Get ready now for spring!

Five Important Things You Should Do On Your Homestead During The Last Weeks Of Winter Are:

1. Preparing for seeds.

Make sure you have the seeds, pots and area is ready to start seeds. Check schedules for starting indoors.  Items like celery and hot peppers should already be started indoors for all zones below 6.  Make sure your seed stock is fresh.  Many store bought seed packets are only viable for one to two years if not placed in cold storage.

2. Implement maintenance.

Now is the time to be sure your tools, mechanical and otherwise, are in sound, working condition. For hand tools, sharpen the edges, oil the blades and repair or replace splintered or broken handles. Sharpening the blades of mower decks, tillers, plows and other implements now will allow spring ground-breaking to get off to a smooth start.





3. Stocking up on the essentials.
If you produce your own soaps, detergents and other household products, stocking up now will ensure you make it through the busy spring and summer months without setting aside precious time to whip up more.  This also includes any homemade insecticides or inoculates you make or purchase such as neem oil or other essential oils you need.


4. Preparing soil amendments.
Not all of the prep work can be done indoors, so take advantage of those warmer days in the last
weeks of winter to work outside. Enrich garden soils by adding a top layer of compost to the rows.  Great time to start sifting soil, compost to get ready for seed pots.  If you purchase garden soil or compost, now may be a good time to get your order in for delivery in the next few weeks.

How to make Natural Ginger Ale

Natural Ginger Ale

A naturally fermented old-fashioned ginger ale (also once called Ginger Beer) that contains beneficial

probiotics and enzymes.
Author: Wellness Mama

Recipe type: Cultured - Beverage

Ingredients
• A 1-2 inch piece of fresh ginger root, minced. Adjust this to taste. I use 2 inches as I prefer a stronger ginger taste.
• ½ cup of organic sugar or rapadura sugar. If using plain sugar, add 1 tablespoon molasses for flavor and minerals.
• ½ cup fresh lemon or lime juice
• ½ tsp sea salt or Himalayan salt
• 8 cups of filtered (chlorine free) water (Here is the water filter we use)
• ½ cup homemade ginger bug (or can use ¼ cup whey for a faster recipe though the flavor won't be quite as good. Here is a tutorial for how to make whey)

Instructions
1. Make a "wort" for your ginger ale by placing 3 cups of the water, minced ginger root, sugar (and molasses if needed), and salt in a saucepan and bringing to a boil.
2. Simmer the mixture for about five minutes until sugar is dissolved and mixture starts to smell like ginger.
3. Remove from heat and add additional water. This should cool it but if not, allow to cool to room temperature before moving to the next step.
4. Add fresh lemon or lime juice and ginger bug (or whey).
5. Transfer to a 2 quart glass mason jar with a tight fitting (air-tight) lid. Stir well and put lid on.
6. Leave on the counter for 2-3 days until carbonated and transfer to the fridge where it will last indefinitely.
7. Watch this step carefully. Using whey will cause it to ferment more quickly and it will take less time. It should be bubble and should "hiss" like a soda when the lid is removed. This is very temperature dependent and the mixture may need to be burped or stirred during this fermentation time on the counter.
8. As with any traditional fermented drink, it is more of an art than a science as it depends on the strength of your culture, the temperature of your house and the sugar used. The final mixture should smell of ginger and slightly of yeast/fermentation and should be fizzy. Watch carefully that it doesn't become too carbonated as this will cause too much pressure and may result in an exploding jar!
9. The mixture can be strained and transferred to Grolsch style bottles before putting in the fridge (we like these bottles).
10. Strain before drinking.
11. Enjoy!

Reprinted from Wellness Mama, vist their site for more wonderful homestead ideas at wellnessmama.com/

Can woodland grazing work?

Chicken Forest Pasture Project

Recently we shared a Mother Earth News article on sheep and that got us thinking about agriculture
in the Adirondacks and other heavily wooded areas or urban lots that may be heavily wooded.  If you are like me cutting down a tree takes some consideration on what will be the overall value to the homestead?  Do I need firewood, lumber for a project or is this for pasture, then we started thinking there is far more diversity in the forest than in an open field planted for grazing cows, goats or ducks.

In particular the homestead we have up north is all forest and only about an acre of growing space, we do not want to clear a forest to make areas that we can not plant on so why not use it for grazing, after a little research and a talk with friends at the Cornell Cooperative Extension we turned to the concept of agroforesty or more specifically silvopasturing.  Then I started thinking about the Eastern woodland bison (went extinct in NY due to hunting around 1799).  Next question what about predators?







There are far more hawks, owls, bears, foxes, fishers and the like found in the woods than in a field.  Anyone out the practice woodland grazing, even for your chickens or ducks?  What are your thoughts?

