Posted on 02/09/2009 12:36:11 AM PST by nw_arizona_granny
Yahoo ran an interesting article this morning indicating a rise in the number of survivalist communities cropping up around the country. I have been wondering myself how much of the recent energy crisis is causing people to do things like stockpile food and water, grow their own vegetables, etc. Could it be that there are many people out there stockpiling and their increased buying has caused food prices to increase? It’s an interesting theory, but I believe increased food prices have more to do with rising fuel prices as cost-to-market costs have increased and grocers are simply passing those increases along to the consumer. A recent stroll through the camping section of Wal-Mart did give me pause - what kinds of things are prudent to have on hand in the event of a worldwide shortage of food and/or fuel? Survivalist in Training
I’ve been interested in survival stories since I was a kid, which is funny considering I grew up in a city. Maybe that’s why the idea of living off the land appealed to me. My grandfather and I frequently took camping trips along the Blue Ridge Parkway and around the Smoky Mountains. Looking back, some of the best times we had were when we stayed at campgrounds without electricity hookups, because it forced us to use what we had to get by. My grandfather was well-prepared with a camp stove and lanterns (which ran off propane), and when the sun went to bed we usually did along with it. We played cards for entertainment, and in the absence of televisions, games, etc. we shared many great conversations. Survivalist in the Neighborhood
From another thread about bugging out from the city when the SHTF. Thanks to Dick Bachert:
Mr. Jefferson would never willingly live in one of those hell-holes but if he had to, you can bet he’d have HIS bag ready to go. He fully understood that when the guano starts to move, it’s going straight into the rotating air handling device.
An astute student of history and human nature, Thomas Jefferson, predicted what we see happening here in America. As ambassador in France, he witnessed the run up to the FIRST socialist/communist revolution there. He penned the following observations concerning what would happen HERE should that socialism come to the United States. He CORRECTLY predicted that we would become an increasingly contentious and litigious people as we shouldered one another out of the way to get OURS from the public trough and the trough would soon be empty.
He also knew where the bulk of the problem would originate.
That whirring noise you may hear coming from that mountain in Charlottesville, Virginia is Mr. Jefferson getting up to around 3600 RPM.
(A 6 minute video with this information may be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypLu49pq3bI)
As I understand it, at the time of the drafting of the Declaration, Mr. Jefferson originally wrote “…Life, Liberty and PROPERTY…” (meaning that one’s right to freely acquire, use and dispose of his property – to the extent doing so did not violate the same to others – was a Creator endowed right. Because slavery viewed humans as property, the phrase “Pursuit of Happiness” was adopted instead to avoid – at least for the time being — the inevitable debate on that subject.
“The mobs of the great cities add just so much to the support of pure government as sores do to the strength of the human body. It is the manners and spirit of a people which preserve a republic in vigor. A degeneracy in these is a canker which soon eats to the heart of its laws and constitution.” —Thomas Jefferson: Notes on Virginia Q.XIX, 1782. ME 2:230
“I think our governments will remain virtuous for many centuries as long as they are chiefly agricultural; and this will be as long as there shall be vacant lands in any part of America. When they get piled upon one another in large cities as in Europe, they will become corrupt as in Europe.” —Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 1787. Papers 12:442
“I view great cities as pestilential to the morals, the health and the liberties of man. True, they nourish some of the elegant arts; but the useful ones can thrive elsewhere; and less perfection in the others, with more health, virtue and freedom, would be my choice.” —Thomas Jefferson to Benjamin Rush, 1800. ME 10:173
“Our cities... exhibit specimens of London only; our country is a different nation.” —Thomas Jefferson to Andre de Daschkoff, 1809. ME 12:304
“Everyone, by his property or by his satisfactory situation, is interested in the support of law and order. And such men may safely and advantageously reserve to themselves a wholesome control over their public affairs and a degree of freedom which, in the hands of the canaille of the cities of Europe, would be instantly perverted to the demolition and destruction of everything public and private.” —Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, 1813. ME 13:401
“An insurrection... of science, talents, and courage, against rank and birth... has failed in its first effort, because the mobs of the cities, the instrument used for its accomplishment, debased by ignorance, poverty, and vice, could not be restrained to rational action. But the world will recover from the panic of this first catastrophe.” —Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, 1813. ME 13:402
“I fear nothing for our liberty from the assaults of force; but I have seen and felt much, and fear more from English books, English prejudices, English manners, and the apes, the dupes, and designs among our professional crafts. When I look around me for security against these seductions, I find it in the wide spread of our agricultural citizens, in their unsophisticated minds, their independence and their power, if called on, to crush the Humists of our cities, and to maintain the principles which severed us from England.” —Thomas Jefferson to Horatio G. Spafford, 1814. ME 14:120
You two should watch the YouTube video referenced in #8901. It reads STRAIGHT from portions of Shemitta!
Arizona Granny
I own almost 30 acres of wooded land with a stream. I have a large house on the land. I have a half finished daylight basement that could have its own bathroom and efficiency kitchen for a reasonable price. I have land cleared for a garden and two buildings for chickens and ducks. I live off road in a rural community. I also have a finished rented apartemtn on my property.
Would it be feasable to find a young couple who would have the skills to help fiinish the basement, live there and help work the land and build things? Perhaps finish the chilcken coop, fence the garden and build a pole barn? I have head knowledge In return for work on developing the property into a homestead they could live rent free and sock away monies for their own downpayment. Would this be out of the question? Am I asking for too much? What would be fair?
http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/NewsEvents/CVMUpdates/ucm166265.htm
FDA Suspends Temporary Emergency Permit of Pet Food Maker
June 12, 2009
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced today it was suspending the temporary Emergency Permit issued to Evanger’s Dog & Cat Food Co., Inc.
Evanger’s, operating in Wheeling, Illinois, deviated from the prescribed process, equipment, product shipment, and recordkeeping requirements in the production of the company’s thermally processed low acid canned food (LACF) products. The deviations in their processes and documentation could result in under-processed pet foods, which can allow the survival and growth of Clostridium botulinum (C. botulinum), a bacterium that causes botulism in some animals as well as in humans.
In April 2008, Evanger’s was issued an “Order of Need for Emergency Permit” after the agency determined that the company had failed to meet the regulatory requirements to process a product that does not present a health risk. In June, 2008, FDA issued Evanger’s a temporary Emergency Permit. During inspections conducted between March 2009 and April 2009, FDA determined Evanger’s was not operating in compliance with the mandatory requirements and conditions of the Temporary Emergency Permit.
“The FDA is stopping Evanger’s ability to ship pet food in interstate commerce,” said Dr. Bernadette Dunham. “Today’s enforcement action sends a strong message to manufacturers of pet food that we will take whatever action necessary to keep unsafe products from reaching consumers.”
In order for Evanger’s to resume shipping in interstate commerce, the company must document that corrective actions and processing procedures have been implemented to ensure that the finished product will not present a health hazard.
Botulism is a powerful toxin that affects the nervous system and can be fatal. The disease has been documented in dogs and cats. Signs of botulism in animals are progressive muscle paralysis, disturbed vision, difficulty in chewing and swallowing, and progressive weakness to the body. Death is usually due to paralysis of the heart or the muscles used in breathing.
While FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition is responsible for regulating all human and animal LACF processing, FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine has authority over animal feed and foods. The two centers are collaborating on this enforcement action.
Contact Us
* 240-276-9300
* 240-276-9115 FAX
*
Issued by: FDA, Center for Veterinary Medicine
Communications Staff, HFV-12
7519 Standish Place
Rockville, MD 20855
-
-
-
Page Last Updated: 06/12/2009
“Everyone, by his property or by his satisfactory situation, is interested in the support of law and order. And such men may safely and advantageously reserve to themselves a wholesome control over their public affairs and a degree of freedom which, in the hands of the canaille of the cities of Europe, would be instantly perverted to the demolition and destruction of everything public and private.” —Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, 1813. ME 13:401<<<
T. J. was a wise man, for this reads as tho it was written today.
I haven’t read all my emails for today, but noted an alert for an 8 year old shot in Las Vegas and an earlier alert for a shot/dead man found in Las Vegas.
