--------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 208 HOME & GARDEN Ref: E5^00000 Date: 05/29/97 From: BIRDMAN Time: 04:55pm \/To: JAMES BALLARD (Read 2 times) Subj: More farm stuff ... JB> (...) You may think it's funny, but I thought the big companies were JB> the farmer's only customers, And the reason so many farms were going JB> under was because the companies had less and less to spend on more and JB> more productive farmers. It's not so funny. The "Family Farm" is disappearing quickly and being absorbed by large conglomerates. Many farms are no longer earned by the people who work them and those with small farms of their own are limited, both by availability and government regulation, in who they can sell to. JB> Do most farmers hold 9-5s? Can't say most because I truly don't know, but many of the ones I know o. Bi> (...) After all, they *are organic, free-range eggs! JB> JB> Free-range?? I don't get it? But it does sound like a 'green' name JB> :) Free range simply means that the chickens are allowed to roam about and not kept in individual pens or cages as you see with large poultry and egg producers. My birds are "free-range" in that I do not keep them in a one bird per one foot wire cube cage situation. I do not, however, allow them to run free about the farm. They are kept in a nice large coop complete with a sheltered outside area. Bi> As far as the hay goes, you're right, it wouldn't be hard to find Bi> a market for it. Unfortunately, not only do we need all the hay we Bi> grow for our own livestock, but last year, because of the arrangement JB> Have you ever grown enough hay to support yourself? (IE not buy any) JB> What livestock?? Just cattle, or do you breed work animals?? JB> *THAT'S* the kind of farming I'm interested in! If we had kept all the hay we harvested last year we'd still be swimming in it as the only livestock (hay eating) we have at the moment are a small herd of goats (8). Our daughter does own a horse but he's currently boarded elsewhere. The intention is to move him up her sometime this summer, along with a couple other horses that belong to relatives. With the addition of the horses, we'd have, again, to buy hay. Currently no animal breeding going on. We let the goats dry up because milking them is a big commitment, but, if time permits, we may consider it again in the future. In that case, they would have to be "freshened" (bred) again to begin producing milk. "Freshening" is done yearly with goats. I'm not certain about with cows, though I do know it needs to be done periodically. We don't have work animals, although we are looking into the possiblity of using draft horses to work our land. We've only humorously looked at the possiblity of a dairy cow, but once again there's that *big time commitment to being there to do the milking. Once we have more horses, breeding them for possible sale animals is a real possibility. I do curretnly breed exotic birds, but the market for them has kind of fallen off. JB> What do you know of mad cow disease?? I remember it being in the news a JB> while back, but I never learned anything about it. Probably don't know much more than you about it as I only followed it in the news as well. About the most important thing I know about it is that it's yet to be a real concern in this country. Byrd Mann ___ Blue Wave/QWK v2.20 [NR] --- Platinum Xpress/Win/Wildcat5! v2.0 * Origin: The Playhouse TC's Gaming BBS/www.phouse.com/698.3748 (1:282/4059) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 208 HOME & GARDEN Ref: E5^00001 Date: 05/29/97 From: JAMES BALLARD Time: 01:00am \/To: BOB LOTSPEICH (Read 2 times) Subj: Selling crops. -=> Quoting Bob Lotspeich to James Ballard <=- -=> James Ballard wrote to Birdman concerning Selling crops. <=- BL> being totally automated. The feed they eat has many additives in it, BL> including moulting controllers, and amphetamines (for increased BL> production). (I know because I used to build the houses, and later BL> worked on the "egg ranches", as well as ran the feed mill where all BL> the ingredients were mixed.) The layers were totally burned out after BL> 6-8 months, and their tired and dirty bodies sold to your large-name BL> frozen dinner packers. Moulting?? Is that