Surviving 2010 and Beyond – Think long Term

May 2010 will mark my first full year of my getting out of Americas daily rat race.  I didn’t have thousands in a 401K plan or invested in stock and bonds so retirement fund was little effected when the so called Great Recession came along .  I never tried to live beyond my means. I have never used credit cards. I did let my banker talk me into getting a debt card and that seems to work well.  It allows me to pay by plastic yet I do not incur any interest or other charges.

I was very careful, I bought a smaller home, drive an older vehicle. This allowed me to be debt free when I retired. I do not have a mortgage or auto loan to worry about making every month. This alone allows me to live better than many of my friends on much less cash income. I refuse to go into debt to purchase thing that I ‘want’ or need. If I don’t have cash in bank to cover this expense, I simply wait and save until such time as I can pay cash for this expenditure. Nothing says secure easy living like cash in your pocket.

I grow a medium size garden every summer and make a second planting in late July or August to provide me with fresh food 8 to 9 months a year. I catch run off water from my gutters to water a few chickens, rabbits and my garden this provide all the eggs and most of my yearly meat supply needs. Ducks and geese are easy to raise, require little supplemental feeding. I just don’t like duck or goose eggs or meat.

I have found that it does not require as much water for my garden as I was using when watering from my tap. Now I only water when plants ‘really’ need watering. It seems that waiting it out for normal rain fall is almost always best for me and my garden. I only water now to prevent plants from dieing in the hottest driest parts of summer. Pot and raised bed growing works well for many but they also require much more supplemental watering than simple in ground gardening.

When planting I wide space rows at least 42 or more inches between rows. This allows me easy access to plants when harvesting. It seems to me that plants not being crowed in narrow rows produce more and larger vegetable crops as well. Spreading grass clippings, old soiled hay and chicken litter between rows help keep mud off my shoes and is a real effective soil builder when tilled into the soil at the end of my growing season.

Small space, big tomato

Fertilizers in a bag or box, is the most expensive and least effective way to to add nutrients to your garden. Once started it is difficult to return to less expensive more effective compost and manure fertilization regimens. Fertilizers in a box gives a quick shot to your garden but is quickly used up or lost through water run off and leaching into the ground well below root zones of most plants. Compost and manure is as they say the first slow release fertilizer.

Next time maybe we can talk about how the cow eat the cabbage!

The Garden Worm gardening website
The Garden Worm blog

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Hay + Manure + Compost = Healthy Garden

Looking under my rabbit hutch I am amazed. Where did all that rabbit manure come from. I only have 3 rabbits and it must be nearly 3 inches deep rabbit manure under their hutch. Today I will fork about 2 or 3 inches of soiled cow / goat hay under my hutch and water well. Then wait for nature to compost whats there and the rabbits to deposit another 3 inches of manure. All will be composted to a point that it will be perfect to till into my summer garden plot early this spring.

I will breed 1 doe about the first of January.  Then  the second 1st of February that way I wont have all my fryer rabbits  at butcher size at the same time.  Need to produce some tracking charts between now and January so I don’t for get breeding date and date to put nest box in her hutch.  This will also allow be to track her litter size and next date to breed her.

I have one Holstein steer that will be 1000 – 1200 pounds by the middle of January. I will send him off to be processed. Checking my records, cost of the steer, feed and processing {about $200.00- $225.00}, assuming I will get 550 pounds of usable beef, I will have about $1.25 a pound invested. Thats not to bad considering the cost of beef in my local market these days. Best part is I know whats in my beef and what he has been fed. I don’t think my deep freezer will not hold 500 pounds of beef but I’ll bet my daughter will take any excess I have. Grinning.

Raising Back Yard Rabbits for food and profit

I'd rather be naked than wear fur

I’m a card carrying member of {P}eople {E}ating {T}asty {A}nimals} and the picture caption is funny. Before someone gets nuts about this, my flock is well fed, cleanly housed and well cared for.
They are after all a good meat supply as well as surplus rabbits provide a cash crop to off set the cost of care and feeding them.
I have acquired 2 does and 1 buck at a cost of $16.00 dollars each and plan to began my breeding program starting about the first of January 2010.

Rabbits were about 6 weeks old when I got them and will be 8 months old at first breeding cycle.
They are New Zealand whites.  I have raised this breed before and had good luck with them.
They will weigh in at about 5 – 6 pound as fryers. They produce a nice tender all white meat and if properly cared for have few disease or parasite problems.

