendly Yard enthusiasm while they and the By Jessi Bloom politely-tolerated parental assistants began stowing a full lifetime’s accre- Many gardeners fear chickens will peck away at their landscape, and chicken lovers often shy away from gardening for the same reason. But you can tion of worldly goods; and a strange keep chickens and have a beautiful garden, too! In this essential handbook, and somewhat cold, hollow sensa- award-winning garden designer Jessi Bloom covers everything a gardener tion grew in the pit of my stomach needs to know, including chicken-keeping basics, simple garden plans to and I seemed to be having trouble get you started, tips on attractive fencing options, the best plants and plants seeing clearly in the crowded room. to avoid, and step-by-step instructions for getting your chicken garden up and running. For anyone who wants a fabulous garden where colorful chickens happily roam, Free-Range Chicken “What’s the matter, Daddy? Your Gardens is the guide that will bring the dream home to roost. 218 pages, $19.95 + s/h. eyes look kinda red and watery.” “Allergy. Must be this mountain 1-800-551-5691 • www.backyardpoultrymag.com air.” Throughout the day-and-a-half Power With Nature of orientation, I had to keep a watch- ful eye on Trish, who was apt to Renewable Energy Options for Homeowners burst into a most undignified snuf- Updated 3rd Edition fling and eye-rubbing at the least provocation. She never would have By Rex A. Ewing made it through the first week of Take a step toward self-reliance by harnessing free energy from boot camp. the sun, wind, water, and the earth to power your home. Power On Saturday morning, the stu- with Nature will get you started on the right path, whether you dents participated in a Matricula- are connected to the grid or far from the nearest power pole. Chapters include solar tion Ceremony, which was one PV, wind and microhydro along with system sizing, pricing and tax credits, plus of the most unique rites I’ve ever passive solar, backup generators, geothermal, solar thermal, biomass, finding and witnessed. The college operates storing water, and much more. 240 pages, $24.00 + s/h. under an Honor Code, which holds To place an order call 1-800-551-5691 • www.countrysidemag.com each student to his personal oath to behave with honor and integrity. A Guide to Home- and When examinations are given, the Wind Energy Basics Community-Scale Wind instructor leaves the room, and 2nd Edition By Paul Gipe Energy Systems every student is honor-bound to abstain from fraud or cheating. During The availability of clean, renewable power is without question going to be the defining challenge and goal of the 21st century, and wind will lead the the Matriculation Ceremony, each way. Internationally acclaimed wind energy expert Paul Gipe is as soberly freshman walks to the front of the critical of past energy mistakes as he is convincingly optimistic about the chapel and formally signs his name future. The overwhelming challenge of transforming our world from one to a pledge to uphold the Honor of fossil carbon to one of clean power seems daunting at best—and para- Code, promising, among other lyzingly impractical at worst. Wind Energy Basics offers a solution. Wind Energy Basics things: To tell the truth. To maintain offers a how-to for home-based wind applications, with advice on which wind turbines to choose and which to avoid. He guides wind-energy install- the sanctity of other’s property. To ers through considerations such as renewable investment strategies and gives cautionary abstain from all forms of cheating tales of wind applications gone wrong. 166 pages, $29.95 + s/h. and plagiarism. To uphold the in- To place an order call 1-800-551-5691 • www.countrysidemag.com 96 To look back to antiquity is one thing, to go back to it is another. — Charles Caleb Colton tegrity of the degrees granted by the Parents’ Day in October. The busi- a north Arkansan, or a Virginian, or college by reporting any cheating or ness of education was at hand, and a North Carolinian. plagiarism violations. the administrators realized that This was our first trip back to What more can be desired in a long goodbyes can be hard on non- Batesville since dropping Jenny off person above honor, truth, and in- Marines. at college in August. Thankfully, my tegrity? And how rare it has become We walked back to the van, summertime “allergy” seemed to to find an institution which places where Jenny retrieved one last an- have cleared up, and I only had one such a high and such a public value cient cassette from the tape box. I attack during the entire weekend. upon those virtues, and which pays stood aside while Jenny and Trish We’d arrived on Friday evening, more than lip service to their indis- said their farewells in the parking waiting for Jenny in her perma- pensability in a person’s character. lot. I was gratified to see that Trish nently-unlocked dorm room as she These are the qualities I have always finally had that infernal snuffling wrapped up her last class, which expected to find in my children, and under control, and the two women ended at five. Rather than stay in the I have not been disappointed. laughed and chattered for a minute somewhat claustrophobic room, I We parents assembled in the before Trish climbed behind the wandered outside to the quadrangle, beautiful chapel about half-an-hour steering wheel. watching her as she approached. She before the scheduled start of the Jenny walked over to me. No looks good. ceremony. The organist approached need to drag this out, I reminded We went through the obligatory the magnificent pipe organ, with its myself as she gave me a big hug that motions that night, taking Jenny and 30-foot tower of pipes, and began to lasted an 18-year lifetime. “Well, this Cadyn out for pizza, then sitting play. As he concluded, a total silence is what you’ve worked for. Is this through a curious college entertain- filled the room, followed by an eerie where you want to be?” “Yes. I love ment in the student union. Student sound from somewhere outside the you, Daddy.” “I love you too, Jen,” entertainments, I suppose, often building. The noise grew louder, I mumbled into her neck. “You’re appear curious to deaf, middle-aged and finally became recognizable as not crying, are you?” “Of course not. men, but everyone present seemed the otherworldly music of bagpipes. I’ve got to get out of this suit and tie. to be enjoying themselves, and I The pipers entered the church, and It’s so hot out here that my eyeballs managed to stay awake in a rocking advanced down the aisle, their mu- are just sweating a little. See you in chair in the corner. sic summoning the ghosts of every October.” Ellie was overjoyed to be able to ancestor who ever trod the soil of stay in the dormitory for the week- the Home Islands. Close behind, the (Six weeks later): end, and was prepared to do her president of the college marched, The leaves are red and golden in best to pass for a co-ed. At 5’ 10”, accompanied by the speakers of the northeastern Arkansas in October, she probably would have been able day, all clad in the splendor of their and frost covered the car when I to accomplish the masquerade, had academic gowns and stoles. walked out of the motel room at not Jenny persisted in introducing The students then entered, the daybreak on Saturday morning. I felt her to one and all, “This is my sister, pipers’ music still heralding the pro- like Dorothy in Oz. I sure wasn’t in Ellie. She’s 14!” Ellie’s pout grew cession, and took their places. They Louisiana anymore. Autumn in the more pronounced as the weekend were followed by the remainder of hills makes me regret that I am not progressed. the distinguished faculty and staff, At 8:00 on Saturday morning, the robed in the fantastic medieval garb college sponsored a 5-kilometer race. of academia. The spectators were (That’s about 3.1 miles, for those of hushed and awed as their sons and you who are metrically challenged.) daughters marched down the aisle Since Ellie is a neophyte member to shake the presidential hand and of the BHS Cross-Country Team, I to publicly pledge their honor be- knew that she would be thrilled to fore God and the world. The hair have the opportunity to participate, rose on the back of my neck as Trish and this would be a wonderful op- resumed her intermittent snuffling. portunity for some father-daughter She looked over at me. “Are you all memories to be forged. To my sur- right? Your eyes look funny.” “Darn prise, she opted to sleep until noon, allergy.” leaving her aged dad to run the race After the speeches, the president alone. politely but firmly reminded the par- Some 16 years ago, while yet ents that they would be persona non in my 20s, I spent a year as an ob- grata on campus after the ceremony sessed runner, and had established and the brief reception, but would a “personal best” time of under six be welcomed with open arms on minutes per mile for the 5K dis- Countryside & Small Stock Journal, January/February 2013 97 tance. I haven’t run in years, but of the course were essentially downhill. Since the starting line and the finish had convinced myself that “Once a line were located at the exact same point, I quickly realized that the final Marine….” Running is mostly men- 1.1 miles would be somewhat more challenging. To get an idea of just how tal, and I anticipated a pleasant jog, challenging, please assemble in the fountain area of the Bastrop City Hall, hoping to break nine minutes per facing to the north, toward the three-storied Seligman’s department store. mile, with some effort. Jog casually toward the wall. When you reach it, do not stop, but proceed I approached the starting line, to run directly up the wall, cursing all things hilly and Arkansan as you try looking at the expensive, high-tech to ignore your screaming lungs and legs, and the common-sense thoughts footgear on the competitors. I sud- which advise you to stop and walk. I maintained a semblance of running, denly became painfully aware of although the thoroughbreds, along with some of the larger competitors and my no-name sneakers, with holes in several small children, soon were out-of-sight in the distance. I did manage each toe, in which I had mowed the to accomplish my original goal. Barely. lawn for the past three years. Instead Jenny’s schedule was full on Saturday. She was selected to give morning of the light, breezy running outfits worn by the other racers, I was wear- A Guide to Safe, Healthy ing a pair of cotton drawstring shorts and Efficient Woodburning The New Woodburner’s Handbook that I normally sleep in. No longer By St e p h e n Bu s h w a y did I race shirtless, rather covering my “spare tire” with an ancient t- Today’s environmental concerns have led to a new generation of high- shirt, size extra large. tech stoves, designed to burn cleaner and more efficiently than ever before. Chimney sweep Stephen Bushway presents first-time and The morning was as beautiful as long-time woodburners with all the information necessary to heat a a morning can be. The temperature home economically and safely, while safeguarding the environment hovered around 40, and the pure, for ourselves and our children. New federal regulations and air-quality clear air was the Fountain of Youth. laws make it more important than ever that woodburners know about The other runners were greyhounds, all of the options available to them. The New Woodburner’s Handbook whippets, Thoroughbreds. As the helps you apply the latest developments in the industry to your specific situation and decide for yourself how heating with wood makes sense in your own gun sounded, I found myself swept home. 168 pages, $12.95 + s/h. along, in my pajamas and holey sneaks, side-by-side with a beautiful Call 1-800-551-5691 * www.countrysidemag.com blonde gazelle clad in form-fitting spandex tights. We ran at the same pace for about a quarter-mile, as I prayed that she would quickly pull Storey’s Guides To RAISING: away so that I could quit trying to suck in my jiggling gut as I ran. She soon granted my wish and disappeared into the distance. DAIRY GOATS Batesville is a hilly town, but the first mile was magic. I felt great Minimal space and housing needs as we ran through lovely autumn make goats a practical choice for small neighborhoods of brilliant gold and or backyard dairy farmers. The revised red. The greyhounds and whippets fourth edition includes: updated infor- were far to the front, but I was still mation on disease diagnosis and treat- within sight of a thoroughbred or ment; tips on choosing pygmy breeds; two. At the first mile, I couldn’t believe my ears when the timer called expanded coverage of breeding, kidding out “6:51.” “Impossible. I’m not and raising kids; more information on capable of lugging this 200-pound milking, dairying and cheesemaking; and carcass at a 6:51 pace.” an expanded resource selection. The tempo moderated slightly By Jerry Belanger & Sara Thomson during the second mile, but I reached Bredesen. 283 pages, $19.95 + ship- the second milepost with a still- ping. respectable speed of less than 7.5 minutes a mile. Fantastic. Thoughts race wildly through the mind of a Or d e r y o u r c o p i e s t o d a y ! runner, and I suddenly realized that Countryside Bookstore, 145 Industrial Dr., Medford, WI 54451 my unimagined speed was largely Ca l l : 1-800-551-5691 due to the fact that the first two miles color to 98/99 & bind-in 19/98

