It's officially summer, and it's officially the busiest summer I have ever had, and I mean that in it's most literal sense!
I now have 4 jobs, if you count raising broiler chickens as a job (and you should).
One full time job, a part time job at a homeless shelter, a sideline gig washing windows, and of course, the chickens.
The old days of working one job, one job per family, are gone, probably forever. In order to make ends meet, a family needs multiple income streams, and I wanted to talk about that a bit.
FARM INCOME
We have lived on farmland for nearly 6 years, and we have yet to fully realize the income potential of our property. There are thousands of dollars that could be made off this land, and we're only getting started. My optimistic goal for this year is 500-700 broiler chickens, and the start of a permanent homestead flock that will produce fresh eggs, which we eat a lot of.
I've calculated a rough profit of $10 per bird, which is pretty good, but we can only raise a max of 2000 birds, and that would be a LOT. That would also be $20k per year too, and that isn't too bad. I really feel like I could maximize earnings on those chickens by doing a few things differently.
Right now, we are using commercial feed, which is expensive, although it is pretty complete. It's about $0.25 per lb, and it takes about 2.5 lbs to make one lb of actual chicken. I can buy some of the grains in bulk, really cheaply, but I've been trying hard to solve the protein problem. Normal grains, like wheat, barley, oats are not high enough in protein, and there doesn't seem to be anything that would be high enough, except for soybeans, and you can't even buy those in my area!
What is the solution? Bugs. More specifically, fly larvae. Way more specifically, Black soldier fly larvae. I intend to build some special collectors, which I will load up with manure and organic waste of all types. I might need to "import" some of the eggs of this particular fly, but once a population has been established, it should sustain itself well enough. The larvae are high in protein, fat, and are clean and disease free. Once they hatch, and eat, they will actually crawl up a ramp, and then drop down, to be gobbled up by hungry chickens. I can easily obtain nearly unlimited amounts of manure, which can be composted by flies. Once it is composted, it can be shoveled into the garden!
Not only does this save me money, although it does cost a lot of labour, it is also waaaaay more sustainable, and the fly larvae are the natural food of the chicken, among other things. Combined with some chopped and possibly fermented grains, I just might create a race of superchickens, if I can get this idea going on a large scale. It would take about 4-5 large harvesters to really create enough larvae to provide adequate protein, and they would need to be managed nearly every other day, the old compost being collected, and fresh "stuff" added. Having this in a central location would be a huge time saver, where I could bring in truckloads of manure, or have them delivered, and fill the collectors when they need it.
In the real world, my 120 chickens are delightedly scarfing down beak-fulls of weeds, such as thistle (yes, for real), dock, and dandelion. For some reason, when my septic field was installed, the drainfield started growing monster patches of thistle, which I have avoided for obvious reasons. Now, I finally have a use for it, which should also keep it under control (chicken feet can tear through weeds like butter.) They also seem to be eating less feed, and I am seeing all of them foraging voraciously. I did also lose just one to a heart attack, but there have been no more casualties.
WINDOW CLEANING
I said I was going to talk about multiple income streams, and I bloody intend to! One of my four jobs is window cleaning, which I got into by complete accident last year. I was hunting for a part time job, and an old friend of mine asked if I wanted to make $20/hr cleaning windows. I was quite interested, and he quit after 5 days...but I ended up learning to clean windows, and gaining a small starter collection of tools, which I have greatly expanded. I charge between $100, up to about $140 for a cleaning job, and my costs are gas, and...not much else. I bought a very nice expandable ladder, which goes from 6 feet to 24, and fits on a car mounted roof rack. I put an additional smaller (and lighter) ladder on there, as well as a couple of poles. I have dozens of cloths, and several squeegees. I can clean one house in as little as an hour, although I average 2.5 to 3 hours. It is strenuous work, and I am always tired at the end of a day.
The important thing is, I have far more work than I can handle, and my only advertisements are free ones on Kijiji. I have no business cards yet, and I don't feel like I need them yet either.
Of all my income streams, other than my full time job, this one is the most profitable. It is also very seasonal, although I have done cleanings in the winter using washer fluid, and it works just fine. One of my best days earned me about $400, although it was a very long day...
Someday, I can envision this being one part of multiple income streams that will replace my full-time job, maybe, and give me that sweet, sweet, self-employed freedom!
Someday.
Friday, June 27, 2014
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
Chicken update
This 11 day old Cornish Rock Giant is nearly 4 times his "birth" weight. As soon as they feather out, or even sooner, they will be outside foraging.
Another view of the size of the birds.
I pulled out the "brooder box" that was in here, it was just too difficult to manage the birds. I put a simple lid with a hinge that can be propped open to any height, including fully closed, and fully open. This allows me to spread the food out better, and keep an eye on the birds. The heater also has a better spread, pushing the heat throughout the entire brooder.
REPORT:
Day 12/Day 6.
The CRG (Cornish Rock Giants) are 12 days old, and the Buffs are 6.
Fatalities: 7/1
One of the Buffs was crushed last night, to my great dismay. Since the chicks cost $5 each, and I only have 25, each one that dies is a larger loss than the CRG. The heater apparently turned off, and I can't figure why. I think there must not have been enough oxygen or circulation under the box, which is why I removed it. Of the 7 deaths of the other birds, 5 were due to piling, or when the birds are literally standing on each other. This is typically when they are cold or scared, so my thought is to keep the heat in better with a full sized lid. Two of the birds simply died, so they may have had some kind of trauma, or they just weren't fit enough.
Fatalities at this age aren't too costly, since I'm really only out the cost of the chicks themselves. Still, I don't want ANY of them to die! Regrettably, it is going to happen whether we want it or not, but we can minimize it with good practices.
Friday, May 23, 2014
Chickens!
We've done it again! Another batch of chickens, growing up to become delicious food for your family and mine!
This picture shows the brooding setup that we have got new for this year. I built the brooder bunker (as I call it) inside my shed, which I have sealed and fixed up nicely for this year. You can see in the very top edge of the picture, the brooder "box" that I built (I will have some better pics next time). There are two heat lamps, and a reflective insulation lining along the top of the brooder box. The heat from the lamps gets trapped under the box, but the raised legs allow the chickens to come and go as they please, regulating their body temperature. If they are cold, they can run back under, if too hot, then out. There are 6 or so waterers both under and around the brooder, and as many small trays of food.
