Homesteaders

[rancher hicks]

You should give two separate waterers, one plain and one with ACV. That way if they don't like the taste of the ACV they can still drink.

Good idea.

 

[chickadoodles]

A bird vet did a guest appearance on a show and said that in the heat you should not use the vinegar that it would dehydrate them. So I only use it when it is cooler. But I only use it once a week also.

 

[jerrey]

We live in southern Mississippi now. I've seen critters and bugs that would scare the crap out of people up north in Illinois where I lived for 17 years. It seems things get nastier the further south you go. The flies are huge and those ants don't play! Thanks goodness for my essential oils or those red ant bites would still be troublesome. We have alligators and some not so nice snakes and spiders. We have sweat bees that will give you a run for your money and cinch bugs that are all too happy to eat your garden for you. My chickens and turkeys have a full time job on our 2 acres of land.

I do my own canning, dehydrating and freezing of all the food that I grow or buy at local farmers markets or farms. I make my own butter, buttermilk and milk soap from milk that I buy from local farmers. We have rabbits, chickens and turkeys also for meat as well as eggs. I have some that are just pets and my entertainment. We have a pond on the property that we haven't been able to access yet due to overgrowth. Once a pathway way has been established, I will have samples sent in and tested at our local extension office. Once in the clear, I will stock the pond so eventually we can fish from it to put more food on the table. We are currently building our out buildings to accommodate some dairy goats and pigs. Next summer I'm hoping to have the bee hives up and running. Once the layout is finished, then I can start to decide where the fruit trees will be planted. I use essential oils for everything. Make my own laundry soap, dish soap, body scrubs, deodorant and toothpaste. We also use the essential oils to support our overall health and well being. We only use the oils and natural ingredients for cleaning like vinegar, baking soda and Epson salts for just about everything else. I use beeswax, arrowroot powder and organic raw shay butter for a lot of my cleaning products as well as for my deodorant. I use the cloths lines for drying the clothes, and I'm very glad we have a well because I've been going through a lot of water lately for the animals due to the heat.

We are also in the beginning stages of reclaiming the rainwater for the animals and the garden. Hubby is working on creating a cistern for the gray water as well. We use our compost area along with our rabbit & chicken droppings along with vermicomposting as fertilizer for the vegetable and flower gardens. I keep the eggshells separate in our fridge so I can grind them down to feed back to the chickens and turkeys at a later time. It's a lot of work at times, but for me it's very rewarding and peace of mind goes a long way. I just enjoy being close to the earth and appreciate what it provides for me and my family.

We live in southern Mississippi now. I've seen critters and bugs that would scare the crap out of people up north in Illinois where I lived for 17 years. It seems things get nastier the further south you go. The flies are huge and those ants don't play! Thanks goodness for my essential oils or those red ant bites would still be troublesome. We have alligators and some not so nice snakes and spiders. We have sweat bees that will give you a run for your money and cinch bugs that are all too happy to eat your garden for you. My chickens and turkeys have a full time job on our 2 acres of land.

I do my own canning, dehydrating and freezing of all the food that I grow or buy at local farmers markets or farms. I make my own butter, buttermilk and milk soap from milk that I buy from local farmers. We have rabbits, chickens and turkeys also for meat as well as eggs. I have some that are just pets and my entertainment. We have a pond on the property that we haven't been able to access yet due to overgrowth. Once a pathway way has been established, I will have samples sent in and tested at our local extension office. Once in the clear, I will stock the pond so eventually we can fish from it to put more food on the table. We are currently building our out buildings to accommodate some dairy goats and pigs. Next summer I'm hoping to have the bee hives up and running. Once the layout is finished, then I can start to decide where the fruit trees will be planted. I use essential oils for everything. Make my own laundry soap, dish soap, body scrubs, deodorant and toothpaste. We also use the essential oils to support our overall health and well being. We only use the oils and natural ingredients for cleaning like vinegar, baking soda and Epson salts for just about everything else. I use beeswax, arrowroot powder and organic raw shay butter for a lot of my cleaning products as well as for my deodorant. I use the cloths lines for drying the clothes, and I'm very glad we have a well because I've been going through a lot of water lately for the animals due to the heat.

