Innholdsfortegnelse for July/August 2025 i Grit

“So long as mists envelop you, be still; be still until the sunlight pours through and dispels the mists — as it surely will. Then act with courage.”—Chief White Eagle ■ It’s easy to become discouraged. Whether with your garden, your livestock, your new project … anything. It’s even easier to feel like you never do anything right when you’re remembering the things that went wrong. Often, it feels as if everything has to go wrong before it can go right. This makes it hard to want to keep at it, to be better, to move forward with grit, and to give yourself and those around you grace. That’s what we’re bringing you in this issue of Grit: embracing the imperfect, “misty” bits of life and waiting for the sun.…

In 1935, 6.8 million farms dotted the rural landscape of America, according to the Economic Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In the most recent survey from 2024, that number had fallen to only 1.88 million farms. This is due to a number of factors: Agricultural land has been sold into development; finding economic viability as a farmer is increasingly difficult; fewer young people are entering the industry; and more. Something needs to be done, and I see hope in youth interested in agriculture. These kids are our future. Not all of them will go into a career we’d traditionally call “farming,” but that’s a good thing. Careers that support agriculture are as essential to the future of farming as the farmers themselves. Some of these careers require…

My grandpa and I shared a love of horses, and at age 12, he supported himself through work in a livery stable. After Grandpa married, he raised Shetland ponies, once he could afford to do so. I have a favorite photo of my dad as a young boy astride his spotted pony, Jimmie. Years later, no longer spotted but white with age, Jimmie became the pony on which I learned to ride. One Friday night when I was 10, Gramp took me with him to the local horse auction, which was held in a long barn. The spectators and buyers sat on bleachers along the length of one long wall—drinking, smoking, laughing, and cussing like I’d never heard before. Along the entire length of this barn, opposite the bleachers, was…

Through the small pantry window he watched them;Through the fast fading light of the day …He observed, with affection, his children,Walking home from their school, miles away. First, the tall, teenaged son crossed the barnyardJust ahead of his sister and twin.Then the 8-year-old son came a-straggling.All got drinks at the well with their kin. Empty lunch pails they set on the table,While their ma greeted each one in turn.They laid books to be studied by lanternOn the bench, where they’d soon sit to learn. As their father stepped into the kitchen,All three joined him to walk to the barn.But his younger son tugged at Dad’s jacketAnd recited a child’s touching yarn. The old teacher, the child told his father —The old spinster who lives in the town —Made him stand…

Southern food will always have a place in my kitchen. I grew up in California but spent many summers in Arkansas, where I became well-rounded in outdoor cooking and Southern flavor. To this day, I’m a sucker for full-flavor Southern meals and a good cookout. I sure hope this combo makes your mouth water and your family and friends enjoy the good ol’ home cooking the way it should be: bursting with flavor. Y’all enjoy! FRIED OKRA • 2 pounds fresh okra• 1 heaping cup cornmeal• ¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour• ½ teaspoon salt, pepper, and paprika• 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning (optional)• 1 cup buttermilk (more as needed)• ½ cup vegetable shortening• ¼ cup bacon grease 1. Slice fresh okra into ½-inch slices. 2. In a bowl, rinse okra. Drain…

In mid-February 2025, I was laid off unexpectedly from the online job I’d held for 10 years. The news was both a psychological and financial blow, and it dropped our income by two-thirds nearly overnight. Losing a job is terrifying. The end to a predictable paycheck opens the doors to vulnerability. Debt starts to loom, your future plans are put on hold, and all expenditures are now up for negotiation. The sense of your very home as a refuge diminishes with the dread that it might be snatched away at any moment. After staggering around in shock for a few hours, my husband and I held an economic summit. We took a hard look at our weekly, monthly, and yearly expenses, assessed our remaining income, and then prepared to tighten…

