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Peak Water/Hydraulic Water Ram
Do I really want a family cow?
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An ongoing chronicle of meeting the expectations of the land…
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- "... the code is more what you'd call guidelines, than actual rules..." Captain Barbossa
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- "If you think organic food is expensive, have you priced cancer lately?" JOEL SALATIN
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- "How dare you treat your soil like dirt!" Joel Salatin
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- "If you wanna write about life, you have to have a life to write about..." - JEFFREY STEELE Thanks Meg!
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- "Whole cultures have risen and fallen because they couldn't figure out how to make all the area like the good spot, and instead made all the good spots like the bad ones." Joel Salatin, Salad Bar Beef
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Throwback at Trapper Creek 
Thank you, Thank YOU, THANK YOU for this really great post. I have studied your calendula salve and hope to make some this year.
Now I know this is a stupid question, but where do I find beeswax?
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
Love love love it. I know I will be coming back here often as the seasons progress… as a newbie, this is invaluable to me, learning info from someone with so much knowledge to share.
Your ricotta post would be a good one to add to this too. Another thing I’d like to do.
are you on dial up internet since you live so far out? if so it must be a pain to run this site on dial up.. 🙂
Kenny, ahhh we don’t live far enough for me, and alas DSL is available 🙂 Otherwise, photos would be nigh on impossible.
I just found your blog; I think I’m in love. Can’t wait to read about each of the projects and all the great categories! Love the Matron of Husbandry name, too.
Good morning, what is a rule for square footage per chicks as they grow into meat chickens? We are going to do the mobil pen, & have lots of room. Is more better?
Odemfamily, 1 1/2 feet if you’re using Cornish X, if you’re using a heritage breed, a little more space per bird would be better. 75 Cornish X birds in a 10 x 12 Salatin style pen is plenty of room. I know people rail against that, but the birds do fine.
I want to thank you for this blog, all of the fantastic photographs, and the wonderful, well-written advice. I don’t currently homestead but I am very interested for the future and am learning as much as I can about it while I wait.
Your blog has taught me more than several books that I have already purchased. I believe that if you put your writings into a book aimed toward people like me who need practical, REAL advice, full of pictures showing how things really work, you would have no trouble in its selling. I know I would buy a copy in a heartbeat!
Thanks again and please keep writing!
I took your suggestion and ready Janisse Ray’s books: Ecology Of A Cracker Childhood and Wild Card Quilt. Absolutely loved every page. I am now working my way thru some of the recomendations she offers. Great sharing ~ many thanks!
I love to read your blog. Thank you for sharing with us, very educational.
I have a question for you, I was reading that you use Fertrells Nutribalancer, but I don’t see that product on their web site. In the same post/comment you also said you could not get your cows to use Fertrells Grazier’s Choice. So, where do I find the Nutribalancer or if you are using something different, what is it? We just got cows last spring and we have not given them anything other than grazing or hay. Which reminds me, I also saw where you salt your hay. Why do you salt the hay? Definitely a novice here.
The closest Fertrell dealer for us is where you live and that is about 166 miles. Kind of far to drive. I have emailed Fertrell to see if we could just purchase direct from them.
Thank you again for all that you write about. It has been extremely helpful!
Connie
Connie, I use the Poultry Nutribalancer, the Graziers Choice has DE which seemed to slow down the cows consumption of the mineral.
http://www.fertrell.com/poultry.htm
I can get mine in Portland or Vancouver at the dealer. If you call the dealer he may be able to ship some to you from Vancouver/Portland cheaper than from Fertrell in Vancouver. BeeRite Sales 360-256-8650 Jonathan He does a lot of shipping and has other minerals too. Great guy!
As for the hay salting, we put our hay up a little tough (moist) and it draws the moisture out of the bale. Not to say we are putting up wet hay, but the salt helps. It’s an old practice but not necessary if the hay is bone dry.