That is normal news for today.
Kingman, Az has always been a quite town and now we are having the same problems as a big city does, it is spreading.
Stay safe.
Would it be feasable to find a young couple who would have the skills to help fiinish the basement, live there and help work the land and build things? Perhaps finish the chilcken coop, fence the garden and build a pole barn? I have head knowledge In return for work on developing the property into a homestead they could live rent free and sock away monies for their own downpayment. Would this be out of the question? Am I asking for too much? What would be fair?<<<
Good luck, for not many young folks will want to live as you are asking them to do.
But still there are a few who do want to learn, finding them is the problem.
Start with your church, they would give you a good selection and someone may know of someone who would work out.
Some of the readers here might know of someone.
You will find sites on the internet that offer such people and jobs, maybe under ‘care takers’ of farms.
Welcome to the thread and a suggestion that you put the job offer in your signature line, so others will see it.
You will need to sign a contract with them, I would think, be sure to spell out the number of hours you expect to them to work, for it should be fair to both of you.
Is it to be a daily job, as in feeding and cleaning the pens or is it to be X number of days a month? This must be in the contract.
Your best bet, might be a retired couple, for they might have the need of money and a home, with the way things are going.
It is rare for a deal like this to work out for both sides, as so few want to work.
I wish you luck in finding the right couple.
BTW, we have almost filled up every corner of 4 plots with something to eat , have the first squash today.. and planted corn w/beans today.. whew ! <<<
That is fantastic news.
If you only knew how I envy and rejoice for your garden and the food in it.
You have worked for it and now to see it producing, makes it all worth while.
Thank you for your input. there does seem to be a dearth of hardworking folks out there.
http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/links/start-392001/msg00094.html
Farm News from Canada and general farm news.
Search for horticulture information on eHARVEST.com, the leading
agri-search engine. This powerful tool allows you to access thousands of ag
websites, including many concerning gardening. Visit http://www.eharvest.com
and starting finding what you want today!!
Sincerely,
Chris
Argall Family wrote:
> Friedemann wrote:
>
> >does anybody know of some good website with information about which
> garden plants like or dislike each other?
>
> A search, e.g. with AltaVista, for the term ‘companion planting’ returns
> good information, e.g.
>
> http://www.waushara.net/garden/companion.html
>
> http://www.waushara.net/garden/companion.html
>
> http://www.primenet.com/~tfcox/companio.htm
>
> http://www.lisa.hafey.org/Companion_Planting.html
>
> http://www.hitech.net.au/utegrrl/companio.htm
>
> http://www.dircon.co.uk/midnet/organic/compan.htm
>
> I think it is also important to have in mind also that these lists are
> compiled by people with understanding of different parts of the planet. At
> simplest, bananas have no effective companions in Helsinki. You need to add
> to the lists your own sense of what does well in your own locality, in your
> own soils. Tomatoes may appreciate asparagus as companions, but obviously
> you can grow tomatoes in shallower soil than you can grow asparagus.
>
> cheers
From:
http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/links/start-392001/msg00094.html
More articles to read:
http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/links/start-392001/threads.html#00093
there does seem to be a dearth of hardworking folks out there.<<<
I became known as a dream killer, for I kept putting it down on paper and so many of peoples dreams, should remain just that, a dream, for real life is far different.
Your plan is not that far out and people should look at it, for you can learn far more by doing the work, than you can from a book.
Many years ago, I wanted to learn how to grow orchids, all I had was the hunger and little money and no knowledge.
Someone at a meeting took pity on me and my dumb questions and said the next time someone talks about potting,volunteer to come over and help.
For several years I was a volunteer potter of orchids and amassed a fine collection, went from a couple plants on trays of gravel in the house to 3 greenhouses, which those that I had helped, tipped me off, when they heard of a cheap one.
Wound up as the grower for an Orchid grower, who also helped me learn to be a florist.
So if I were young again, I would take your job, I might learn something.
And then I moved to Arizona and had to leave my orchids behind.
My education came from those orchids, you would never believe all the interests that came out of 3 plants from Sears and Roebuck for about $5.00 each.
Little and large items, LOL, I knew the sun came up on the bedroom side of the house and set on the kitchen side.
When the guest speaker went into a speech on greenhouses I remembered every word, so I could find out what the devil he was talking about:
“You must remember to place your greenhouse, and lath houses so that the lath you use for the shading will not allow the sun to be on your plants all day and burn them.”
He meant that if you run the lath in an east to west angle, the sun stays in the grove all day and the plants burn, so LOL, all my lath for ever more runs north and south, and the dear old sun gets to skip over the laths and not burn.
A simple thing, once you know of it.
The word needs to get out, that you need someone.
Have you contacted any of the teachers in your area?
Maybe it is a chance for someone going to college or wanting to save for college.
I would think it would be a dream for a returning Vet, they often dream of doing what you are doing.
Many of today’s large egg farms, grew from the Military men returning from WW2, it was a sure way to riches then.
http://www.sharingsustainablesolutions.org/vegetable-and-fruit-storage/
Vegetable And Fruit Storage
Vegetables
Cool & moist (32° to 40° F.) Humidity 90-95% Carrots, Beets, Parsnips, Salsify, rutabagas, Turnips, Celery.
Cool & moderately moist, with humidity 80-90% Potatoes, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Chinese Cabbage.
Dry & cool (see text below) Onions, Beans, Peas, Soybeans.
Dry & warm (see text below) Pumpkins, Squash.
The vegetables that need to be kept in cool & moist air, can be stored in moist sand or leaves in the basement or root cellar or even in the ground all winter (with a thick mulch of leaves, straw or newspapers over them) I’ve had much success with carrots being left in the ground until spring–and they are still perfect. If you are using a basement with adequate humidity for the second group above, then the moist sand or leaves will probably not be necessary.
For the third group, dry & cool: a moist root cellar or basement storage is not a good place to store onions. Try your attic, but don’t let them freeze. Do not place them in deep layers or closed containers.
Dry & warm vegetables can be stored at about 40-50° in a dry room. They keep best if placed on shelves so that they do not touch each other. (I’ve had winter butternut and spaghetti squash last 6 mos. stored in my pantry). You can keep green, mature tomatoes from 6 to 8 weeks stored at about 55-65° on shelves. They will ripen in about 2 mos.
Fruits
Apples and pears (some varieties keep better than others) should be kept as close to 32° as possible and the humidity at 80-85%. Most other kinds of fruit will not keep very well beyond a couple of weeks or so.
About the drums in the ground, my book talks about barrels but I it think could still apply. Since it talks about drainage, you might want to think about drilling a few small holes around the sides and bottom, as I believe it will need some air circulating. Put the container in the ground at about a 45 ° angle with some stones in the bottom to facilitate drainage. Cover it all around with about 6 inches of dirt then 6 inches of straw or leaves and finally with about 2 inches of dirt to hold the mulch in place. After the fruits and vegetables are packed, place the cover over the top and then pile about a foot of mulch on the cover with a board and a rock to keep in place. Experimenting with this in winter will help, especially if you keep records of what works and what doesn’t work.
http://www.sharingsustainablesolutions.org/refrigeration-without-electricity/
Refrigeration Without Electricity
In rural northern Nigeria, there are no refrigerators. Most people don’t even have electricity. So perishable food must be eaten immediately, or it will go to waste. Mohammed Bah Abba, a local teacher, has developed an ingenious solution: the Pot-in-Pot Preservation Cooling System.
A small earthenware pot is placed inside a larger one, and the space between the two is filled with moist sand. The inner pot is filled with fruit, vegetables or soft drinks; a wet cloth covers the whole thing. As water in the sand evaporates through the surface of the outer pot, it carries heat, drawing it away from the inner core. Eggplants stay fresh for 27 days, instead of the usual three. Tomatoes and peppers last for up to three weeks.
