Peas in a pot

I know it has been a few days since I have updated my blog but I am back. Usually I try to include pictures to clarify my article so here it is.

Peas can be Grown in most medium even in poor soil. They are easily grown in hydroponics systems and in simple flower pots in a windows. Pretty much all you need to do is to take a pot put some gravel in the bottom fill with dirt and walla peas even in the winter time...(no not winter peas either lol).

Other plants can be grown the same way, like beans, tomatoes, and yes if the pot is large enough and the soil is right corn also.

you can event grow your plants in the basement under grow lights. Be careful the fuzz might be watching your power meter and might mistake what you are doing even though the is no one admitting it. however it can be done safely and with low cost to get started. If the basement seem to be your idea of great garden fun go and visit your local hydroponics store and get started. in any case you really can grow plants any where and any time.

Now the weather is cold it is a good time to consider growing indoors and have fun doing it.

Thanks for reading and please leave me a message.

Natural Soap with no chemicals

Natural Soap

Every farm (micro farms included), every backyard that has a grill has access to wood ashes. I know you thing the ashes from charcoal is not wood ashes but it is. Charcoal is made of burnt wood deprived of oxygen  anyway SAVE YOUR ASHES. 

The first thing we need to do is to figure out where to get lye and that is where your ashes comes into play. Lye comes from these ashes by filtering water threw them. The water that comes out is lye water but it is not ready to use yet. So here is the steps to making lye. Remember lye is very caustic and safety glasses and rubber gloves is a must.

Ashes from the grill

1.     Get a bucket and fill it full of ashes.

2.     Get a stainless steel container big enough to contain water and to boil it.

3.     Poke holes into the bottom of the bucket in order for the water to flow out of the bucket you can do this with an awl or nail

4.     Position the bucket over the stainless steel container. 

5.     Boil some water .

6.     Pour the boiling water over the ashes and what come out is a very weak lye water.

7.     Reduce the water over a fire WARNING: MUST BE DONE OUTSIDE harmful vapors will be coming out of the water.

8.     You will know when finished boiling the water by putting and egg in it, (if the egg floats you are finished).

As you see making your own lye is easy and dose not take very much equipment or expense. Just remember don't use any aluminum or iron pans for the lye or bad results will happen. of course you can by you lye from a local supplier and save yourself the effort of making it.

There are many great lye calculators on line and I recommend you use them to verify your measurements are correct, or your first batch of soap might be a mess. Here is the recipe I have been using successfully. If you add any fragrance to the mix check with the supplier that it wont cause the soap to trace too soon. The measurements are weight and not liquid so you may want to get a scale that can measure in the weights given accurately.

·        12.5 oz water

·        5.6 oz lye

Or use 18.25 oz of the lye water you made

·        20 oz lard

·        8 oz olive oil

·        12 oz coconut oil

Melt all of your fats together (lard, olive, and coconut) and get the temp to about 125 degrees. Mix your lye with the water and wait till it is close to the 125 degrees as the water (if using the lye you made heat it up to 125 degrees). This does not have to be exact, but close. Pour the lye water into the oil and with a stick blender blend till you get trace and put into molds.

40 oz Soap molds

This recipe is basic and makes a little over 40 oz. so use a 40 oz mold and have a smaller one ready for any excess. 

Finished product

Let is set for 24 hours and remove the soap from the mold.  Cut the soap int bars and let dry for at least 3 weeks. You can use the bars of soap after the 24 hours but it will be soft and won’t last as long as waiting.

Remember when making soap work in a well ventilated area and take all the necessary precautions to keeping yourself safe.

Basil 

Ocimum basilicum 

Family labiatae 

Height: up to 2 ½ ft

Medicinal value:

• · Indigestion 
• · Cough 
• · Fever 
• · Dysentery 
• · Lung problems 
• · Fat accumulation 
• · Anxiety and depression 

Basil, Sweet Basil, or large leaf Italian basil, is a of the mint family, sometimes known as Saint Joseph's Wort in some English-speaking countries, not to be confused with Saint John’s Wort.

Basil hails originally from India and is a annual plant. Basil best known as a culinary herb prominently used in Italian food, and also plays a major role in the Taiwan, and southeast Asian cooking. Depending on the species, the leaves may taste somewhat like anise, with a strong, pungent, often sweet smell.

