# May 2010 Prep Journal -



## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

My biggest prep is having parents move into town, now I'm trying to help them purchase a house (4 offers in one week, 4 already "under contract" answers).

That is taking most of my mental energy that is not taken at work.

Angie


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

That's a big job, Angie. Hang in there and the right place with come along...complete with a porch on the house and perfect garden soil. 

So far this month, I've been investing in equipment. 

I finally took the plunge and bought the 3 piece weight sets for my canners, as well as extra gaskets. My order won't be here for a couple weeks, but I hope to have all 3 canners converted to weights from gauges this month. Then maybe I can get serious about canning up a lot of the meat I have in the freezer.

Then today I bought myself a framing nailer to use with my air compressor. I need to work smarter rather than harder, and I think this will be what I need to finally get my shed built and then another one, too. I seriously need more hay and equipment storage, plus shelters in all the pastures, present and future, but my carpal tunnel limits the amount of hammering I can do at any one time. I'm about to head outside and try my hand at using it. I love to play with "big girl toys". 

I have a long to-do list for this month, and am hoping to get a lot done in the garden and woods, as well as improving my storage room.


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## 36376 (Jan 24, 2009)

We have gotten half the garden planted and one raised bed built. Free chickens are coming in the next couple of weeks after my husband builds a coop. Getting a truck load full of free canning jars in the next couple of weeks. The Lord provides. Someone on another thread said to remove yourself as much as you can relying on the food supply chain and I agree wholeheartedly so I'm trying to do baby steps.


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Garden's in.

Parents are back from snow-birding and my mom brought me a cook book from one of her thrift shop stops: Cooking With Stored Food. It's the first time I have seen a cook book that calls for powder butter, powder eggs, dry milk, etc. Needless to say it will be used often. The whipped topping from dry milk works well on last night's strawberry shortcake.


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## fetch33 (Jan 15, 2010)

Over the last few days I have built four 8X4 sq ft gardens, laid weed fabric under them and partially filled them with soil. Boy, I grossly underestimated the soil requirements for the beds! Tomorrow I have to rent a trailer and get 4 cattle panels for the trellis settup. I am putting pole beans, cukes, zukes and tomatoes on the trellises in the beds. I am putting quite a bit of cash in the setup, but I consider it an investment.


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## beaglebiz (Aug 5, 2008)

Our garden is ready to go, and some stuff is planted, but its too risky to put out my hand cared for tomato and pepper seedlings. I got a prep I dont know whether to be grateful for or not...three #10 cans of "aged cheddar cheese sauce". These were free, from the restaurant my son works in. the food supplier gives "samples" of new products to the restaurant, and the restaurant generally does not like to fiddle with their recipes, so sometimes I get goodies. At the worst, i'll get a big box of nachos from Sams and make a treat for our boy scout troop with some jalapenos and salsa from the garden.


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## Just Cliff (Nov 27, 2008)

Fruit trees being planted at the new place. 2 dark cherry,4 peach,2 pear,2 plum,4 apple, 4 pie cherry and 1 fig,, I think thats about enough for today....No wait,,, Still hatching chicken in the incubator... Ok Now thats enough for today..


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## hillbillygal (Jan 16, 2008)

We are adding to our equipment because my grandmother is selling me her wood chipper for $20. We were talking about our yard sale we're having together and she said she had a wood chipper she was going to sell. I told her I wanted it and she said she had only put two limbs through it, got scared and put it in her storage building. I'm hoping when I go to get it she'll have a lot more stuff she's afraid of, lol.


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## Kringees Mom (Apr 24, 2010)

First broody hen setting.. Hubby built her a condo in the chicken house. Working on perfecting homemade Gatorade recipe that hubby will drink. Planted some sweet taters and rosemary.


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

I let the kids live another day.....it's taking allot of will power to do it today, too! I hope that means in 30-40 yrs they will be around when I need them.


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## Cindy in NY (May 10, 2002)

Ohio dreamer said:


> The whipped topping from dry milk works well on last night's strawberry shortcake.


Jen - can you post the recipe?

Our raised beds are tilled but it's too early up here to put much in. Peas are coming up and the potatoes are in. The garlic is doing really well and the strawberries have perked up. I have about 12 different kinds of tomato seedlings started (some have been transplanted once) and bell peppers and jalapenos. Also started lettuce inside since it gave me a problem last year.

I need to can some salsa and pizza sauce with the remaining tomatoes that are in the freezer. Crossing my fingers that we will have a good (big!) crop of tomatoes this year. Did not put a single tomato in the freezer last year! Also need to can up some of the spicy pintoes.


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Whipped Topping

1/2 c ice cold water
1/2 c instant powder milk
2 T lemon juice (seemed a bit too much for me, I'll do 1T next time)
1/3 c sugar (tried powder sugar, next time I use regular)

Place medium bowl and beaters in the freezer for 15 min. In the cold bowl combine water and milk powder. Beat with cold beaters until stiff peaks form. Gradually add lemon juice. Fold in sugar. Use immediately. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

This is NOT like cool whip, it drips down over what ever you put it on (like old fashioned whipped topping). I used one of those blue freezer things you use in a cooler to sit the bowl on while whipping (took about 5 min) to keep it all cold.


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## Kringees Mom (Apr 24, 2010)

Shelled peas for supper... hmmm home grown peas!


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## TheMartianChick (May 26, 2009)

Visited Sav a Lot today and stocked up on turkey breakfast sausage, black beans, potatoes, cheese, cereal and french fries.

Also went to Wegmans to purchase a couple bags of frozen shrimp, a case of toilet paper, sugar, more cereal, pasta, seasonings and a couple of cartons of soy milk for the freezer.


