Anyone into home food production?

[FarmerD]

Though I’ve had a small suburban garden for the past 10 years, I’ve taken home food production up a few steps this year. 

Just got back from my brother’s farm.  While there, I picked about 15 gallons of chokecherries and we made 6 gallons of chokecherry juice plus 12 pints jars of chokecherry jelly.  Also picked about 30 gallons of apricots and from that we made 24 pints of jam and dehydrated  most of the rest.  I also brought back 15 ears of fresh corn along with about 20 pounds of beef from a steer my brother had butchered a while back.

My 11 year old daughter learned how to cook from scratch from Grandma and myself and now makes kolaches, bread, mashed potatos and bacon gravy, meatloaf, etc.  I just finished making another gallon of homemade Sauer Kraut and I’m experimenting with fermenting carrots and peppers. 

On by brother’s farm, my two girls simply loved the chickens they have there and have begged me to get them a couple chicks.  I will in a couple weeks so I expect to be getting a supply of eggs in about 5 months.  And I just planted my Fall tomatoes, okra, and peppers in the garden. 

I credit the great nutrition threads (and posters like Gumby) for my renewed interest in home food preparation. 

[Mark Leavy]

I bought a 5 gallon jar of pig ears last week and I'm hydrolyzing the collagen with bromelain that I've extracted from fresh, raw pineapples.

Does that count?

[l82start]

just finished buying the last of the supply's/ingredients to brew my own ginger beer..  its not  exactly organic farming or food production but being able to make alcohol seems like a good old fashion skill to have, and could be a lot of fun and an enjoyable hobby..

[RuralEngineer]

Yes, I raise hair sheep (dorper/katahdin cross) for meat and previously kept boer goats but had to sell mine because my wife couldn't get past her cultural prejudice against eating goat meat.  Despite the fact it's the same damn animal as lamb, except with less fat so it's healthier although a bit tougher (depending on preparation).  I also keep a large garden and have 12 fruit trees that I've planted in the last couple of years that are starting to bear (apples, sweet cherries, plums, pears, and peaches) as well as a very large apple tree that was on the property when I bought it.  Then there's the assortment of berry bushes/vines, raspberry, blackberry, and grape.  I plan on expanding my collection to hardy kiwi and blueberries ASAP, but I have to get a trellis built for the kiwi.

I haven't gotten my chickens yet because I plan on running them in with my sheep to control ticks and other pests, but that means doubling the field wire with chicken wire.  A bit of a chore and my smallest paddock is 1 acre...that's a lot of chicken wire.  But we do have foxes and while my fencing is coyote proof, a fox could slip through it with little difficulty I'm sure.  Not to mention my nemesis the racoons and possums.

Best of luck on your home food preparation, I hope you stick with it.  I get all my meat, exception being chicken, from either my own animals or my fathers.  We butcher and process all our own meat so we know how everything is handled and that everything is clean.  No pink slime in our food.  Home food preparation is security, it's peace of mind, it's quality, and if you do it right it's economical.

[FarmerD]

I bought a 5 gallon jar of pig ears last week and I'm hydrolyzing the collagen with bromelain that I've extracted from fresh, raw pineapples.

Does that count?

We spent a couple weeks in Prague earlier this summer in Prague.  Once dish we tried there was fried pig ear - I kinda liked it. 

[Coffee]

We're on our second year of Square Foot Gardening.  Planted two 4x4 beds and almost 100% of our table vegetables from May to October were from the garden. 

Added two more beds this year: One for herbs and one for flowers.

We've also got apple and pear trees that do pretty well, but the previous owner had planted those.

This year we got eight chickens: Five Buff Orpingtons and three Rhode Island Reds.  One of the Orps didn't make it past Day 2.  Another one turned out to be a rooster and met an untimely death by the edge of my axe. 

Probably won't be until November that we'll start getting eggs from them.  The chickens themselves weren't expensive (about $3 a chick) but all of the other stuff (coop, run, waterers, feeders, heat lamp, etc...) cost me about $1500. 

But I figure once the fed blows out the money I'll be in good shape when we become a barter economy. 

[WildAboutHarry]

I felt guilty this year and planted four tomato plants in pots (2 cherry, 2 some sort of heirloom variety).  The plants look like hell (in direct sun all day, on a concrete patio, probably not enough water) but are very productive.  We have been eating fresh tomatoes daily.  Bumper crop of apricots and figs as well.

[annieB]

What fun.Thanks for sharing..

[Coffee]

I felt guilty this year and planted four tomato plants in pots (2 cherry, 2 some sort of heirloom variety).  The plants look like hell (in direct sun all day, on a concrete patio, probably not enough water) but are very productive.  We have been eating fresh tomatoes daily.  Bumper crop of apricots and figs as well.

From seed or from startlings?

[WildAboutHarry]

From seed or from startlings?

I started the seeds in February in a cold frame, and nursed them through a cold snap or two...

No, I cannot tell a lie.  They were really an impulse buy at Home Depot.  2" pots.  Sorry.  I did some basil from seed, though, and have been enjoying the tomato/basil flavor marriage.

I have always wanted to raise chickens, but even though our city does allow 3 hens per yard (or something like that), chicken poop on the pool deck would not go over well with the missus.  My sister, who used to raise chickens, would leave small sheets of plywood on the ground, and bugs would crawl under.  When she started to lift the sheets in a day or so her chickens would run to get first crack at the bugs.

