the Renaissance Housewife
  • Home
  • Topics
    • Saving >
      • Kitchen >
        • Food >
          • Recipes
      • Bath & Laundry
      • Medicine Cabinet
      • Office
      • Electricity
      • Gardening
      • Foraging
      • Animals
      • Weekly F. A.'s
      • Printables & Downloads
    • Earning
    • Investing
  • Books
  • About
    • RH Recommends
    • Newsletter & Updates
    • Travel
    • Beta Readers
    • Legal Stuff

Farming in Panama

1/30/2016

2 Comments

 
One of the things I love most about travelling is the opportunity to see how other people live everyday life. What they eat, wear, drive, or do for fun. Having grown up on a dairy farm, I really love seeing different breeds of cattle, methods of gardening or other agricultural pursuits. It was a lot of fun for me to compare Panama with the two other countries I’ve visited; Guatemala and Barbados. I felt like Panama was kind of a cross between the two. Panamanians look and speak Spanish like Guatemalans, but the foods they eat and crops they grow are a lot like those I saw in Barbados, an island on the Caribbean. 
Picture
Apart from a few dairy breeds, most of the cows we saw in Panama were Brahmans. Brahmans were first bred in the States during the early 1900's, a cross between four types of Zebu cattle from India. They are extremely heat resistant, insect resistant due to their thick skin, and can live longer than other cows, some still having calves at 15 years and older. Brahmans are used mainly for meat production (and bull fighting in certain parts of the Middle East). I had to laugh when I pointed out a truck load of these cows to my sister. She was half asleep because her flight had come in around 11 pm, but sat straight up when she saw the cows. "Brahmans! Oh my gosh, I've never seen Brahmans before! Wow, that's sooooo cool..." she said as we passed the truck, turning around in her seat to see the cows as long as possible. I looked over at Hubs as if to say, See? I'm not the only one who thinks cows are cool! 
Picture
Brahman bull
Picture
Red brahman
We did not see a whole lot of agricultural crops while we were in Panama, but on our way to Santa Catalina (for SCUBA diving) we drove through some more rural areas. A lot of the land was pasture, presumably for cows, but we also saw some farmers baling hay in small square bales, and fields of one of their major crops: sugar cane!
Picture
Sugar cane
Picture
Sugar cane truck
Other agricultural products of Panama include bananas, cocoa beans, coffee, coconuts, timber, beef, chickens, shrimp, corn potatoes, rice, and soybeans. Panama actually imports more food than it exports, with most of that food coming from the United States.

Many of Panama's farmers do subsistence farming, which means they grow enough food to feed and clothe themselves, but little or no crops for export. A subsistence farmer will focus more on what their family needs to eat for the following year than what market prices are or what they can sell to earn money. Food grown by this type of farmer tends to stay in the community rather than be trucked all over. In the United States, we might call someone like this a "homesteader" or "off-grid". These are people that eat, wear, and live in the crops and animals they grow on their diversified farm. 
Picture
Homesteading in Panama
Author Tony Waters writes: "Subsistence peasants are people who grow what they eat, build their own houses, and live without regularly making purchases in the marketplace." We saw quite a few of these little huts on the way to and from Santa Catalina.

Another interesting tidbit of agriculture here is the presence of "living fences". That is, where tree cuttings are placed in the ground, grow, and become permanent fence posts. My plant book devotes an entire chapter to these living fences, and it's something I'd like to try sometime on our own property.
Picture
New living fence.
Picture
Mature living fence!
While much of US agriculture is focused on new, shiny, bigger and better, we did not see much nice farm equipment while we were in Panama. We saw more old, run down equipment driving through the countryside.
Picture
Something to Bring Home
One of the reasons I enjoy seeing and learning about subsistence farming in particular is because it's something I can do here at home.  The idea of subsistence farming is outdated here in the United States, but I think it can still work on a small scale. No, I don't think you can make EVERYTHING yourself. But you can make a lot of things yourself if you have some free time to do so. Certainly stay-at-home wives and moms can do a little subsistence farming, and I know single guys who enjoy hunting and gardening in their spare time. 