For more information
Experts suggest grazing cows, sheep, ducks in forests - Cornell Cooperative Extension
Chicken Forest Pasture Project 
Wood Bison

Beekeeping consideration

Is beekeeping for you?
Do you want the benefit of fresh unfiltered honey and pollinators for my garden? Are you afraid of bees or maybe allergic?

There are a number of things you should consider before jumping into the world of beekeeping, and to help you along the way maybe a class or two on beekeeping 101, or even seek out your local or regional beekeepers association, attend a few meetings, ask questions and of course read, read and then read again.

Why Do You Want To Keep Honey Bees?
Can you answer yes to any or all of these questions:

You are on a quest to “Save the Bees”
You want to produce your own honey
You want the homeopathic benefits of natural health remedies
You want an self-sufficiency
You make honey and wax based products
You are looking for pollinators
or looking for a new hobby with benefits

What else should be considered?
Start-up costs, location, local law and time are a few to consider.  We have listed a few areas to think about before adding bees to the homestead.

Start-Up Costs
Beginners can find that a pre-built hive can cost anywhere from $100 to $1000, often with the numerous plans online for free an individual with medium building skills can build one for under $100, plus it add tons of satisfaction in the whole process of developing your colony.  Now add in smokers, clothing, books and miscellaneous equipment needed for the startup and you can add another $200-$500.

Having a budget while planning is a necessity, New England Beekeeping has a page to help you estimate costs.


Water Source
Do you have or can you create a water source? Honey bees need fresh water to do their honey magic. A creek or stream is not necessary. Many beekeepers keep a “garden” of moss that is watered daily so bees will have access to the water they need.

Local Laws
Are there any local laws about keeping bees? Each municipality is different, so contact city hall and find out the rules, this is especially crucial for urban homesteaders and farmsteads.

Talk to your neighbors.  Let them know what you are doing and share with them the benefits of having the bees as well as possibly address their own concerns.  It is possible that you have neighbors that are allergic to bee stings and it might be better to not go forward with your bee plans.  This holds true with any livestock in urban areas.  At one time we had neighbors adamant against chickens but after a year later there has been not a peep on the girls and their occasional squawks.

Is there enough space?
Depending on the hive style used you will need about 10 square feet around it and a clear path for your bees to fly. You don’t want to be constantly walking through their fight path or having obstructions on the way to the gardens.

Food Supply
Do you have something to feed them? Some crops they pollinate include Almonds, apples, cantaloupe, peaches, strawberries, cherries, pears, watermelon, blackberry, cranberry, raspberry, blueberry, cucumber, soybean and all kinds of flowers.  You also have to consider wintertime feeding, sugar water is especially important to help the hive keep warm and strong through the deep freeze of winter, this all depends on your location and seasons.

Support and mentor needed?
It will make your journey as a budding apiarist easier.  Check out and join a local beekeeping association, join and online group or take a workshop. Many local beekeeping chapters have a day-long class, called bee school, that will teach you everything you need to know. See if there is something similar in your area.  In NY check with Cornell Cooperative Extension

Have the Time?
Do you have the time needed to maintain it properly? You need to set aside about 30 minutes a week to tend to the hive needs the first year, once established that will vary.  You will also need to dedicate about 2 hours per hive for each harvest (usually twice a year).

So are you ready?  Already know the benefits of honey and it's products?  Get started, find a local group, check your cooperative extension and start planning to get those bees in your future!

Sub freeze and the chickens - A quick what to do!

WOW it is cold out there.  Two days now and last night and today are the coldest but tomorrow we should start to warm up a bit.  Remember to keep an eye on your backyard flock.  Most chickens will seek shelter when it is too windy or cold but sometimes you just go out there at 7:00 pm and the girls are still running around or sitting on a roost bar in the run.

We do not recommend heating your coops, due to risk of fire it also can cause issues with the chickens becoming to warm and not adjusting to the cold.  So what can you do?

1. If you use wood chips in your coop look at using the deep litter method.  That is not cleaning up the bottom of the coop leaving the waste and chips in place.  What happens is the wood and waste decompose and it can increase the temp in the coop by almost 20 degrees.  It was 2 last night with a wind chill of -10.  Our coop temp was 38 degrees, comfortable for the girls.  You will need to fluff the chips and keep it from freezing and you will also need to keep adding fresh chips to it.  when it reaches about 3" deep remove half of the chips for fresh.  You still need to clean everything else as normal.

2.  If you don't have a water heater, we use a light bulb under the plastic water container and even then it froze partially during the day, bring the water in at night , take it back out in the morning when you open the coop.  Also periodically during the day take an additional bowl of warm water out they will appreciate it.

