How to Make Organic Alternatives to Roundup Weed Killer | eHow.com

There are a lot of concerns about the increasing use of glyphosate, the active ingredient in products such as roundup.  Many organic gardeners want to know how to make organic alternatives to Roundup Weed killer

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How to Make Organic Alternatives to Roundup Weed Killer | eHow.com

Some strategies involve physical removal, cultivation and mechanical barriers such as plastic or organic mulches.

Other methods exist such as pouring boiling water over the weeds.

Research reveals that grass-fed beef is better for people and the environment

This is a very interesting article that I happened to stumble upon among my blog reading.  It brings up interesting points that grass fed programs have a lower carbon footprint than other methods of farming.  The other interesting thing is that organic practices lower that footprint even further.

We would like to try to take things a bit further by trying to eliminate some of the machinery in our gardening.  Unfortunately, we are unable to totally eliminate the use of machinery all together.

We may look into horses for farming at some point in the future.  That sounds like enjoyable work.

Thanks to the author for the article!

Research reveals that grass-fed beef is better for people and the environment.

Until Next Time!

Tips for New Fruit Trees?

Rows of thick-trunked leafless fruit trees covered in pink blossoms, against a backdrop of Osoyoos foothills. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I am not sure about how to start new fruit trees.  Does that seem like an odd way to start a blog on new fruit trees, or what?   Hang in there and let me explain……I have never started new fruit trees (unless the 30 foot tall tree that grew from the abandoned peach pit counts).  In my quest to get inspiration for plate, I stumbled a cross a topic in my daily Bible devotion

Leviticus 19: 23-25

“When you enter the land and plant any kind of fruit tree, regard its fruit as forbidden.  For three years you are to consider it forbidden, it must not be eaten.  In the fourth year all its fruit will be holy, an offering of praise to the Lord.  But in the fifth year you may eat its fruit.  In this way your harvest will be increased.  I am the Lord your God.”

English: Recently planted fruit trees, Hom Green This field has been planted with fruit trees within the last year as last September whis field was in arable use. See: [955381] (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Did you catch that recipe?  The first three years the fruit is forbidden.  I take this to mean….remove the fruit and the fruit buds.  This allows the tree to focus its nutrients toward strengthening itself by building better roots, a stronger trunk, and to strengthen its generalized health.
The fourth year the fruit is to be a praise offering.  I am not sure what this means for today.  Perhaps donating the food to a local food bank?  Though this has no purpose that I can think of for the tree….tithing the “firstfuits” is definitely a great Biblical principle.  In the fifth year, we may eat.
God promises a reward for this recipe stating “In this way your harvest will be increased.”  (Tangent alert….tangent alert:  this makes me think of the 10 commandments when God states: honor your father and mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord is giving you.”  This is the only commandment with a promise).

I would like to get some new dwarf fruit trees this year.  I will try to recall the principles from above as I try to get our fruit trees off to a solid start.  I am interested to look and see if there is actually a recommendation that follows the outline above.

Homesteading Series Part 7: Garden Site selection

How should I select a garden?

 There are many things to consider when choosing a garden site. One consideration is simply where to place the garden. The answer will vary according to your situation and what you desire to grow. I have seen people who have incorporated gardens into their landscaping. I call this edible landscaping. Edible plants can be incorporated in among many traditional flowers and bushes. Thia interplanting allows for pest control and confusion.

So on to the more traditional gardening types.

Raised Beds

Raised bed . (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

One method that I like is the raised bed method of gardening. Raised beds can vary in length to suit a particular situation. They tend to be three or four feet wide, which allows for weeding from either side. A person can weed to the middle of the raised bed from either side. An advantage of raised bed gardening is drainage.  Another advantage is that they have a small footprint.  This means that they can be tucked into small spaces and catered to fit small areas that are available.  Still another advantage is that they have very deep, loose soil.  This allows for deep root penetration.  In the end, that plants may be healthier as a result of having more extensive root systems.

Strip Gardens

I modified this system and made what I refer to as strip gardens.   I took 50 foot long strips of sod and dug them up in four foot wide sections.  I then began to pile on the compost and other soil amendments.  This gave me a raised bed type garden.  I was able to add soil as I went.  In this system, I was able to eliminate the walking paths that serve to compact the soil near the plants.  I eventually elected to fill in the areas in between the strips.

