Winter Update

February 14th, 2013

Seems I under-estimated my wood needs.

Marilyn has been using the wood burning cookstove quite a bit this winter. As a result, I have had top scramble for wood a couple of times. I have wood for about a week or two right now and the boys and I will have to go cut some more soon.

Fortunately there are downed trees by the creek that have cured enough to be used right away. The only downside it that we have to cut it in sizes we can carry back up to the house and then we have co cut it to length, split it and stack it. We also had to dry out most of the last load, since it had snowed and rained the same week.  But we have learned a valuable lesson…

The boys and I added compost, rabbit droppings, rotted hay and other compostable goods to the worm beds in the greenhouse. We intend to raise worms and also establish a good supply of worm castings for the gardens.

We setup a metal shelf on the porch where the woodstove is and put lights above each shelf – this will be a good plant starting shelf. Marilyn already has seeds in the trays on the shelves.

 

 

Guns are Evil?

January 15th, 2013

I really don’t understand why people are FOR the confiscation of privately owned guns.

From all of the history lessons about China, Russia, Nazi Germany (and it’s take over of Austria), the Eastern Block countries overtaken by Russia and the countries of Africa, it is clear that when the citizens were disarmed, the totalitarian governments that were in, or took power  made subjects out of citizens.

Perhaps if we shut off the tv, smart phones and other electronic distractions and picked up a history book or two, our position on this matter would change to that of our founding Fathers – keep the citizenry armed to prevent a tyrannical government from overpowering the free citizens.

Whether you have a gun or not, you should respect MY right to have one, if only for the selfish reason of keeping your freedom, even though you won’t fight for it.

Those in the government that want to take away our guns have evil intent in mind for all of us – not just those that have guns. If and when the day comes when the government starts knocking down doors to take guns, I hope that the anti-gun crowd of “citizens” can run fast for the hills. Nothing else will save them OR us, because after the government knocks down the doors for guns, they will have no deterrent and will continually knock down the doors for whatever they want from us.

Oh, and don’t forget to zig-zag, because they’ll shoot you in the back as you run…

 

 

 

“It’s hard to live simply”

December 4th, 2012

The title here is a quote from a dear friend. We were discussing the things we did on the farm and wanted to do. He then made that statement “it’s hard to live simply”.

Well, Ed was right.

We are slowly progressing “backward”. I guess I should call it regression, but it seems to be moving us forward towards a truly sustainable lifestyle with few ties to the nanny-state and it’s industrial infrastructure (fondly called “the grid”).

What does that mean? It means we grow much of what we eat, we have our own water source, we are using less and less electricity and try not to eat out if at all possible.

Why would we do this?
Tales from Hurricane Katrina (and those now leaking out from Hurricane Sandy) have shown that we should NOT rely on the government for assistance and we should be prepared for catastrophic events.
We also should be growing and storing our own food. – If you’ve read any of my posts, you’ll know why.
For instance, if Snokist can sell “reconditioned foods” to school children, and not get shutdown when they sicken the school kids that eat it, what good is the government doing for us, the populace? None – the FDA is really there to protect the Corporate Big-AG industry, not to force them to be safe. Sure, they say that the regulations are in place to make food safe, but honestly, the regulations that are in place are there to keep small farmers that care out of the business. So, I prefer to grow my own food and be responsible for myself.

Why use less electricity? Doesn’t it save you lots of time?
Well, yes and no. If I have to work outside my home (off the farm), and trade the hours I put in working for someone else for money so I can pay for expensive electric gadgets and then pay for the electricity (which is constantly going up and will eventually be so overpriced I can’t afford it), then how am I saving time? It certainly doesn’t save me money, either. And what about the stress from holding down an office job, then I have to exercise (partly because the health insurance company insists that I do) to alleviate the stress from the job and to keep in shape. That didn’t happen until the early 20th century. Prior to that, daily life was enough exercise.

If I had to rely on the electric grid for heat or cooling, what do I do when there are emergencies that take out the infrastructure?

So, yes, it is hard to live simply. But it has its own rewards.

Winter greens in the garden

December 2nd, 2012

Lettuce in the garden on Dec. 1st (after a week of low-to-mid 20′s temps

Wouldn’t it be nice to have a salad with fresh lettuce in winter? Or how about kale, chard or rapini?

Well, you can – in your own “low-tunnel” greenhouse on your garden beds.  We use agri-bon (an insulating “blanket” for vegetation) and plastic held up by thick wire hoops.

Above, you can see a bed of lettuce after a week of mid-to-low 20 temps. Looks pretty good, huh? We also have chard, chickweed, kale and Rapini growing in the garden.
We just go to the garden, uncover the row, clip off what we want to use and cover it back up!

We also have a large high tunnel greenhouse (10ft high x 24 ft long and 14 ft wide) that we use.  But I wanted to show you that you can use a smaller version over your growing beds.

If you are at all interested in advanced growing techniques, let us know and we will put  together classes this coming spring.

–Pat

 

Get Your Goat?!

May 25th, 2012

It seems that there are a pair of “renegate goats” running around the Verona area. Two days ago, while fencing the garden bed in the front yard, a vehicle pulled up the driveway and asked if we had goats. When we replied in the affirmative, they stated that 2 were down the road a ways.

Both Boys took off like bolts of lightening, in hot pursuit of the “escapee goats”.

After about 10 minutes, and no sound or reply fro boys, I headed down the road to see what was up. I called for the boys as I went and, looking up into one of our paddocks (where some goats were mingling with the sheep), I saw all of the goats that were supposed to be there. Ater walking about 1/4 mile from the house I finally got a reply. The boys came back empty handed and started that the goats were down by the railroad tracks (1.2 miles from our house) and that we needed to go get them in the van.

