If you have been around a while than you have gotten to know me at some point. You may have been with me on my ups and my downs. You might have gotten to know that I am a genuine kidda guy that is doing and living at the level of self sufficient that I choose to do. I share my mistakes because I make them, I am keeping it real. So I am going to put my feelings right out here, not for judgment, but just because that is the kind of man that I am.
I went to the old farm I was raised on yesterday alone. I decided that I was near there looking at a job and I just wanted to stop in and have a look around. The last visit I had was with my family in tow and I was shocked to see what had happened to the farm. I didn't know what I was thinking about how it would look 5 years later, I was just excited to get there...
Breaking the law isn't something I consider, but I crossed over the sign and continued my way towards the barns. Down near where the chickens once scratched under the brush, I decided to sit and think about what I was looking at. I never thought my emotions would run so deep with a passion of love for a place. But if there was going to be a place that could make this 41 y/o cry, that farm would be the place.
I think as a man we might try to pin point what makes us who we are, maybe it isn't gender based. All I can say is, living on that farm and how we lived made me into what I am today. It wasn't just the good times, it was all the times. I can't say how many times I walked up the hill to pick Mom out a switch because I was gonna get it for something, and if it broke while you were getting it than she made you get another one.
The days of working before school feeding the animals, gathering eggs, milking the goats on the stand. Scratching the pigs because we knew they liked it. Showing some love to the pigs just before they were killed. Watching them mate and understand how life really was. We made sling shots from old bike tubes, played bows and arrows use cherry wood and fly fishing string and dried golden rod stocks for arrows. The giggles and childhood care free of running around.
When winter came, it gave a whole new twist on the farm land... Teenage sledding riding tradition would be carried on!! Runner sleds, pork fat, snow ramps, busted noses and face plants. Sometimes it would be a all day event, we would come in ready to drop.
In the summer, it was gardening, getting ready for the fair. My sister would walk with her pigs with a cane teaching them how to walk for the county fair. On time my step brother and I chased her around with a pigs head, she could take it, she cried and laughed at the same time. Kids fight, and I had my share of fights with all the other kids.
We once had a duck that swam backwards, yeah I know imagine that. He stayed in the pond a few weeks, and after saving his life from the pond pipe a few times, he had passed away from that fate. I spent that summer out in a tent in the yard, every night. I'd sneak up and have a taste of beer from the pony keg of Iron City Beer always found on a ice block on the back porch.I'd go listen to my walkman playing my tapes and just stare into the vast dark, city light spotted night sky.
As I stood in the doorway of the barn where I hung my head out the window during neutering time, I saw the barn, just for a moment, as it was back then. I began to softly cry, and it felt good as I was alone and I knew I had to come to terms with how sad it was for me. I could hear my giggles echoing down the hallways and the smell of those stinky pigs. I would be mad some days when we had to clean up the stalls, I wanted to be out running in the fields and in the woods playing Grizzly Adams. But, I knew during harvest time I had to drag those trash cans down the row of beans.
That small piece of broken down land, left to go back to the soil in which she was built on, defined me as a man, as a Modern Pioneer. It was the place where the soil gave back to us, and hard work gave results. It was a place where children played and cried, where mornings were cold and ice patterns were on the inside of our windows. It had a huge cast iron tub and the bathroom was pink. It was a place where we would sit outside to eat dinner and we would have real conversations and adults would discuss farm issues. They would depend on us for information on how the animals were doing.
I wish that old farm was still up and running, but I am as happy with being the last family to live there too. Tomorrow I will return back there to take some gates down and bring them back to my own homestead to use. I will have to come to terms with such a great loss and keep going forward with everything I learned there, what was instilled in me as a child.
Friday, March 16, 2012
Monday, March 5, 2012
How To Grow Onions
Onions are one of the most popular vegetables for growing in home gardens and are one of the first crops of spring. They can be stored over winter thus making a versatile crop They are used in a huge range of culinary dishes,both raw and cooked.
If adding manure or composted organic matter then add a few weeks before sowing / planting out.
Onions can be planted from seed or from sets (small partly grown onion bulbs). Sets are more expensive but they tend to be more reliable in their results and also require less work - no thinning and reduced onion fly risk.
If sowing from seed then sow in holes about 1/2 inch deep with about 5 inches between seeds. If sowing in rows then space the rows about 10 inches apart.
The soil should be moist before sowing so check the soil the day before sowing and water if the soil is dry.
If planting onion sets then they can be planted around Mid to Late March. Again space rows about 10 inches apart. Sow sets around 5 inches apart as they shouldn't require any thinning. Dig a small hole for each set and place the set in neck upwards. When covered back up with soil the tip of the neck should just show through the soil surface.
Spring onions (scallion) can be sown from April and planting should be staggered every few weeks to ensure a continuous crop throughout the growing season. Onions will grow in most climates and are frost resistant.
Onions will grow in almost any soil from sandy loams to heavy clay. The soil should be firm. If your soil is heavy then you can introduce some organic compost or manure into the soil to help its moisture retaining properties. Onions prefer a slightly acidic soil - PH 5.5-6.5 is a good PH for growing onions.
Frequently weed between the onions by shallow hoeing, onions do not trap much incoming light due to their sparse leaf forms so weeds can take full advantage of the available light.
Onions are ready to harvest a week after their tops have started to fall over and are yellowed. Use a small shovel to lift the onions out of the ground. Take care not to damage the skins as this invites decay organisms in to attack the onion flesh.