In developing countries it is easier to see how class distinction, economics and capitalism work together to create what we have in the US: a bunch of consumer debt. I realize that civilization brings a lot of good- better medicine and surgical treatment, for example. And I really like capitalism because it provides OPPORTUNITY for people. But for some people groups, the draw to consumerism is more powerful than the opportunity that capitalism provides.

What Happened to Subsistence Farmers in the US?
Last January we drove through the Cherokee National Forest in Tennessee. Alongside the road we saw the Mountain Farm Museum and decided to stop and look around. The museum and farm told the story of how the mountain people (subsistence farmers) produced all of their own food, clothing, shelter and entertainment. Then it told how the area became a National Park* and "civilized" people started to come through and basically gawk at the mountain people. Of course these tourists wanted to buy trinkets and souvenirs, so the mountain people started making money selling handcrafts and trinkets to the tourists.

Of course, the cultural influence went both ways. The mountain peoples were introduced to the finery of modern society and got the itch to have fancy new clothes and other things. Unfortunately handcraft sales were not enough to support the mountain people's wants, so they had to take jobs in other areas. Because they had jobs, they couldn't be subsistence farmers and thus, the mountain people were "forced" into poverty.

All of this is kind of ironic, considering the fact that now it is cool to be a "homesteader" and grow all of your own food. I told Hubs, "It's too bad the mountain people didn't just keep wearing their homespun clothes AND selling crafts." They could have made some real money! And perhaps avoided poverty. 

Bethany, the Subsistence Farmer
I'm so thankful and excited that I got to see a peek of how farming is done in Panama. I look forward this Spring to improving my own little "subsistence farm" (in a middle-class American way, of course!).

Til next time,
-Bethany

*I think this is why tourists started coming through, but my memory is a bit foggy on what I read at the museum. I could be wrong.
2 Comments

Trees of the Tropics!

1/11/2016

1 Comment

 
Picture
Hubs with an unidentified, very large tree!
One of my favorite parts of being in a new place (or even being at home!) is learning about new plants. Today we walked some of the golf course where our condo is located and I got to take pictures and identify trees I'd never seen before. There are many bean-type trees here in Panama, as is common in this area of the world. However, we also found fruit trees and trees used for other purposes as well.

Mango trees grow all over the golf course and resort here. The fruit is used for chutneys, salsas, ice cream, jams, and pies. It can also be dried. Some people eat the small green fruits with lemon and saot. Some of the home remedies made from mangos are used to treating intestinal worms, coughs, and diarrhea. The bark is used for diarrhea, fever, and asthma. Oil can be made from the seed and used to replace cocoa butter in chocolate-making. The wood can be used as lumber for furniture, chopping blocks, bowls, flooring and crates.
Picture
Mangifera indica (Mango)
Picture
A green mango fruit.

Flamboyant trees are one of my favorite here; short and very wide! It is part of the Fabaceae (bean) family, as are many of the trees growing here. After years of having thought to be extinct, the tree was rediscovered in 1932. Now it is a popular ornamental. I was lucky enough to find a flower.
Picture
Delonix regia (Flamboyant)
Picture
Flamboyant flower
Nance trees produce yellow, sweet-sour fruits. They can be eaten raw, and are also made into preserves, candies, wine, and even ice cream in Brazil. Some think the fruit should not be eaten because it provokes gastrointestinal disorders. The hard and heavy wood is used for cabinets, furniture, tool handles and turned objects. In times past, the bark was used to make red dye for coloring leather, cloth and wooden floors. Parts of the tree are used medicinally for diarrhea, chest colds, and fever. In Venezuela, people make fish poison from the nance.
Picture
Byrsonima crassifolia (Nance)

Eucalyptus or gum trees come in 739 species. The trees we found on the golf course were tall with elongated leaves, often grown on plantations. They grow quickly and are used for timber, fuel, tannin, and essential oils. I've done floral arrangements with silver dollar gum (E. cinerea) and seeded eucalyptus, but haven't seen the elongated variety that grows here sold in the US. There are four different types of eucalyptus essential oil that I know of. I like using the oil for homemade vapo-rub.
Picture
Eucalyptus bark
Picture
Eucalyptus leaves