shitting?? Anyway, I wonder how much of the amphetamine they eat wind up in the poultry... You must be in your 50s or 60s. :) BL> A free-range bird, OTOH, runs around outside. Its regular feed is BL> supplemented with scratching for natural foods, including seeds, bugs, BL> etc. It gets natural sunlight, exercise, and is therefore generally a BL> much healthier bird. Have there been any free rangers who used the crank to make 'em lay more?? I'd think the sunlight and excercise alone would make up for the 'dirty' crank destroying their bodies. It would also let them eliminate the drugs more readily. How about a free range cock on steroids? :) BL> "Mad cow" disease was caused by feeding cattle things not in its BL> natural diet, including cow by-products. Cattle are not meat eaters, BL> nor cannibals. Their biological reaction to the unnatural feed BL> ingredients caused the disease. Ok, I was thinking it was bacterial or virulent and could be in the meat and couldn't be cooked off like most other diseases are. Is that the case? ... Backup not found: (A)bort (R)etry (P)anic -=- Blue Wave/QWK v2.12 --- SLMAIL v4.5a (#2917) * Origin: Pawn To King's Four BBS (1:19/38) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 208 HOME & GARDEN Ref: E5^00002 Date: 05/30/97 From: CHARLES CURRY Time: 05:10am \/To: TRUDY SACK (Read 2 times) Subj: Re: A Zuchini Question... RW> taking over...as the squash vine borers will kill them soon after you RW> get some good fruit..enjoy while you can. TS> I have had bad luck growing zuchini. Do you think this is what kills TS> the plant just as I'm trying to harvest some of the fruit? I was told TS> it might be cutworm. Squash vine borer kills the plant just as you harvest the first squash.. This usually occurs the 2nd or 3rd year you grow summer squash. Winter squash is usually resistant to this insect. One recommendation is to apply an insecticide such as methoxychlor just as the vine starts to run along the ground. Repeat this each week for four weeks. It is only necessary to spray the stems. Or you could use one of grandmother's hat pins. ... Pardon Me, But Would You Have Any Blue Poupon? --- GEcho 1.11+ * Origin: B&C BBS Richmond, Va. [DS/HST] (804) 261-1819 (1:264/166.0) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 208 HOME & GARDEN Ref: E5^00003 Date: 05/30/97 From: CHARLES CURRY Time: 05:10am \/To: ALL (Read 2 times) Subj: Re: Weed Killers Weed killers without fertilizer are available!!! Most lawns thru out the US benefit from Fall Fertilization rather than in the spring. Keep looking!!! ... "What?!? This isn't the Files section?!?" --- GEcho 1.11+ * Origin: B&C BBS Richmond, Va. [DS/HST] (804) 261-1819 (1:264/166.0) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 208 HOME & GARDEN Ref: E5^00004 Date: 05/30/97 From: CHARLES CURRY Time: 07:49pm \/To: JANIS FOLEY (Read 2 times) Subj: Re: A question on seeds... -=> Quoting Janis Foley to All <=- JF> Hi there! I was wondering if anyone has any ideas on how to JF> save seeds to be planted for later... Place the seed in a jar with a tight lid... place several tablespoons of fresh non-fat dry milk in a square of paper towel with the seed. Screw the lid on tight... after several weeks of drying in a cool, dark place, freeze. Temps near zero degrees F. are best. Seed must be dry before the seed are frozen. Some seed do not store well for long periods of time.. ie - corn while mustard last many years in storage. ... "What?!? This isn't the Files section?!?" --- GEcho 1.11+ * Origin: B&C BBS Richmond, Va. [DS/HST] (804) 261-1819 (1:264/166.0) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 208 HOME & GARDEN Ref: E5^00005 Date: 05/26/97 From: LINDA MILLER Time: 12:00am \/To: SANDRA PEAKE (Read 2 times) Subj: A tomato question... On (20 May 97) Sandra Peake wrote to Linda Miller... SP> To: LINDA MILLER SP> Subject: A tomato question... Hello Sandra, PINCH.... SP> LM>considered heirlooms in the family. My step-childrens grandmother SP> Whoah! They sound suspiciously like Texas tomatoes! :-) And they sound now ain't that just like a Texan! SP> like tomatoes I would like to try. But they also sound somewhat like SP> Prudden's Purple and its close relative, Brandywine, both of which I'm SP> growing this