A recipient of the Rolex Award for Enterprise, Abba, 37, who hails from a family of potmakers, is using his $75,000 award to make the invention available throughout Nigeria. He has already sold 12,000.
http://www.sharingsustainablesolutions.org/companion-planting/
Companion Planting
The following is a list of vegetable and herbs which grow well together and protect one another from insect attack.?? Many herbs are natural insect repellents that can keep your garden bug free and reduce or eliminate the need for potentially harmful pesticides.
By using Companion Planting, many gardeners are discovering that they can discourage garden pests without harming helpful insects such as bees and ladybugs. Some herbs, through their odors or root secretions, will deter pests naturally. An added bonus is; these same herbs, planted as companions in your garden, will season the fruits and vegetables of your labor.
Some herbs even improve the flavor or growth rate of their companion vegetables. Companion planting is the ultimate way to bring the balance of nature into your garden. Just do your best to match the suitable herb with the suitable plant and the rest will follow.
BASIL:
Plant with tomatoes to improve growth and flavor and to repel flies and mosquitoes. Do not plant near rue.
BAY LEAF:
A fresh leaf bay leaf in each storage container of beans or grains will deter weevils and moths. Sprinkle with other deterrent herbs in garden as natural insecticide dust.
BEE BALM (Oswego):
Plant with tomatoes to improve growth and flavor.
BORAGE:
Companion plant for tomatoes, squash and strawberries. Deters tomato worms.
CARAWAY:
Good for loosening compacted soil.
CATNIP:
Deters flea beetles.
CAMOMILE:
Improves flavor of cabbages and onions.
CHERVIL:
Companion to radishes for improved growth and flavor.
CHIVES:
Improves growth and flavor of carrots.
DILL:
Improves growth and health of cabbage. Do not plant near carrots.
FENNEL:
Most plants dislike it. Plant to itself.
FLAX:
Plant with carrots, and potatoes.
GARLIC:
Plant near roses to repel aphids.
GOPHER PURGE:
Deters gophers, and moles.
HORSERADISH:
Plant in potato patch to keep away potato bugs.
HYSSOP:
Companion plant to cabbage and grapes, deters cabbage moths. Do not plant near radishes.
KELP:
When used in a powder mixture or tea spray, this versatile sea herb will not only repel insects but feed the vegetables.
LEMON BALM:
Sprinkle throughout the garden in an herbal powder mixture.
LOVAGE:
Improves flavor and health of most plants.
MARIGOLDS
(Calendula): The workhorse of pest deterrents. Keeps soil free of nematodes; discourages many insects. Plant freely throughout the garden.
MARJORAM:
Improves flavor of all vegetables.
MINT:
Deters white cabbage moths, and improves the health of cabbage and tomatoes.
MOLE PLANTS:
Deter moles and mice if planted here and there throughout the garden.
NASTURTIUMS:
Plant with tomatoes, radishes, cabbage, cucumbers, and under fruit trees. Deters aphids and pests of curcurbit family.
PARSLEY:
Plant and sprinkle on tomatoes, and asparagus.
PEPPERMINT:
Repels white cabbage moths.
PETUNIAS:
Remember mom or grandma planting these? She had good reason, even though she may have only planted them for tradition’s sake. They repel the asparagus beetle, tomato worm and general garden pests. Also, a good companion to tomatoes, but plant everywhere.
PURSLANE:
This edible weed makes good ground cover in the corn. Use the stems, leaves and seeds in stirfrys. Pickle the green seed pod for capers.
ROSEMARY:
Companion plant to cabbage, beans, carrots and sage. Deters cabbage moths, bean beetles, and carrot flies.
RUE:
Deters Japanese beetles in roses and raspberries.
SAGE:
Companion plant with rosemary, cabbage, and carrots to deter cabbage moths, beetles, carrot flies. Do not plant near cucumbers.
SOUTHERNWOOD:
Plant with cabbage, and here and there in the garden.
SUMMER SAVORY:
Plant with beans and onions to improve growth and flavor. Discourages cabbage moths.
TANSY:
Plant with fruit trees, roses and raspberries. Deters flying insects, Japanese beetles, striped cucumber beetles, squash bugs, and ants.
TARRAGON:
Plant throughout the garden, not many pests like this one.
THYME:
Deters cabbage worms.
VALERIAN:
Good anywhere in the garden, as a powder.
WORMWOOD:
Keeps animals out of the garden when planted as a border.
Source:http://www.i4at.org/library.html
http://www.sharingsustainablesolutions.org/garden-food-pond/
Garden Food Pond
You can easily create a food supply in your back yard, even in the city. First, dig as large a pond as you think you can have in your location. For a smaller pond, use a plastic liner, and for a larger one, go to a supplier and ask for damaged bags of concrete at a discount. If the cement bags have gotten damp have started to harden up, you can get them for next to nothing. Throw them in the pond you dug, and break up the bags & clumps with a hoe. Spread aggregate over the concrete, spray it a little with a hose, and mix it right in with the dirt, making dirt-mix concrete, and smooth it out and let it dry.
Fill the pond, and add water plants in pots, especially edible ones like cattails. Pot them in plastic nursery pots with soilless mix, and cover the top with heavy gravel to keep the soil in the pot, then just place them in the pond. Some large smooth rocks, piled up together to make islands will be good places for small fry to hide and the frogs to sun themselves. Put in a decorative waterfall or fountain to aereate the water.
Stock the pond with catfish. They’re tasty, they grow fast, and they’re darn near impossible to kill. Add water snails and crawdads to help keep the water clean. Also, get bullfrogs for frog legs. Fence in the pond with chicken wire and get ducks and/or geese, if zoning allows it. Keep in mind geese are very noisy, which is bad in a city backyard, but good in a rural area. Geese can take on many predators themselves, and will sound the alarm better than a dog if intruders approach. Also, duck or geese cr*p will permanently seal the bottom of the pond.
Now, for the real heart of the system. You have to run power out to the pond anyways for the water feature pump (make sure it’s a ground fault interruper-protected {GFI} circuit). Get a couple heavy-duty bug zappers and remove the water pan that catches the bugs on the bottom. Hang the zappers out over the water on poles. Tie a scrap of bacon dangling just underneath the zapper with dental floss to draw flies during the day. This is your feeder system. Every time a bug gets zapped, it drops into the water, and the ducks, frogs or catfish will get it. You will never buy food for these animals or fish, it’s free. Also, your bug problems will be greatly diminished. If you place the pond near your veggie garden, many of the bad bugs will be drawn to the pond, to become food instead of eating yours. If you arrainge it artistically, you can even make a nice piece of frontyard landscaping out of the project. Just make sure your fence is good enough to keep out neghborhood dogs.
A couple tips. First, when the ducks begin nesting, run a net through the pond and harvest all the catfish. Call your buddies and tell them to bring beer and their fillet knives over, and have a catfish fry. Save some of your catfish in a seperate container (a barrel or horse trough will work fine) for breeding stock. Large catfish will eat young ducklings, and thus must be harvested before the ducklings hatch. Second, muck out your pond once a year with buckets and plastic scoops, being very careful not to damage the pond liner. This must be done, or the pond will eventually fill in. This muck is rich liquid compost, black gold for your vegetable garden.
So once you set this up, you will get protein from fish, duck and/or geese, eggs, down, feathers, frog legs, crawdads, edible water plants and compost for your garden, as well as insect pest control, and maybe even an extra intruder alarm. The maintenece is very low, the costs are only the tiny amount of electricity to run the pump & zappers, and you have an attractive water feature that will raise the value of your property.
Is that cool, or what ?!?
Granny note:
I have used the bug zapper over a wash tub of water and when it died, a light bulb, hanging maybe 3 feet above the tub of water.
The ducks love all those free bugs and will even get up in the middle of the night for a snack.
Also serves as an outdoor light, when you live in snake country, I found some of the old style metal reflectors in the dump and used them to point the light down.
LOL, Delawhere, how would one of your solar lights work for this ???