3.  Keep and eye on the waddles and combs, apply a thin layer of Vaseline on them (no more than you would want on your lips)  that will help prevent frostbite on the ones with larger combs and waddles.  Another recommendation is always try to stick with breeds that are cold hardy like reds, sex links, and wyandottes, though they to can get frostbite.  We inspect them as they go in the coop at night.

4.  Food.  They need high fat protein during the winter for energy, switch from mixed seed scratch to

cracked corn, treat them to a cup or two of hot oatmeal.  Avoid most produce since it will freeze.  You can also use suet with sunflower seeds.  Remember to treat those items as treats and limit them to 10% of their diet these are not replacements to their regular feed.

Side note - remember to check for eggs regularly.  Our girls are still laying regularly and an egg can freeze and crack in less than an hour in these temps.  If they crack don't eat them.  Scramble them up and let the girls enjoy some eggs as well.  We also recommend that if you suspect they did freeze, wash the eggs in cold water and immediately place in the refrigerator, I don't normally recommend washing the eggs but in this an exception.

How to Keep Ducks

If a permaculture gardener is thinking about getting some poultry as livestock, more often then not their first inclination is to have some chickens. A reasonable enough assumption, when chickens are much more common on smallholdings and constitute the most popular meat in America. There is also a lot of information available about keeping chickens, and the birds seem ideally suited to a permaculture plot, with several yields and relatively energy and time efficient in terms of maintenance.

Indian runners

Chickens are great, but the permaculturist might want to take a moment and consider ducks as an alternative poultry livestock animal. The y have many of the benefits of chickens but with added attractions all their own. For instance, ducks produce eggs that are richer in taste and more loaded with nutrients than chicken eggs. Protein, calcium, iron and potassium levels are all higher in duck eggs than chicken eggs, and they are just as versatile in the kitchen, suitable for everything from baking to poaching. Ducks have many of the same needs as chickens, which the permaculture gardener will need to meet to ensure the animals’ survival and comfort, but ducks are arguably lower-maintenance than their cousins, as they forage for a greater proportion of their food from the garden. The majority of the food that ducks source while foraging is organisms that, if not kept under control, can become pests, particularly slugs and snails. Ducks are also hardier than chickens and can thrive in ore extreme weather conditions, and are generally quieter, making them more suitable for urban areas where neighbors are closer. And while chickens are characterful birds, ducks are arguably even more fun to be around – playful and always curious about investigating new things.

If you do decide to take the plunge with ducks as livestock, you need to analyze the needs, or inputs, of the birds and ensure you can meet them on your plot.

Choose Breed

Pekin ducks

Most commonly available breeds of duck will give you plenty of eggs, but you may also want to raise the birds for meat, maximizing the outputs of your livestock. There are certain dual-purpose breeds that are particularly suited to permaculture plots. The most popular breed in the U.S. is the Pekin, sometimes called the Long Island Duck. They are pure white with an orange beak, and can produce up to 200 eggs a year. The Muscovy is another popular option, producing leaner meat and renowned for the range of insects and spiders they will forage. Another good choice would be the Indian Runner, which does not fly and can give up to 300 eggs per year.

Get Several

Muscovy duck

Ducks are very social animals and it is not recommended, for the sake of the animal’s well being, to keep a single bird. Three to five ducks is a good size flock to start with, and is suitable for all but the smallest permaculture plots. If you just have two ducks and one dies, the other will become very distressed. If you are planning on breeding your ducks, you should have three ducks and one drake.

Housing

Ducks need housing, but as they do not perch like chickens, the shelter can be simpler. A simple shed will suffice. You should put the shed on a raised platform. This not only make cleaning and collecting eggs is easier for you and doesn’t involve bending (ducks can easily climb ramps) but also ensures the shelter is well ventilated. Ducks don’t naturally go to a roost at night, but will quickly learn if you make herding them into the shelter a routine. The shelter should be protected against predators, with heavy mesh fencing, and which is also sunk to keep predators from digging underneath.

Because they don’t perch and sleep at ground level (or on the floor of the shelter if it is raised), you need to provide a litter for the ducks. There are several suitable options, from straw, hay, leaves and sawdust to shredded bark or rice hulls. The bedding will need to be replaced or at least renewed every week or so, as it will become wet with droppings. But when you do replace the bedding, it makes a great addition to a no-dig garden bed or the compost pile.

Be aware that ducks do not confine their egg laying to their roost at night; they will lay wherever they are foraging, so you may need to check around the plot when collecting the eggs.