Onions should be harvested on a sunny day, cleaned of any soil still attached to them and then placed on top of the soil where they will dry out with the help of the sun and wind.. Leave the onions out for a few days,until the tops dry out.
Remove the tops with a sharp knife about 2 inches above the onion top so that decay organisms do not have direct access to the onion bulb.
Discard/use any onions that show signs of decay or damage as these can affect healthy onions if they are stored .
If you want to store the onions over winter then you can cure them by hanging them in a well aired place (such as from the roof of a summer house veranda). Mesh bags or strings can be used to group and hang the onions and they should hang for about 3-4 weeks.
If adding manure or composted organic matter then add a few weeks before sowing / planting out.
Onions can be planted from seed or from sets (small partly grown onion bulbs). Sets are more expensive but they tend to be more reliable in their results and also require less work - no thinning and reduced onion fly risk.
If sowing from seed then sow in holes about 1/2 inch deep with about 5 inches between seeds. If sowing in rows then space the rows about 10 inches apart.
The soil should be moist before sowing so check the soil the day before sowing and water if the soil is dry.
If planting onion sets then they can be planted around Mid to Late March. Again space rows about 10 inches apart. Sow sets around 5 inches apart as they shouldn't require any thinning. Dig a small hole for each set and place the set in neck upwards. When covered back up with soil the tip of the neck should just show through the soil surface.
Spring onions (scallion) can be sown from April and planting should be staggered every few weeks to ensure a continuous crop throughout the growing season. Onions will grow in most climates and are frost resistant.
Onions will grow in almost any soil from sandy loams to heavy clay. The soil should be firm. If your soil is heavy then you can introduce some organic compost or manure into the soil to help its moisture retaining properties. Onions prefer a slightly acidic soil - PH 5.5-6.5 is a good PH for growing onions.
Frequently weed between the onions by shallow hoeing, onions do not trap much incoming light due to their sparse leaf forms so weeds can take full advantage of the available light.
Onions are ready to harvest a week after their tops have started to fall over and are yellowed. Use a small shovel to lift the onions out of the ground. Take care not to damage the skins as this invites decay organisms in to attack the onion flesh.
Onions should be harvested on a sunny day, cleaned of any soil still attached to them and then placed on top of the soil where they will dry out with the help of the sun and wind.. Leave the onions out for a few days,until the tops dry out.
Remove the tops with a sharp knife about 2 inches above the onion top so that decay organisms do not have direct access to the onion bulb.
Discard/use any onions that show signs of decay or damage as these can affect healthy onions if they are stored .
If you want to store the onions over winter then you can cure them by hanging them in a well aired place (such as from the roof of a summer house veranda). Mesh bags or strings can be used to group and hang the onions and they should hang for about 3-4 weeks.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
The Haters, The Lovers, The Seekers.....
As I sit in comfort of my plush chair, the fire is keeping this space warm and the smell of the fire reminds me of childhood days of living on the farm. I know that wood I split was well worth the effort as I knew these days were coming, and I would have to keep us warm. It was the same way back on the farm.
Today the world is a whole different place, but there are spots and places that have stayed the same just as I was raised. People are trying to get back to the basics and teach themselves the skills needed to live off their land, I am one of those people. To me, its in my soul, part of my program, what I believe in, what I desire. I was never a " keep up with the Jones " or "faddish" type, maybe as a teenager but that has long since been gone.
When we moved here I had many dreams on how I was going to make this land work for us. I have struggled many times with different aspects of living self sufficient. I haven't gone without, I have always provided, and the food I eat and gather is bar none the best. I know that when we pop open that canning jar, whatever is in the jar was made with hard work and lots of love. Pride is something I feel, but its also my drive to live the way I do. No words can describe to you how I felt in my heart when that day I opened my freezer and all the food that filled it over half way was of my own effort and hard work. The rewards of doing it on your own are many, more than some people can see, but also ones that people seek to understand it.
The Haters
Haters is a strong word, but these are the people that think that meat in a package was grown in a garden or a product made by man. Shake your head if you want, I have a neighbor that thinks just that way, clueless. They are the people who look down on you, or feel sorry for you because you "have to" live the way you are. They think that the efforts you make to make maple syrup is a joke because they can go to the store and buy it without any effort.
Its easy to go to the store and buy a dead processed chicken, after cooking it, its okay to throw some of it away if you want because there is no relationship between that chicken and you. I was at a KFC, yup I said it, sue me, KFC....... When I ordered some wings. As I sat down to eat them, I opened the hot sauce and began to chow down (KFC does have some killer hot sauce). After a couple, I bit into one that had a dark substance all around the meat and bone. Raising and slaughtering animals myself, I knew that was a blood clot caused by abuse. At the hands of a human, that chicken died in a manner less than respectable, at least in my book.
The haters don't have a clue as to why it was like that... Frozen veggies and fresh.... They sit around and complain about the economy and food prices, but harvesting lettuce in a field is below them. They are the people supporting big Ag companies so that the basic gentle farmer can't make a decent living at working the land or raising meat to sell. I don't hate the Haters, I want to open their eyes, teach them, let them taste their own rewards. I want them to raise one chicken and harvest that chicken to feed their family.