We are also in the beginning stages of reclaiming the rainwater for the animals and the garden. Hubby is working on creating a cistern for the gray water as well. We use our compost area along with our rabbit & chicken droppings along with vermicomposting as fertilizer for the vegetable and flower gardens. I keep the eggshells separate in our fridge so I can grind them down to feed back to the chickens and turkeys at a later time. It's a lot of work at times, but for me it's very rewarding and peace of mind goes a long way. I just enjoy being close to the earth and appreciate what it provides for me and my family.

God love you I just could go on and on reading your post love everything you posted could you give your recipe laundry soap and tooth paste and anything else you would like to sere

 

[2mnypets]

Thank you for your kind words. I will start a new thread for the recipes as I have quite a few. A lot of what I have learned over the years is from reading what works and what doesn't from the people here on BYC and friends who also use essential oils and herbs. Being as chemical free as we can, I strive to find a balance in this world of "you need this to fix that from doing this" mentality. I'm a nurse and certified aromatherapist by trade so I see all too often more medications being prescribed to "fix" a side effect from another medication. It's a vicious circle that never ends. So off my soapbox I go to start typing up these recipes.

 

[shortgrass]

Ooooh yat I found the homesteading thread!!!! I'll introduce myself in a jiffy lol, but I'm having an urgent question, and I betcha someone can tell me if I'm being stupid ha-ha...

I'm canning beets...spicy... Using cinnamon sticks. Ugh expensive!!!!! Ok so lol, CAN I REUSE MY CINNAMON STICKS? I dryvthem right away, actually let the kids chew them lol, but I'm doing a LOT of beets and going through these things is costing me a pretty penny...

Can I? Or did I already use them up, so to speak? Thanks in advance!

 

[boskelli1571]

Ooooh yat I found the homesteading thread!!!! I'll introduce myself in a jiffy lol, but I'm having an urgent question, and I betcha someone can tell me if I'm being stupid ha-ha...

I'm canning beets...spicy... Using cinnamon sticks. Ugh expensive!!!!! Ok so lol, CAN I REUSE MY CINNAMON STICKS? I dryvthem right away, actually let the kids chew them lol, but I'm doing a LOT of beets and going through these things is costing me a pretty penny...

Can I? Or did I already use them up, so to speak? Thanks in advance!

I can spicy beets too! They are so good........ I don't know if you can reuse them - give it a go, but don't let the kids chew on them first not sure the vinegar would kill the bacteria. Let us know how it works out, btw Welcome to the thread

 

[rancher hicks]

Ooooh yat I found the homesteading thread!!!! I'll introduce myself in a jiffy lol, but I'm having an urgent question, and I betcha someone can tell me if I'm being stupid ha-ha...

I'm canning beets...spicy... Using cinnamon sticks. Ugh expensive!!!!! Ok so lol, CAN I REUSE MY CINNAMON STICKS? I dryvthem right away, actually let the kids chew them lol, but I'm doing a LOT of beets and going through these things is costing me a pretty penny...

Can I? Or did I already use them up, so to speak? Thanks in advance!

Iv'e nver had them. Do they taste better than just plain beets. I don't like beets. I've only had the red kind plain. Do they all varieties of beets taste the same?

I've had Peaches with a vanilla stick in the jar that I bought and they were good.

I keep hoping to find a recipe for beets that tastes good since they are good for me.

Not sure about reusing the sticks or not.