98 No man is a true gentleman who does not inspire the affection and devotion of his servants. — A. Carnegie tours to prospective students, and was called to an afternoon rehearsal of ferently, I think. Although we didn’t a theater production in which she is involved. My wife was, I think, quite discuss it, her mother believes that we disappointed that Jen would be unavailable for most of the day, although are “lending” Jenny to college, and I felt strangely reassured by her activities. I walked around the campus, that her “real place” is still at home. watched a soccer game with Ellie, and later found one bench after another I, on the other hand, am greatly, and from which to watch the students go about their interrupted routines on this perhaps strangely, comforted to real- “Parents’ Weekend.” ize that her home is now Lyon Col- Comfortably benched, I pored over the college newspaper, the Highlander, lege. She is grown and gone, leading and was delighted to read the editorial comments of senior editor Ron Hanks, her own life, and any time we spend who said, “It’s true, once a Marine, always a Marine, (but) it pays to know with her from this day forward will the difference between who truly is a Marine and who just went through boot be temporary, whether for an hour, a camp.” Two obviously great intellects running on parallel paths, eh? day, or a summer. This is the way it Marines are taught to fully assess a situation, then proceed, using whatever should be. resources are at hand. Her mother and I assessed this situation somewhat dif- I was, for the most part, even able to withhold unsolicited advice. She knows that her Spanish mid-term grade stinks, but that’s her problem, not mine. If she were to decide to get a tattoo or shave her head (heaven forfend!), there’s really not much I ★ can do to change her mind. She has her own choices to make, and her own role to play, and nobody can, or NO WORRIES. should, do that for her. As parents, we are now relegated to an essentially Caring for your livestock’s safety and security begins with reliable fencing. supernumerary role. That’s why you want the best: Sheep and Goat fence from Red Brand. I think Jenny would be too polite Industry leading strength and durability provide years of trouble-free to broach the subject, but Don Wil- dependability. It all adds up to real value and real peace of mind. liams surely expressed the unspoken sentiments of many a newly-fledged The most trusted name in fencing. young adult when he sang, The one. The only. Red Brand. I don’t want to hear another word, Don’t need your well-thought-out advice. Though I thank you all for being kind, Long-lasting galvanized I can make mistakes myself just fine. wire resists weathering And that, again, is the way it Secure protection from should be. It’s nice to be able to sit predatory animals on the bench and watch your kids live and grow, knowing you did a 4" x 4" mesh spacing prevents goats from good job. getting their heads stuck By the way, Jenny says “hey” to everybody, and she asks how “your Easy to install on ﬂ at momma’n’em’s doing.” She’ll see or hilly terrain you at Thanksgiving. Maybe. (She was kidding about the tattoo, wasn’t Smooth, Square Deal® knot doesn’t move, she?!) preventing injury Well, Jenny graduated from Lyon College in 2000, married a month later, and is now living in the Midwest with her husband and two super kids. George Sheep & Goat Fence Sims can be contacted, as always, at Route 2, Box 237-3, Mansfield, Mis- Find dealers, expert advice and installation videos at redbrand.com souri 65704-9564, or at bonneideefarm@ hotmail.com. color to 98/99 & bind-in 19/98

CountrysideDR® POWER& Small Stock Journal, GRADER January/February 2013 99

Tows behind your ATV or Lawn Tractor! Turn a Rough Driveway into A SMOOTH RIDE.

POWER POWER ACTUATOR ACTUATOR This powerful actuator raises and POWERED ACTUATOR lowers the scarifying teeth to match the grading conditions. There’s no need for hydraulics or a 3-point hitch. A wireless remote Up / Down Controller allows for push- button operation, from the seat of your towing vehicle. CURVED SIDE RAILS LEVELING BLADE The heavy steel leveling blade remains at a uniform height during the grading process and distributes loosened material evenly over the graded surface. Unpaved roads with potholes, CARBIDE-TIPPED SCARIFYING TEETH The scarifying teeth cut into the road surface, to loosen materials for redistribu- ruts and washboard - are a tion. We graded over 100 miles of compacted, rock-hard fact of country life. Put a limestone roads with no visible wear on the carbide-tipped teeth. This same material is used on well drilling bits and DR POWER GRADER to work excavating equipment. It will last for an extremely long time. CARBIDE-TIPPED SCARIFYING TEETH CURVED SIDE RAILS A patent-pending design, the unique and your bumpy ride is over. shape of the side rails allows the leveling blade to remain at a uniform height even when raising and lowering the Tows easily behind your riding scarifying teeth. mower, ATV, UTV or tractor. WIRELESS REMOTE CONTROL This controller transmits a radio signal to a receiver on the actuator, enabling you to It’s driveway maintenance adjust the height of the scarifying teeth with the touch of a made easy! button. There’s no connecting cable. The controller is so light 76996X ©2012 WIRELESS REMOTE (just 1 oz.), you can wear it on a lanyard (included) around CONTROL your neck for easy DONE RIGHT Call for a FREE DVD and Catalog! TOLL FREE 888-212-0681 www.DRpowergrader.com 100 He that will not reflect is a ruined man. — Old proverb The Planets of January you might expect an increase in the Venus is the morning star in Sag- demand for halal meat. Poor Will’s ittarius throughout January. Jupiter begins 2013 as the evening star in Meteorology Taurus, keeping that role until the The season of Deep Winter begins Countryside first week of June. Find Mars in the January 1. This season has six to early night sky in Capricorn and then seven significant cold waves, and it Almanack for in Aquarius later this month. Saturn lasts from New Year’s Day through rides across the southern sky in Libra around the 25th of January. Average Deep Winter & after midnight, reaching almost half- temperatures in this season are the way across the horizon by dawn. lowest of the year everywhere in North America. If strong storms oc- Late Winter The Stars cur this month, weather patterns sug- If you look due south along the gest that they will happen during the 2013 horizon when you get up for chores following periods: January 1-2, 8-12, or exercise, the brightest star you see and 19-24 (the transition time to Late

b y W. L. Fe l k e r is Spica in the constellation of Virgo. Winter). New moon on January 11 To the southeast, near the tree line, and full moon on January 26 are likely I sing the cycle of my country’s year, you should be able to make out a to intensify the weather systems due I sing the tillage, and the reaping sing box-like formation: that’s Libra. Then around those dates. The coldest Janu- near Libra in the southeast is lanky ary days usually fall between the 7th — Vita Sackville-West Scorpio. If you look west from Spica and the 10th, as well as between the and up into the heavens, you should 15th and the 18th. The Ephemeris for January be able to see Regulus of the constel- The Phases of the lation Leo, then Cancer, like a man Key to the Nation’s Weather Crow Gathering Moon and the walking into the western horizon, The typical January temperature Spinning Cranefly Moon then right at the place where the sky at average elevations along the 40th Resident crows continue to con- meets the land, Castor and Pollux of Parallel, the average of the high of gregate throughout the deepest part Gemini. 38 and the low of 22, is 30 degrees. of winter, joined as January ends, by Using the following chart based on migrant crows returning from the The Shooting Stars weather statistics from around the South. Craneflies, insects that look The Quadrantids are the meteors country, one can calculate approxi- a little like mosquitoes and that spin of January. Look for them in the mate temperatures in locations close in the sun on the coldest afternoons, northeast after midnight on the 1st to the cities listed. For example, with are also common throughout much through the 5th. On the 3rd and 4th, you the average of the 40th Parallel as the of the country now. might see up to 40 shooting stars in base of 30, you can estimate normal an hour. temperatures in Minneapolis by sub- January tracting 18 degrees from 30. Or add 15 4: The Crow Gathering Moon en- degrees to find out the likely condi- ters its final quarter at 10:58 p.m. A January Calendar of Holidays tions in Atlanta during the month. 11: The Spinning Cranefly Moon and Special Occasions for is new at 2:44 p.m. Gardeners, Ranchers & Minneapolis, MN: -18 18: The moon enters its second Homesteaders Green Bay, WI: -13 quarter at 6:45 p.m. 13th: Mardi Gras season begins Burlington, VT: -12 26: The moon is full at 11:38 p.m. around this time, lasting until the big Des Moines, IA: -9 celebration on February 12. Plan to Chicago, IL: -4 The Sun’s Progress market kids and lambs for barbeques Average along the Solar perigee (the Earth’s position throughout the month. Or be the one 40th parallel: 30 closest to the sun) occurs on January in your area to sell the popular Mardi St. Louis, MO: +2 2 at 12:00 a.m. The sun enters its sign Gras beads! Louisville, KY: +6 of Aquarius on the 20th, ushering in 24th: Muhammad’s Birthday Washington, DC: +7 the last subseason of winter (aptly (Mawlid Al-Nabi): Sunni Muslims Atlanta, GA: +15 called “Late Winter”), at which point celebrate Muhammad’s birthday New Orleans, LA: +25 the day’s length is approaching a today. Miami, FL: +35 spring-like 10 hours all along the 40th 29th: Muhammad’s Birthday Parallel! And on the 31st of January, (Mawlid Al-Nabi): Shia Muslims Peak Activity Times for Livestock, the sun reaches one-fourth of its way celebrate Muhammad’s birthday on Fish, Game and Dieters to spring equinox. this date. For both of these holidays, Fish, game, livestock and people Countryside & Small Stock Journal, January/February 2013 101 tend to feed more and are more ac- The Stars of the weather systems that typically tive as the barometer is falling one By midnight during February’s arrive near those dates. to three days before the weather first week, giant Orion begins to systems that arrive near January move west from its dominating Key to the Nation’s Weather 1, 5, 10, 15, 19, 25, 31. Fishing and January position in the center of the The typical February temperature hunting may be most rewarding and southern sky. The star grouping of at average elevations along the 40th dieting could be most frustrating Canis Major takes its place along the Parallel, the average of the high of 40 near these dates at midday when horizon, with Sirius, the Dog Star, the and the low of 21, is 31 degrees. Using the moon is new, in the afternoon brightest light in the whole night sky. the following chart based on weather and evening when the moon is in Sirius, along with Procyon (the large statistics from around the country, its first quarter, at night when the star to the upper left of Sirius) and Be- one can calculate the approximate moon is full and in its third quarter, telgeuse (the reddish left shoulder of temperatures in other locations close in the morning when the moon is in Orion) form what appears from our to the cities listed. For example, its fourth quarter. position on earth to be an equilateral starting from the base of 31, you can triangle. estimate normal temperatures in The Ephemeris for February Burlington by subtracting 13 degrees from the base average. Or add 8 de- The Phases of the A February Calendar of grees to find out the likely conditions Spinning Cranefly Moon Holidays and Special Occasions in Louisville during the month. and the Lenten Rose Moon for Gardeners, Ranchers & One of the first flowers to bloom, Homesteaders th the Lenten rose, or hellebore, opens 10 : Chinese New Year (The Year Minneapolis, MN: -15 as aconites and snowdrops blossom of the Snake): The Chinese market is Burlington, VT: -13 in protected areas. Maple sap runs often strong throughout the winter, Des Moines, IA: -7 when hellebores bloom, and most of favoring goats and sheep in the 60 to Chicago, IL: -3 the nation’s lambs and kids are born 80-pound live-weight range. Boston, MA: -1 th when those flowers appear. 12 : Mardi Gras: This is the last Average along the 3rd: The Spinning Cranefly Moon day of the month-long pre-Lenten 40th parallel: 31 enters its last phase at 8:56 a.m. season that closes with celebrations St. Louis, MO: +6 10th: The Lenten Rose Moon is new before Ash Wednesday and the start Louisville, KY: +8 at 2:20 a.m. of the Lenten fast. The beginning Washington, DC: +9 17th: The moon enters its second of Lent announces Roman Easter Atlanta, GA: +18 quarter at 3:31 p.m. (and the Easter market for lambs New Orleans, LA: +28 25th: The moon is full at 3:26 p.m. and kids) at the end of March and Miami, FL: +39 Orthodox Easter at the beginning of May. Peak Activity Times for The Sun’s Progress 27th: Dominican Republic Indepen- Livestock, Fish, Game and Dieters On February 18, Cross-Quarter dence Day: Areas that have a sizeable Fish, game, livestock and people Day, the sun reaches a declination population of residents from the tend to feed more and are more ac- of 11 degrees 53 minutes, its halfway Dominican Republic may show an tive as the barometer is falling one point to equinox. It enters the Early increase in sales of new kids and to three days before the weather Spring sign of Pisces at the same lambs that weigh between 20 to 35 systems that arrive near February 3, time. pounds. 6, 11, 15, 20, 24.