The Lovers
These are the people who might not have land, might not understand what we do or how we do it. They are looking at us, reading what we do, and living through us as we get on with life. Lovers are those that understand why/what we are doing. They sit on the side lines because perhaps that is all they can do because they need to learn and be taught how to do something on their own. They don't envy us so much as appreciate what we do and what makes us tick. They do what they can to recycle, and do what they can to keep the landfills less filled. Lovers ask questions about what we do as well as love the food we share with them. Some lovers cover their like for us because they don't think they can do what you do. But they are always the first to stick their hand up for free veggies when we have extra to offer. Believe it or not, Haters can be closet Lovers, in fact a closet Lover will be your seasonal friend. They are easy to snuff out, you just have to see who is kind to you during growing season and dislikes your lifestyle when growing season is past. I am positive you can say " Hey, I know someone like that! " Lovers also don't make fun of us, they are eager to understand because perhaps they will someday be a Seeker. I like Lovers and I will gladly keep sharing what I do, in hopes someday, you will post that you decided to try it for yourself and love the rewards of your hard work and thank me.
The Seekers
I am a Seeker... Seekers are those, ( I will remind you, at ANY LEVEL) that are seeking a new/better way to provide for their family by doing it themselves. They seek out like minded people to join with to learn and understand. They want to join those people that are doing it and get their hands dirty. They want a wood fire, they want to pop open the canning jar, they want to understand how basic needs can be met by hard work and understanding how to do it. They respect others who have to live that way, they look at those who have to live that way as a friend. A Seeker can cover themselves with a blanket that was sewn with yarn and understand the warm they feel was made with a pair of hands not a factory loom. They embrace the smell of a wood fire, and will even cook a meal right in the living room because while the open fire heats the room, it can also cook a meal in a pan. ( Did you ever image looking at your fireplace that way?)
I really like it when people tell me that they tried something I have taught them to do, or they buy a book that allows them to make something all on their own. It isn't my goal, but an added benefit to teach others while I learn myself. I know some of you have been with me a few years now, and as I have hit the bumps along the way, you too have hit them with me. Thanks for hanging out with me and I hope your doing something SS if you weren't already doing it yourself. Jason
Today the world is a whole different place, but there are spots and places that have stayed the same just as I was raised. People are trying to get back to the basics and teach themselves the skills needed to live off their land, I am one of those people. To me, its in my soul, part of my program, what I believe in, what I desire. I was never a " keep up with the Jones " or "faddish" type, maybe as a teenager but that has long since been gone.
When we moved here I had many dreams on how I was going to make this land work for us. I have struggled many times with different aspects of living self sufficient. I haven't gone without, I have always provided, and the food I eat and gather is bar none the best. I know that when we pop open that canning jar, whatever is in the jar was made with hard work and lots of love. Pride is something I feel, but its also my drive to live the way I do. No words can describe to you how I felt in my heart when that day I opened my freezer and all the food that filled it over half way was of my own effort and hard work. The rewards of doing it on your own are many, more than some people can see, but also ones that people seek to understand it.
The Haters
Haters is a strong word, but these are the people that think that meat in a package was grown in a garden or a product made by man. Shake your head if you want, I have a neighbor that thinks just that way, clueless. They are the people who look down on you, or feel sorry for you because you "have to" live the way you are. They think that the efforts you make to make maple syrup is a joke because they can go to the store and buy it without any effort.
Its easy to go to the store and buy a dead processed chicken, after cooking it, its okay to throw some of it away if you want because there is no relationship between that chicken and you. I was at a KFC, yup I said it, sue me, KFC....... When I ordered some wings. As I sat down to eat them, I opened the hot sauce and began to chow down (KFC does have some killer hot sauce). After a couple, I bit into one that had a dark substance all around the meat and bone. Raising and slaughtering animals myself, I knew that was a blood clot caused by abuse. At the hands of a human, that chicken died in a manner less than respectable, at least in my book.
The haters don't have a clue as to why it was like that... Frozen veggies and fresh.... They sit around and complain about the economy and food prices, but harvesting lettuce in a field is below them. They are the people supporting big Ag companies so that the basic gentle farmer can't make a decent living at working the land or raising meat to sell. I don't hate the Haters, I want to open their eyes, teach them, let them taste their own rewards. I want them to raise one chicken and harvest that chicken to feed their family.
The Lovers
These are the people who might not have land, might not understand what we do or how we do it. They are looking at us, reading what we do, and living through us as we get on with life. Lovers are those that understand why/what we are doing. They sit on the side lines because perhaps that is all they can do because they need to learn and be taught how to do something on their own. They don't envy us so much as appreciate what we do and what makes us tick. They do what they can to recycle, and do what they can to keep the landfills less filled. Lovers ask questions about what we do as well as love the food we share with them. Some lovers cover their like for us because they don't think they can do what you do. But they are always the first to stick their hand up for free veggies when we have extra to offer. Believe it or not, Haters can be closet Lovers, in fact a closet Lover will be your seasonal friend. They are easy to snuff out, you just have to see who is kind to you during growing season and dislikes your lifestyle when growing season is past. I am positive you can say " Hey, I know someone like that! " Lovers also don't make fun of us, they are eager to understand because perhaps they will someday be a Seeker. I like Lovers and I will gladly keep sharing what I do, in hopes someday, you will post that you decided to try it for yourself and love the rewards of your hard work and thank me.
