Homesteading

[DeepseekerADS]

Here's a picture of my paternal grandfather and our family, just about 1/2 mile down the road from my maternal property - taken 1909.



My paternal side's land was put up for sale 20 years ago, some 600 acres. I would have purchased the land, with the house still standing, and I'd have probably lived there, but it sold before I knew it was for sale.

 

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[DeepseekerADS]

Composting can take up a lot of time, I keep a list of the carbon rich and nitrogen rich materials. I have two piles one with more nitrogen, and the other with more carbon. so that I can add what I have on hand to whichever Pile needs it.

Ah, the addition of another good idea to chew over !!!

Thanks!

 

[DeepseekerADS]

A little side note on my paternal family. My grandfather warned my father not to marry into that Robertson family, because them people were crazy. He must have remembered Great Aunt Ruby who castrated her boyfriend. Dad did it anyway, the marriage lasted 5 years. My grandfather was right, my maternal family was askew, very curious (not intellectually) in fact. The blessing for me was that I barely knew them through my life, always lived elsewhere. In my family circle, there's only my brother, Cousin Billy, and my Mom. Out of 11 grandkids, there's only a few of us still living, and I don't know where the others are and won't go looking for them!

 

[Robot]

Live in Northern Canada where temps get down to -40

I have 4 wood burning stoves on my property.

My exterior wood Boiler heats everything with water, from my Log Home to the Greenhouse.

It can burn, what I call junk wood, that is Poplar, dead wood etc. wood others won't use in their house stove.

This is where my advice comes in and has been eluded too here also.

The mistake I see many newcomers make is that unless they have a "Boiler" they cut too much wood, too fast.
I have newcomers who have a 10 year supply only to have it rotting and giving it to me to burn.

My home has a "Blaze King" stove with Catalytic Converter in it also.
Pricy but a great stove.

Be careful with the Home Insurance guys, always have an electric heat source built in so they do not claim a wood stove as your only source and put up your rates.

 

[pat-tekker-cat]

Hey Deep,
your grandpa sounds like my grandma!
"Son, you got no business messing with them Robertson's(yes, we had our "robertsons, too. Not their real name, lol), they DRUNKARDS and SINNERS! They don't prosper cause they never go to church, just drink! Better not marry that woman......".

Yeah, g-ma knew, though..... When the lady passed, her kids almost stole everything outta the house, stuff they never even owned. My relative never got his dirty clothes back, from the dirty clothes hamper, they took, AND, his Mens' Sunday school group, had to take up a collection, to get him a bed, mattress, dresser, and night stand(bless them men). They woulda had taken everything, if his children had not just happened come up. It's not always easy to regroup, when you've outlived all your pensions and savings. Just trying to hang on to what you do got, that's at least paid for......

Yeah, great tip on not "educating", your ins folks. ty.
Deep I'd be very concerned, and I think someone said before about the creatin buildup, soot, etc.....
We can't burn the pine down in Ga, too much creatin, fire hazard, not too mention, breathing in all that stuffs.
I'll throw up that saved post, it's all over the place, too, like a cat on a mouse farm.

 

[pat-tekker-cat]

Hey Deep, I been trying to follow along. Lotta knowledges and great ideas......

When my grand-dad and grandma picked up their little 10 acres, s. Ga back around 1920's or so. Pop, dad, and all his brothers, cut and cleared certain trees, and built the square frame 4 room house, that still stands today. Living room, 2 bedrooms and a kitchen. 9 kids crammed into that one room, the parents bedroom was behind it, and there's a double fireplace, between the two rooms on the dividing wall. There was an addition put on and indoor plumbing, in the late 60's, along with the electric pump to the well.

My 95 yr old uncle plants his garden in beds 5 or 6 feet across and 24 feet long. He usually has 3. He doesn't use anything to border it, just keeps it plowed, hoed, and/or edged. This way, he says he can plant double rows, and they still not be so wide, that he can reach everything from either side, without having to get all in that red Georgia clay. He'll plant something tall, behind something low level, okra/corn, behind(or in the middle) mustards/squash/strawberries/peppers, on the edges. I'm not sure, which way he's got it directioned, as to the suns path, i think east/west, for growing season.

