Bob Waur

I have a low, wet area of about 3 acres on the farm. It is loaded with tallow trees and I have been trying to decide what to do with them. About two years ago I cut down several to use in a hugle. Last week I passed by there and was surprised to see they had sprouted and the new growth was up to 4 inches in diameter, Perfect for firewood that doesn't need splitting. Not the best firewood but considering how fast it regrows and considering that it doesn't need splitting, and cuts easily, it is well worth the effort to gather it, especially if it were used in a RMH.

I grew up among a community of Romani people. One family had three sons. They cooked and heated with wood and had no electricity. In the back yard there was a small shed under which sat a cast iron 'wash pot'. The youngest son's job was to split firewood and keep the stew simmering in the pot. They did have a wood fired cook stove but only used it in the colder weather. The two older sons were charged with acquiring ingredients for the stew. They hunted rabbits, squirrels, ducks, raccoons, and more. anything that was edible went into the pot. They raided neighborhood gardens at night and foraged during the day. I never knew them to get ill from eating that stew. What I thought was the strangest thing they did was to pick up cigarette buts until they had enough to swipe a biscuit from the kitchen and eat 'tobacco sandwiches'. Yuck!

John Wolfram wrote:My county assessor indicated that property value assessments are going up 18% next year, so property taxes will also be going up that much.  When looking for a homestead, give special consideration to ones that have features that aren't taxed heavily. For example, a basement is taxed far less than a main floor, so a 1800 square foot house with a 900 square foot basement and 900 square foot main floor will often be taxed much less than a house with just a 1200sqft main floor. Similarly, ag land in my area is taxed based on how good it would be for producing corn and soy, so something that would be tough on a combine means lower taxes.

Speaking to property taxes, I live in a county in southwest Mississippi. Once you make 65 years of age you pay NO MORE property tax.I am sure that this was instituted to prevent the elderly from loosing their homes to tax sales.

Every day I have these items in my pockets: Keys, Pocket knife (I keep it very sharp), ultrasonic dog whistle (Luna, my APBT chief-of-security, is trained to respond to it in various ways), Bic lighter, cell phone, and a 9mm derringer pistol (Hey, my state has constitutional carry). Some days I have pruning shears in my back pocket.

The best marker I have found for lasting readability on garden markers is 'Waterproof Permanent Paint Marker Pen'. Cheap and effective found on Ebay.

My best food saving idea...Refrigerator Soup. I keep a gallon ice-cream bucket in the freezer and almost any leftovers go in there. When it is full I make around eight quarts of soup, eat a meal from it and can the rest. I use stock I made from the bones and veggie trimmings that I have saved in another bucket. It always turns out delicious even with some odd items included. any non-suitable items, as well as the solids from the stock making go to my animals. I cook the bones until they can be mashed with a finger and are a treat for dogs or chickens. zero waste!

How about a team 'build a snowman or snow-castle day'. choose teams and give an award for best attempt as voted by everyone. Hot coffee and chocolate for contestants. Time limit and only 'found' materials allowed.

Thinking about getting some Dexters. I have had Beefmasters in the past. My question is how many acres of managed pasture per cow should I have in zone 8a to raise grass fed Dexters? I understand there are a lot of variables but would like an informed guesstimate so as to have a place to start. I have four 10 acre paddocks to rotate the cattle through.

My nest boxes are outside the coop and have a sloped lid that extends 3" past the boxes on all sides. boxes are attached to the coop with 3" blocks 4" down from lid to permit it to be opened. I only get a trace of water inside if there is a hard blowing rain. The boxes are 12" X 12" with a 3" lip and are floored with 1/2" X 1/2" hardware cloth and I use dried grass clippings for bedding. The chickens 'rework' the bedding and I only have to add more as it sifts through the wire. No actual cleaning unless a chicken poops and then it binds with the grass clippings and can be lifted out in one clump. This has only happened about twice a month, so it is quick and easy.