I’ve ordered lots of trees and bramble fruits for our orchard this year; I keep seeing these things bringing higher and higher outrageous prices and decided THIS year I’d get the orchard booted up. Okay, but every day now, I’m getting a box or plastic bag full of trees and plants! The best have come from Starks and Fedco, although I did get some AWESOME Hanson’s bush cherries from Exciting Gardens, which I didn’t expect. The worst were from Gurneys, arriving four weeks ahead of decent planting time here in northern Minnesota, when we had two feet of snow on the ground…and another two feet three days later. I’m sure those folks have internet access and could see weather patterns across the country. But evidently, they don’t care. So no more Gurneys orders for me!

I’ve got almost everything in, the day it came or as soon as we had DIRT showing. So far, so good. I always soak the trees/plants a couple of hours before I plant them, in case they’re partially dehydrated, so I’ve got a mop bucket in the tub full of fresh water…and trees! I’m so excited and our weather’s helping out with nice warm days and rain periodically. Wish us luck!

Readers’ questions:

Health insurance

I was looking at another homestead blog and the topic of health insurance was mentioned. Do you have health insurance? Through the state or paid for by yourself? This other blog stated thay were a homesteader and used the state health insurance program. Is this really self reliance? Depending on the government and fellow tax payers to pay thier insurance? My opinion is no, this is not self reliance, it is using your neighbors to pay your way. I am a very conservative person and do not believe in anyone paying my way. I work hard for a living and don’t think my hard earned money should be given to someone else. Just curious as to what your thinking was on this issue.

Kevin Gray
Ellendale, Minnesota

In a way, David and I are lucky. As my late husband, Bob, had a 100% service connected disability through the VA (agent orange), David and I receive survivors’ benefits which include CHAMP VA insurance. I don’t feel this is putting our health care on our neighbors, as Bob died as a result of his service in the Marine Corps, in Vietnam. It’s lucky we DID have the insurance, as my cancer surgery and treatment, and last summer, David’s bout with flesh eating bacteria would have really, really hurt us financially.

There is a Christian share-pay type of medical help, where thousands of people are banding together to help share the burden of each others’ medical care. If we did not have health insurance, I would seriously consider joining this group. www.medi-share.org It is not an insurance company, but a co-op of sorts.

There IS no perfect answer for homesteaders. Some opt for just letting nature take its course, but I couldn’t have done this when David was suffering so badly with the flesh eating bacteria, knowing that he would die without treatment. End of story. — Jackie

Thanks for the articles

I just wanted you to know how much your articles mean to me and how much help they have been since we have got our own 10 acre with pigs goats and chickens and horses.

Mary Ingold
Kalispell, Montana

Thanks a lot, Mary. I really enjoy the interaction with fellow homesteaders in the magazine and blog. I’ll bet you’re having the time of your life on your new homestead! — Jackie

Buying hypodermic needles

Where can I buy hypodermic needles for my medical kit, like you suggest?

Stephen Nagy
Ocoee, Florida

You can buy them at any farm and ranch store, on the internet from such sources as Nasco or Hoeggers Goat Supply. Or the next time you are at your vet’s, ask him/her for a few. Just explain why you want ‘em or you MIGHT get a few raised eyebrows. Stores just sell them without a problem. Farmers and ranchers use them by the box with vaccinations, antibiotics, etc. — Jackie

Canning leftovers

I will be cooking for a crowd and making a large quantity of chili, which will include pre-canned kidney beans. I would like to can the leftovers. Do I still process the chili for the longest time for pints and quarts? I have the same question for soups with meat, meat pasta sauces, stews, etc. Usually, I freeze these, but now that I finally have a pressure canner, I would really like to use this method.

Rosemarie Wesolek
Mahaffey, Pennsylvania

Yes, you can certainly can up your leftovers. And yes, you still need to process them for the full 75 minutes for pints and 90 minutes for quarts, regardless if they have been precooked or not. — Jackie

No yolk in chicken egg

In the past week, I’ve had 2 chickens lay tiny eggs, almost like a bird’s egg. We broke one open to discover there was no yolk, just the white. Do you know what might be the cause of this? One chicken was a bantam, and the other an Australorp. Both are around 7 years old, but still lay pretty regularly.

Michelle Klose
Kaufman, Texas

This isn’t as uncommon as it might seem, nor is it anything to be concerned about. Sometimes a tiny bit of tissue sloughs off from the ovary or oviduct and an egg begins to form around it…with no yolk. It is “strange”, in that you had two hens recently that did this. Nothing to worry about. — Jackie

Storing rice long-term

Jackie, my wife and i love your articles and we have been advid readers since American Survival Guide went belly up and then switched to BHM. My question is what is the best way to prepare rice for long term storage. We are an Asian house and want to store approx 500 pounds for emergencies.