These chicks are not the "hardy" breed that I raised before, but I do have a pending order for a Heritage breed called the Buff Orpington. They should be here in about 4 days, and they will join their brothers under the brooder, because, why not?
The brooder box idea allows you to cut down on the amount of heat lamps used, I am only using two because the chicks were huddling when they first arrived, and I didn't want them to get too cold. After a couple days, I will probably turn one of them off during the day to save energy.
We picked up the birds at 8 am, and basically "poured" them from the box into the brooder. After a brief few minutes of huddling, they became more active and comfortable, and seem to be doing fine. My biggest concern was that they might be chilled, because chilled chickens will die, and quickly!
The kids love the birds, and it seems to be a big hit with the family. More to follow!
Sunday, April 6, 2014
Spring?
Tentatively, without making any sudden movements that might scare it away for another 2 weeks, I am quietly celebrating the arrival of an early Canadian springtime. Yes, early. Normally, the middle of April is the melting of snow, but who can really say what normal weather is these days? (yaaaaaaay)
What's on the menu for this (spring)?
1. Chickens: After a several year hiatus, we're bringing chicken back, and it's going to be smaller and better than ever! Instead of a flock of 400, which was a challenge to manage, I'm starting with about 150-200. I've built a chick brooder, which I will post a picture of soon, when it's painted and ready to go. I've got some very specific plans for this years flock, namely that I'm going to build a breeding flock of hens who will hopefully then supply me with eggs and babies throughout the next season. I've picked the Buff Orpington as my Heritage breed of choice, since they grow large, they are not jerks (more on that later) and they will brood their eggs to hatch babies. It takes the Buff-O about 18-20 weeks to reach it's full size, and it's sexual maturity, which is quite a bit longer than the "normal" broiler breeds, but here's the secret...caponizing.
Caponizing is when you take the male (rooster) around six weeks of age, max of 14 weeks, and you castrate him. It's no secret that testosterone makes meat taste gamey and tough, so cattle producers will always castrate a male cow, unless they want him to be a bull. He'll grow up without his oysters, and his meat will be nice and quite edible. He will not be aggressive, nor will he be fertile. The same goes with chickens, but the procedure is somewhat more challenging, since the boys "parts" are actually inside the bird. You have to make a small incision and pull them out. It is as difficult as it sounds, but the meat stays tender and flavorful, and the chicken still gets to a nice size in about 20 weeks. Since it costs a lot to process a chicken, every pound of weight makes it worth more to sell. No sense raising a bunch of tiny 3 lb chickens and paying $5 each to process, instead I will raise a smaller number of 7 or 8 lb birds, which are nearly turkey sized. I have a feeling that there is a hidden market for this kind of chicken, particularly among immigrants who might have actually eaten caponized chicken before. Instead of a turkey, why not eat a large tasty pastured chicken?
2. Bottle calves: Originally I wanted to buy a gaggle of weaned calves, and feed them on my free grass for six months or so, then sell them again for some sweet, sweet profit. Unfortunately, prices for the young calves have never been higher, and I run a serious risk of making absolutely no money at all if the price of the larger cattle falls. Since I am not interesting in running a gambling operation, I've decided to go another way. Bottle calves are babies that, for whatever reason, have been separated from their mother at a very young age. You can buy them for a decent price, but you take a risk; they might die on you, and they also take a lot of work to raise. Assuming you buy some that aren't going to die, you have to feed them a milk replacer. The most efficient way that I have discovered is called "acidified milk", and you basically mix a few days worth of milk, add some formic acid to bring it to a pH of 4.5 (so it doesn't spoil), and let the calf drink when it wants to, without adding heat to it. This is becoming popular, and in my opinion is waaaaay easier than the well known method of bottle feeding fresh milk replacer twice a day by hand. You do have to stir the milk somehow, because it does settle. I plan to have four bottle calves at some point, and raise them to full size. Then, I will either breed them if they are female, or sell the meat if they are steers (castrated males). That will take about 20 months to complete.
3. A cottage and a barn: I've been slowing working on my small shed, it just needs some shingles on the roof, and a better door and it will be quite useful. I really want to build a multi-purpose barn/workshop/garage, and this will be the year to to it. My wife wants me to build a very small old-fashioned cottage that you could sit and read in, or play music, or nap, or escape from the world for a bit. By winter I ought to have a covered frame and waterproof roof done. I can work on the inside over the winter, since we plan to put a small wood burning stove inside.
4. Small but productive garden: As though all of the above wasn't enough, I would like to build my garden area up, making some permanent pathways with gravel, and planting some peas, carrots, beans, and some pumpkins.
5. Part time job: Oh, and I have a part time job working at a homeless shelter.
What's on the menu for this (spring)?
1. Chickens: After a several year hiatus, we're bringing chicken back, and it's going to be smaller and better than ever! Instead of a flock of 400, which was a challenge to manage, I'm starting with about 150-200. I've built a chick brooder, which I will post a picture of soon, when it's painted and ready to go. I've got some very specific plans for this years flock, namely that I'm going to build a breeding flock of hens who will hopefully then supply me with eggs and babies throughout the next season. I've picked the Buff Orpington as my Heritage breed of choice, since they grow large, they are not jerks (more on that later) and they will brood their eggs to hatch babies. It takes the Buff-O about 18-20 weeks to reach it's full size, and it's sexual maturity, which is quite a bit longer than the "normal" broiler breeds, but here's the secret...caponizing.
