My region of Kentucky has been battling triple digit temperatures for the past week or so and I'm happy to say that all our animals are coping really well this year. Last year, we didn't fare as well.
We were raising meatbirds and lost seven of them in one day due to the heat right when they were close to butchering. Considering that we could have sold them for at least $9/bird, the loss affected us financially as well as emotionally!
It's always just so sad to lose a farm animal due to something that you could have prevented. We thought we had done enough by moving them to the shade and giving them plenty of water, but our tarp on the chicken tractor actually had a silver underside which was making things worse instead! Once we removed that tarp and started misting them each day, we never lost another one. The homestead learning curve is just horrendously steep sometimes.
So for this issue, we have some suggestions for helping to keep your animals cool even in these brutally hot days. We've got suggestions for saving some of your seeds for next year and even some tips on putting food by even if you didn't have a garden or your garden dried up and blew away (like mine).
You all try to stay cool and enjoy God's creation!
All across the South, we are living with extreme heat conditions this sizzling Summer 2007. Here on our farm along the Dirt Farm in East Central Georgia, we've experienced record breaking temperatures as high as 109 degrees - need I mention the humidity and that dreadful heat index?
Whether you have a small backyard flock or a hen house full of layers, chickens suffer greatly in these soaring summer temperatures. There's nothing worse than seeing your flock standing around with their wings out-stretched, hanging away from their bodies and panting continuously. Yes, chickens pant in the heat!
What do we do to help our hens with the heat? We are constantly monitoring them all day long checking their water levels, replenishing their water supply about every two hours with fresh cool water, providing added shade with tarps, and at the high heat of the day we actually mist the birds down. In the event there are any birds in extreme stress, we hose them down immediately, then if need be, we crate and bring them inside the basement until the sun begins to set.
Chickens in chicken tractors and portable coops as well as those with limited access to shade are at greatest risk for overheating. In June, we fenced off our chickens with two large fenced yards that are accessible from the hen house. While in summers past, the chickens would spend hot summer days in the coolness of our woods, they were at major risk from predators. Although our new fenced yard plan protects our flock from four-legged predators, it limits their shade on these extreme days of heat. Therefore it is a must that we attend to them all day long! In fact we made a commitment to our livestock for no travel during the summer months for this very reason of unpredictable summer heat.
Regardless of the seasonal challenges we face raising our heritage flock, we feel privileged to live this life of rurality.
Keep it in the shade, Y'all!
Harriette Jacobs is a freelance writer in East Central Georgia, wife to Alan and homeschooling mom to their two sons. They raise heritage breed chickens - last count: 72, and have 4 dogs and a barn load of farm cats. You can visit Harriette online at: South of the Gnat Line -Where Muggy IS a Season Jacobs Academy:A Dirt Road Education Beekeeper Dreams - Where she's still counting bees in her sleep
I freeze 2 liter drink bottles for my bunny cages. Each rabbit gets its own mini-cooler to stretch out by. Our well water is very cool and we try to change the water for all our animals several times a day. We have put second hand ceiling fans in the bunny barn and chicken coop. I picked them up for free and my SIL installed them. The chickens get a cooling treat of frozen English peas on very hot days. I keep a large inexpensive bag on hand all summer. Frozen pineapple treats for the bunnies not only cool them down but the enzymes are good for their digestive tracts. I buy several bags of a cheap store brand when they are on sale. I also mist the rabbits with a cool mist a few times a day. For myself? Big hats, loose shirts and lots of iced mint tea. I just tell myself to hang on, Fall always comes again. ~Grandma Rosie
I orginally hail from Henderson, NV where it gets 115 plus. I grew up with horses, dogs & cats. I remember my father always tried to pasture the horses for the summer where it was cooler, however, there were many years he couldn't do so. In those years I remember him putting out salt blocks for hydration, along with filling a huge water trough daily. We always had dirt for them to roll & keep cool in. Also, we never put them in a barn. We had a big covered section for them though, to keep cool yet not stuffy. Our dogs were always allowed in and so were our cats. Unless we had to we tried to never put them out during the heat of the day. My dad's rule of thumb was, if it's too hot for you then it's to hot for the animals. Warning: never keep your animal in a car, even with the windows cracked in the summer time. It gets much, much hotter in your vehicle than outside. Example: outside temp is 115 degrees, inside your car it's approximately 140 degrees. ~Jessica
Our dog LOVES water so we put him in the pool with us and then let him paddle around. When he gets done, he runs around to dry off and then he goes into the house into the a/c with us. We also put ice into his water and he chases the ice cubes around in his bowl. For our friendly squirrels, I make sure they have fresh water in the birdbath twice a day. When it is really hot they (the squirrels)will lay in the birdbath to cool down. ~HomeWith2
Putting Food By For the Garden Challenged Leslie Valeska Some of us homesteaders don't garden. There are many reasons why-- time restraints, poor soil, climate, know how, tools, etc. However, just because you don't garden (or maybe your garden didn't produce as much as you had wanted) does not mean you cannot can or freeze provisions!