This Ficus tree we found has been one of the most fascinating of all trees that I've seen. Ficus, or fig, varieties of trees are also called stranglers. They begin growing in the crotch of another tree, and then send aerial roots (that is, roots that don't need water) to the ground and the root eventually becomes another tree trunk. The "host" tree gets overgrown by the fig, fails to get enough sunlight, and dies. After this host tree has decomposed and rotted away, only the multiple- and fused-trunk fig is left. Some stranglers end up with an interior passageway from base to crown, which makes a great jungle gym for kids and adults alike.
These types of trees are often grown as bonsai plants, something that is on my list of things to do. :)

I've really enjoyed using my new plant book on this trip. It's helped me learn not only about trees, but also about ornamentals, herbs, flowers and fruit! Just this week I bought some maracuya fruit (Passiflora edulis... the plant I grew in my bedroom!) and today I was able to make a delicious iced juice drink for Hubs and I. The other day I ordered maracuya juice at a restaurant, having no idea what it was, but now I've been enlightened. 
Picture
Ficus (Fig)
Happy Monday!
​-Bethany
Picture
Passiflora edulis with ice, sugar and water. Yum!!!
Zuchowski, Willow. Tropical Plants of Costa Rica; A Guide to Native and Exotic Flora. Ithaca, New York: Zona Tropica, 2007. Print.
1 Comment

Souvenirs That Last

1/8/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
I will be the first one to say that I love souvenirs. I'll drag my husband into gift shop after gift shop, because I can't keep myself from admiring all of the cool stuff. However, a couple years ago I realized that buying "stuff" as a souvenir isn't as fun as it once was. Rarely do I see an item I like that can't be bought online for half the price. And furthermore, I'm just not interested in collecting stuff like I used to be. I'd rather be collecting experiences, skills, and memories. Things that won't break or get lost as years go by.

A Problem
Last year when we were in Central America, I had the most fun walking through the markets and looking at different fruits, nuts, seeds and vegetables. Unfortunately I didn't know what half of it was, and my Spanish wasn't good enough to ask and then remember what it was called. 

Another thing I loved to do was admiring the beautiful tropical plants and flowers that we would find spilling over rooftops in Antigua or blooming on the side of some dusty road in the country. Again, the flowers were lovely but I had no idea what they were.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Know what any of these plants are? I don't, either.
A Solution
This year I decided to make my vacation more enjoyable by learning some of the plants ahead of time. To do this, I bought a book about tropical plants of Costa Rica (because I couldn't find one for Panama). In this book there are over 430 plants profiled. These range from trees to flowers to fruits and grasses, with each entry including a photograph, pertinent illustrations, plant description (including flowering time, where it grows and related species), and my favorite part... "Comments". This section includes interesting tidbits like historical use of the plant, medicinal properties and other cool factoids.
Picture
Only a few days after the book arrived, I discovered that one of my favorite Central American fruits is actually a type of vine that I grew in my bedroom as a teenager. I grew it for the flowers, but as it turns out the fruit is wonderful as well!
Picture
"Snot fruit" in my book...
Picture
"Snot fruit" in real life...
Why Buy Before the Trip?
Traditionally, souvenirs are bought during the trip, not before. However, I've had bad luck finding exactly what I want at gift shops (regional or traditional recipe books, for example), and when I do find it the item costs 200% what it would, used, on Amazon. If the item IS something I can buy online, I'll do a little research and buy it ahead of time. In the case of my plant book, I was able to look forward to our trip even more, knowing that I could spend my time actually identifying plants instead of looking for the book at a gift shop (which I never would have found, because they don't even make a plant book for Panama).

Buying a souvenir ahead of time allows you to find something that is useful and that you will really enjoy for years to come. It allows you to price-shop (and thus save money), and also ensures that you will enjoy your souvenir throughout the trip. If it is something you won't use on your trip, buying ahead of time still lets you get what you want for a good price, and you don't have the hassle of bringing it back home.

