Homesteaders

[rancher hicks]

My area is generally very dry this time of year, but it did happen to rain today, probably be snow tomorrow. But I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want advice. I will keep an eye on everything, and get the antibiotic as soon as possible.

To butt in on your other conversation. There is soil erosion because farmers keep farming more and more areas that really should not be farmed, like hillsides. they do not even bother with creating terraces here. But soil, and what should be in it, is one of DH favorite subjects. Today's farmer does not care about soil health, they literally talk in years, "I have 10 more years to use this land, then I will get rid of it" figuring that is how long planting the same crop and fixing the soil with chemicals will work.

Did you know there is a desert in Maine? Yep there is. All the top soil eroded away. I'll let you google it. I learned of it in strange places to go see. Some type of vacation guide thing.

I would like to go to Maine someday soon. Point I completely get it.

 

[rancher hicks]

horses are all around great. For companionship, fertilizer, farm equipment, therapist, transportation and so much more.

Let big business keep ruining their reputation, soon people like us will be in big demand. Small local family run farms who refuse to use chemicals. Its not got a huge financial gain but the spirit lifting feeling it gives is great. Several of us in my area have started trading goods. One grows lots of 4 or 5 things another does the same with other veggies and so on. We each concentrate on large amounts of a few things, alternating yearly, so we all have enough of eve for the coming winter. I provide eggs and some veggies one provides pork and some veggies another does dairy and another beef. We aren't in it for profit but for health and friendship.

Horses make good therapist because they never tell anyone else your secrets.

As for bartering. I love to. I've traded chicks, chickens and hatching eggs for horse manure. I like it best when folks bring it to me?

I once was delivering mail in the city and there in the drive was a big pile of horse manure. I recognized it right off of course. The owner has a huge flower garden in the back yard.

 

[KlopKlop]

I hope you didn't take me the wrong way. I might have been a bit sensitive since others will sometimes offer contradicting advice and correcting all that.  Know what I mean?  There are those in the world I like to call "Toppers".  They always pipe in with "better" whatever the conversation is about.  Get it?  

You feed your birds this?  Well I feed my birds this and they always lay eggs even in the winter. Hundreds of eggs every day. Sometimes two eggs a day. 

You have whatever breed?  Well I keep this breed and they are the best. They never get sick and they're so friendly and nice. I never have to collect eggs they just lay them right in the basket for me.    exaggeration but I think you get the idea. 

So I like to say, "do whatever lets you sleep at night". I hope folks understand. I don't mind once in a while but to everything everyone else says?  It get annoying. 

I don't have all the answers. I know some do, but I just like to offer what I do that works for me. Somewhere else on the planet it may not work. If it helps I'm happy. If not at least I reached out to a friend. 

I think this here embodies the biggest struggle of forums and Internet/electronic communications. Because there is now way to know the emotion of the person typing the entire spirit and tone of the message is lost something that could have been meant in good spirit could be taken in anyway the reader feels. I wish there was a way around it....

 

[rancher hicks]

that sounds awesome! i would love to get into some kind of co-op like that where everyone exchanges goods. allowing micro-specialization and shared labor. Not to mention the friendship it would cultivate working as team.

So here's my deal. I've got Columbian Rocks and they're a good dual purpose line. If anyone would like to buy or trade for hatching eggs I'm open to the offer. They've just started laying. At least four of the hens have. I've got six and will be hatching more. I've offered them all forsale in CL but no one wanted to pay my price. I really hate when folks are no shows, don't you?

Now things you might have that I can use are, cuttings from fruit bearing plants, or fruit bearing plants, seeds, yarns, or hatching eggs of something I don't have, (not silkies, they are NOT real chickens but aliens from another planet) We have done a Granny Square swap for all those ladies and gents that crochet or knit.

 

[OrganicFarmWife]

Did you know there is a desert in Maine?  Yep there is. All the top soil eroded away. I'll let you google it. I learned of it in strange places to go see. Some type of vacation guide thing. 

I would like to go to Maine someday soon. Point I completely get it.  

I was once able to sit in at a talk, I wish I could remember by who (DH will remember I will ask), about soil. The speaker talked about carrots. He said they have actually found that carrots have less minerals in them then they used too (commercially grown). He theorized that this was due to the way we treat soil. That the health of the soil affected the health of the plant.

 

[rancher hicks]

I have been watching the back to eden videos. very interesting stuff! i turn my garden with a plow and till it.... and this video is making me feel like a bad person for it! i had no idea this was an option!!