Rabbit Hutch That I Built

Fried Rabbit: This is a basic pan-fried rabbit recipe , delicious any time of the year. Preparation time, 15 minutes; Cooking time, 40 to 60 minutes. Serves 4 to 6.
all-purpose flour 1/4 cup
salt 1 tsp
black pepper 1/4 tsp
1 fryer rabbit, cut up
olive oil 1/4 cup
1 bottle beer

Combine flour, salt and pepper in plastic bag. Shake rabbit pieces to coat evenly. Brown on both sides in oil in heavy skillet or dutch oven. Reduce heat and add bottle of beer, cover and cook slowly 40 to 50 minutes or until tender. For crisp crust on rabbit pieces, uncover for the last 10 to 15 minutes.<br><br>

One More Rabbit Recipe:
Ingredients:
1 fryer Rabbit, cut into serving pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
1-cup apple cider
1-cup warm water
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh ground pepper
1-tablespoon salt
3 tablespoons flour
¹/₄ cup half and half

Preparation:
Heat olive oil in heavy covered skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
DO NOT ALLOW OIL TO SMOKE
Place rabbit parts flat on bottom and cook until lightly browned.
Turn each piece and brown on other side.
Salt and pepper to taste
Add water and apple cider; enough to cover meat.
Add garlic
Simmer covered for about 1 hour or until rabbit is tender.
In a small bowl mix flour and half and half to make a thickening.
Remove Rabbit to serving platter and cover
Increase heat to bring mixture to boiling.
Add thickening stirring constantly until mixture is thick and creamy.
Pour mixture over Rabbit pieces
Garnish with sprigs of parsley

This dish is especially good with mashed potatoes.  The sauce makes excellent gravy.

Why is Common Sense so uncommon?

¿¿ Brussels Sprouts NoT Just For Adults Any More

Named after the city of Brussels, Brussels sprouts were first made popular in Belgium, where they’ve been grown since about 1200. The sprouts are buds that grow in the axils of each leaf. They look like tiny cabbages and are considered a type of wild cabbage. The plant itself looks like a small palm tree and the sprouts grow along the trunk-like stem. The green variety is the most commonly grown.

Brussels sprouts like a sweet or slightly alkaline soil. Soil pH should be at least 6.5. A good amount of organic matter will help maintain the moisture they need for their intense growth. In colder climates, start seeds indoors and set outside when there’s no threat of a hard frost. Be sure to allow the full time outdoors for required days to harvest.

In warmer climates, fall planting is preferred. You should be able to direct seed in mid-summer for a late fall/winter harvest. You may also be able to squeeze in a second, early spring crop, direct seeding in February and harvesting in May. Hot climates where the temperature never approaches freezing are not really suitable for growing Brussels sprouts.
Direct seed in warm areas. Otherwise start seed indoors approximately 5-7 weeks before last expected frost. Cover seeds with 1/4 – ½” soil and keep moist. Transplant when the seedlings are about 3″ tall. Don’t allow seedlings to become root bound or the plant will remain stunted when transplanted. Space plants about 2′ apart with 3′ between rows or stagger plants 2′ apart in each direction, for a grid.

Fertilize twice a season once when the plants are about 12″ high and again about a month before harvest is often recommended, but if you have a fertile soil to begin with, it doesn’t seem to be necessary. Brussels Sprouts are prone to the same problems as cabbage and broccoli. The most common pests are Cabbage looper, cabbage worm, cabbage root maggot, aphids, and Harlequin bugs.

Each sprout rows in the leaf axil or joint. They begin maturing from the bottom of the plant upwards. You can start harvesting when the lower sprouts reach the size of large marbles. Just be sure to pick before they get too large and start cracking and turning bitter. Some people prefer to cut, rather than pull the sprouts. Pulling is easy if you remove the leave below the sprout first, then twist and pull the sprout.

A few of the Varieties available are:

* ‘Bubbles’ F1 (85-90 days) Early and easy. Tolerates heat and drought. 2″ sprouts. Resistant to Powdery Mildew & Rust.

* ‘Jade Cross’ F1 and ‘Jade Cross E’ F1(90 days) Jade Cross was a 1959 All-America Selections Winner. Both are compact plants good for windy locations. Sprout are slightly larger on Jade Cross E. Good disease resistance.

* ‘Long Island Improved’ OP (90 days) High yield. Another small plant that stands up to wind. Freezes well.

* ‘Oliver’ F1 (85 days) Early producer. Easy to pick, 1″ sprouts. Compact, disease resistant plants.

* ‘Royal Marvel’ F1 (85 days) Early and productive. Resistant to bottom rot and tip burn.

* ‘Rubine’ (85 – 95 days) Red Plants. Late maturing and lower yield than green varieties, but good flavor. 1 ½” sprouts. Heirloom

Tell the kids they are baby cabbage, they will love them.

Why is Common Sense so Uncommon??