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## texican (Oct 4, 2003)

Finally got the garden broke again, rowed up, and got >100 tomato plants in the ground, a dozen or so peppers, and four 200' rows of greenbeans. Thinking I'll plant about a dozen more rows of beans, a couple rows of okra, some eggplant, and a lot more peppers.

Sunday afternoon, I planted 8 fig transplants (sprouts from under the mother trees). I have four tubs of cuttings sitting on the woodstove, around 8" tall now (about three dozen trees). I should be fig 'poor' (poorer than I am already) in about two years.

Picked up a great bargain (I thought) on Ball widemouth lids with rings. A case of them for 2.91 each... the lids are all I needed but there was only a few cents difference between lids and lids w/rings! I'd like to have a thousand lids on hand, if at all possible. I have two unbroken cases of lids and rings, and a couple dozen boxes of lids in both sizes.


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## laughaha (Mar 4, 2008)

Butchered 5 mutt cockerels and put them in the freezer, 3 get to live for awhile as they are faster than streaked lightning. Got more chicks, getting a couple classrooms chicks soon, have a broody sitting on 3 eggs, and going to a bird auction this weekend. Just gotta get the meat chicks ordered. Building individual breeding pens for chickens so I can hatch out replacements and to sell a few. 

Getting the garden going. New place= starting new raised beds. Can't garden in the rocky soil- up here it's nuts.


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## cowboy joe (Sep 14, 2003)

Tending to the homestead with a greater sense of urgency these days. As has been mentioned by others in various post, my gut is telling me that something is in the wind. Rather be wrong & prepped than right & standing around with my finger up my nose.

Lots of seedlings started in the greenhouse. Peas & greens are in the outside already & all the raised beds are ready for planting. Earliest I've ever had the gardens ready. Transplanted a dozen raspberry canes from the woods into a cultivated bed. It was a bit more work to move them with the root balls in tact but the effort paid off as all 12 survived the move without the loss of a single leaf. Basically, this means that we should get to harvest berries this year from the new patch rather than the tree line. Should save some time and reduce the number of skeeter bites.

Installed a few 'gutter gardens' (http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/sf/...our-food-in-a-small-spacejuneau-empire-083350) in the greenhouse which I'm pleased to say are working out well. Haven't decided whether or not to build a stand to relocate these into the house during the winter or just leave them in the greenhouse. Lots of time to think that one through.

Ducks & quail eggs in the incubator which are due over the weekend. The first batch of duck eggs got lost in the mail so I had ordered a second set. The 1st set eventually showed up but still glad I ordered more from as different source as 3 of the first batch were cracked. One got missed one & set...peee u! Out of the rest, only 2 look viable when candled. The second set is due next week & looks much better with 12 of the 14 eggs looking viable during candling.


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

Got a lot more work done in my woods yesterday - cut a lot of leaners and thinned the trees, cut down a lot of underbrush, limbed up the Hemlocks and Doug firs, and cut lots more firewood. I'm gradually getting the back property line cleared off so I can fence it. 

Bought 4 more chicks at the feed store the other day - leftovers from Chick Days, these are straight run mixed dual purpose birds, and are getting old enough that you can start seeing the difference in the combs between pullets and cockerels. .99 each, buy one get one free works out to .50 a chick. I think I got all pullets, but one might be a cockerel. Since I don't have a rooster, that's okay with me. Think they are probably Buff Orpingtons. I can't decide if I bought chicks I didn't really need, or if I should have bought them all and used them in chicken tractors to raise for meat birds. At that price, I probably should have bought a whole lot more of them.

Looks like we should finally have goat kids any day - been watching our Ober doe for nearly a month now, and today I noticed her udder has really filled...maybe tonight or tomorrow? Also noticed that our old Nubian doe is starting to udder up. So, more kids to come there, too. Didn't really think she was bred this year.


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## NBC3Mom (May 14, 2005)

Had some trees cut down last year and shared the wood with a neighbor who split most of it but never used it. When he moved away, he said he didn't want to take the wood. Spent a whole day moving it back to our place, but it was well worth it. 
Planting the garden with the intent of storing more for the winter. Four huge rows of potatoes, more onions, dry beans. Tomato and pepper seedlings hardening off on the porch. Going through the barn and garage for things to sell on Craig's List. More room for preps.


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## timfromohio (Jun 19, 2007)

Onions and half of the potatoes are out. More peas out as well. Got a transfer switch wired in so we can put geneator power into the main house panel. 130 tomtato plants, 70 or so pepper plants, herbs, cukes, and squash going under lights - won't put them out for another couple of weeks. 

Texican - do you use a seeder to plant those long rows? Thinking about investing in one.


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## Michele of MI (Jul 8, 2009)

We've been planting a lot of vegetables this week. Parsnips, lettuce, radishes, and peas. Tonight we are supposed to get snow, so all of the plants that have been hardening off outside will be inside for a couple more weeks. We started at least three times as many tomatoes this year so that we can save seed and can enough for at least a year. Had to order more lettuce and pepper seeds after giving the neighbor some. Next year I will order enough for both households plus some. 
I agree with Cowboy Joe and a few others: something is coming, better to be prepared than sorry.


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

I agree, too, that something is coming. Don't know what yet, but I just have a feeling that being prepped is going to be more and more important. Today was another day to work on the woods here. Cut and stacked more firewood - making good progress there - probably up to about 3 cords or more, with lots more downed wood to cut. Went through the pasture today picking up stray chunks of wood - used to be a clearcut, so there are lots of roots and slash to be raked up and stored to burn in the woodstove. Brought in a tote full of nice dry sticks from there, and stacked the rest for now. Abby worked on moving more bedding from the barn to the new garden, so we should be ready for the tractor and tiller to come through in the next week or so. A lot of the garden doesn't get planted here until Memorial Day, as we typically get a late frost. While I was cutting saplings in the woods, I gathered some for bean poles. I have some beans from Martin (Paquebot) to grow on for seed, as well as lots of pole and bush bean seed saved. Looking forward to growing LOTS of green beans this year. Still on kid watch - I don't think that our Ober doe can get much bigger without exploding!


