Oldtime Smith

This Site Comes to a Close- but has lots of good info still

2008-12-11T14:49:00.004-06:00

I began oldtime-smith way back in November of 2006 as a way for my hobby of anything oldtime be expressed. Now two years later I am beginning a new site, one that will replace this one in location but much of the direction will be the same. However, a lot of it will be changing.

My hope is that MyerstownFarm.com will be a place that people seeking information on Self-Sustainable farming methods, or those seeking information about Oldtime music, or even those who are seeking information about how a Free country should be, can come and learn and interact.

This site has served well for a number of years, but I want a more professonal location, one that I can use for a business.

So I hope you will begin coming to that site from now on as I will not be posting here anymore. Thanks a lot.

Jeremy Myers

The Bees Are Dead!

2008-12-07T14:12:00.005-06:00

Today (Sunday) is a sad day, after starting two nucs (to the tune of $109 each), having to condense one in the fall into the other, and now the last hive is dead. All the bees dead either in the cluster (which they form in the winter to stay warm) or on the bottom board or on the inner cover. All gone! I went down to the hives today because it was a nice day and I thought I might see how the bustle was going and make sure the bees were minding their "Bee's Wax". I didnt even take a hood because I wasnt going to get into the hive as the temperature was about 55 degrees. I began to see dead bees at the entrance and on the ground and I began to worry. I opened up the top and seen dead bees on the inner cover, I proceded to remove the inner cover with my knife (the propolis glued inner cover is usually popped up with the hive tool but I didnt bring that). I found dead bees all over. Looked at the middle Hive Body and found the cluster, Bees frozen in time as if they were alive but...not.

There were 3 full hive bodies of honey so they shouldnt have starved....but I think they did. Not only do I think they starved but I wonder if the Verroa Mite aided in their demise as there was tons of them on the bottom board and I could see them on the bees.

I think its possible that they starved 3 inches from honey. We have had several days of below 50 degree temperatures and I think that they couldnt stray from the cluster to get food...though I am not sure of this. Most days the temperature was around 35 to 45 degree range.

I took a few pictures to show what it looked like

Bees dead at the entrance.

Bees dead on the ground in front of the entrance.. Bees dead in the cluster.
Bees dead on top of frames.If you look close at the below picture (even thought its blurry) you can see a Verroa Mite on the dead bee.

Bees dead on the bottom board

There is one small consolation to all this. I get to try some of the honey earlier than I thought! I am only taking out two frames to try because I want to save the rest for the spring to get 3 hives started. Though I am not paying $109 again for nucs. I am going to be trying to find swarms this spring like a mad man. If for some reason I find more than three swarms...I am working at a commercial beekeepers business and I can quickly get more boxes. Below is a good full frame of light capped honey. I tried it and it tastes like Carmel. Its really good, though it isnt clover honey, it will really be good to have our own honey. It will provide a natural immune enhancer to prevent allergies in our area.

All of this said, I am hopefull for the spring. I am sad that such a start to the winter had to end so early and I have yet had a hive over winter so I am loosing out on the learning of springtime duties, but I am working a beekeeping place...maybe I can just learn there.

For now I will hope someone calls me with a swarm around March or April or so and I will be able to replenish the hives.

Take care.
Jeremy

I havent forgot

2008-12-03T08:36:00.004-06:00

I am still here. With Thanksgiving and deer season and working I am up to my eyeballs in work. Funny thing is I am not making much money....ha ha.

I am now working part time for Honey Heaven. I am building bee boxes and working bees (well not yet cause its below 50 degrees) and I pretty much anything else related to comercial bee keeping. But that being said its 100 miles round trip (50 miles there and 50 miles back) to get to the workshop. So the pay will work out to be insignificant after gas is figured in.

Besides that, I have finished the roof of the barn (drip edge, shingles and all) and now I await funds to put the siding on.

I still am working on the new website also. I have recently changed a few things let me know what you think.

Well that's all for this time. I will have part two of the deer processing soon I just haven't had time to write it.

God Bless

How to Process Your Own Deer

2008-11-19T09:24:00.010-06:00

How to Process Your Own Deer

"Part 1-Quarting up”

By Jeremy Myers

Warning some of the Images below may not be appropriate for people who don’t like to see blood or those who disagree with killing animals. For those of you who don’t think that it’s right to kill an animal to eat , thats okay, just dont think we will do the same thing. WARNING! If you cut yourself with a knife or any other object as a result of processing your animal at home, I am not responsible….Its really sad I have to say that. The method of processing here is what I learned by my father and that said, there are probably many other methods out there. This method works for me and I have used it for many years.

One of the most important parts of being self-sustaining is to be able to “Do it yourself” or DIY to save your money for other more worth-while improvements that will better your ability to be self-sustainable. One of those DIY items is processing your own meat. This is one area most people pay to have done but it is a simple task and in the world of self-sustainability, you have to do it yourself or risk going without meat with your garden fresh vegetables. Another reason to process your own meat, other than to save money, is to be sure that its your deer (or other animal) that is in those packages and not some one’s cow mixed in with a little of your deer.

Deer is practically “labor free” in that you don’t have to feed them, house them, or medicate them, you can harvest them when season is in and you’re ready for the meat to sit in your refrigerator and then eventually the freezer or canned in jars with stews or other types of “fixin’s”. I recently got a deer with my bow and thought I would document its processing to show how simple it is (just takes time) and how you can end up with the leanest, healthiest, meat you can find anywhere.

So here we go; how to process your deer is one of those new elements of the new blog design, focus, and mission. I am posting it here but intend to repost to the new site once it is ready.

The first step after harvesting your deer is to gut and remove the intestines in the field. If you’re like my dad you will want to save the urine to use to bring bucks in for your next deer. I like to remove the scent glands around the inside of the leg to keep the meat from getting the urinated scent on it (this may just be one of those pointless things I do because my dad did…I am not sure). When you get the deer to your place bring it within distance of a garden hose. Split the pelvis with a hatchet (be careful not to hit your foot) to allow for cleaning the rest of the intestinal track. Then take a garden hose and wash the inside of the carcass out getting any leaves or blood that is loose inside, out. Once all of this is done and any hunting regulations met (for example checking in the deer) then you are ready to process.

The first step to process would be to hang the deer upside down by its hind legs, high enough to get the nose off the ground but low enough to reach the middle of the back legs. If your like me (Short) you will still have to get a step stool (I use a large log).

To do this, make a slit in the leg between the leg bone and the large tendon. Be sure not to cut the tendon as it will make the whole process a lot more difficult. Then feed a rod (either steel or wood but if wood make sure it’s strong enough to handle 200lbs) through those slits to spread the legs as wide as possible. Tie the legs to the rod because later when you cut the ribcage from the hind legs, one or both legs will fall off once the weight redistributes its self.

The next step can be done before or after the hide is removed. In this case I did it before so I am discussing it now. The step is removing the inside Tenderloins. The Tenderloins (inside and outside) are the most tender parts of a deer. The inside tenderloins are a special type of tissue in that it can be used to make jerky easy by pealing strips off the original (after being removed from the carcass of course) rather than cutting with a knife. To remove the Tenderloin, slide your knife along the spine down the length of the muscle cut the top off then begin to work the Tenderloin off by pulling and cutting.

Once both are off (if you did this step before skinning) then its time to begin skinning the deer. To start this process, take your knife and slide up the inside of the back leg up to the point where your rod goes through the legs. Be careful to slide between the skin and the meat not cutting the meat (sometimes you can lay the knife sideways and cut that away). Once you are at the knee joint cut the skin around from under the skin out, on the leg and pull skin off leg. Repeat the process on the other leg. While you are pulling the hide off the meat you may need to cut with your knife to free it up…this is fine but be sure not to cut the skin all the way to the meat or you will end up with hair on the meat that then becomes very difficult to remove.

Once both legs are finished then cut the tail off and begin pulling the hide down. You may need to cut around the rib cage area to get it down. Try to keep most of the meat on the ribs (and not on the hide) as it makes it much easier to get the rib meat off later and makes tanning the hide easier too. The rib meat is great for hamburger…that’s about it.

Once you get down to the front legs run the knife up the inside or the bottom of the front legs (just like you did with the hind legs) and cut a seam to allow the hide to be pulled off the legs. Then with the hide down to the head and the legs free of skin cut the head off as far as you wish. I like to go as far up to the head as possible then use all the neck meat for hamburger but a lot of people don’t use the neck meat because its too much trouble…not a good enough excuse for me to waste part of an animal. Cut the forelegs (the part between the elbow and the feet which still have hair on them) off too. The four of these leg cut offs can be shaped and assembled to form the base for a lamp if you’re so inclined. By accident I discovered that it’s much easier to skin the deer with the legs in the forward position. To get them to that position you must tie the legs to the head before riggor sets in. Then the skin pulls off very simple (relative to leaving them forward which with the deer in this position the legs would extend horizontally).

Now with the hide (and head) off you can begin “Quartering”. Start by removing the outside tenderloins…also called the back straps and then place them into a new trash bag to wrap up and store in your refrigerator till your ready to package for freezer storage or till your ready to cook it. To do that take the knife and run it down the spine all the way up the neck. Then cut as shown around the back leg and down the back. If you look at the below picture the Right side has been removed and you can see about how big a back strap is and how far on the outside to cut. Remember that the back strap is one solid piece and can be left mostly in tact all the way to the neck.

Once both outside tenderloins are removed (left and right), then it is time to remove the front legs. Cut as far to the outside of the scapula as you can. This will get most of the leg and shoulder meat. The rest can be removed and put in the bag to be made into hamburger. Rib meat is tough and rubbery but will make good hamburger to avoid wasting any of the deer meat. I like to place each leg in its own plastic bag so that when I am ready to debone it I can do a leg a night and not get burned out too quick. Be sure to store in the refrigerator while you are processing it.

One additional thing I like to do is to remove the fat (the white stuff in the below picture) and render the lard. This lard is not the greatest for cooking in, although if you had to it would work in a pinch, but it will work for soap making, oil lighting, and any application for lard it will re-harden to its waxy-oil consistency once it has cooled. I take the fat off and be careful not to get too much meat on it. If you can cut off any meat that ends up on there. I use a lid to keep splatter down but keep it slightly off so that the moisture will escape. It can then be placed in a skillet and cooked. Smash and move around occasionally when you see a lot of liquid dump it out to increase the render speed. If you choose to, while it is warm, strain the liquid through a fine screen to remove chunks of meat or un-rendered fat. You can also re melt the lard when you have time and do it then. I place the liquid lard in a bowl lined with freezer paper because the waxy coating on the paper makes removing the lard easier.