The Seekers
I am a Seeker... Seekers are those, ( I will remind you, at ANY LEVEL) that are seeking a new/better way to provide for their family by doing it themselves. They seek out like minded people to join with to learn and understand. They want to join those people that are doing it and get their hands dirty. They want a wood fire, they want to pop open the canning jar, they want to understand how basic needs can be met by hard work and understanding how to do it. They respect others who have to live that way, they look at those who have to live that way as a friend. A Seeker can cover themselves with a blanket that was sewn with yarn and understand the warm they feel was made with a pair of hands not a factory loom. They embrace the smell of a wood fire, and will even cook a meal right in the living room because while the open fire heats the room, it can also cook a meal in a pan. ( Did you ever image looking at your fireplace that way?)
I really like it when people tell me that they tried something I have taught them to do, or they buy a book that allows them to make something all on their own. It isn't my goal, but an added benefit to teach others while I learn myself. I know some of you have been with me a few years now, and as I have hit the bumps along the way, you too have hit them with me. Thanks for hanging out with me and I hope your doing something SS if you weren't already doing it yourself. Jason
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Self Sufficient Protection..... Shots Fired.... You Decide!
Before I explain to you what happened, I want to touch on a few things and I do not advise you to do what I am about to share as there could be jail time and arrest made. In this case, nobody was hurt and both parties decided not to follow up with calling the police.
I know a story that has be recently told in a small circle of friends of mine, and thou I am blogging it, the names and the people involved will forever remain ghost to you and to law enforcement.
Personal property isn't worth killing a human over, but what if it meant protecting more than property? What if it was some of your stored food? What if you had some emergency supplies located in the same area? Is it worth the confrontation? What if the law was called and serous charges were banked up by the DA?
It was late evening, and winter was just coming in, and the night air was chilled in the 30's. A noise was heard near an outbuilding, and than voices were heard.... Joe (made up name) heard the noise and knew that one of his out buildings was being broken into. Joe goes into his house and grabs one of his shot guns and makes his way to the building were he heard the noise, then he hears then talking... Joe shouts, hey what are you doing? The men dash into the wood line, run for a short distance... Joe decides to fire his weapon, not once, but twice.... While waiting, Joe shouts and points a flashlight into the woods, saying if they come back he will kill them, and how he is a crazy hillbilly not a redneck and that sort of stuff... Meanwhile the men in the woods get scared, Joe fires more shots, and he sees them run deeper in the woods and can hear them getting hurt while the small branches smack them in the face and they run scared of being shot... joe even says he saw on trip and fall, but kept yelling stuff...
Joe said he saw one of them, dead in the face, and knew what he was up to. There has been a long time label made on this guy, even (I) am aware of it.
So, they never returned again..... But here is what Joe told me after he told me the story....
Joe said that he knew them alright, and decided to send them a serous message, one they wouldn't forget anytime soon.... Joe said he had fired the shots into the air over the area where they had hid in the woods. As the pellets fell back to earth, he shouted, firing two shots into the bank to make them think he was shooting at them.... As the second shots fired up came down on them, they did a jump and ran, this time hitting branches and falling.... Never to return again...
Joe returned back to the building to find a window screen pried off and a screw driver that didn't belong to him. Weeks later Joe said a few of his neighbors have since put an outside light on buildings and he continues to live without worry...
I know a story that has be recently told in a small circle of friends of mine, and thou I am blogging it, the names and the people involved will forever remain ghost to you and to law enforcement.
Personal property isn't worth killing a human over, but what if it meant protecting more than property? What if it was some of your stored food? What if you had some emergency supplies located in the same area? Is it worth the confrontation? What if the law was called and serous charges were banked up by the DA?
It was late evening, and winter was just coming in, and the night air was chilled in the 30's. A noise was heard near an outbuilding, and than voices were heard.... Joe (made up name) heard the noise and knew that one of his out buildings was being broken into. Joe goes into his house and grabs one of his shot guns and makes his way to the building were he heard the noise, then he hears then talking... Joe shouts, hey what are you doing? The men dash into the wood line, run for a short distance... Joe decides to fire his weapon, not once, but twice.... While waiting, Joe shouts and points a flashlight into the woods, saying if they come back he will kill them, and how he is a crazy hillbilly not a redneck and that sort of stuff... Meanwhile the men in the woods get scared, Joe fires more shots, and he sees them run deeper in the woods and can hear them getting hurt while the small branches smack them in the face and they run scared of being shot... joe even says he saw on trip and fall, but kept yelling stuff...
Joe said he saw one of them, dead in the face, and knew what he was up to. There has been a long time label made on this guy, even (I) am aware of it.
So, they never returned again..... But here is what Joe told me after he told me the story....
Joe said that he knew them alright, and decided to send them a serous message, one they wouldn't forget anytime soon.... Joe said he had fired the shots into the air over the area where they had hid in the woods. As the pellets fell back to earth, he shouted, firing two shots into the bank to make them think he was shooting at them.... As the second shots fired up came down on them, they did a jump and ran, this time hitting branches and falling.... Never to return again...
Joe returned back to the building to find a window screen pried off and a screw driver that didn't belong to him. Weeks later Joe said a few of his neighbors have since put an outside light on buildings and he continues to live without worry...
