Making Progress

The sellers finally made it out but....they left a big mess for us. Well, good things never come easy, right? We will keep plugging along and hope to be in soon.

Weather Lore and An Update

When you are outside much of the time on the farm you begin to notice things in the natural world. One day it catches you by surprise when you look up at the sky and realize that the clouds tell you that it is going to rain in the next day or two. You find it so surprising that you haven't actually studied the clouds to learn this, but you have learned it.
 I have been reading and enjoying the book "Folklore of American Weather" by Eric Sloane. I enjoy his books very much and this one is no exception. I have been interested for quite some time in learning more about forecasting the weather and was so pleased to find this book at the library close to where we are staying. For all of you agrarian-minded folks, here are a couple of quotes from the book that you might enjoy: "Farming has become a big business with little place for folklore, but a century ago farming was a way of life, a philosophy of living, rich with lore of the land." And, "You might argue that almanacs were for farmers, that the lawyer or shoemaker or storekeeper need not use them. Yet the lawyer, the shoemaker, the storekeeper had to be a farmer also, for he grew his own food and fed his own horses from his own hayfield. Thus, everyone in early America was close to the ways of nature, by necessity."
  We are still in between farms. After several delays, the sellers showed up at closing asking for five more days to get out. It has been a test of patience but we are trusting in God's perfect timing in all things. The phone caught us offguard last night when it rang at ten o'clock. A new neighbor had called a mutual friend to get a number to reach us to let us know that our cows and horses were gone. What?!! And, that our Jerseys were seen at a farm on the highway close to us and that the sheriff was there. Oh no! Lots of worst case scenarios came to mind but the Lord said it would be o.k. The neighbor said that he was going to rope the cows in where they were at and pen up the cow and calf that were out on our farm. No word about the whereabouts of the bull and steer, though. He felt that the horses were probably somewhere on the farm and that all of the animals would bed down for the night so it wouldn't do any good to come before morning. (We aren't staying close to the farm.) An hour-and-a-half later, Boots was heading to bed so that he could get up at four a.m. to take care of things, when the phone rang again. The neighbor said that the cows had come home and he had them all penned up. Wow. God is very very good! Boots reset the alarm to five a.m. and awoke to a heavy blanket of fog. After waiting for it to lift he took off and found the neighbor and a friend that had come to help. The animals were all there, they are all fine, and they are secure. One could never place a value on good friends and neighbors. That's for sure.

Why Farm?

  "That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace:
   That our garners may be full, affording all manner of store; that our sheep may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets:
   That our oxen may be strong to labor; that there be no breaking in, nor going out; that there be no complaining in our streets.
   Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the Lord." Psalm 144:12-15
  

Tanning Deer Hides

Over the years I've heard of tanning hides with different things but was never interested in using harsh chemicals that we would have to order and that might be toxic. We met a man several years back that mentioned that he did brain tanning. That really piqued our interest. Brain tanned deer hide makes a nice soft leather that is good for clothing. I'll give you the basic instructions that we used and then you will learn to tweak the process as you gain experience.
Peel the deer hide off the carcass being careful not to cut the hide. There will be a little meat on it. Work as fast as you safely can so the hide doesn't dry out. It also helps to work in the shade, if possible.
Starting at the neck, begin scraping the flesh off of the hide using a dull draw knife. You will see "vein tracks" and you want to scrape them off, also. You will see pinholes in the hide when you are done.
Turn the hide over and, starting at the neck, use the drawknife to scrape off the hair. Keep scraping until you have the skin off the hide.You will see vein tracks again. (You can soak the hide in water at any time to keep it until you can get to it. Change the water ever so often. Adding lime to the water will help loosen the hair.)
Tie the hide on a frame using slip knots so you can easily adjust it.

You will make small slits along the edges to tie it to the frame.
Scrape from top to bottom with the edge of an axe blade to remove moisture and stretch.When it starts to dry it will fluff up. You will need to tighten it as it dries but don't overtighten. Let the hide dry a few hours or overnight.
Start a fire that will smoke. You want smoke not flame. Tent the hide over the fire leaving a chimney at the top for the smoke to escape. Let it smoke this way for 15 minutes and then do the other side. Be checking for flareups in your fire and make sure it isn't too hot inside the tent. You don't want to cook it.
Put the brain that you have removed from the skull of the deer in warm water and squish it up. Push the hide down in the solution and work it.  Check after about 15 minutes to see if it has taken up enough moisture and it will stretch. Wring the moisture out over the container so that you don't lose it because you can use the same solution for up to 8 hides. Scrape again with the drawknife being careful not to make holes. Put back in the solution, swish it around, and leave it for a while. Take it out and wring it out thoroughly. Pull it apart to stretch the fibers and keep stretching until it seems right. (You can set it aside for a little while and keep coming back to stretch it.)
Now that you know that it isn't too difficult, I hope this will help you get started. Sorry there aren't more pictures but the weather was lousy at the time.
Genesis 3:21 "Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them."