[FarmerD]

This year we got eight chickens: Five Buff Orpingtons and three Rhode Island Reds.  One of the Orps didn't make it past Day 2.  Another one turned out to be a rooster and met an untimely death by the edge of my axe. 

Probably won't be until November that we'll start getting eggs from them.  The chickens themselves weren't expensive (about $3 a chick) but all of the other stuff (coop, run, waterers, feeders, heat lamp, etc...) cost me about $1500. 

But I figure once the fed blows out the money I'll be in good shape when we become a barter economy. 

I've read the Buff Orps were the most kid friendly breed on the market so I thougt I'd get a couple.  What's been your experience with them?  How friendly are they?  Are they good layers?

[RuralEngineer]

I've raised Buffs, Rhode Island Reds, Cornish Cross, Cochins, Golden Comets, White Rocks, White Leghorns, Barred Rocks, and some Bantam breeds I couldn't identify (gift).

Buff Orpingtons are the most docile breed I've raised. They're my favorite dual purpose breed and the one I recommend to people who don't mind a plain looking chicken. Avoid Rhode Island Red roosters like grim death. I've had to take the axe handle to at least 3 because they've spurred me through my jeans growing up.

[Coffee]

Ours look almost full size but in reality they are 8-9 weeks old.  Everything I read said the Orps are the Golden Retrievers of the chicken world.  But ours are a little skittish and do not like being picked up.  The Rhode Island Reds are smarter, more curious and don't mind being handled so much.  But if you offer them a piece of lettuce you need to be careful as they will snap pretty hard and accidentally bite your skin.  Not like a parrot, but enough to just barely break the skin, which could be an issue for young kids.

I don't know if it's just a phase with the Orps.  Maybe when they're a little older they'll get over the skittishness.  I know that with dogs, many will go through a fearful stage and then grow out of it.

Our neighbor has an eight year old (boy) who watched our chickens for a week when we were away and didn't have any issues.

[FarmerD]

Avoid Rhode Island Red roosters like grim death. I've had to take the axe handle to at least 3 because they've spurred me through my jeans growing up.

My brother has one rooster in his flock, a RIR named Rusty.  The dang thing attacked me every single time I went in the their cage. 

[Coffee]

Avoid Rhode Island Red roosters like grim death. I've had to take the axe handle to at least 3 because they've spurred me through my jeans growing up.

My brother has one rooster in his flock, a RIR named Rusty.  The dang thing attacked me every single time I went in the their cage.

What did you do?

[FarmerD]

Avoid Rhode Island Red roosters like grim death. I've had to take the axe handle to at least 3 because they've spurred me through my jeans growing up.

My brother has one rooster in his flock, a RIR named Rusty.  The dang thing attacked me every single time I went in the their cage.

What did you do?

Well I certainly learned not to turn my back when I shut the entrance gate to their gage.  Most times I'd face him down, then take off my baseball cap and put it over his head.  That would blind him for a second which is enough time for me to reach down and grab him by the wings.  Then I'd let my girls come over and hold him, pet him, etc.  He was completely docile when being held.  Beautiful rooster with that dark burnt orange plumage. 

[FarmerD]

I've raised Buffs, Rhode Island Reds, Cornish Cross, Cochins, Golden Comets, White Rocks, White Leghorns, Barred Rocks, and some Bantam breeds I couldn't identify (gift).

Buff Orpingtons are the most docile breed I've raised. They're my favorite dual purpose breed and the one I recommend to people who don't mind a plain looking chicken. Avoid Rhode Island Red roosters like grim death. I've had to take the axe handle to at least 3 because they've spurred me through my jeans growing up.

When I grew up, we always had about 100 chickens with about 80% roosters.  We always had Rhode Island Reds or Leghorns.  The leghorns were crazy skittish but some of the RIR hens were like pets who followed me around. 

An exception to the RIR's and leghorns was one rooster we had.  He looked like a barred Rock but instead of the black and white stripes you'd expect, he had tri color feathers of white, dark black, and dark orange.  He also had metallic green feathers on his wings.  He must have been some sort of weird hybrid since I've never seen any breed like him. 

[RuralEngineer]

My brother has one rooster in his flock, a RIR named Rusty.  The dang thing attacked me every single time I went in the their cage.

What did you do?

Well I certainly learned not to turn my back when I shut the entrance gate to their gage.  Most times I'd face him down, then take off my baseball cap and put it over his head.  That would blind him for a second which is enough time for me to reach down and grab him by the wings.  Then I'd let my girls come over and hold him, pet him, etc.  He was completely docile when being held.  Beautiful rooster with that dark burnt orange plumage.

Most roosters seem to be cowards and will only attack you if your back is turned.  I only ever had one that would perform a frontal assault and I still have a scar on my knee from that bastard.  I think he was just bitter because he was born with his lower beak a full quarter inch longer than his upper and my father had to trim it off with a pair of wire cutters so he could eat.  That left his upper beak tapered to a point and his lower one perfectly square.  Looked ridiculous.

[FarmerD]

What did you do?

Well I certainly learned not to turn my back when I shut the entrance gate to their gage.  Most times I'd face him down, then take off my baseball cap and put it over his head.  That would blind him for a second which is enough time for me to reach down and grab him by the wings.  Then I'd let my girls come over and hold him, pet him, etc.  He was completely docile when being held.  Beautiful rooster with that dark burnt orange plumage.

Most roosters seem to be cowards and will only attack you if your back is turned. 

Rusty attacked from all directions including frontal assualts but if I faced him, I could avoid the spurs.  He's the only one I've seen that did that.