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## Ode (Sep 20, 2006)

Pork loin was on sale here, so I bought 30 pounds and put it in the freezer until I can get the time to can it. We really enjoy pork in green chile sauce, so that's what those loins are destined to be. I put up red lentils in 1/2 gallon canning jars with O2 absorbers, so there are 12 new jars in my pantry. The big project is the summer garden, I just hope it produces well. We had some issues with rabbits last year that really reduced the yield.


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## radiofish (Mar 30, 2007)

The other day, I went through my large (crush-proof) military surplus ammo cans/ sealed metal containers and 5 gallon buckets that are filled with canned goods and rotated the items inside. I even added extra ammunition in several calibers to their contents. I made sure that every large container had a regular can opener along with the military type of P-38 can opener, silverware, pocket knife, and other comfort items...

My neighbors are expanding their garden, and today we used a 2 person gas powered post hole auger to put in holes for a new fence line. Of course it got very stuck on large roots and heavy clay drilling the next to the last post hole. Oh what fun it was, having to dig out a "stuck" 3 feet long auger bit using shovels, picks, and long steel log peeling/ rock pry bars. Soon we will be setting the 4X4 fence posts and stringing the six feet fence wire with strands of additional deer wire one or two feet higher above that. We are going for the "Berlin Wall" approach to keep out the deer, that the 'thundering herd' of dogs don't chase off. 

In addition we expanded an Okie Engineered greenhouse. Using several old sliding glass 'patio' doors, laid across the gunnels of an 14 feet long old fiberglass boat - we have over 2 pallets worth of extra space to place flats full of 6 packs of veggie seeds starts. And not a penny was spent on that project, with all of the materials used were scrounged or found off of Freecycle.


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

LOL - I love the "okie engineered" greenhouse. I have a few free sliding doors that I'd like to add to for my greenhouse addition planned for the south end of my house. Need to post on freecycle and craigslist again for them.

Today was a "fix-it" day. I mended the handle to my garden cart, sharpened the chain saw, loppers and Mantis electric tiller, took 2 mangled extension cords and made them into one ultra long cord, and I'm thinking there was something else, too, but it's slipped my mind at the moment. I cut and stacked more wood, helped Abby finish cleaning out the rest of the barn stall so we could make a maternity stall for the STILL pregnant doe goat, and tilled part of my garden. Hilled potatoes, transplanted grapes and brought my tomatoes outside in the sunshine for the day. Boy, nothing like a sharp tiller to make short work of new ground. I didn't know how dull it had become until I gave it a good grinding. I'll be touching it up more often now. Just did a lot of this and that, getting things more in order around the place and working toward having the garden all planted by Memorial Day. Need to transplant the rest of the strawberries and raspberries tomorrow, so hopefully I won't get too sidetracked.


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## barnyardfun (Mar 26, 2005)

Yesterday I canned 14 pints of ground buffalo. More buffalo and some sausage to be canned up today. 

My garden is started to come along. Tomato plants still look pitiful but the potatoes are growing like bad weeds!

My kids got me 2 blackberry bushes for mothers day so I will need to get outside and find a good place to put them. Yippy! I love blackberries!


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

barnyardfun, I LOVE buffalo. Do you raise or buy?

Yesterday I took apart 2 of my Berkeys and gave them a thorough cleaning. I built my own housings for my filters out of five gallon buckets, and hadn't removed the lid for the lower bucket from the bottom of the upper bucket in a very long time. Eeeeuuuwww! Gross. I got everything bleached and the filters cleaned of iron, and set them to filter again. I need to do the Black Berkey still, but at least the white ceramic filters are back to filtering well. 

I stopped at Grocery Outlet this morning, hoping to find dog food. They were out, but I did pick up 3 more cases of corned beef, 2 big jars of dried minced onions, some cans of almonds, and a couple cans of different kinds of Spam to try - I've never seen Spam with *bacon* before. The checker gave me the senior discount - I guess she figured I had enough gray hairs to qualify. :grumble: I'm a good five years away from getting that discount honestly, darn it!

I also met my son up at his dad's (my ex) to have him (son) fix my little air compressor. It was a really easy fix. Who knew that the drain plug is open when it's screwed IN, and closed when it's screwed OUT. Well, I didn't, anyway, lol.  While we were talking, he asked me if I wanted my chainsaw back. What chainsaw? I'd totally forgotten I had a small McCulloch - he'd borrowed it years ago. So, he sent that home with me, and agreed to work on my 2 big air compressors to make one working compressor out of them. Hopefully, he'll get to it soon. He's going to ask his dad if he wants to get rid of a big 3 piece picture window that was sitting out by the barn. It's got the old aluminum frame, single panes, 2 sliders - it would be a good addition to my stockpile for the future greenhouse addition on the end of my house. Hope I can get it.

I stopped at the chip pile on the way home and loaded the bed of my pickup - I plan to use the chips for mulch in the garden paths. Picked up the mail and found my Presto order in the box - I can work on my pressure canners now.  Didn't find my Seed Corps package yet, though. I sent it off the day Mightybooboo posted about the free seeds, and people are reporting that they already got theirs...where are mine? Maybe tomorrow.