Can you get the angle right? to catch the sun and shine down?
granny
http://www.sharingsustainablesolutions.org/homemaker-hints/
Homemaker Hints
Try a cup of baking soda in a Cup of warm water. Relax for ten
minutes or until refreshed.
One tablespoon of baby oil in very warm bath water for smoothskin. Watch the wrinkles go.
Try a warm bath with feet propped up high for a relaxing twenty minutes. Mix dry oatmeal and water into a paste and spread on face. Lie down and let it dry. Wash off with warm water.
Excellent facial. Cold Cream on eyelashes and brows keeps soap out of eyes while shampooing.
For that Bright Eyed look, place cucumber slices on eyelids while relaxing in a hot bath for ten minutes.
Remove gum from hair with nail polish remover, then shampoo.
Cornbread mix spread on face, let dry and wash off with warm water and see how clean your skin looks.
Another refresher… squeeze cotton pads out of ice water, place on eyelids and lie down, elevate feet.
To prevent hair pins from falling out, bend one prong in a “V” about halfway up and insert in hair. It will stay.
Clean your rings with toothpaste and old brush.
Artgum eraser will clean bone colored shoes.
To keep Cold Cream from spoiling and maintain its freshness, keep it in the refrigerator… and it’s so cool.
Prevent wrinkled scarfs. Roll and place in toilet tissue cones.
Old lipstick tubes, thoroughly cleaned, are great for purse-sized pill boxes or for pins etc.
White shoe polish will keep a cast clean on broken bones.
Clip on earrings can be used for cuff links or scatter pins.
Cuticle remover will clear hands of nicotine stains.
Ice water and soap to remove ring from swollen finger.
Cut legs off old card table, to about ten inches high. This will make a good table for sick or bed-ridden folks.
Boil pine splinters and sip tea to stop hiccups of long duration.
Use a lazy susan at bedside to enable sick to reach more items.
Old socks worn over shoes on ice helps to prevent falls.
Tape on shoes helps prevent falls on highly waxed floors.
Emergency Sinus Relief - swap white vinegar high up in the nostrils.
Recycle Your Own Paper - Use backs of unwanted advertising mail for scratch paper pads. Roll your newspapers into a tight roll until they are log size, tie with a wire and burn in the fireplace. It will burn like a log, but even longer.
Save plastic milk containers, fill with water and freeze. Use in camper iceboxes or coolers. Also these can be used to freeze colored water or juices in for later use in a punch bowl.
Clean vinyl with liquid window cleaner.
Avoid tears when peeling onions, slice first, then slip the bands of skin off.
Use an egg slicer to slice apples or mushrooms.
Leftover pancake batter makes good fried onion rings. Separate and let soak in batter for fifteen minutes. Fry in hot oil.
Loose door knob? Put a drop of shellac in the screw hole, then tighten. It works.
To grow thyme - thyme will grow anywhere, but it prefers a dry, poor soil. If the ground is rich, the plant will become too luxuriant and lose its aromatic qualities.
Very strengthening drink - beat the yolk of a fresh egg with a little sugar, add a very little brandy, beat the white to a strong froth, stir it into the yolk, fill up the tumbler with fresh milk and grate in a little nutmeg.
How to preserve flowers and fruit - Fruit and flowers may be preserved from decay and fading by immersing them in a solution of gum arabic and water two or three times, waiting a sufficient
time between each immersion to allow the gum to dry. This process covers the surface of the fruit with a thin coat of gum, which is entirely impervious to the air, thus preventing the decay of the fruit or flower. Roses thus preserved have all the beauty of freshly picked ones, though they have been separated form the parent stock many months.
Household cleaner formula: Soap powder - 2 oz.; soda ash - 3 oz.; trisodium phosphate - 40 oz.; finely ground silica - 55 oz. Mix well and put up in containers. most of the above items can be purchased from drug stores or hardware and paint stores.
Household window cleaner formula: Castile soap - 2 oz.; water - 5 oz.; chalk - 4 oz.; french-chalk - 3 oz.; tripoli powder - 2 oz.; petroleum spirits - 5 oz. Mix well and pack in tight containers. Above ingredients can be purchased at local drug, hardware, paint, or nursery stores.
Fire Kindler Formula: Rosin or pitch - 10 oz.; sawdust - 10 or more oz. Melt, mix and cast in forms.
Paint Brush Cleaner - ammonia (household ammonia will do).
Sun Burn Lotion - Peanut oil (buy at grocery store).
Radiator Cleaner - Tri-sodium phosphate (buy at paint store).
Tree Wound Dressing - Lanolin (buy at drug store).
Frosted Window Paint - super saturated solution of Epsom salts.
Mosquito Repellant - Oil of Pennyroyal, rub on skin (buy at drugstore).
Furniture polish and cleaner - Vinegar.
Tile Cleaner - Deodorized kerosene (buy at an oil company).
Windshield Anti-fog - Glycerine (buy at drug store).
Label Cement - Egg white is an excellent label cement.
Cockroach Exterminator - Borax (buy at the grocery store).
Ground Mole Control Powder - Black pepper placed liberally in their runs.
Battery Anti-corrode - Vaseline.
Fire Extinguisher - Plain baking soda.
Nail Bleach - Hydrogen peroxide (buy at the drug store).
Type Cleaner - rubbing alcohol (buy at the drug store).
Wonder Car Product - Removes tar, paint, wax gum, etc. Benzol.
Cures Cigarette Habit - Take before breakfast 1/2 teaspoon each of Rochelle Salts and Cream of Tartar, also chew Ginseng root and swallow the juice.
For Great Beauty - drink a teaspoon of Figwort. This will banish every blemish from your skin as it cleanses the blood.
Chamomile teas will give one a complexion to be proud of.
SEWING HINTS
Emergency ripped hem repair - use double faced sticky tape between hem and dress.
Bobbins, thread, and other sewing notions can be hung on a bulletin board with straight pins near your machine.
Cut buttons, zippers, snaps, hooks, and eyes from all old clothes and place near your sewing machine. Pin all the buttons that are alike together with a large safety pin. Saves a lot!
Cut the cost of making a round tablecloth by using the fringe from an old bedspread.
To cover unremovable spots on children’s clothes, iron transfers of animals, etc. over spots or paint with textile paints. Looks new!
To reline a jacket or coat, use the old lining for the pattern. Spray heavily with starch and press. Pin to the new material for a perfect pattern.
For a matched set of spread and drapes, buy two bedspreads and make a set of drapes from one.
For an attractive eyeglass case, fold a pot-holder and sew up one side and the end.
Worn out tops of little girls slips? Cut off at the waist and insert elastic for half-slip. Also good if she has grown too tall for it.
Use iron-on rug binding on men’s trousers to prevent “waist-band curing” of trouser tops. Great for the heavy-set men.
CLOTHING HINTS
Footlets twisted twice in arch of foot prevents slipping off.
Use two rubber bands and three safety pins on sliding bra straps. Pin to each strap and in a “V” to center bra.
Use hair spray to stop runs in hose.
Clear nail polish will stop runs in hose and also makes good glue.
Use nylon net to brush lint off dark clothing.
Fold several pieces of tissue, pin through dress with tissues on back to prevent heavy broach from sagging.
Felt markers are good to cover shoe scuffs.
Grease spots which have set, in washable fabrics, can often beremoved by rubbing fresh grease on spot and washing immediately.
Age Old And New Age Folk Remedies For Common Ailments That Really Work!
The following is an assortment of tried and true home remedies from a variety of sources. While the author can’t vouch for the particular effectiveness of any method, nor are any to be
considered miracle cures, many people have found the following treatments to be an effective alternative to modern medicines or treatments. Of course, when serious illness or injury occurs you should seek out competent professional medical advice.
ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, HANGOVERS, CONTROLLING CRAVING OF…
To lessen the effects of acetaldehyde, a by-product produced in your body from consuming alcohol, and what causes hangover symptoms, never drink on a empty stomach. One “old as the hills” suggestion to lessen the effects of hangovers is eating a large quantity of any member of the Cole family of vegetables (like cabbage) prepared in a acidic base before you start drinking.