Well now how do you know Adam didn't invent the plow? Lord have mercy! This is just one persons idea. In the real Eden they most likely didn't have to water the garden. So make no apologies if you choose to do things different and they are best for your situation.

And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads.


But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.


After the fall.

Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.

 

[rancher hicks]

I was once able to sit in at a talk, I wish I could remember by who (DH will remember I will ask), about soil. The speaker talked about carrots. He said they have actually found that carrots have less minerals in them then they used too (commercially grown). He theorized that this was due to the way we treat soil. That the health of the soil affected the health of the plant.

Well it would make sense. Lots of other things have changed in the nutrient department too.

I have paperwork that I give out that tells how Pastured and farm raised chickens lay better eggs. One area is more vitamin D. Which makes sense in that commercial chickens don't get the son light, like ours in the field do.

I hope to try carrots again this year. I'm still trying to decide which taters to try. I like to plant more than one variety, but I'm looking for those that will grow good in a tower situation since I'm too old to dig and dig. I did learn not to plant them where tomaters have been planted which was good since I'm planted tomaters in lots of beds. I've got some new beds to put in so the taters will have to go there for now. How many years do I have to wait to plant taters where tomaters were? Iv'e got a bed that had garlic in it last year but tomaters the year before.

 

[KlopKlop]

Well it would make sense. Lots of other things have changed in the nutrient department too. 

I have paperwork that I give out that tells how Pastured and farm raised chickens lay better eggs. One area is more vitamin D. Which makes sense in that commercial chickens don't get the son light, like ours in the field do.  

I hope to try carrots again this year.  I'm still trying to decide which taters to try. I like to plant more than one variety, but I'm looking for those that will grow good in a tower situation since I'm too old to dig  and dig.  I did learn not to plant them where tomaters have been planted which was good since I'm planted tomaters in lots of beds. I've got some new beds to put in so the taters will have to go there for now. How many years do I have to wait to plant taters where tomaters were?  Iv'e got a bed that had garlic in it last year but tomaters the year before. 

I read that growing a cover crop of mustard that is turned under at the right time them well watered will clean up all diseases and nematodes that hurt potatoes. I would recommend reading up on that. I intend to do that this coming fall after harvest. It was to late for me to do it this year when I learned about it.

 

[rancher hicks]

Well this is what I've got so far.

Choose a variety suited to growing locally for best results. For growing in towers choose a mid to late season variety (90-130 days or more.) Late season varieties continue to send out rhizomes and form their tubers later so you get the “layered” effect in a tower. But this also means you need to pay very close attention to the watering and fertilizing needs of the plant during the July-August higher temperatures. The wet/dry cycle of watering produces bumpy tuber formation. Potatoes like even, consistent moisture. Watch for certified seed potatoes for sale at local garden centers. One pound of large potato seed stock may produce a yield of up to 10 pounds. One pound of fingerling potato seed stock may yield up to 20 pounds.

I have the Maine Potato catalog. I will most likely order from them.

They have the "experimenter's special" $19.99 with your choice of four varieties. Pg 10. You can get the catalog for free. There are other package deals too.

They offer a nice variety for mid and late season. They give information which is which so I like that. I'm not sure what I'll choose. Perhaps two Experimenter specials. So I can try more varieties of mid and late varieties.

Does anyone grow Early varieties?

 

[KlopKlop]

Well this is what I've got so far. 

Choose a variety suited to growing locally for best results. For growing in towers choose a mid to late season variety (90-130 days or more.) Late season varieties continue to send out rhizomes and form their tubers later so you get the “layered” effect in a tower. But this also means you need to pay very close attention to the watering and fertilizing needs of the plant during the July-August higher temperatures. The wet/dry cycle of watering produces bumpy tuber formation. Potatoes like even, consistent moisture. Watch for certified seed potatoes for sale at local garden centers. One pound of large potato seed stock may produce a yield of up to 10 pounds. One pound of fingerling potato seed stock may yield up to 20 pounds. 

I have the Maine Potato catalog. I will most likely order from them. 

They have the "experimenter's special" $19.99 with your choice of four varieties.  Pg 10. You can get the catalog for free. There are other package deals too. 

They offer a nice variety for mid and late season. They give information which is which so I like that. I'm not sure what I'll choose. Perhaps two Experimenter specials. So I can try more varieties of mid and late varieties. 

Does anyone grow Early varieties?  

Thanks for sharing! This year I did a red early variety and kenebecs. They all did ok except we had some taters that were rotten in the ground that I think was due to excessive rain at the end of the season and that being a low spot. The kenebecs are great potatoes. Will definitely grow them again