There is Part 1 of how to process your own deer. In Part 2, I will show deboning and packaging the meat.

Some Old, Some New!

2008-11-06T10:18:00.009-06:00

We got back from Kansas City Mo last weekend with a truckload of Auction items. I left one truckload up there at my mom's place that I still have to go back and pick up. It was my grandfathers' estate auction since passing away back the March before last. All the items I got were specifically for the self-sustainable direction I am wanting to go in. No electric items were purchased.

I did get a really nice Antique Seed Cleaner that with a few repairs will be functional and will provide a great deal easier task to cleaning the chaff out of Corn or wheat or Sorghum grain. It has an electric motor but I can adapt that to a different power source. There are some pictures of it below as I was lifting it up into the loft of the barn so it wouldn't get wet with last nights rain.

The barn is continuing to progress ever so slowly. I am very much a novice at building (I'm sure most could see) but that is not going to stop me. It just may take a little longer. Below are a few pictures to update you all on its progress.

Putting the Plywood decking on:

Most of decking on:

Unfinished Fascia:
Loading Grandpa's Work Bench out of the truck to the loft:

Loading Grandpa's Seed Cleaner:

All but one sheet of Plywood decking left to place. Edges Trimmed and Fascia on:

There is the old info (you knew I was building a barn).

Here is some new info. I am building a new website. It will be a blog like this one only it will be a larger scale so I can use it as a website and a blog. Also I have an online store I am building. None of this is finished. I only am telling everyone about it to get feedback on the layout and ideas about inclusion of features. The blog is to be a radically different site than this one with a mission of education rather than ranting and raving all the time.

You can view it here: Myerstown Family Farm

I will make a final posting when I am ready to switch over that will let everyone know I have moved over. But for now this site will continue to be used.

Take care
Hope you enjoy...and give me some feed back if you can.

Fall is in the Air

2008-10-24T07:46:00.012-06:00

What a great time of the year! This is my favorite time of the year when things are changing, colors are brightening up, and its getting cooler! I am not a fan of temperatures above 85 and my comfort zone is 65 deg.

I have posted an economic article here to discuss some of the current events.

I was visited by a friend from Colorado. I know him only through youtube, my blog, and a short couple visits on the phone, but he is certainly an interesting fellow to visit with. I relate well with him in the areas of Biology (he's an Aquatic Entomologist), music (plays the fiddle and guitar), and in farming (though he doesn't have a farm, he would have in a different life...so he says).

After surveying the place and going to look at the Bees, we began to play music. We must have played music for over 2 hours strait. Both of us had our recording instruments out. He had a pretty neat Zoom H2 that would pick up sound in a 360 degree direction and you could isolate each quarter into its own unique channel. It recorded very well for the wind that was blowing.

Well anyway I have a few videos of us playing below:

Cumberland Gap:

Whiskey Before Breakfast:

HK Silvie on a Tune (I dont remember the Name of):

As a result of all the fun I have had I have not really made a lot of progress on the barn. But i have made a little. Below is a picture of where it is today.

I am in the process of building some new Rabbit pens. We have a lot of overflow on the rabbit side of things. I want the new pens to be transferable to a "Rabbitry" so I am building them like I would need them in the Rabbitry and the building a stand under and making a roof over. In other words I am converting it to a Hutch style pen rather than a Rabbitry style...but I can use it in a Rabbitry when I am able to build the building. This is a new method for me. I have never built a rabbit pen with the little clips so it was kind of awkward at first but it turned out good.

This is certainly a better method of building a pen. The rabbits in the old style would eat the wood that the wire was nailed to. With this type of pen they cannot. Also it conserves material in the way of not needing to build sections to house each rabbit. To convert this to a hutch all I need to do is build a stand with a roof and slide it in. Then when I build my rabbitry, I just slide the cage out and hang it from the ceiling of the rabbitry.

Well Hope you enjoyed. Take care

Barn Update

2008-10-14T08:05:00.006-06:00

I have made some progress on the barn. All the lumber I had purchased for a different project (the big one I never told anyone about) but I decided not to use it for that. A few changes have been taking place in planning and I will discuss in later posts.

The Barn is coming together quite nicely (with only minor mistakes...which I am leaving). Below are a few pictures of its progress.

Short and Sweet!

Take care.

Principles - Prerequisite for Leadership

2008-10-10T09:21:00.009-06:00

I write very often and much of what I write never is seen again once it was written. I thought what I am about to post would be one of those pieces however I think it would be a good post in light of what is going on here on our place.

A bit of behind the scenes to let you know whats going on. We have been wanting to either sell our place to get a larger tract of land for farming, or we wanted to sell the Double wide mobile home which is in the middle of the property to make more room for crops and such. We found a couple who were very interested in buying the mobile and when we tried to sell it to them we found that we could not because our mortgage requires that the Mobile home stays on the property. Well they were able to get the loan and it required no deed or title for the mobile home...in other words we could have sold the mobile and the bankers would never have known. Boy was that tempting! Not to mention a strange set of events that almost seem to make the situation seem as though God himself set the things into motion to make it happen. All was ready.

But my conscience was giving me a run for my money. After weeks of prayer and thinking for the decision and against it...back and forth...I thought of this article I wrote months earlier. After this I (we) have decided not to sell the mobile and this makes things even more complicated to figure out. But its the right decision.

Below is the article I wrote but had set on my laptop for months. What I want those who read this to take from it is that principles guide you when you don't know where your going.

I hope you enjoy this.

_______________________________________________________

Principles, a Prerequisite for Leadership

Jeremy Myers

July 3, 2008

The rumbling of thunder crowd for attention amongst the sounds of the night insects, a storm is developing on the horizon and we’re soon to receive the rain. How can we stop it? What a fruitless venture it would be to interfere with a process such as this. As the flashing breaks the night sky, the peals of thunder destroys the peaceful bliss that once was before the day became far spent. It is the nature of storms to create awareness, and to cause us to open our eyes and cause us to pay attention so that the crashes of lightning don’t strike us.

What are the principles of storms? Everything works with a type of order, what is this in comparison?

Once moving, you cannot stop it. Therefore, it would be unwise to worry about it, since such worry would cloud your judgment to prepare for its arrival.

Before it’s upon you, take shelter. This would mean that it would be wise to know what a good type of shelter would be for the storm you are in before the storm even comes into view.

Once upon you, stay resolute in your security and placement. Don’t go running outside to see what the storm is doing, don’t assume you are able to handle what the storm throws at you.

When fear sets in, be resolved in your foundation and the shelter by which you are covered.

When it passes, be thankful to weather the storm safely. Plan to be safer for the next storm that will undoubtedly come.

How long will the storm last? No one knows. Am I still talking about the weather or something deeper? Yes. What I have outlined are principles. Principles hold true in spite of the circumstances. I could take the previous statements and apply them to politics, personal journeys, spiritual journeys, and more. Why do I state all this. A leader must understand principles and how they work and why they are formed. Not all circumstances will be the same. Not every problem has an easy solution. When a principle is established, the pathway can be illuminated even when its night time and a storm is blowing in. These principles, taken to heart, can be quickly reintroduced into a situation demanding a decision, and the outcome will be the right outcome. It is of note that I say the right outcome. I didn’t say the most favorable outcome. Someone who desires to lead need only know the principles to do so. All the rest just causes the sheep to be lead astray.

It is a just leader who learns the laws, as the laws of nature are learned to understand storms, and verifies if those laws are in keeping with reality. If it was said today that the earth was flat and that one could fall off the edge, as it was five centuries ago, one would throw it out on the basis that we could not have the seasons which we do or we could not circumvent the entire globe with an ocean vessel if it were so. Therefore, the law of a flat earth should be thrown out for one that is obvious. Or maybe it is a place where a law is not necessary, such as the law of gravity. With respect to our planet it exists, with respect to space, it does not. How then can we have a law on a behavior which does nothing but promote more of the same behavior?I purposely speak in riddles to cause the reader to think about its meaning. We so often read through then go on and it is forgotten immediately. This way in order to understand you must internalize and maybe even educate yourself to find the answers.

Many times I have thought how I can make a difference. And many times I have come to the same conclusion that: I do make a difference, as long as I keep going, though it is not always satisfactory to my desires.

Some day if I were ever to be brought into a situation where a government office was a potential, I would run. As it stands now I do not know what I should do, so I continue on as a steady plow, plows in a large field. The only way the field will be broken up, is to continue forward and not dwell on the crooked rows.

The First Annual "Old-Time, Music and Potluck Get-together"

2008-10-05T09:15:00.015-06:00

The sun has set on the first Annual Old-Time, Music and Potluck Get-together for Myerstown Family Farm. This is the beginning of what I hope will be many family oriented get togethers planned for our farm. There were 12 Adults (not counting us) and 9 children who attended.

The turnout was not as I had hoped and the focus was not really on music and visiting. Rather, it was on blacksmithing and visiting...though thats not bad either. While it may have not turned out as I had hoped, it was an enjoyable time for Brandy and I, and from what I could tell everyone else had fun too.

Attendance was about the same as last year’s get-together in August (which was not affiliated with Myerstown Family Farm) but we had a lot more kids this time. So less adults showed up. Go figure and me without any games! Good thing they brought a few.

I had a vision of everyone eating, talking and listening to those who decided to pick up the instrument of their choice and play along with each other, however, it didn’t turn out that way. I tried to get it going but without someone familiar with Old-Time music it was very painful to whittle out a tune (myself on the fiddle and one blues guitar player). So it was about that time I decided to revert to what I knew the Guitar player (Hayward) and I had in common…Blacksmithing.

We got things going on the forge while others gathered around at various times to watch, some played and then came over and then returned to playing again. We got a couple people involved and they made some stuff too! I should have gotten close up pictures of the finished product. There were some awesome things they made!
As we began to get involved a friend had shown up who I play music with down at McClurg. We got a little jam session going (Him and I) while the others did blacksmithing and some of the individuals who were not participating in music or blacksmithing would come and listen to us then go and watch them and back and forth. It worked out so good that I almost thought of it being a festival…almost.