Homemade Yeast

Most of the time when I make bread I use purchased yeast. But, because bread is an essential part of our diet, I wondered years ago what I would do if I couldn't buy yeast. (Yes, I was even thinking of things like that back then. :-}) A long time ago I was looking through someone's old German cookbook and came across a recipe for homemade yeast. I was very interested and copied the recipe down even though I was disappointed to find at the end you added the mixture to yeast you already had going. I wanted to know how to start from the beginning and felt it must be very difficult and mysterious. Several years later I read an article that mentioned capturing yeast from the air. Once again, I thought it must be very complicated but definitely wanted to learn more. After taking the time to learn more, I found that it wasn't difficult or mysterious at all! It can be as simple as putting equal parts of flour and water in a bowl, loosely covering it, and feeding it each day for a week.
If you already bake bread you will have plenty of wild yeast in your kitchen to capture. If not, you can crush unsprayed and unwashed grapes in cheesecloth and add that to your flour and water mixture. Grapes have a lot of yeast on them. Or, you can use whole rye flour for your mixture because it too has a lot of the naturally occuring yeast. (If you do one of those two things go ahead and cover your mixture well because you won't have to capture any from the air and won't have the skin form on top that you do when it is covered loosely.)
You will also have friendly bacteria called lactobaccili in your starter. They break down the simple sugars in the flour and that is what the yeast feed on. (That's why you have to feed your starter at least once a day, so there is new food for them. If there is little or no food it affects them just like it would us!) When the yeast feed on the sugar they produce carbon dioxide bubbles that stretch the gluten and that raises the dough. Pretty great, huh? The lactobaccili produce acids which give it flavor. There are many strains of wild yeast and bacteria that grow around the world so flavors vary. San Francisco is known for a very sour flavor. In other areas the taste is milder.
Some sourdough starter recipes call for adding a little commercial yeast. This isn't a good idea because the commercial yeast will compete with the wild. Another factor is that almost all of the lactic acid is gone in the commercial variety so you won't get the flavor. Some things just can't be rushed. Also, some say to add a little sweetener to the mix but this also isn't a good idea. You will have an imbalance of the yeast and bacteria and it isn't necessary.
(I read that goldminers used to sleep with their starters next to their bodies to keep the starter warm. Sounds like mighty important stuff!)
You can preserve the starter by pouring a thin layer out on parchment paper and letting it dry for a few days. Then peel it off and store it in a tightly sealed container. When you want to get it going again, dissolve the pieces in water and feed it for a week.
In case you're interested, here is the recipe that I copied so long ago for homemade yeast:
Add 4 potatoes to 2 quarts water in kettle. Add a handful of hops that have been tied up in a bag. Cook until potatoes are done. Remove bag, squeeze dry, and throw away what is left in bag. Put the squeezed juice in with the potatoes. Remove potatoes, mash, and return to kettle. Cool. Add 1 cup sugar, 1/4 cup salt, and 1 cup old yeast (leftover from previous time). Let stand several hours and use.

Check Out This Video

Bits and Pieces

The drought has caused me to look at things in a different light. It's not that I haven't thought of these things before and not that in the back of my mind I always knew the possibility was there. But it has drawn everything into focus and its time to use the knowledge. Its also time to gain new knowledge, and instead of storing it away for future reference, put it to use now.
After having fed hay all of these years as routine, hay is hard to come by. And if you do find it, many people have raised the price to where you can't afford it. That's unfortunate for many reasons, but one we know is that things won't always be good where you're at.
Last year when Texas and Oklahoma were suffering so with the drought, and while some states were sending them hay for free or for a decent price, we heard that some people in a certain state were selling it to them for a much escalated price. Not only was I very disappointed to hear that they had done such a thing to people in need, but I thought about what a big mistake it was because you don't always find yourself on top. There are good times and there are bad. Sure enough, this state is having a severe drought this year and is dependent on other states for their hay. Maybe we are all learning to pull together for whatever is to come.
I have begun to look at our food and think about using every bit of it somehow. Did you know that in addition to using egg shells in your compost you can wash them and add them to soup for added calcium? Or that you can make a calcium supplement by letting those clean shells dry at room temperature then powdering them in a blender, food processor, or with a rolling pin and then adding apple cider vinegar to them? (This will foam so have it in a big enough container. Use 1 pint of vinegar to the shells of a dozen eggs.) Don't pour that potato water down the drain after boiling potatoes but use it for liquid when making your bread and you won't believe how it improves the texture. Use those broccoli stems to make broccoli soup and either eat the leaves or feed them to your animals. We don't care for the flavor of beets so we use the greens in smoothies ( the greens are loaded with so much good stuff that you only use a couple at a time) and use the beets to make beet kvaas. Beet kvaas is a fermented drink so not only are we getting the great nutrients but also the healthy bacteria. It does taste like beets so we put it in a small glass (you don't need much) and slam it down.
I have also become more deliberate in water usage. Things like using the wringer washer because not only do you only fill the washer with water one time for several loads, but you can let the water run out of the hose on plants or things that you want to water or catch it and use it wherever you need to. Another idea is to fill a sink or dishpan with water for rinsing your dishes instead of turning on the faucet each time. If you have used a dishpan (or other container) you can take the water outside and use it to water something. When using homemade soap, made with animal fats or healthy oils and no synthetic fragrances, to do your dishes you can add the used dishwater to the hogs' feed. The lye in the soap helps get rid of parasites.
It's interesting that these ideas used to be the norm for the way people did them. I guess things are coming full circle.