I worked on my shed today - figured out how to make my own joist hangers, and got more joists up, more siding nailed on, and am just about ready to put down the floor of the loft. Then I built my first raised bed in the garden..the puppies were way too helpful.  I need to till it up again and add puppy proofing.

So, a really good prep day today. The weather is supposed to be really nice the next couple days, so I'm hoping to spend some quality time in the garden.


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Today the weather warmed up enough that I picked up a few peppers, tomatoes and zucchini to replace the ones I lost in the freeze last week. Re-seeded the beans, cucumbers and started the long keeper tomatoes. We'll see if you can direct sow those-since you aren't supposed to start them til May. A friend stopped by and mentioned she's heading up to the greenhouse that carries Amish Paste Tomatoes - I lost 3 in the freeze. So she's going to pick me up 2 when she gets her's!!! They sell out really fast, so this is a big blessing.

2 cabbages in the dehydrator and 2 more waiting to go in. Got 2 bundles of celery off the markdown rack, with 3 bunches in each. They, too, are waiting their turn in the dryer. This will help out that my cabbage is running "late". I may not got any to harvest if it gets warm fast.


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## ChickadeeL (Dec 10, 2008)

Ohio dreamer said:


> 2 cabbages in the dehydrator and 2 more waiting to go in.


Ohio Dreamer, can I ask you what you do with dehydrated cabbage?

I have never done cabbage up in my dehydrator but would love to.


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

ChickadeeLodge said:


> Ohio Dreamer, can I ask you what you do with dehydrated cabbage?
> 
> I have never done cabbage up in my dehydrator but would love to.


It drys very fast, just a few hours. Reconstitutes wonderfully for soups and casseroles. We can't tell fresh from dried in stuffed cabbage casserole or anything else we've tried!


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## barnyardfun (Mar 26, 2005)

manygoatsnmore said:


> barnyardfun, I LOVE buffalo. Do you raise or buy?


No we don't raise them. From what I understand those big lugs are hard to raise! 

Hubby is a mechanic and he did some work for a guy that did own a few. We bartered mechanic work for one whole buffalo!:thumb: He was a younger buffalo but we did get 400+ lbs from him AND they butchered it for us! Can't beat that for a day or so worth of work!:sing:


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## beaglebiz (Aug 5, 2008)

Ohio dreamer said:


> It drys very fast, just a few hours. Reconstitutes wonderfully for soups and casseroles. We can't tell fresh from dried in stuffed cabbage casserole or anything else we've tried!


do you blanch it?? I have a few heads I could do this with....
Thanks


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## barnyardfun (Mar 26, 2005)

beaglebiz said:


> do you blanch it?? I have a few heads I could do this with....
> Thanks


That was my question too. I dislike blanching things cause I don't have the basket thing to dip them in the water and it takes me forever to fish stuff out with a spatula or I try to drain them in a colander and I burn myself!

I remember Rose said that she never blanched her cabbage. She just chopped and put it in the dehydrator.


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## AuntKitty (Oct 25, 2004)

And how do you store the dried cabbage? Thanks!

Kitty


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Dried cabbage:

Take out of the bag, chop, put in dryer. That easy. The only thing I can say I blanch is green beans when I'm freezing them. I don't blanch them to dry them.

I'm currently filling a 1 gallon pickle jar, since it's on sale and am doing a larger batch then normal. Last batch I filled 1/2 gallon jars and vacuum sealed them. They sit on a shelf in my kitchen. It makes it easy to grab out a handful to add to whatever. My gallon jar will make it to the basement and I'll add an O2 absorber since I can't vacuum seal that lid.


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## barnyardfun (Mar 26, 2005)

Thanks Ohio dreamer! I have another question......what is a 'good' price for cabbage? We have just now began to incorporate more cabbage into our diet so I have not been buying it long to know much about the prices. THANKS!


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

I'm getting green cabbage from the farm market for $.19 a pound right now (might be on sale). Purple is $.29 a pound, I got one of these just for fun. In March I was happy with $.39 a pound for green cabbage (St Pat's Day sales). So, season and location has allot to do with it.


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Shopping day, so I "re-filled" the larder....not that it was low, lol. 

Stopped at the greenhouse up the street to pick up a few flowers for the pots in front of the house. I should have at least some flowers I guess....not really my taste, but I'll admit it does dress up the house and makes it look "normal". They had a sale on Burpee tomatoes and peppers!! Marked down to $2 for $4. They were huge and healthy looking...so I bought a grape tomato plant (I was good, I didn't need more peppers....but if they get marked down again, I'll just have to suffer and get more). Now I have 1-2+' tomato plant (the grape), 3-1' tall tomatoes - I had to buy to replace the ones killed by frost- and 8-2" tomato plants I started from seed, apparently late when compared to the greenhouse ones.


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## beaglebiz (Aug 5, 2008)

Dont worry, my smaller tomato plants always catch up...I wouldnt think of putting any tender stuff like tomatoes out yet...maybe around memorial day, but we had a june frost in zone 5 b last year.
.19 lb is a good price for cabbage...I think the best deals at the farmers markets when you can get a ginormous head for a buck or two...but mine are usually ready about the same time. I have lots of seedlings, (plus a head sitting on my counter I plan to try)...so this will be good for our family. thanks for posting the info.
I have been picking up cases of dog food at our flea market for $5 a case. A 12-pack of the same stuff at wm is 6.97


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## ChickadeeL (Dec 10, 2008)

Ohio dreamer said:


> It drys very fast, just a few hours. Reconstitutes wonderfully for soups and casseroles. We can't tell fresh from dried in stuffed cabbage casserole or anything else we've tried!


Wow, thank you! I will have to try this!


