John F Dean

master steward

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news 7,695 Posts 336 Threads

since Sep 04, 2017

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Biography

We began homesteading in the early 1980’s. We presently live on 11 acres. We have Nigerian Dwarf Goats, KuneKune Pigs, bees, and an assortment of chickens. Our driveway is the boundary between zones 6a and 6b. Annual rainfall for us is at 46 inches. We have been together 50+ years.

I don’t consider myself an expert on anything. I am thoroughly enjoying myself in the adventure I created for myself.

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southern Illinois, USA

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Recent posts by John F Dean

just sit and observe -- maybe you've done some good

Indeed, very near me is a house, about 30 years old, that is built in a gully. In the past 25 years it has had 5 owners. The most recent owner jacked it up and raised the foundation as well as digging 6 foot deep trenches to run 18” drainage lines for many yards until they reached lower ground. He bought the property with his eyes open and was aware of the issues.

7 hours ago

meaningless drivel

How do you keep your spices?

I am an admitted spiceaholic. I have 10 spice racks in the kitchen plus a couple of dedicated cabinets. I have maybe a couple dozen half gallon jars in the basement with oxygen absorbers. Of course, one has to recognize one has a problem when one doesn’t simply has a jar that’s labeled Basil, but there are 10 jars labeled with different kinds of Basil.

7 hours ago

cooking

cornmeal and baking soda to kill voles

It works on mice.

1 day ago

nibblers

Food grade lye - sourcing or making

Hi R,

Welcome to Permies.

1 day ago

cooking

What staples do you always have on hand?

I keep a good supply of the basic staples …12 Year Elijah Craig, 4 Roses Single Barreled Bottled in Bond, Jack Daniels Single Barreled Bottled in Bond, flour, sugar, honey, macaroni, egg noodles, about 100 pounds of potatoes, maybe 30 pounds of onions, corn meal. I have a few pigs to process in the next 30 days so I have about 100 pounds of salt on hand.

1 day ago

cooking

What's for Dinner?

Looks like a late dinner. I had a welcomed energy burst and put a solid 7 hours of prewinter fence repair and brush cutting…as well asan hour in the study sorting through papers. I am planning on another 2 hours of basement cleaning. Anyway, I am going to cop out and have stew tonight.

1 day ago

meaningless drivel

The aging homesteader

Hi Tereza,

Taking some time to digest your observations. I think it boils down to the fact that in the past I could always push my way through a rough day, hard work, etc. no matter how exhausted I was, I could always find some reserves to tap into. I am finding that that extra bit of energy needed is no longer there.

2 days ago

homestead

How do you Get a Fresh Smelling Home

I keep windows open as much as possible.

3 days ago

meaningless drivel

How do I turn my wish into reality?

It sounds as if you may be a good fit for Wheaton Labs. You might want to make contact https://permies.com/wiki/bootcamp#2867613

3 days ago

personal challenges

The aging homesteader

Historically my family lives to a ripe old age. Deaths before 90 are generally due to accidents. I am fortunate in that I have minimal joint pain…not heart or other circulatory issues. I do have well controlled diabetes. But the diabetes runs in the family ( grandfather and aunt) and seems to have minimal impact on life span. And yes, I do keep up on medical visits.

3 days ago

homestead