There are seasons for every kind of produce. For example, you may not purchase peppers or berries in the winter because the price is high. However, summer leaves these things in abundance and at rock bottom prices. When this occurs, buy as much as you can afford (as long as the produce is fresh and not over ripe). Portion out what you will use before spoilage and then can or freeze the rest. In this way you can enjoy food all year long. Blueberries freeze very well and are great in all types of desserts, syrups, jams, and jellies. Think peaches, plums, nectarines, etc. All can be canned when prices are low.
Spaghetti squash and other winter squash can be prepared and put by as well. For example, butternut squash can be parboiled or pureed and then frozen for use in baking, soups, and stews. You can also cut this into chunks and freeze raw. Spaghetti squash can be cooked and frozen.
When freezing produce, make certain to store it properly so as to get the maximum life span without freezer burn from the items. A vacuum sealer is a great option for getting out as much air as possible. With items that have a heavy water content, flash freeze and then vacuum seal.
Also, of important note, is the canning, freezing, and preserving of meat. When meat goes on sale, some families don't stock up because they don't have the freezer space. However, with a little planning, you can still take advantage of those savings by learning to can your meat.
Gardener or Gardener Wanna Be, you can put food by inexpensively.
New to putting food by? Need some extra information? Try these links for some great tips and advice.
Leslie Valeska and her husband homeschool their 4 children in southwest Florida. The family enjoys RVing, reading, movies, ice hockey, and serving the Lord. Visit Leslie at Raise the Cup! and Journey to Simplicity to read more of her writings.
If you are merely saving the extras from a packet of seeds, place them in an airtight container in a cool, dark place and you're done.
Now, if you want to save the seeds from your garden's bounty, there is a bit more involved; but it is still simple to do. First of all, start with good quality; take your seeds from a healthy vegetable, fruit or flower to insure good results. Seeds from Hybrid varieties will not produce true in the next planting; so plant heirloom or open pollinated varieties if you want to save seeds for planting next year.
When collecting seeds from flowers or flowering herbs watch carefully and pick the seed heads just as they get dry; wait too long and they'll drop seeds all over and replant themselves for you. Snipping the seed-heads into a paper bag makes collecting seeds from herbs like dill and basil a snap. Shake the bag a bit to loosen the seeds from the stems. Make sure the seeds are completely dry-- air dry them for a few days on a screen or flat baking pan if necessary. Once seeds are dry, into an airtight container they go, to be put away for next season!
Saving vegetable seeds can be a bit more tricky but still very doable. SeedSave.org has individual information on saving seed from 27 different vegetables. The book, Saving Seeds by Marc Rogers, also has detailed information on growing and storing vegetable and flower seeds.