The Planets of February Meteorology The Almanack Daybook Moving into Capricorn, Venus Late Winter contains five to six When Christmas is ended, bid feasting adieu, remains the morning star until the cold fronts and lasts from January goplay the good husband, the stock to renew. middle of the month, when it blends 26 through February 18, at which Be mindful of rearing in hope of a gain, with the sunrise and disappears time cold waves typically become dame profit shall give thee reward for thy from view; it reappears as the eve- weaker and warm fronts stronger. pain. ning star at the end of the first week A relatively long season of eight to —Thomas Tusser, 16th Century in May. Mars is lost in the sunset 10 major fronts, Early Spring lasts during the second week of February, from mid-February through the end Match this daybook with notes remaining out of sight until it comes of March. If strong storms occur this about events you observe in your back before dawn in June. Jupiter is month, they will be most likely to own habitat. Comparing the items still the evening star this month, and strike on or around February 2-4, 6-9, listed here with similar occurrences Saturn keeps its position in Libra, 14-18 and 24-25. New moon on Feb- or practices where you live, you leading Sagittarius through the dark ruary 10 and full moon on February should be able to fine tune your sense early mornings. 25 are likely to increase the intensity of real time, add things of interest and 102 Many hope the tree may be felled that they may gather chips by the fall. — Fuller importance to you, and create your moves from New Orleans at a rate own daybook. of about six miles per day or one degree every four days. The seasons are variable and unpredictable, but January those average rates of progress hold. 1: The New Year’s front is usually Whatever is lost with one cold wave one of the most severe systems so far is gained in a later thaw. in the winter, and it is preceded by 14: The day prior to the mid- sleet or snow as far south as north- January cold front is very likely to ern Florida. After its passage, tem- bring clouds and precipitation. Af- peratures are typically quite cold. A 7: Sparrows, stimulated by the ter its passage, this weather system secondary disturbance often causes lengthening days, begin chattering typically initiates a two-week period additional precipitation on the 2nd and courting near dawn. Foxes and during which average temperatures and 3rd. coyotes look for mates as the days are the lowest of the year. 2: Consider forage testing soon lengthen. Owls are establishing their 15: Striped bass are staring to if you suspect that quality is declin- territories and nesting. Another sign migrate up the Mississippi River in ing. Increase grain to feeder stock in of spring: pines often begin pollina- the Deep South. order to have them at desirable mar- tion near this date. 16: Even in an average year, ket weight in Late Winter and Early 8: Osage fruits are becoming daffodil and tulip foliage emerges Spring. Many people believe that squashy—a sign that Late Winter is throughout the South. Garlic planted feeding energy foods in the evening only two weeks away. And another in late November has pushed out of produces the best results. gauge of the season: Almost all the the ground. The first rhubarb leaves 3: The best lunar times to work goldenrod and aster seeds are gone. are unfolding. The Algerian iris will with your livestock during January 9: Under lights, sow flats of bed- soon be blossoming in Virginia. Aco- will be around the time the moon ding plants as the moon waxes dur- nites and snowdrops begin to bloom enters its second phase (tomorrow) ing the second and third week of this in the Carolinas. and its fourth phase (January 18). January. Flowers such as salvia, co- 17: Opossums and raccoons be- According to a number of studies, the leus, carnations, petunias, geraniums come more active as Deep Winter moon exerts less influence on ocean snapdragons, and delphinium can wanes, and they appear at night tides and on human and animal be- be started now. Seed cold-weather along the back roads. Once you sight havior during these periods between broccoli, kale, collards, cabbage these small mammals, then you know new and full moon. and celery for setting out in eight to for sure January thaw is near and 4: As the year’s second major front twelve weeks. that the next phase of the year is on approaches, milder temperatures 10: The period between January the way. and precipitation are likely; thun- 8 and 12 is one of the main storm 18: Skunk cabbage is up in the derstorms are not uncommon in the windows of the year, and new moon swamps, blackened by the cold but South. After the January 5 high passes on January 11 is expected to increase still strong. Watercress holds in the through, however, the cold returns the odds for bad weather. Not only streams. Where the ground is not with a vengeance, and the 8th and 9th are blizzards likely to occur at this frozen, new mint grows under the are associated with some of the most time, but also below-zero morning protection of a southern hedge or chilling weather so far in the winter. lows are most likely to freeze pipes wall. In the pastures, basal leaves of 5: Do your pruning and take out and car batteries. thistles and mullein are deep green suckers, as well as dead and cross- 11: Today is new moon day, the beneath the snow. ing branches, as the moon wanes. first new moon of 2013 and a good 19: Although the United States lies Don’t prune what will bloom before time to renew your New Year’s in the middle of its most frigid time June. Wait for July or August for the resolutions. Follow the progress of of the entire year, the possibility of maples. your decisions as the moon revolves mild weather is enhanced by the in- 6: In the greenhouse, the Season through its phases. If you break your cursion of powerful southerly winds of Jade Tree Bloom is over as Camel- promises under this moon, try again from the Gulf of Mexico. The result- lia Season flowers in the Deep South under the next moon. ing turbulence creates the “January and Black Bear Hibernation Season 12: Throughout the nation, florists Thaw,” a brief space during which ends in southern forests. Almost and grocery stores are introducing much milder temperatures and an all of early winter’s honeysuckle flowering daffodils and tulips, either increased likelihood of blizzards, berries have been eaten by birds or potted or as cut flowers. Next year, thunderstorms, tornados and flood- have fallen in the wind by now, and they could be selling the bulbs that ing occurs. foliage of Japanese knotweed and you started in the fall indoors. 20: The sun moves into Aquarius oakleaf hydrangea is finally ceding 13: Between the middle of January as crows start migration. In the South, to the cold. through the middle of May, spring perennials are coming up; if you see Countryside & Small Stock Journal, January/February 2013 103 them in the northern states, however, but it does represent the cumulative peratures, and initiating a weeklong cover them quickly with straw so wisdom of all the years on record, period of increased possibilities for they will make it through the cold revealing the inevitable turn of the bitter daytime highs. Precipitation days ahead. earth toward June. is to be expected before the arrival 21: Get your pans or bottles ready 28: Late Winter has arrived across of this front, and February 3 is one for hand-feeding kids and lambs. But North America. This is a period that of the February days most likely to be sure to heat-treat the colostrum or still may bring terrible cold and bring dangerous storms to the Plains milk before you use it. And be ready storms but which, overall, paves the and tornadoes to the South. for kidding and lambing with heat way for the more benign weather of 4: Under the dark moon, treat lamps, blankets, disbudding boxes, Early Spring. ash, bittersweet, fir, elm, flowering nipple waterers, iodine or other dis- 29: Earliest robins and bluebirds fruit trees, hawthorn, juniper, lilac, infectant to treat the naval cord. arrive in the lower Midwest. Canada linden, maple, oak, pine, poplar, 22: Now is the time to clean out geese reach their peak in Louisiana spruce, sweet gum, tulip tree, and your bluebird nesting boxes: Blue- rice fields. willow for scales and mites. Spray birds are on the wing. 30: As Christian Lent approaches, trees with dormant oil when tem- 23: By this time of year, the first indoor farmers’ markets often display peratures rise into the upper 30s or dandelions could be flowering, and hot-cross buns and other tempting 40s. The best chances of experienc- snow crocus and henbit could be pastries. Consider expanding your ing those temperatures in northern budding in the country’s midsec- baking and marketing approaches as states will occur between February tion. Sometimes moss is growing on the pre-lenten season ends. 15th and 23rd. logs, and pussy willows are popping 31: As the final front of January 5: In all but the northernmost from their hulls. Sometimes tulip and weakens, it often brings the brief states, tap maple trees throughout grape hyacinth leaves are pushing “Groundhog Day Thaw,” a warm the month. Expect sap flow to slow out of the ground. Sometimes day spell often potent enough to bring down after Snowdrop Winter, which lily foliage is up three inches, daffodil skunk cabbage into bloom as far typically occurs between the 24th and spears four to eight inches. north as the Great Lakes. And the the 27th. 24: When the afternoons are weakening moon should help make 6: The second barometric high sunny, flies hatch to warm themselves the Groundhog Day Thaw a signifi- of February arrives near the 6th and on the south side of your house, and cant one this year. generally reinforces the cold. the pale Asian ladybeetles crawl out 7: In northern Mexico, monarch from hibernation in search of early butterflies are moving toward the prey, their soft presence on the deli- February Texas border. They will reach the Gulf cate scales of time tipping the balance 1: The moon is especially favor- coast in small groups during mid to to spring. able for the seeding of bedding late March, and their offspring will 25: Expect sap to run in the maples plants and the taking of cuttings from find the Midwest in middle sum- throughout the South as the tradi- mother plants during the first week mer. tional January Thaw moves across the of the month and after new moon 8: Skunks can be out in gentle, wet nation and the moon waxes during (which occurs on the 10th). Frost seed nights. Sparrows are mating in the the fourth week of the month. pastures and seed the lawn along trees, and the great morning chorus 26: The cold front that follows the and above the 40th Parallel. The dark that lasts deep into summer is well January Thaw makes the 25th and 26th moon and the mild weather could be underway, the grackles whistling and some of the month’s chillier days, ideal for butchering across the South, chattering, the crows and cardinals and full moon on the 26th is likely to but don’t let the first bad cold front of and doves joining in. Male blue jays increase the likelihood of unsettled February freeze your meat. are bobbing up and down, talking to conditions. Secondary frontal con- 2: Plant oats and barley as condi- their mates. Doves begin to call after ditions, sometimes carrying moist tions permit in the South. Spread sunrise, not every morning, but once Gulf air, can set off powerful bliz- lime, phosphate and potash as need- or twice a week until the first days of zards around the 27th. No matter the ed. Although the Groundhog Day Early Spring, after which they sing weather, cardinals ordinarily begin Thaw could bring very warm tem- through the end of Late Summer. their mating songs half an hour be- peratures, don’t spray your fruit trees 9: Flies and bees come looking for fore sunrise on this date. for a couple more weeks: February snowdrops when temperatures warm 27: January 27 is a pivotal statis- 3–5 often brings a cruel cold snap to 50°F. Deer gather together through- tical date in the fortunes of winter. that could damage sprayed buds and out the month to feed in herds. Tur- Throughout the country, average branches. keys continue flocking now, but they temperatures, which had remained 3: February 3 consistently pushes will disband and scatter into smaller stable from the middle of January, a strong high-pressure ridge across family groups by April. Groundhogs climb one degree. That rise may not the Mississippi, sharply raising come out of hibernation. You may see be obvious in any particular year, the possibility of below-zero tem- them eating the new grass by the side 104 He hath riches sufficient, who hath enough to be charitable. — Sir T. Browne of the road. Opossums, skunks, bea- cycle is now starting, and along the tive as equinox approaches. vers and raccoons seek their mates. Canadian border, the frequency of 23: Mares show signs of estrus, as 10: The Lenten Rose Moon is highs in the teens or below starts to the days grow longer. The last of the new today, just three days before the drop. Since mild winds from the Gulf lambs and kids conceived in Middle beginning of Christian Lent. Work of Mexico often clash with Arctic air Fall are born. Chipmunks come out throughout the coming six weeks to during this period, the days between to play and mate in the sun. Rabbits sell your kids and lambs to the Easter the 14th and 18th bring an increased are breeding; foxes will be hunting Market that grows with the develop- likelihood of serious storms. them. In South Carolina, bee season ment of Early Spring throughout the 16: Around the yard, bulb season has started. Honeybees and carpenter nation. opens this month as far north as Chi- bees collect pollen from dandelions, 11: The third cold wave of the cago, with the first aconites opening yellow-flowered wild radishes, red month, ordinarily the last severe in sheltered microclimates. maples, henbit, blue toadflax, white system of Late Winter, arrives near 17: Ambystoma salamanders clover, and mouse-eared chickweed. this date, bearing a high chance for mate at night in the first mild rains. 24: After the benign days of Feb- precipitation and sunless skies. Yes- Mallards scout for nesting sites. ruary’s third week that often force terday’s new moon is expected to Moths and water striders appear on snowdrops and aconites into bloom, intensify this front. warmer days. the chilly February 24 front almost 12: Horned larks and red-winged 18: Today is Cross-Quarter Day. always pushes a brief Snowdrop blackbirds, meadowlarks, starlings Depending on the year and region Winter deep into the South. Tomor- and bald eagles begin migrations. of the country, growth occurs on row’s full moon is almost certain to Skunk Cabbage will be recovering ragwort, dock, sweet rocket, asters, intensify the cold. from the deep cold and might well winter cress, poison hemlock, sedum, 25: Today is full moon day. Expect be blooming in the wetlands. mint, celandine, plantain, poppies, a little more trouble from children, 13: Today is the beginning of pansies, daffodils, tulips, crocus, parents, pets and livestock. Medical Christian Lent. aconite, hyacinth, and strawberries. and social services personnel could 14: The hay harvest often begins All those hardy leaves are expand- expect more calls for their services. in Arizona near this date. Soon spring ing a centimeter here or there, such 26: Killdeer, rusty blackbirds, oats and barley planting starts in measurements seeming unimportant and canvasback ducks migrate. California, spring oats seeding in until they can measure spring, and Horned owlets hatch in the woods. Kansas then there is no insignificant degree. Sweet corn has been planted along 15: As December 15 marks the 19: Depending on the year and the Gulf coast. Redbuds and azaleas beginning of the darkest and chilli- your location, killing frosts could are in full bloom in Georgia, rhodo- est portion of the year, February 15 be over for the year in six to eight dendrons just starting to come in. In marks the beginning of the end of weeks. Always plan to have some the lowlands of Mississippi, swamp winter. Across the South, the floral plants ready to go into the ground buttercups are open, violets and black early. Many years, they will survive medic, too. and give you a bonus harvest. 27: The front that arrives near the Country Wisdom 20: Although high pressure does end of this month is almost always sweep across the nation near this more gentle than the February 24 Almanac date, the low that precedes that front front, and its transit signals the end 373 tips, crafts, often brings some of the warmest of Snowdrop Winter. Clear skies are home improve- temperatures of the month. a hallmark of this front’s arrival, and 21: ments, recipes and In southern California, the bright conditions usually follow on wildflower season is well underway the 28th. homemade rem- in wetter years, with large white 28: As the moon wanes, trim edies. Country Wis- desert lilies in full bloom and bright hooves, slaughter, worm, and treat dom Almanac in- purple sand verbena blossoming for external parasites. Continue prun- cludes forecasting where moisture is adequate. Fields ing and preparations for the birth of the weather, plant- of daffodils are open in southern lambs and kids. ing and harvesting your garden, Georgia. cooking fresh for the season, deco- 22: Mountain bluebirds are com- Lunar feeding patterns for people rating and entertaining for the ing back to Yellowstone. Bald eagles and beasts holidays and much, much more! 316 are laying eggs there, and ravens pair The following weekly key to lu- pages, $12.95 + s/h. up for spring, frolicking as they court. nar position shows when the moon Snow midges appear as the weather is above the continental United To order visit our website at becomes milder along the mountain States, and therefore the period dur- www.countrysidemag.com streams; they provide early food for ing which all creatures are typically Or call 1-800-551-5691 birds and fish that become more ac- most active. The second-most-active Countryside & Small Stock Journal, January/February 2013 105 times occur when the moon is below IUAORTBCN: INCUBATOR EERHDRFO the earth. Fishing and hunting may TOML: MOLT PMAHRIHSE be more successful, and livestock, KSCICH: CHICKS DNALOP INCHA children and other family members TAHYREHC: HATCHERY DASLEDBACK may be slightly friskier with the LOWF: FOWL STREEHC WHTIE moon overhead. EREF NAREG: FREE RANGE STOPDTE LPCKUGIN: PLUCKING Date: Moon Above; Moon Below LUPLEST: PULLETS If you are the 1st, the 11th, the January SETIM: MITES 44th, the 77th, the 100th or the 150th 1–4: Midnight to Dawn; Afternoons person to return your correct Sck- 5–11: Mornings; Evenings The January-February rambler solutions by my deadline of 12–17: Afternoons; Midnight to Dawn December 25 to Poor Will, P.O. Box 18–25: Evenings; mornings Sckrambler 431, Yellow Springs, OH 45387, you January 26–February 2: SGPI will win $5. There should be no typos Midnight to Dawn; Afternoons WATCOHC in this puzzle, and no typo prize will 3–9: Mornings; Evenings EBINAIR be awarded. If you happen to find a 10–16: Afternoons; Midnight to Dawn ERIHSRETSECOULG 17–24: Evenings; Mornings typo, however, you may simply skip MATHTROW 25–28: Midnight to Dawn; Afternoons that word without penalty. Send your UORDC entries by regular mail (postcards ERD TTLEAW preferred) to Poor Will at P.O. Box Winners of the November- OCALEBM 431, Yellow Springs, Ohio 45387. The December Sckrambler UIEANG GHO A total of 106 readers responded names of any winners whose cor- RACEALND to the November-December chal- rect responses are received after my HSKROERIY lenge by my deadline of October 25, deadline to Co u n t r y s i d e will appear SHIREBERKE and a prize of $5 was promised to the in a later issue. AELRG ETWHI 4th, the 27th, the 49th, the 71st, the FTOOMUEL Copyright 2013 – W. L. Felker 105th and the 170th person to unsck- ramble the sckrambled words. The 4th person to respond correctly was Ralene Davis of Cedar Vale, Kansas; the 27th was Roxann B. Gooding of Beloit, Ohio; the 49th was James Huskey of Madisonville, Texas; the 71st was Donald Hen- nings of Mena, Aarkansas, and the 105th person was Margie A. Neff of Junction City, California. If a 170th person responds correctly before the answers are printed in the next Co u n t r y s i d e , he or she will win $5, too, and his/her name will appear Coming up: in the next issue. • Ma r c h /Ap r i l : Answers to the Garden planning, a look at little living November-December places. (If you’ve downsized lately, send Sckrambler us your thoughts on the subject.) ENSKCICH: CHICKENS • Ma y /Ju n e : OLFKC: FLOCK Recipes for excess milk; tips for keeping GESG: EGGS livestock cool; and a homemade hay- SAHM: MASH baler. OORRDEB: BROODER Deadlines are the 25th of the 2nd preceding month. LERROIB: BROILER ~ ~ OROETSSR: ROOSTERS Share your knowledge! SENH: HENS Write to: Co u n t r y s i d e Editorial, ARAPSETIS: PARASITES 145 Industrial Dr., Medford, WI 54451; OUPLTRY: POULTRY [email protected]. AIGNYL: LAYING 100 Reach over 300,000 people Countryside’s for just $60/year! Breeders Directory

