Innholdsfortegnelse for November - December 2017 i Grit

Back in August, we recorded a podcast about tanning deer hides. It was an in-house project, a discussion among GRIT editors Kellsey Trimble and me, as well as information technology staff member and avid outdoorsman Dennis Biswell, and the Ogden Publications podcast manager who pulled it all together, Charlotte Brunin. Check it out at www.Grit.com/tanning-hides-podcast. Throughout the deer season each year, Dennis and I (and others here in the office who hunt) compare notes, tell stories, and generally share in the sheer joy that deer season brings. As far as deer hunting goes — when hunters spend countless hours in the tree or on the ground alone, staying quiet and still — sharing these stories at the office is one way to feel a camaraderie celebrating a passion for this…

Pastured Hogs Workshop KUTZTOWN, Pennsylvania — Learn how to put pigs to work on your land and reap the benefits of a pasture-based meat production system. The Rodale Institute is offering a pastured hog workshop on November 4, in which attendees will learn firsthand how to integrate a pastured hog operation into their farm. Topics covered include pasture rotation, animal management, nutrition, forage management, and other tips for maintaining a successful organic hog herd. Visit www.RodaleInstitute.org to learn more and register for the workshop. Lifestyle Farming Conference COBLESKILL, New York — The State University of New York College of Agriculture and Technology (SUNY) at Cobleskill is hosting their second Lifestyle Farming Conference on November 11. The conference will offer introductory and advanced courses on topics related to homesteading and farming,…

Legend says that King Huemac, the last king of the Toltecs, married his daughter to a humble farmer who came to pay tribute in the form of his best chillis, as was the custom at the time. The princess saw how handsome the young farmer was and how faithfully he brought the best of his crop to the king, so she fell in love with him and convinced her father that she should marry the farmer instead of one of the many rich contenders. The loyal chile farmer was eventually promoted to head of the King’s Guard, causing the Toltec nobles — who resented the king’s decision — to form a coup. The uprising was successfully halted by the King’s Guard with the chile farmer as lead commander. During the…

JOIN THE CONVERSATION: Backyard farming: What constitutes a farm? (www.Grit.com/backyard-farming) Leeann Fitzell Coleman: To me, the word “farm” is more a verb than a noun. My old house was on 1⁄4 acre of land and I farmed it. If you are out there doing what you love, growing your food and getting your hands dirty, then you’re farming, too. The scale may not be the same as other much bigger spreads, but you’re still farming. Laura Ross: If you are using the land very significantly for agriculture — plant or animal — it seems that it could be called a farm. I have long avoided calling my own small, 15-acre plot a farm, but I am going ahead more recently because, though small, that’s what it is. MOST POPULAR ON…

MINING ITEMS I am writing a historical narrative on coal mining in the Appalachian Mountains of Pennsylvania. I am looking for items related to coal mining, such as a dinner bucket, cap lights, picks, drill, powder boxes, etc. I would love to hear from readers who may have these items or personal stories to assist me in my writing. Irv Hoover 38831 Glasgow Road Lisbon, OH 44432-9780 BANTAM CHICKENS. I am looking for naked-neck bantams, any color. I prefer chicks, but will consider adults if within driving distance of eastern Tennessee. Marilyn Culler 413 Rose St. Kingsport, TN 37660-3928 RAG DOLL PATTERN. I am looking for a rag doll pattern #792. I ordered this pattern from GRIT in the 1970s, and it was lost in a house fire. I am…

Once thought to be a sacred food, figs are a delicious and delicate fruit that still symbolize peace and prosperity. Unlike apples and pears, figs have a very short shelf life. They taste terrific eaten straight off the tree, but it is nearly impossible to eat all of them that way. Figs can be used in a multitude of recipes, complementing both sweet and savory dishes. Once you know what flavors pair well with figs, your choices are endless. If you are preparing a savory dish, pair figs with bacon or prosciutto, balsamic vinegar, and a strong-flavored cheese. Sweet flavors that match well with figs are honey, chocolate, and caramel. Figs also taste great with hazelnuts, walnuts, and pistachios. Cinnamon, cardamom, and vanilla are perfect accents to the fig. Make…