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Local Meats, Better Quality/ Prices Supporting Local Farms
So for many years I have been going to my local Farmers market as well as Slater's Meats. Located off of 38 about 11 miles from my home. Bob Slater, the owner makes many of his own meats to sell as well as other local meat makers. When I asked him how long he had been Butchering, he laughed and said "long before you were born, 1957" When I asked him about his meat supply, he stated that some was local, and the other from out west. He made it clear that it was the cost of raising the beef locally and what farmers could get per pound. I also know from talking to another farmer locally that supply can increase on a weekly bases.
It was a very clean store and you can tell a lot of attention goes into their up keep. There was clean saw dust on the floor around the cutting stations, and the veggie cooler was perfectly clean. They offer a wide variety of HOMEMADE loafs and meat mixes as well as a large selection of locally sold spices from a local company. You just got the feeling that this was a shop for locals, no gimmicks or thrills, just a down right country store.
If you happen to be passing through or are local, stop in and try some of their deli meats. They will allow you to free sample some, just like the old days!
Here is Bob Slater and one of his other butchers. Bob was cutting NY Strips while his other butcher was cutting a piece of fresh Top Round for me to make my jerky from. His knife was very sharp I might add.
Here you can see the butchers rail coming from the freezer while a mule deer looks away from the butchers table.
Butchers rail
Prepping some meat
Trimming off the fat of my top round
Look at this selection of cold cuts, homemade sausages, loafs and meat mixes!
How good are these prices?
Local Chicken
Prices so good, it is worth the drive for the price alone not to mention the quality!
What grocery store can claim they make their own lunch meats? I did sample and bought a pound each of the Pepper Loaf and Dutch Loaf. The Pepper Loaf taste just like a hot pepper sausage, but its flat! YUMMY!
Other local meats and sausages as well as a wide selection of cheeses. I am going back today to pick up my pork bellies for bacon makin! They also supply me with my pork and fat trimmings to make my homemade sausages!
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Rats, Now That Wasn't A Self Sufficient Idea, But Why?
There are times when I get an idea in my head and for what ever reason, I know I should but I don't want to stop. So I came out of pockets on this project, the scrap money paid for this one, and I have in the end. I compare it with a male addiction to beat his chest and say I prototyped that but didn't get the patent or something. When it comes to hand tools and a new idea, well I get sucked in pretty quick. I admit I went way out on this one folks.
I live this SS life by the rules and I want to keep it out right honest and as raw as it can be. I know I wish I did everything right, but I know that I would just get big headed and all macho and be blinded by feeling that way. Sure, I do this for myself, but I also have a responsibility to you. Its ok if I fall short, I am human. I know many of you are living vicariously through me, some may sit back and read, and already know I am failing. But at the end of the day my goal is to learn and teach you the things we just don't know.
So the rats have moved in, and now minus 79.00 for the water warmer for the chickens, it is game on punks. I don't hate rats, I am sure fried on a stick or bbq'ed they are good for something, but not in these parts. So I am not a poison person, and you know wasting time with a BB gun when I have better things to do like my honey do list ( or some other SS duty heehee) I had to turn to a clever way to gettem out of there. Naw, my cat is small, and she is a chipmunk liver eating fool. So I turn to myself and say in my mind ( dude you got this ) than I get lost with blinders on and here we go for the ride... HANG ON!
I started out with 8" duct pipe and 3 caps to make two rat traps to put in my chicken coop. I used the trap and measured it to 16 inches which seemed like a perfect size.
So every 8 inches I placed a pop rivet in the seem to keep it together
I laid it out and used electrical tape to make a guide around the pipe to use a metal cut off wheel.
Cut
Laid out the center line
Added then to the cans after I closed off one end
Now we have some closed in rat traps cans that can be re-used for years to come
For the handle, I used some electrical wire I had. I drill two holes and bent them over
I live this SS life by the rules and I want to keep it out right honest and as raw as it can be. I know I wish I did everything right, but I know that I would just get big headed and all macho and be blinded by feeling that way. Sure, I do this for myself, but I also have a responsibility to you. Its ok if I fall short, I am human. I know many of you are living vicariously through me, some may sit back and read, and already know I am failing. But at the end of the day my goal is to learn and teach you the things we just don't know.
So the rats have moved in, and now minus 79.00 for the water warmer for the chickens, it is game on punks. I don't hate rats, I am sure fried on a stick or bbq'ed they are good for something, but not in these parts. So I am not a poison person, and you know wasting time with a BB gun when I have better things to do like my honey do list ( or some other SS duty heehee) I had to turn to a clever way to gettem out of there. Naw, my cat is small, and she is a chipmunk liver eating fool. So I turn to myself and say in my mind ( dude you got this ) than I get lost with blinders on and here we go for the ride... HANG ON!
I started out with 8" duct pipe and 3 caps to make two rat traps to put in my chicken coop. I used the trap and measured it to 16 inches which seemed like a perfect size.
So every 8 inches I placed a pop rivet in the seem to keep it together
I laid it out and used electrical tape to make a guide around the pipe to use a metal cut off wheel.
Cut
Laid out the center line
Added then to the cans after I closed off one end
Now we have some closed in rat traps cans that can be re-used for years to come
For the handle, I used some electrical wire I had. I drill two holes and bent them over
So now I am sure I could have made this lots of different things, like two coffee cans tapped together with a hole cut out one end. I am sure I will get all kinds of feedback on this tanked idea. But this how we learn.
I wish I could report this was a great idea, it is, but my approach was not right, I wish I thought it thru a little longer instead of grabbing the bull by the horns.