Caponizing is when you take the male (rooster) around six weeks of age, max of 14 weeks, and you castrate him. It's no secret that testosterone makes meat taste gamey and tough, so cattle producers will always castrate a male cow, unless they want him to be a bull. He'll grow up without his oysters, and his meat will be nice and quite edible. He will not be aggressive, nor will he be fertile. The same goes with chickens, but the procedure is somewhat more challenging, since the boys "parts" are actually inside the bird. You have to make a small incision and pull them out. It is as difficult as it sounds, but the meat stays tender and flavorful, and the chicken still gets to a nice size in about 20 weeks. Since it costs a lot to process a chicken, every pound of weight makes it worth more to sell. No sense raising a bunch of tiny 3 lb chickens and paying $5 each to process, instead I will raise a smaller number of 7 or 8 lb birds, which are nearly turkey sized. I have a feeling that there is a hidden market for this kind of chicken, particularly among immigrants who might have actually eaten caponized chicken before. Instead of a turkey, why not eat a large tasty pastured chicken?
2. Bottle calves: Originally I wanted to buy a gaggle of weaned calves, and feed them on my free grass for six months or so, then sell them again for some sweet, sweet profit. Unfortunately, prices for the young calves have never been higher, and I run a serious risk of making absolutely no money at all if the price of the larger cattle falls. Since I am not interesting in running a gambling operation, I've decided to go another way. Bottle calves are babies that, for whatever reason, have been separated from their mother at a very young age. You can buy them for a decent price, but you take a risk; they might die on you, and they also take a lot of work to raise. Assuming you buy some that aren't going to die, you have to feed them a milk replacer. The most efficient way that I have discovered is called "acidified milk", and you basically mix a few days worth of milk, add some formic acid to bring it to a pH of 4.5 (so it doesn't spoil), and let the calf drink when it wants to, without adding heat to it. This is becoming popular, and in my opinion is waaaaay easier than the well known method of bottle feeding fresh milk replacer twice a day by hand. You do have to stir the milk somehow, because it does settle. I plan to have four bottle calves at some point, and raise them to full size. Then, I will either breed them if they are female, or sell the meat if they are steers (castrated males). That will take about 20 months to complete.
3. A cottage and a barn: I've been slowing working on my small shed, it just needs some shingles on the roof, and a better door and it will be quite useful. I really want to build a multi-purpose barn/workshop/garage, and this will be the year to to it. My wife wants me to build a very small old-fashioned cottage that you could sit and read in, or play music, or nap, or escape from the world for a bit. By winter I ought to have a covered frame and waterproof roof done. I can work on the inside over the winter, since we plan to put a small wood burning stove inside.
4. Small but productive garden: As though all of the above wasn't enough, I would like to build my garden area up, making some permanent pathways with gravel, and planting some peas, carrots, beans, and some pumpkins.
5. Part time job: Oh, and I have a part time job working at a homeless shelter.
Thursday, March 6, 2014
How to buy cars (for filthy rich peoples)
Hi everybody! I thought I would give you some useful tips on how to spend as much money as possible on vehicles, especially for you lottery winners out there.
1. Buy new: Buy the newest vehicle you can, making sure that you purchase every "upgrade" available. Wipers that turn on when it rains? Oh yeah! Now you can save your self the strenuous task of flicking that switch when the first drops of water hits the window.
NEVER: Buy a good quality used vehicle more then three years old, but less than 12. By then, most of the "hit" in value has occurred, and you'll just end up saving money, which you will then be forced to spend on something useless, like food. You will also pay less for insurance, and then what will happen to the children of your broker? How will he pay for them to attend Harvard? They might have to settle for Brown, and it's all your fault.
2. Insure it against everything: Giraffe attack? It could happen! Solar flares? That could scorch the paint! Always get glass coverage, and hail coverage. Your $65,000 truck needs to be protected against all perils, and the payments will suck that dirty, dirty money from your overflowing bank account.
NEVER: Insure only against liability. That's for suckers. Most places charge a pittance for liability only, and who would want that? After all, we should be...
3. Drive like an @$$hole: Tickets are like showers of secret jealous adoration for your matchless driving ability. You should feel honored to send your $$$ to the coffers of our benevolent benefactors, but make sure you don't ever change your driving habits, it makes you look weak, and you will be eaten by bears.
NEVER: Drive defensively. That $65k truck will basically flatten every vehicle in sight, while you nap in luxury in the driver's seat, texting your other rich friend's butlers. Besides, more tickets, means higher insurance, and your broker can finally buy that swimming pool!
4. Borrow to make your purchase: Even the filthiest of the rich should be borrowing money they don't have. You can always pay it back tomorrow, and tomorrow never comes! You can't lose!
NEVER: Pay cash for a well researched used vehicle. You might accidentally touch something a poor person touched, and then you will have to shave your fingerprints off. Again.
Lastly..
5. Do not fix your own vehicle: Take it to the dealer! He will always charge you the most, and keep your vehicle forever, which means you can just drive your butler's car. Wear gloves though, you don't want to catch poverty from the steering wheel.
NEVER: Learn any basic mechanical skills, like oil changes and changing a tire. Always pay someone to do those things, so you can establish your position amongst the ultra-weathly. Lester McMonneyBaggs tried to do an oil change, and he got DIRT under his fingernails. Imagine his face when he went for his weekly manicure! That could be YOU!
*****So, this is intended to be a humorous how-to for people trying to save money on buying used cars. My family and I have saved thousands by following the NEVER advice above. Just today, unfortunately, my beloved farm truck died on the highway, and had to be towed back home. The head gasket gave out, and coolant (mixed with oil) found it's way to the roadway. After a short, but cold wait, we got towed back. Since I need a truck for the farm, I get to buy another one! I set myself a limit of $2000, and within a few hours I found a good used Chevy for $1700. It's not a luxury vehicle, but I'm not a luxury kind of guy. I don't mind a little rust, it is a farm truck after all. Best of all? The insurance is $380. Per year. The truck that just died lasted me about 6.5 years, and I paid about $4500 for it.
I also plan to keep that old truck, and put a new head gasket on it. It really needs more work than that, but I only want to get it back to running condition, then I will use it around the farm. If the new truck goes kaput, then I will have a back up!
Remember "Two is one, and one is none"
If you have no back up, then when the machine/device/item breaks, you will be out of luck.
Some thoughts from a poor country hick who would like my bank account to be overflowing with money NOT spent on vehicles!
1. Buy new: Buy the newest vehicle you can, making sure that you purchase every "upgrade" available. Wipers that turn on when it rains? Oh yeah! Now you can save your self the strenuous task of flicking that switch when the first drops of water hits the window.