RODALE’S ULTIMATE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ORGANIC GARDENING Rodale’s Ultimate Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening has been the go-to resource for gardeners for more than 50 years, and the best tool novices can buy to start applying organic methods to their fruit and vegetable crops, herbs, trees and shrubs, perennials, annuals, and lawns. This thoroughly revised and updated version highlights new organic pest controls, new fertilizer products, improved gardening techniques, the latest organic soil practices, and new trends in garden design. #12594 $44.99 Sale: $38.24 RAFFIA SUN HAT This women’s raffia sun hat is light on your head even on a hot day in the direct sun. This sun hat has a tightly woven yet flexible brim and a“crushable” loosely woven crown. The raffia weave is breathable even while it is blocking more…

A. When the watering timer goes off, the steam whistle blows—waking the rooster. B. He crows to get the attention of all the hens. C. He fires a salt rocket, creating a boom and seeding the cloud to make a burst of rain. D. The two pullets on the bike sprocket start peddling toward home, thinking the rocket is thunder. This turns the Ferris wheel. E. As the rain falls on a section of the tin roof, this sound is amplified across the farm. F. Hearing this, the hens head for the shed, since they hate to be out in the rain. G. Meanwhile, rainwater runs into a barrel. As the barrel fills, the water raises a float. H. The float switch turns on the old record player for carnival music. I.…

It’s a brand-new year, but you’re likely still putting the finishing touches on last year’s bookkeeping; or just starting to think about it, if you’re like me. Reviewing records isn’t just about getting the income and expenses straight for the accountant or budgeting for the year to come. It’s also an important time to review the health status of your herd over the past year and make sure you’re ready to implement any necessary changes to your management program. Determine Your Goals The first step to any herd management program is to set goals. Are you raising goats for milk, for meat, for show, for fiber, for weed control, for fun? Whatever the nature of your goat herd, likely there are qualities you’d like to improve or inefficiencies you’d like…

Share your visual perspective! Post your photos at www.Facebook.com/GritMagazine, tag us on Instagram (@Grit1882), or email us at Letters@Grit.com. Share your best shots, and we just might select one of your photos for a future issue of the magazine.…

Container herb gardening is all about the versatility to grow herbs wherever you have room: on a balcony, a patio, a rooftop, or the steps to your porch. It can be as simple as a planter outside your kitchen door, a hanging basket within reach to harvest a handful of mint, a windowsill filled with healing plants, or a vintage wheelbarrow placed strategically to attract pollinators. You can position big or small container plantings to take advantage of your available space, make them easily accessible for harvest, and give herbs their best growing conditions. Where’s your perfect place to grow herbs? To find out, take a walk around your home and assess potential spaces for container gardens. Think about accessibility for watering, tending, trimming, and harvesting. There might be room…

■ In Part 3 of this series, go through a rabbit hole with an overhand knot. The overhand knot is often the pesky knot that has tied itself in the 50-foot extension cord you put away last Christmas. It’s formed when you pull the running end of your line (or almost anything else) through a loop. In this installment, a “bowline bunny” (the running end) will help us learn. A bowline is simple: It’s a secure loop that won’t slip and is easy to tie or untie. Now, let’s learn how to tie an overhand knot on purpose. (See Page 51 for a refresher on how to talk “knotty.”) Overhand Knot Let’s take a moment to gaze at the overhand knot through a “rabbit hole.” The “rabbit,” in either the…

Long before home computers and the internet were developed, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Weather Service (NWS) launched NOAA Weather Radio (NWR) in the 1960s and dubbed it the “Voice of NOAA’s National Weather Service.” This nationwide network of radio stations still continually broadcasts weather information from your local NWS Forecast Office (NWSFO) 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Hundreds of FM transmitters cover all 50 states, adjacent coastal waters, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and U.S. Pacific Territories. By regulation, the frequency bands used are outside typical broadcast bands. The transmitters are limited to covering a distance of about 40 miles. Local reception depends on conditions between your location and the transmitter. Large buildings or mountains can degrade or even block the signal.…