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

barnyardfun said:


> No we don't raise them. From what I understand those big lugs are hard to raise!
> 
> Hubby is a mechanic and he did some work for a guy that did own a few. We bartered mechanic work for one whole buffalo!:thumb: He was a younger buffalo but we did get 400+ lbs from him AND they butchered it for us! Can't beat that for a day or so worth of work!:sing:


That is an awesome deal! 400# of already butchered meat is wonderful, and like I said, I love the taste of buffalo - kind of a cross between beef and elk, to my tastebuds. Let's see, even buffalo burger goes for about $6 a pound here, so that works out to $2400+ for a day or so's work - holy cats, Batman!


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## KellyHill (May 8, 2004)

I hav'nt posted on this forum much, but read it regularly! 
It was a tough winter financialy this year so I got a temp job to help replenish the now almost empty stores! We expanded the garden this year and have all the cold crops planted. I got 6 turkeys and a bunch of chickens for the freezer this fall! And bought some gamma lids for my buckets! My mom decided that she is to old and tired to can any more and gave me her canner, jars and dehydrator :buds: I'll just make sure I have extra food for her too! :cowboy:

Dh is clearing some trees for firewood and to make room for an orchard! He is also saving poles for a new barn!


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

I've been making good progress on my storage shed, FINALLY! The joists are in and the loft floor is mostly down. I have a tarp covering the whole thing in case of rain, and needed it last night. It rained, and the shed interior stayed dry! Lovely. 

Today's main work area was the chicken pen and getting the garden fence puppy proofed. I took out all the fencing from the old chicken pen and used it down part of the back fence on the garden. Then I dug a new trench, laid pipes in the trench, put up wire around it, and wired the fence wire to the pipes. I still have a small area to do, but my hands gave out on me - carpal tunnel again. It hurts to type, but I am feeling the need to post!

My weights for the pressure canners came, and I have one converted, one ready to convert as soon as I change out the pipe stem, and then I need to return some parts for the correct ones. At least I'll have 2 working canners - next rainy day, I plan to work on canning up some of the meat in my freezer.

I finally got my seeds from Seed Corps! 33 packets, including 4 large packets of corn, beans, and peas, 5 packets of herbs, the rest all vegies. No flowers. Pretty much all things I can use, although I did give away the catnip seeds. I have it growing like weeds all over my garden. Looking forward to trying purple carrots, purple broccoli, and purple "green" beans. 

Still waiting for new kids to be born - I think Fling is as wide as she is tall. The new chicks look like they are New Hampshires, not Buffs, and they are nearly ready to start spending their days outside. We are getting plenty of milk from the other 2 does, and I'll be starting to can milk this week, too.


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## radiofish (Mar 30, 2007)

I purchased several boxes of the different sizes of ziploc bags (snack, sandwich, quart, gallon, and larger) at the dollar store today. They come in handy to make several airproof layers to protect items in storage from the high humidity (90+ %) here along the coast.

Also got some bags of hard candy to put away for the future. Last weekend I went into several of my storage containers, and added extra ammunition of different calibers with my supplies of canned goods, MRE packs, and dehydrated foods. I made sure that I had at least one type of can opener, and eating utensils inside each of the containers. That and I went through several of my multiple styles of 'mess kits' ranging from the boy scout style to the different military issued types, to ensure that I will be able to cook/ eat when the power goes out.

Found Bic Lighters in the 5 pack w/ 2 free at Walgreens priced at 2 packs (14 Bic lighters total) for $5 bucks, with the in store coupon. So I have even more ways to light a fire, now! That and they are also having a sale on batteries of all sizes and types (alkaline/ heavy duty) this week/ at least here in Northern California.

That and medical supplies such as band-aids, antibotics cream, and such that are on sale also. I stocked up on several items, and got a 'free red plastic 1st aid storage container' with coupons included, with the purchase of at least two of the 1st aid items that were on sale.

With the Memorial Day Weekend coming up, I would look for sales on camping gear in the next week or two..


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

I brought home a huge load of cardboard the last trip to town. That will go in the garden for weed suppression under the chips. I dug out a bunch of old bearing boxes I had lying around here - they are basically topless, bottomless wood boxes with hinges at all 4 corners, and made to stack, one on the other. Someof them need the wood replaced, so I'll need to pop the rivets out and screw in new boards. Since the boxes are only 2x3 or 3x6', I'll use boards from my building supply pile to make them bigger, and stack some of them for potatoes. Looking for ways to increase my yield in a smaller area. That will free up more room inside the fenced area for things like corn, wheat and oats.

Spent yesterday scrubbing out buckets and totes, getting rid of the algae-filled water, and setting them back under the drip lines to catch fresh rainwater. As they fill, I'm going to put lids on them to keep the mosquitoes out, and will move them out from under the drip line to put fresh buckets and totes under there to fill. We have terrible iron water here, which is not good for the goats, so I use rain water as much as possible for watering them and for doing laundry. We've had a couple of really rainy days here, and the buckets are filling right up. Still looking for 55 gallon blue barrels to use for water storage, but haven't found a local source yet.


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Filled the last corners of my garden with 10 more tomatoes and 3 more peppers. Found some grape tomatoes for the kids' garden....they were thrilled. 

Starting to pick the spots I'll be able to re-plant later with brussel sprouts, spinach, kale, etc in a few months.