The sun began to set and a shadow covered and as people began to leave some coming inside to visit a few minutes longer, others just leaving, I began to think about what had happened this day and why. How can I change it for next year?

I like how the blacksmithing drew so much intrest and participation I think that next year I want to try and incorporate the blacksmithing into the Get-together, and with his help, and if he chooses to, I really would like Hayward to help out with this again. Maybe have a couple things going at the same time to make it more festival like. If it gets bigger, maybe someone with a different talent or skill could create a third “attraction” where we could have plenty to watch or do.

I think having people get involved in the Art and craft of blacksmithing or in music or whatever else, is the best way for the message that Myerstown Family Farm stands for to be promoted. I don’t want it to become a show, or an attraction (Although those not wanting to participate are free to watch or listen) like Silver Dollar City, I want it to be a message of self-sustainability where people can learn and do different “crafts” that would help them to thrive during a time of economic recession or depression. Who knows we may need to change the name for next years event to account for the different focuses.

Next year I will get some video and if we do blacksmithing I want to try and get pictures of the items made. I should have this year but I forgot to.

I chose the 4th of October this year because it was the first weekend of October and I thought that it would make it easy every year for people to remember that it is always the first weekend of October. Looking ahead next years first weekend of October is the 3rd so those who read this and are interested, mark your calendars. Maybe by that time we will have some new surprises in store for you.

Sept 23rd Update

2008-09-23T19:13:00.006-06:00

The last post that I made dealt with the economic feasibility of farming with horse power. It answered in my opinion most of what I will discuss again in this one. However, I find it necessary to repeat it in an extremely abbreviated manner due to a question I was asked by email. The email asked some good questions as to the legitimacy of farming with horses and its application and practicality now that we live in the 21 century.

The email went as follows:
An interesting excerpt but if horse farming is so good why did it not survive? The internal combustion engine has taken a lot of revisions but for over 100 years now it is still the mainstay of the world for engine technology. Are you sure you just don't have someone trying to prove a point in RE: to your study? There are several compelling reasons why people don't farm with horses any more, surely some of these reasons are valid today?
There are a lot of smart famers out there, if horse farming is better/faster/cheaper then we should be seeing farmers running in droves to this older technology.

Now the responses I am about to give are in my own opinion, however, I do believe it is also the opinion of many others who farm with horses to this day through reading article and other publications.

Please click on this link and read the article I wrote. It is only 3 pages and it should clarify the issue.

I would like to give a bit of word from the farm here. We had someone steal all our pumpkins last week and they stole a drill that was lying in view also. So we are disappointed in that we will not be able to offer pumpkins at the market this year. The drill was particularly a problem because it is the main tool I am using to build this barn. I have lost two and a half full days of work due to the loss of the drill. The cash reserves were such that we had to wait to buy a new drill to continue on the barn. I have begun to work on the barn again but I do not expect it to be ready by our “Old-time, Music and Potluck Get-together” which is coming up October 4th. I am praying that I can still get it up to have a place to have the get-together under in the event of rain and just to enjoy it for the party.

I have been able to get some work done (since I bought another Drill) and it can be seen in these pictures.

Mortis and Tennons

Using my Home made Mallot

Setting up first section

Setting up the home made crain (i did change the location of the chain to the structure before lifting because it would have broken the board)

Hoisted up by a come-along (attached to a tree behind barn.

Chain in correct location. Hoist began.

Structure up in the air held from falling backwards by rope in front wrapped around a tree.

First section added to original. This made it able to stand on its own.

This is where I am as of Sept 23rd.

Update Sept 26:

All 7 pillars set:

Look at union:

Sorry to those who depend on the email to let them know when I have posted. I forgot to send it and blogger doesnt give the opportunity to have it automatic.
Hope you enjoyed.

Articles

2008-09-23T19:04:00.007-06:00

10-24-08
The Market, the Sign of things to come:

Sometimes I wish I were not right about some things. The market being one. Falling so fast today that they shut it down to prevent a mass sellout. While the timing of a Depression may not be as I have said, it is coming with no doubt. My own opinion is that its time is upon us now. It's not a result of some prophetic ability but rather an understanding of how true "Free Market" interactions work. What we have in this country is not a Free Market System. If it were free, it would not be regulated by the federal government. No, if it were truly free it would be left to the consumers to regulate by their spending habits. A true free market system would allow the ups and the downs to naturally occur and those who made mal-investments would loose money and those who made good investments would make money.

But ultimately, the result of the current market crisis (and any in the future) is the foundation of our monetary system. It is the Fed who is the root cause of our "Free Market" not being truly free. It forecasts, it regulates, it makes attempts to curb loss, and in doing all this take the Free out of the Market. This is how I can say, we will have another Depression and another and another. Why? Because those who have the wealth, gain more wealth when a depression occurs. Then the government is granted more Power to take away the freedom of people.

This ultimately leads to a system that facilitates the government and hurts the people. How? By creating a "cash cow" approach. For example, we are the cows and the government is the milker. We eat the grass and as long as we're happy with the grass the government gets the milk. We do the work to eat the grass and convert it to milk. But all the while the cow is oblivious that the grass is dried and is bland and has no real appeal because that's all it has known. The Cow had no idea there were fields of grass with sunshine and freedom to move. Why? Because at some point this cow's parents were duped into walking out of the field into a barn where it was kept, then the calf was born and never knew there was a world outside the barn. Then when the cow is past its production period it is led to the slaughter house. Can you say euthanasia?

All this to say, we have a presidential candidate that doesn't talk in terms of America but rather in terms of the World. Why do we want to give our sovereignty to the world? Only local government can be controlled, State government is harder, National is impossible, and Global get real...there is no stopping Global governmental abuses.

Ultimately, it is going to get tough again just like the Great Depression but slightly different in that people will become more willing to give up a "Free Market" to a government mandated system so that they will not loose any money. Whether it is with this candidate for president or the next.

If we don't realize that our lives have changed and the comforts we had before we will no longer have, we will be left cold and hungry and at the mercy of at first, the Federal Government, and then to the Global Government. Chances are we could still be at their mercy but at least we would have a chance if we returned to a self-sustaining model of agriculture. We would exist without aid of the government.

By the way, (yes this may sound a bit fanatical) be careful what you accept from the Government in the way of free hand outs. There is no such thing as free with the government.

---------------------------

9-23-08
In Responce to an Email regarding a previous Post:

An email was directed to me after posting to my blog a review of a study on the feasibility of farming with horses. The email went as follows:

An interesting excerpt but if horse farming is so good why did it not survive? The internal combustion engine has taken a lot of revisions but for over 100 years now it is still the mainstay of the world for engine technology. Are you sure you just don't have someone trying to prove a point in RE: to your study? There are several compelling reasons why people don't farm with horses any more, surely some of these reasons are valid today?

There are a lot of smart famers out there, if horse farming is better/faster/cheaper then we should be seeing farmers running in droves to this older technology.

First I want to address the statement of farming with horses as “Not surviving”. Actually on the contrary to what most believe horse farming has survived. Cultures have a funny way of isolating people, so too does the two cultures of Non farmers and Farmers using horses. People just go to the store and pick up what they want to eat and never see how its produced. There are over 200,000 Amish (just to start) who farm with horses or have someone in their family who does farm with horses and that doesn’t count the “Englishers”, as the Amish call us. I believe I read a note in the Small Farmers’ Journal that the editor sites having record of roughly 400,000 who farm using horses and that number doesn’t include the Amish. Even if that estimate wasn’t true, just type in “Horse Farming” into any search engine on the web and you will get droves of articles, News letters, Magazines, Books, Videos, and more on just the subject of working horses for farming. There are companies manufacturing NEW equipment just for today’s horse farming operation. The Horse Progress Days in Ohio is a great example of how new technology is coming to the aid of this “Old technology” of farming with horses.

Now what about the value of farming with horses versus the internal combustion engine and to its legitimacy in today’s market?

This question represents a difference in philosophy as well as a practical application difference. The Charter Gasoline Engine Company of Sterling, Illinois was the first to successfully use gasoline as fuel. It was Charter's creation of a gasoline fueled engine in 1887 that soon led to early gasoline traction engines before the term "tractor" was even coined by others. Charter had adapted its engine to a Rumley steam-traction-engine chassis, and in 1889 produced six of the machines to become one of the first working gasoline traction engines. Now the gasoline engine was created in a time when oil was cheap as a fuel source, and since the previous mainstay for fuel was wood to burn for steam, no one has been able to see the results of using a non renewable fuel such as oil until now.

Once the government began to get involved in the free market, thereby killing it, the special interest groups promoted tractors and implements telling farmers that it will out produce horses any day. What they didn’t tell them is that once they got them in debt for the tractors, and fuel was needed to drive the tractor, they had all the leverage on the American people they needed to push their weight around and receive special incentives from the US Government. When government gets involved in the free market, freedom stops because there is no righting factor, known as a persons will to buy or not to buy based on environmental pressures or desires. But all this is getting into another territory I am not ready to delve into yet.

So from a practical standpoint, farming with horses would ensure a steady overhead to the operation of farming, in that, fluctuations in the market would not effect its operation much farther than it cost to sell the produce.

But really this is more than just the previously stated; the use of Draft power (horses, Ox, and Mules) represents a change in philosophy. Bear with me as I try to get this point across.
If your philosophy is to make farming more of a business, exchange a lot of money in the process, and you DO NOT really care about the consequences of impact to land and the food supply, then you represent one group we’ll call the “Tractor Farmers”.

If your philosophy is to make farming more a way of life, become profitable- not necessarily quick but in due time, and you DO care about the consequences of impact to land and the food supply, then you represent the other group, we’ll call “Horse Farmers”.

Now I am not saying all tractor farmers are like this, but I say this to illustrate a point. Many who use tractors only do so because it is the only way they know how to farm. At the very least, a whole generation has gone by since farming with horses was even done.

The two philosophies can be summed up in one word, Sustainability. While the tractor farmer can out yield the horse farmer, the horse farmer can overcome the financial hurdles that the tractor farmer has. While the tractor farmer is at the whim of the market to do its job (gas prices anyone?) the horse is not. Just as the horse has some drawbacks to operating it in a team, so to does the tractor. With a horse you have to have more knowledge how to handle a team. With a tractor you turn a key and it goes. With a tractor it falls apart as it gets older and leaves you with the need to buy a new one, with a horse it produces you another horse to keep going, all you have to do is train it. With a tractor you get exhaust fumes as a by-product which fills our air with crud, with horses, you get rich fertilizer you can use (not to mention a good source for a charge for your methane production digester). Which is sustainable? Which completes the nature Cycle which God set in motion? Can you take a tractor, use it, while it’s spewing out CO2 capture that to make fertilizer, and then when it stops working make a new tractor out of the old one? Not all this is silly. Only the Draft animal can be a sustainable farming aid.