I wish I could report this was a great idea, it is, but my approach was not right, I wish I thought it thru a little longer instead of grabbing the bull by the horns.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
The Space, A Sharing Idea, A Self Sufficient Idea, Your Thoughts?
Recently I have purchased a new commercial building for both of my businesses. After a couple months of retro fitting the new building, we moved. Doing this has freed up a great space.
The space is located on my property and I use one half for my tractor and gardening stuff. We also use the space to make our maple syrup. The other side is just being used as storage. So, after some thinking, I really want to clean the space up and make a couple small rooms and offer it out for rent as a self sufficient cabin retreat for people to come visit use here on the homestead as well as to hunters. We are located 9 miles from some of the riches state game lands in this area.
I think that renting it out, sharing and working with people and sharing my lifestyle with them is a great way to share and spread the joys and comforts of living like I do. There is power to the building, and it is insulated, lights as well as a pretty big space measuring 14 x 35. With great views of the woods from one direction, and a dairy farm at the bottom of the valley, it has some great views.
Thinking of offering a gas grill to cook on, and keeping it primitive will allow folks to step outside of the rat race for a spell and enjoy country living at it finest.
It would be great to get people to come and work together in the garden, sharing my food with them as well as working on projects, and maintenance on that building. With a fishing pond, a canoe and half a mountain to run around on, kids would have a ball too.
What do you think or what are your ideas on this space? Help me with some ideas or what would you do?
Steve has given me a free corn stove, so I will put that in there for a source of heat...
The space is located on my property and I use one half for my tractor and gardening stuff. We also use the space to make our maple syrup. The other side is just being used as storage. So, after some thinking, I really want to clean the space up and make a couple small rooms and offer it out for rent as a self sufficient cabin retreat for people to come visit use here on the homestead as well as to hunters. We are located 9 miles from some of the riches state game lands in this area.
I think that renting it out, sharing and working with people and sharing my lifestyle with them is a great way to share and spread the joys and comforts of living like I do. There is power to the building, and it is insulated, lights as well as a pretty big space measuring 14 x 35. With great views of the woods from one direction, and a dairy farm at the bottom of the valley, it has some great views.
Thinking of offering a gas grill to cook on, and keeping it primitive will allow folks to step outside of the rat race for a spell and enjoy country living at it finest.
It would be great to get people to come and work together in the garden, sharing my food with them as well as working on projects, and maintenance on that building. With a fishing pond, a canoe and half a mountain to run around on, kids would have a ball too.
What do you think or what are your ideas on this space? Help me with some ideas or what would you do?
Steve has given me a free corn stove, so I will put that in there for a source of heat...
Monday, January 23, 2012
So The Question Was Asked, Am I A Prepper?
K&D asked me this morning if I am a prepper? Perhaps..
My lifestyle is based on a system of beliefs that living off the land and taking care of me, my family and helping others to become more independent for themselves. However, not having a huge wallet to just go out and buy everything I need, my approach is a more practical down to earth.
If you have journeyed with me the past few years you know that I operate out of a fund/account set-up to provide money to pay for this. Whenever you follow my links to amazon from here or from FB and buy stuff, no matter what, I also get a kick back. It isn't much but at an average of .34 a day it helps. I call this account my SS fund and I make purchases according to my needs and what SS skill I am working on.
Trading and bartering are not included with this account. So I do my best to trade and barter before I spend any money for something.
I do have stashes placed in different locations of my property, and those each will afford us with 7-9 days of food for 4 people. They are replaced every 3 years at a cost of $60 a bucket. I also have a "bug-out" bag as well as night vision and first aid. I have water filters as well as iodine for water.
Now, as many of you know, I don't talk about my weapons and what I use to hunt. I have a rifle, muzzle loader, and cross bow. Beyond that being said, the rest is not open for conversation.
I am sure I can escape, and we do have a plan in place in case something does happen. I feel my skills are useful enough to present myself as an important member in a clan if need be. I also am skilled enough to do it on my own and take care of my family. Fist aid is my biggest problem, I know the serous basics, but not the serous stuff.
Knowing plants in different regions is a must as I may have to travel south or north. I feel I have enough knowledge to gather food in every season. I can build shelters, set all sorts of string traps to catch small game, and I know many staple plants that I can gather that will keep us alive if they are to be found.
I don't know what the future holds, but I live the life I do so that I will not be unprepared in regular life or if something bigger happens. I know that my basic calorie counts won't be good, but we can get by.
What if TSHTF, are you ready? What are you doing about it?
My lifestyle is based on a system of beliefs that living off the land and taking care of me, my family and helping others to become more independent for themselves. However, not having a huge wallet to just go out and buy everything I need, my approach is a more practical down to earth.
If you have journeyed with me the past few years you know that I operate out of a fund/account set-up to provide money to pay for this. Whenever you follow my links to amazon from here or from FB and buy stuff, no matter what, I also get a kick back. It isn't much but at an average of .34 a day it helps. I call this account my SS fund and I make purchases according to my needs and what SS skill I am working on.
Trading and bartering are not included with this account. So I do my best to trade and barter before I spend any money for something.
I do have stashes placed in different locations of my property, and those each will afford us with 7-9 days of food for 4 people. They are replaced every 3 years at a cost of $60 a bucket. I also have a "bug-out" bag as well as night vision and first aid. I have water filters as well as iodine for water.