Moo Say De Cow

Jerseys at feeded

Son-n-law bought 3 dairy calfs, 1 was drinking from a bucket the other 2 were / are still on the bottle.  Two are doing well and putting on weight and eating hay and creep feed. I am still giving them a 1/2 gallon of milk a day as a supplement.

I have one that was only 3 days old and developed scours. I think it may live now but it has been a real battle. I really have more time, medication and associated cost invested in a $50.00 dollar calf than I should. But I refuse to just let a calf die for lack of effort on my part.

Why is Common Sense so Uncommon?

Garden is dieing a slow fall death

Country fall color

It will soon be the first day of fall. We received 5 inches of rain in three days and now my garden is showing all the signs of cooling nights and shorter day light hours. No more flowering or fruit set. Squash, cucumbers and tomato’s are looking sad. Time to pull everything up, through it in the compost pile and do my first tilling.

Late this winter or early next spring I’ll till in a nice thick layer of compost to jump start next years garden. I have been composting blue stem and Indian grass hay along with a little rabbit and cow manure and should be ready for use in another month or so. It has been so hot and dry this summer that my compost pile has not progressed as well as in past years.

Birds are eating me out of house and home. Between the native resident birds and the sudden influx of migrating birds, it is turning into a challenge to keep enough feed out satisfy their hunger. Many will move on south at the first sign of winter and will not be seen again until next March or April.
I have had 3 clutches of ring neck doves as well as red birds and numerous house finches hatch and fledge this year. For some reason not known to me I have had very few hummingbirds at my feeders this year. Purple martins did well but have migrated south and will not be back until late February or March next year. Black cap chickadees are back and hyper as always.

I have moved all my bird feeders to within 3 or 4 feet of the window that I watch from. The birds don’t seem to mind being that close to me as long as there is a window between us. I was hoping moving the feeders that close to my window would discourage the squirrels, but, it has not discouraged them from raiding the bird feeders. Grinning, don’t tell anyone but I enjoy watching them in their attempts to gain access to my bird seed.

Why is Common Sense so Uncommon?

Be Careful

What you wish for, You may get it!

I see you!

Little Tomato that can

Baxters Early Bush

Baxter’s Early Bush Cherry Tomato

7 to 10 days earlier than most open-pollinated cherries; needs no staking or caging. Outstanding vigor and productivity with fruit set even under adverse temperatures. Tasty fruit is firm, keeps exceptionally well after picking and is resistant to splitting. Determinate. 72 days.

Cherry Tomato

Gardener’s Delight

This small fruited variety, also known as Sugar Lump, rates high with gardeners for its big yields of sugar sweet tomatoes. Crack-resistant fruit is 3/4 to 1-1/2 inches across and arranged in clusters of 6 to 12. Indeterminate. 65 days.

Fall Garden

spotted cucumber bug

For most of us it is to late to plant a fall garden. However it is the time to roll up our sleeves and get our hands dirty. We need to be thinking about our fall harvest. What plants do we have that will continue to produce.

stripped cucumber bug

Having settled that problem it is now time to pull our our old spent non-producing garden plants. Your summer squash and cucumbers and maybe some of your tomato plants are finished producing.  It’s time to move them to your dumpster or better yet put them in your compost pile.

Rake your garden as needed and dispose of trash and disease plants. Diseased plants should not be composted. Bag and dispose of them. This will help control the spread of plant disease in your garden. When removing old plants you may find large numbers of insects that you did not know you had. It may be time to spray what remains in your garden with an insecticide to control these critters!

squash bug

These pretty cute little guy’s are not your friend!

Grooming and Milking Stand Version 3.0

After several trial and errors. This is my latest updated project. I feel like this is a very nice do it all stand. I am able to price it no more expensive than some others I have see on the Internet websites. It has several improvements over my first version. Mainly this one can be folded up for easy transportation to and from livestock shows. Also I have added a Grooming Attachment and it is now designed to allow removal of any or all of its attachments.

Livestock stand version 3.0

Now equipped with Grooming attachment, a milking stanchion and fall off bar. I have also designed it to allow the stand legs to be folded up making the stand only about 4 – 6 inches tall for easy transporting to and from livestock shows.

Goat and Sheep Stand

Stand Only —————————————— $154.00

Grooming Attachment Only ——————– $ 15.00

Milking Stanchion Attachment only ———- $ 35.00 add $8.00 if you want a feeder bucket

Fall Off Bar Attachment One(1) —————- $28.00

The Works

Stand with Grooming Attachment and Milking

Stanchion and One(1) Fall Off Bar ————— $223.00

** Stanchion, Grooming attachment and Fall off

bars are easily removed.

** Legs fold up for easy transportation to livestock shows.