Howard Sobel
Lorton, Virginia

The best way I’ve found to store large amounts of wheat, corn and rice for long term storage is to go to a bakery or large grocery store with an in-house bakery. They usually have three to six gallon food grade pails with locking lids that they sell very cheaply or even give away. Because you want to store it long term, it would be a good idea to freeze each bag or pail for about two days, just to kill any possible insect eggs in the rice before you store it. Then just pour it into clean, dry pails and lock down the lids. For extra protection, you can run a band of duct tape around the edge of the lid. Then mark on the pail what you have in it and when\you put it into your pantry. Rice is good for years and years that way; I’m eating rice out of a bucket I put up in 1989!!! And the rice is perfect, too! — Jackie

Canned bacon

To answer the question about canned bacon, of all the places to look try www.canned-bacon.com/. It seems it will soon be in production in Ohio. Thanks for all the knowledge you share.

Randy Grider
Marion, Illinois

Thanks for the information! There’s been a lot of interest in the canned bacon. Readers will love you! — Jackie

Comments on vet antibiotics

Not really a question, but a comment on your article on first aid/medical supplies in the latest BWH magazine. You suggested keeping a supply of antibiotics on hand and that your doctor might write a prescription for you to do that. No need to see your doctor!

Many antibiotics that are prescription for humans are OTC for some veterinary uses. Not only can you save a trip to the doc and a bill from the doc, but the antibiotics used in veterinary practice are often purer than those used for human practice. Many of the antibiotics are OTC for fish, and fish are very sensitive to some of the additives and binders that are commonly used for human drugs.

You can get a bottle of 100 100 mg Doxycycline for birds for $29.99 at:
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=5059+5992+12269&pcatid=12269

Penicillin, Ampicillin, Tetracycline, Amoxicillin, Cephalexin, Erythromycin can all be purchased for anywhere from $14.99 - $35.99 per 100 (per 60 for erythro) at:

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+4615+12101&pcatid=12101

I’ve used Foster & Smith and can personally vouch for them, but you might be able to find them even cheaper from different sources.

I’m not a doctor and don’t even play one on tv, so I’m not going to recommend that anyone use a drug for anything other than its intended on-label use. But you can do with the information what you will.

William Shadle
Myerstown, Pennsylvania

Thanks Bill. I’ve used these sources also. But in my position, I can’t “advise” readers to do so. LAWSUIT! But as you said, animal/fish/bird antibiotics are just as good as human. My husband, who was a veterinarian, told me when he was in vet school, they visited several drug companies and watched the manufacture and packaging of antibiotics and other meds. The conveyor ran pills down to a Y; the left side got a veterinary label; the right, a human label! (Now we know why dog anitbiotic syrup is cherry flavored!) — Jackie

Canning store-bought butter

This may be a wacky question, but can you can butter from storebought butter? I normally freeze mine, but was curious if it could be done. If so, would love to have the processing time and directions.

Andrea Del Gardo
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Yes! All you have to do is to gently heat the butter to melt it; a double boiler works well for this. Then ladle into hot, sterilized jars to within half an inch of the top of the jar, wipe the rim of the jar clean and put a hot, previously simmered lid on and screw down the ring firmly tight. Process in a boiling water bath for 40 minutes. The butter tastes fresh when you open a jar, although it does separate a little. Better than NO butter, for sure!!! — Jackie

After a week of back to back blizzards, the sun came out and the temperature climbed to 50 degrees today. It was SO nice. And today my son Bill and his wife, Kelly came up to help Mom celebrate her 92nd birthday. Of course their son, Mason, came with them and both Greatgrandma and Grandma got to play with him and be wowed by his frequent smiles!

He was afraid of the chickens, but it won’t be long before he’s ready for a pony. His daddy was riding his pony, Sprite, while still in diapers. And they had years of history together. They went to lots and lots of horse shows, to compete with not only kids Bill’s age, but also adults on expensive horses. And you know what? They won a lot! We had Sprite until she was 42; she was a member of the family. I hope we can find Mason such a good pony!

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Readers’ questions:

Cracked corn for chickens

I only have a handful of chickens and have access to pleny of free field corn. I would like to make my own “cracked corn”. What kind of grinder do I need? And, do you have any suggestions on where to get one?. Thank you SO MUCH for all of your help and articles. You are a treasure trove and I bow to your feet. I also have many other questions- how is it best to ask, snail mail or like this?

Grace johnston
Tangier, Indiana

If you have field corn, GREAT!!! You don’t need to crack corn for chickens. They digest it fine whole, and really prefer it that way. There really isn’t a home grinder for cracked corn, other than using your grain mill, which is plenty labor intensive for the results given.

You can certainly ask questions either way. Via snail mail shares the answer with a lot more readers. — Jackie

Uses for pig fat/suet

What are some uses for pig fat/suet, besides lard? Is there other uses such as candles or something? Thank you, I enjoy your writings and the knowledge you give out. This means a lot to me and helps out so much.