Now, as many of you know, I don't talk about my weapons and what I use to hunt. I have a rifle, muzzle loader, and cross bow. Beyond that being said, the rest is not open for conversation.
I am sure I can escape, and we do have a plan in place in case something does happen. I feel my skills are useful enough to present myself as an important member in a clan if need be. I also am skilled enough to do it on my own and take care of my family. Fist aid is my biggest problem, I know the serous basics, but not the serous stuff.
Knowing plants in different regions is a must as I may have to travel south or north. I feel I have enough knowledge to gather food in every season. I can build shelters, set all sorts of string traps to catch small game, and I know many staple plants that I can gather that will keep us alive if they are to be found.
I don't know what the future holds, but I live the life I do so that I will not be unprepared in regular life or if something bigger happens. I know that my basic calorie counts won't be good, but we can get by.
What if TSHTF, are you ready? What are you doing about it?
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Sugar Season Is Coming, Get Your Pork Bellies Ready
Last summer Joshua and I headed into the woods to mark our own Maple trees. Armed with a Canadian flag and pictures of types of Maple trees, we started scouting in the middle of the front yard. Joshua spotted our first tree. Using blue plastic marking tape, we tied the tape around every tree we found that we could tap for sugar season this year.
We found 39 trees on the homestead that could be tapped, 14 of those are sugar maples. So then I decided to gather the two different saps separate in order to sell off the batch made from the sugar maples as the syrup is a better quality. I see that syrup is going for $88 dollars a gallon, so I hope to sell some to pay for the new barrel I had to buy and cover other minor cost. I had wish listed most of my supplies so I consider those as gifts in order to keep my SS fund above $1K.
Make the task of gathering the sap easier, not knowing how much snow will be on the round, we mapped out our trail around the property to gather the sap. Than I decided it would to our advantage to clear and trim out the path around the property. We removed old logs, used some as firewood, cut limbs below head level. We drove the tractor around to decided which approach would be the safest for us.
As the cold weather is here now, the smoker is cured and ready for meat. This years bacon video will include a smoking how to as well. In order to the best use of the smoker, we are going to smoke the sausage and bacon together but do two separate videos. As I type this, I have bacon in the fridge curing...
Its a simple 3 ingredient cure and any one can make/smoke their own!!!
We found 39 trees on the homestead that could be tapped, 14 of those are sugar maples. So then I decided to gather the two different saps separate in order to sell off the batch made from the sugar maples as the syrup is a better quality. I see that syrup is going for $88 dollars a gallon, so I hope to sell some to pay for the new barrel I had to buy and cover other minor cost. I had wish listed most of my supplies so I consider those as gifts in order to keep my SS fund above $1K.
Make the task of gathering the sap easier, not knowing how much snow will be on the round, we mapped out our trail around the property to gather the sap. Than I decided it would to our advantage to clear and trim out the path around the property. We removed old logs, used some as firewood, cut limbs below head level. We drove the tractor around to decided which approach would be the safest for us.
As the cold weather is here now, the smoker is cured and ready for meat. This years bacon video will include a smoking how to as well. In order to the best use of the smoker, we are going to smoke the sausage and bacon together but do two separate videos. As I type this, I have bacon in the fridge curing...
Its a simple 3 ingredient cure and any one can make/smoke their own!!!
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
About That City Life? Country Living At Its Finest !
So I have had some conflict recently about my SS way of life. But let me not forget my city life and all that it still is and more. Perhaps I will slip into a place where I beat city dwellers down, but have heart my dear friends, city living isn't this country boys cup of tea.
As we sat watching the news, a 78 y/o woman had been raped and murdered 4 blocks down, 7 blocks over. I didn't understand the dynamics of the murder back then, I have a great understanding now. However, it was the fact that we lived in the best area, the best school, and things like that didn't happen here, or so I was to believe.
Then there was the on going hassle with stupid neighbors and property lines (still can't run from that one) and all that it came with. Then comes privacy, I didn't get that till we moved back to the country. The people driving by, the sirens, the smog, the everyday traffic, horns beeping, that fights people had, and the list goes on.
Than once we moved house back to the country it took a little getting use to. But I would sit out on the porch staring up at the sky that I hadn't seen in so many years. The peepers, the tree frogs, the gentle cool breeze of the summer night. It was like heaven, a place where I walked around and drank my beer and listened to what mother nature was. To be honest, it defined me and who I am.
I grew up on a farm, where in the summer we stay and camped outside because the upstairs of the house was too hot. Even if we could afford a fan, we couldn't afford the power to move the night air. In the winter, getting ready for school was a hoot!! See, the trick was to put our clothes in bed with us the night before. Early in the morning, when Mom would shout to get up, she just wanted to see lights in the hallway. So every other day me or my brother would hop out of bed and make a mad dash to turn on the light and back to bed. There was frost patterns on the windows, you could see your breath. You could smell Dad trying to get the coal fire started. But if it were banked right the night before, it would be cold but you couldn't see your breath.
I found the relationship with the Earth that I so longed for and had missed sooooooo much when I had to move to the city. I always told my Dad " You can take the boy out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the boy. " He would be mean sometimes and say " well what are you going to do? Move back to PA where the deer and the antelope roam? " I never could figure a response to that statement, until I moved back. Jokingly, at Thanksgiving dinner, I looked at him and said " They must have killed all the Antelope, because I have yet to see one. " He never said a word but rather changed the subject.