That’s right. Old-fashioned cole slaw prepared with vinegar is claimed to prevent a hangover!
A night of heavy drinking tends to dehydrate one’s body. The morning after, replenish water loss and possible electrolytes imbalances by drinking plenty of fluids, include something on the salty side like chicken soup, or canned tomato juice. Be careful if you have high blood pressure, kidney disease or if you must watch your sodium intake.
If you’re already into heavy drinking, many swear by Chaparral a herb found in larger health food stores in capsule form. It is reported to help detoxify one’s liver and is an old Indian remedy.
The garden variety vitamin B in 50 mg tablets taken before you start drinking is said to help replenish it’s loss from the body due to consumption of large amount of alcohol. If you already are suffering from the symptoms of a hangover and don’t mind trying something that sounds totally ridiculous, try rubbing a cut lemon under each armpit. If you want to quit drinking try sucking on a whole clove. It’s known to be effective in getting rid of the urge to consume alcoholic
beverages.
EFFECTIVE DEODORANTS
Fed up paying big bucks for commercial products, then try baking soda. Mix two parts of cornstarch to one part baking soda. Best if used right after bathing.
OK, still in the kitchen? Try cutting up a big cucumber that’s high in magnesium and an effective natural deodorant. So is plain old vinegar. Its high alcohol content will destroy bacteria that causes unpleasant orders. Don’t worry, that vinegar smell goes away in about
twenty minutes to half an hour.
http://www.sharingsustainablesolutions.org/great-garden-tips/
Great Garden Tips
Bees or Wasps in the HouseSpray the insect with hair spray. The spray will stiffen their wings and they will plummet to their death.
Black Flies or GnatsWater soil with a mix of 1 teaspoon of ammonia and 1 quart of water. Do this every 3 days for 3 weeks.
Alcohol SpraysUse for aphids, mealybugs, scale, thrips and whitefly control. Mix ? cup Isopropyl alcohol (70%) with 1 cup water and spray on leaves and pests. Alcohol can burn the leaves of certain plants. African Violets and Apple trees are sensitive to alcohol sprays. Test a few leaves on your plant before you spray the whole plant.
Caterpillar Deterrent Citrus SprayCaterpillars don’t like the taste of citrus, it’s bitter chemicals run the caterpillars off.To make a citrus spray, grind up the rinds and seeds of any citrus fruit. Soak over night in 2 cups of water. Strain out the pulp, add 2 t liquid soap to mix. Spray on plants.
Garlic Oil SprayUse for control over aphids, cabbage loopers, earwigs, June bugs, leafhoppers, squash bugs, and whiteflies. * Mince 1 bulb garlic * soak in 2 t mineral oil for 24 hours * mix 1 pint of water with 1 T liquid soap * add garlic mix to water and soap * Mix throughly * Strain out garlic and place into a jar for storage Use 1 to 2 T garlic oil mix to 2 cups water. Spray plants covering all leaf surfaces.
Fire Place AshesUse wood ashes from your fire place to control any soft bodied bug such as pear slugs and regular slugs. Sprinkle the powder where ever these creatures travel. The powder dehydrates the slugs and they die.
Low-fat For AphidsTo control aphids apply nonfat dried milk, mixed according to the box, onto the leaves of your plants. The aphids get stuck in the milky residue and perish.
Slug TerminatorSpray slugs with a mix of 1 part vinegar and 1 part water to terminate your slugs. Mix vinegar and water into a trigger sprayer and spray directly onto the slug. They will die almost immediately. Also spray the ground around your plants and any hidden slugs will come out of the sprayed soil and die.
Drunken SlugSet a shallow pan of beer (the darker the better) out into the garden where the slugs hang out. They can not resist the taste of beer and crawl in and drown.
Slug trapUse a plastic pop bottle to catch slugs. Remove the lid, cut the pop bottle just below the curve of the neck all the way around. Invert the neck piece and staple it inside of the main piece. Throw in some slug bait or some beer and set in the garden where the slugs are doing the damage. The slugs can crawl in but don’t crawl out.
Slug StopperSprinkle a ring of moth crystals around the base of your plants to keep the slugs from eating your plants. The slugs as well as cats, dogs and raccoons will stay away from these plants.
Weather Forecasting CricketsYou can tell the outside temperature in Fahrenheit by counting the number of chirps made by a cricket in 14 seconds then add 40 to it.
Earwig CatcherEarwigs like dark, tight places to hide in during the day. Lay some corrugated cardboard out in the garden where you have had earwig damage. The earwigs will climb into the cardboard to hide during the day. Collect the cardboard and burn it.
Codling Moth BrothTo catch codling moths, use a mixture of 2 parts vinegar and one part molasses. Place this mixture in a tin can and hang it in the apple tree. Clean out the moths and place more mix in the can when needed.
Fly CatcherTo catch flies, place a piece of meat in a jar. Using a quart jar, place a small piece of meat and ? inch of water into the jar. Punch a few holes big enough for the flies to crawl in, into the lid of the jar. Screw on the lid and set in a good fly location. When the fly crawls in, it can’t get out. Clean out the jar when the smell gets to strong or it gets full of flies.
Yellow Sticky TrapsTo catch white flies, gnats and aphids use STP motor oil treatment or honey. Smear motor oil treatment or honey onto bright yellow plastic and place it amongst your plants with bugs. When the plastic gets full of bugs, wipe them off and reapply STP motor oil treatment or honey and set the trap out again.
How to Get the Skunk Smell off of Your Pets * 1 quart 3% Hydrogen Peroxide * 1/4 cup baking soda * 2 teaspoons baby shampooMix up solution. Thoroughly wet dog and shampoo in. Let sit for 5 minutes then rinse. Be sure not to get the solution in the dogs eyes. The percentage of Hydrogen Peroxide is not strong enough to bleach the dogs hair.
Protect Your Grapes from the BirdsJust before your grapes ripen when the birds start to get into them protect your crop with plastic grocery bags. Punch each bag full of air holes. Slip a bag around each bundle of grapes and staple to hold bag in place.
Spank Your Fruit TreesFor more fruit production, take a rolled up newspaper and spank the day lights out of the trunk of your fruit trees. This action loosens the cambium layer and more sap will flow up to the tree producing more fruit. This is for more fruit the following year.
Mini GreenhousesWhen you first place your seedlings out you will want to protect them from to much wind, sun or frost. A gallon milk jug with the bottom cut out and the lid off is the perfect mini green house for setting out your plants. If it is going to frost, just put the lid on for the night. If the jug keep blowing off, cut off the top of the handle. Next run a stick through the handle, this will secure the jug to the stick. Push the stick down into the ground to anchor it. The wind will not pick it up now.
Mini Shade HouseWhen first setting out seedling the can be wind burned or sunburned. To help the acclimate your plants to the great outdoors you can protect them with a mini shade house. Cut out a 18 inch by 24 inch piece of woven fence material, being sure to leave the extra wire that sticks out when you cut it. Bend it into the shape of an arch. Cut a piece of burlap 20 inches by 26 inches. Hook the burlap over the ends of the fence material. Set the whole unit over your transplanted seedlings. Leave this over them for a week to harden off your plants. This is great for working people because you never build up heat under this covering so you don’t have to take it off during the day if the sun shines to hot.
Dress up Your GardenUse old panty hose for tying up your plants. The panty hose are strong and will not cut into the tender stems.Another use for old panty hose is to place them over the heads of your cabbage. As your cabbage grows the panty hose will stretch.
Canned CornTo keep birds and squirrels from eating your corn, place aluminum pop or beer cans on your corn ear. Prepare the cans by cutting off the tab end. Next punch air holes all the way around the can. When you see birds or squirrels getting into your corn, slip a can over each ear until it is ripe.