Water

All ducks need access to a water source. If you already have a stream or pond on your property, you’re sorted, but even if you don’t you can still keep ducks. The birds need a water body that is big enough for them to bathe in and deep enough so that they can dip their heads entirely underneath (they rely on this to clean their nostrils and eyes, as they do not have tear ducts). You could reuse an old children’s sandpit, or any plastic container that is at least 30 centimeters deep. Given that the ducks use the water primarily for cleaning, it will get dirty, so replace the water regularly, preferably with harvested rainwater.

Protection

Ideally, you would like to let your ducks range freely in your plot. If so, make sure the site is well secured with fencing to prevent predators attacking your birds. If wild animal predation is a real problem, you could confine your ducks to an enclosed run during the day, but it need to be reasonably large to give the flock enough space, and must include your water body.

Food

Like chickens, ducks are omnivorous. If they are allowed to roam in the garden they will forage for slugs, snails, worms and other insects, and will also eat grass. Generally they don’t graze on vegetable or fruit plants, the exceptions being salad greens and strawberries, and do not scratch at the soil like chickens. This is beneficial in terms of not disturbing your garden plants, but be aware that the ducks’ flat feet can trample seedlings. If possible, allow them to forage in orchards or underneath vines, where they will do the least damage and give the most benefit in terms of pest control. Supplement this with an organic grain mix, and add kelp powder once a week to boost the ducks’ immunity. Like chickens, ducks should also have access to grit to aid their digestion.

*****Reprinted from Open Permaculture Magazine***** Original link below.
https://www.openpermaculture.com/magazine/keep-ducks

Front-yard vegetable gardens may end in one Florida community

Back in 2013 we introduced Tom Carroll and Hermine Ricketts of Miami Shores, a small burg of 10,500 Floridians that was originally a neighborhood within the city of Miami until it was incorporated as its own village in 1932.  Their story began as so many other tales of individuals who wanted to grow their own food, in place of water wasting lawns.  They had been growing vegetables in their front yard for well over 17 years until the village ordered by town officials to do away with the vegetable garden.

In the land of pink flamingos and salamander wall sculptures, one Florida couple is embroiled in a lengthy legal battle over the right to grow vegetables in their front yard. (Video screenshot: Miami Herald/YouTube)  

We had hoped back then that this would go the way of several other cases nation wide and individual property rights would be upheld and not be dragged out in the courts, but in Tom and Hermine's case this was not the out come.  Three years have passed and we are awaiting a judges ruling, some time in the next few weeks, but the damage as been done.  Faced with $50 per day fines for disobeying a new village ordinance, Tom and Hermine were forced to remove their organic garden, which, contained over 75 different types of vegetables including kale, onions, Swiss chard, spinach and Asian cabbage.

The zoning ordinance that called for front-yard conformity and dictated what residents could plant on their property. Vegetable gardens weren’t outlawed outright but they were relegated to backyards. As reported by the Miami Herald, the crackdown was prompted by a complaint issued by a single neighbor. Whether or not said neighbor was new to the area or had simply been harboring ill-will toward Tom and Hermine and their garden for over a decade is not known at this time.

Richard Sarafan, attorney for the village argued to the judge that the village is within its right to dictate what is grown — or isn’t grown — in the front yards of homeowners while making it abundantly clear that vegetables are great, so long as they are kept out of sight in backyards. There certainly is not fundamental right to grow vegetables in your front yard,” Sarafan claimed. “Aesthetics and uniformity are legitimate government purposes. Not every property can lawfully be used for every purpose.”  Sarafan also mentions grass, sod and “living ground cover” as acceptable forms of front-yard vegetation within village limits.

Final thought -

Jack boot local governments continue on as they exert their position of doing what is best for everyone, with out regard for individual rights and liberties.  We have seen numerous cases of the federal, state and local governments restricting water rights or attempting to when attempting to collect rain water, instituting solar taxes as well as taxes on geothermal, to prop up their personal pursuits or that of their lobbyist.  We have local officials who attempt to get into office under the pretense of green initiatives and a move for more sustainable communities, when they themselves have little regard for any of that except it was a positive campaign tool.  Although the judge may decide in favor of Tom and Hermine's case they have already been forced to end their pursuit of providing for themselves as they have done for 17 years, or they could decide on the side of the village, providing another stepping stone for other municipalities to follow suit and ban whatever a few council members feel is unacceptable in accordance to their personal have and have not beliefs.  I say this, plant away, then plant some more.  If they say remove it plant some edible wilds, then plant even more.  Plant, plant and plant, find vacant lots and plant, plant on the porch, in the windows and on the fence, stick that cabbage among the marigolds, stick garlic in with the coreopsis and mix in pole beans with the morning glories!