For those interested in Homesteading or Self-Reliance...
This breakfast was entirely raised or grown (or laid) on the farm (except the black pepper). After I uploaded the shot I realized I left out the cornbread and milk... oh, well... you get the idea. We grow our own corn for corn flour, but have not grown wheat as yet. Bees are next...
This is our family milk cow - Bonnie. Its been over 1 year since she calved and she is still giving us about a gallon of milk per day (and we only milk once a day... at first we were getting 2.5 gallons and I had to work at giving it away). I bought her as an 8 month old calf. She had been bottle raised, so she was always friendly. That doesn't mean she won't step on your feet when she gets excited about a snack... I always where tough shoes or boots for milking... NEVER FLIP FLOPS. 1,100 pound cows are tough on your feet.
A cow is easier to care for than a dog. Bonnie is entirely grass/hay fed, except for a couple of handfuls of corn while I secure her for milking. The whole process - from calling her in to screwing the top on the milk container - takes about 20 minutes. Like I said, easier and less time consuming than walking your dog several times per day (and I get manure for the garden and organic milk for the fridge). We just put last year's calf in the freezer - 350 pounds of cut and wrapped organic, grass fed beef. With the hog and calf we raise every year I could have a 4 BBQ's for 25 guests over the summer and feed the family for the rest of the year. Between the meat and the milk Bonnie has been an outstanding investment. Also... by moving her around with electric fencing I don't have to mow the 2+ acres of lawn around the house (very often). I used to burn 3 gallons of gas per cutting (and a couple of hours). Bonnie has lifetime employment as far as I am concerned. Besides, everybody loves Bonnie... most gosh d*mn personable cow you'd ever want to meet!
(Bonnie mowing the grass in the back yard. See that yellow wire? That is all that keeps her in.)
Potatoes, both sweet and white, and corn came in abundantly this year, but the rest of the garden was only so-so. The meat, milk, and eggs overwhelm us and we share these with friends and neighbors.
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Got a funny email today:
If a Libertarian doesn't like guns, he doesn't buy one.
If a Liberal doesn't like guns, he wants all guns outlawed.
If a Libertarian is a vegetarian, he doesn't eat meat.
If a Liberal is a vegetarian, he wants all meat products banned for everyone.
If a Libertarian is homosexual, he quietly leads his life.
If a Liberal is homosexual, he demands legislated respect.
If a Libertarian is down-and-out, he thinks about how to better his situation.
A Liberal wonders who is going to take care of the them.
If a Libertarian doesn't like a talk show host, he switches channels.
Liberals demand that those they don't like be shut down.
If a Libertarian is a non-believer, he doesn't go to church.
A Liberal non-believer wants any mention of God and religion silenced.
If a Libertarian decides he needs health care, he goes about shopping forit, or may choose a job that provides it.
A Liberal demands that the rest of us pay for his.
If a Libertarian reads this, he'll forward it so his friends know how to vote in November!
A Liberal will delete it because he's "offended".
Well, I forwarded it.
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I am sure one could do the same trick with Conservatives versus Libertarians... I only wish we had more Libertarians to vote for. Mostly its a choice between dirt-bags out to control us from different positions.
9 comments:
As a matter of fact I saw that as a "conservative" a week or so ago and quoted it on my blog then. Still funny and true as libertarian as well.
Sadly my potatoes didn't do squat this year I think it was just too wet right after I planted them. Everything else did well but I missed the major honey flow which I chalk up to in-experience. The corn has been taking a beating with all the storms recently but I got 8 new lambs this year and only 2 rams to ahhh take care of.
Any suggestions for Bees? I would like to get started this fall to prepare for next season.
Greg
If you wish to get started in bees for next Spring you could possibly purchase an established hive (rare) this year or you could go ahead and purchase the hive bodies and other tools needed and then put in an order for bee packages come about November for March delivery. If you go that route my suggestion would be to order hive's, extra supers and bees for at least 2 hives. It helps to have more than one to get a feel for whats normal.
I cannot give any advice for ordering bee packages as I have never done it. I started with one established hive and then simply ordered queens when I did splits. I really wish I had started with more hives.
I am assuming March would be good for your area being about 2 weeks earlier than mine more or less. Trees should be producing pollen and it should be past the permanent cold by then.
There is also a well established bee organization in your State (actually both of them).
Peacebee farmer blog has some info about Tennessee bee keeping organizations (there is a link on my blog).
If you order the hive (brood supers, a few extra honey supers, inner cover, outter cover and base etc) I would go with a screened base and also get a "producer" kit with a small hand spinner for removing honey. You may not use it the first year but it is good to have.
Alot of other advice I could give as I could talk about bees forever honestly. I have fallen in love with my girls.
If you can possibly join a bee club, I would start there. You will gain a lot of good information and who knows? Maybe someone will have a hive swarm and pass it along. If you go with used hives, be sure to have them irradiated so you don't pass on disease. We LOVE our bees. We have had a great harvest this year and will get another in October. We do have more hives than we planned but we can sell all the honey we get.
Jeffers,
Your Living the life brother!
“Contentment is a pearl of great price, and whoever procures it at the expense of ten thousand desires makes a wise and a happy purchase”
~John Balguy
I'll stay out of this one. :)
This post made me hungry! I like the Cow-mower, pretty nice, like a goat-mower but less trouble.
Only farm animal we ever had were chickens, and they were kind of a pain, so many critters find inventive ways to try and kill them.
I buy a lot of honey, since we can many things with honey rather than sugar. Can some apples and Pears in honey, yummy. Organic honey has held its price locally for quite awhile, but Honey stores great--we just put it in mason jars in case it crystallizes before we get to it--so we can just water bath the canning jars.
Sounds like you have a lot to enjoy at your homestead with your family--not much more you can ask for.
-Meiyo
Meiyo:
I am enjoying the lifestyle... but what I really wanted to see is just how much food I could grow.
Turns out, the food grows by itself for the most part. OUr part is in the collection and preservation (and weeding in the garden; gardening should really called "weeding").
More on my next post.
Nice looking cow there.
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