Eggshell PlantersEggshells make great plant starters. When you crack your egg, just take off the tip of one end. Rinse out the shell and poke a small drain hole into the bottom of the shell while it is still wet. Fill shell 3/4 full of potting soil and plant seeds. When it is time to plant out just crush the egg shell and plant into the ground. The egg shell adds lime to help feed the soil and plant.
Mildew on Your PeoniesSprinkle your peonies with cinnamon to stop molds and fungi. Tokyo researchers have found that fungi will not grow in the presence of cinnamon.
Clothespin for RosesTo avoid being stuck when working with roses, use a spring type clothes pin to hold the stem instead of your fingers.
Baking Soda SprayUse baking soda to control fungal diseases, especially black spot on roses.Dissolve 1 t baking soda in 1 quart of water, add 1 t liquid soapSpray entire leaf surfaces of plants every 3 days for 21 days. Reapply after every rain.
No Room for a Garden?If you want to grow a tomato plant or a cucumber plant and you have no room. Get a bale of straw, poke some holes in it and pour compost into the holes. Plant your vegetables right into the bale. Water when needed. The decomposing bale will feed your vegetables all season.
Soak Your Feet or Feed Your TomatoesEpsom salt is great for getting your tomato plants to produce large crops of tomatoes. It also helps to prevent blossom end rot. Use 1/4 cup around the base of each tomato plant every year.
Easy Sowing of Small SeedsSeason salt or spice shakers are great to use to sow small seeds. Place your tiny seeds in the shakers with some fine sand and shake away. The sand helps to evenly distribute your seeds so they don’t end up in one pile.
Quick Sprout CarrotsSoak your carrot seeds in a glass of warm water for 24 hours. Drain off water and place carrot seeds evenly on several wet paper towels. About ? inches apart. Layer the paper towels in a glass baking dish. Place a sheet of plastic wrap between the layers. Cover the whole dish with plastic wrap. Place in a warm location for about a week. When you start to see little white sprout coming out of the end of the carrot seed it is time to plant them. Place the paper towel in the garden row. Cover lightly with soil and water lightly. Your carrots should be up in a few days.
Rid Your Sidewalks of Weeds and GrassTo kill weeds and grass in unwanted places such as the cracks in your side walks, pour boiling salt water directly onto the weeds or grass for an instant kill.
Hammer Those Tough WeedsFor those hard to pull weeds, hook them with the claw end of a hammer and pull.
Pickle Those WeedsTo kill weeds in areas that you don’t plan to plant anything you can use a solution of vinegar and salt. * 1/4 cup vinegar * 2 t salt * 1 quart water Spray weed until soaked. Heat of the day is best.
Fizzy BubblesTo clean the dirt and stains out of the crevices and cracks of your hands. Drop two denture tables into 2 cups of warm water. Soak your hands for 15 to 20 minutes. It will also remove the dirt from under your nails and will also soften your hands.
I invite you to use this guide as a first step in developing you own garden survival list. Mentally walk through the garden season and list all of the items you use. If any of them are “modern appliances” you will need to think of a man powered replacement or back up system. Contact your local county extension agent and find out what pests lurk in your neck of the woods. Get the supplies you will need to eradicate the pests that will plague your garden. Find a gardener to buddy up with. There should be several experienced gardeners in your area. Go ask them some questions. Find out when they plant, what they plant, what pests they deal with, what kind of fertilizer they use, be sure to take notes. Most gardeners love to talk about their gardens. Go to the library and find some books on gardening. The ones you like have the book store order for you. Fore thought and preparation is the key. It is very possible for us to feed our families from our garden.
http://www.sharingsustainablesolutions.org/primitive-cooking-methods/
Primitive Cooking Methods
There are two very important elements to successful primitive cooking. First you must have something to cook. For this you may want to consult our booklets entitled “Primitive Survival Techniques” or “Primitive Hunting & Fishing Technologies”. Cooking in the wilderness can be accomplished very effectively if you use their head. Plan out what you intend to do and then look around you. There are plenty of natural materials in a natural setting to provide whatever you will need, whether it be for your fire or utensils or shelter.
There are many techniques to cooking in the wild, some require you to production some sort of primitive tool or container and some techniques that require no other utensils. For these you would utilizing only the fire and the coals. In most cases, unless you are toasting, browning or reflection cooking, which requires the fire itself, everything else that you prepare will require no more than the heat of the coals. Cooking over an open flame, which will burn the outside of what you are cooking and still leave the inside unpleasantly uncooked, is one of the most common mistakes made by the novice outdoor primitive food preparer. Flames are much hotter than coals and much more inconsistent in heat their distribution. You will have far less control over your heat.
Furthermore, all woods do not burn at the same rate. A quick thumbnail hint is that hardwoods burn slow and hot, soft woods burn cooler and faster. You should also avoid using pine wood to cook with. It will make a quick and hot warming fire but it should never be used as a cooking wood. Whatever you are cooking you need to have plenty of coals. For this reason it is a good idea to keep a fire going producing coals while you use another area of your fire ring or a separate fire ring or pit to cook in where you may constantly transfer coals as needed, thereby, keeping an adequate supply of hot coals on hand. You can avoid getting burned with about five minutes work making yourself a coal stick. To do this find a green stick about 4 inch in diameter and about 3-4 inch long. Split this down the middle from one end about half way. At the bottom of the split, tie off the stick with rope, string, bark, sinew, whatever. This will keep the split from continuing down the length of the stick. You now have a tool that is springy and it will stir coals, pick up coals or add wood to the center of your fire, all without getting you burned. Add additional kindling or wood as needed to keep the fire burning well.
Your cooking success will be more assured if you plan on what type of fire will serve you best for what you are trying to cook. Never build a fire larger than you need it to be. There are many choices of fire pit styles and each has its advantages over others depending on the materials at hand and what you are planning to prepare. Some of these are as follows:
DANGLING
This is the best fire for small animals such as a rabbit or squirrel.
Over the top of a basic pit fire, build a dangle rod or tripod. Then wrap the body of your prey with string, twine, sinew, etc. You may even want to wet this cord before securing it to the animal. Leave enough cord to allow your prey to dangle near or over the fire. By giving it an occasional spin you will find that this allows the meat to turn and therefore cook evenly. Be smart here however. You don’t want it to dangle close enough to the fire for it burn the string and/or scorch the meat. It is also a good plan if you use a reflector in conbination with the dangling method. You may also wish to catch the drippings for making gravy or for flavoring of some of your other creations.
FLAT STONE COOKING
A flat stone either pre-heated in the fire or placed over two other stones and hot coals raked beneath much like a grill, will make a fine griddle for cooking hotcakes, eggs, meat or anything that you would normally cook on a griddle. This works best if you have an extra good source of hot coals and you preheat the stones well first. If you utilize some grease or fats from your prey on the top of the stone first, this will minimize the sticking which so often aggrevates novices in this type of cooking.
HOT ROCK COOKING
For hot rock cooking you will need a container of some sort. A burn and scrape bowl, a tightly woven basket coated with rawhide glue or pine pitch that will hold water or a gourd bowl. Liquid is then placed in the container f or stew or for purifying and rocks are heated in the fire You will need several of these, about the size of a large egg. Do not use rocks found in or near to the water. These may hold water within them and they may well explode when you are heating them. You will also need some sort of hot rock handling device like the coal stick spoken of earlier. When the rocks are nice and hot place them one at a time into the water with the thongs. The heat in the rocks will be transferred to the water, gradually causing it to boil. You then remove the rocks from the liquid, place them back into the fire, so they will heat up again. You continue doing this until your dinner is served. You may wish to manufacture a simple basket with a handle to place the hot rocks in to lower them into the liquid with, thus making them easier to remove. If you are using naturally secured water you should purify it. You can easily purify water by boiling it for at least five minutes.
