Homesteading

[joncutt87]

Tractor supply sells a pretty decent canning kit, and also several books. The 1/4 acre homestead is a really good book. I buy most of my seeds from johnny seeds. I'm running the harbor freight woodstove, the vogelzang lil' sweetie.

 

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[DeepseekerADS]

Tractor supply sells a pretty decent canning kit, and also several books. The 1/4 acre homestead is a really good book. I buy most of my seeds from johnny seeds. I'm running the harbor freight woodstove, the vogelzang lil' sweetie.

Interesting, I may have to visit Tractor Supply. I've a book on canning and food preservation. Hopefully I'll be opening and reading that book come this Summer. The only seeds I have is the "Survival Seed Vault" I picked up on Amazon. But I know that I need to start looking for more. Thanks for the tip on "Johnny Seeds". I'll take a look at them.

Mom told me yesterday that when Granny was boiling the jars over a fire pit, she'd space the jars apart using sticks.... I did find one of the "positioning racks" in the basement last week. Still more gizmos to find in this massive mess I have on my hands... A little at a time....

I have an entire shelf of books I've collected, but do not have the "1/4 Acre Homestead". I'll take a look at that. I got the kick on organic gardening back in the early 80's when the term "French Intensive" farming was popular.

 

[joncutt87]

If your local tractor supply has the ball brand canning kit in stock, it will probably be 50% off right now. My house was also built in 1952, so I know the insulation woes. My great grandparents built the house that I live in.

 

[redbeardrelics]

More power to you Deepseeker ! I too am well on my way to being a self sufficient homesteader, and also share with you having deep ancestral roots in the mountains of south west Virginia and NC. I wish I were doing my thing back in the hill country like you are, but I am making my stand now on the flatlands of the Delmarva Peninsula.
I would reinforce what others have already commented on, that adding insulation wherever possible should be a priority. We are not getting any younger, and reducing the amount of wood we have to cut, haul, split, stack and burn frees up time for other essential tasks. IMO the key to heating with wood is to first get enough of it stockpiled that it all gets well dried and seasoned, and you do not have to burn the unseasoned and wet stuff out of necessity. The primary goal is to get the heat out of the wood as quickly(Hotly) as possible, and into the house, and then keep it in the house through use of insulation. The hotter and quicker your fire burns, the less concern you will have with creosote and chimney fires or problems, and the less time you will have to run the blower fans, and hot water circulation pumps, reducing your electrical consumption.
Something you could look into, that hasn't been mentioned yet is a properly designed cold cellar for storing food in all seasons, without increasing electrical usage or costs, it is currently on my to do list before next winter.
One of the great things about hilly terrain, are the little microclimates you can create on the north, south, east, and west sides of the hills, which could help you grow food crops which aren't normally listed as being grown in your climate zone.
If you haven't looked into it yet, start looking into the local food foraging possibilities on your property. It looks like you already have nice black walnut trees growing, and there are a lot of good edible things to eat, that grow all by their selves all over the place that people these days pay no attention to. I read heavily on the subject last winter, and this year have tried lots of new edibles growing around here locally with, very satisfying results. I strongly recommend either of Sam Thayer's foraging books, both of which will pertain well to plants already growing in your area.
When it comes to planting fruit or nut trees and other edible shrubs, bushes,, vines etc., I would recommend doubling down on the local and native varieties, and cultivars of such that are disease and pest resistant to your area, it should save a lot of time, expense and heartache down the road.
You could look into raising honey bees for their flower pollination benefit, as well as the honey, once established they are not much work. Look into ways to support the local native bee populations as well.
If you have many maples of any type growing on your property, I would recommend you get into producing your own maple syrup. Start small and expand year by year. We are in our 3rd year doing it here, and am heading out into the woods today to get things set up myself.
You probably get a lot of fallen limbs and rotting wood that is not fit for burning, I recommend you start piling the punky rotting stuff up into piles where you would like to have garden patches, or some sort of plantings in the future, it makes great free compost, and is a good way to recycle it into something useful to you.
Lots more to ramble on about, but just wanted to chime in and say we support your efforts, and enjoy learning about others experiences in living self sufficient, as we were intended to be.

 

[releventchair]

Our U.S.D.A. has canning guides. Other useful data as well related to homesteading.
Good point redbeard on localized forage. While I would not introduce foreign stuff if it did not exist here previously I am utilizing plantain, European originally I believe, for greens that was growing here and collected about three inches of seed in a baggie for next season to enlarge its foothold in this poor soil. Dandelions here too, and while foreign they have multiple uses.

 

[DeepseekerADS]

More power to you Deepseeker !

Thanks for the tips Red! I'll be coming back to your post and re-reading it several times!

Sam Thayer? I have two of his books Nature's Garden - A Guide To Identifying, Harvesting, and Preparing Edible Wild Plants, and The Forager's Harvest - Edible Wild Plants

I was trying to think ahead

You picked up on my walnut trees! Two of them, and one is a pretty big one. Sure laid down a whole lot of walnuts this year. But then they were on the ground before I arrived November 13th. Read up on them and I think I missed the opportune time to dig into them.