What I'm Doing
Though I bought one vacation "souvenir" before we ever left home, it's not the only thing I'll have from Panama. Next week I'll be doing a post on free souvenirs, but in addition to the free- and pre-souvenirs I still plan on buying some "stuff" to take home, because we have room in the suitcase anyway. However, what I wanted to buy most (the plant book) is taken care of. 

Though it only cost around $20, the knowledge gained from my plant book will return with me every time we come to Central America. In fact, tropical plants and those sold as houseplants, exotic fruits and herbs overlap a great deal, so even if I never return to the Caribbean or Central America my book will still serve me well at home.

Here's to buying souvenirs that last!
-Bethany 

0 Comments

Foraging Curly Dock

12/22/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
Curly dock is a common weed found in fields, fence rows and ditches. In the buckwheat family, I've used the seeds before to make a coarse flour, and as I mentioned here, the plant can be used as alternative feed for goats and other animals.

Identification: In the winter, curly dock is easy to identify because of its dark brown stalks and seed pods. It grows 1 to 4 feet tall with leaves 6-10 inches long growing from the base of the plant. During the summer the plant's flowers are small and reddish or greenish. They eventually turn into small, brown, three-sided winged seeds. During the summer the plant is camouflaged a bit more, but you can still easily identify its long thin leaves with curly edges. There are other type of dock as well, but this variety is called Rumex crispus.
​
Edible:
Young leaves can be eaten raw, but older leaves will be bitter and must be boiled in several changes of water. The seeds can be dried, threshed and ground into flour. I use a Vitamix dry container to make flour out of the seeds. I would recommend mixing this homemade flour into a white or store-bought flour for best results.
Picture
The brown seeded stalks can also be eaten by goats as an alternative sort of hay during the winter.
​
Medicinal: Roots can be mashed into a poultice to use externally on rashes and itches.

Other Uses: The roots can be used as a hide-tanning additive.

Cautions: Do not eat the roots, as they are high in tannic acid.

​******
Brown, Tom Jr. 
Tom Brown's Field Guide to Wilderness Survival. New York: Berkley Books, 1983. Print.
Angier, Bradford. Field Guide to Wild Edible Plants. Harrisburd, Pennsylvania: Stackpole Books, 1974. Print
0 Comments

Foraging Sumac

12/21/2015

2 Comments

 
Picture
Sumac is a common shrub here in Michigan. The fruits are easy to identify and can be used to spice food, make drinks and feed animals with.

Identification:
Sumac is the size of a shrub or small tree, from 3 to 30 feet tall. Each plant has a tall thin trunk that branches out as it grows taller. Leaves are 2-4 inches long, compound and toothed so that they look like feathers. Fruits are small, red and hairy, forming a cone or cluster. If you cut any of the twigs, a gummy white sap will seep out and get your fingers all sticky. Sumac grows well in poor soils or old fields, but cannot tolerate shade. In our area it is commonly found on the side of the road.
Picture
Sumac during the winter.
Edible: Indians used to make a lemonade-like drink with sumac berries. Berries can be bruised and boiled (one book says "soaked in cold water"), strained to remove the fine hairs and berries, then add sugar to taste. The berries can be stored and dried for later use as well. 

One variety of red Sumac is a common Middle Eastern and Mediterranean spice. It was widely used in Europe to give food a tart flavor before the Romans introduced lemons to the area.

Animals also love to eat sumac. As I mentioned in this post, my goats love to eat sumac fruits out of my hand. Poultry also enjoy sumac, as well as other animals like rabbits, moose, deer and mountain sheep.

You may notice some tiny brown worms in the sumac fruits. Though it's probably impossible to avoid the worms entirely, by harvesting early in the season (July) you can get the fruit before most of the worms do. While picking off berries with a fork, keep your eye out for worms or a lot of worm droppings (dark brown grainy bits). Wormy fruit clusters can go to the compost pile or animal feed. Chickens love worms!