After you've collected your seed, and dried it properly, it's time to store it. If you only have a few of one kind of seed, or very tiny seeds, such as Poppy seeds; you can put them in small envelopes. Coin envelopes are inexpensive, and a box will last you quite a long time. Label the envelope with the type of seed, the date, and any other planting information desired; you can store several of these small envelopes in a reusable plastic container or even put them inside a quart canning jar. For larger quantities of seed or large seeds like beans, put them into recycled glass jars with lids. Put a label on the jar so you'll know what's inside, detailed planting information can be written on a piece of paper and tucked inside the jar if you like.
Once those seeds are contained, place them in a cool, dark area for best keeping. I have a neat little 3 drawer chest that I keep mine in, but any cupboard or closet in a cool place should do fine. I've read that the best place to store your seeds is in the refrigerator, though I've never done so.
If you enjoy saving seeds, and would like to share with others, you might want to consider joining an organization like Seed Savers Exchange.
Perhaps I'll organize a Homestead to Homestead Seed Swap at Homesteadblogger. Anyone interested?
Catherine Love lives in Texas with her husband, Carl, and three daughters, Sarah, Hannah, and Cana. Visit her blog to read about their adventures in gardening and other homestead and homeschool activities.
We hope you've enjoyed this issue of The Homestead e-Newsletter. We'd love to hear what you think about it. Did you try the recipes, craft suggestions, or any of the other tips? We want to hear about it! And we also want to hear your suggestions for future newsletters. Is there a topic you'd like to see covered that we haven't yet? Would you like to contribute a column? Just let us know! You can email me at SeniorEditor@HomesteadBlogger.com. Or just stop by The Front Porch and say "Hello" when you're visiting us at HomesteadBlogger!
Jocelyn Dixon is this week's host for the Homestead Carnival. There is everything in there from baby announcements, to how to clean the toilet, to making homemade peppermint ice cream! Head on over there and take a look!
Might I just start out by saying that I have a whole new appreciation for those of you who still do things online with dial up?! Our internet hasn't been fixed yet so I'm just barely chug, chugging away here. I keep getting kicked offline and have to remember not to keep the phone line tied up all day too. Sheesh. I've been spoiled.
Anyway, one entry you will want to take time to read is this week's Carnival of Homesteading at http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/jacquedixonsoulrestes/350975.
Uh oh, I can't make my link work. Are any of you having that problem or is this because of my rotten connection? Ugh.
Now, I'm off to send a little note to tech support. Thanks for hanging in there with us.
It's a wonderful way to get a sampling of great ideas, tips, and recipes. This week Amanda hosted it at SuperHorseSteader and you'll find entries on lots of interesting topics including:
having a fun, frugal vacation
creating a home management binder
taking care of chicken spurs
toxins in sanitary products, toilet paper, and diapers
Repellent Recipe
1/2 c olive oil
1 c hot water
1/8 c glycerine
35 drops lavender (mosquitoes)
25 drops patchouli (chiggers)
30 drops neem (ticks, mosquitoes)
Put a 1/2 cup of bleach in a full bath tub to kill chiggers. *For adults only.*
I just got the latest enewsletter from Lighthouse Farm and thought I'd share a link to one of their great articles. The Meskos, like many of us, are trying to figure out how to raise the food they feed their own animals in a way that's both good for the land and for the family pocketbook.
I just wish the Meskos lived a little closer. They have so much knowledge to share! Of course, they do have DVDs....
By the time you get this newsletter, spring will probably already have sprung and April will soon be on its way with the April showers. Now is a great time to buy or build a rain barrel so you can take advantage of those April showers and use the rainwater in your gardens! It's estimated that nearly 40% of household water usage in the summer is for lawn and garden watering, so using a rain barrel may save the average homeowner up to 1,300 gallons of water during peak summer months!
And while you're building things, you might as well make a chicken tractor! Not sure what a chicken tractor is or why you would want one? Just keep reading to find out. And then we wrap up this issue with some tips from Catherine Love on preparing your garden for planting. I know you all are getting excited already.
Get out there and enjoy God's creation!