Irish Pure- Whistling Ducks, Wood Ducks, Mallard Alpacas/Llamas Dexter cattle. Perfect dual purpose bred Komondor—livestock/premise Ducks. Swans: White Mute, Australian guardians. Black, Trumpeter, Whooper, Black homestead breed. Necked. Quail: Northern Bobwhite, Colorado Indiana Oklahoma Jumbo Bobwhite, Texas A & M, Val- JEFFERSON FARMS NATURAL FI- FINE LINE FARM, Mike & Linda AMERICAN WORKING FARMCOLLIES ley, Gambel, Blue Scale, Mountain, BERS–Two locations: 8950 W Jefferson Wehner, 6624 N. 800 W., Madison, IN ASSOCIATION, Elaine Reynolds, HC 1 Mearns. Partridge: Chukar, Hungarian. Ave., Denver, CO 80235, 303-870-3056 47250. 812-873-0012. Lowline Angus. Multipurpose Farm Mutant. Ornamental Pheasants: Red KIRTLEY FAMILY FARMS, Kev- Golden, Yellow Golden, Blue Eared, net> Alpacas & Paco-Vicuñas. Special- in & Christy Kirtley, 22100 Cam- Standard & Border Collies, Shet- Brown Eared, Lady Amherst, Silver, Timminicks Tragopans. Wild Turkeys: izing in Paco-Vicuña luxury fibers. mack Rd., Noblesville, IN 46062. land Sheepdogs and Kelpies. 317-407-8001. HEAVENS LITTLE ACRES, Marshall & Jana Hager, 5716 N. State Hwy. 97, PEARSON POND RANCH & LLAMA Lowline Angus. Genetics for Grass-fed Sand Springs, OK 74063. 918-245- Goats CO., 242 Llama Lane, Ellijay, GA 30540. Beef, Fullblood and Percentage Lowline Over 150 lla- Angus cattle, embryos and semen. 1291. Akbash mas to chose from–Traditional–Surries. LGD, raised with Nubian dairy goats. Alabama Kansas Tennessee LNL MINIFARM, Levon & Lynn Sargent, Ohio LA DORADA, Elizabeth Lundgren, 663 Hulsey Rd., Henagar, AL 35978. CASTLEROCK’S SPECIAL ASSIST- D.V.M., 22484 W. 239 St., Spring Hill, 256-657-6545. Ankole-Watusi cattle. farmerstel.com> ADGA Nigerian Dwarf 9753. 419-665-2697. Llamas, Suri & Huacaya goats, AMHA miniature horses & AGHA UNDERHILL FARMS, Lynn & Karen Memphis, Tennessee. 901-553-9401. American Guinea hogs. alpacas-starting $300, fleece, judge. Kaufman, 187 21st Ave., Mound- Wensleydale, Teeswater sheep. ridge, KS 67107. 620-345-8415. Texas WITCH HAZEL DAIRY, Hazel McGuf- underhillfarms.com> Belgian Blue ATASCOSA ALPACAS & CAPYBARAS, Cattle. West Virginia fin, PO Box 622, Vernon , AZ 85940. Bill Schuchman, Atascosa County, 928-358-0741. Huacaya alpacas. All stock BOHATY’S BRITISH WHITES, Wal- WV 25063. 304-765-5453. Maremma/ com> Nubians ARI registered, available, start-up spe- ter & Nancy Bohaty, 1371 42nd Pyrenees Crossbred. Neutured & vac- California cials. Also Capybaras. Rd., Bellwood, NE 68624. 402- cinated. Sold as working pairs only. HYONAHILL, Ruth McCormick, 24900 Started pairs $500 / Experienced pairs West Virginia 367-4741. Skyland Rd., Los Gatos, CA 95033. Registered $700. Pups available occasionally, $150 GLORY B FARM, Barry & Bar- 408-353-1017. British White cattle. each. Buyback guaranteed. bara Bales, Ballard, WestVirginia. Registered Oberhasli dairy goats. 304-573-1526. Ohio Beautiful, quiet, delicious milk. Send RIVERVIEW FARM, Fonnie Thom- Equine for color brochure. HYONAHILL ALERT! Defective answering machine. If you Award winning alpaca breeding stock an, Crown City, OH. 740-256- & products. called in the last few months and did 1724. Miniature Jerseys–semen Ohio not get an answer please try again. See available. Also miniature horses. STRASSERHUTEN FARMS, Robert my ad above. Bullfrogs & Corinne Strasser, 4318 Hattrick Rd., Rootstown, OH 44272-9770. 330- Indiana Oregon Idaho 325-7608. CU AT LIL’ RED BARN, Margot Cassel, WHISPERING HILLS FARM, Joe RANA RANCH BULLFROGS, PO Box 7501 N. Nebo Rd., Muncie, IN 47304. Schallberger, DVM, PhD & Sue Irish Dexter cattle, miniature donkeys. 1043, Twin Falls, ID 83303-1043. 208- 765-730-0145. Schallberger, DVM, 6515 Kurtz Rd., Grass-fed freezer beef for sale. Dallas, OR 97338. 503-704-2408. com> Nigerian Dwarfs. American Bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana). Deep soothing music on your pond. Game Birds Iowa Purpose bred bullfrogs-healthy, hardy Polled Shorthorns. Fast growing D & E DAIRY GOATS, 2977 Linn Buchan- and prolific. Free info sheet. grass-fed Shorthorn genetics. Also Minnesota an Rd., Coggon, IA 52218. 319-350-5819. Suffolk sheep. OAKWOOD GAME FARM, INC., PO Alpine, Capybaras Box 274, Princeton, MN 55371. 800- Saanen & LaMancha. Selling 200 Texas 328-6647. head annually. Texas AAVALON FARM, Sharon & George We sell day-old pheasant and chukar Adams, 1059 AnCR 468, Palestine, TX Massachusetts CAPYBARAS, We have them, adults, partridge chicks and eggs. Ask about 75803. 903-549-2036. healthy, free range, non-stressed ani- and chicks. Lowe, PO Box 722, Assonet, MA mals. Also Huacaya alpacas. Bill Schuch- Belted Galloways. Semen available. 02702. 508-644-5088. HOUSTON RUN GAMEBIRDS, Steven homestead.com> Nigerian Dwarf, Wisconsin Stoltzfus, 606 White Horse Rd., Gap, Tennessee Fainting. J.E. TOSTENSON, James Tostenson, PA 17527. 717-468-9240. Bobwhite and Cattle W925 County Rd. H, Fremont, WI Coturnix quail, pheasants & chukars. Ohio 54940. 920-538-2716. Unique Jerseys, Specializing in flight conditioned birds. VALLEY BROOK ALPINES, David & Illinois cows milk on grass alone, bulls outcross Call for more information. Lydia Howe, 40554 Shepherd Rd., on most U.S. Jerseys. Caldwell, OH 43724. 740-509-0043. CUNNIGNHAM HOMESTEAD, Wesley Wisconsin Cunningham, 26622 109th Ave. W., French Alpine. ADGA Registered, Illinois City, IL 61259. 309-791-0023. PURELY POULTRY, PO Box 466, Dogs CAE Free. Irish Dexter cattle. Fremont, WI 54940. 800-216-9917. GOSHEN KENNELS, Paul Han- Kansas Oklahoma sen, 10246 S. Wilson Rd., Mt. ORIGINAL HAUS, Mike Strodtman, 758 ndian Red Junglefowl, Guineas, Pea- CIMARRON VALLEY RANCH, D. Miller, Carroll, IL 61053. 815-947-2108. CR 29, Bucklin, KS 67834. 620-826-5526. cocks. Ducks: Mandarin, Ringed Teal, RR 1, Box 30, Cleveland, OK 74020. Countryside & Small Stock Journal, January/February 2013