NEVER: Buy a good quality used vehicle more then three years old, but less than 12. By then, most of the "hit" in value has occurred, and you'll just end up saving money, which you will then be forced to spend on something useless, like food. You will also pay less for insurance, and then what will happen to the children of your broker? How will he pay for them to attend Harvard? They might have to settle for Brown, and it's all your fault.
2. Insure it against everything: Giraffe attack? It could happen! Solar flares? That could scorch the paint! Always get glass coverage, and hail coverage. Your $65,000 truck needs to be protected against all perils, and the payments will suck that dirty, dirty money from your overflowing bank account.
NEVER: Insure only against liability. That's for suckers. Most places charge a pittance for liability only, and who would want that? After all, we should be...
3. Drive like an @$$hole: Tickets are like showers of secret jealous adoration for your matchless driving ability. You should feel honored to send your $$$ to the coffers of our benevolent benefactors, but make sure you don't ever change your driving habits, it makes you look weak, and you will be eaten by bears.
NEVER: Drive defensively. That $65k truck will basically flatten every vehicle in sight, while you nap in luxury in the driver's seat, texting your other rich friend's butlers. Besides, more tickets, means higher insurance, and your broker can finally buy that swimming pool!
4. Borrow to make your purchase: Even the filthiest of the rich should be borrowing money they don't have. You can always pay it back tomorrow, and tomorrow never comes! You can't lose!
NEVER: Pay cash for a well researched used vehicle. You might accidentally touch something a poor person touched, and then you will have to shave your fingerprints off. Again.
Lastly..
5. Do not fix your own vehicle: Take it to the dealer! He will always charge you the most, and keep your vehicle forever, which means you can just drive your butler's car. Wear gloves though, you don't want to catch poverty from the steering wheel.
NEVER: Learn any basic mechanical skills, like oil changes and changing a tire. Always pay someone to do those things, so you can establish your position amongst the ultra-weathly. Lester McMonneyBaggs tried to do an oil change, and he got DIRT under his fingernails. Imagine his face when he went for his weekly manicure! That could be YOU!
*****So, this is intended to be a humorous how-to for people trying to save money on buying used cars. My family and I have saved thousands by following the NEVER advice above. Just today, unfortunately, my beloved farm truck died on the highway, and had to be towed back home. The head gasket gave out, and coolant (mixed with oil) found it's way to the roadway. After a short, but cold wait, we got towed back. Since I need a truck for the farm, I get to buy another one! I set myself a limit of $2000, and within a few hours I found a good used Chevy for $1700. It's not a luxury vehicle, but I'm not a luxury kind of guy. I don't mind a little rust, it is a farm truck after all. Best of all? The insurance is $380. Per year. The truck that just died lasted me about 6.5 years, and I paid about $4500 for it.
I also plan to keep that old truck, and put a new head gasket on it. It really needs more work than that, but I only want to get it back to running condition, then I will use it around the farm. If the new truck goes kaput, then I will have a back up!
Remember "Two is one, and one is none"
If you have no back up, then when the machine/device/item breaks, you will be out of luck.
Some thoughts from a poor country hick who would like my bank account to be overflowing with money NOT spent on vehicles!
Monday, November 11, 2013
"Don't thank me"
Today is Remembrance Day, November the 11th. If you are like me, you will undoubtedly spend some time thinking about death, war, and the millions of young men whose lives have been snuffed out by armed conflicts in the 20th Century.
Many will say "Thank a soldier, they're the reason that you have the freedom you enjoy today!" or "Let's remember those who died for your freedom." and maybe put a picture of a poppy as their Facebook profile picture. I have no doubt that these people are sincere, and truly grateful for their lives, just as I am grateful to live in the relative peace that I enjoy now.
Many years ago, I once wore a military uniform. For 8 years, I was part of Canada's Reserve Forces, although I worked full time for a few years. I frequently had people approach me and tell me that they "appreciate what I do", and I wanted to say,
"Don't thank me, I haven't done anything!"
Just because I wore a multicolored uniform with badges and a hat does not make me a hero. No man becomes a hero because of his job. Do you want to know what my role in the military was? I filled out paperwork, and sat in front of a computer all day. It was boring, and I realized early that I'm not fit for a desk job.
On the other hand, my grandfather Manny volunteered with the Royal Canadian Air Force in the 40's, becoming part of an air crew. His aircraft would have been responsible for flying across the English channel, and finding military targets to destroy. Many of these would have been in occupied France, and many more would have been in Germany. Ultimately, the efforts of many millions were successful, and the Nazi regime was destroyed, although Manny was eventually shot down and captured before the final end.
World War 1 and 2 ended with 100+ million people dead, and many millions more wounded and homeless. The monetary cost of war was astronomical, and there isn't a government still around that isn't STILL paying the debt that was incurred. In the US, the government used the war efforts to enact an Income Tax, expand the use of paper money, and force millions of young men to join the military, and ultimately die in muddy and frozen trenches. These are not good things, this is not what "freedom" looks like. Yet, we call these the "good wars", and talk about how "we would be speaking German now" if not for these horrible, costly wars.
World War 1 started with a very small land dispute, and turned into a raging world conflict, and World War 2 was prompted when a failed painter took advantage of a demoralized German population to seize power and enact his twisted vision of a perfect world. Many don't realize that Germany had been economically crushed by the Versailles Treaty, and had been paying millions of dollars in gold to France, allegedly to "repay" the damage caused by WW1. The German population was starving, and their money was worthless. They wanted a solution, and Hitler provided it.
Of course, once the war had begun, it needed to be stopped. Terrible things were done by both the Allies, and the Nazis. Entire cities filled with innocent people were killed by bombing, including two Japanese cities where 250,000 civilians were murdered by atomic weapons, when Japan was already on the brink of surrender. We found out later that the Americans simply wanted to see what the bombs would do to a city...and today, there are enough nukes around to destroy all life on earth 10 times over.