SPIT COOKING
A spit is a green stick used to skewer your meats or vegetables and then held over the coalsin some manner. You may do this by hand or support the spit with two forked sticks. You may also us this method in conjunction with the dangle method. The easiest way is to secure the bottom of your forked stick a stone or stuck or simply stuck into the ground. You may even use this method to bake bread. Take the dough and form it into what looks like a snake and then coil wrap it around the stick. Bake it over the heat of the coals. Just remember to turn it often you are only browning it. When cooking meat you may encounter the problem of the meat not turning with the stick, as you turn it. A simple solution to this problem could be to drill two or three small holes in the middle of the stick you are using to skewer with. Whittle two smaller sticks that will fit through the diameter of the holes you just drilled snugly, pointing them on one end. Then you can skewer your prey and pierce the body through with the two smaller sticks, through the drilled holes and through the other side of the meat you are cooking. Now, it will turn. You can also bind the meat with cord to keep legs and wings from dangling and falling into the fire as they cook.
PARCHING
Nuts, berries, seeds, grasshoppers, tubers and such may be parched in a basket or bowl by shaking them round in a container with some hot coals. These may be eaten or ground up and added to stews. Many of these items may also be ground into a flower from which you might make a dough. This is also a good method for long term storage of these items.
REFLECTOR COOKING
Remember, you are primitive cooking so you must utilize what nature provides. This may be as simple as several short logs stacked on top of one another to the height of two to three feet and staked on each side to keep from tumbling down or it could be constructed to have three sides thus utilizing more heat. The reflector should be placed behind the prey being cooked. In this way the prey being cooked will be between the reflector and.the fire, thus reflecting the heat of the fire and cooking the prey thoroughly. The reflector method can be used in conjunction with many of the other cooking methods. In addition to its value as a cooking method, the warmth it can provide you by situating your shelter between the fire and the reflector, thus reflecting some of the heat back to you.
DIRECT COAL COOKING
To cook using this method you place your items right on the bed of coals. A great many foods may be cooked by utilizing this method If you use hardwood coals then you will have very little to no ash to stick to your food. Bread dough prepared by flattening it into pancakes or rolling into balls and placing these directly on the coals. When the outside is browned thoroughly, remove them from the coals and break them open. After you have let them cool a bit you may eat the bread from inside. The outside is usually too burned to eat by the time the inside is done but the inside should be very tasty. Steaks may be laid directly on the coals and turned frequently. Laying meat directly on the coals really sears and seals the meat’s natural juices in and makes it one of the juiciest steak you’ll ever eat. Tubers, such as potatoes can be cooked this way. You should bury them in the coals. Poke them from time to time to see if they are tender, thus done. Don’t let the hard feel of the outer layer deceive you though. The longer they stay in the coals the thicker this outer layer will get, as it burns. Corn on the cob, soaked in the husk and laid on the coals steams corn very well. Some folks like to take bark or tanned deer hide and soak it. Then the items desired to be cooked are placed onto the bark or skins and then the top of the skin or another layer of bark is placed on the top. This method will keep your food more tender, but it does take longer to cook and is really rough on the skins.
THE ORIENTAL STEAM PIT
This is a favorite method of the Orientals even today. A steam pit is nothing more than a pit dug large enough to hold the items your planning to cook. Line the pit with stones and build a fire in the pit. This will heat the rocks surrounding it. After you have a good bed of coals, remove the bulk of the fire and most of the coals. The remaining coals are then covered with a layer of ash and/or wet grasses. Place whatever you are cooking on the top of the grass and then pile more grasses over this. Wet this slightly, not enough to cool the rocks down, just enough to cause steam. Grasses taken from marshy areas seem to work best for this as they are used to the water and will not break down so rapidly when wet. Then, seal the opening of the pit with a flat rock and place dirt all over the structure. You do not need not be constantly attending this type of fire. Thus you can set this up in the morning, spend the day hunting, hiking or fishing and have a tasty meal awaiting your returen. It is very important to not open the pit until the food is done. So, you will need to get a reasonable estimate of the necessary cooking time before you utilize this type of cooking system. You need not worry about food over cooking in the steam pit for it is cooling down the whole time it is cooking. Also, since it is buried you need not worry about animals eating it before you get to it. This is also one of the best ways to maintain the nutrition content because this method will steam in all of the vitamins as well as all the flavor.
PLANK COOKING
Meat or fish may be cooked on a board or plank by securing the meat to the board by tying it or pegging it in some manner. Then simply place the board near the fire, with the meat side facing the fire until it is done. Do not pine. Do not use a commercially produced slab of wood. Use what nature has left for you. This way you can be sure to avoid the tonix elements of the wood to transfer into the meat plus pine will give your meat a funny and to me an unpleasant taste. You may use the reflector method in conjunction with this type of preparation.
CLAY COOKING
Cooking meat by covering it with clay and baking it in the coals has the effect of a clay oven or kiln and it will steam the meat until it is tender and juicy in its own juices. To use this method acquire some good sticky clay or mud, and smather it over the entire item you are cooking. Good clay can be found in river banks or in shallow holes near consistent water sources. If you take a moment to remove the sticks, stones and other items from your clay you will have a substance that will be easy to work with and will be less likely to shatter when it is heated. Punch a hole with a small stick through the top of your clay mound. This will allow the steam to escape, thus again minimizing the possibility of a shatter. Place it directly into hot coals and cover it with more coals, in effect, bury it in coals. But, be careful not to cover up your steam hole, which of course eliminates the reason for the hole in the first place. You may wish to place herbs and spices in the body cavity. Any animal you skin and eviscerate should be covered with some non-toxic leaves like yucca or grape leaves before covering it with clay. In the case of a fresh, wild fish or fowl, you need not even remove feathers or scales as these will pull off as you remove the clay. It is also not necessary to eviscerate fresh, wild fish or fowl for the entrails cook into a tiny ball in the body cavity that is easily raked out when it is finished cooking and does not taint the flavor of the meat. Don’t do this with domestic fowl like chickens. The work entirely different than wild fowl.
SMOKE RACK
Lash together two tripods that will stand independently. Now lash as many horizontal poles across the front and back as you will need to cook on. There is no need to make this rack any larger or taller than you will need for the amount of meat you have to cook. Now lay strips of meat you wish to cook along the length of the poles draping them down over either side of the pole. Fish cook up really well on this type of rack. Just cut fresh fish open, eviscerate, spread open and breaking the backbone in several places. Do not skin them as the skin will help to hold the meat together as it cooks. Lay the open fish over the rack with the meat side out and skin side down. The rack should be placed near your fire where the meat will catch the smoke coming off of the fire, but not too close, you don’t want to burn up your rack. As your fire burns down to coals, place a layer of the coals beneath the rack, also. This is a slow cooking process that smokes the meat and flavors it to perfection and the smoke will help keep away the unwanted insects while it is cooking. You may also cook the meat to the point that it dries into jerky. This is the best way to preserve your meats for later use. Dried fish is not all that tasty, but dried fish may be ground, bones and all, into a fine powder that can be added to stews later for the added nourishment.
It is a good idea to know how hot the fire or coals are that you wish to cook on. There is a simple method for determining the temperature of the fire or coals. Hold your hand over the spot that you intend to cook at about three inches above. Count how long it takes before you feel the need to move your hand away because it is too hot. Just as when you were a child count one-one thousand, two-one thousand etc. If you move your hand at or before one-one thousand, you have a very hot fire of between 450-500 degrees. Two to three counts and you have a 400-450 degree hot fire. Four to five is a moderate, 350-400 degree fire and six counts or more is a cool fire and probably not much value to you as a cooking fire.
In summation, just because you are utilizing primitive cooking methods, this doesn’t mean that you cannot enjoy a nutricious, palatably pleasing dinner. A little experimentation will pay off fine dividends before you try to impress your friends and neighbors. The first key is preparation. The second is consistancy and the third is patience. If you have these three keys in proper place you will be pleased with the results.
Very interesting search:
Nice ideas and photos.
http://www.sharingsustainablesolutions.org/food-forest-across-america/
Food Forest Across America
Tagged with: america food forrest permaculture
food_forests_across_america
For Erik Ohlsen, a Californian based Permaculture teacher and designer, 2009 is shaping up to become a year like no other.