Medicinal: A gargle for sore throats can be made with a strong hot tea from the sumac berries.
​
Other:
Sometimes the wood of this plant, greenish or orange in color, is used for napkin rings or picture frames. Sumac stems can also make effective hand drills after they have been dried, or blowtubes and pipestems by burning out the center pith. When green, they work well for weaving baskets.
 
Cautions: There is a poison variety of Sumac that has drooping white fruit clusters. If the fruit is white, don't eat it! Otherwise all red fruits are perfectly safe to eat and feed animals with. :) 

********
Brown, Tom Jr. Tom Brown's Field Guide to Wilderness Survival. New York: Berkley Books, 1983. Print.
Angier, Bradford. Field Guide to Wild Edible Plants. Harrisburd, Pennsylvania: Stackpole Books, 1974. Print
2 Comments

Foraging Wild Rose Hips

12/20/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
Rose hips are easiest to find during the winter. Incidentally, they are a great source of vitamin C when other fruits are in short supply.

Identification:
During the winter, wild rose hips are easy to find because of their bright red color. The fruits range in color from orange to dark red, and vary in size up to an inch in diameter. The ones I find are typically less than half of that size. Wild rose brambles can grow from several feet up to 12 feet tall, and will have prickly thorns as will any rose plant. The leaves are compound and saw-toothed, like garden roses.

Edible: Rose hips can be eaten whole, or they can be steeped in boiling water to make a tea very high in vitamin C. Even the leaves and roots, if washed well, can be steeped into tea. Some people make jelly, jam or syrup from rose hips, though my wild rose hips are far too small to make it worth my while.

Medicinal:
Being high in vitamin C, rose hip tea is great for the immune system and preventing cataracts. During WWII the British government collected rose hips on a massive scale to be made into syrup and used as a source of vitamin C for children. The seeds are also a source of vitamin E, and the fruits traditionally have been set aside until the end of winter to use as a blood purifier. 

In animals, rose hips can be used to treat female ailments including leucorrhoea, metritis, and miscarriage. 

Other Uses: Rose stems can be used for making baskets.

*******
Brown, Tom Jr. Tom Brown's Field Guide to Wilderness Survival. New York: Berkley Books, 1983. Print.
Angier, Bradford. Field Guide to Wild Edible Plants. Harrisburd, Pennsylvania: Stackpole Books, 1974. Print
Levy, Juliette de Bairacli. The Complete Herbal Handbook for Farm and Stable. London: Faber & Faber, 1991. Print.
White, Linda B.
 The Herbal Drugstore. United States of America: Rodale Inc., 2000. Print.
0 Comments

Foraging Chickweed

12/17/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
Chickweed is one of the best wild edibles to forage in December, and one of the first available in the Spring. It is great veg for people and animals, and has some medicinal value as well.

Identification
: Chickweed is a small, sprawling plant growing only 3-8 inches tall but trailing stems can be 16 inches long. The smooth oval leaves are somewhat sharply pointed and grow in opposite pairs on the stem. During the summer it has small white flowers, each with five tiny white petals. It grows easily in waste ground, fields, thickets, meadows and disturbed soils. You probably have some growing out by the garage.
Picture
 Edible: Tender stems and leaves can be eaten raw, but tougher stems should be boiled. I've used chickweed before as a substitute for lettuce in tacos, because it has a nice, light flavor. It grows a large part of the year, and even now as late as December it is growing here in Michigan. A great source of fresh greens before or after the garden is producing.

The plant contains a lot of copper, good for all homestead animals except sheep.

Medicinal: The leaves can be mashed into a poultice to treat rashes and burns. It contains many of the soothing and tonic properties of slippery elm, and can be used as a tonic for the digestive system as well as external ointment for eye lotion, rheumatic inflammation and stiff joints.

Chickweed is an important tonic food for poultry, especially young chicks, and can be used to help treat coccidiosis in chickens.

Cautions: Do not let sheep (especially lambs) gorge themselves on this herb, as it has too much copper for their diet.