summer. (PP is 10 days earlier.) They belong to the SP> potato-leaf determinate genre of tomatoes, and Brandywine, at least, SP> is not very productive. But it has the reputation of being an clip... SP> TYhe only thing is, I consider them a fresh eating tomato, as opposed SP> to a canning tomato. They're rather mild for good saucemaking, but do SP> carry few seeds. They are quite large, and 1 1/2-lb ones are fairly SP> common. SP> LM>address if you'd like a few. They are low-acid - mauvy redish SP> LM>pink in color and so meaty you have to mash the seed out. SP> LM>Now then, it's about 78 days to harvest. I think, the grandmother being from Bell, W.Va. area named the tomato for the farmer that gave her the seed. Now then, I have discovered another tomato from the Charleston/Huntington areas of W.Va. called Mortgage Lifter, very simular...there are varied names and many lay claim to the seed. But you know how that goes. Grandmother always grew a red tomato that she called early girl, deep red, large sweet tomato that I think crossed one windy day with a variation of the Mortgage Lifter and became what she called Abe Hall's. And boy are they goooooood, make my mouth water just thinkin' about them. They are too big and would bruise easily for commercial use. SP> That's Brandywine's range, also. She may have started with Brandywine, SP> because it was a real favourite 100 years ago, but after many years of SP> raising it, she may have developed a strain eminently suited to her SP> local conditions. That's what I wish to do. snip... SP> LM>some if you hand pollinate them, using a feather or soft brush SP> Um, Linda, that sounds like way too much work. Even scientists who SP> grow out hundreds of varieties, 5 plants in a row, say that there is SP> less than 2% crossing of species, especially among modern varieties; SP> so they save seeds from the middle plants in the row, and rarely SP> bother with hand pollination unless deliberately crossbreeding. a few years back I had my yellow tomatoes to cross with the Abe Hall, produced a streaked not so sweet tomato, nothing I would have wanted to go any further with. I only pollinate the first sets of blossom on several (10 to 15) plants, this is the fruit I select to save seed from. SP> LM>Another sincere tomato lover. SP> Ditto. :-) SP> ...Sandra... God Bless, Linda --- PPoint 1.92 * Origin: Kentucky Woman (1:261/1191.5) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 208 HOME & GARDEN Ref: E5^00006 Date: 05/26/97 From: LINDA MILLER Time: 12:52am \/To: JERRYL EVANEE (Read 2 times) Subj: A tomato question... On (19 May 97) Jerryl Evanee wrote to Linda Miller... LM> ... some seed (from year before last) that are LM> considered heirlooms ... post an LM> address if you'd like a few. They are low-acid - mauvy redish... JE> I would love to try a few of those. Is this offer open to all? hmmmmm "all" would be quite an undertaking, but I don't mind sharing while supply lasts. JE> My address is: JE> J. Evanee JE> BSMT - 7031 Quebec Street JE> Vancouver, BC V5X 3G6 Will get a few in the mail (snail-would be more like it) I doubt you will have enough time to grow these up there if your growing season is like Ontario's in length. Do you have a green house? Try a few, and save a few to start inside next year about the end of February-first of March. We spent some time in North Bay & Kapuskasing last summer & fall, beautiful. JE> I am VERY interested in heirloom varieties of flowers & vegetables, JE> and domestic animals as well! I am working on a project right now JE> to illustrate rare breeds of domestic animals. So far we have JE> 2 cattle (Highland & White Park), one horse, a sheep, and a hog JE> lined up for a series of articles. I would JE> I would love to start working on doing illustrations on the JE> flowers & vegetables as well. Do you have any photos, by chance? I'm sure I must, somewhere... Linda Miller --- PPoint 1.92 * Origin: Kentucky Woman (1:261/1191.5) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 208 HOME & GARDEN Ref: E5^00007 Date: 05/30/97 From: BIRDMAN Time: 10:10pm \/To: CAROL SHENKENBERGER (Read 2 times) Subj: Good job, Carol. Bi> (...) If I begin selling them at the produce stand, I'll probably ask Bi> $1.25 or $1.50. After