Homesteading

[DeepseekerADS]

View attachment 1118567 Our newest addition down here.

Congratulations on the new addition to your family

You know it is family now?

Sure Nuff!!!

 

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[Bullet:Mich.]

Congratulations on your new calf. Is it a bull or heifer calf?

 

[joncutt87]

Heifer

 

[DeepseekerADS]

Questions:

1) I read somewhere a long time ago that if you throw coffee grounds and salt into your wood stove fire it would help in keeping soot and creosote build-up down. I've found nothing to back that up, even did a Google search. Anyone have input on that?

2) Granny had fox grapes on a trellis, and made the best grape jelly I've ever tasted. Fox grapes grow wild here, Granny said they'd always been there, she'd just "domesticated" them. Her trellis is long gone, and the grapes went wild again and they're all over the creek banks for at least 100 yards. Last August I walked the vines and found only one cluster of grapes, and they were small grapes. My brother and I are in the process of clearing all the growth along the banks, it's a mess. Brother said if we cut the vines off just above the ground, they'll come back with new growth, which we can control, and once again domesticate them. Anyone have input or suggestions on that?

 

[releventchair]

Grapes are a time investment to get going. Many "wild" like fox grapes I think they are where I am are parasites of a sort to trees. They climb and canopy over them.

Takes a study of what to cut but in the fall sections can be cut and buried for the following springs start of growth in a different area than parent plant.. The whole deal is roots. For at least a couple years and more before much yield. Bearing fruit not the goal in young vines till established roots can sustain.
An art but needs study sorry memory not helping.
I do know that besides having a support to allow them to follow that once established, say four years from cuttings, that "last years sun is this years fruit".
To save time I'm considering starting a wire for some already established out back. Should have done it years ago with a vine that went about twenty feet in the wrong area.
Pruning would probably be the first year and a year or two to get a possible decent yield. Last years sun and amount of light fruit clusters receive going to factor once set up.


How to Prune Old and Overgrown Grapevines | Home Guides | SF Gate

 

[joncutt87]

I have a mess of a muscadine vine growing around two small maples, I don't even want to think about it yet.

 

[DeepseekerADS]

Grapes are a time investment to get going.

Thank you my friend! I had all of that in my head, but just hadn't taken any steps yet. Reading your advice put it all together for me, confirmed I'm going in the right direction. That link to pruning is an especially good reference site.

I should offer to trade joncutt a cutting from mine for a cutting of his. Granny's grapes were big and fat, and the only example I've seen is that crappy ones.

 

[joncutt87]

And it's on a steep little hill. I bust my butt everytime I even look at it.

 

[joncutt87]

I wouldn't use the salt in the wood stove; but used, pressed coffee grounds would make a hot fire. Most of the creasote cleaning products just create a hotter fire. When you burn the fire with relatively dry wood, with the dampers wide open like us it shouldn't be too much of a worry.

 

[DeepseekerADS]

I wouldn't use the salt in the wood stove; but used, pressed coffee grounds would make a hot fire. Most of the creasote cleaning products just create a hotter fire. When you burn the fire with relatively dry wood, with the dampers wide open like us it shouldn't be too much of a worry.

Thanks for the input, I'd read on a blog elsewhere not to use salt. It's 18 degrees out there right now. Ran it hot late yesterday, went to bed at midnight and set the alarm for 0300. Got it up and hot again, and now it's time to check it, gotta keep Mom warm! And the cats too...

According to the Weather Channel, night time lows won't break above freezing until Saturday next week, with teens & single digits in store for the next 8 days. I don't watch television, I watch the fire....

Mom said that since she moved here in '85, this is the warmest the house has been since she's been living here. I'm a wood stove engineer in training....

I think I'll save the coffee grounds for the garden. And I've accumulated two barrels of wood ash already. Also have a barrel of used cat litter. According to the gurus, those two around the garden keeps the furry critters and that class of pests called slugs, snails, and insects away.

One thing I have discovered during this adventure, you can't have enough containers, barrels, buckets, etc. By next year I need some outbuildings as well. Organization, which I'm trying to do, makes things a whole lot easier. I did pick up 4 food grade barrels off Craigslist. Not using them yet, but I know I will need them.

 

[Bullet:Mich.]

Great on the heifer calf. From life experience in order to tame the grape vines again you have to replant the roots in a different area and string a wire for climbing. Coffee will help in your stove but it still depends on what kind of wood you are burning for how many times you have to clean your chimney a year. Most people do not run their damper wide open at nite. If you ever have a chimney fire and you will it is not a lot of fun or safe. Mostly it happens at nite. Don't use salt.

