farm stuff, any farm stuff. food growing or cash c r opping

Started by billy rubin, August 23, 2021, 12:57:51 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

billy rubin

i live on 25 acres of woods and poor farmland in appalachia. the woods are oak, sycamore, hickory, maybe a few chestnuts, maple, walnuts, you name it. cant do much with it at the moment, although theres a great deer funnel so we can use it for meat later on.. but we have about 15 acres in hay right now, and the lovely wife is starting to reforest it. plus we're going to be planting food to eat and to sell.

the most interesting thing at the moment are the native american hazelnuts. these appeared a year or two ago under the power lines where th ebirds poop, bt we though they were japanese knot weed. then they grew nuts.








they make about 20 plus pounds per each bush. not a tree, so no ladders. at 500 to 1000 per acre, we might be able to do some mailorder and make a side income. absolutely no costs to cultivate after planting-- theyre native, hardy, pest resistant, and free.

gopt go the wife needs something in th elittle greenhouse.



"I cannot understand the popularity of that kind of music, which is based on repetition. In a civilized society, things don't need to be said more than three times."

billy rubin

#1
back. she needed a table relocated.

anyway, im interested in making this property as self-sufficient on food as i can get it. hazelnuts, cold weather native pecans, we've got some paw paws started. plus some pears and peaches. in the spring ive got a bunch more peaches to get into the ground and maybe some apples. weve got some soviet figs that may or may not be useful. theyre really need more warmth than we have  they freeze tonthe ground so far but come back up. maybe if i build a heat wall. but thats too intensive for more than household stuff.

we're intersted in native, low-intensity cultivation, food plants. we might get some money out of it, maybe not. if i can get the bees up to 200 or 300 colonies, we can get something out of that.

then with a big vegetable garden and popping three or four whitetails in the falli we ought to be in a good spot.


"I cannot understand the popularity of that kind of music, which is based on repetition. In a civilized society, things don't need to be said more than three times."

jumbojak

Get thyself some yard buzzards. Chickens, despite the current hipness associated with them are perhaps the perfect starter livestock. Cheap to buy, relatively feed efficient, and low maintenance if they are pastured in "tractors" for large gains.

There's a guy who occasionally comes to my gym to teach who started running chickens on his urban homestead and he's bringing in $2,000 per tractor at the moment. They can be used to maintain pasture as well.

As nice as three or four deer in the fall sound, having a bit of variety in your protein is always valuable. Some years you may not be successful hunting and CWD is a concern in the cervid herds right now.

How's your canning setup?

"Amazing what chimney sweeping can teach us, no? Keep your fire hot and
your flue clean."  - Ecurb Noselrub

"I'd be incensed by your impudence were I not so impressed by your memory." - Siz

Magdalena

Quote from: billy rubin on August 23, 2021, 01:19:12 AM
back. she needed a table relocated.

anyway, im interested in making this property as self-sufficient on food as i can get it. hazelnuts, cold weather native pecans, we've got some paw paws started. plus some pears and peaches. in the spring ive got a bunch more peaches to get into the ground and maybe some apples. weve got some soviet figs that may or may not be useful. theyre really need more warmth than we have  they freeze tonthe ground so far but come back up. maybe if i build a heat wall. but thats too intensive for more than household stuff.

we're intersted in native, low-intensity cultivation, food plants. we might get some money out of it, maybe not. if i can get the bees up to 200 or 300 colonies, we can get something out of that.

then with a big vegetable garden and popping three or four whitetails in the falli we ought to be in a good spot.
Wow! Sounds good. Sounds great, actually.

"I've had several "spiritual" or numinous experiences over the years, but never felt that they were the product of anything but the workings of my own mind in reaction to the universe." ~Recusant

Ecurb Noselrub


billy rubin

Quote from: jumbojak on August 23, 2021, 03:04:18 AM
Get thyself some yard buzzards. Chickens, despite the current hipness associated with them are perhaps the perfect starter livestock. Cheap to buy, relatively feed efficient, and low maintenance if they are pastured in "tractors" for large gains.

There's a guy who occasionally comes to my gym to teach who started running chickens on his urban homestead and he's bringing in $2,000 per tractor at the moment. They can be used to maintain pasture as well.

As nice as three or four deer in the fall sound, having a bit of variety in your protein is always valuable. Some years you may not be successful hunting and CWD is a concern in the cervid herds right now.