"He that withholdeth corn, the people shall curse him: but blessings shall be upon the head of him that selleth it." Prov. 11:26

Bits and Pieces

This has been one challenging growing year! We have been in a severe drought here this summer which means feeding hay since early June, using all of our hay, and trying to buy hay to feed when noone has any. The pastures were used up long ago. BUT! We were very blessed with a little under an inch of rain last night. What hope that brought! It also wasn't as hot today. We have been in the hundreds so many days this summer I've lost count. About a week ago I put a piece of gutter that had been given to us on the side of the big chicken coop to catch the runoff. It has a metal roof so the water is safer to use than it would be if it came off the shingled house roof. I put rain barrels at each end. I hurried out to look this morning and there was water in them! I know that God is very good and kind so the rain would come sometime. I  feel that we need to be deliberate about everything we do and not be wasteful or take things for granted.
Everything seems to be running a month or two ahead this year. Strawberries and peaches picked much earlier than usual and a couple of weeks ago I noticed that the insects were acting like they do in the Fall. I guess the most surprising thing has been that asparagus started coming up again the other day. That's something I've never heard of. We got more than ever this Spring due to the early warm weather but we've never had it come up again in the same year. I'm going to go ahead and plant Fall seeds now anticipating an earlier than normal one.
A lady that was visiting the other day is a geophysicist and said the earth was thrown off 4 inches by the earthquake in Japan. I could tell that this Spring because the sun was taking a different path. When you're outside a lot of the time you notice these things. We have very little shade now, even on the north side of the house. It worked out better for the neighbor because of the way their house is situated and they have had more shade, which was nice in this hotter than usual weather.
I want to share a recipe for a scrubbing cleanser that my daughter-in-love gave me. It works very well and is safe to use. Smells great, also. Mix baking soda and dishwashing liquid (I like a clear unscented one, but use what you have) to make a paste. Add grapefruit seed extract to kill germs, if desired. I then add orange essential oil, which also kills germs, and makes it smell wonderful. It's nice to use something scented with real oils and enjoy that smell while you clean.
Boots was in town and spoke with an older gentleman  who was selling bushels of his homegrown tomatoes. I was not only excited that someone was selling tomatoes in town but that he was selling them by the bushel! That's almost unheard of now.
Things are out of whack in every area now in our world, but this is  good opportunity for things to get back where they should be.

Psalm 82:5 "They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course." 

The Thread

I was speaking to a young mom this morning and she told me of her and her husband's desire to move to the farm. It caused me to think back to when we made the decision to move our family there. I told her that it was the best time of my life. And our goals were accomplished in our children. There were obstacles and difficulties but the good times far outweighed the bad. And they still do. If you know why you do what you do it will get you through the tough times. Ponder it often and search the Word and other writings for answers. She said that so far when they have made an offer on a place it hasn't gone through. So, as we all do, she wonders if they are on the right track. I told her it sounds like it just isn't time yet. But, if you put it in the Lord's hands it will be just the right timing when it all comes together. And when you are having those doubts that come when you are doing anything worthwhile, you will know that the Lord has taken you there.
There is a thread that runs through our lives that connects everything. Sometimes it is hard to see. It looks more like the broken scattered pieces of a mosaic to us. We see the mistakes and wrong turns and forget that our lives are in the hands of a loving God. He is working everything for our good. And one day we begin to see the pieces come together to form a beautiful picture and realize that God saw it that way all along.
This is a journey that we are on. But, a wonderful journey it is. A woman called the other day taking a Gallup poll and wanted to know how I would rate that day on a scale of one to ten with ten being the best. I told her any day that we are alive has to be a ten.
When you start to think about all of those things that you wish you had done differently step back and see the whole picture. See the thread that runs through it. See the mosaic.