Just as the study showed, if it were to be read, draft power out functions a tractor in all areas in the long term. People stopped farming with horses because of the hassle of learning to use them, the unpredictability of a horse and the desire to produce more. But this was during a time of economic prosperity, and when oil was a viable and cheap alternative to wood or Draft animal. Now it is not the case. You can change a lot of money using tractors but your net profit is the number to look at, and second, can you maintain this? Its one thing to invest in millions of dollars in equipment and buildings to house that equipment, but can you use that equipment if gasoline raises to $10 a gallon? How about worse, no gas at all?

As to the last statement:
There are a lot of smart famers out there, if horse farming is better/faster/cheaper then we should be seeing farmers running in droves to this older technology.
Yes, there are a lot of smart farmers out their. The number of Draft powered farmers are rising every day where as the number of traditional agricultural farmers are disappearing at an astonishing rate due to unprofitability causing food to be imported from other countries bringing us closer to a ONE WORLD GOVERNMENT and bringing the dangers of other countries to our own kitchen.

Horse farming is not faster due to the learning curves, the limited nature of power they have (one horse power instead of 80), and the unpredictability of the animal. But, farming with horses is Better and Cheaper and that is outlined in the study which I posted. If this were not so then why do farmers get premium prices for their products that are either organic and/or cultivated by Draft Power? And yes, we are seeing farmers running to the “older technology”, rather than away as is the case of traditional tractor farming, but they are also improving the older technology to today’s standards.

There is one more factor that I believe was over looked in the email; enjoyability. You say that isn’t a word. It is now! To me, it is more enjoyable to hear myself think, then the bawl of a tractor in my ears with its gas or diesel engine dripping oil on the ground where my food grows. To me, it is more enjoyable to work from my own land, produce what I need, recycle what I need and come out with a net profit with NO outside input. We have become so “Factory” minded that we expect everything to work in an assembly line fashion. It should always work the same way and in a business like fashion. The unpredictability of a draft animal throws that state of mind into a sort of chaos. A little labor never hurt anyone I can say that because I have done it. You want it easy; just go to the store or farmer’s market to buy your food. You want it to be more meaningful; become a farmer who lives a sustainable lifestyle, and who lives within his means until it is granted to him by God to be wealthier.

Farming is a lifestyle first, it becomes a business second. It cannot survive unless it is in that order. You can see this today with the growing number of people becoming sick with produce that would never normally make them sick, it is because the business side of things goes with the market whims and the market demands more profit. In the case of our pseudo-market we have other factors that contribute to the farming pressure. If it were a truly free market, the bad farmers would go out of business and the good farmers would continue to make a profit. But instead the good farmers go out of business because the bad farmers throw more money to the legislators. The market can go anywhere, anytime for any reason. The self sufficiency of farming with Draft Animals produces a balance to this “tossing of the waves”. It provides a person with a rooted sense of purpose because what he is doing is sustainable and has been proven sustainable for generations upon generations. The difference of farming then and farming now can be summed up in, technology. We can produce better equipment now, do more with the equipment, and create greater yields with less power than before because of technology. It is better, cheaper, and you could say faster in that you get the money faster because you don’t have the high payment on a new tractor.

Economics of Farming with Horses

2008-09-18T08:24:00.014-06:00

Ever thought of such a thing? Well actually someone did think of such a thing. Chet Kendell of Rural Heritage.com has worked up a study to show that on farms up to 200 acres, a farmer actually comes out on top economically using Horse Power rather than Tractor power. Now this assumes that you actually work those 200 acres...you could have more but not work it and it would be fine (say for example you grow a crop of Oak trees).

He takes a look at the requirements of each, such as number of horses per acre and the amount of fuel to power the tractor, the fertilizer offset with horses verses tractors and so on. This study goes into a great deal of detail to show with conservative estimates how much more viable farming with horses is economically.

Rural Heritage on RFD-TV:

(Not hugely interesting but its here to show you Rural Heritage...scroll to the end to see more interesting info.)

Now with the economy slipping everyday, one might think that farming is the last thing to worry about...I say its the first. We have drifted away from a Agrarian society and as a result we are drifting into socialism. A few work to feed the many. The many work to feed the government. The Government controls everything. We become peasants and they become royalty. I say its the first thing to think about because I believe this is how we will survive. With the economic disadvantages out their people may just stop farming to sell (maybe because of over government regulation) as a result there is not enough food for everyone.

To make things worse then the traditional view of Nobility and their control over peasants, in the past all farming was done with draft power and thus was "sustainable" the cycle was uninterrupted. Now the Peasants use tractors which destroy the land, throw down chemical nitrogen which doesn't replace the organic material in the soil resulting in soil loss, and they use genetically altered food seed stock which allows them to spray whatever herbicides or insecticides they want and it doesn't hurt the crop (except it leaves a residue that we ingest) but kills EVERY thing else. While initially this sounds great from a management standpoint, its not for the long term. I could expand on this part but I wont in attempt to keep this short...er.

I am sold on the idea of Draft power (horses, Ox, or Mule) rather than tractor power. While the initial investment of time comes at a high price, the long term investment of money is much less and therefore resources are conserved and economy of scale is maintained all the while reaping a crop much higher in quality then its counterfeit counterpart. To the point...it is more wise to use Horse power.

This study even takes into account for the initial time invested in learning by adding a 25% value to the time for doing the job with horses...compared to tractors.

Though I only have 3.5 acres I still have plans to move to a piece of ground that will host the fruition of my dream but for now...I will learn. Hard as it is to see video and read about others doing exactly what I want to do (because I cant do it right now), I must to gain knowledge so that one day the dream of farming with horses and self-sustainable living/farming can be realized.

This is the Story of a Dreamer.

2008-09-12T18:24:00.008-06:00

This is the story of a dreamer. Many say “Don’t have your head in the clouds, stay ‘down to earth’” and to them I think to myself if only they could dream they wouldn’t say such a thing. Many times along the way and still today I think “maybe their right” and then I shake my head and remember what God said to Israel “My people parish for lack of vision”. Some people say dreaming is not vision, but how can that be? Every vision must start with an idea. An idea must come from somewhere, why not from a mind prone to dream fulfillment of its soul? Many times that idea is incomplete and questions and solutions must be answered and carried out in order for the idea to take shape and be brought to fruition. Many times people see the questions unanswered and the solutions unavailable and intuitively say “Stay down to earth” as if it’s too hard a feat to think around a problem or to have faith that a door will be opened when the time is right. So as a “Dreamer” I will continue to dream despite the counter current faced. Not just negative sentiments, but forces which are uncontrollable and counter cultural norms threaten to dismantle the idea and render my heart broken and defeated. But just as David said in the Psalms as his enemies were surrounding him “I lift my eyes onto the hills, where does my help come from? …My Help comes from the Lord, the maker of Heaven and Earth.”, so too I will say. I will remember Isaiah words “Arise, Shine, for your light has come, and the Glory of the Lord has risen upon you”. These words, and more, and their authority will be the guiding light through the dark paths of this dreamer’s plight and his visions’ accomplishment.

The Story:
It’s a crisp late winter morning, the snow has melted and the frost crystallizes on the drooping stalks of grass in the large pasture. The wind blows gently sending chills under shirt and the sparkles of the sun’s rays begin to warm the face ever so slightly. A calm, quiet stroll brings thoughts of the use of this pasture and as the palm of my hand touches the brittle frozen stems of grass, thoughts of the coming work to be done to prepare this ground for the spring crop fill my mind. Slight remnants of crops from the past still linger in the form of occasional glimpses of “rows” which are now covered in the seeded legumes designed to improve the soil. The rotations have made their journey around and its time for this plot of land to produce again.

Walking back to the barn I walk past the opening of the Horse stall which seconds as a tack room. Grabbing the gear, I walk out to the corral and begin to harness up the traces. The draft mares are skittish after a few months of not being worked, but with time that will pass. The harness is attached, and the two girls are lead to the Manure Spreader. Once the stalls are cleared, we take a peaceful track to the plot that will be re-cultivated. The lever is pushed, and the fertilizing begins fly all the while the two girls enjoy the change of scenery and begin to settle back into their routine.

Its spring, the ground is so soft that your foot sinks an inch as you walk across the field. It’s about 55 degrees and has been for several days now. The ground is thawed, which means its time to break ground. The two mares are joined by a gilding to pull the double plow, because as a rule of thumb for working a plow with draft horses is a horse for each plow and its rider, though its not always the case. Five hours go by and half the work is done. Ten hours go by and the well worked horses and horseman is deserving of some rest. The day is done tomorrow will bring the disk and harrow followed by the seeder the day after that.

Many more events are to be unraveled with this dreamer. What they bring, who knows, but it’s a journey. While the thoughts and intentions of a man’s mind can intend one thing, reality does tend to set in…but it’s the dreamer who can turn reality into opportunity. Stay tuned to this Journey for a real “Reality show”.

Reality:
Currently I am about to build a barn with the help of a friend Hayward Hall. We hope to begin making joints this Saturday (though rain may hinder us) on the Timberframe structure. After going to creek and getting more sand I have the rock work almost complete.

I am going to get the timbers up before finishing up the inside portion. I want to mold the rock around the timbers to form a nice pillar effect.

Rain kept me working under the tent to get this rock work done.

I finally got all the logs stripped of bark. I layed them out so I could see if I had all the components. It sure gets confusing as to whether you have the correct materials or not with logs of various sizes.

This Dreamer is not finished with just work, there must be some play too! Below is a new tune I learned called Grey Eagle.

More to our story to come. Though its being written, it has not yet happened, though its being dreamed, someday it will be lived.

Correction to Last Post

2008-09-06T18:16:00.006-06:00

There were several emails that I received about the last blog posting (Ministry or Farming?)with pleads to "be very careful on making a big decision as this". I think that my last post really confused many and I need to straighten it out.