There are many species of basil, as well as several related species or species hybrids also called basil. The type used in Italian food is typically called sweet basil, as opposed to Thai basil, Lemon basil, and Holy basil, which are used mainly in Asia. While most common varieties of basil are treated as annuals, some are not. basil's that are perennials include Holy basil and African blue basil.

This is a list of the different species sold in the United States.

• African blue basil 
• Camphor basil, African basil 
• cinnamon Basil 
• Dark opal basil 
• Globe basil
• Hoary basil 
• Holy Basil 
• Spice Basil 
• Lemon basil
• Lettuce leaf basil 
• Purple basil  
• Queen of Siam basil 
• Rubin basil 

Harvesting:

The ideal time to harvest basil and other herbs that are to be dried, is on a sunny morning immediately after the dew has disapated. When harvesting basil, cut it back to about 1/4 inch above the joint where the leaf is attached. Leave enough foliage on the plant so it can continue growing healthy.

Rosemary

Rosemary

Rosmarinus officicinalis

Labiatae family

Height: 5 ft – 6 ft tall

Medicinal value:

·         Arthritis

·         Diarrhea

·         Depression

·         Heart weakness

·         Neuralgia headaches

·         Dandruff

·         Flatulence

·         Falling hair

·         Fatigue

Rosemary is an aromatic evergreen shrub that has leaves that are about 0.8 – 1.6 inches in length. The leaves are a smooth green on the top and a woolly white color underneath. The leaves are used as a flavoring in foods such as stuffing, bread, and oils. The plant grows between five and six feet tall.

It is native to the Mediterranean and Asia, but is reasonably hardy in cool climates. It can withstand droughts, surviving a severe lack of water for lengthy periods.

The plant flowers in spring and summer in mild climates. The flowers are white, pink, purple or deep blue.


Since it is attractive and drought tolerant, rosemary is used as an ornamental plant in gardens and landscaping. Rosemary can be pruned into formal shapes and low hedges. It is easily grown in pots.


Rosemary grows on loamy soil with good drainage and in an open, sunny position as well.

• It will not withstand overly wet soil.
• It grows best in neutral to alkaline conditions.

It can be propagated from an existing plant by clipping. clip the soft tips of the branch. Trim to about six to eight inches. Then scrape off the lower leaves up to about two inches from the cut, and place in a cup of water in a warm south facing window. The roots should start to form in about two weeks.


A little more research on your part can produce the best way to use this herb in a culinary or medicinal manner.


That being said here is the best rosemary pizza dough recipe ever.Rosemary pizza
1 ½ cup of water2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
4 ½ cups of all purpose flower
2 teaspoons of sugar
2 teaspoons of active yeast
2 teaspoons of chopped garlic
1 tablespoon rosemary

Blend all ingredients together by hand or in a bread machine on the dough setting (easiest way is the bread machine). Divide into two loafs and stretch into two 12in pizza pans. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Add toppings as desired. Bake 18-20 minutes or until crust turns brown on the edges. Enjoy.


This is a map of the planting zones, rosemary apparently grows to zone 7. I currently live in zone 6 so I have yet to see if the weather affects rosemary here. The cypress trees seem to do well here so we shall see.

Do you need alot of land?... I think not

Farming does not require a lot of acreage or even a tractor. I live almost downtown in a crowded neighbor hood of Dayton. My wife and I still manage to keep chickens, Honeybees, and even a new addition to our back yard a rabbit. I will be doing some cleanup and getting my bee hives ready for the winter to come. I have yet to build my rabbit hutch but it will be coming soon. I have been letting my chickens run the entire backyard.

We started with a few little plants then added two peach trees, a cherry tree, and divided our yard in half with an arbor and a fence which separates the area where we want grass to grow to where we want our garden to be.

We have eggs regularly and this is the first year we have gotten honey.  We got five, one quart jars, and two, two quart jars, which is quite a lot of honey for us this year. I use the “top bar” hives instead of the “langsworth” style. The reason is the cost of the hives are less with the “top bar” and it easier to build, while letting the bees do their own thing while building the comb. The measurements of the garden area are about 25’ x 25’ just to give you an idea of what can be done in a small space.

We have permanent plants that we must keep an eye on so they don’t take over the entire garden. The blackberries  are a very aggressive plant so we keep them on the outside of the fence. Next year I am planning to build a strawberry pyramid as well as attempting some hydroponix. I am already buying the PVC and pics will come soon for it.