Scott Michael
Canyon City, Oregon

You can make soap from pork fat! Candles don’t work because pork fat has a low melting temperature and the candles won’t handle hot temperatures before melting down. (You could make fat oil lamps in a pinch, but I don’t think you’d like the results, otherwise; it tends to smoke and not put out great light.) Soap is a much better alternative. — Jackie

Canning bacon

How does one can bacon?

Kimberly Baxter Packwood
Ames, Iowa

You can home can bacon, but you’ll need “real” bacon, not store bacon, because store bacon is too fat and not “solid” enough to hold up for canning. I canned my own bacon by first smoking it, then cutting it into chunks that would fit into a wide mouth pint or quart jar. You don’t can it sliced. I heat the bacon in a roasting pan, in the oven at 200 degrees until it’s hot all the way through. Then I pack it into hot jars to within 1/2″ of the top. Bacon, as with all meat, is processed for 75 minutes for pints and 90 minutes at quarts, at 10 pounds pressure.(Check your canning manual if you live at an altitude above 1,000 feet and must adjust your pressure to suit your altitude.) Bacon is canned without adding liquid.

Important note: As far as I know, there isn’t an approved method of canning bacon, but this has worked well for me. Consider it an “experimental” method. — Jackie

Canned bacon

This is a response to the question asked by Pete Gibson in the May/June issue regarding canned bacon. It used to be manufactured by Celebrity Foods Canned Bacon but has not been available for approximately 10 years. According to the company’s web site it will soon be available again produced in Ohio under direct license from MRE wholesalers.com. Thought this might be of interest to the readers of BHM. Their web site shows them opening a can that was 20 years old and the product still good. Great idea for storing in case of an emergency.

Bill Lahnen
Lakewood, New York

Thanks for the info, Bill. There’s been a lot of interest in canned bacon, and for good reason; it’s a great product. I’ll be waiting to see it once again on the market! — Jackie

Freecycle groups, dehydrating

I hope you have plowed yourself out. We are getting snow this weekend in PA, but not like you. Thank goodness!! Recently, I joined a “free to join” group -”freecycle”, which, by the way, you probably would love. It’s an organization where people give others what they no longer need to help keep things out of landfills. The main stipulation for being able to join and participate is that every thing is “free”, absolutely no money exchanged. Today I received a slightly used dehydrator. If it’s been used, I would be really surprised, it’s still in the original box and spanking clean.

I’ve noticed that in several of your answers to questions, you mention your preference for dehydrating. Could you please tell me what you dehydrate and give me some tips for success. Onions are on sale for a really good price this week. I use a lot of onions and wanted to know if you have been successful drying them and how you do it. Also, potatoes. After they are dried … can’t they be used for frying, mashed or only in casseroles? What’s the storage method?

If you are interested in more information about “freecycle”, go to www.freecycle.org then browse the many groups by specific states. There are groups all over the US and possibly in your area, which might help you get things you need for your homestead and also possibly help someone else. Today was the first time I requested one of the offers and have gratefully benefited. Thanks for any advise you have time to offer. Since your advice helps me all the time, I hope I have given you something to help you too.

Rosemarie Wesolek
Mahaffey, Pennsylvania

I’m sure many readers will pick up on your tip about freecycle. I do know about them, but just don’t have the time to go so far out of town; there’s none within 35 miles of us and most of the better stuff
is in Duluth, 80 some miles south. Mom kind of ties me down as to my “going”. I dehydrate a whole lot of foods, as well as canning them. I dehydrate peas, carrots, onions, fruits of all kinds, asparagus, tomatoes, corn, squash, jerky and a whole lot more. Onions are dead easy; I just slice them into whole rounds, then lay them on the dehydrator trays, in a single layer. When they are dry, I either put them in jars that way or whiz them through the blender to make chunks or powder. These, I put on cookie sheets in the oven, with only the pilot light on and stir until they are really dry; they tend to clump without this extra drying.

To do potatoes, I slice them into salt water to keep them from blackening. Then I drain them and drop them into boiling water for a minute. Then I drain them and lay them out onto the dehydrator trays. The boiling keeps them fromdarkening during dehydrating. No, you can’t make French fries out of them, but you can rehydrate them and then make fried potatoes out of them. Or you can make potatoes augratin, scalloped potatoes or the like. Dehydrated foods are very good and take up little room on the shelf. I lovethat! — Jackie

Gooseberries not producing

I ordered & planted some Gooseberrys plants May-2005.They were 2 yr.old plants called (Hinnonmaki ) the red kind.Well they have never produced anything but they grew. Last fall I moved them & replanted to another place as I thought that might help. Why don’t they produce any fruit? What am i doing wrong? Thanks for the great info you give..

Sharon Beck
Sikeston, Missouri

Have patience. Most trees and shrubs, including gooseberries need a little time to sink their roots down and get over the shock of transplanting. This can take a year or more; often several years.
Moving them just delayed things. If they’re getting sunlight, a little compost and kept weed free, you will get fruit. — Jackie