****
Brown, Tom Jr. Tom Brown's Field Guide to Wilderness Survival. New York: Berkley Books, 1983. Print.
Angier, Bradford. Field Guide to Wild Edible Plants. Harrisburd, Pennsylvania: Stackpole Books, 1974. Print
Levy, Juliette de Bairacli. The Complete Herbal Handbook for Farm and Stable. London: Faber & Faber, 1991. Print.
0 Comments

Bethany Vs. Pinterest: Christmas Edition

12/16/2015

1 Comment

 
I remember several years ago browsing the portfolio of a costume seamstress. On her order page, she put this warning: "Remember, wearing an Elizabeth Swan costume will not make you look like Kiera Knightley. You will still look like you, in an Elizabeth Swan costume." I think Pinterest should come with a similar warning. Decorating you home with Pinterest crafts will not make your home look like the one on Pinterest. It will just look like YOUR home with a bunch of Pinterest crafts.

In addition to my annual Christmas wreath (plus one for Hubs' office door!) and centerpiece, this year I thought I'd try making some decorations for our mailbox. This was my latest Pinterest adventure, not without difficulties.
Picture
My first challenge was not covering the flag on the mailbox. I'm not sure if the Pinterest mailbox was just for decoration? Covering the entire thing with greenery makes it not functional. Because of this, I slid the whole thing to the back of the mailbox. The other challenge I had was working with a hanging mailbox as opposed to one sitting on a post. My large bow ended up being a little squashed because I had to fit it under the post, as you can see. My Dollar Tree roll of ribbon BARELY made this one big bow. So this arrangement ended up being an expensive one at $1. I will look for big bows and ribbon next year at garage sales.

Honestly, I wonder if using an arrangement to beautify our home-welded mailbox is like polishing a turd. What it really needs is a new paint job. Hubs thinks our mailbox is the best thing ever because it is totally baseball bat-proof. Nobody can smash it!! He points out that it is a frugal mailbox because we'll never have to replace it. This is true, but doesn't change the fact that it's kind of homely looking. Next Christmas I will probably do a big garland down the post in addition to a larger arrangement over the entire box, leaving some room for the flag. Oh yeah, and give it a new paint job.

Non-Pinterest Arrangements
Like last year, I made a nice wreath for our door. For this I picked fresh greenery around the property and found some pinecones in the yard. I also bought some faux berries at the Dollar Tree for $1, little bells at Walmart for $1.50 or so, and a roll of new green wire ($1.50). The bells will be re-usable for many years to come, the berries might last another 2-3 years if I'm careful. Technically you could reuse the wire as well, though I probably won't. The roll will last another 2-3 wreaths without being reused. The ribbon was from my garage sale crafting stash.
Picture
I also made a centerpiece for our table with fresh greens and a red candle. The candle was probably free at a garage sale, and greenery was free. I used a plastic bowl from my flower arranging craft stash. The only non-free item in this arrangement was the floral foam, about $0.45 for the small chunk I used.
Picture
The total cost for all of my Christmas arrangements was about $5.50.

The Fight for Frugal Christmas Decorations
I'll admit, it's not easy to find cheap Christmas decorations in nice working condition.Hubs and I have found the used market (garage sales, thrift stores) for Christmas decorations to be really poor. Traditional decorations like lights and ornaments are hard to find for less than 75% of retail price. I don't think it's worth buying scratched up mismatching decorations for such a small discount. And it's not like people grow out of their Christmas decorations or give away hand-me-downs. We had a particularly bad experience this year with our used tree stand.

We found a thrift store tree stand for $1.50. However, it was missing parts and buying the special screws needed cost us $4.00. At home, we spent an hour adjusting and readjusting the tree in the stand. Finally we got it only-a-little crooked and decided that was good enough. We strung up the lights and did something else. About 30 minutes later, we were watching TV and all of a sudden the whole tree fell over. What a nightmare! Thankfully there were no ornaments on the tree yet. Once again, we tried to readjust the tree and I realized that the stand was made to use clamps, not single screws. Hubs went out to the shop and got some more screws to drill directly into the tree. It worked, and the tree has stayed up since.

I wonder if it was really worth it to buy a used tree stand. We only saved $5-$10 and it took us an hour or two and a falling tree to get it to work. A tree stand is something we will use for the next 20 or 30 years, and it might be worth it to buy one that works. 