I don't know yet if I have any maple trees, but that's a great idea for which I'll be looking. One area I'm pretty weak in is in the identification of the trees. I have HUGE beech tree, a forester came through some years ago and dated it at 450 to 500 years old, and said it was the largest he'd personally ever seen. It's our family tree....

I'm looking for a picture of that tree..... Rats....

When I was a child there were blackberries everywhere. And Chinquapin trees.... They're all gone now. I'll be planting blackberry bushes, but have only found the thornless ones so far.

I've thought about honey bees, and that will be a future project for sure

 

[joncutt87]

Look for leaves that look like the cadanian flag, as far as maples go.

 

[joncutt87]

I have a copy of this year's "Grit guide to the woodlot" I'll try and scan some of the more useful pages for you.

 

[DeepseekerADS]

Our U.S.D.A. has canning guides. Other useful data as well related to homesteading.
Good point redbeard on localized forage. While I would not introduce foreign stuff if it did not exist here previously I am utilizing plantain, European originally I believe, for greens that was growing here and collected about three inches of seed in a baggie for next season to enlarge its foothold in this poor soil. Dandelions here too, and while foreign they have multiple uses.

Good advice! Got dandelions here and they won't be destroyed! Even found an article from the September/October 1970 issue of Mother Earth News for making dandelion wine. If you don't have that, you can get a DVD of all past issues up to the end of 2013 for right at $60 on their website. IMHO, this is a fantastic library of great information.

 

[DeepseekerADS]

I have a copy of this year's "Grit guide to the woodlot" I'll try and scan some of the more useful pages for you.

I also subscribe to Grit, but just started that subscription late last year. I haven't noticed the guide, but I'll certainly take a look!

 

[releventchair]

Good advice! Got dandelions here and they won't be destroyed! Even found an article from the September/October 1970 issue of Mother Earth News for making dandelion wine. If you don't have that, you can get a DVD of all past issues up to the end of 2013 for right at $60 on their website. IMHO, this is a fantastic library of great information.

I have made dandelion wine. Still a bottle in the basement. As kids Juel Turner used to pay us a quarter for each full paper grocery bag of blossoms picked in full sun. 25 cents bought a lot of candy back then.

Used to be a Mother Earth reader before the new version. Fox Fire series of books an excellent read as well.
A draw knife did see a lot of use over the years. Walkin sticks can be skinned and left long to dry and the checked/cracked ends trimmed after they season. Unique specimens like vine wrapped causing interesting shape like a corkscrew can bring a premium but I see plain Janes priced for fifteen bucks easy. A little winter carving and a mild stain could help your budget in time if a market exists near you.Many poles were put up to to dry after debarking. Used to support wire above chicken run and as a frame for tarps.
When poplar was the majority of wood available to me benches were made by peeling them and cutting large rounds/logs lengthwise with the chainsaw. Any bucked for firewood got a slab knocked off the side to ensure drying before getting punky.
I found if kept off the ground it can last a long time. I once looked at the remains of a hermits cabin. All poplar with biggest diameter wall stock about three inches. A pole cabin basically but the ol boy had made do with what was available. Decades later some poles were still sound despite the roof and protective overhang being long gone.
At an Appalachian museum they had a barrel someone long ago had made from hollowing a great trunk of poplar. Chestnut was common for many things too being strong and workable but alas the blight knocked them out. Hickory useful if available.
Black walnut for nut meats of course but for dye too.
Whatever you have will be useful in it's own way...

 

[joncutt87]

I also subscribe to Grit, but just started that subscription late last year. I haven't noticed the guide, but I'll certainly take a look!

I bought it on a whim this fall, at you guessed it tractor supply.

 

[joncutt87]

Cutting mature hardwoods into coppices is a very interesting endevor. I started a bunch of hickory trees last year. Hopefully when they get large enough, I can make a few walking sticks.

 

[releventchair]