Was this good? No. Nothing good ever comes of war, just death and misery. No one really wins, but you better believe that there are losers! Nevertheless, I recognize something about those who volunteered to fight. They really thought they were doing something good. They wanted to help, although I suspect many of them were simply thrilled by the excitement of "War".
I'm not going to talk about the Afghanistan war, or Korea, or Vietnam, or peacekeeping missions. I'm only going to say this. War is hell, and those who see it will find that a piece of that hell still lives inside them. The wars of the 20th century were fought for Europe and Asia, but everyone ultimately suffered. We are not more free because of war, we are simply alive, and grateful to be so.
To those who died, I will say, "I'm sorry you are dead". To those who lived, I will say, "I am glad you survived". We will never know what the world might have been without war, but I know this; we will soon forget about the horror, the death, disease and misery, and the world will eventually be at war again. We should avoid this at all costs, but we won't. I just hope that my children, and yours don't become victims like so many have before us. If you remember anything, remember that!
Many will say "Thank a soldier, they're the reason that you have the freedom you enjoy today!" or "Let's remember those who died for your freedom." and maybe put a picture of a poppy as their Facebook profile picture. I have no doubt that these people are sincere, and truly grateful for their lives, just as I am grateful to live in the relative peace that I enjoy now.
Many years ago, I once wore a military uniform. For 8 years, I was part of Canada's Reserve Forces, although I worked full time for a few years. I frequently had people approach me and tell me that they "appreciate what I do", and I wanted to say,
"Don't thank me, I haven't done anything!"
Just because I wore a multicolored uniform with badges and a hat does not make me a hero. No man becomes a hero because of his job. Do you want to know what my role in the military was? I filled out paperwork, and sat in front of a computer all day. It was boring, and I realized early that I'm not fit for a desk job.
On the other hand, my grandfather Manny volunteered with the Royal Canadian Air Force in the 40's, becoming part of an air crew. His aircraft would have been responsible for flying across the English channel, and finding military targets to destroy. Many of these would have been in occupied France, and many more would have been in Germany. Ultimately, the efforts of many millions were successful, and the Nazi regime was destroyed, although Manny was eventually shot down and captured before the final end.
World War 1 and 2 ended with 100+ million people dead, and many millions more wounded and homeless. The monetary cost of war was astronomical, and there isn't a government still around that isn't STILL paying the debt that was incurred. In the US, the government used the war efforts to enact an Income Tax, expand the use of paper money, and force millions of young men to join the military, and ultimately die in muddy and frozen trenches. These are not good things, this is not what "freedom" looks like. Yet, we call these the "good wars", and talk about how "we would be speaking German now" if not for these horrible, costly wars.
World War 1 started with a very small land dispute, and turned into a raging world conflict, and World War 2 was prompted when a failed painter took advantage of a demoralized German population to seize power and enact his twisted vision of a perfect world. Many don't realize that Germany had been economically crushed by the Versailles Treaty, and had been paying millions of dollars in gold to France, allegedly to "repay" the damage caused by WW1. The German population was starving, and their money was worthless. They wanted a solution, and Hitler provided it.
Of course, once the war had begun, it needed to be stopped. Terrible things were done by both the Allies, and the Nazis. Entire cities filled with innocent people were killed by bombing, including two Japanese cities where 250,000 civilians were murdered by atomic weapons, when Japan was already on the brink of surrender. We found out later that the Americans simply wanted to see what the bombs would do to a city...and today, there are enough nukes around to destroy all life on earth 10 times over.
Was this good? No. Nothing good ever comes of war, just death and misery. No one really wins, but you better believe that there are losers! Nevertheless, I recognize something about those who volunteered to fight. They really thought they were doing something good. They wanted to help, although I suspect many of them were simply thrilled by the excitement of "War".
I'm not going to talk about the Afghanistan war, or Korea, or Vietnam, or peacekeeping missions. I'm only going to say this. War is hell, and those who see it will find that a piece of that hell still lives inside them. The wars of the 20th century were fought for Europe and Asia, but everyone ultimately suffered. We are not more free because of war, we are simply alive, and grateful to be so.
To those who died, I will say, "I'm sorry you are dead". To those who lived, I will say, "I am glad you survived". We will never know what the world might have been without war, but I know this; we will soon forget about the horror, the death, disease and misery, and the world will eventually be at war again. We should avoid this at all costs, but we won't. I just hope that my children, and yours don't become victims like so many have before us. If you remember anything, remember that!
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
The Untouchables
Article - The Untouchables
By Adam L Schneider
In a far
corner of the world, you stand on a crowded street, barely a street in fact,
and more a smear of dirt buried beneath the jostling throngs of human bodies
heading in every direction. So many
people! More than a billion people live
in India , and
they all seem to be on this street with you.
As you scan the faces, you see that there are many different shades of
skin color. India
is home to 25 separate provinces, each with it’s own language. Your eyes are drawn to a very dark skinned
man, hauling a crude wheelbarrow filled with refuse. The crowd seems to part around him, as if he
were somehow surrounded by an invisible forcefield. Another dark skinned man is seen in a
doorway, holding a piece of leather.
Your eyes meet quickly, and he looks away. His wife is a shy silhouette behind him, not
daring to even appear in public. As you
continue, you see many more people performing menial tasks, dirty chores, and
even cleaning up human waste. They all seem
to have very dark skin, and no one will go near them. It’s as if they were…untouchable.
Many of these “untouchables”, or
Dalit (as they are known in India) end up as labourers, leatherworkers,
butchers, garbage collectors, and historically, they were segregated from the
regular population to the point that no one would dare even brush against them
by accident.
Today, the
government in India
has enacted many laws to protect these people, and the caste system is fading
into the past. Dalits today hold 17% of India ’s
jobs, and they’ve been elected to political office on every level,
repeatedly. Great job India ! Now, pack up your bags, and we’ll fly back to
North America . It
just so happens to be Sunday, and, what a coincidence, there is a big, beautiful
church right next door to the airport!
You’re just in time for the morning service, and you’re even dressed for
the occasion, with your buttoned up collar shirt, and pressed slacks. Some one even polished your wingtip shoes
while you were on the airplane! Boy,
that Westjet sure thinks of everything.