 

[shortgrass]

I can spicy beets too! They are so good........ I don't know if you can reuse them - give it a go, but don't let the kids chew on them first not sure the vinegar would kill the bacteria. Let us know how it works out, btw Welcome to the thread

Oh thank you lol! I'll try it, and no, no chewing them first ha-ha

I was panicking, it was 2 am and I was finishing up the first wave of beets... 6 quarts and 28 pints later, ZNOW I ask if I can reuse my sticks.... Smh ha-ha Thank you for your quick response

I'll take this opportunity to say "Hi". I'm the mother of 2 little girls, 5&9, husband and I have cattle, sheep, chickens...and lots of acres of grassy stuff lol... In Colorado, cattle country, northern plains. Cold winters and stormy summers, yay lol... Main focus of our farm is organic alfalfa hay and cattle...shifting to the chickens, just because I seem to enjoy the birds the most

I grow as much as I can for stockpiling and canning, and I mill my own wheat from our own fields, ( ok I admit, I also order from Palouse, I can't grow 4 different varieties of wheat lol). I crochet, hunt, make pasta with all these eggs...going to can some pickled eggs next....

I absolutely love self sustaining life. I love being able to make a pie crust from scratch and have my kids say I make the best pie in the whole wide world...ok maybe they exaggerate a little

It's work. CONSTANT work. And so worth it! And nonecof my friends can understand why I would go through all the trouble to make something I can buy at the store. Lol, because any excess money saved goes right back into the farm, or a new pasta maker, wherever the priority lies ha-ha

 

[shortgrass]

Iv'e nver had them. Do they taste better than just plain beets. I don't like beets. I've only had the red kind plain. Do they all varieties of beets taste the same?  

I've had Peaches with a vanilla stick in the jar that I bought and they were good. 

I keep hoping to find a recipe for beets that tastes good since they are good for me.  

Not sure about reusing the sticks or not.  

Oh they're 10000x better than plain! That's how I get my kids to eat them, pickle them and fermenting with vinegar is so good for the digestive system

Not all beets taste the same though... Canning, I prefer Detroit red, they are a little sweeter than others. Golden beets are delicious fresh, sauteed in butter... Bulls blood beets are good for the delicious leafy tops.... I LOVE beets

You can make some for the fridge, just boil the beets, remove skins... Cut(3-4 lbs) and add to a pot with 1 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar, 1/2 cup water, 3-4 cinnamon sticks, tbsp of mustard seed, teaspoon of allspice(whole), teaspoon of clove(whole), teaspoon of salt. Oh, add white onion if you like, about 3 medium... Simmer until tender, cool and refrigerate. Perfecto, delicious

*edit my smartphone hates me lol

 

[boskelli1571]

Oh thank you lol! I'll try it, and no, no chewing them first ha-ha

I was panicking, it was 2 am and I was finishing up the first wave of beets... 6 quarts and 28 pints later, ZNOW I ask if I can reuse my sticks.... Smh ha-ha

Thank you for your quick response

I'll take this opportunity to say "Hi". I'm the mother of 2 little girls, 5&9, husband and I have cattle, sheep, chickens...and lots of acres of grassy stuff lol... In Colorado, cattle country, northern plains. Cold winters and stormy summers, yay lol... Main focus of our farm is organic alfalfa hay and cattle...shifting to the chickens, just because I seem to enjoy the birds the most

I grow as much as I can for stockpiling and canning, and I mill my own wheat from our own fields, ( ok I admit, I also order from Palouse, I can't grow 4 different varieties of wheat lol). I crochet, hunt, make pasta with all these eggs...going to can some pickled eggs next....

I absolutely love self sustaining life. I love being able to make a pie crust from scratch and have my kids say I make the best pie in the whole wide world...ok maybe they exaggerate a little

It's work. CONSTANT work. And so worth it! And nonecof my friends can understand why I would go through all the trouble to make something I can buy at the store. Lol, because any excess money saved goes right back into the farm, or a new pasta maker, wherever the priority lies ha-ha

Wow! You sound like you never sleep!

My partner & I try to do as much as we can - growing, harvesting etc. Only chickens at the moment, but hoping to add ducks soon. I have been unsuccessful with bees, but hope to try them again next year. Neither of us are 'young 'uns' and age does take it's toll, but we do what we can. We will be putting up blueberries, peaches etc. in a few short weeks - as you say - it's hard work, but enjoyable.

Let me know on the beets ok?