Blessings, Nancy Carter
Senior Editor of HomesteadBlogger
How to Build Your Own Rain Barrel Provided by: The Center for Watershed Protection
Supplies:
One 55-gallon drum
One 5' section vinyl garden hose (3/4" OD x 5/8" ID)
One 4" diameter atrium grate (basket used in garden ponds and pool skimmers)
One 1/2" PVC male adapter
One 3/4" x 1/2" PVC male adapter
One 5' section of drain hose, drain line, or sump pump line (1-1/4")
One 1-1/4" female barbed fitting and one 1-1/4" male threaded coupling
One vinyl gutter elbow
Drill (or a hole saw)
Router, jig saw or coping saw
Measuring tape
Optional Supplies:
Waterproof sealant (silicone caulk, PVC glue)
Teflon tape
Fiberglass window screen material or mosquito netting
Cinder blocks or wooden crate
STEP 1: Cut Holes in Barrel
Cut lower drain hole. Measure about 1 inch above the bottom of the barrel where the barrel side begins to rise toward the top. Using a ¾" bit (or hole saw), drill a hole through the barrel.
Cut upper drain hole. Mark the upper drain hole according to where you want the overflow to be located in relationship to the lower drain. Use a 1-5/8" hole saw to cut out the overflow hole.
Cut top hole for atrium grate (filter). Using the atrium grate as a template for size, mark a circle at the center of the top of the drum (locating the rainwater inlet in the center of the barrel lets you pivot the barrel without moving the downspout). Drill a 1/2" hole inside the marked circle. Use a router, jigsaw or coping saw to cut until the hole is large enough to accommodate the atrium grate, which filters out large debris. Don't make the hole too big--you want the flange of the atrium grate to fit securely on the top of the barrel without falling in.
Cut notch to hold hose. Using a 1/2" bit or hole saw, cut out a notch at the top of the barrel rim (aligned so that it is above the lower drain hole). The notch should be large enough so that the end of the hose with the adapter will firmly snap into place.
STEP 2: Set Up Barrel and Modify Downspout
Set up barrel. Since water will only flow from the garden hose when the hose is below the barrel, place the barrel on high ground or up on cinder blocks or a sturdy wooden crate underneath your downspout.
Modify your downspout. Cut your existing downspout using a saw so that the end can be placed over the top of your rain barrel. Use a 3" vinyl downspout elbow to connect the two downspout pieces (or use a downspout adapter and a piece of corrugated plastic pipe). Trim the end of the downspout if necessary.
STEP 3: Assemble Parts
Attach garden hose to lower drain hole. Screw in the 1/2" PVC male adapter to the lower drain hole. The hard PVC threads cut matching grooves into the soft plastic of the barrel. Unscrew the 1/2" PVC male adapter from the hole. Wrap threads tightly with teflon tape (optional). Coat the threads of the coupler with waterproof sealant (optional). Screw the coated adapter back into the hole and let it sit and dry for 24 hours (optional). Attach 5' foot garden hose to the PVC male adapter. Attach the 3/4" x 1/2" PVC male adapter to the other end of the hose (this can be readily adapted to fit a standard garden hose).
Attach drain hose to upper drain hole. Put the 1-1/4" male threaded coupling inside the barrel with the threads through the hole. From the outside, screw the 1-1/4" female barbed fitting onto the threaded coupling. Use silicone on the threads (optional). Attach 5' section of drain hose to upper fitting.
Place atrium grate and screen in top hole. Using PVC glue, secure a piece of fine mesh window screen inside or outside of the atrium grate to filter out debris and control mosquitoes (optional). Place the atrium grate into the hole (basket down).
Position the downspout. Position the end of your downspout so it drains onto the atrium grate on the rain barrel.
In addition, The Teaching Tank® is easy to set up and easy to use. It provides a creative, hands-on way for students to see and learn science. You'll definitely want to check out the pictures to see just what this amazing, versatile tool can do. Perform literally hundreds of experiments with just one Teaching Tank!