It is not my intent to stop everything I am doing right now and start up a new career. My intentions with this last post was to say that the current career and the perceived calling are one in the same. I did not mean that I would say...quit farming and become a pastor, or missionary. Instead what I was trying to convey was that I have a desire to serve God and to farm and I feel that the two desires go hand in hand with God's plan for my life.

It has been an idea in the past that I have entertained, that I could create a producing farming operation and use it to provide a place for people who need a place to "Get away" from whatever it is they need to get away from and as a result I could "Counsel" with people while working beside them in the fields. For their work they would receive free room and board. I wouldnt be acting as a boss but a friend who would ask the person to come with me and talk about the issue while we work. There is nothing better than taking something you are working with and use it as an analogy for a spiritual truth. I had thought about creating group services which would be similar to in-home bible studies. I thought about hosting Old-Time get-togethers so that people coming to the farm would have an environment that would cause them to think about their life and the fact that life is temporary here and we have to make decisions now for later.

Many things have passed through my head...no one of them have an easy cut and dry method of achieving. I do know that the lessons are in the journey and that God will guide me to do what ever it is he has for me to do. Two things I am fairly sure of that are part of the equation Music and Farming, these are the things the Lord has given me a gift and a passion for. He has also given me the desire to help others and an ability to shed light on many areas that are hard to understand. Any gift is meant to be used to Glorify God.

I hope this clears up some of the questions.

As an additional thing for this post...I know some of you know about my interest in using horses for farming. I am subscribed to a Journal called "Small Farmers Journal" it is a great publication on working a farm with draft animals (Ox, Horses and Mules). I found a video on Youtube that is about this Journal I thought I would show it here.

Take care every one God Bless

Ministry or Farming?

2008-09-04T16:05:00.007-06:00

To go into the ministry or to pursuit farming, that was the question. What was the answer? Yes. While some my say that as a “Believer” you are already in the ministry, I would agree but it’s not an active pursuit. There for the actual meaning to my question was: “Should I get into full time ministry or is not that my calling?” this would accurately reflect the thoughts I’ve had ever since I left MSU as a biology student (7 years ago).

In all my faults, there still is a desire to please the Giver of Life the one in whom my “rest” is completed. With that desire a 7 year journey comparable to that of a blind man walking in a glass house, where everything was glass and could be bumped into, tripped over, kicked around and broken to pieces. This is the feeling to which I had and to some extent still feel on various other things in life. So, Farming or Ministry, and again, I say both.

Today, I ran into a pastor of the Church where I am currently going (still feel uprooted as far as a home Church is concerned, though that is quickly diminishing here at James River Assembly of God -JRA), his name was Tim Keene and in his slightly preoccupied but not really state we conversed while standing in the main area of Panera Bread Co. We eventually got onto the subject of what I am doing now and proceeded to discuss my plans and Idea about the Self-Sustaining Farming idea. I began to show him some of the Small Farmer’s Journals I had with me (because I was there to get online…and look up various farming websites). As soon as I showed it to him he said: “Wow this is a magazine of how they used to do things the old way!” I kind of laughed a little and said: “Nope, this is how they now do things the new way!” Of course, that began a conversation to which was reminiscent of a salesman giving his pitch.

After I came home I realized that while I was discussing those things with him I remembered the ordeal that started me down this path. It was a desire to spend time with God and to help others do the same. It began this rush of thoughts to my ideas of starting a place where a self-sustaining farm could provide shelter and sustenance to people who need to be at peace for a while to clear their minds. They need “A way out” for a while. This idea stemmed from the fact that I needed help to do the farming chores because I am only one person and cannot do it all myself and that if someone were to stay on the place they could work the place for their room and board. While this idea may not be the right direction (I really don’t know yet) I think the principles are correct. It is like a great big Jigsaw Puzzle and you put some pieces together and you get a part of a big picture but it’s just a part. And while it helps to see the big picture as a whole, it is still a small part. Time is required to put the rest of the pieces together.

My point is, I don’t know where God is taking me on this journey but I do know that the Journey begins with Him, where it goes is up to Him, the choice to follow…that is up to me and my focus while on self-sustainability for the direction of the farm, I must remain Sustained by my Lord. One things for sure, music is part of the big picture, how it works in I dont know.

Below is one of my major projects. It didn’t start out as such but has morphed into one big project. I was given a lot of cedar logs to build my “Woodshed” now with the extra building material the “Woodshed” has turned into a “Barn” and a sort of “Timber frame” style at that. Therefore the new plan is to have the barn built by the time we have our “Old-Time, Music and Potluck Get-together” on October 4th. I am hoping to have it all ready by this time…at least the structure up and the roof on.

Stripping the bark off the log.

Logs that have been stripped.

Not all are Cedar, but most are and they will really add a neat dimension to the barn.

Below is the sifter that I use to separate the large rock from the sand. Once the sand is through I just tip over the sifter and the big rock falls off…its really quite easy.

Here is some of the rock work I am doing. These rocks do not hold a load; they are only a “Skirt” around the piers that do hold the load. I will lay the rock around the piers to cover up the blocks so that it doesn’t show and also to strengthen the blocks so they don’t tip while raising the barn frame. The building will be quite nice when it is finished.

It’s planned to be a 12x16 building with the bottom story 8’ high and the second story 3’ on the sides and 7’ in the center therefore making enough room to walk upright and store hay. It will have a loft door also in the front.

Take care, everyone.

God Bless you all.
Jeremy and Brandy Myers

Six Year Wedding Anniversary

2008-08-23T15:20:00.014-06:00

August 1oth was our 6th year Anniversary and Brandy and we decided to go to Branson for a "get away". Though we live in the country we still have the everyday chores that demand our time. So a get away was just what the doctor ordered.

We found this really neat place which they call Log Cabin Paradise. Its tucked in the hills of Branson and you would never have guessed it was there. The area around it is built up like a tourist town that Branson has become. But this place has been there for a long time so it is hidden from it all and yet right in the middle of it all.

The cabin sets on 11 acres of land and the stream goes right behind it.

Below is a summary of the trip, on video.

We have begun to slow down on the gardening only to get ready to pick back up. I have decided that my focus for the farming has been wrongly placed this past year. While on one hand I was trying to be self sustaining I was also to trying to produce enough product to sell. As a result my financial need was dictating what direction I was taking the farming operation. This then resulted in a "Produce More" mentality rather than the "Become Self-Sustaining" focus I wanted to go towards. So starting right now (or, actually, when I first realized this) I am changing the focus from "Production" minded to "Self-Sustaining" minded when I thought I was doing in the first place but when I brought in the farmers' market as a means of income I inadvertently sabotaged the "Self-Sustaining" part of the operation.

What this means is that all the space I have for gardening is focused on sustaining US first. That includes the Chickens, Bees, and Rabbits. Future additions will be two milking goats but not until these three are established firmly enough to prepare for the addition. If it takes me 5 years I wont get another type of animal until I figure the ration needs of what we currently have.

Unfortunately, because we have such a small amount of land (3.5 acres) our management must be to the "T" or we will be propping up a failed plan with money (ha ha just like our government). We have to be able to subsist as a self contained unit. Once that is met we then can improve on it by adding more. I will elaborate more in future posts with examples of solutions I am "testing" or "implementing". One thing that is nice is that I have a scientific background (Biology Major at MSU) so I know how to experiment with ideas.

Below is my first sample in a "Test" I am working on for producing Chicken feed. It is a small patch of Sorghum. Now this patch has a finite measurement of area and a finite measurement of spacing between rows. When I am able to harvest, I will figure how much grain in volume I yield from the established area of cultivation. This then can be multiplied times the area I have to plant. Another part of this same test would be to see how much a single chicken will eat in a day's time. I can then multiply that number to match either (A) the number of chickens I have or (B) the amount of grain available. Once this is established I need to increase the protein content of the ration. I will begin looking for another plant to grow to accomplish this. A Chickens egg production goes down with a standard amount of protein intake. They require quite a bit of protein and that is why most people opt to buy the high dollar Egg Crumbles that provide around 16% protein.

I am considering a shrub that I read about that is called a Siberian Pea Shrub and supposedly it produces 21% protein but to order the plants online is pricey. That is a plan for this spring.

As you can see from the picture above, most of the early crops have finished (Spinach, Lettuce, Broccoli, and Radish). We planted two plantings of Radish in the same place and got good results both times. We will be planting more Spinach here in a day or two for a fall crop (for us first and others if we have extra).

Our Green Beans and Cucumbers are doing very well. Missouri seems to be a prime place for those crops...maybe its just that they are probably the easiest thing to grow.

I made a mistake and couldn't get to my Tomato plants and Bell Pepper plants soon enough (maybe it was because of the million other things I was doing at the same time including working two days a week at a part time job to fund all these projects), so as a result I ended up mowing down a bunch of them because they where dying and where diseased and wouldn't have made it anyway. I was able to get to a bunch of the rows and lay down news paper and hay. Incidentally, even after mowing down a bunch of the plants, we still have a whole lot more than we did last year. Just not as much as I was planning (again, "Production" minded, not "Self-Sustaining" minded). Those other plants around the Tomatoes are Marigolds to improve the growth of the Tomato plant and to thwart some of the Pests that attack the Tomato. Though, it still doesn't take care of the pesky Tomato worm...Still hand picking those!

We planted some Pumpkins for selling and eating. We are not that big of pumpkin eaters so I am sure we will have plenty to sell. As of this picture we had not seen any pumpkins starting, but as of posting this blog, we have tons!

I am sure you remember me telling you that my Corn bit the dust. Well here is a picture of it. I think I counted 5 small ears of Corn I got off...most of the kernels on the ears were undeveloped. I believe the problem here was not enough nitrogen and possibly too much water.

This picture below is really to show off the Bell peppers, but I think its neat too because of the wheel barrel. I also wanted to point out my improvement on the wheel on the wheel barrel. NO MORE FLATS! yeah! yes of course it rides a bit rougher...but I don't care because I can rely on it not going flat. There is nothing more a pain in the backside then going out to get started on a project and finding out you have to air up the tire first before you can get started. Oh yeah, and that's an "Arkansas Traveler" Tomato plant with the cage around it. I planted it because I play the fiddle tune Arkansas Traveler...yeah I know I'm a nut.

I'll leave you with a fleeting glimpse of the place.

God Bless.

Hope you enjoy.