Traditional Gardens

Finally, on to a more traditional garden.  Our garden is about 60 feet long by 50 feet wide.   We elected to go this route as we are now able to plant rows of corn and bean in whatever configuration that we choose.  We lay out our corn in rows separated by 30 inches.  The beans go in rows that are 24 inches apart.  We are then able to grow cucumbers, zucchini, and other plants where we want them.

The ideal site should be sunny (at least 8 hours of sunlight per day).  It is ideal for it to be flat or sloped slightly to the south.  In our area, it is best to have a wind break to the west and north.  This prevents the corn from blowing over later in the summer when the big storms tend to roll in.  We have our small orchard and berry patch to the West, which seems to keep the corn upright.

Related articles

• Homegrown: Plants thrive in a raised garden bed (thegazette.com)
• Homegrown: Raised Garden Bed (thegazette.com)
• {DIY} Raised-Bed Garden (typicalhousecat.com)
• Homegrown: Square-foot gardening (thegazette.com)

Homesteading Series part 6 plant selection

So now we move on to the selection of plants.  Again this may be higher on the list, but we will discuss it here.  The reality is that all of these parts are intertwined.

Selection of plants can be broken down into several categories.  First we need to consider what the animals will be eating.  So one consideration is the pasture, the other consideration is the crops.  Second we will look at the garden plants.  Third, and finally, comes the orchard and berry plants.

Plants for the animals.

Pasture:

Crops. View from a bridleway. The different textures and colours are created by barley in the foreground, wheat behind and young sweet corn to the right. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As can be noted from examining the blog here, we are fans of grazing systems.  This allows for less equipment and generally more self-sufficiency.  We prefer rotational grazing, but I digress.  So what plants do you want to have in your pastures?  Pasture should include one or two types of grasses.  Typical types include Fescue, Ryegrass,Timothy, Orchard Grass and Kentucky Bluegrass.  Other plants that are typically included in pasture are red clover, ladino clover, white clover and alfalfa.  It is recommended to have a variety of these plants within a given pasture to provide varying amounts of protein, vitamins, and mineral.  Certain plants also thrive at different times of the year.  By varying the types of plants within a given pasture, the grazing season can be extended both earlier and later in the year than normal.

Selecting Forage Crops

Carsington Pastures, Derbyshire (Photo credit: eamoncurry123)

Crops:

Perhaps crops are what many people think of when they think of plants on the farm.  Crops are used for many different purposes, the main one of which is food for the animals.  Field corn is a crop that is vital to many farming operations.  It is very versatile and can be fed to numerous species of animals.  Corn has traditionally been a very inexpensive feed source, though that had changed some with the subsidization of the ethanol fuel industry.  Soy beans are another crop that is grown in abundance in the United States.  It is used as a protein source and also as a way to fix nitrogen into the soil when used in a crop rotation.  Other crops that are commonly grown are Wheat, Barley, Rye, Oats, Spelts and many others.  Some of these, such as oats and wheat, can be used for two purposes.  The grain is harvested for use as a feed and the stalks can be harvested for use as straw (animal bedding).

Garden Plants

The vegetable garden is one of the main focal points of a homestead.  A garden serves to provide fresh food and also bountiful harvests that can be stored for winter usage.  The plants that can be grown in a garden are limitless.  We will discuss a few here, but the scope of this particular series does not permit for an in depth discussion.

USDA 98c0442 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Sweet Corn is the starting point, as it is one of our favorites.  The only downside that I see with Sweet corn is the space required to grow it, though the space can be maximized by using interplanting (we plant melons within the rows of corn, which allows the melons to spread out.  Both melons and corn take a lot of space, but by growing them in the same row, we can capitalize on some of that space.)  Beans are another key crop.  We also raise green beans (Green Jade works well as a variety).  There are many types of beans, several of which can be dried.