I decided that city living isn't for me, I see nothing wrong with it, but its not for me. I have dreamed of living in a cabin, that dream might just happen sooner than I ever dreamed.
But it might not, so I have made a final decision on where I will remain. I will continue to live in the woods, and continue with my way of life and continue in the direction I want to go. I want to be happy, and gardening, living off the land, making my own stuff, and being kind to the Earth are all things that are importnat to me, I can't give that up.
I hope you stay with me as I continue my next adventures of sausage making!!! I am evening doing a bacon video.... Thanks friends and fans, stay tuned!!! Jason
As we sat watching the news, a 78 y/o woman had been raped and murdered 4 blocks down, 7 blocks over. I didn't understand the dynamics of the murder back then, I have a great understanding now. However, it was the fact that we lived in the best area, the best school, and things like that didn't happen here, or so I was to believe.
Then there was the on going hassle with stupid neighbors and property lines (still can't run from that one) and all that it came with. Then comes privacy, I didn't get that till we moved back to the country. The people driving by, the sirens, the smog, the everyday traffic, horns beeping, that fights people had, and the list goes on.
Than once we moved house back to the country it took a little getting use to. But I would sit out on the porch staring up at the sky that I hadn't seen in so many years. The peepers, the tree frogs, the gentle cool breeze of the summer night. It was like heaven, a place where I walked around and drank my beer and listened to what mother nature was. To be honest, it defined me and who I am.
I grew up on a farm, where in the summer we stay and camped outside because the upstairs of the house was too hot. Even if we could afford a fan, we couldn't afford the power to move the night air. In the winter, getting ready for school was a hoot!! See, the trick was to put our clothes in bed with us the night before. Early in the morning, when Mom would shout to get up, she just wanted to see lights in the hallway. So every other day me or my brother would hop out of bed and make a mad dash to turn on the light and back to bed. There was frost patterns on the windows, you could see your breath. You could smell Dad trying to get the coal fire started. But if it were banked right the night before, it would be cold but you couldn't see your breath.
I found the relationship with the Earth that I so longed for and had missed sooooooo much when I had to move to the city. I always told my Dad " You can take the boy out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the boy. " He would be mean sometimes and say " well what are you going to do? Move back to PA where the deer and the antelope roam? " I never could figure a response to that statement, until I moved back. Jokingly, at Thanksgiving dinner, I looked at him and said " They must have killed all the Antelope, because I have yet to see one. " He never said a word but rather changed the subject.
I decided that city living isn't for me, I see nothing wrong with it, but its not for me. I have dreamed of living in a cabin, that dream might just happen sooner than I ever dreamed.
But it might not, so I have made a final decision on where I will remain. I will continue to live in the woods, and continue with my way of life and continue in the direction I want to go. I want to be happy, and gardening, living off the land, making my own stuff, and being kind to the Earth are all things that are importnat to me, I can't give that up.
I hope you stay with me as I continue my next adventures of sausage making!!! I am evening doing a bacon video.... Thanks friends and fans, stay tuned!!! Jason
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Getting Ready For The Deer Hunt After The Holidays, More meat!
To my disappointment this year, I have been to busy to go hunting outside a couple hours the first day. I have hired seasonal help, but the hunting season escaped me. I have plenty of local beef, pork and chicken, but I have to get these $35 dollars worth of dog tags filled. I love black powder hunting, it fills my "Jeremiah Johnston" side and gives me that good ole feeling of living off the land.
There is a male squirrel who is going to be in my fry pan before to long. He has been clawing on my mushroom logs at the top. He will be deep fried and ate with some greens.
Sugar season is coming up soon, about 8-12 weeks from now. Working on my rain barrel system next month and looking forward to sap gathering this year all on my own. Joshua is looking forward to it as much as I am, a great time spending time together creating memories of living off the land. If there is one seed I am sure I planted with my son on living off the land, it is maple syrup making.
There is a male squirrel who is going to be in my fry pan before to long. He has been clawing on my mushroom logs at the top. He will be deep fried and ate with some greens.
Sugar season is coming up soon, about 8-12 weeks from now. Working on my rain barrel system next month and looking forward to sap gathering this year all on my own. Joshua is looking forward to it as much as I am, a great time spending time together creating memories of living off the land. If there is one seed I am sure I planted with my son on living off the land, it is maple syrup making.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
From Downspout To Sap Out, Interesting Useful Idea
In truth, maple syrup making is a skill handed to me by my grandfather. So as you might know, I planned to be at this point a year ago, but the murder of my parents put my life on hold. My feelings of their deaths has been a roller coaster at times, and time does allow us to learn to except the way things are. I still get angry and upset at times, if I didn't I wouldn't be human. I miss them and wished they could share life with us. Being as it is, perhaps they were saved and are watching us from heaven.
Realize that putting a hold on my path of being self sufficient has not taken hold of my ideas and made me put it down and surrender my diet and lifestyle to big corporation. Learning the skills needed by pioneers of the past days keeps me excited and the rewards of my hard work keeps me going. I will have a plan to share with you for what/where I want to be in the next year. I know that I want to expand my diet to include more dried beans.
I am in a better mental state and find myself getting back to normal something to look forward to. I miss my folks but I know although they are gone, they would want me to keep moving forward in my own life.
Hope you hang in there with me while I get things back together in my own life. Peace be with you, and spread some love. Life is too short to hate. Jason
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