Update

2008-07-29T07:52:00.005-06:00

Not much unusual going on here lately...its just hot and muggy! We have had more rain this summer then I can ever remember. I am hoping to get a few pictures of some things that are going on here but for now I thought I would just let you know whats going on.

The Chickens are laying good but they eat like there's no tomorrow. I dont know if I can support that many chickens self sustainably if they continue to eat like that. I will go through a 5 gallon bucket of crumbles a day and a bag in less than a week. Whats worse is they seem to be lazy too...they dont eat hardly any bugs. If I force them to eat less they lay less too. As it sets if they have all the food they want they (23 Chickens) will lay about 14 to 18 eggs a day and the bannies dont lay near that percentage...course they eat bugs more. I have been looking into 0ther breeds to see if I can find a better one suited for my plans.

The Bees are doing good last I checked...I planned on checking them tonight...last time was a week and a half ago. Then they were pulling out the new frames in the second hive body I placed on top the first. I can pretty much tell right now that I wont have any honey this year. I am a bit worried they wont have enough honey for themselves. Hopefully though next spring they will be rarin' to go.

The Rabbits are popping out kits left and right. We have currently three kits of rabbits (one just born 2 days ago) and with all those young bunnies you could just imagine what its like with two women who have the mind of a 13 year old (when it comes to baby bunnies). Brandy and her sister get so giddy and goofy when they are around them things I would have thought they never seen a baby rabbit in their life...but its still fun to watch them. We are hoping to get a new Zealand buck to cross breed with these new young so that we can continue to expand. Rabbits are easy to take care of and require little food (compared to chickens) I can feed them a good bunch of clover and they will munch on that all day. Right now I have a mineral block and I feed pellets 2 days out of a 7 day week. The rest I feed grass/clover mix.

The Gardens are....well ....not doing so hot. the early crops are finished (spinach, lettuce, potatoes, carrots, radishes) the corn was stunted and therefore not going to produce this year. Most likely there was too much rain or not enough nitrogen...or both. We have green beans, Cucumbers and bell peppers right now. The tomatoes had a rough time getting going. So we may be able to get our first tomato some time this next month.

This was the worst gardening year I have ever had. Lots of things will be changed for next year....but you live and learn.

I am getting ready to build a wood shed that is 8x12 to house the firewood. I am tired of going out in the winter and breaking the ice off the tarp and getting it all over the wood or in my shoe. I am working on another, rather large project that I have not discussed but I am thinking I will spill the beans on the next post, when I have some pictures to show.

Well take care everyone.

An article I wrote for CountrySide Magazine

2008-07-19T17:34:00.006-06:00

The following is an article that I wrote for Countryside Magazine which I thought would be published in the following publication from what I was under the impression from the editor. However, I never seen it so I am assuming that they will not be publishing it...I dont know maybe it was the strong political statements I made...Big mouth gets me everytime. I thought It was good enough though for at least my blog. So here it is. It has a good combination of farm and political sense. Countryside reflects and supports the simple life, and calls its practitioners "homesteaders."

Preparing for the Next Depression
Another Homesteader’s Viewpoint and Recommendations
By Jeremy Myers
Oldfield, Missouri
xcalibursword@gmail.com

Many believe that there is a recession in the forecast for our country and this economic downturn is just the beginning. They say the Housing market and others have contributed to such a downturn. Well I agree in part with these statements. I would say we are in a recession and are still receding. I don’t believe it’s because of the Housing market flop. I would even say that based on my research, we could be headed for a depression. Why do I think this? You have to look at the reason behind any economic issues. Money and Labor are the main factors to any economy. Our dollars are becoming worth less and our labor is being bypassed for labor in other countries. If the labor does stay here, then it’s succumbing to the illegal immigration crowd looking for money under the table to avoid taxes then sending the money back home, thereby taking revenue from our economy.

Not since the turn of the 20th Century have we seen our dollar worth so little. In 1913 the Federal Reserve Bank was created to become the “Central” bank for America. It was not a new idea when it came into being. Three times before people in power have tried to set up a central bank but they all were closed because of the destructive nature of a “Central” bank.

You may or may not know that the “Federal” Reserve Bank is no more federal than Federal Express. They are a private bank who controls the country’s money. They have all our Gold and Silver and issue Federal Reserve Notes. The Federal Reserve Notes used to be backed by Gold but when the Gold standard was removed in the 70’s our dollar now “is” the money. There is one problem with that…its paper with ink and has no other value than such. So, what about all Americas' gold? The bankers have it.

Now it is my belief and many others’ that the cause of our recession is a natural free market occurrence for being in debt as a nation.

Out of every $1 that is printed, it costs $1 + (a sum for the cost to print). That means for every dollar that is issued, it is worth less than a dollar at the onset of its release. To pay for that $1 to be printed the Federal Reserve raises and lowers interest rates. But because the money to pay for the interest is printed by the Federal Reserve and again has a less than $1 value, the cycle repeats itself because we could never pay to have that $1 printed. So as a result, our dollar becomes less and less valuable over time. Each time the Fed says they are lowering the interest rate that means that they print more money. The more money they print the less value it has and the more they make in interest. It’s a never ending cycle and can only lead to a crash.

So this gives you a background to the reason I believe we are headed for a depression. You may or may not believe this but its worth having a Plan B for as a back up. So what are we going to do about it? One of the founding fathers once said “if Americans knew how the money system really worked, there would be a revolution over night”. Knowledge is the key. We may not be up for fighting a revolution, but there are some things we can do to survive in the midst of a crisis.

As a homesteader in southern Missouri, I have tried to prepare for an economic meltdown by growing my own produce for food and feed, raising chickens for eggs and meat, and rabbits for meat and fertilizer. I hope to have a goat or two some day for milk but I have to remember to keep everything to scale for the size of property I have. As a Biology Major, I have tried to incorporate what I have learned to benefit both the environment as an ecosystem and our farm as a means of survival. I use companion planting principles and beneficial insects to avoid pesticides; I raise all the livestock without hormones or medications and grow the food for both ourselves and the livestock.

It’s important to have principles now while you can think clearly so that when times become difficult you can react with strategic prowess. There are a few principles that I have begun to develop that I feel will provide a candle to a dark path when the electricity is out because there is no money to pay the bill. A principle is something that remains true despite the circumstances. So it is something that when all the cats are let out of the bag at once and you can’t tell which way to go…it keeps you focused.

Principle #1 – Get out of Debt quick and stay out! Notice the order of these principles. Debt is number one for a reason. This is the life-blood of our thoughts. A farm is nice to have and all the growing produce and the raising livestock is nice…that is until you can’t afford the payment on the car, the house, or whatever else you have. You can’t survive when the bank is repossessing your principle investment of survival because you have outstanding debt.

This is one of our biggest issues because when my wife and I were first married we lived in town and were attending college and thought that we had to start the “Normal Life” off right and get credit cards and loans because we had nothing and no money to pay for anything either. With one year of bad decisions we ended up with many years of debt…some of the things we bought, back then, we do not have anymore; however, we still must pay for them.

We are one credit card left to being credit card and loan debt free. Now all we have is the mounded school debt and our property. We have paid off 2 vehicles which were upside down (meaning I owed more than it was worth) Sold them and paid cash for two more that fit our needs for the homestead.

If there is a depression it will be hard to pay debts because there will be no, or limited jobs, and money will be hard to earn because the establishments to which employment is given, are not receiving money either.

So this brings me to my second principle…

Principle #2 – Become Sustainable! This is so important. You may not be able to go to the feed store to buy Alfalfa pellets for your Rabbits or Poultry feed. You have to raise it yourself. Grow alfalfa or red clover for the bulk of the feed for rabbits and raise oats for balancing out their ration. You can grow all kinds of things for Poultry, the Siberian Pea shrub is a great option, it produces a 27% protein grain while it creates a barrier around anything you want and it provides a nectar source for the pollinating Bees that you will need for everything you grow.

With everything you produce or raise, think about the cycle that it takes to keep them living. No I don’t mean that you get in the truck and drive to the feed store, I mean; “What do they eat?” “Can I raise it?” “What else will this provide for?” and so on. For example, my Rabbits can be fed Alfalfa or red clover with some oats to give them the vitamins they need. In return they give me some of the best fertilizer that works great for both root crops and fruiting crops (i.e. Root crops need more Phosphorous, fruiting crops need more nitrogen). It’s a good balance and the cycle continues unabated.

As a result of the seriousness with the issue of sustainability, you have to consider the stock from which you plant. The produce you eat and the products you feed your livestock need to be perpetual and not based on outside inputs. This brings me to my next principle…

Principle #3 – Always Use Open Pollinated or Heirloom Seed Stock. It will not benefit you to buy the hybrid that the Hal-Mart sells when next year it will either produce something else, will not produce seed at all, or the seed that is produced will never germinate the next year. Also, you must consider the implications of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO’s) such as any seed with Terminator genes that kill the progeny for the next season. It is important for sustainability that you save the seed the previous year for the next year or it will never continue and you will do without. Open Pollinated seed stock insures that you will have years of the same crop. Heirloom seed stock insures that no GMO’s have found their way into the variety you have. GMO’s are being linked to or suspected to be linked to a growing list of issues we are facing. One issue is the disappearance and mass die offs of Honey bees. You can find out more about GMO’s at http://www.thecampaign.org/.

Principle #4 – Develop a Network with Others. You may have to survive, but you can survive better and even thrive (as do the Amish) with help from others. Networking with your neighbors should be high on your priority list as this is something that takes time. You have to get to know those who live close to you (even if the closest is 10 miles away). If a disaster hits, we will have to depend on each other. Some have skills that others do not have. Some have knowledge that others do not have. It is an issue that must be worked on before it becomes necessary to lean on their support and them on your support. Knowing your neighbor also cuts down on crime because it makes them accountable to you and each other.

Principle #5 – Consider Your Standard of Living. I was shocked to find out that this area in which I live, just since the late 50’s, even had electricity. Electricity seems to be a basic necessity but in all actuality it is not. I am not saying you should go out and disconnect your power, but consider how much you are using. Could you use a wood stove instead of an electric or propane furnace? Wood is a renewable resource just like growing corn (although it takes longer to grow and still should not be wasted) it can be harvested and replanted and you are not dependent on someone else’s prices, just your work ethic. What are you using for lighting? Do you use 75 Watt bulbs in everything you have in your house? Could you go with a 40 Watt instead…better yet how about candles from wax produced by your own bees which also give honey (which save from having to buy sugar)? What about hot water? Could you afford one of those on demand propane hot water heaters that work when you need them but don’t run when you don’t need them (this is not sustainable in my opinion)? What about heating water on your wood stove? I have thought about building my own wood heating water heater it would be like a woodstove but have a tank attached to the firebox to heat the water and it could be plumbed exactly like a hot water heater. Just throw a few logs in and in an hour you would have 30 gallons of steaming hot water to dilute with cold.