918-694-9281. Nigerian Dwarf goats, cana, Silver Phoenix. Bantam: Black Old Dexter cattle. English. Modern Games: Brown Red, California Kansas Birchen, Red Pyle and Black Breasted HEAVENS LITTLE ACRES, Marshall UNDERHILL FARMS, Lynn & Karen METZER FARMS, 26000C Old Stage Red. Silver Penciled Rock, Red Naked & Jana Hager, 5716 N. State Hwy. 97, Kaufman, 187 21st Ave., Moundridge, Rd., Gonzales, CA 93926. Year-round Neck, White Naked Neck, S.C. Rhode Sand Springs, OK 74063. 918-245- KS 67107. 620-345-8415. Akbash underhillfarms.com> Ducklings: Pekin, LGD, raised with Nubian dairy goats. farms.com> Large Black hogs. Ancona. R.C. Rhode Island Red, Quail Rouen, Khaki Campbell, Golden 300 Belgium, R.C. White Leghorn. White Pennsylvania Michigan Egg Layer, Blue Swedish, Buff, Cayuga, Crested Black Polish, Bearded White, GOATSVILLE ACRES, Marilyn Ryan, Mallard, Welsh Harlequin, White Crested HORTON FARMS, Robert & Christine Bearded Golden Polish, Bearded Buff 15 Carbondale Rd., Waymart, PA Horton, 11650 Remick Rd., Blanchard, & Runners (Black, Chocolate, Blue, Laced Polish, Wheaton Ameraucana, 18472. 570-488-5369. Hogs. Chinese, Brown Chinese, Toulouse, Cochins: Birchen, Partridge, Buff, Dewlap Toulouse, African, Canada, Buff, Purebred Mini Nubians. Golden Laced, and White; Dark Brahma, Tufted Buff, Sebastopol, Pilgrim, Crested Buff Brahma, Salmon Faverolle, Black Texas Miniature Cattle Roman. Ringneck pheasants, French Langshan, Black Frizzle, White Frizzle, TIERRA SECA FARMS, Sandra Pearl guineas, Wild turkeys. Bearded White Silkie, Bearded Mille Moerbe, 531 Ham Ln., Uvalde, TX Arizona Fleur. Geese: Canadian, Egyptian. Illinois Ducks: Muscovy: Black, Blue, White 78801. 830-278-6419. CHICKEN SCRATCH POULTRY, and Chocolate. Turkeys: Narragansett, Prescott, Arizona. 928-925-6886. Nigerian Dwarf goats. Larry & Angela McEwen, RR3 Box 44, Registered: mini Black, Bourbon Red, Slate, Wild Turkeys, McLeansboro, IL 62859. 618-643-5602. Royal Palm, Beltsville White Turkeys, Wisconsin Jersey cattle, Nubian goats, Heritage Coronation Sussex, Light Sus- Missouri Season Treder, N6476 Cty. Rd. N, Colorado Princeton, WI 54968. 920-229-4930. sex, Lavender Orpington, Black Copper CACKLE HATCHERY, PO Box 529, TWO SHOES RANCH. Registered Marans, Blue Copper Marans, Blue Miniature Herefords. Bill & Dona Shue, Lebanon, MO 65536. 417-532-4581. Laced Red Wyandotte, Welsummers, Miniature Nubian, Nigerian Dwarf 824-0105. [email protected] Goats. Perfect milking goats for your Rumpless Araucana, Olive Egger. Fancy chicks, ducks, geese, turkeys, http://2shoesranch.com small farm. Iowa bantams, guineas, pheasants, quail, Pennsylvania chukar. Free color catalog. COUNTY LINE HATCHERY, 2977 Linn Hogs WELSH MOUNTAIN FARM, Amos T. Buchanan Rd., Coggon, IA 52218. 319- Oklahoma Ebersol, 590 Red Hill Rd., Narvon, 350-9130. Rare and fancy peafowl, guineas, Smith, PO Box 747, Wewoka, OK Cattle. - THE ROCKING ROBIN RANCH, chickens, ducks, turkeys, geese, ban 74884. 405-257-1236. Registered: Miniature Horses net> Black & White Pied, Blue & White Heritage KuneKune pigs, mini Jersey poultry assortment available. Pied, Chocolate and White Muscovies, Pekins, Swedish, Anconas, White Mal- cattle, Nubian goats & Bulldogges. Minnesota Wisconsin lards, Grey Mallards, Khaki Campbells, Arkansas TRAILS END STABLE, Shirley JOHNSON’S WATERFOWL, 36882 White Runners, Crested, Golden Cas- 160th Ave. NE, Middle River, MN 56737. cades, Black East Indies, White, Grey FARMERS HEREFORD HOGS, Kreuscher, W8897 Apple Ave., Med- 218-222-3556. Grey, Buff & White Africans, Ash Flat, AR 72513. 870-322-8423. AMHA-AMHR Miniature Horses. American Buff and Egyptian Goslings; Registered Hereford hogs. Grey Pomeranians, Sebastopol geese, Guinea Keets; White & Black Silkies; Rouen, Silver Appleyard, Pekin, White & Standard White Cornish, Blue & Buff Orpingtons, Blue Old English, Red Pyle Idaho Miniature Pigs Black Crested, Saxony, Black Cayuga, Black & Blue Magpies, Campbells, Pen- Old English, Indian Red Jungle Fowl, IDAHO PASTURE PIGS, Gary & Shelly Reds, Australorps, Brahmas, Amer- Washington ciled, White, Blue, Black, Grey (Mallard), Farris, PO Box 765, Rigby, ID 83442. and Emory Penciled Runners, White, aucanas, White Leghorns and Barred 208-716-1733. Idaho Pasture Pigs–A smaller, Longview, WA 98632. 360-609-1971. Turkeys; Pharoah Coturnix Quail. friendlier, pasture based meat pig for Raising URCH/TURNLUND POULTRY, 2142 your farm. quality mini pigs for your family. NW 47 Ave., Owatonna, MN 55060- Wisconsin 1071. 507-451-6782. Large fowl: Wyan- PURELY POULTRY, PO Box 466, Missouri dottes: White, Golden Laced, Buff, Black, Miniature Sheep Fremont, WI 54940. 800-216-9917. CROWLEY’S RIDGE MINIATURE Silver Penciled, Partridge, & Columbian; 300 varieties: chick- Rd. 337, Advance, MO 63730. Kansas Island Red, R.C. Rhode Island Red, ens, bantams, ducks, geese, turkeys, Black Giant, White Giant. Dominiques, 573-421-2365. Exotic KuneKune pigs SHEEPFIELDS, Diane Spisak, guineas, peafowl, swans, pheasants, or- Buckeyes and Rhode Island White, namental pheasants, chukars and quail. and rare Red Wattle hogs. Farm pets Wellsville, KS. 785-883-4811. Dark Brahma, Cochins: Black, Blue, and quality breeding stock. Docile grazing. White, Buff & Partridge; Black Langshan, Babydoll Southdown Miniature White Langshan. S.C. Leghorns: Buff, Sheep

- sheep, Akbash Dogs, Polish bantam HEREFORD HOGS, Steven Dab chickens. Black, Dark Brown, Silver & White; ney, 7415 High Point Dr., Raymond- R.C. Leghorns: Light Brown, Black & Colorado ville, MO 65555. 417-457-6703. White; White Faced Black Spanish, R.C. DESERT WEYR, Ken & Oogie McGuire, Registered Pigeons Mottled Ancona. Black Astralop. White 16870 Garvin Mesa Rd., Paonia, Hereford hogs–gilts & boars available. Crested Black Polish, Bearded and Non- CO 81428. 970-527-3573. Black Welsh Mountain sheep. MEADOWLARK FARM, Larry Rauert, CEDAR MIST LOFT, Mike Owen, Faverolle, Welsummers, Silver Camp- 4767 N. Quandt Rd., Grand Island, 601A Acklin Gap Rd., Con- ine, Golden Campine, Lakenvelder, Sil- THISTLEDOWN FARM, Dawn Driskill, NE 68801. 308-381-1518. [email protected]> Registered Hamburg, Bearded White Polish, Golden Located Hereford hogs. Boars, gilts, feeder pigs, Rare breeds of pigeons & fowl. USPS Spangled Hamburg. Black Sumatra, in Western Colorado. British Soay & multi-bloodlines. approved live bird shipping boxes. Black Breasted Red Cubalaya, White Primitive Shetland. Idaho FISHER TEXELS, W. Eugene & Niki Finnsheep. Breeding stock in white or Fisher,102 2275 N. Grays Creek Rd., In- colors, selected for build, health, mater- Associations dian Valley, ID 83632. 208-256-4426. nal ability & fleece quality. Dorset and crosses available. Livestock Guardian AMERICAN BLACK WELSH MOUN- Building a Registry of Distinction, Texel. Dogs also available. TAIN SHEEP ASSOCIATION, Eugenie McGuire, Sec./Treas., PO Box 534, one genotype at a time. Turn your purple Ohio to green with Legacy. Indiana Paonia, CO 81428-0534. MIDWEST HIGHLAND CATTLE 6624 N. 800 W., Madison, IN 47250. 812- 5990 Beecher Rd., Granville, OH 43023. 740-927-3098. Reg. 1201 W Main St., Suite 2, Ottawa, IL Club Lambs Hampshire/Suffolk cross. org> Friendly, hardy cattle. Excel- Romanov, Horned Dorset & Miniature 61350. 541-332-0675. Emu. lent beef. For more information, Michigan Baby Doll Southdown sheep. photos and regional breeders go to: AMERICAN HIGHLAND CATTLE SANDHILL MIST, Ken & Elizabeth Oregon Rosenow, 725 West Free Soil Rd., ASSOCIATON, Historic City Hall, 22 S. Free Soil, MI 49411. 231-464-5466. WHISPERING HILLS FARM, Joe Schall- 4th Ave., Ste. 201, Brighton, CO 80601- NATIONAL CVM CONSERVANCY, INC., Icelandic. DVM, 6515 Kurtz Rd., Dallas, OR 97338. highlandcattleusa.org> Benefits of High- org> CVM/Romeldale. The rarest of the THE LAVENDER FLEECE, Laurie Ball- Suf- land Genetics: Enhance Beef Quality; Gisch, 3826 N. Eastman Rd., Midland, MI folks. Fast growing, grass-fed Suffolk Infuse Grass Genetics; Increase Brows- rare breeds of sheep in the U.S. today. 48642. 989-832-4908. Icelandic, Leicester Long Ease; Add Maternal Longevity. ASSOCIATION, 1029 Zelinski Rd., wool. Also Icelandic Sheepdogs. Pennsylvania AMERICAN MINIATURE HORSE Goldendale, WA 98620. 509-773- MARUSHKA FARMS, Marie Minnich, 3671. THE WHITE BARN FARM, Kim & 252 Frosty Valley Rd., Danville, PA 17821. ASSOCIATION (AMHA), Pam Pruitt, Reg- istration Supervisor, 5601 South Interstate Irv Preston, 10080 S. Wyman Rd., 570-490-4759. com> CVM/Romeldale and Icelandic. SOUTHDOWN SHEEP ASSOCIA- CVM/ amha.org> TION AND REGISTRY (NABSSAR). TRIMBUR FARM FINNSHEEP, Heidi Romeldale. Breeding stock/fleece. AMERICAN MINIATURE JERSEY Protecting, preserving, and promoting Trimbur, 58 Bitting Rd., Alburtis, PA 18011. ASSOCIATION & REGISTRY, LLC., the Babydoll Southdown. Educational Missouri 610-845-3607. < [email protected]> Hwy. 20, Crawford, NE 69339. 308- and breeder list. ASSOCIATION, Randy Wehner, 12 NABSSAR Registry: 641-942-6402. Finnsheep: quality breeding stock selected 665-1431. Morningside Ln., Long Lane, MO 65590. for temperament, conformation, fertility, 417-345-1515. Katahdin Hair Sheep. REGISTRY, Becky Lundgren, 22484 Box 916, Marshfield, WI 54449. Why shear when all you want is meat? W. 239 St., Spring Hil, KS 66083-9306. 715-254-4989. Bulldogs, curs, Missouri Katahdins are hardy, good Various 913-592-4050. puggles, Alaskan huskies & more. mothers and excel on forage. Wisconsin NORTH AMERICAN ROMANOV New York BARBADOS BLACKBELLY SHEEP WOOLY WOOD RANCH, Roger & ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL, SHEEP ASSOCIATION, Don Kirts, LIGHTHOUSE FARM, Mary Secretary, PO Box 1126, Pataskala, OH Bonnie Feist, Amery, Wisconsin. 715- registry for American Blackbelly & Bar- 43062-1126. 740-927-3098. bados Blackbelly hair sheep. Carol El- Clarksville, NY 14786. 585-928- narsa-us.com> Registered Huacaya alpacas, South- kins, Secretary, 808 30th Lane, Pueblo, 1721. down sheep & Kiko goats. CO 81006 Directory of breeders at No shearing, economical, addictive meat quality. (NASSA), P.O. Box 51, 222 Main Breeders Directory Form St., Milo, IA 50166. 641-942-6402. Next Deadline: March 1, 2013 CONTINENTAL DORSET CLUB, Debra Hopkins, Exec. Sec./Treas., OLDE ENGLISH “BABYDOLL” PO Box 506, North Scituate, RI 02857. Classification: SOUTHDOWN SHEEP REGISTRY, 401-647-4676. Fax 401-647-4679. Dorset sheep. established by Mr. Robert Mock in 1991. Your Farm Name: Contact Vicki Stowell, PO Box 1307, Graham, WA 98338. 253-548-8815. A Your Name: FINNSHEEP BREEDERS’ ASSO- special breed for small acreage farmers. CIATION, 6861 Old Pipestone Rd., Docile, easy care, organic weeders. Address: Eau Claire, MI 49111. 269-461- Stable prices and demand. Now in the 22nd year of the restoration project. 4101. City, State, Zip: National breeders list and information on website: SOCIATION, for free information on High- E-mail: land cattle call 417-345-0575 or email POSM HORSE REGISTRY, first American breed, PO Box 424, Machias, ME 04654. Check the webpage, Old type Morgan horses.