“I run my own Permaculture contracting business and am about to launch a Food Forest campaign for 2009” he said. Erik’s dream is to encourage people to roll out a Food Forest systems across America.
“My vision is to educate communities as to the whole system benefits of food forests from, climate change to relocalization of food sources and creating oases of human settlement in our communities. To do this we will help students and interns design and install these systems.”
“We’re going to install Food Forests like a brush fire, and we can.” he says.
The start of a Food Forest. Erik is
standing in infiltrating water of a swale.
Notice green cover crop sprouting
“I have seen Geoff Lawton’s Food Forest DVD” said Erik.. “As a Permaculture and food forest designer, I just wanted to see how Geoff organizes his food forests. Honestly I was blown away by the video. The first time I watched it I actually had a hard time going to sleep because I wanted to go out into my property and start planting like crazy. I just moved into a new house and am currently designing a food forest there.
“Geoff’s video serves as a great reminder of how easy it can be to put in a food forest. He helps to take fear away from doing wrong and empowers viewers to get to work! This work is crucial for our global communities and the food forest video feels like a real catalyst for people to realize just how important and accessible this information and this strategy is.”
Erik’s desire to make a positive contribution to the planet started when he was in his teens.
“At the age of nineteen I became aware of crises going on in the world.” He said “I learned about the risks of genetically engineered seeds, mainly the Terminator seed developed by Monsanto. I got together with some friends and we decided we wanted to do something to help save the world. We started an organization to give heirloom seed gardens away to our community and abroad to build a safety net of heirloom seeds and produce food locally. We called our organization Planting Earth Activation.(PEA) We gave over one hundred suburban and urban gardens away in two years. We were pioneers of the volunteer based garden campaigns that now are sprouting up everywhere with Victory gardens and Food not Lawns etc.”
A fruiting Pink Lemon, the flesh inside
is actually pink!
Erik has been involved in Permaculture for the last 10 years.
”I just taught my 15th PDC this January in Cazadero, California” he says. “I’m a guest instructor for most of the PDCs that take place in Northern California.”
So what is Erik’s vision for a Food Forest Campaign?
“First let me share what I think the full expression of a food forest can be. Beyond the staple ingredients of a food forest; water harvest, tons of leguminous trees and plants, Fruit and nut trees, wildlife habitat, growing mulch and building soil, I also see some additional elements we can message as part of a food forest. Chickens, outdoor kitchens, greywater, gathering and celebration spaces are all elements that I think can be part of a full expression of a food forest. Combining the kitchen garden with the food forest with the social needs of humans seems like a great way to message a new aesthetic for landscapes.
Peach Poppy guild designed by Erik Ohlsen
“I believe that a key factor to halting energy decent and global warming is re-localizing community resource needs on a global scale. Food, water, social interaction, fuel, and energy, these can all be produced or managed locally. As a landscape contractor I see the aesthetic that people here in the Suburbs of US towns want. This cultural aesthetic of landscape is destructive, energy consuming, and pretty much useless. My goal is start a paradigm shift in the way that people view the aesthetics of landscapes and empower land owners to see their precious land as a functional part of their lives, a base of their resource needs and a solution to global scale issues (i.e., Climate Change, environmental destruction, etc.)
Eric’s Food Forest developing in it’s first year
“Once our campaign is underway and we are able to generate funding, we will stack an intern training element. The goal here is to train as many permaculturists as possible to be confidant designers and installers of these systems. As we change the community aesthetic, the market for food forests should begin to reach larger and larger scales. For this we will need many experienced Permaculturists to take on these projects. One part of this goal is to help the Permaculture movement get out of the cycle of always offering advanced training to inspired students that cost a lot of money. We want to be able to offer affordable training to people and eventually paid jobs. We need to get the PC movement out of the money rut and help provide right livelihood for those that want to make a career out of Permaculture. This point is very important to me and I am working on a couple other projects we are calling The Permaculture Skills Center and The Permaculture Business Alliance to also provide for this need in the community. Those projects will also help launch and supplement the Food Forest Campaign although the campaign will begin through my business Permaculture Artisans.
“Along with all of this is transitioning rural farms and orchards to more diverse and perennial food forest systems. This is already happening as part of my business and we will push for more and more of this in our campaign.”
A growing system
But how would one launch a campaign like this with limited funds?
“On the whole we will go wherever the funding takes us” says Erik. “Funding is the limiting factor. We are poised to plant food forests as many and as fast as we can with good design and lasting installations.”
“I have students practically knocking down my door to want to work with Permaculture Artisans. I’d like to give everyone a job planting food forests if I can. I now have a small group of highly trained installers that can train others when the money is there to bring more on.”
So what sort of skills is Erik looking for?
“At First I think I will need an admin and marketing team that can do some start-up work on a volunteer basis. Maybe 6-8 volunteers, 4 with good computer skills, 4 with good people organizing and Permaculture design skills.”
“It would also be great to have a couple of experienced fundraisers since the more money we can raise the more we can install food forests in communities that desperately need them and the more we can train new installers.”
Erik’s other dream is to take over vacant city lots, and transition public parks to food forest systems that provide a plethora of resources for local communities and wildlife.
“I have no doubt we will get there as the realities of re-localization campaigns and energy decent kicks in” he says.
If you can help or need to know more about the Food Forest Campaign contact Erik Ohlsen directly erik (at) permacultureartisans.com or phone USA 707-332-8100.
Or visit www.permacultureartisans.com
http://paleoplanet69529.yuku.com/topic/25849/t/Otter-s-Neolithic-Date-bread-recipe.html
[Interesting website]
Otter’s Neolithic Date bread recipe
Yeah, keep me the heck out of the kitchen. This is the sort of insanity I come up with if left to my own devices.
In bowl blend:
1 cup warm white grape juice (100% juice, not Corn syrup crap!)
1 cup warm water
1 package of yeast ( I use red star brand)
let sit for a couple minutes until yeast starts bubbling, then add
1 tsp sea salt (I crush mine with a morter&pestle before adding it so it blends evenly)
3 cups of stone ground whole wheat flour + enough flour to make a firm dough.
Then stir in:
1 cup walnuts, crushed
1 cup dates, finely chopped.
kneed it until the dates and nuts are evenly distributed then divide into 9 balls. Press into flat shapes and place on cookie sheet. Let rise about 20 minutes. Bake at 400 degrees F.
Enjoy.
Interesting comments on natural foods for chickens, I would add Frugal to the topic, several good ideas.
granny....
http://paleoplanet69529.yuku.com/topic/24072/t/Natural-Chicken-Feed.html
A word of warning: If you feed them acorns or other high-tannin foods, the yolks will be green. Harmless, but green. Keep that in mind if you decide to sell the eggs.
Don’t feed acorns exclusively, either, as too much tannin can be lethal.
If you have comfry growing you can pull or cut that and toss it to them. It’s really good for them, they love it, and you can’t cut it too much. (Once it’s established in your yard you can’t get rid of it short of using a backhoe or poison.)
We just got five golden sexlink chicks, and we’re hoping to get ten americaunas when they arrive at the grange. We’ve had chickens most of our lives, but not for several years now. We usually give them an enclosed pen and a secure coop, but let them free-range during the day. We only give them pellets and scraps inside the pen so that they will keep returning there every night. We’ve lost the ocassional bird to predators (hawks, coyotes, foxes, cougars, racoons, whatever), but generally we’ve enjoyed safe and healthy flocks.
What we like about having them roam free is that they eat up all the ticks, which are plentiful on our property. They’ll also eat the apple worms and moths so that we get worm-free apples without need for pesticides. For this specific reason we’re building their pen under the apple tree this year, and we hope to build more pens under our other fruit trees so we can rotate them (or get more flocks) while also keeping our fruit bug-free.
Dan
Put a couple logs or stumps (flat side down) and move them every week or two. The chickens love the wood roaches, beetles, etc that will move in under them. You can feed them marigold flowers and it will make the yolks a brighter almost neon yellow.
Michael
[continues]
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.