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## soulsurvivor (Jul 4, 2004)

DH got the garden planted and everything is looking good. Also got 2 Honey Drippin' pear trees to get in the ground tomorrow. All the other fruit trees are looking like it's going to be a good fruit year. I've been adding medical supplies to the preps and doing it in multiples for each of the BOBs. Added 2 more cases of assorted canned goods to the longterm preps. Also got more tp and paper towels along with other paper products in multiples. And it was time to replenish the soaps and shampoos, toothpastes, and new toothbrushes and put all these back in multiples. I find that I'm adding a bit more than normal. Can't imagine that prices will hold steady much longer. I tell myself that it's not panic buying, but I do think prices are going higher in the short term rather than the long term.


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## TheMartianChick (May 26, 2009)

manygoatsnmore said:


> Still looking for 55 gallon blue barrels to use for water storage, but haven't found a local source yet.


 I managed to find some for free. There is a company in our area that makes hotdogs. They buy their casings in 55 gallon food safe drums. Some of mine are blue, while others look sort of like terracotta colored pickle barrels. You might try to locate a similar company. I've also heard that beverage companies like pepsi and coca-cola have them too.


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## TheMartianChick (May 26, 2009)

Money is tight again this month as we attempt to pay down more debt. (College tuition for both daughters is also due again!) I have spent a lot of time planting the garden and I have added to my collection of potted veggies. Since I don't have a lot of money to work with, I am attempting to preserve as much as I can via waterbath canning and dehydrating. I just bought a water bath canner, though I have been doing it in a huge stock pot in years past. I figured that it was time to invest in the right tools to make the job a little easier. I caught some good sales on celery and strawberries and have had fun preserving those. I also tried making hamburger rocks a few days ago. I was really pleased with the way that they came out and am glad that I now have a method for preserving some meat. Next big purchase will be a pressure canner and some lessons to go along with it!


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## cnichols (Jan 5, 2010)

Well, didn't get much accomplished so far this month but we did make enough money the week before we came home for home time to be able to purchase a Presto Pressure Cooker/Canner and one case of each size jars. Also bought the "utensil" pack and extra rings and lids.

Also finally got to make the two hour drive to the Heirloom Seed Shop. It's been a challenge because they are only open two days a week. Tuesday and Thursday. I had so wished I could order seeds and have them shipped, but I didn't want them to sit in the mailbox for weeks before we got home. As a result I wasn't able to get all the seeds I wanted as almost 20 of the varieities I wanted were already sold out. 

However, I did find out that I could (next year) call in my order and they will hold the seeds at the Food Bank (which is open M-F) until I get into town and can go pick them up! (the HSS is part of the Food Bank, as in money raised from seed sales goes to the food bank of north central arkansas.) Part of why I wanted to purchase my seeds there. Support a good cause, my "donation" is tax deductable and I get heirloom seeds!

I was looking yesterday at all the varieities I "DID" get and ... well ... ummm ... I think I'm going to have a MUCH larger garden next year!! 

We also located a local farm that raises hormone free beef, grass and grain fed. I was thinking that it was a bit pricy but when I got to thinking about how much we pay for "steak" at the grocery store $2.50 - $3.50 a pound isn't that bad (price is less when you buy more of course). We're going to go with 50 lbs at a cost of $150. I figure $3.00 a pound for 50 pounds of beef we know is hormone free and raised locally is a deal we can't pass up. We'd even contemplating buying a chest freezer and going for 100 lbs. at $250 but the pick-up isn't working now so we have no way to get it home. 

Oh, and I got weed block down in the garden beds and around the fruit trees.

I know our dispatcher is having a cow about us staying home a week at a time when we do come home, but this time of year there's alot that needs to be done! He'll just have to deal with it. Especially since we are "in no way and under no circumstances to be considered employees of *** Truck!" (per our contract).

Anyway, guess I got a bit more done than I originally thought.  Not bad for just being home less than a week so far and only having two rain free days!


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

Stopped after work at my bff's parents and picked out a dozen or so tomato plants from their greenhouse. Most of these are hybrids, so seed from them won't come true, but they should help fill jars with spaghetti sauce this summer. Then I stopped at a garage sale on the way home and found a huge, double wheeled poly wheelbarrow for $15, and 2 single bit axes and a heavy small sledge hammer for $1 each. You can never have too many axes, and I really needed a good wheelbarrow. Score!


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Made DD a peasant skirt this morning. We bought 1 yd of 6 different fabrics that go together so we should be able to get 3 or 4 out of it (she's 7). I made the first one with her watching and handing me stuff. The next one I want her to get to do some of the sewing by making the tubes. She can watch me gather that one again, so on the third maybe she can do the gathering and pinning.

Now, she's outside helping DH unpack the garage (yes, in 9 mo since moving back we have yet to un-pack (or look in) that garage :ashamed so we can get some projects done next weekend....got to take advantage of that 3-1/2 day weekend!


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## cnichols (Jan 5, 2010)

Went to the Flea Market today and scored some bottles of Calamine Lotion for $0.50 each. 

Then went to a close-out store we've been meaning to visit and scored a 1.25 cu. ft. cement mixer for $85! DH has been wanting a cement mixer for over a year now. When the guy said $85 I said SOLD (it was marked $120)! Oh and they had a manual fuel pump for 50 gallon barrels for $15 so I snapped that up too. Now all I need to do is get some 50 gallon barrels for holding fuel. Then we can pump some from our truck tanks into the barrels each time we get home! The Big Truck holds 200 Gals and we always fuel up before coming home so I figure it's a good way to transport fuel without any hassels! 

Also sorted through alot of my food preps and got them put into the food storage program (manually argh!) but it's nice seeing how much we actually have (kinda since I'm nowhere near finished). Now I just need to put it all away! LOL

Oh, and yesterday we picked up a 14.9 cu ft freezer and got that beef from the local farm. 200 lbs for $500. Tons of steaks, roasts and ground beef now! Gonna be cooking a couple of the rib steaks tonight for dinner!