Getting a hankering for chickens again. Their not allowed here but that depends on neighbors for a zoning variance if complaints arise.
At the end of a dirt road and plowing snow for them there should be no issues. The only question from those I have discussed it with was would the birds range free.
Getting started takes planning for long term success. A brooder or brooding area for chicks here due to spring climate comes first. The last ones were in the house. Dusty deal that was. Chicks need watched to be sure heat is not too much or too little. Boredom will have them peck each other and if one bleeds horrible results will follow. A clump of sod can help but avoiding overcrowding a big part of brewing trouble. Enough chicks to have spares always a good idea. Dominance gets established after a while and newly introduced birds get beat up usually and stress follows.
The last coop built was a fortress as everything wants to eat either chickens or eggs. No drafts in winter.
Deepseeker, see if any of the following relates to your homesteads coop.
About four square feet of floor space for each bird and about a foot of roost per each. Eastern windows. One with a heavy screen and shutter for summer air and a hardware clothed vent with a wood door near the peak for winter air.
Attached run was wire mesh covered above to defend from air attacks. Were the birds allowed in it at night a double layer spaced several inches apart would have been used to keep panicked birds heads intact if owl flushed through first layer. Wire fence was buried a couple feet but fence fabric could have been laid flat on outside of vertical fence and covered with a couple inches of dirt to discourage critters digging under fence. A lever with cable went from pop hole door to near entrance door to coop to open and close. The run had a shade site, a covered dusting site, and raised again water fountain to keep feet out. With coop raised the area under it was fenced and gave a greater dry area when needed. Would save on runs footprint size if space was limited also.
Saw a plan once where a teeter totter type dive could be set for birds to open door themselves.
In winter a wire mesh defended a heat lamp from birds and was suspended above a watering fountain blocked up off the floor a little over a foot to keep feet out.
A hen must always have water or will be messed up for future laying.While only so many eggs potentially produced over a life time ,unlike factory birds a homestead hen can produce for years if cared for well. In winter a tuna can with grit was placed in coop for a necessary treat for digestion,or crop function anyway. Small gravel in smooth for was collected in dry weather and reserved to use for same purpose and add variety.
Coop was off the ground two cement blocks high. Keeping floor dry was a priority. While a dropping board will go in next one if built, I used deep litter method. Some cedar shavings covered with hay in winter and straw in summer. Next coop also would include nest boxes accessible from outside the coop. Them hens used to give me funny looks from their perch when coming home after dark to check for eggs, and were about eye level...nest boxes were all the way across from door. Planning was not good there. Chickens were let to range and be industrious often when someone could keep an eye out for trouble. Rakin leaves, chasing bugs or just bee boppin around.The kid and others had a riot taking the rooster,(they named him Speedy of course) out to the road and chasing him back to the coop. They did not like having to leave the hens alone but that was the deal.
Sometimes coming home late they would have left the gate or the pop hole closed and them poor chickens would be roosted wherever they could.
For those who dislike the idea of eating their stock laying hens can last quite awhile and provide fresh sassy eggs.
Diatomaceous earth can be used to reduce threat of parasites but keeping birds happy and feet clean with little access to droppings goes far.
Roosters are optional if not going to hatch chicks by letting a hen go to set. If no rooster the dominant hen will try to fill in by attempted crowing and keeping discipline.
Where allowed the crowing of a rooster fits in the homestead as well as woodsmoke. Both a sure sign of life.
A couple/few Guinea hens make noisy watchdogs if kept confined. The trick if Guineas are allowed to roam, is to keep one confined or the others won't return.
Nest boxes need to be kept real clean. Straw or some form of padding to avoid breakage. Fake eggs help new layers figure out where to lay. Keeping eggs recovered, usually early A.M. helps avoid the very naughty habit of egg pecking from getting started. A hen that pecks eggs gets culled by me though seldom a problem. While commercial eggs get a mild bleach wash I would not wash one, being porous.. A piece of sandpaper can clean the occasional dirt off. The ducks I raised seemed to delight in playing soccer with their eggs and rolling them through any available filth.

 

[rockhound]

Many good suggestions here. As far as trees go, especially fruit trees, two of the best with the least amount of work are Persimmon and Mulberry. Both are relatively free from disease and require almost no maintenance. Almost any apple, pear, peach, plum apricot or cheery tree will produce good fruit once established. From a nursery it may take 3-5 years to start producing. Hazelnuts, walnuts, hickory, almonds, pecans and chestnuts are good for eating and baking. Bees can produce a lot of honey and/or sugar beets can produce enough sugar for a household easily. Oils can be pressed out of sunflower, safflower, soy bean, peanut, corn, rape seed(canola) turnip and all nuts. Many herbs can produce oils and also can be used dried, oregano, cilantro, basil, sage, clove, etc. Also alcohol can be made from any fruit or grain. You can build a wood gas system for your truck and tractor if needed. You can make ethanol for your vehicles also. There are many more things you can do, but you get the message. Good Luck. rockhound

 

[releventchair]

In my late teens I was married and renting a small hundred year old farm. Well planned out by whoever built it there were pleasant surprises.
Berry field, asparagus, barn,coop ect. Dug a lot of postholes and cut a lot of firewood. Cut hay by hand for the horses and raised hogs and rabbits.
A realization of there being a learning curve came when after cutting up that first hog and popping a roast in the ten dollar oven.( The old coil spring heating element type that fit my flat broke budget.)
We were surprised that it tasted like roast rather than ham ;having no idea it needed smoking first...

 

[joncutt87]

We have 30 chickens, 4 sheep, and 3 cows.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

We have 30 chickens, 4 sheep, and 3 cows.

Just missing the "Partridge in a Pear Tree".



Posted From My $50 Tablet....

 

[joncutt87]

Just missing the "Partridge in a Pear Tree".



Posted From My $50 Tablet....

I have a couple of paw paw trees on order, they'll have to do. Oh wait, I think I have a pear tree and an apple tree around here somewhere. Lol

 

[DeepseekerADS]

Relevant my friend, you are certainly relevant here! Thanks for writing about the chickens! Good info!!! I WILL be raising chickens = eggs

I have all 12 of the Foxfire series. Knowing how the old folks did things will help me a whole lot.

It's time to get ready for Sunday School. I found a link to college courses on DVD for the Old and New Testaments. Next Sunday, if the parcel arrives promptly, my brother and I will "energize" that class with history!

Old Testament Prof. Levine-Religion