How big is your house? How big is your family that lives in your house? Could you do with less space to save heating, lighting, and cleaning? What about food storage? How many freezers do you have? Could you “Can” instead? Could you store things dried or things that have a long shelf life like leek, onions, kale, turnips, potatoes, beans, and dried corn? Have you ever thought about a cellar that would reach anywhere from middle 40 to middle 50 degree temps? You could get rid of your refrigerator all together. Could you live without your Cell phone?

The standard of living to most is the number one thing that frightens them. We are conditioned to believe we have to have these things or else we cannot live or we are not normal. But we have to remember that not 60 years ago people lived with out all the microwaves and the refrigerators and such and it was normal.

If it’s not your thing to give up your standard of living consider alternative power sources. Solar, to me, seems the most promising but it can’t do it alone. In my area we have wind but it’s not regular so wind power is not a good idea because of the expense to put it up verses the output given. Solar could be used along side with solar hot water heaters that work even in winter. Rainwater catchment systems would save you from having to pump water from a well or from the city for your “grey” water applications or, with filtration, even potable water. Well pumps use an incredible amount of AC when they first turn on so rainwater catchment systems save a lot of your produced electricity if you have solar. But if you don’t want to do that you can buy DC well pumps that run right off your solar panels and a few batteries. All of the alternative energy options have both a cheap and an expensive version and basically depend on how much you want to learn and do yourself. Try to become “Off Grid”.

These principles are not complete I am sure, but more will develop as needed. Also, one other thing to think about is, if you ever get gold or silver keep it! It’s your Savings account. It will be worth something when the paper money is worth nothing. Gold and silver have been used for money for thousands of years and will continue to be used as such. Paper money looses its value the minute you get it so the quicker you can convert it to a stable investment the better.
Whether you believe a depression is on its way or not, these principles would still create a successful homestead and even a business for your farm. It cuts your overhead to very little and maximizes your profits all this while you work from home and enjoy the fruit of your labors.

On my way to the Market

2008-07-10T14:42:00.005-06:00

Sorry everyone,
I didnt have time to set down and write blog at home so I am writing it in the vehicle and therefore will be short.

We had our baby chicks hatch out of our incubator since the last post. There were about 16 hatch out of 3 dozen eggs. Two died right after hatching and a snake got one while they were out side in the cage so we now have 13 chicks.

Also, our banny and regular chicken hatched out their chicks. each had about 5 to 7 eggs under them and both had 2 survive. So we have 17 chicks as of right now.
One of our Turkeys- Appropriatly named "Christmas Dinner" went to check out the chicks.
I decided that I needed to find something I could make that I could sell. So I was awake one night waiting for the coffee buzz to wear off and I thought about these. So I made them.

Well hope you enjoyed.

Take care.

This Land is Your Land, This Land is My Land

2008-06-26T15:57:00.005-06:00

How often my mind wanders to the subject of our nation, its future, and our future as her people. I have been reading the writings of Thomas Jefferson and getting new insight to the problems of our country and why its happening. It’s no secret that I was an avid supporter of the Ron Paul presidential campaign. I donated, I met at meetup groups, and I worked for the campaign; all of this was done as people insisted that I was “wasting my time”. They adamantly endeavored to show my folly in that my vote would be wasted. “Go vote for the preacher”, they advised. “You’re a Christian, aren’t you?”, as if my friends jumped off a bridge I should do the same thing (and besides he’s more electable, right?).

The fallacy of a remark such as this shows how well our government run schools have been indoctrinating young minds for generations. In other words, we pick who we vote for based on emotions and those emotions are from a lack of education. We don’t look at the platform of the potential candidate in comparison to the Constitution. A president is not the Dictator of the country, he cannot make laws, and he cannot go to war without Congress declaring war-that is according to the constitution. But somehow we have begun to think of the office of President of the USA as the leader of the country, who can change the course of the country. Long ago has it been forgotten that we are the government and that the direction we choose is the direction government goes. So now we busily follow the leader like sheep to the slaughter. All the while playing government with our frivolous votes and we go on thinking we will be able to get up and have that moca Java every morning and that our existence, while uncertain, will still be safe because we live in the Greatest Country on earth…right?

While it is true I am a Christian, and as such, put my faith in Jesus Christ to preserve me even unto death; I also am an American. As an American, I (currently) have the freedom to worship however I choose. It is the dictation of my conscience that I put my faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But my consciences also demands that as Christ died to free us from the bondage of the Law, so also have thousands of men died to give us freedom from laws that force a religion on us. They died to give us a land of Liberty, and Liberty is more important than anything else which government can provide.

While our founding father, James Madison, was or claimed to be, Christian, he, as the rest of the members (Jefferson, Adams, etc.) held that even though the incorporation of Christian morals into this new government was a well meaning plight, it could just as easily be reversed to that which Jerusalem suffered under the hands of the power hungry scribes and farcies during the time of the crucifixion. Madison said: “The experience of the United States is a happy disproof of the error so long rooted in the unenlightened minds of well-meaning Christians, as well as in the corrupt hearts of persecuting usurpers, that without a legal incorporation of religious and civil policy, neither could be supported. A mutual Independence is found most friendly to practical religion, to social harmony, and to political prosperity”.

America is being “dumbed down” in order to advance Socialism. Look at both, Republicans and Democrats-or the establishment of- and you will find blatant disregard for The Constitution and contempt towards its power to restrain government abuse. The Constitution is there to restrain the government and prevent it from overstretching its powers, but this only works if the people act as a check and balance to the system. This is a system of self government but only if we govern ourselves but if we take a back seat and say “there is nothing I can do” or “I am too busy right now to worry about that stuff”, we will soon wake up and find ourselves homeless on the land our fathers conquered and unable to change its course.

On one hand you hear the Republicans complain about “Earmarks” but they neglect the fact that the size of government (with regard to bureaucracy, debt, welfare state, warfare state…) all of it, has tripled since 2000. What do we have to show for it? Nothing, a system that is going bankrupt, puts our nation at risk, and prints fiat money which at this point is worth about 4 pennies per dollar only if you compare it to the rest of the world.

On the other hand you hear Democrats complain that the rights of individuals are being taken away, then they nominate the most Socialist individual they could. One thing that we have learned from Hitler and Stalin is that Socialism strips all rights of the individual and the individual is the “Cash Cow” for the State.

I just learned that California has mad it illegal to home school your kids, thereby removing any rights a parent may have over the minds of their children. What’s worse is that is that it wasn’t even voted for by the people of the state, but mandated by a judge. The Judge said: “Parents do not have a constitutional right to home school their children”. With a stroke of a judicial pen, homeschooling parents in California became common criminals that could be prosecuted and jailed. This then makes the children of that state a “Ward of State” and striping the rights of parents to prevent indoctrination of the pliable minds of children. Both the Republican and Democratic Establishments are working for a Socialist state no matter what their talking head on Fox, or on the Talk radio tells you. Once your eyes are open you can see the propaganda both sides use. Once they strip us of OUR CONSTITUTION, they will begin to burden us to pay for the “Privilege to Live”.

While I must maintain my trust in the Almighty, I also must maintain that we should not assume we Christians have it all figured out. By this I mean that people assume the rapture is going to happen so soon that they stop fighting for freedom because its easier and when they are raptured they don’t have to worry about it. When Jesus first came the going consensus was that he would establish a kingdom and everything would be perfect from then on. This however was a miss interpretation of scripture and they believe it would be a literal kingdom with buildings and such, and never thought about the fact that it could be a kingdom of our hearts. Therefore, it is not wise to sit back and do nothing about the state of our country.

Read the declaration of Independence and you will see that the only purpose of government is to preserve liberty, that’s it. How they do that is up to the people. But liberty cannot be removed in order to preserve it. You will also se that government can only get its power from the governed.
Because the Republican Establishment has forgotten what conservatism really is (Conserving maybe!? Non-interventionist foreign policy –like Jefferson advocated, Small government –so we can control it, personal responsibility –so we don’t have to pay for others to sit on their behinds) I have decided that unless Ron Paul comes back as a Republican candidate, I am changing parties, most likely for good.

As a matter of principle, and so far, the only act I can do for my country, I will be voting Libertarian from now on. Liberty must be preserved; security and prosperity will come once it is preserved.
Many will say again that I am throwing my vote away, I say I am preserving Democracy by not sheepishly falling in line and following the leader and doing what everyone else is doing. So many people voted for particular candidates during the primary for no other reason then, they perceived this candidate would win. Now look none of them won and we are left with a candidate that stands against everything I believe is uniquely American. Now we have two Socialists running for office. We have an apparent racist, welfare loving Socialist, and a war monger who wishes to be in Iraq for another hundred years, further taxing American Citizens so he and the companies involved can become wealthy off our backs. Now Iran is looming and with our $9 Trillion national debt and the fed dropping the interest rates at the drop of a hat (and by the way that’s a bad thing…that’s another post), can we afford another war. How will we find enough people to fight a pre-emptive war designed to create fear that Americans wont be safe unless this happens. This actually does the opposite, by making enemies of not only Iran but also the rest of the world as they watch us impose our will on nations around them, they will fear our coming to them.

People, please wake up! Educate yourselves to what Thomas Jefferson, Samuel Adams, James Madison and others said about this new country and how it should operate and how the people should hold government and its officials with distrust in order to preserve Liberty for all.
I hope someday I can make a difference for Liberty in our country. I am afraid that because people have been indoctrinated with “I’ll get you before you get me” and they think it is a noble principle because we will impose Liberty on the rest of the world…and as a result they removed it.

It may be too late for our country.

WOOHOO I HAVE BROOD!