 

[DeepseekerADS]

Great on the heifer calf. From life experience in order to tame the grape vines again you have to replant the roots in a different area and string a wire for climbing. Coffee will help in your stove but it still depends on what kind of wood you are burning for how many times you have to clean your chimney a year. Most people do not run their damper wide open at nite. If you ever have a chimney fire and you will it is not a lot of fun or safe. Mostly it happens at nite. Don't use salt.

Thanks for the tip on the grapes, I've at least 100 yards of it, so plenty space to try all sorts of things!

I had a chimney fire in my fireplace in Michigan. Luckily I was there, closed the damper, extinguished the fire in the hearth, and the flames in the chimney burned itself out. It was like a rocket blasting off! Caught it right away, and it burned itself out fairly quickly, didn't have to call the fire department, but was ready on a second's notice.

I was very fortunate to be right there in front of the fireplace when it started. Talk about excitement, and certainly NOT happy excitement.

 

[Bullet:Mich.]

Where did you live in Mi. I use to do all my farming with horse and mule for power. You need to get a trained all purpose horse or mule and a wagon, you would be surprised how much time and labor they can save you. For one thing you can slid logs up closer your house for cutting or cut them up where they are and load then in your wagon. Are you going to start making butter from the cream out of your cows milk? Its very easy.

 

[DeepseekerADS]

Where did you live in Mi. I use to do all my farming with horse and mule for power. You need to get a trained all purpose horse or mule and a wagon, you would be surprised how much time and labor they can save you. For one thing you can slid logs up closer your house for cutting or cut them up where they are and load then in your wagon. Are you going to start making butter from the cream out of your cows milk? Its very easy.

I lived in Midland, Monroe, Taylor, Royal Oak, Ferndale, and Troy, intermittently beginning in '79 and ending in '09. In between my bouncing around in Michigan, lived outside of Cleveland 3 times for a decade total, Plymouth, MA, San Luis Obispo, CA, Pendleton, OR, Shreveport, LA. Total, I've lived in 29 total states - traveled in the construction industry, and a stint in software development.

So far I'm planning chickens. I haven't thought of a cow yet, but that is a possibility. I worked for a few short years in the horse business - so I've no plans for horses! I've been bit, kicked, thrown, pawed, peed on and pooped on..... But I will concede they'd be handy around the farm

Granny had a cow when I lived with them, so I've churned butter - never got the knack of milking, but I was pretty shy.

 

[joncutt87]

When you get chickens, are you going to try to sell any eggs?

 

[Bullet:Mich.]

When I saw the picture of your calf I thought that you had a cow or heifer that had freshened and that's why I asked you about making butter. Do you have any Amish living close to you?

 

[joncutt87]

That was me with the calf, momma is still a bit wild.

 

[DeepseekerADS]

When you get chickens, are you going to try to sell any eggs?

I don't know yet! I just want chickens for the breakfast eggs. I'm not even planning on eating chicken, just want the eggs and entertainment. I'm a softie - in this world I've seen more than enough - ain't no way I could kill and eat a chicken, or any animal. Yeah, Burger King is okay, or ground beef at the grocery store. But I can't kill critters and eat them. That's just me.

Therefore, I'll trade eggs, or veggies, or even bucks when I have them - for meats. Otherwise, vegan - I've been there before and know the power, or issues there-in - thus, I'm here to see where that goes, or the adventure there-in.

Keep the faith!

 

[DeepseekerADS]

Do you have any Amish living close to you?

Not to my knowledge. My last project was a chemical plant on the WVA border with VA = 90 minutes North of me right now. There were Mennonites there, and their farms were beautiful. I was there at the last project for 3 years 8 months - one of my longest projects. Made friends there, and they will continue to have input on what I do here. That's where I'll get my chickens

 

[DeepseekerADS]

It's 18 degrees here now with snow on the ground - not an inch, but windy and cold. I fed the stove again just now, and of course went outside to enure the ground had further moisture provided - down the hill again, a convenient location. Supposed to be 5 degrees tonight. This will be one more visit to the stove, and then up again at 0300 hours to feed the embers. It's pretty warm in the house right now = Mom's not wrapped in a blanket = quite warm

This cold spell ensures I'll cut more firewood. Cut a lot today, left some big trees laying = need help from my brother with them, and that's tomorrow. Broke the handle off the maul today splitting some big ones , so no more splitting wood right now till I get that fixed. Sure busted up a lot to get this far.

I am absolutely enjoying this new life = it is as it should be