As the
service ends, you still feel disoriented from the plane ride, almost as though
you were still back on that narrow crowded street in rural India ,
trying to press your way through the crushing mass of people. You briefly remember the Dalits you saw, and
you say a thankful prayer that there is no “caste” system in your
hometown. As the congregation stands to
leave, most are joking and laughing, talking about plans, or telling their
friends about the past week. Not
everyone gets up, though. A few people
are still sitting, not talking, or laughing, or doing anything at all. Most of these people will wait for everyone
else to leave, then slip out the door, nearly invisible. The only reason you noticed them, is that the
look on their face seems strangely familiar…like you’ve seen people like that
somewhere else.
Every
church has them. The
“untouchables”. They might be socially
awkward, shy, angry, or they might be strange looking, or even downright
ugly. Parents whisper to their children,
“Don’t go near Mr Laughstooloud, he might be dangerous!”, and even the ushers
seem to be uncomfortable greeting them.
Once in a while, a brave soul will make a point to say, “Hey, how’re ya
doin!” in a syrupy voice, shake their hand, utter some banal phrase like, “Boy
it’s cold out there today, huh?”, and then make a run for it. That’s fine for starters, but then what? This person didn’t come to shake random
people’s hands and wax on about the weather, they came because they NEEDED
SOMETHING, and the Body of Jesus Christ, the Believers, the Church, seemed to
be a place to get it!
A few
minutes ago, I got a text from a friend of mine who is the very definition of
“untouchable”. It’s his birthday today,
and I’m the only one who remembered. His
texts are childish, and riddled with spelling errors, but he has a brain
injury, so that’s no surprise. I’m often
awakened by a text, or rarely, a phone call at 2 or 3 in the morning, where he
tells me how sick he is of life, and how he wants to “let go”. If you saw this guy at church, you would
never know he was depressed, he hides it beneath awkward humour, lame jokes,
and constant laughter. Most people roll
their eyes, and just walk away, if they don’t simply avoid or ignore him.
I decided
long ago, that this man was my friend no matter what. No matter how many times he woke me up with
late night text messages, or if I could see food on his teeth, or dead skin in
his beard when he talks, I’ve decided that he’s my friend, and deserves my
attention. When I’m at church, I make a
point to have a conversation with him, short, but personal. I text him back when he sends a message (not
always right away). I remember details
about his life, the girl he likes, the things he does for fun, and when he says,
“I love you bro!”, I say it right back, because that’s what friends do, they
share the love that Jesus showed to us!
I once
thought of my friend as “my little project”, but I’ve grown beyond that. Now, he’s just my friend. I know that Jesus sent him my way, and that’s
fine with me! I asked for it, after
all. I prayed to God, “Oh Lord, let me serve
you!”, and I put my hands down, turned around, and there was my ministry, right
in front of me. Did you think that God
was going to send you to Africa ? Thailand ? Mexico ? Or, are you willing to find that one person,
the “untouchable”, and become a missionary without leaving your chair?
Here’s what
you need to do: Stop pretending that
you’re too awesome to talk to these people, sit your hiney down in the chair
next to them, and introduce yourself.
When they talk, listen and ask questions. If someone you know stops by and interrupts,
tell them you’re busy! Your new friend
needs your attention, and you’re going to give it, or you've failed the first
mission God gave ever gave you, you know the one that goes “Love your Neighbour”? You don’t need to give them your phone number
and a house key, but next week, when you see them again, greet them by name,
and do the same thing you did before.
You can only do what you can, but do something!
Maybe it
will never happen, but if everyone in church made a point to make friends with
a stranger, to get to know newcomers, or to make friends with that guy whose
beard looks like it might actually contain a bee’s nest, there would be no
untouchables in church, and there would be far less pride and arrogance in His
Body.
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Life Lessons from my new job
When you think philosophy, great wisdom, and deep understanding of life, what do you see yourself doing? I'm sure most of you would picture yourself sitting at the feet of a wizened old monk, soaking in the 1,000 year old nuggets of spiritual wisdom falling from his sun-baked lips? Or maybe you see yourself taking a 3 day trek into the Amazon jungle to converse with the native, ponder life, and maybe lick a few of those toads, (you know, for science).
Well, I bet the last place you would imagine finding the meaning of life is while pouring a concrete garage pad, or cutting plywood pieces to make a mold for someone's retaining wall. Grasshopper, let me enlighten you.
PRELUDE
Over this last year, we have been struggling to pay bills, and of course, the banks were no help. Even though we don't have much debt, it's all very short term, and needs to be rolled into a proper mortgage. Unfortunately, we don't have a "standard" home, and it's tough to get a mortgage on a mobile home. It didn't help that my credit rating has taken a hit, because of some "interesting times" (as the Chinese proverb would call it) earlier this year. The only option I have to improve my credit rating is to pay all of my bills fully, on time, and wait for it to go up. Since we have absolutely no savings, I decided that I needed to work a part-time job. We needed to have a couple thousand dollars just stashed away. I had a minimum wage job for a couple of months, before I decided that my time was worth more than $11/hr. It occurred to me that with the Great Alberta Flood only a few months behind us, there would be a need for laborers to clean up the many thousands of destroyed homes and businesses, and I was correct! Not only that, but the construction trades have been exploding with work, and are desperate for workers. So, I answered an ad on Kijiji, and literally, the next day, I was at work!
As a farmer, I have some limited experience with construction materials, especially wood. I've use concrete and plaster for some projects, so I figured I would do ok. The company I've worked for for 3 days does "form work, and flat work", which is construction-speak for walls, and floors.
LESSON 1 - SHOW UP
When I responded to the ad, the foreman emailed me an address and a time. That's it. So, at 8 am, I arrived at the address, and found a guy in a Bobcat, and immediately he directed me to work raking gravel. We worked for about 12 hours that day, and during the course of the day, I learned that the foreman had asked his co-worker "Did Adam show up? Was he on time? Does he have a car?" When he learned the answers, he was AMAZED, and I was amazed that he was amazed. Why would it be amazing that I showed up?