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## SLD Farm (Dec 19, 2007)

This has been a tough month. My Ford Escape is broke down and my husband spent a week trying to fix it. Finally had to admit defeat and took it to the shop. Hate to see that bill and no telling when we'll get it back. I've been trying to pay bills down, slowly seeing results, but this will set us back.
Added a few odds and ends to the preps. The chicks are doing great, no losses. Broke down and bought some bagged fertilizer for the pasture. Got it all spread by hand this week between rains. Hoping to add a few more days to the pasture, thus reducing my hay costs. As far as the garden goes, it is a mixed bag of results. Squash, cuke, cauliflower, lettuce, spinach and potatoes are doing well. No onions though. Think maybe its to wet? No carrotts either. Tomato plants are small. Just not growing as I expect or need them to.
Added one each of mulberry, peach & pawpaw trees to the orchard as well as a red raspberry and marion berry vines. Strawberries are coming on good and should be ripening soon. The apple tree is loaded, hopefully lots to eat and can. I added a few additional herbs too.


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## shanzone2001 (Dec 3, 2009)

Have the garden planted (5 garden boxes and a pumpkin/gourd/corn patch) and just bought 4 more fruit trees and 2 more berry bushes. The trees from last year are growing slowly...bare root trees are cheaper but take so long! My new canning supplies (jars, lids, pressure cooker and canning pot) are ready to go so I will have to go to a farmer's market to buy fruit this year.
I ordered a propane turkey deep fryer for processing my chickens. I only bought a few cornish this round because I bought so many pullets for egg laying. I am going to get 25 more meat birds once the pullets no longer need the chick pen.
I bought a 2 month old freezer pig so the next prep purchase will be an upright freezer. I hope to find a used one on Craigslist.
Moving towards self-sufficiency is sure expensive!!! I am trying to take baby steps!


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## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

This month Dollar General got in their canning supplies. I've bought 16 boxes of lids at @ $1 each. I picked up a box of quart jars at a garage sale for $4.50 -- ended up with 17 good quarts and 2 pints. 

Local Walmart is preparing for major remodel so has had huge mark downs. Got dh 2 pairs of Wrangler jeans & 2 Dickies work pants for $3 @ which should keep him going for several years. Today I bought 17 yards of fabric for $17. 8 yards are preps the rest is for quilting.

We planted 14 tomatoes Wed. from old seeds I started. I have maybe 10 more plants but only space for 2 more. Sweet potatoes slips (started from 2 large potates saved from last year's harvest) will go out tomorrow. I'm keeping everything under milk jug hot caps for now. Put the netting over the cabbages today to protect them from cabbage moths. Dh built frames and we put nylon netting from the fabric store over them each year and it works great as long as I get them covered before the moths arrive. I will replant seeds tomorrow for cucumbers and melons that did not come up due to cold wet weather. They'll be much happier with 80Âº to 90Âº we're having now. Also need to plant more lettuce and radishes. We had our first radishes for supper tonight. Has anyone tried drying radishes?


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## texican (Oct 4, 2003)

timfromohio said:


> Onions and half of the potatoes are out. More peas out as well. Got a transfer switch wired in so we can put geneator power into the main house panel. 130 tomtato plants, 70 or so pepper plants, herbs, cukes, and squash going under lights - won't put them out for another couple of weeks.
> 
> Texican - do you use a seeder to plant those long rows? Thinking about investing in one.


I 'had' one, but it was borrowed a long time ago, and I haven't gotten around to replacing it. I just rebreak the ground with my tractor, and the plow I use leaves neat little rows, if I raise it just right. I hand drop the seed, and come back with a hoe and brush the top just a little, and the dirt falls just right.

I've got three cases of canned pork done so far this month. Should have about ten more quarts to do tomorrow. About four gallons of raw pork in the fridge that I'll need to process.

Picked up an extra three pair of shoes so far. Wally had a clearance on Herman Survivors... one pair was 20... went back and got the other pair that'd fit me... and it was only 10! They also had closeout jeans... I'd bought a few pairs earlier in the year, but they were closing em out at 5 bucks each. Got five pair of canvas jeans already this month, for 'whatever' storage, so I'm good on shoes, socks, and pants for a while.


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## michelleIL (Aug 29, 2004)

see sig line!


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

Wow, this prepping has immediate benefits, too. 

After putting in the woodstove this winter, our electric bill dropped so much that the new budget payment dropped from $111/mo to $50/mo. It would probably have dropped even further if I'd had the stove in a few months earlier, but I'll take it! I'm cutting more wood for the woodpile today, as well as working on the garden.

eta: Got the second 12'x4' raised bed built today, and started on the next one after that. Transplanted what I think (and hope) are my Fall Gold raspberries into the center of the first raised bed, and got the walkways around it dug out, cardboard put down and covered with a thick layer of wood chips, before I ran out of daylight and dry weather. Sure hope I can get a few more beds finished tomorrow and get them all planted. Have a bunch of cabbage and broccoli plants ready to plant out, along with tomatoes.


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## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

Planted my sweet potatoes tonight and put milk jug covers over them. Re-planted cantaloupe, did some weeding and planted some of the onions from last year's crop hoping they will set seed. I really like how well these onions kept but the plants were major expensive so I'm going to try saving seed from them.

Sunday I canned 7 quarts of beans & ham plus froze 1 1/2 quarts. 

I agree that the best vehicle is the one you have if its paid for. Post shtf I would guess driving around in a big new fancy vehicle might make you a target...assuming anyone will be doing any driving around.