Other vegetables that are traditional garden staples include lettuces, spinach, onions, beets, cucumber, zucchini, squash and many others. Heirloom vegetables are those that are passed from generation to generation. They serve to preserve the plant genetic variability. Heirloom plants (as long as they do not get cross pollinated) will produce seed that it is true, meaning that the seed can be saved and replanted. Once replanted, the seed will produce plants that are the same variety as the mother plant. Hybrids plants do not produce seeds that will grow predictable plant offspring. Oftentimes the seed is not viable. At other times , the seed will produce on of the parent varieties that was used to make the hybrid plant. An example of this is Incredible Sweet Corn. This is our favorite sweet corn. Saving the seeds and replanting them will usually produce a dent corn or field corn that was used in the cross pollination to get the incredible hybrid.
We utilize several varieties of heirloom vegetables so that we can save the seeds if desired. A few examples are blue hopi corn (Below)

and golden bantam corn. Heirloom seeds can be purchased from several suppliers. We usually make our selection from Fedco Seeds.

Orchards and Berries

The third and final category for homesteading plants includes Orchards fruits and berries.  This category will be finished in another post due to space and time constraints.

Related articles

• Start a Self-Sufficient 1-Acre Homestead (rajultrivedi.wordpress.com)

Breeding tips for beef cows

Well let me start by stating that this is our first calving season, which will lead into our first breeding season.

We are evaluating which breeding program to go with.  We know of several potential programs.

The first is simply pasture bull breeding.  Due to the presence of young kids on the old homestead, we have not seriously considered this as an option.

The next method would be a timed breeding program , which would require hue use of prostaglandins and follicle stimulating hormones.  Seeing that we are trying to go with a hormone free program, this is off the table as well.  So what should we do?

The best breeding programs are reliant on heat detection.  This can be noted through observation or left to the bull if one is around.  The issue facing most farmers is that they are too busy to simply sit on the fence and watch for evidence of heat.  These behaviors include increased walking activity, mounting behavior, and willingness to be mounted.  Typically a cow that is willing to be mounted is ready to be bred, the cow doing the mounting is about 12 hours away.

I think that we are going to go with some kind of marker-type system.  This can be a simple as tail chalking.  This method uses chalk to mat the hair over the tailhead down.  Once the animal is mounted, the hair stands up, so that it is evident that she is in heat.  Another form of the marker system is called a Kamar pak.  This is a dye pack that is fixed to the tailhead region.  Once the animal is mounted, the dye pack is broken and changes color to alert you to the presence of a breedable heat.

After compiling the above from the vast knowledge contained within my head (Said with tongue in cheek sarcasm), I found the following website, which may be more helpful.

http://www.thebeefsite.com/articles/2362/estrus-detection-in-cattle

I found this to be a great resource.  It is organized well and goes through the possible management systems that are available.

Related articles

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Elite Eight

Organic cultivation of mixed vegetables on an organic farm in Capay, California. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Here is another list that honors the NCAA college basketball tournament known as March Madness.

As the teams are down to the Elite Eight, I decided to come up with an Elite Eight list to complement our Sweet Sixteen list of Vegetables.

So what would be a good list of Eight Things?  How about the Elite Eight Reasons to go Organic, GMO free and all natural with farming/ homesteading?  So here goes:

1. Organic farming and gardening is better for the environment in many ways.  The first is that there is a focus on conservation.  I am not a naturalist nor a “tree hugger,” but rather I believe that God gave us a great planet, which we need to protect and respect.  Organic and natural farming tends to placeconservation in the forefront.  Compost is recycling at its basis.
2.  Organically grown foods contain fewer harmful chemicals than conventionally grown foods. In a conventional system, chemical fertilizers, pesticides and glyphosate (Round Up) are sprayed to increase production in various ways. These chemicals can be taken up by the plants and then eaten by the consumer resulting in toxin buildup within the body.
3. I would make a case that growing thing organically actually gains in yield over time. This is due to the better soil structure and the better ecosystem. By continuously amending the soil with organic matter, the earthworms and other organisms flourish. This can make to yield as good or better than a conventional system. The health of the soil leads to good health within the plants leading to reduced disease and fewer pest problems in the long run. Healthy plants, like healthy people,
   are better suited to fight off disease and pests.
4.  I will again cite Dr. Don Huber in regard to some research that is ongoing about potential problems with the use of Genetically Modified Corn, soybeans and now alfalfa.
   