Processing Pastured Poultry

  I want to give you some tips that we use that will make processing your poultry easier. But first I want to give you a great quote that Boots gave me last night when I was wondering about all of the hurdles, obstacles, and opposition that we have encountered over the years since we made the decision to leave the city and move to the farm. I wondered out loud when it would end. And he said,
  "If you go against the flow it won't end until you conform or die."
  Then he gave me a long and remarkable allegory using our recent canoe trips as an example. I hope to record it all one day and share it with you. But for now I want to encourage you to keep on. Stay the course. You are not alone.
  We use a mechanical tub-style plucker and it makes all the difference in the world. We started without one and plucked by hand but when you are doing several birds it saves a lot of time and effort. You can put a couple of chickens in at a time or a single turkey and they come out clean as a whistle. Make sure that your water temperature is right and that you have added some detergent to the scalding water. O.k. here we go:
  Place the bird upside-down with its head put through a traffic cone (for chickens) or a five gallon bucket with a hole cut in the bottom (for turkeys) and slit the neck, cutting the side arteries. Make sure to have a bucket underneath to catch the blood. Let the bird "bleed" for several minutes.
  Meanwhile, you will have heated your water for scalding to 145 degrees. If cooler than that it will not loosen the feathers. Hotter than that and you will cook the bird. Add a little non-toxic detergent to the water. We use Basic-H. (The original.) This really does make a difference in loosening those feathers. Hold the bird upside down by the feet and dip in the hot water. Hold there for a minute or two and check to see if the feathers are loose. If not, dip in the water again. When it's ready put into your plucker or pluck by hand. Then proceed with removing the head and cleaning the inside. If you need help with that part let us know. We would be glad to help.
  Sticking your thermometer through a styrofoam cup or cork and letting it float in the scalding water is a big help in keeping the temperature right. Curved end needle-nosed pliers are great for removing stubborn pin feathers. A pair of hog ring pliers and the rings are very handy for sealing the bags. Make sure to cool the birds and innards (separately) in ice water until all of the heat is out of them and refrigerate for 24 hours before freezing so that the meat will be tender.
  As with anything, you will find your own way of doing things, but we hope these tips will help you with your own home-grown, healthy, delicious, raised-by-you poultry. 

Milk Cooling

If you are looking for a way to cool your fresh milk this night help. Cooling the milk down quickly gives it a better taste and it stays fresh longer.
After filtering the milk into jars we put it into rinse tubs with water in them and add ice. (The freezer above the fridge is a funny sight because it is filled with ice trays.) If you only have a jar or two you can do this in the sink. If you have a smaller jar, such as with goat's milk, you can do this in a bowl.

Persevero

Persevere. I'd heard that word before when I was treating our goat Emily's eye after it had been injured by another goat's horn. I was nervous about whether what I was doing was going to work and I heard: Persevere.
I heard that word again recently when we were plowing with our workhorse and everything seemed to be going wrong. Persevere.
We had to persevere through some very difficult things this last winter. Some things are over and others are not. Did they work out well? Not always.  Is it worth it to keep going? Yes.
Persevero.

Ephesians 6:13 " ...... and having done all, to stand."

Wildcrafting Herbs

  The early summer-like weather brought up a lot of wild herbs in the garden area. It was too early to plant anything so we got to see all of the useful plants that showed up. I've been able to harvest shepherd's purse, plantain, dandelion, and chickweed. There is also yellow dock, but I will let it grow for a while so the roots are bigger. I love finding the herbs in the garden area because it is fenced off from the animals and, of course, chemical-free. The comfrey is doing very well and already has flowers ready to bloom. I've been able to give starts of lemon balm, peppermint, tansy, and oregano. When looking in the woods the other day I spotted what appears to be wild yam. I will be checking that out again and positively identifying the plant before digging up some of the root.
 
"He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man...." Psalm104:14

Worthy Goal

When looking up a few words in Webster's 1828 Dictionary, I came across this:
HUSBANDMAN, n. A farmer; a cultivator or tiller of the ground; one who labors in tillage. In America, where men generally own the land on which they labor, the proprietor of a farm is also a laborer or husbandman; but the word includes the lessee and the owner.
FARMER, n. In Great Britain, a tenant; a lessee; one who hires and cultivates a farm; a cultivator of leased ground.
3. One who cultivates a farm; a husbandman; whether a tenant or the proprietor. United States.

One of the things that our country was founded on was the independent family farm. Certain things are the very FOUNDATIONS and this is one of them. In order to bring back our country we have to bring back this foundation. It is a must.
After reading these definitions I am aware more than ever of the precious gift that was given to us here in America. To own the land that you work. To be independent. To be free.
Bringing this back to our country is a most worthy goal.

"but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather." I Cor.7:21