Anyone who has/does work in the trades already knows the answer, but for the rest of you, allow me to give you enlightenment. Unlike in the office world, construction workers and laborers are notoriously unreliable. Men routinely fail to report for work, and don't bother calling, or giving a reason. Just yesterday, my co-worker told me "We got a new guy starting today", and sure enough, he did NOT show up. We found out later, that he was in some sort of legal trouble, and I found the entire situation to be quite amusing. I just couldn't believe that someone would just...not be there when there was $23/hr waiting for them.
LESSON 2 - BE READY
My experience with concrete before this week consisted of filling some post-holes, and plastering a ferro-cement water tank. When I was 18, I helped build a sidewalk. So, in other words, pretty much nothing. Despite that, when I arrived at the site, I had every hand tool I owned, steel-toed boots, hard hat, and a huge lunch. After 1/2 hr, I was loaning tools to the two experienced guys, who had left some important items at another site. It was immensely satisfying to say "Oh, I've got one of those, let me get it for you!".
Here's the bald truth: I had run out and purchased a bunch of these tools the day before, just in case. I had never worn a hard hat, nor used a chalk-line. My boots were brand new, and my tool-belt fresh off the shelf. Despite that, when I stepped out, I looked ready, and I felt ready. No one had to tell me to wear proper gear, or bring proper tools.
LESSON 3 - DO SOMETHING, EVEN IF IT'S WRONG
Yes, grasshopper, this is the trickiest step. There is a saying in Swahili, "It is easier to ask forgiveness than permission". When I showed up, I was so green, you could have used me as the background of a new Star Wars movie. I was aware of some basic facts, like, concrete is hard, nails go pointy-end down, don't hammer your thumb, etc, but there are all kinds of things I was completely ignorant of, and more than once I felt like a complete numbskull. None the less, I watched intently every single time the experienced guys did anything at all. When there was any kind of task that looked like it needed to be done, I jumped in. A couple times the foreman had to say "No, it's ok, I'll do that", which is a polite way of saying "You're going to screw it up, dummy." I still jumped in, each time. Eventually, they trusted me with some tasks that were more advanced, like hand-floating the concrete, vibrating, and cutting plywood forms.
The second day, the boss left me on my own, with instructions to strip some wood off the concrete on a house basement. It was very physical work, and I was already tired from the day before. I accidentally chipped a small piece off of a driveway in my efforts to dislodge a stubborn piece of rebar. Rather than hide it, I just said, "Yeah, that was me." The site foreman made an angry face, shook his head, but...that was it. I offered to repair it (right, with my sooper skillz), and apologized, but there wasn't really anything else to be done. I owned my mistake, and offered to make it right. Take that!
SUMMARY
Lesson 1 - I cannot emphasize how important this is. When a promise exits your lips, such as "I will be there at 8 am", your physical body had better be there at 8 am, or better yet, 7:50! Your reputation in this world is more valuable than your skills. Anyone who has ever called a plumber will agree, a man who keeps his word is pretty rare. If you can't make it, CALL! Give an alternate time, and then be early for the next week. You could be the most skilled concrete-man in the world, able to hand float a statue of Michelangelo, or power-trowel a floor using only one hand, but if you are unreliable, then you are useless. Simple as that.
SHOW UP
Lesson 2 - Did you know that Youtube has 18 videos showing you how to replace the brake pads on a late model Toyota Corolla? There are probably 600 videos on basic construction techniques, like "How to hammer a piece of wood to another piece of wood, using a large metal object with a flat spot, commonly called a 'hammer'." If I hadn't been at least partially aware of basic construction techniques and terminology, I probably would have been completely useless, instead of just partially useless. I further "cemented" (see what I did there?) my usefulness by having all kinds of inexpensive, yet very handy tools, like a hammer, belt, and putting them into action when they were needed.
BE READY
Lesson 3 - On day 1, the foreman of our small, ragtag team had a little job on the side. Nothing big, just pouring 2,000 square feet of concrete. Did I mention that we had already worked a full day? Right. Every single task that I was asked to do was completely new to me. The foreman kept a steady stream of commands going, "Lift the rebar, tap the edges, spray the concrete, hammer this peg down, get me a sandwich!" And I was literally tripping over my boots to keep up, at least at first. After the second hour, I was doing all of the above, without being asked. When I saw a task, I tried to do it. The two guys I worked with seemed very impressed, not with my sooper skillz, but with the fact that I DID something, even if it was fairly useless. We all knew that they could have done 95% of the work without me, but that 5% made a difference. Concrete is an unforgiving master, caring not for your schedule. When it hardens, it cannot be "unhardened". I allowed these guys to concentrate on the skilled tasks, while I handled the dummy work. We got the job done, and I earned a crisp plastic $100 bill. Yeah, we have plastic money here in Canada. It has a little window in it too, you can see through it.
DO SOMETHING
Is this a complete list? No. You also need to have an aptitude for learning, a humble attitude, the ability to both lead and follow, and it doesn't hurt to be in good physical shape. This is just a few lessons from my first week working a demanding job
Well, I bet the last place you would imagine finding the meaning of life is while pouring a concrete garage pad, or cutting plywood pieces to make a mold for someone's retaining wall. Grasshopper, let me enlighten you.
PRELUDE
Over this last year, we have been struggling to pay bills, and of course, the banks were no help. Even though we don't have much debt, it's all very short term, and needs to be rolled into a proper mortgage. Unfortunately, we don't have a "standard" home, and it's tough to get a mortgage on a mobile home. It didn't help that my credit rating has taken a hit, because of some "interesting times" (as the Chinese proverb would call it) earlier this year. The only option I have to improve my credit rating is to pay all of my bills fully, on time, and wait for it to go up. Since we have absolutely no savings, I decided that I needed to work a part-time job. We needed to have a couple thousand dollars just stashed away. I had a minimum wage job for a couple of months, before I decided that my time was worth more than $11/hr. It occurred to me that with the Great Alberta Flood only a few months behind us, there would be a need for laborers to clean up the many thousands of destroyed homes and businesses, and I was correct! Not only that, but the construction trades have been exploding with work, and are desperate for workers. So, I answered an ad on Kijiji, and literally, the next day, I was at work!