Breed(s): ICELANDIC SHEEP BREEDERS TEXEL SHEEP BREEDERS SO- CIETY, 2275 N. Grays Creek Rd., OF NORTH AMERICA (ISBONA), Indian Valley, ID 83632. 570-869-2692. Additional Words $2 each per year: Membership Secretary, 253 North St., Mechanic Falls, ME 04256. 207-740- Large loin eyes and 5110. incredible muscle. INTERNATIONAL FINNSHEEP REG- UNITED HORNED HAIR SHEEP Directory listing (6 issues): $60.00 - ISTRY, Deb Olschefski, Secretary, ASSOCIATION, INC. (UHHSA), As Additional words ($2 each): 3937 Ridgewood Rd., York, PA 17406. sociation Office and Registrar: PO 717-586-2117. 937-430-1768. Painted Desert, 145 Industrial Dr., Medford, WI 54451 ISTRY, Got purple? Don’t let your Texas Dall, Black Hawaiian, Corsican, 1-800-551-5691 • Fax 715-785-7414 Dexters be black-listed. 800-831-9910. Desert Sand and Mouflon. www.countrysidemag.com • [email protected] Countryside & SmallCountryside Stock Journal, March/April 2013 Classifieds 103 Buy, sell, trade • Equip your homestead • Promote your business Just $3/word: 10 word minimum. Jan./Feb. 2013 deadline: March 1, 2013

Hydraulic Jack Repair Manual and Old mountain farm man needs family to GRASSHOPPER TRAP Chemi- Catalog, $15. Hydraulic Parts Sup- Alternative Energy take over. You need agricultural land, cal free, safe for organic gardens. ply, PO Box 97C, Sawyer, KS 67134. some buildings. A machinist, welder, $19.95 plus shipping. 402-880-1957. 620-594-2247. mechanic, 18 wheel driver, I have exten- LARGE GAS REFRIGERATORS. sive manual machine, grinding, sharp- - 12, 15, 18, 19 & 21 cubic foot pro ening, welding, fabrication, hydraulic, Dried Foods BCS PTO–Chipper quick hitch. pane refrigerators. 15, 18 & 22 cubic wood shops. Tractors, implements, $900 cash. St. Paul, Minnesota, foot freezers. 800-898-0552. Ervin’s irrigation equipment, more. At least 651-645-4975. 15% DISCOUNT! Premium Dehydrated Cabinet Shop, 220 N. Cty. Rd. 425 E., 12 almost complete businesses here Arcola, IL 61910. to augment farm income. Main cost, & Freeze Dried products from an Award moving equipment. Have a 40’ x 60’ Winning Company. Mention or enter Gas Lamps DIAMOND GAS REFRIGERATORS: COUNTRYSIDE. Call 1-800-696-1395 5 sizes to choose from. 10 cu., 13 cu., quonset and a 5 ton overhead crane on or order online: www.harmonyhouse BRIGHT GAS CABIN LAMPS, One 15 cu., 17 cu., & 19 cu. Call TODAY ground here. Backhoe, tracked bucket loader, sheepsfoot to put in foundations, foods.com. Order now! lamp lights an entire room! Stainless for FREE brochures! Lehman’s 888- Steel Construction, Low Maintenance, 332-5534. generators. Call 831-475-3973 or write Drake and Drake, 6701 Oakridge Rd., Employment Variable Brightness. Midstate Lamp HEAT YOUR HOME, COOK, BAKE Aptos, CA 95003. 866-450-5267. AND HAVE RUNNING HOT WATER LIVE RENT-FREE, worldwide! The all from one stove! The original North Caretaker Gazette, 830-755-2300. Greenhouses American made airtight cookstove. Candles Pioneer Stoves, 1055 Choncie Lee Rd., Subscriptions: $29.95/year. Caneyville, KY 42721. 212-696-6820. SUNBEAM CANDLES 1 0 0 % Tough Greenhouse Plastics, Pond Please mention that you saw this ad natural beeswax candles Liners. Resists hailstones. Samples. Box in Countryside. made with SOLAR POWER! Equine 42, Neche, ND 58265. 204-327-5540. Solar Powered Freezer. Solar and freezer kits for do-it-yourselfers. HARNESS SADDLERY CATALOG. St. Extend Your Growing Season 3-4 Freezers are designed for off grid. Caskets Paul Saddlery, 953 W. 7th St., St. Paul, Months! More pleasure and profit with MN 55102. 651-222-5616. - Very energy efficient. 260-499-4972. easy to assemble greenhouse kits start Solar Freeze. Pine or Hardwoods, very nice, starting at $349. No special tools or skills ing at $500. www.tlccaskets.com Fencing required. Expandable to any length, 48 VOLT LED BULBS, also 12, 24,120 417-668-0032. quality built, quick shipments. Free Volt. Up to 2400 Lumens BRIGHT and catalog. Call today! Hoop House, PO efficient. LED Grow Lamps, 12-24-120 Free fence guide/catalog: High- Box 2430, Mashpee, MA 02649. 1-800- Volt. FREE color catalog. Wholesale/ Cheesemaking tensile, electric netting, portable 760-5192. Retail. Central Lighting, 2092 CR 1800 fence supplies. 1-800-536-2683. E., Arthur, IL 61911. 217-543-3294. Over 275 cheese making supplies for Health 1-888-475-9697. Visa/MC. A division commercial, farmstead, artisan and of Tools Plus. home. Featuring 80 plastic cheese Free molds, 19 kits, 67+cultures/ ripening ANCIENT BIBLICAL HEALING SCI- mixes & molds, calf or vegetarian ENCE Wise Men gave baby Jesus Beekeeping FREE BOOKS/DVDS. Soon govern- Frankincense & Myrrh. Reports reveal rennet, and more! Website: cheesec- onnection.net 206-307-7224. E-mail: ment will enforce the “Mark” of the beast two powerful immune builders. Free FREE BEEKEEPING CATALOG— [email protected] as Church and State unite! Let Bible re- “Missing Link” Tape. Call 1-888-506- Factory direct wholesale prices. veal. The Bible Says, P.O.B. 99, Lenoir 2460. Produce delicious honey, garden and City, TN 37771. 1-888-211-1715. Growths, warts, moles, malignancies. St., Hamilton, IL 62341. 888-922-1293. 100% Organic Herbs for Healing. $25.00 per quart plus ship- Gardening TIGER-X Products, PO Box 3602, ping, 99999 Quality 25ppm. Everett, WA 98213. 1-800-909-4553. www.tlcsilver.com, 417- 668-0032. Books $15 SOIL TESTING, ORGANIC FER- TILIZERS AND FEED SUPPLEMENTS Herbs Crafts/Supplies including Re-Vita fertilizers, rock FREE BOOKLETS: Life, phosphate, greensand, kelp, fish, Immortality, Soul, Pollution Crisis, HERBALCOM bulk herbs, spices, TANDY LEATHER’S 172-page Buyer’s and diatomaceous earth. Insect Judgment Day, Restitution, Sam- controls. Free catalog. Ohio Earth supplements. Quality at best prices. Guide of leather, saddle and tack Free freight. ple Magazine. Bible Standard Min- Food CS, 5488 Swamp St. NE., Save at or 888-649-3931 for Free istries (CM), 1156 St. Matthews Hartville, OH 44632. 330-877-9356. Rd., Chester Springs, PA 19425. leathercrafters and farm or ranch is Catalog. free. Tandy Leather Factory, Dept. CSY, 1900 SE Loop 820, Ft Worth, TX 76140. FREE copy of the Essiac Handbook. NEPTUNE’S HARVEST ORGANIC - FREE BOOKLET provides a clear Pro FERTILIZERS: Commercially proven. About the famous Ojibway herbal heal and Con assessment of Jehovah’s ing remedy. Call 1-888-568-3036 or Outperforms chemicals. Wholesale/ write to PO Box 1182, Crestone, CO Witnesses teachings. Write Bible Dairy Goats Retail/Farm. Free catalogs. 800-259- 81131-1182. Standard (CM), 1156 St. Matthews 4769. Rd., Chester Springs, PA 19425. Stevia, bulk herbs, spices, pure - Grillo - Saanans–Milkers & kids. Good blood direct drive, walk-behind equip essential oils, herbal teas, dehy- lines, family pets. Rochester, Minne- ment for gardening, farming, property drated vegetables, tinctures, stevia sota. 507- 281-0347. Business Opportunities maintenance. FREE INFORMATION. plants. Free catalog. 800-753-9904. Gingerich’s. 765-395-7816. Do It Yourself $36,000 IN BACKYARD Grow- www.dripworks.com Save water time ing flowers, garlic, herbs, mush- and money with DRIP IRRIGATION. NO HOMESTEAD SHOULD BE WITH- rooms, landscaping plants. SMARTPOST™ by PostSav- FREE CATALOG. Shop online, watch OUT COMFREY. 10 ROOT CUTTINGS er USA. Call 1-888-519-5746. How-to Videos. 800-522-3747. $15.95. FREE SHIPPING. BRUCE Classified Advertising

BURDGE, PO BOX 10, JETERSVILLE, Free details. Country Connections, or Cabin. New Off-Grid technol- and rubber liners. Free catalog and VA 23083. PO Box 408, Superior, NE 68978. ogy. Free professional installation. No samples. 800-522-3747. www.powerstationflex.com. POND SUPPLIES: Live gamefish for coffee. The Spice Shack, 11334 Page stocking. Large selection of pond and Rd., Grabill, IN 46741. 260-615-9634 FREE BIBLE Correspondence Course: water garden supplies. Free color non-denominational. Write: 83 Gilbert Periodicals catalog! Stoney Creek, Inc., Grant, Leather Goods Rd., Gouverneur, NY 13642. MI. 800-448-3873. Toy Marbles, remember the scale techniques. Organic/sustainable fun! Several sizes and colors. CUSTOM LEATHER, knife sheaths, ag methods that work. “Acres U.S.A.”, Poultry belts, wallets. Jedco Leather, 806-856- $29/year (12 issues). Free sample & 5251. THE MIDNIGHT CRY has sounded. catalog of 100s of books. 800-355-5313. Mealworms by the Pound—Bluebirds, The angel of REVELATION 14:6 has Chickens, Turkeys, & Ducks all love Livestock come. Free literature. 800-752-1507. FREE SAMPLE EDITION for livestock our dried and live mealworms. producers. “Stockman Grass Farmer mealwormsbythepound.com> Magazine”, PO Box 2300-C, Ridgeland, How To Not Go Broke Ranching– FREE CD’s and booklets: “Why we or 888-400-9018. Things I learned the hard way in fifty live after death”, “The Search for Truth” MS 39158-2300. 800-748-9808. America’s best source for Egg Cartons. Free Shipping. profitable ranching and other informa- Jones Road, Vestal, NY 13850. 1-888- or tion at www.waltdavisranch.com 205-7307 or Pest Control 888-902-2272. Dental plans–travel–pet supplies– Music & Instruments meds. Free shipping. www.petranch. RATAWAY FRAGRANCE Our “14th Quail & Gamebird Supply—Incuba- tors, Flight Pen Netting, Nipple Water- storenvy.com, 979-481-2245. year!”—Effective natural odor control ACCORDIONS, CONCERTI- deterrant against rats, mice, squirrels, ers, Gamebird Coops, Predator Control, and more. or NAS, BUTTON BOXES, ROLAND RAWLEIGH PRODUCTS. Free bro- etc. Protects wiring, vehicles, home, chure, send large SASE to: BEM, 888-633-9309. REEDLESS ACCORDIANS–New, businesses, farm machinery. $25 10782 Baygall Ln., Silsbee, TX makes a gallon, includes shipping. used, buy, trade, repair, catalogs RIDGWAY’S 90th YEAR. Chicks, 77656. Send check to Rataway.com, 2114 S. $5. Castiglione, Box 40CTS, War- ducklings, turkeys, guineas, game- Rice Rd., Ojai, CA 93023 or visit 805-646-2177. birds, goslings and quail eggs. Books meals in 15-20 minutes. Save money and supplies. Visa/MasterCard. Free on groceries / earn money. 70% Gluten catalog. Ridgway Hatchery, Box 306, Of Interest To All Free, No GMO’s Pet Supplies LaRue 7, OH 43332. 800-323-3825.