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

I am up to 3 raised beds dug, tilled, constructed and filled with soil. Have the ground spaded, but not tilled yet for the next one. I've decided to try planting straight into the rotting hay and stall bedding mix that I spread on the expanded garden area. I know from last year's experience that the potatoes will thrive that way, and I think the corn, squash and pumpkins should do okay as well, especially if I add pockets of soil where I plant the seeds. By this fall, it should all be broken down enough for me to till it a bit at a time with my Mantis. That'll save me some $$ on hiring the tilling done, too. Planted some cabbage, tomatoes, onions, and a few other vegies and flowers in the raised beds. I also got the wire up on the stock panel fence around the garden to keep the pups out, and around the expanded chicken pen to keep the hens in. I sure hope the weather cooperates today so I can get more planting done.


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

Finished the 4th raised bed today, along with getting the cardboard down on the aisles between them and spreading wood chips on most of the cardboard. Weeded and hilled the potatoes, found a few volunteers that I transplanted to the tater patch. I still have a lot of leftover potatoes from last year - that's on the agenda for the weekend - getting the rest of them planted somewhere in the garden. Seeded another flat of pots with cauliflower seed tonight. Did more tilling while I was in the garden, too. My goal for the coming weekend is to finish getting everything planted in the garden other than succession plantings.

Have someone coming to pick up another goat Saturday morning - getting the numbers down to a manageable level. I think I'll end up with about 6, 5 milkers and our buck. I'm hoping that when all the kids from this year are sold, we'll have enough extra milk to raise a calf and a couple piglets. For now, the extra milk is going into puppies and their mother.

Yesterday I picked up 10 bags (500#) of alfalfa pellets, 150# of dog food, 150# of dry cob, and 150# of sweet feed. I'm trying to find more metal barrels for feed storage to increase the amount we keep on hand. Next trip to town needs to be in the truck so I can pick up a load of hay. 

Trip after that needs to be to pick up another load of wood chips. And great news around here - my ds is starting his new job Tuesday, as the manager of an organic mulch and potting soil company locally. He told me there is some spillage each day and if I bring my truck down at closing time, I'll be able to take it all home. I may just park the truck down there and let him load it each day until there's a full load, then take it home to unload. I'll have to see how it works, what's available, etc. Right now I need the truck just about every day to haul something.

The chicks I bought the beginning of the month have turned out to be New Hampshires, and all pullets. Not bad for 50 cents each.


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## cnichols (Jan 5, 2010)

Well, we're back to work so no more "work" at home can be done towards preps. So it's on to planning for next time home (late June). I've looked at the planting information for my newest acquisition of seeds and it looks like I have quite a few that I can put in for fall plantings, so I'm looking forward to that. 

Quandry at this time ... do we pay more on the big truck each month (hence getting fewer preps but paying less interest and paying in full sooner) or do we continue what we're doing now (making our monthly payment and picking up preps along the way). With the economy the way it is my main concern is that if we go paying more on the truck things will fall apart and we won't be "prepared" enough.

The decision about that will impact what we do when we get home this next time. Although we WILL be going to Florida to pick up the stuff I have in a storage unit down there.

Sounds like everyone is busy busy busy!


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

The plans for getting the garden in are going well so far. Over the last couple days, I've tilled up enough ground for one corn patch, planted carrots, peas, onions, bush beans, and more tomatoes, prepped ground for more potatoes (and will plant the rest under hay), worked on spreading out the piles of old hay and stall bedding on the garden expansion, started prepping for installing several more small raised beds for pole beans, spread all the wood chips I had, and brought home another pickup load of chips. In addition, I've been working a bit at a time on my shed, built another raised bed in front of the barn, with flowers for now, but I'll also be planting my lettuce seedlings and a few other vegies in it, and brought home a load of hay.

Then to top it off, we sold another doe goat, and finally, our Oberhasli doe popped! She had twin doelings early Sunday morning. Both strong, healthy little girls with Oberhasli markings and LaMancha elf ears. One more doe to kid out this year, and then I think we're done.


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## PrincessFerf (Apr 25, 2008)

Most of the planting is done, but hope to finish it up today. Yesterday was hot (around 90) so we stuck to the shade mostly.

I picked up a military ammo box for $5 at a yard sale on Saturday, pretty excited about it. Real good shape.

Raspberries are doing well.... all of the garden is actually. Will have about 100 tomato plants when done (lots of sauce to can!) and a large variety of other things. 

The last major thing I'm planning to plant is a pear tree.


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## bee (May 12, 2002)

PrincessFerf...well duh!! I finally had the light dawn on your tagline... binary heh!


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

Finished planting the early corn, the tater patch (the rest go under hay), and cucumbers today - met my goal to get the basic garden planted by Memorial Day! Unloaded the pickup and spread chips on feed sacks and cardboard in the garden for pathways. Tilled more ground.

Had a thought on the wood chips - they are free, lots available, and they would store pretty well with a tarp over them. I'm going to try to haul as many as I can in the coming month. Not only will they work well in the garden, but they would be a great source of wood for the woodstove, too. Not the sole source, but in combo with split wood and small limbs, they should provide a lot of free heat, and extend the wood we have on the place.

I'm driving the truck to town nearly everytime I need to go now, as there is always something to haul home - pallets, wood chips, hay, pea hay (ancient, for garden mulch), cardboard, etc.


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## PrincessFerf (Apr 25, 2008)

Bee... ROFL. Yeah, most people don't get that one. Most also don't get the "nerds on a nano farm" joke, either. (we're on about 1.25 acres)

When I tell people the "name" of our farm, unless they're science, math or computer people... no one seems to get it. Oh well... not meant for them, its for us. 

So my $5 ammo box... is that a pretty good deal? My BIL thought so. Its about 18" X 8" by 18" (approx.).


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