Realities of Being Frugal
Despite what Pinterest and frugal blogs may imply, it can be difficult to make something cheap look expensive. 
One of my favorite bloggers has one of the most beautiful homes and backyard/garden I've ever seen. The photos she takes of her projects makes frugal living (making gifts, having an extremely small food budget, etc)- look absolutely glamorous. Some people would read this lady's blog and think that she has such a beautiful home because she is creative and frugal. The reality is that she and her husband paid dearly (and are still paying for) the home, and almost lost it in the years after 2008 when her husband was out of work.

Frugal people seem to have this idea that we can LOOK like a million dollars without paying for it. Because you know, we are so creative and have lots of skills to use. We think we can make something out of nothing. One time I was at a potluck and someone wanted me to try their soup. "Oh, you would like it- it's so frugal- there's like, nothing in it!" I tried the soup, and sure enough it tasted like nothing. If you put nothing in a soup, that's what you get... nothing. If you put a Christmas decoration on an unattractive mailbox, you still have an unattractive mailbox. Being creative and skillful can improve the situation, but it can't work magic.

That being said, I think Pinterest results will vary depending on how hardcore frugal you are. Personally I would not recommend doing a comparison photo... mine was just for the blog. :) I still think our mailbox looks more Christmas-y with the arrangement than without it, though. 

Have you tried making Pinterest projects? Do they ever turn out as good as the photo?
1 Comment

Alternative Goat Feed

12/1/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
Today I'm going to share some of the alternative feeds I've been supplementing my goats with. Buying feed is the reason my hobby farm is a hobby farm and not a business farm, especially during the winter. At my current rate I'm going through two bales of hay per week. At $5 per bale, that is $10 per week or $40 per month- about $1.33 per day. For comparison, my chickens cost about $1 per day to keep... and they are laying eggs.

Currently we have enough hay and feed to get through December and January. That will leave February and March for us to buy hay. I'm hoping that Spring babies, fiber, and milk products will bring in enough to pay for winter hay, grain for does and the occasional mineral block, which are the only costs I have for keeping my goats. Already I can predict how much my goats will cost per year to keep ($55 hay + grain for 4 months, and $15 grain for 8 months = $340). 

Cost Cutting With Free Resources
My goal this winter is to stretch the hay as much as possible. In order to do this, I'm using some alternative feeds that I can get for free here on our property. You wouldn't believe how many different plants you can feed goats. They really do eat anything! Fias Co Farm has a list of poisonous plants to avoid feeding goats, and also a list of plants that goats will eat. I used this list as a guideline for feeding my goats.
Goats are actually one of the best animals to give alternative feeds to. They love brush, which is easily harvested by hand, as opposed to grass for cows and sheep. Really, goats end up wasting a lot of hay, and this is why I like giving them supplemental food. 

When To Harvest
I am still learning and experimenting with alternative animal feeds. There were several things I could have grown or harvested this summer, which I obviously missed. Many people feed pumpkins or winter squash, and there is something called "tree hay" which is basically tree branches that are harvested while still green and then dried like hay. I could have done this with willow and maple leaves, but I wasn't aware that it was an option.

Earlier this fall I walked our property and harvested the sumac and curly dock, but the corn stalks and pine branches were harvested after our first snow. The apples were harvested just before it snowed, so they wouldn't be all mushy. 

One thing I didn't mention in my video was feeding kitchen scraps and rotting garden produce. The chickens are really the ones who appreciate the scraps- potato peelings, veggie ends, loose leaf tea, egg shells, etc. However, the goats will also go for things like lettuce or even squash. While Hubs and I will be eating most of our winter squash, I had a lot of volunteer cushaw pumpkin this year that we will probably not eat. This, then, will probably be eaten by the animals.

A Caution
Whatever you do, don't give too much of something. I remember earlier this fall dumping a whole pile of apples in the pasture. My goats went crazy! Unfortunately the next day they had soft poop and my doe would not eat any of her grain. Thankfully it was just a tummy ache for my goats, but since then I've given treats more  sparingly.