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Chicken Tractors by Nancy Carter
Have you heard people talking about chicken tractors and wondered what they were talking about? I know they sound really funny. When a friend first told me about hers, I was pretty sure she had gone off the deep end--first she was getting all of the animals to take care of, butchering her own animals, and then she was even into alternative housing for her animals. Yep, sounded like a fruitcake to me. And now ... she's brainwashed me and we're raising chickens, butchering them, and building our own chicken tractors.
Chicken tractors come in different shapes and sizes.
Their main benefits are that they:
keep the chickens on fresh grass or soil
lower food costs
protect the chickens from predators, family pets, and the road
fertilize the soil
control where the chicken poop is
eliminate needing to clean the coop
make the eggs easy to find
Getting started with chicken tractors is easy. Chicken Tractors by Andy Lee is practically considered required reading. He spends a lot of time explaining the benefits of chicken tractors and how to use them for maximum productivity. Joel Salatin's book Pastured Poultry Profits then goes even more in depth for people interested in raising pastured poultry. After reading those two books and Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens, we looked at all different pictures of chicken tractors online before we designed ours.
The most basic design is a PVC or wood rectangle frame with a lid that allows easy access but keeps predators at bay. We spent about $75 and built our first one out of PVC. It was very easy to move daily and a good size for what we were doing, but stepping in and out of it to take care of things was a bit difficult. We started out with both our meat birds and our laying hens in there together, but then moved the hens to a separate PVC A-frame chicken tractor. Before building your own you might want to visit the City Chicken's Chicken Tractor Gallery to see a wide variety of pictures people have submitted of their original designs.
Looking for more of a hen house style? Countryside had a great article in its September/October 2005 issue called "Free Range Your Birds in This Chicken Tractor." It had a complete plan and design for a hen house style chicken tractor complete with roost, laying boxes, easy access doors, and great space for the chickens on grass. They estimated the building cost to be $270. You can order their back issue online if you want to get those plans. Their back issues are $4 each, and it would be well worth the money if you are considering building a hen house chicken tractor.
Whether you are just wanting a few laying hens for your backyard or you want to raise meat birds for your family or to sell, chicken tractors provide a wonderful opportunity for you to keep the birds on fresh soil each day, fertilize your grass or garden, and to keep them safe from any predators. Chicken tractors may be kind of a "new thing," but as Martha would say, "It's a very good thing!"
Nancy Carter is the Senior Editor of HomesteadBlogger and a contributing writer for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. She and her husband are homeschooling and learning all about country life with their three sons on their small farm in Kentucky. Learn more about their journey at Nancy's Unlikely Homesteader blog!
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Take a few minutes to drop into the home of Cotton's Journey-A Field Trip In A Box, comprehensive study unit. Here you will find a 'one-stop-shop' of cotton educational resources for learning the important basic core subjects. This integrated study unit contains everything to challenge a student (ages 1-13) and take the family on a 7-month field trip of the history, growth cycle, harvest and processing of cotton. We have done all the research for you...gathered supplemental literature books, videos and CD's, and offer a variety of resources to be used in conjunction with Cotton's Journey-A Field Trip in a Box.
Preparing the Garden for Planting by Catherine Love
Spring is just about here, and it's time to prepare the garden for planting. Time to clean up, clear away, and add compost and other amendments to the soil.
Exactly what you need to do to prepare your garden depends on what kind of garden and soil you have. If this is a new garden, you may want to do a soil test to determine what amendments your soil needs for healthy plants. They are inexpensive and easily found at garden centers. It is also a great science project for the homeschool family.
If you have a raised bed garden, you will probably only need to pull out any dead or diseased plant material and the few weeds that may have found their way into the beds. Next, add a layer of compost, stir, smooth out the soil, and you're ready to plant again.