As I was walking back towards the house, I got a call on my cell phone. Marilyn was calling to say that all goats were accounted for.

I found that interesting, so the boys and I went up the hill and into the back yard to confirm that all goats were, in fact there. Yes, they were.

We then regarded the matter closed, until about an hour later, another vehicle came up the drive and announced that our goats were out and we needed to get them. They were from Covington and when we explained that the goats were not ours, they said “well, we saw your gate was open. We live in Covington and can’t take them home with us. There are two of them – one is black with a collar and bell and the other one is tan. Both have horns”

OK, that’s fine, but we have no goats with bells, only one female with horns, and why would I go out and collect errant oats and mingle them into my herd, knowing full well that they might pass some disease to MY herd and kill them all???

Around 10:30 we got a call from a neighbor we know – “Are your goats out? We have 2 up here by us. I told her ” Well, no, our goats aren’t out, but let me describe them to you… one is black and one is tan – one has a collar with a bell and both have horns, is that right?” She apologized for calling so late and I thanked her for her concern for our goats (she is a nice lady and a good neighbor after all)

Day 2

2 more visits fro people insisting that we collect our goats/ One said they were on his neighbor’s porch and the fogs were keeping them there. ..

No calls or visits from people  today (day 3) that I know of. I am sure I will find out when I get home.

I certainly hope someone claims them soon – our reputation is being sullied.

 

foodconsumer.org – Monsanto Continues to Intimidate and Bully State Legislators

May 22nd, 2012

So, according to this in-depth article, Monsanto’s “Constitutional rights” trump the individual’s right to know if there is GMO in the foods they consume.All because the state is afraid of being sued by Monsanto. This means the “Welfare and protection” of the state overrules the safety, health and well-being of the individual.

In other words, Monsanto can poison, sicken or even kill people with its bio-chemical phoods and get away with it, but the individual isn’t even allowed to know that there are bio-engineered substances in the foods they purchase to consume.

I call this “PROTECTED POISONING FOR PROFITS”

 

I think it’s time for everyone to shut off the TV, start thinking for themselves, stand up and demand that the food industry label everything. If they won’t then everyone needs to go buy real food from small farmers NOW and stay OUT of the grocery stores. Once the grocery stores don;’t have customers, they’ll demand that Monsanto be accountable and label everything.

WAKE UP AMERICA, the government and corporations are killing you and making you pay for it.

http://www.foodconsumer.org/newsite/Politics/Politics/biotech_monsanto_gmo_0522120647.html

Vaccines and autism: a new scientific review – CBS News Investigates – CBS News

December 7th, 2011

According to Helen Ratajczak, previously a senior scientist with a pharmaceutical  firm, says that 23 vaccinations have been developed and are currently in use, using human DNA – which causes issues with the body killing the brain…

Excerpt from the article:

Ratajczak also looks at a factor that hasn’t been widely discussed: human DNA contained in vaccines. That’s right, human DNA. Ratajczak reports that about the same time vaccine makers took most thimerosal out of most vaccines (with the exception of flu shots which still widely contain thimerosal), they began making some vaccines using human tissue. Ratajczak says human tissue is currently used in 23 vaccines. She discusses the increase in autism incidences corresponding with the introduction of human DNA to MMR vaccine, and suggests the two could be linked. Ratajczak also says an additional increased spike in autism occurred in 1995 when chicken pox vaccine was grown in human fetal tissue.

Why could human DNA potentially cause brain damage? The way Ratajczak explained it to me: “Because it’s human DNA and recipients are humans, there’s homologous recombinaltion tiniker. That DNA is incorporated into the host DNA. Now it’s changed, altered self and body kills it. Where is this most expressed? The neurons of the brain. Now you have body killing the brain cells and it’s an ongoing inflammation. It doesn’t stop, it continues through the life of that individual.”

Why is she coming out now? Because she is retired and she can say what she wants. Other independent scientists  have had campaigns launched afgainst them in order to discredit their evaluations:

 

“A number of independent scientists have said they’ve been subjected to orchestrated campaigns to discredit them when their research exposed vaccine safety issues, especially if it veered into the topic of autism. We asked Ratajczak how she came to research the controversial topic. She told us that for years while working in the pharmaceutical industry, she was restricted as to what she was allowed to publish. “I’m retired now,” she told CBS News. “I can write what I want.”

 

Read the entire article below:

 

 

 

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-31727_162-20049118-10391695.html

 

December 4th, 2011

What is “reconditioned” food? – from “Scholars and Rogues” website

December 4th, 2011

Farmers can’t sell raw milk, but Snokist (and other food processors) can sell “reconditioned” or “reworked” foods.

This is from an article about Snokist, who was responsible for the moldy applesauce “product” sold to school children.  The quote below is from the author of the story:

 

“I’m just stunned to learn that these guys don’t need to tell me, or the FDA, if they’re using “reconditioned” food. So what’s the point of food labeling if these guys don’t have to tell us stuff like this?”

 

Read the whole story and weep…

via What the hell is “reconditioned” food? | Scholars and Rogues.

The Modern Milk War and Our Food Freedoms | Top Secret Writers

November 28th, 2011

For those of you unfamiliar with, or confused by the recent “raw milk war”, this article brings things to light in a historical, scientific way.

It covers the history of milk as a food, the 2 scientific methods pursued for safe milk and, the obvious winner (because he could throw more money at it).

So, pour yourself a tall glass of ice-cold milk and read this informative article.

The Modern Milk War and Our Food Freedoms | Top Secret Writers.