   Predatory Polistes wasp looking for bollworms or other caterpillars on a cotton plant (Photo credit: Wikipedia)n insecticide is utilized.

5.  The reduction of chemicals that are relied upon for insect and pest control will allow natural processes to take hold. For most every pest that invades a garden or crop, there is at least one predator. These predators can be killed along with the pest when an insecticide is applied.  If natural cycles are allowed to run their course, predators will find area that their prey are thriving in.  A lot of prey, will ultimately lead to a lot of predators, which will reduce the population of the pest.
6. Though this point may be disputed, I believe that naturally grown foods contain more nutrients. I also believe that these nutrients are much easier for our bodies to utilize. This means that even a naturally grown vegetable or crop that is lower in nutrients will actually provide more usable nutrients, thus making it more nutritious for the body.
7. I would love to do a study on this one: Animals will eat naturally grown crops with more vigor. This means less stress to the animal and perhaps greater yields. Perhaps one day I will be able to do a study in this subject. The study would have to control just about every other variable other than the feed in order to be valid.
8. Finally, there is simply a self-satisfaction that goes along with producing your own food naturally.
   

   Growth of organic farmland since the year 2000 Development of organically managed land by world regions since 2000 Data: http://www.organic-world.net

   Something that I found very interesting is the chart above.  This chart shows that North America is not growing as much in Organic farmland, yet the world is.  We often look to other countries for many other things, why not look at others as the lead for this trend.  We need to figure this out, before it is too late.

The Organic Farm Challenge

As can be noted from this blog and our previous posts, we are fans of natural and organic farming.  Our basis is rather simplistic in the fact that we would not drink roundup or fertilizer so why put it on our foods or in our animals.
Herein lies the dilemma:  what do you do when you have a sick animal or a crop being ravaged by pests?  There are limited options in this area, as the focus of organic farming is prevention and overall health. Of course, you can reach for a home remedy. The quick fix is antibiotics or a chemical pesticide. Since I am a veterinarian and not a botanist, I will talk on the animal side.
Many sick animals can be treated with something to bolster the immune system. They can be given things such as IV fluids and vitamin C. Many organic dairy farms depend heavily upon aloe as a treatment for mastitis. I like to infuse hypersonic saline into the udder and then milk the affected quarters out 15 to 20 minutes later. Some animals can be fed dandelions as a natural diuretic if there ia a lot of edema (extra fluid) present in the udder.
The condition that presents the greatest challenge is bacterial pneumonia. This requires the use of antibiotics, which are restricted of course. I am hoping that there are some things in the works as far as research in this area. I think that for the moment organic dairies should be allowed to use the antibiotics, but the withdrawal times need to be extended out to allow residues to clear. A traditional dairy will have a milk withhold of 4 to 8 milkings, which amount to 2 to 4 days. Perhaps the organic dairy association should consider a 2 week or 1 month withdrawal time. This would allow the farmer to retain the animal, yet would be a long enough withdrawal time to strongly discourage the use of antibiotics. Just my 2 cents of course…..but it seems that a longer withhold that allows the farmer to help the animal and keep her in his herd is much better than having to wait to the last minute to treat her and then be forced to remove her from the herd. Afterall, are we desiring organic farms just for the purity of the food or do we desire the best for the animals as well?

Barren soil

In the picture above you will see the apparent barren soil of our garden.  This soil is actually starting to activate.  There are a myriad of organisms that can not been seen by the naked human eye.  Earthworms are migrating to the surface to perform their important roles such as creating airways and water channels.  They also produce casings, which are packed with vital nutrients.
Tonight was warm enough for us humans to begin to activate as well.  Using our stirrup hoe,  I cultivated the top inch of soil, preparing it for future planting.  I am planning to plant some cold tolerant vegetables in our raised beds.  This will include miners lettuce, spinach and lettuce varieties.  We also got word today that another Fedco Seed order will be going out tomorrow.  We are glad that we did not miss the deadline.

CHICKEN PICTURES

A picture of our first Delaware Rooster with a few Delaware hens, a Black Astraporpe hen and a Rhode Island Red Hen

The girls roaming the yard

Our Aracuana Peeps.  Also known as Easter Egger Chickens.  These lay green eggs for us.

See a nice green egg, our first ever!