I know a lot of you that I’ve talked to in person say the same thing: “We don’t want to bother you with questions…” But guys, that’s my job (think “job security”) and besides that I LOVE to help you out with your day-to-day questions. They don’t have to be earth-shaking ones, just questions that will make your life easier as it goes along. So stop being polite and ask away!
Our friend Eric stopped by the other day for a visit bringing with him some of his awesome hand-crafted knives he makes. We already have two of his creations and they always bring comments when others come by to visit. (They hang from our new rock wall behind the woodstove.) Eric is a true artist and his unique knives are awesome. He has a site on Etsy, Northside Knife, where he sells them. Like us and our mini-seed business, Eric not only makes knives as a hobby but to help support his homestead.
Hondo is learning to bring in firewood, just like his “big brother,” Spencer. Now if we can just teach the dogs to open the stove and toss it in… Honestly, we have the smartest dogs! Hondo already knows how to put the cows and goats in, sit, lie down, come (usually) and bring in firewood, along with “house” meaning go in your crate for a goodie. He’s still wiggly but as he settles down we’ll add more commands to his list. (I’m thinking, wash the dishes, mop the floor, but Will is thinking more like stay, go around, load up in the car.) Hondo, who took a trip all the way down to central Illinois at 6 weeks and did great, now gets car sick! When he gets in the car he drools and throws up! Will is working with him, only loading him in the car while it’s sitting, then taking him out, then driving only around the loop around our buildings. Hopefully he’ll soon love to “go” just like Spencer does.
Tomorrow I plant the first of our tomatoes! I’m so excited. I keep looking at the calendar thinking “only a few more weeks until dirt”… Sigh. But we still have lots and lots of snow on the ground. Soon… — Jackie
Zelda,
I checked on Dave’s Garden and only found Solar Cascade tomato, not Early Cascade and Seed Savers Exchange doesn’t have them this year or last. But mine are now up and so is my smile! Thanks for the help.
Jackie, more resources for you, I think there are people on Dave’s Garden who are offering Early Cascade tomato seeds for swap or sale. Seed Savers Exchange used to have them but you probably already checked there.
Mary Ann,
Some of Eric’s knives are crafted for a purpose such as skinning animals or chopping vegetables. But many are just expressions of his artistic spirit. All are SHARP. You can cut paper with them. I’ve done it.
zelda,
Yep, Monsanto sure owns a lot of the seeds that folks pick up either through mail-order catalogs or at big-box store racks! Sad, isn’t it? One of our favorite tomatoes from years past was Early Cascade, supplied by Seminis. Of course Monsanto bought out Seminis and dumped Early Cascade. The up side of this is that I’ve just found a seed source in Canada that sells open pollinated Early Cascade seeds, bred back from hybrid by an enterprising seed saver. There IS hope!
ann,
We, also, put wood ashed in our garden as our soil is naturally acidic. The ashes are alkaline and help regulate the pH, while adding potash. Don’t add wood ashes if your soil is alkaline. If you don’t know, take a few soil tests from different spots in your garden so you’ll be better informed. Wood ashes added to alkaline soil can damage the garden’s future so it’s best to check.
Deborah Bradley,
The Cornish Rock crosses just aren’t “normal” chickens. They are bred for one purpose and that’s meat. I’ve tried two different times to keep pullets from them and they always either died from heart problems or their legs went out on them and they died. They are built wrong for living to an older age…or usefulness as parents. I’ve heard occasionally of folks who have managed to raise them to breed but this is very unusual.
Teri,
Often chickens will sleep in the nest boxes during the winter. If they keep on doing that after they start laying, try taking the boxes down and putting them up in a different spot, preferably away from the roosts. That usually works.
Ok, here’s a question for you! Are your friend’s beautiful knives different shapes for different purposes? Or just because they are so amazingly pleasant to look at? :)
I have discovered my dog rides better on an empty stomach. The dog doesn’t get feed until we get back from where we are going. Sure saves a lot of wear and tear on both of us.
Ooops, the web site for the ownership information is Dave’s Garden, Products and Sources, The Garden Watchdog forum. Somehow that got deleted.
Support Jackie’s seed sales, as well as every individual and small company seed supplier. Did anyone else see this?
http://www.countrysidemag.com/90-2/jerri_cook/
The King of the Hill section of this article is really interesting. I was researching why Ichiban Japanese eggplant seeds disappeared and found this article. It turned out that several vegetables I’ve been growing were owned by Seminis and are no longer available as a result of the Monsanto purchase. Knew some of the information, was shocked by a lot, have thrown out a pile of seed catalogs as a result of reading this. You can find more information about who owns which companies by going to the Products and Sources section, The Garden Watchdog forum, which lists every detail they know about who owns which companies. You can search by company name. Jackie, how about writing an article about this situation
Have read your column for ages and gotten a lot of info from it, my question–We have been putting wood ashes on the garden this winter I hope hasn’t been the wrong thing to do what is your idea on it, I can remember my mother used to do it. Thanks
Good morning Jackie. Spring’s just around the corner,I hope. Thanks for all you do to keep us informed. I just received Jumbo X rock chicks. They are hybrid and I was wondering what I would have if I did choose to hatch some from them. I know it’s not recommended but I’m curious. Would they revert back to parents? I just don’t understand how that works. Thanks and keep up the good work.
Jackie
I think the winter ha been so cold, so snowy and so long, that our question section of our brains have been frozen… maybe with Spring this week and warmer weather, the questions will come flooding in!! Pun intended!
Lisa
OK, Jackie, here’s a question: I have let my hens establish the bad habit of sleeping in their nest boxes for a year, so needless to say, I empty poo from the boxes periodically and daily look elsewhere for their nests of eggs. I know you can use fake eggs to train hens to use a nest box; do they work to break the sleep/poop habit, too? I like the notion of seeing eggs in the nests. :)
By now, you have answered so many of our questions, that we go to the archives, and can usually find what we need! Thanks. Blessings.
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