Hello! Found your blog via SouleMama. We will in just a few months be moving to a farm ourselves, but for now live in town. So your blog provides much information as well as fodder for daydreaming. 🙂
Thanks for lighting the path, and for the inspiration!
Tiffanie, congratulations and thank you!
May I come and stay with you when things get bad for the world? Your wisdom on all matters astounds me. When so many of the world are heading for the grocery store three times a week instead of making this effort that you do, what will the rest of us do? Anyway, you amaze me! My harvest is small, living in the suburbs…but I’m trying…composting, mixing veg in with the flower beds…I had an awesome yield of tomatoes this year. Anyway, I want to tell you that I’m inspired by you!
I was referred to you for this question. I want to cook my home raised turkey in my deep pit but I have also been reading about brining a turkey before roasting. Can I brine a turkey before deep pit cooking or would that be over kill?
Colleen, you know I don’t really have a good answer, I think it can’t hurt to brine, but I never have brined ours, finding them pretty succulent compared to store fare 🙂
This is the first time I have raised my own turkey so maybe I shouldn’t do so many things then I can really judge the difference. Thanks
do you sell your milk?? i am new to your blog and enjoying it. i am having
a hard time finding a source of raw milk in Portland w/o having to drive far.
any recommendations? thanks
betsy
Betsy, no we don’t we only have one dairy cow 😦 This is the most recent list I have seen of raw milk producers in Oregon.
http://www.realmilk.com/real-milk-finder/oregon/#or
Could you explain how you use muslin as your milk filter?I am down to my last week or two of commercial discs and would like to use something reusable.The commercial filters are also not compostable,I tried.
What cloth do you use and how do you manage it from use through cleaning and reuse?
I really want to do this,but am not sure of the best way to manage it.
Thank you,Lisa
Lisa, I use the muslin as a strainer on my bucket, instead of using a strainer with filters. It means more washing for me, but it’s worth it not to have to buy filters, or a strainer. I am sure you could use the muslin in your strainer too. I buy regular muslin at the fabric store, prewash and then cut it to size, which would be variable depending on how you were straining it. I use a rectangle, but a square would probably work better for a strainer. To wash, soak in a warm water with a drop of unscented soap and a teaspoon of baking soda. I hand wash and rinse, and hang to dry. The muslin works best to strain with if you wet it first with cool water.
Thank you.Yes,that will be some washing,but I do not live in a water constrained area and purchasing baking soda is better than filters I throw away.I appreciate your blog and the info and opinions that you share.
Howdy MOH,
My wife and I are longtime subscribers (3 yrs, is that a long time?) to your blog. Each of your posts sparks something new for us to talk about. I have a special request for you. Would you mind doing a post about finishing grass fed beef? I am learning about it now, I have 5 cattle now, all about 14 months old. Too early to finish, but not to early to start thinking and learning about it. I have Allan Nation’s book “Grassfed to Finish”, it’s a great resource. I’ve also read that it’s more art than science. So in that respect I am thinking of butchering one steer soonish (I’m expecting lean and tough) and butcher his brother in a year (expecting grass fat). It’ll be a great learning experience, but at the same time a bit of a waste… I’d like to know what you do and your general opinions about it. Thanks, John
(We lived in Bend for many years. We love Oregon and reading about it makes us happy. Now we’re in my wife’s hometown in SW Colorado. You know the song “Hometown Blues”?)
John, I can’t touch Allan’s info that he continually puts out, but the keep it simple plan works pretty good. Butcher at 2 years old+ while your animal is gaining weight and your grass is the best. Late June and July is the best here in NW Oregon, you can fudge a little on that with irrigation. Avoid spring and fall green up times and you should be fine. Your boy will be tasty but if he’s still growing bone he won’t be marbling yet.
Thanks for reading. 🙂
I love following you but can no longer access your Instagram site. How come??
Robyn
Robyn, I have no idea, I do know that since Facebook bought out Instagram people I have followed now show up once in a while on my feed. Of course there is no shortage of new advertising posts that show up. My feed is public so it should be visible.