For the traditional, tilled garden, decide what you need to add to the soil--compost, peat moss, etc. Also, decide if you are going to pull out the dead things or just till them back into the soil. After you've spread on the amendments and tilled the soil, get out the rake and hoe and start making your planting rows. When we had this type of garden, we marked off our planting rows, which were 3-4 feet wide, with stakes and string. After the rows were marked, we raked the loose, tilled soil from the pathways into the planting beds. Then, we added a layer of cardboard topped with mulch to the pathways. The stakes and string gave us a definite planting area, which kept the kids for the most part out of the beds! Raking the soil from the pathways into the beds helped raise the beds up just a bit for good drainage. The mulched cardboard pathways helped by deterring weeds and preventing muddy pathways and boots. One note if you live in an area with fire ants--they do tend to want to build nests under the cardboard, so be watchful for that. Once you have your beds raked smooth, you are ready to plant those seeds and seedlings.
For either of the above types of garden, you can always use the Lasagna Garden method--lay down sections of wet newspaper on top of the soil (weeds and all), then layer on several inches of compost, peat moss, etc., on top and plant away. Not tilling or weeding required at all!
Container gardens are the simplest to prepare. Clean out any old soil, scrub the pots with a light bleach water solution, and allow them to air dry. Then, fill with your choice of planting medium and you're ready to garden.
Spring is in the air, so let's prepare our gardens and Get Growing!
Catherine Love, lives and gardens in Texas with her husband Carl, and 3 daughters, Sarah, Hannah, and Cana. Read about their garden and homestead adventures here.
We hope you've enjoyed this issue of The Homestead e-Newsletter. We'd love to hear what you think about it. Did you try the recipes, craft suggestions, or any of the other tips? We want to hear about it! And we also want to hear your suggestions for future newsletters. Is there a topic you'd like to see covered that we haven't yet? Would you like to contribute a column? Just let me know! You can email me at SeniorEditor@HomesteadBlogger.com. Or just stop by The Front Porch and say "Hello" when you're visiting us at HomesteadBlogger!
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If you haven't ever gotten a Lehman's catalog, you are missing a real treat. I ordered one last year and so enjoyed learning about their products and now I'm enjoying their e-Newsletters and discussion lists. Here's this month's newsletter for those of you who might be interested.
"March is the month of expectation,"
wrote Emily Dickinson. Here in Ohio, March means looking forward to the
first sight of green shoots in flowerbeds, the lengthening and warming
of days, and best of all, the Official First Day of Spring.
In this month's newsletter:
Basic Spring Tool Care Gardeners,
it's almost time to take off the mittens and uncover those green
thumbs. But first, make sure all your garden tools are ready to go.
Dori Fritzinger offers simple ways to keep them in top form all season
long. Read more...
Chutney: All-Weather Condiment Give
your taste buds a good-natured jolt. A dollop of homemade chutney will
spice up almost any dish. This versatile condiment is a "welcome
stranger" to American cooking, as JB Reynolds sees it. His 5 starter
recipes will make a chutney connoisseur out of anyone. Read more....
Spring Cleaning Made Simple Spring
cleaning: it should be done – and it will be done! Give every nook and
cranny a breath of fresh air this season. A well-made plan and a few
good, trusty products are all you need. Oh, and a little elbow grease,
too. Read more...
Cattails For Dinner Inspired
by some recent reading, Kevin Wright wants to "eat wild" for an entire
week. But before jumping in with both feet, he starts his research with
a readily available, surprisingly tasty plant: the cattail. Who knew it
could taste like potatoes and corn on the cob? Read more...
Rendering Lard Our
grandmothers knew how to do it, but rendering lard has become a lost
art in most modern kitchens. It's actually "easy as pie," Connie
Peterson discovers. What's more, lard is increasingly favored over
hydrogenated vegetable shortening. Read more...
Simply Spring
We're busy adding new products to lehmans.com. Check out our latest discoveries for your home and garden, outdoor adventures and much more!