2008-06-25T13:16:00.004-06:00

Honey Bees

As the Title suggests there has been a development in my beekeeping department. After stalling the nuc hive two (the Dark brown hive) drastically reduced in size and number of workers. It has stayed this way for weeks. I had not been able to find the queen and I was starting to really worry about the hive because I couldnt see brood. I went back to the hive this morning and found out that I have brood. Which means they made a new queen. They have about 2 frames of honey and are working on more.

Hives #1 and #2

Rabbits

We have had a litter of bunnies born a week and a half ago. Five of those little guys.

Farming:

I started preparing the Pumpkin patch today. I got a lot to do yet...I need to find a truckload of horse manure and till that in but I am sure I can get that pretty easy.

We also had some Volunteer Wheat grow up where the dogs used to be (it was from their bedding we gave them over the winter). I decided to harvest it. But I dont think there is enough do much so I was thinking about using the seed and replanting it...not sure if I can get another harvest this year...( Does anyone know the answer to this question? We live in Southern Missouri and its the end of June...is there enough time to replant wheat and get a harvest before winter?) I'd like to so we could have cereal or flour. I will for sure be planting some next year. I hope to plant Oats and Wheat. Also I hope to plant a big batch of Red Clover for the rabbits and the bees.

Well I am sure you can tell I wrote this out in a hurry. I plan on having a more philosophical discussion next post about one of my most interested subjects...Politics.

Take Care.

Music and Eggs anyone?

2008-06-12T20:29:00.006-06:00

This time of year, when most people are going to the lake or the creek to get cool, we here at the Myers family (South), we are gearing up for festivals! All summer and fall there are various opportunities for an Old-Time fiddler to play to his hearts content…not to mention to do a lot of Square Dancing! I am not very good at it yet but man, it’s a blast! No I am not talking about people in all exactly alike uniforms getting out and looking like a some western swing kind of thing, I am talking about getting out on the dance floor, in the middle of a town street, or in a Gym that could host 5 basket ball games simultaneously…and making mistake after mistake and falling over ourselves…but have a blast every minute!

June 20th is the next big square dance that we will be going to. We generally camp out at the civic center lawn, dance till about 10pm, and then Jam till 2 or 3 in morning…or when everyone leaves. Then we get up, drink some coffee and do it all over again. Around 1 to 2 we go out to a River (the name evades me right now) and it has a big spring that flows into it. We swim the river down stream till we get to the spring then go over to it (it’s in a small eddie) then jump in and scream all the way out.

I thought I would give you a little taste of this place buy posting a video. This is from last year I hope you enjoy it.

And since I am in the Music mood I thought I would post another video I recently recorded. I didn’t have my good video camera with me but I wanted to record this tune…its called Rattle Snake and it is played in A Cross-tune (AEAE). Sorry about the poor quality audio…hope you can still hear it.

I also just learned a new tune on the Banjo. I am not a real Clawhammer player…I just try to make it look and sound like it. I wish there was someone here that could teach me the technique but for now I will just make do. This tune is called Colored Aristocracy and I learned from a DVD video that Steve Overby from Alabama sent me. This video was of a jam session in which a fella in the jam played this…not sure of his name. Hope you enjoy.

This tune is a tune called Cherokee Shuffle.

We are incubating some 3 dozen chicken eggs now. We hoped the Bannies would set on them and hatch them for us but they hadn’t seem to want to do that…that is until after we purchased an incubator and was into the process a few days. Now, there are two of them setting eggs. We are hoping to get some young chickens to replace these that we bought. Due to the fact that unless they are being given a supplement they wont lay. So I think they are just too old and we got taken by the guy we bought them from.

Update

2008-06-05T13:43:00.004-06:00

Tweedle, Tweedle, Tweedle, and Cockadoodle doo! Those are the sounds I hear this cool sunny spring morning. But the Song birds and Chickens aren’t the only sounds which I hear; the stiff cool breeze and the playful skirmishes of squirrels, the lizards scurrying about and the ringing of the wind chimes signal that springs grip is soon to be loosened to make way for a boisterous summer. The temperatures are reaching upper 80’s and low 90’s now and the daytime heat resembles more of a summer day than that of spring.

As I sit here at home and ponder what to write, I am filled with questions for the future. These questions include, but are not limited to, “well now that the bugs are beginning to over take my garden and my companion planting method doesn’t appear to be working or I did something wrong, do I start buying the organic sprays?” or another question may be, “do I incubate some of these eggs to make new younger chicks that can lay eggs without the special supplement to make them lay?”. With all of these questions, depending on the answer to each, come with a whole new set of more questions…like “if I am going to incubate the eggs, where do I get an Incubator?”

While I enjoy what I am doing and I did expect some hang ups, I didn’t however, realize everything would have a hang up. It is somewhat disappointing.

But then I am reminded that everything has a purpose and with that purpose comes responsibility. A person who is responsible knows that short term disappointments are negated by long term benefits. A person acting responsibly would also know to persist in the trial until the goal is achieved, assuming that it is an achievable goal (which a responsible person should learn before getting involved in a given venture).

So as I work out these issues, I am thinking about tonight. Thursdays are market night at the Ozark Main Street Market and I need to prepare the goods to take them up there. More and more I think that it would be good to attempt to sell here at the house to save gas, but I don’t get to town much as it is, this gives me a reason to do so. Normally I go out and grab a cooler and pick Spinach and Leaf Lettuce and put in the cooler as I pick to retain crispness and get the Radishes and that gets me at least gas money. But this time we don’t have Spinach (our cash crop apparently) because little bugs have eaten thousands of tiny holes in every leaf not to mention that they were bolting (going to seed) and where pretty much done anyway. We don’t mind eating those leaves but others would.

So what do we sell tonight? The question demands a suitable answer as we at least need to cover our gas (unlike last week) if not do better then that.

I’ve got to start thinking of some ideas of things to sell. These could be anything from crafts to quick growing plants…I don’t care. Just need a variety. The more stuff at the stand the more your booth stands out. Anyone having Ideas of things that are easy enough to do in one day let me know. I thought about firing up the Forge but I am not good enough at it to turn out work very quick…takes for ever to get something you can make mostly because I don’t have the stock that is ready and I have to make it ready…beating it to death. I’ve thought about making signs or plaques that have routed words on it…but not sure that would go over very well. So I am currently out of Ideas beyond what to grow next year as I have been given many Ideas by customers.

A note of optimism and excitement (for Brandy and I anyway) though we were planning on getting a honey extractor maybe next year or this year if we thought we were going to get any honey our first year. However, while we were at the May Ozarks Bee Keepers Association meeting last month we were told that the club had an extractor that they needed to get rid of. Now there were probably 50 or more people there and they heard the same thing we did. However, I began asking questions about it in succession and we ended up sealing the deal before anyone else could. Now I have been perusing the catalogues for an extractor and haven’t found them cheaper (for a cheapie) than $250 plus there was a $75 shipping charge. Most of the better models, which were what someone would really need for anyone having more then one hive, were between $500 and $600. This model we got was retailed at $650 when they got it 6 or so years ago, but we paid $125 and I picked it up so no shipping charges! Its hand Crank (sustainable….yes!) and it holds two frames at a time and the baskets rotate to extract the other side (the cheapo’s you have to pull the frames out and rotate them…messy!).

I had someone give me 3 round bails of hay that I can used to control weeds. For anyone interested, I use newspaper and lay it on the ground and put hay on top of the straw. It’s a bit time consuming but once its there its works all year and when you’re done all you do is till it in adding to your organic matter in the soil.

There are a few things going on in the background here, which I am not sure I am ready to reveal but let’s just say it’s to help us be self-sustaining and I will only give you a clue with a couple pictures.

I have begun to designate a day to a particular job. I have so many projects going I don’t know what to work on first. While some times I don’t want to work on some of them, they still need to be worked on. So I decided to write down on a day to do a specific job. Every Monday I do, such and such till it’s finished. This way I don’t forget about all I have to do…and I don’t get overwhelmed by the enormity of the work ahead of me.

Well below was a Rattler that I found on our place. Never found one this big and it certainly isnt a normal occurance to find one period.

Well to leave you I will say that famous Ozarks saying; I will talk to you again later, Lord willin’ and the Creek don’t rise!

BEE CITY!

2008-05-27T20:15:00.003-06:00

Well it has finally happend! I am a proud owner of more than 20,000 bees...I think I counted twice and man its tough...ha ha . I got two 3 frame nucs and installed them Saturday evening. Today I went out and opened them for the first time (gave them 3 days to get settled down). I do see chalkbrood and Spotty brood patterns but I am assuming the spotty brood pattern is from the chalkbrood and not AFB (American Fowl brood). I have had lots of drift so I am going to start working the hives entrances into a different direction a little bit at a time.

Here is a video documenting my efforts:

Hope you enjoyed it. The fiddle tunes in this video are from my new CD if anyone is interested. I am selling them $12 each and charge $3 shipping.

New CD!

2008-05-19T07:43:00.009-06:00

Thats right! I decided that I should make a CD to sell at the farmers' Markets since I go there and play my fiddle and everyone stands around and listens...and sometimes throws money in the donation jar. This way I could have an additional method of making some money. I think I am going to sell them for $12 each and if I have to ship them somewhere it is about a $3 shipping charge.

Below are a few pictures. No I am not mad in the picture of a picture but I was going for the "Old-Time" look and in old pictures no one ever smiles. I have a picture where I am smiling inside the cover.

This CD is Recorded, Mixed, and Produced by myself. This is so neat. I have this drive called a LightScribe drive and I can actually print to the CD using a laser. It looks very professional.

In all 12 of the tunes on this CD, I play all the instruments in each tune. The CD has that "Old-Time" feel to it.

Below is a list of the tunes I have on this CD:
1. Molly Put the Kettle on
2. Angeline the Baker
3. Amazing Grace
4. Arkansas Two-Step
5. Bonaparte Crossing the Rhine
6. Dance Around Molly
7. Come Thou Fount
8. Nail that Catfish to the Tree
9. Horse and Buggy-O
10. Louisville Breakdown
11. United States March
12. Shamus O'Brian

In some of these tunes I play harmony fiddle. I am also playing the clawhammer style banjo in a couple tunes. I really am happy with how it turned out and am excited to release it.

Anyone interested in a CD can send an email to me at xcalibursword@gmail.com . I accept pay pal over the Internet or check or money order.

If its people who are close to me that I know...I wont charge shipping I'll just take it to them but for those who live to far away, a $3 shipping charge will apply (for 1 to 3 CD's shipped at a time).