He also propagates a lot of different plants himself. Says, you can't always rely on the birds, bees, and bugs, to pollinate, plus he has a lot of flowers, bulbs, lillies, amaryllis, he liked to cross breed. (He keeps Martin gourds and the Martins come in every yr.) Maybe some of the church locals will have some extra seed for you, of things that may have already done well in your area. My family I think, lived by the Farmers' Almanac.
My dads mom germinated most her seeds in egg cartons with breadbags wrapped around them, on the back porch. Ya knew planting season was gonna be soon, when you'd see them 100 or so breadbagged egg cartons!

One thing with your canning, jellies, and jams..... Mom always used distilled water to boil her berries, or when adding liquid to pickles, peaches, pears, and stuff. She said tap water can cause you to grow fungus or bacteria. The trace mineral elements, sometimes can not be boiled away. The only way to now you are using pure water, is to use distilled. My mom would never risk having a batch of anything go bad or turn, as it was too much work, time, money, and wasted, if it did. She wouldn't risk it. We used to put up boiled peanuts, by the bread bags full(no, not the breadbags gma germinated seeds in.)
Clean breadbags, is what everyone used to use, before Ziplocs came out, that and Tupperware.
Freeze chicken and poultry in water, it won't get freezer burn as bad. Same for frozen peas, blanched and freeze in a little of the water.

That's about all I got for now...... told ya it was all over the place.
Ya'll have a great day!

 

[DeepseekerADS]

This is where my advice comes in and has been eluded too here also.
Be careful with the Home Insurance guys, always have an electric heat source built in so they do not claim a wood stove as your only source and put up your rates.

Thanks Robot, excellent information!

I don't believe, after the past two months after the rate I burn wood - cut wood again today after dumping a whole basement load of junk at the dump facility - I won't have a 10 year supply. That would be a bloody skyscraper here! But then I try my best to keep the house warm, Mom is 89 and cold natured...

Home Insurance guys? Not a problem. They already refuse to insure the house! The want the electrical system re-done, and the chimney plugged... I do have electrical baseboard heat (which my stepfather installed). But the utility bills push $600 a month when in use. Appalachian Power is heavily invested in coal burning power plants, and they're generously passing on the expenses of continuing to burn coal. I can't even imagine how high the rates will go over the next several years.

 

[DeepseekerADS]

Hey Deep, your grandpa sounds like my grandma!

Deep I'd be very concerned, and I think someone said before about the creatin buildup, soot, etc.....

Hi Pat Grandpa (on the Turner side) was a very wise man. I remember seeing him only twice in my life. Mom divorced Dad when I was 5. He had her on the floor pounding and choking her, and my brother ran to a neighbors' to get help. Knowing Mom, she was high spirited, and certainly a little off. So I'd imagine she contributed to the rage. Dad was the youngest of 6 and the first to pass at 89. He'd chain smoked unfiltered Camels for 70 years and drank a half gallon of bootleg every day for 70 years. The Turner side was very long livers. Mom is 89 now. Between the two I have some pretty good genes. So this homesteading thing could be very long term.

I'm concerned about creosote build-up as well, was just thinking about that today. I had the chimney swept before lighting the first fire. From what I've read, coffee grounds and salt are pretty good for throwing in your fire to clean out the creosote. I've also seen those logs in the home supply stores which are supposed to clean out the creosote as well.

Anyone have in input on that?

 

[DeepseekerADS]

My 95 yr old uncle plants his garden in beds 5 or 6 feet across and 24 feet long.

Those were some pretty good canning tips there! And your uncle was a farmer before his time!

Thanks!

 

[DeepseekerADS]

Cutting firewood earlier today, was going to transfer the new pile of wood into the basement. I was squatted down loading my right arm with wood for the stove. Stood up, and went down, my lower back down at pelvis level.... Pain pills now.... This is going to be a major issue if it is more serious than I expect.