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January is a time for burrowing in, cocooning, and hiding out
from the deep winter cold. It's a great time for cozying up to the fire with a
good book or a seed catalog. It's a time for dreaming of that day when you can
dig in the dirt again. See our tips on ordering seeds.
Sincerely, The Old Farmer's Almanac
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Calendar
Length of Day -- January 16
The length of day in Boston, Massachusetts, is 9 hours 28 minutes
today. Two minutes more daylight than yesterday!
The length of day in Juneau, Alaska, is 7 hours and 13 minutes. Three minutes
more daylight than yesterday!
Click here to see Sun
rise and set times, plus the length of day for your location.
As the day lengthens, the cold strengthens. --Old weather proverb
Burns Night -- January
25
Scotland's most famous poet, Robert Burns (1759-1796), was born
today. It has become an occasion for Scots all over the world to gather together
in his honor. A Burns Night supper usually includes haggis, a traditional
dish of the heart, lungs, and liver of a sheep or calf minced with suet, onions,
oatmeal, and seasonings. If you are not a haggis fan, try Sadie Anson's Scottish
Shortbread to honor Robert Burns.
Gardening
Pay Attention to Houseplants
Use this month to check your houseplants: Divide and repot any pot-bound
plants. Prune judiciously to create a compact, attractive specimen.
Keep holiday poinsettias in a sunny, cool location with high humidity.
To give your house a change of air, open the doors and windows when
temperatures permit. This will benefit you and your houseplants.
Provide extra protection to houseplants on windowsills if it is very cold.
Place cardboard between the plants and the glass. Be sure that the plants don't
touch the windowpanes.
Sponge off your plants or give them a good shower to remove the dust.
One hundred and seven years ago, The Old Farmer's Almanac Farmer's
Calendar was offering advice on indoor geraniums and other
houseplants. We think you'll find that advice to be just as valuable today.
Recipes
Winter Energy Cookies:
Take-me-along cookies, great for skiing, skating, and snowshoeing!
Winter
Vegetable Curry: After a day in the snow, make this quick and healthy curry.
Serve with rice.
Roasted
Winter Vegetables: A wonderful vegetable dish to serve for lunch on a cool
day or as a side dish for supper.
Join us on the Front Porch to talk about anything and everything that has to do with homesteading! Catch up on the latest news at HomesteadBlogger. Chat with our Front Porch Team as they blog about their favorite topics. The Front Porch is the heart of our community. Make yourself right at home!
My region of Kentucky has been battling triple digit temperatures for the past week or so and I'm happy to say that all our animals are coping really well this year. Last year, we didn't fare as well. 
All across the South, we are living with extreme heat conditions this sizzling Summer 2007. Here on our farm along the Dirt Farm in East Central Georgia, we've experienced record breaking temperatures as high as 109 degrees - need I mention the humidity and that dreadful heat index?
Some of us homesteaders don't garden. There are many reasons why-- time restraints, poor soil, climate, know how, tools, etc. However, just because you don't garden (or maybe your garden didn't produce as much as you had wanted) does not mean you cannot can or freeze provisions!
And while you're building things, you might as well make a chicken tractor! Not sure what a chicken tractor is or why you would want one? Just keep reading to find out. And then we wrap up this issue with some tips from Catherine Love on preparing your garden for planting. I know you all are getting excited already. 
Supplies:
Have you heard people talking about chicken tractors and wondered what they were talking about? I know they sound really funny. When a friend first told me about hers, I was pretty sure she had gone off the deep end--first she was getting all of the animals to take care of, butchering her own animals, and then she was even into alternative housing for her animals. Yep, sounded like a fruitcake to me. And now ... she's brainwashed me and we're raising chickens, butchering them, and building our own chicken tractors. 
January is a time for burrowing in, cocooning, and hiding out
from the deep winter cold. It's a great time for cozying up to the fire with a
good book or a seed catalog. It's a time for dreaming of that day when you can
dig in the dirt again. See our 
Length of Day -- January 16