To feed branches, stalks and other branches, I just put a armful in the hay feeder beside the flakes of hay. I feed the sumac fruits by hand, as a treat. This is helpful for winning a goat's love. :)

Have you experimented with alternative animal feed? What was the outcome?
0 Comments

Toothache Tree: Natural Painkiller

9/2/2015

1 Comment

 
Picture
Last year I remember seeing the small, shriveled-up fruits of an unidentified shrub and wondered if they were good for anything. Probably not, I told myself. Not enough fruit there to do anything with. Recently, however, I was able to identify this plant and discovered that it has many uses.

Identification
Common prickly ash is easy to identify because of its small, shriveled-looking berries. The tree is one of two members of the Rue (sometimes called Citrus) family in Michigan. The berries have a lemon-lime-orange smell to them, and the branches have small thorns. The tree is small; only 5' - 15' tall. The leaves are are 2" long with smooth edges and, like the berries, have a citrus-y smell when crushed.

You can find the Prickly Ash tree throughout Michigan in a variety of soils, but they are often found where I found mine- along forest edges and fence rows.
Picture
Medicinal Use
Prickly Ash is often referred to as "toothache tree", because it contains a citrus-smelling oil called zanthoxylin, which causes numbness in the mouth. You can chew on either the fruit or the yellowish inner bark. When I was younger I would often get canker sores and use numbing gel to make talking or eating less painful. Believe me, this Prickly Ash works even better! The numbness took at least a 45 minutes to completely wear off, though at first it induces salivation (drooling) so that is somewhat annoying.

Other popular uses of Prickly Ash are to improve circulation problems like intermittent claudication, rheumatism, arthritis, and aging- or cold-related problems. The Native Americans were especially fond of this herb and used it for achy joints and sore muscles. They made teas and infusions both to drink and to bathe with.

Prickly Ash is generally considered safe to use, even for children and women who are pregnant. 

*****
White, Linda B. The Herbal Drugstore. United States of America: Rodale Inc., 2000. Print.
Tekiela, Stan. Trees of Michigan Field Guide. Cambridge, Minnesota: Adventure Publications, Inc., 2002. Print.
Richard Whelan ~ Medical Herbalist ~ Prickly Ash. (n.d.). Retrieved September 2, 2015.
1 Comment
<<Previous
Forward>>
    Picture

    Bethany

    Housewife, happy wife, and mama to one. :)

    Picture

    Picture
    The Housewife's Guide to Frugal Food
    How to Eat for $10.00
    ​per Week

    Picture
    The Housewife's Guide to Menu Planning
    A Weekly Menu to Save
    Time & Money
    Picture
    The Housewife's Guide to
    Frugal Fruits and Vegetables

    No Garden? No Problem!

    Watch Meals From the Bunker:

    Picture

    Check out my Youtube Channel!

    RSS Feed


    Picture
    Baby Girl's Birth Story
    Picture
    8 Cheap Ways to Eat Healthy
    Picture

    Categories

    All
    Animals
    Book Reviews
    Books
    Christmas
    Cleaning
    Clothing
    Cooking
    Couponing
    Education
    Ego
    Electricity
    Farmers Market
    Finance
    Foraging
    Frugal
    Frugal Accomplishments
    Frugality
    Garage Sales
    Gardening
    Gifts
    Grocery Budget
    Grocery Shopping
    Herbs
    History
    Hobby Farm
    Home Based Business
    Home-based Business
    Home Decorating
    Housekeeping
    Industry
    Languages
    Laundry
    Marriage
    Meal Planning
    Medicine
    Minimalist
    Network Marketing
    Organization
    Plants
    Product Reviews
    Quotes
    Recipes
    ROI
    Rv
    Sewing
    Simplicity
    Spanish
    Spending Report
    Travel

    Archives

    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    August 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014

    Full Disclosure & Disclaimer

    Picture
    Picture
    I get cash back for many online purchases including wedding gifts and Ebay stuff!

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
Photos used under Creative Commons from dasWebweib, amanessinger, thewritingreader, diakosmein