Herbal Renewal Herbal medicine is nothing new. Long before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock, Native Americans were using roots, bark, leaves, and berries to treat maladies ranging from headaches to battle wounds. By the time of the American Revolution, healers and physicians had a sizable green medicine chest. Cottage gardens included dozens of plants useful in healing: borage, chamomile, dandelion, feverfew, lavender, mint, pennyroyal, sage, and many others. Although we benefit from advances in modern medicine, we can still emulate the majority of the world’s population, which continues to practice the ancient art of herbal healing. Growing healing herbs is simple. Most thrive in less than perfect soil and require little water and fertilizer. A raised bed edged with lavender and filled with calendula, rosemary, chamomile, and lemon balm…

Outhouse Smoker Powered by Sun John Benoit’s smoker may look like an old-fashioned outhouse, but it has solar power, computerized controls, and Wi-Fi. He uses the 5-foot-11-inch-tall, 29-by-32-inch steel box for family meals, as well as taking it on the road for catered events. “It started out as a standard, steel box smoker the size of a small refrigerator, but I wanted something different,” says Benoit. Benoit framed the outhouse with 1-inch square tubing and used fiberglass insulation and Styrofoam around the smoker before attaching 1-by-4-inch cladding. A warming oven mounts under the roof. The smoker door has a handle made from Osage orange wood and a solid brass crescent moon salvaged from an antique door. Large caster wheels support the “outhouse.” They make it easier for Benoit to winch…

Pie seems to be a widely regarded favorite in the category of desserts; warm filling tucked neatly into a buttery, flaky crust. A slice of cherry or peach is the perfect complement to a summer barbecue, and a dollop of ice cream atop warm apple pie has autumn written all over it. Every once in awhile, though, I like to try a little something different, and that’s where the following recipes come in. Because of my ridiculous sweet tooth, I’m a big fan of the Beet Chocolate Cake. Any time you can drop some of the sugar from a recipe and substitute some nutritious ingredients in there, that’s alright in my book. Along these same lines, the Elderberry Pie is full of nutrients from the elderberry juice. The juice can…

While wooden pallets are free and readily available, upcycling them into home and garden projects can come at a price. The process of breaking down a 40-by-48-inch pallet (the most common size in the United States) into usable wood is time-consuming and requires strength, a high threshold for frustration, and sometimes pain. If you appreciate the idea of an inexpensive pallet project but want to avoid smashed and gashed fingers, we’ve got some great ideas for you. These no-saw or low-saw pallet concepts are doable by anyone with a few hand tools and minimal building skills. After a few hours of enjoyable labor, you can have a useful fixture for your home or garden that you’ve built yourself from recycled materials. When you’re on the hunt, look for wood that’s…

When applied correctly, most synthetic pesticides have come a long way, in terms of toxicity to humans and environmental damage, compared to their predecessors. However, many gardeners would prefer not to use synthetic pesticides in their garden at all. In addition to the possible health risks to humans, pesticides can also kill insect predators and insect pollinators (including bees) — insects that help a healthy garden. There are a number of alternate means to fight insect garden pests. So, doing away with pesticides doesn’t mean surrendering the garden to the munching insect hordes. As a college student, I majored in chemistry and biology. As a gardener, I rarely use any pesticide — organic or synthetic — in my garden. This is because I like to use biology, not chemistry, to…

Imagine looking down an octagon barrel as you line up the open sights onto the center of the target. You squeeze the trigger, and out of the corner of your eye you see a shower of sparks and hear a small pop as the hammer falls. After what feels like several seconds, you feel the rifle recoil into your shoulder as you hear a definitive, boom! Everything downrange is now completely obscured by a cloud of foul-smelling, white smoke. Until the breeze brushes the smoke aside, you are left wondering if your shot was true. In a nutshell, that’s the muzzleloader experience. I started hunting deer with a traditional ball-and-cap muzzleloader in the early 1980s, because I wanted to know what it’s like to put venison on the table just…