I've got to be a lumberjack, or this entire adventure suffers

 

[releventchair]

Ouch. Popped mine shoveling, same area but one side of spine,relieving most concern of it being a disc. Took a long week to let up.
Getting old ?
If you can open a basement window to pitch/dump through or a coal door to a bin,maybe just drag your wood for now.
Might be easier to sit on the ground when loading unloading;if you can get up after.

 

[DeepseekerADS]

I am getting better. Yesterday I was walking with a crutch. Today I'm walking without one - though a couple times it would have been nice to have.

I'm thinking a good long week as you've experienced.

The plan and dream will continue!

I've been working on both chainsaws during this time of infirmity, Actually, in this case, the infirmity stopped my activities and allowed me time to regroup a little. I've both saws ready to go back to work.

As soon as I am completely mobile, the wash house comes down and the beds are built - have to be ready for planting by the end of February.

And then I am suddenly much busier......

 

[DeepseekerADS]

I should post some links which have proven inspiring to me:

MOTHER EARTH NEWS - Organic Gardening, DIY, Renewable Energy, Homesteading And Livestock, Real Food, Natural Health, Nature And Environment, Green Homes, Green Transportation
Vegetable Garden Planner Design Your Best Garden Ever - MOTHER EARTH NEWS
National Center for Home Food Preservation | USDA Publications
Gardening Know How - Happy Gardening! Ask a gardening question, get a gardening answer.
NPK Values ? HelpfulGardener.com
Crops for Compost: Organic Gardening
http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow
Canning Tools - Canning Supply
Weed-Free, Self-Fertilizing, Till-Free Garden Beds - Organic Gardening - MOTHER EARTH NEWS

 

[joncutt87]

Are you going to start your seeds indoors?

 

[DeepseekerADS]

Are you going to start your seeds indoors?

I've been thinking about that all day. I'm trying the 3 growing season thing, which would be carrots, radishes, cabbage, and what every else I can fit in. I'll fill at least one 4' square, and maybe populate what ever beds I can make. I need to go ahead and purchase the grape package, 3 different types for $40. So I'll do a small bed for them as well. Clearly I need to do some serious thinking over the next week as to where I'm going this first year. A lot hinges on compost, I think I have a good link to get all I need of that.

With starting my seeds indoors, today I was worrying about that. I think it is clear that I need to do that.

So many things to do in such a short month now.

 

[DeepseekerADS]

Well, back still hurts, and I walk kinda gingerly still. Tomorrow night's low is supposed to be 16 degrees.

And nobody cuts wood if I don't do it. I have enough wood to make it through then, but I do like safety and comfort, rather than worry and ignorance...

I have two trees in mind, and I'm putting my boots on, and assembling the Stihl with the bar & chain repaired.

Hi Ho!

 

[joncutt87]

Here's a helpful compost link
Carbon-to-Nitrogen Ratio | Composting 101

 

[DeepseekerADS]

Here's a helpful compost link

Thanks for the link! Here's a picture of my current compost pile. I need another row of blocks higher on the bottom side. I started out layering with cardboard. Lately I've been emptying old jars of canned food dating back to my grandmother. Not doing any calculations on Carbon-to-Nitrogen, just getting a pile going. Won't be using it this year anyway. Will probably dole it out to other piles later. Still working on getting a truck load of compost.



There's some larger stuff working its' way out. I'll be picking them out.

Here's a picture of the bottom land we've been clearing out across the creek. Also provides firewood, we cut about a week's supply today



And here's a picture of a steel pipe which was put down in the creek many years ago, it was there when I was a kid.

 

[joncutt87]

For one of my piles I screwed four pallets together and started loading. The other was just a pile under one of the maple trees.

 

[texasred777]

Deep, I've been seeing this thread since it first started, but never really got past the first few posts. I just finished reading the entire thread. You must be one heck of a man for your age. I may have seen your age before but don't remember it. The picture of you back in '52 or '53 makes me think you're close to my age. I'm 72. But my health as you probably know from my posts is quite bad. I really envy someone who can still do a lot of hard work after they reach an older age. My deceased wife has an uncle still living. He will be 80 later this year. He still gets out and mows some of his friends lawns and jogs! Hope you continue to have great health. Keep up this thread. I have really enjoyed it this evening.
God bless you and your mom.