WANT TO PURCHASE minerals and Published Author seeks retirement Dog, cat, bird furniture. Pet meds. Free Free catalog. Baby chicks, ducks, shipping. www.petranch.storenvy.com, other oil/gas interests. Send details to: income writing memoirs. $10/ page. geese, turkeys, gamebirds, Canadian 979-481-2245. PO Box 13557, Denver, CO 80201. Honkers, Wood ducks. Eggs to incuba- 530-375-7880. tors. Books/supplies. 800-720-1134. PIANO TUNING PAYS. Learn with Ponds Stromberg’s 4, PO Box 400, Pine River, American School home-study course. Off-Grid MN 56474-0400. www.everliner.com POND LINERS MEET SINGLES throughout rural AFFORDABLE SOLAR BACK UP and pond care products for large and FREE CATALOG—Chicks, tur- America. Confidential, reputable. POWER For Your Home, Office small ponds. Reinforced polyethylene keys, ducklings, goslings, guineas,

Classified Advertising Form • Next Deadline: March 1, 2013

Your Name: Address: City, State, Zip: Classification: E-mail: Ad:

Number of words _____ x $3 = $______Please type or print legibly and indicate the words you would Words in all CAPITALS _____x 25¢ = $______like in bold or capital letters. • Don’t forget to count your name, Words in bold _____x 25¢ = $______address, phone number and e-mail if it is part of your ad. • 10 word minimum. Ads under 10 words will be charged $30. X No. of issues you want your ad to run: ____=$______Payment enclosed (U.S. funds): $______

• Call for multiple issue discounts • Feel free to use a separate sheet of paper

Mail to: Countryside Classifieds, 145 Industrial Dr., Medford, WI 54451 • 800-551-5691 Fax: 1-715-785-7414 • [email protected] Countryside & Small Stock Journal, January/February 2013

gamebirds, bantams, equipment. herbs, tobaccos, medicinal plants, Free access to thousands of ar- Hoffman Hatchery, Box 129C, old-fashioned flowers, perennials. ticles, photos and technical info, Wool Carding Gratz, PA 17030. 717-365-3694. Free catalog. Hudson Seeds, Box plus our popular discussion forums. 337, La Honda, CA 94020-0337. F I N G E R L A K E S W O O L E N MILL. Custom cleaning, carding EGG CARTONS & POULTRY SUP- and spinning of wool and exotics. PLIES DISCOUNTED. 1-888-852-5340 Chobie’s Gold Tobacco Seeds, Wanted or 1000+/pack, growing instructions ; 315- included. $3 delivered or 2/$5. Cho- AUTOGRAPHS, BANNERS, POLITI- 497-1542; Fax 315-497-9189. POULTRY PLUCKING is easy and bie Shedwell, PO Box 22, Chel- CAL PINS, BROTHER DRUMCARDER featuring - leathers, baseball cards, affordable with The Featherman au sea, MI 48118. 734-433-9900. high quality wood and construction tomatic plucker. Pluck farm poultry or sports memorabilia wanted. Highest prices paid. Write: Stan Block, 128 with adjustable drums. Many models game birds spanking clean in seconds Cynthia Rd., Newton, MA 02159. while you watch. or call Sheep fiber. Free shipping in the U.S. $320 660-684-6035. 1-503- Wildlife Feeders 480-4047. Mention “Countryside” for Colored & White Meat Broilers, layer Katahdin ewe lambs & ewes 2 to 6 $10 discount. chicks, turkeys, lots more. Free cata- years old due to lamb in April & May. Feed Squirrels—Enjoy America’s 937-466-2151. Most Exciting Backyard Entertain- log. Myers Poultry Farm, 966 Ragers Worms Hill Rd., South Fork, PA 15956. 814-539- ers! Squirrel Feeders, Food & More. 7026. Soap “Raising Earthworms for Profit”Illus - FREE COLOR BROCHURE. Muscovy trated, 128-page manual for successful GOAT MILK SOAPS handcrafted Wireless Power Control Ducklings, Heritage Bronze Turkeys, growing, selling—$12. “Earthworm Reds, Orpingtons, Australorps, Am- with organic base oils. Mail & phone Buyer’s Guide”—$8. Both $15. Re- orders welcome. Contact Shanna at www.controlight.com eraucanas, Barred Rocks. Country quest free brochure describing all our Simple Soaps For Simple Folks: 507- Wirelessly control lighting or equip- Hatchery, Box 747, Wewoka, OK books. Shields Publications, PO Box 74884. Telephone: 405-257-1236. 923-8843 or for details. 500 feet away. Affordable with simple wormbooks.com> 715-479-4810. installation—“a handymans’ delight”. DUCKLINGS, GOSLINGS, GUINEAS, Survival Gear Fingertip control. Instantly gives you: Bedrun Redworms–5,000/$42, 35+ breeds. Minimum shipment two day Money Back Guarantee plus Two 10,000/$65, 20,000/$118, 50,000/$280. birds, Nationwide shipping. Year www.CampingSurvival.com 5% Year Warranty. See www.controlight. Postpaid-Fishing, Composting, Gar- round hatching. Free color catalog: off with coupon code “countryside”. com for further details and suggested dening. Greg Allison, 112 Stilwell Drive, Metzer Farms, 26000C Old Stage, Over 20,000 products for self-reliance, applications. Free Shipping. Made Toney, AL 35773. Free “How to Guides” Gonzales, CA 93926, 800-424-7755. preparedness, hunting, camping, out- in the USA. included. 256-859-5538. doors and survival from a 56-year-old company. Day Old Pheasant and Chukar Par- tridge chicks and eggs for sale April www.LittleSurvivalShop.com. thru July. Small quantities NOW EMERGENCY FOODS, MEDICAL You Can Raise Poultry Naturally! available. Family owned and operated GEAR, canning equipment, water pu- since 1967. Call or write Oakwood rification. Medical and survival books. Game Farm, PO Box 274, Princ- More! 5% Discount use coupon: CSY eton, MN 55371. 1-800-328-6647. Free Shipping! The Small-Scale Poultry Flock www.survivalbagsinc.com. A little An all-natural approach to raising chickens and For Sale—Chicken coop heaters, solar peace of mind so when the need arises, watering bowls, silky hatching eggs, you will be ready. Many items at reduced other fowl for home and market growers heated bowls. 888-290-1771. verteran owned business. By Harvey Ussery