How's your canning setup?

weve always had chickens. guineasand turkeys too.

rightnow we have only halfa dozenhens for tbeeggs . my wifewas trying to get some greens started and the chickens would get em first so theyre in a run right now.

but tbis place isfillthy with deer. i dont let people hunt on it any more exceptmy neighbor, and tbefesa stream with steep bankstbat runs the length of the property. startsomebody walking down it and tbedeerall pop out on tbe road at tbe bottom. easy.

im not big on variety anyway. while im ontbe road i mostly eat nothing but jerky, tinnedfish, and hard cheese. drink water. so if i get enough varietyto stay healthy im good


"I cannot understand the popularity of that kind of music, which is based on repetition. In a civilized society, things don't need to be said more than three times."

billy rubin

Quote from: Magdalena on August 23, 2021, 05:21:19 AM
Quote from: billy rubin on August 23, 2021, 01:19:12 AM
back. she needed a table relocated.

anyway, im interested in making this property as self-sufficient on food as i can get it. hazelnuts, cold weather native pecans, we've got some paw paws started. plus some pears and peaches. in the spring ive got a bunch more peaches to get into the ground and maybe some apples. weve got some soviet figs that may or may not be useful. theyre really need more warmth than we have  they freeze tonthe ground so far but come back up. maybe if i build a heat wall. but thats too intensive for more than household stuff.

we're intersted in native, low-intensity cultivation, food plants. we might get some money out of it, maybe not. if i can get the bees up to 200 or 300 colonies, we can get something out of that.

then with a big vegetable garden and popping three or four whitetails in the falli we ought to be in a good spot.
Wow! Sounds good. Sounds great, actually.

weve got a shitload of herbs going. ill have wait until im back at tbehouse to locatethe picturez.


"I cannot understand the popularity of that kind of music, which is based on repetition. In a civilized society, things don't need to be said more than three times."

billy rubin

Quote from: Ecurb Noselrub on August 23, 2021, 04:02:15 PM
Do you have anything you can smoke?

just the deer. weve got a bunch ofdoe goats but havent had the time to get em bred.usedto eat the kids until tbe children made friends out of them


"I cannot understand the popularity of that kind of music, which is based on repetition. In a civilized society, things don't need to be said more than three times."

Magdalena

Quote from: billy rubin on August 23, 2021, 10:54:43 PM
Quote from: Ecurb Noselrub on August 23, 2021, 04:02:15 PM
Do you have anything you can smoke?

just the deer. we've got a bunch of goats but haven't had the time to get them bred. usedto eat the kids until the children made friends out of them
You can smoke the salmon too.

"I've had several "spiritual" or numinous experiences over the years, but never felt that they were the product of anything but the workings of my own mind in reaction to the universe." ~Recusant

billy rubin

unfortuneately i dont live that far into the country

although i recall standing over a freshwater stream in california once somewhere, on the coast. it was late evening, and tbe stream was emptying into the pacific as as a little rivulet not more than thirty feet wide and a few feet deep.

the salmon were coming in from the ocean just under the surface, rocketing through the shallow water straight into the woods beyond.

not far from urban america, that one was


"I cannot understand the popularity of that kind of music, which is based on repetition. In a civilized society, things don't need to be said more than three times."

Ecurb Noselrub

Quote from: Magdalena on August 24, 2021, 02:58:59 AM
Quote from: billy rubin on August 23, 2021, 10:54:43 PM
Quote from: Ecurb Noselrub on August 23, 2021, 04:02:15 PM
Do you have anything you can smoke?

just the deer. we've got a bunch of goats but haven't had the time to get them bred. usedto eat the kids until the children made friends out of them
You can smoke the salmon too.

It's too hard to get the papers around the goats and salmon, unless you cut them in very small strips.  They don't light very easily, either.  And frankly, the high is just not worth the effort.

Magdalena

Quote from: Ecurb Noselrub on August 24, 2021, 02:48:35 PM
Quote from: Magdalena on August 24, 2021, 02:58:59 AM
Quote from: billy rubin on August 23, 2021, 10:54:43 PM
Quote from: Ecurb Noselrub on August 23, 2021, 04:02:15 PM
Do you have anything you can smoke?

just the deer. we've got a bunch of goats but haven't had the time to get them bred. usedto eat the kids until the children made friends out of them
You can smoke the salmon too.

It's too hard to get the papers around the goats and salmon unless you cut them in very small strips.  They don't light very easily, either.  And frankly, the high is just not worth the effort.


I had a feeling you were talking about that, but when I saw billy's answer about smoking a deer...well... :lol: I thought, Let's smoke a salmon as well.

"I've had several "spiritual" or numinous experiences over the years, but never felt that they were the product of anything but the workings of my own mind in reaction to the universe." ~Recusant

Ecurb Noselrub

But, you  might want to ask Willie about the feasibility of smoking animal matter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyBOpsF4ASo


Magdalena

^^^
:lol:
Sorry, billy.
I think it's a witch and witch hunter's "thing."
:grin:

...Please, continue.

"I've had several "spiritual" or numinous experiences over the years, but never felt that they were the product of anything but the workings of my own mind in reaction to the universe." ~Recusant

billy rubin

well, regarding animal matter this might seem odd but i am from oklahoma after all and i can attest that burning cow chips have an absolutely wonderful fragrance. like old fruity pipe tobacco

my beeyards were all in cattle ranches anf i burned cow shit in my smoker all the time


"I cannot understand the popularity of that kind of music, which is based on repetition. In a civilized society, things don't need to be said more than three times."