all, they *are organic, free-range eggs! JB> Free-range?? I don't get it? But it does sound like a 'green' name JB> :) CS> Grin, means the chickens arent full of antibiotics and are let loose CS> in the yard vice being kept in a hatchery type thing all the time. (...) Great answer Carol, probably does a better job than I did in a previous response, although the antibiotic part speaks more to the qualifying the eggs (or chickens) as organic rather than free range. Free range only refers to the method of containment and even chickens that are kept in a coop,as long as they aren't individually penned, are technically "free-range." CS> Personally, I'm used to getting 'free range' chicken eggs from farmers CS> direct, and paying *less* than normal non-free range egg prices at the CS> stores but if he can sell them for more than store cost, more power to CS> him! The price one can charge for the eggs is very dependent on whom one is selling them to and where. When I'm selling eggs to my neighbors, I only ask $1.00 a dozen. That's comparable to the price they pay for the much older white eggs in the store. There's just too much competition in the area and they really know too much about the subject for me to charge more. When I'm selling eggs to people I work with, I ask $1.20 a dozen (works out to 10 cents an egg) but offer a 20 cent discount if they give me an empty carton in return. That works out to the same $1.00 a dozen, but helps me keep up my stock of cartons, something I have not found a source for locally yet. Anywhere else, I ask $1.25 a dozen. I base this on a local organic chicken farmer (about 20 miles from where I live) who has contracts with the two largest local supermarket chains to sell his eggs through their stores. His eggs retail for $1.50 a dozen and people pay it. The big differences between him and me is that I''m selling direct to the public and he has over 4000 chickens. Otherwise, our product is the same and I point out to people that if they wanted to get the same thing in the store, they'd have to pay more. I think that's fair. Byrd Mann ___ Blue Wave/QWK v2.20 [NR] --- Platinum Xpress/Win/Wildcat5! v2.0 * Origin: The Playhouse TC's Gaming BBS/www.phouse.com/698.3748 (1:282/4059) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 208 HOME & GARDEN Ref: E5^00008 Date: 05/30/97 From: BOB LOTSPEICH Time: 03:24pm \/To: SANDRA PEAKE (Read 2 times) Subj: squirrels -=> Sandra Peake wrote to Maria Edelhausen concerning squirrels <=- ME>Now I've a question : are the squirrels you are all talking about the nes ME>which live in a forest area or is it a squirrel that lives mostly in holes ME>in the sandy ground? SP> We commonly call ground squirrels- chipmunks. They are smaller than SP> regular squirrels, with attractive stripes on face and body and when SP> in a hurry, their tails stand straight up . Sometimes that tail is SP> the only clue that we have to the small animals running away from us, SP> because we can't see them clearly. Not to be a smartie, Sandra, but ground squirrels and chipmunks are two different critters, and live in different environments... --- Blue Wave/386 v2.30 * Origin: The Circle Circus * Dale City, VA * 703-730-3115 (1:265/124) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 208 HOME & GARDEN Ref: E5^00009 Date: 05/29/97 From: TRUDY SACK Time: 02:08pm \/To: BOB LOTSPEICH (Read 2 times) Subj: Cutworms -=> Quoting Bob Lotspeich to Trudy Sack <=- -=> Trudy Sack wrote to Foxy Ferguson concerning Cutworms <=- TS> What does this cutworm look like? BL> Cutworms are basically caterpillars that hide in the soil. Their size BL> ranges from 1-1/2" to 2" at maturity. They can be striped, mottled, BL> or solid brown, red, yellow, gray, green or black. If damage BL> continues after more passive prevention fails (wrapping seedlings in BL> paper or using a tube to protect roots, etc.), it is recommended to BL> spray plants and drench soil with malathion or diazinon (check label BL> before applying to veggies). OK, thanks for the tip. I will be on the lookout patrol for them. When might they show up in the Indiana area? Or do you have to watch out for them all summer long? --- Blue Wave/QBBS v2.30 [NR] * Origin: The >>>SQUAWK<<< Box ***Vetlink #27*** (1:227/291.0)