Rabbits to The Table

This information is from the ARBL (American Rabbit Breeders Association)

This information is also in accordance with the USDA, FMIA, FSIS, and PPLA. Bear in mind this information that you used from this document is not to be used without doing your own research first and the use is strictly the responsibility of the reader.

Fresh and frozen Rabbit is sold year around and in the most unusual places like your favorite grocery store. The meat has a fine grain and a mild flavor not unlike chicken.

As a fryer; which is a rabbit weighing between 1.5 lbs but not more than 3.5 lbs processed. your Rabbit my be labeled as a Roaster: a Rabbit weighing over 4 lbs processed.

Safe Storage Times
Take rabbit home immediately from the grocer and refrigerate at 40 °F or below. Eat within 2 days or freeze at 0 °F. If kept frozen continuously, it will be safe indefinitely. It is safe to freeze rabbit in its original packaging. For prolonged storage, overwrap as you would any food for long-term storage. For best quality, use frozen whole rabbit within a year

Safe Thawing
There are three ways to safely defrost rabbit: in the refrigerator, in cold water, or in the microwave oven. Never defrost at room temperature.
Refrigerator: It's best to plan for slow, safe thawing in the refrigerator. The rabbit may be stored in the refrigerator up to 2 days.
Cold Water: To defrost rabbit in cold water, do not remove the packaging. Submerge the rabbit in cold water, changing the water every 30 minutes so that it continues to thaw. Cook the rabbit immediately after thawing.
Microwave oven: When defrosting rabbit in the microwave oven, cook it immediately after thawing.

Safe Cooking
When roasting rabbit parts, set the oven temperature no lower than 325 °F. A 2-pound, cut-up rabbit should take approximately 1 hour to cook.
The USDA recommends cooking rabbit to an internal temperature of at least 160 °F. The use of a food thermometer is recommended to make sure that your rabbit is safe to eat.
Do not cook frozen rabbit in a slow cooker; thaw first. Cut whole rabbits into smaller pieces so heat can penetrate the meat more quickly.

Safe Handling of Leftovers
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours after cooking. Use within 3 to 4 days.
Reheat leftovers at 165 °F.

Rabbits from the hutch

Rabbit rearing is almost as easy as raising chickens with the exception of their sleep requirements and nutrition requirements. By the USDA the following chart shows the recommended enclosure floor space and height, even though most conscience farmers will tend to give their rabbits a lot more room than shown.

Weight of the Rabbit Required Floor Space Required Height 4.4 lbs or less 1.5 square ft 14 inches 4.4 to 8.8 lbs 3.0 square ft 14 inches 8.8 to 11.9 lbs 4.0 square ft 14 inches 11.9  or more 5.0 square ft 14 inches

This chart is done by the breed to give a better idea of the floor space and heights. Keep in mind not all breeds will be listed but the most common will be.

Breeds	Required Floor Space	Required Height
American fuzzy lop, Britannia petite, Dwarf Hotot, Himmalayan, Holland lop, Jersey wooly, Mini Rex, Netherland dwarf, Polish	1.5 Square ft.	14 inches
Standard Chinchilla, Dutch, English Spot, Florida White, Havana, lilac, Mini Lop, Mini Satan, Silver, Thrianta	3.0 Square ft.	14 inches
American, French Angora, Satan Angora, Beveren, Blanc de hotot, Champane D’Argent, American Chinchilla,  Cinnamon, Crème D'Argent, Harlequin, New Zealand, Palomino, Rex, Rhinelander, Satin, Silver Fox, Silver Marten	4.0 Square ft	14 inches
Giant Angora, Giant Chinchilla, Checkered Giant, Flemish Giant, English Lop, French Lop	5.0 Square ft	14 inches

Keep in mind these numbers are the minimum sizes feel free to expand on this, if you give your rabbit more space to hop around the more exercise he will get and the healthier it will remain until you decide to eat it or even to keep it only as a pet. 

Keep your hutch as clean as you can for several reasons, one, it is better for your rabbit to live in a healthier environment because you will not be promoting disease. Two, a healthier rabbit means less vet bills. Three, if you decide that you are raising your rabbits for food, the healthier you keep your rabbit the better your food will be. A healthy Rabbit is a happy rabbit.