Real Estate Tools A comprehensive guide to

8 acre farmstead for sale, eastern CROSSCUT SAWS: SAW TOOLS, whole-systems, mixed-flock North Dakota. 4 bedroom house. knives, firewood cutting, people-pow- poultry husbandry. Lively, Sauna. Detached 2 car garage/ ered tools. Catalog, $1 U.S., $3 Foreign. thoughtful, and engaging, it is workshop. Storage shed. Prime land Crosscut Saw Company, PO Box 7878, and location for market gardening. Seneca Falls, NY 13148. 315-568- filled with essential informa- Excellent hunting and fishing location. 5755. tion on basic care, housing, EUROPEAN SCYTHES: Quality pasturing the flock and put- scythes, sickles, snaths, and blades ting it to work, holistic health, Sawmills for nearly 140 years. FREE CATALOG. Marugg Company, PO Box 1418, Tracy poultry in the kitchen, and cre- SAWMILLS–Band/Chainsaw–Cut lumber City, TN 37387. 931-592-5042. produced feeds, including cul- and SAVE MONEY. In stock ready to ship. Starting at $995. 1-800-578-1363 Ext.357 scythes 207-853-4750. Contains detailed butchering instructions with dozens Portable Sawmills–Turn your logs into BROADFORKS—Highest qual- of photographs and the best guide to working with broody lumber. Quick, easy and affordable. Made in the USA. Call or email for your ity, blacksmith made with select Ash hens available anywhere. Author Harvey Ussery is a fre- free catalog. or handles. quent contributor to Backyard Poultry and Countryside call us toll free 1-800-473-4804. 502-682-8529. magazines. 416 pages, $39.95 Seeds/Plants/Nurseries Tractors 1-800-551-5691 FAMOUS RARE SEED CATALOG: TRACTOR PARTS and more for www.countrysidemag.com non-hybrid, unpatented vegetables, older and antique farm tractors. 112 Countryside Index 2012 Dairy: see recipes/milk; healthy Homesteading: life in 1800s, Co u n t r y s i d e alternatives to margarine, 96/6:16 & Small Stock Journal 96/4:48 Horse: Dream Catcher program/ Dogs: aggression in livestock, sanctuary, 96/2:69; hoof 96/2:74; Lagotto health, 96/5:61; miniature, Romagnolo (water dog), 96/2:66; supply & demand Index 2012 96/6:56 problems, 96/2:70; Some- Donkey: guardians, 96/4:63 thing About Walter, 96/5:62 Adverse possession: Questions, Essential oils: dairy barn remedies, Jerri’s (Cook) soapbox: misc. news, 96/2:20, reply 96/4:8 96/1:57; Uses of, 96/1:48 96/3:71 Alpacas: fine fleeces; 96/6:51 Farmer: Tips to becoming a, 96/2:52 Light bulbs: new use law 1/1/12, Alternative energy: Domestic hot Finances: Feed a family of 6 for 96/2:93 water tank, 91/6:22; Life $400/mo., 96/1:42; mon- Livestock: ethics, 96/5:48; life- during a power-outage, ey-saving grocery tips, cycle/butchering, 96/5:51; 96/1:34; Living off-grid, 96/2:90; odd ways to make waterers from upright can you hack it? (advice), quick money, 96/5:76; earn freezers, 96/1:17 96/5:42; complete so- money with livestock; Maple syrup: making, 96/2:82 lar powered generating 96/6:20 Masonry stoves: Tulikivi brand, systems available, 96/6:8; Food: money-saving grocery tips, 96/1:27 analysis of future energy, 96/2:90 Milk: make powdered, 96/3:36; economics, peak oil, popu- Food preservation: Oven canning, raw laws, 96/1:53, 96/3:70; lation, 96/6:30; multi-fuel 96/1:44, 96/2:8; solar dry- recipes, 96/3:30 technology, 96/6:64 ing how-to, 96/3:42 Mules: on the homestead, 96/3:65 Animal & Plant Health Inspection Frogs: raise bullfrogs, 96/4:68 Orchard: see fruit trees; apples; Service (APHIS): about Fruit tree: repair eaten bark, Porcupine in, 96/4:31 law, 96/2:75 96/3:48 Oxen: farming with, 96/2:61 Apples: growing in gold regions, Garden: covered boxes, 96/4:42; Pasture: free-range poultry, 96/5:68; 96/3: 45; repair eaten bark, preparing soil for, 96/2:40, improve with mob grazing 96/3:48 43; Row covers, us- cattle, 96/2:63 Arbor: Building frugal, 96/2:50 ing, 96/2:37; soil-borne Pets: cat’s urinary tract infection Auctions: ultimate recycling, pathogens, 96/2:35; suc- remedy, 96/6:49 96/2:91 cession planting & food- Poor Will’s Almanack: 96/1:100; Beef: organic at White Oak Pas- sheds,96/5:36; winter 96/2:102; 96/3:102; tures, Georgia, 96/2:57 preparation, 96/6:74; rais- 96/4:100; 96/5:94; 96/6:94 Beets: growing tips, 96/2:48 ing worms under rabbits, Potato: Dirty Kids’ Club grow, Bees: Elements of honey, 96/1:60; 96/6:77 96/3: 51; growing, 96/3:53 Warre hive, 96/1:62; honey- Garlic: growing, health uses, oil, Poultry: Asian Game chickens, bee colony collapse disor- 96/4:44 96/1:73; free-range, der fact/fiction, 96/6:80 Gluten-free diets: recipes, 96/1:39 96/5:68; Laying mash & Books: After the Tea Party is Over, Goats: hoof trim w/concrete slab, scratch recipe, 96/4:59; Devon J. Noll, 96/1:9 96/5:59 raising basics, 96/1:76; self- Camelina: high protein hay, 96/3:82 Grain mills: Comparing, 96/1:36 watering system, 96/4:60; Cast iron: caring for, 96/5:40 Health: alternatives to margarine, build protein dispenser, Cows/cattle: Guernsey, perfect 96/4:48; Chiggers: Relief 68/6:61 homestead cow, 96/5:53; from, 96/1:10; allergy suf- Predators: on the homestead, handle without injury, ferer alternatives, 96//6:10; 96/1:79 96/4:61; Highland Cattle: medicine cabinets, contents, Pumpkins: Growing, bread, Breed review, 96/1:59; mob 96/6:46, medicine cabinet 96/1:50 grazing improves pasture, must-haves, 96/6:46, Red- Rabies: in horses & cattle, 96/1:64 96/2:63; Remedies for, mond clay toxins, 96/6:46 96/1:57 (reply 96/2:10); Herbicide: Unintended conse- Recipes: treat mastitis w/vitamin quences, 96/2:28 Bread: Cornbread, 96/3:40; Deb- D, 96/5:52; cow warts, Hoe: make garden, 96/4:34 bie’s “Rib Stickin”’ Bread, 96/6:50; British White, Hogs: Rare breed in English park, 96/3:41; Sow’s Ear Whole- 96/6:54 96/1:78; pastured pig Mal/Potato Bread, 96/1:38; Compost bins: Building, 96/1:52 experience, 96/6:59 Steamed Pumpkin Bread, Crafts: ideas, 96/4:82; candles, Homestead blunders: tips on, 96/1:51; Swedish Pancakes, beeswax, 96/6:85 96/4:28 96/4:57 Countryside & Small Stock Journal, January/February 2013 113 Candy: old-fashioned candy; 96/4:55; Cooked Sweet Tractors: tips for buying used, 96/6:83; Candied Orange Plum Jam, 96/4:55; Red 96/1:80 Peel, 96/6:83; Vinegar Taffy, Wine Jelly, 96/4:56; White Turmeric: recipes and history of, 96/6:84; Vinegar Candy, Wine Jelly, 96/4:55 96/2:86 96/6:84; Peanut Brittle, Main dishes: Chicken and Almond Vechur cattle: mini breed, 96/3:67; 96/6:84; Sugared Nuts; Couscous, 96/4:53; Paella, related to Zebu, 96/4:62 96/6:84 96/4:54; Water: feature story—conservation, Condiments: Pear Honey, 96/5:38 Pickles: Bread & Butter, 96/5:38; grey, 96/4:34; make hand Dairy: cheese, sour cream, yogurt, Crisp, Sweet Relish, pump (reprint) 96/4:41; 96/2:35; Ice Cream (Butter 96/5:38; “rings” for garden, 96/4:40; Pecan, Chocolate, Lemon Salad: Summer, 96/5:38; storing for emergency, Orange, Strawberry, Vanil- Side dishes: Dumplings, 96/4:57 96/2:19; pump water with- la, Instant Cubes), 96/5:38; Soups/Stews: Bean w/Bacon Soup out power, 96/6:8 powdered (dry) milk, (add 5 C celery), 96/5:38; West Nile Virus: in horses, 96/1:67 96/3:36; Saffron Flavored cream soup mix base, White Oak Pastures: organic beef Eggs, 96/4:52; Sherbet 96/4:57; Turmeric Flavored in Georgia, 96/2:57 (Goat Milk Lime, Orange, Vegetable Stew, 96/2:90 Wood: ideal firebox conditions, Tangy Citrus), 96/5:39; Vegetables: Chickpeas and Broad 96/5:44; Splitting tips, Yogurt ( 5), 96/3:32; French Bean Stew, 96/4:53; ; Fried 96/1:29; woodturners, style soft cheese, 96/6:82; Green Tomatoes,96/5:37; 96/3:76 Peanut Butter Pie from French style Grilled Market Veggies, Worms: raising under rabbits, soft cheese, 96/6:82; 96/5:37; Moroccan Vegeta- 96/6:77 Cheese Balls from French style soft ble Soup, 96/4:52; Potatoes, cheese, 96/6:82; various, 96/4:57; Roasted Yogurt: Recipes, 96/1:45 Dessert: 3,2,1 Cake, 96/3:39; Banana Basil Tomatoes, 96/5:37; Cake, 96/3:38; Buttermilk Spicy Turmeric Potatoes, Pound Cake, 96/3:37; Egg 96/2:87; Sweet-Sour Beets, Custard Pie, 96/3:37; Grape 96/2:49; Turmeric Flavored Salad, 96/3:37; Hot Milk Moong Beans with Onions, Don’t miss Cake, 96/4:58; Ice cream 96/2:88; Vegetarian Cab- another great toppings, Butterscotch, bage Rolls with Turmeric, issue of... 96/5:39; Pina Colada Pud- 96/2:88 ding, 96/3:37; Pie crust, 96/3:40; Pudding, 96/4:57; Repurpose/recycle: new use from $21 for one year (6 issues) Pudding Pie, 96/4:57; discarded objects, 96/3:79 or $35 for two years. Pumpkin Spice Cake in jar, Retirement: tips for, 96/4:81 96/3:38; Zucchini Cake, Saffron: history and recipes, Dairy Goat Journal 96/3:38 96/4:51 145 Industrial Dr., Gluten-free: Mom’s Bread: 96/1:40; Sawmill: portable, Norwood brand, Medford, WI 54451 Mommy’s Muffys, 96/1:40; 96/6:66 Radicchio Salad with Frisee Scours: Causes of, 96/1:18; www.dairygoatjournal.com & Apples, 96/1:41; Royal Seed: saving & propagating feature, Rose Radicchio Risotto, 96/5:22; varieties, list of, 96/1:41; Sugar-Free Cake, 96/2:44 96/1:40 Sheep: Bighorn overview, 96/5:71; Backyard Poultry Grains: Cooked Broad Beans, Finnsheep, 96/4:66; man- Ba c k y a r d Po u l t r y celebrates the whole chicken (and 96/4:52; Rice Flavored age flighty, 96/2:72 other fowl)—for their beauty, their interest, their service to humanity as well as gastronomically. Ba c k y a r d With Turmeric, 96/2:87; Soil: manure & leaves, 96/2:43; Po u l t r y covers breeds, housing and management— Turmeric Flavored Len- Pathogens, 96/2:35; prepar- everything you’d expect to find in a professionally- tils & Cabbage; Turmeric ing garden, 96/2:40 produced magazine dedicated to poultry, and more! Flavored Chickpea Stew, Storage: increase pantry space, $21 for one year 96/2:88; Turmeric Split 96/4:46; (6 issues) or Peas, 96/2:87; Saffron Len- Sweet potatoes: rooting tips, $35 for two years tils, 96/4:52; Saffron Rice, 96/4:15; (12 issues) 96/4:52 Technology: & tradition collide, Backyard Poultry Jelly/Jam: Blackberry Jelly, 96/3:37; 96/4:69; no such thing as 145 Industrial Dr., Medford, WI 54451 Blueberry Jam, 96/3:37; free energy, 96/4:72; www.backyardpoultrymag.com Cooked Raspberry Jam, Tomatoes: see recipes 800-551-5691 114 There is a foolish corner even in the brain of the sage. — Aristotle tree companies get paid to cut down trees? After chores: I do, so I cut down most of my trees. I followed all the rules, used safety equipment, and got out of harm’s way when the tree started to fall. And I have never had a problem. The tree always falls where it $ $ is supposed to. Well, maybe once I had Money cheme a problem. There was an oak tree that leaned over By Ji m We s t Like most farmers, I’m stubborn, and the house and every time the wind blew, it Ma r s t o n s Mi l l s , Ma s s a c h u s s e t t s never one to give up. I had the Farmall would snap, crackle, and pop. One sleep- hauled away to a tractor graveyard and less, windy night, I had had enough and ike most farmers in these tight mon- decided that no stump would get the vowed to put the tree out of its misery. etary times, I’m always searching for better of me. The next morning I got the chainsaw, Lways to save money. Round two. I decided to dig the stump ladders, safety helmet, ropes, and took on To start: Whenever I had to have tree out. Two days and three feet later, I still the tree. Did I forget to mention that the stumps removed, I would hire someone had not reached the end of the taproot. At oak tree was near our electric lines? Mary with a Bobcat or backhoe. Naturally this that point even a stubborn farmer knows mentioned that little fact to me along with got expensive, so I decided to buy a used when he is defeated. I got the chainsaw, the suggestion I hire a professional to cut tractor and do the work myself. After cut about about a foot off the stump, and the tree down. all, I reasoned, when I was a teenager I filled the hole back in. That was the end I told her not to worry. I had earned an had worked on my grandfather’s farm of my tractor experiment. A in physics. I dug out my old physics book and I used his tractor all the time. How Moving on: I was listening to the (I never throw anything away), found the hard could it be? It wasn’t as if I was an farmers’ report on the radio one morn- chapter on triangulation, measured off the amateur. ing, and the talking head was mention- tree, added in a safety measure, started up I bought a 1948 Farmall tractor, Model ing how popular purple snap beans were the chainsaw, and began to cut away. H, the same model I had used on the farm. becoming. They were being used in fancy “I think that tree is going to hit the Folks, this is a big tractor and it looked a restaurants and were even showing up at wire,” Mary said. lot bigger than the one my grandfather farmers markets. In fact, there was such a “Mary, there’s no way the tree will hit had owned. But, after reading the manuals demand for them, they were turning out to that wire,” I answered smartly. and taking a few trips around the property, be a great cash crop for the small farmer. How could she tell anyway? She was I was confident enough to try to pull a few “Ah, perfect,” I said, dollar signs only eyeballing the tree. I used the Scien- stumps with it. dancing in my head. There are plenty of tific Method… and the tree came tumbling Do you know how far the taproot of restaurants and a farmers market nearby. down along with the electric wires. I had the pitch pine grows into the soil? I found This will be a piece of cake. I ordered missed my safety measure by 20 feet. So out. I hooked a chain to the pine stump the seeds from the local hardware store, much for my A in physics. (Or was it a and then to the three-point hitch on the plowed up about a half an acre near the D? Hmm.) tractor. I looked back at my wife, Mary, barn, and planted my purple bean seeds. The electric company came, looked and asked her to let me know when the Now all I had to do was wait for the money the situation over, and with nary a word stump began to lift. I put the tractor in low to come in. Wrong! (they couldn’t talk, they were laughing gear, revved the engine and gave it the gas. Oh, the seeds grew fine and I had a too hard), repaired the damage. Before Nothing happened. The tractor strained bumper crop of beans. Mary and I picked the repairmen left, the foreman sug- against the chain, blue smoke began pour- purple beans until our fingers ached. gested that the next time I should call a ing out of the exhaust stack, and the stump What came next was the problem. professional to cut trees that close to the remained solidly entrenched. Did you ever try to sell purple beans wires. “Jim,” Mary hollered over the roar of to someone who had always bought green Very funny. the tractor “the stump isn’t moving.” No beans? Talk about skepticism; I couldn’t I could go on and on about my kidding. give those beans away. schemes and projects to save money. I gave the Farmall more gas. Ah, I said Questions like, “What made your There was the time I tried to dig a well by to myself, that stump is moving now. I can beans turn people?” “Did you use chemi- using the dowsing method, and Mary re- feel it. I’ll just give a little more gas. cals on your beans?” And the final one, minded me about the summer I grew the Suddenly, I found that the front end of “Are you sure your land isn’t on a nuclear giant sunflowers to sell (my wife never the tractor was higher than the back, and I waste dump site?” forgets). was looking up at the sky. The rear wheels I told all the skeptics that once the I’m sure you get the point. We’re of the tractor had pulled completely away beans were cooked, they would turn green. all the same when it comes to searching and I was sitting on the ground. Mary was I gave them free samples—at least to those for ways to save money. As a matter of talking loudly—screaming actually—that who would take them. Mary showed fact, you’ll have to excuse me now, I just the tractor had broken. I calmly stepped them purple bean recipes. Forget it. I had bought a fascinating book on how to off the tractor—which wasn’t not too far, enough purple beans to feed an army. I make a fortune raising rabbits for meat. I considering it was sitting on the ground— eventually dug them up and put them on can’t wait to begin reading it. I wonder if and walked slowly back to the stump. (I the compost pile. So much for making a rabbits will eat purple snap beans? was shaking too much to hurry.) It had fortune on purple beans. Jim West and ever-suffering wife, Mary, can be not budged. And finally: Do you know how much reached at [email protected]. Countryside & Small Stock Journal, January/February 2013 115 116

central boiler

Spend less time doing what you love. Sorry about that.

Most people don’t understand. They look at a pile of wood and see a pile of work. You look at a pile of wood and see the result of an honest day’s work, the potential for self-reliability and a lifestyle you wouldn’t trade for all the gold on Wall Street. At Central Boiler, we believe in rewarding the fruits of your labor, so we’ve developed the cleanest, easiest and most efficient way to heat your home with wood – with an E-Classic outdoor furnace. With the E-Classic’s efficient design Scan the code using any QR-code reader app on your and operation, it requires up to 70% less wood than other wood- smartphone to learn about limited-time, money- saving offers! Message and data rates may apply. burning appliances. That means your woodpile will last longer. We do apologize for that.

Visit CentralBoiler.com or call (800) 248-4681 for the dealer nearest you.

All E-Classic models adapt easily to new or existing heating systems. It’s important that your outdoor facebook.com/CentralBoiler furnace and system be properly sized and installed. See your local dealer for more information. ©2012 Central Boiler • ad6356