As a farmer, I have some limited experience with construction materials, especially wood. I've use concrete and plaster for some projects, so I figured I would do ok. The company I've worked for for 3 days does "form work, and flat work", which is construction-speak for walls, and floors.
LESSON 1 - SHOW UP
When I responded to the ad, the foreman emailed me an address and a time. That's it. So, at 8 am, I arrived at the address, and found a guy in a Bobcat, and immediately he directed me to work raking gravel. We worked for about 12 hours that day, and during the course of the day, I learned that the foreman had asked his co-worker "Did Adam show up? Was he on time? Does he have a car?" When he learned the answers, he was AMAZED, and I was amazed that he was amazed. Why would it be amazing that I showed up?
Anyone who has/does work in the trades already knows the answer, but for the rest of you, allow me to give you enlightenment. Unlike in the office world, construction workers and laborers are notoriously unreliable. Men routinely fail to report for work, and don't bother calling, or giving a reason. Just yesterday, my co-worker told me "We got a new guy starting today", and sure enough, he did NOT show up. We found out later, that he was in some sort of legal trouble, and I found the entire situation to be quite amusing. I just couldn't believe that someone would just...not be there when there was $23/hr waiting for them.
LESSON 2 - BE READY
My experience with concrete before this week consisted of filling some post-holes, and plastering a ferro-cement water tank. When I was 18, I helped build a sidewalk. So, in other words, pretty much nothing. Despite that, when I arrived at the site, I had every hand tool I owned, steel-toed boots, hard hat, and a huge lunch. After 1/2 hr, I was loaning tools to the two experienced guys, who had left some important items at another site. It was immensely satisfying to say "Oh, I've got one of those, let me get it for you!".
Here's the bald truth: I had run out and purchased a bunch of these tools the day before, just in case. I had never worn a hard hat, nor used a chalk-line. My boots were brand new, and my tool-belt fresh off the shelf. Despite that, when I stepped out, I looked ready, and I felt ready. No one had to tell me to wear proper gear, or bring proper tools.
LESSON 3 - DO SOMETHING, EVEN IF IT'S WRONG
Yes, grasshopper, this is the trickiest step. There is a saying in Swahili, "It is easier to ask forgiveness than permission". When I showed up, I was so green, you could have used me as the background of a new Star Wars movie. I was aware of some basic facts, like, concrete is hard, nails go pointy-end down, don't hammer your thumb, etc, but there are all kinds of things I was completely ignorant of, and more than once I felt like a complete numbskull. None the less, I watched intently every single time the experienced guys did anything at all. When there was any kind of task that looked like it needed to be done, I jumped in. A couple times the foreman had to say "No, it's ok, I'll do that", which is a polite way of saying "You're going to screw it up, dummy." I still jumped in, each time. Eventually, they trusted me with some tasks that were more advanced, like hand-floating the concrete, vibrating, and cutting plywood forms.
The second day, the boss left me on my own, with instructions to strip some wood off the concrete on a house basement. It was very physical work, and I was already tired from the day before. I accidentally chipped a small piece off of a driveway in my efforts to dislodge a stubborn piece of rebar. Rather than hide it, I just said, "Yeah, that was me." The site foreman made an angry face, shook his head, but...that was it. I offered to repair it (right, with my sooper skillz), and apologized, but there wasn't really anything else to be done. I owned my mistake, and offered to make it right. Take that!
SUMMARY
Lesson 1 - I cannot emphasize how important this is. When a promise exits your lips, such as "I will be there at 8 am", your physical body had better be there at 8 am, or better yet, 7:50! Your reputation in this world is more valuable than your skills. Anyone who has ever called a plumber will agree, a man who keeps his word is pretty rare. If you can't make it, CALL! Give an alternate time, and then be early for the next week. You could be the most skilled concrete-man in the world, able to hand float a statue of Michelangelo, or power-trowel a floor using only one hand, but if you are unreliable, then you are useless. Simple as that.
SHOW UP
Lesson 2 - Did you know that Youtube has 18 videos showing you how to replace the brake pads on a late model Toyota Corolla? There are probably 600 videos on basic construction techniques, like "How to hammer a piece of wood to another piece of wood, using a large metal object with a flat spot, commonly called a 'hammer'." If I hadn't been at least partially aware of basic construction techniques and terminology, I probably would have been completely useless, instead of just partially useless. I further "cemented" (see what I did there?) my usefulness by having all kinds of inexpensive, yet very handy tools, like a hammer, belt, and putting them into action when they were needed.
BE READY
Lesson 3 - On day 1, the foreman of our small, ragtag team had a little job on the side. Nothing big, just pouring 2,000 square feet of concrete. Did I mention that we had already worked a full day? Right. Every single task that I was asked to do was completely new to me. The foreman kept a steady stream of commands going, "Lift the rebar, tap the edges, spray the concrete, hammer this peg down, get me a sandwich!" And I was literally tripping over my boots to keep up, at least at first. After the second hour, I was doing all of the above, without being asked. When I saw a task, I tried to do it. The two guys I worked with seemed very impressed, not with my sooper skillz, but with the fact that I DID something, even if it was fairly useless. We all knew that they could have done 95% of the work without me, but that 5% made a difference. Concrete is an unforgiving master, caring not for your schedule. When it hardens, it cannot be "unhardened". I allowed these guys to concentrate on the skilled tasks, while I handled the dummy work. We got the job done, and I earned a crisp plastic $100 bill. Yeah, we have plastic money here in Canada. It has a little window in it too, you can see through it.
DO SOMETHING
Is this a complete list? No. You also need to have an aptitude for learning, a humble attitude, the ability to both lead and follow, and it doesn't hurt to be in good physical shape. This is just a few lessons from my first week working a demanding job
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Alberta Floods: an on-the-ground perspective
Before I begin, let me first say that, although I did lose some things in the flood, my home and family were perfectly safe and dry here in my community (I don't live in Calgary), and we were not personally hurt. I've spoken to hundred of people who lost nearly everything, and most of them will never be able to get enough government help or insurance money to cover the loss. I feel so very bad for all of those people, and I've been praying for you every day! In Alberta, insurance does not cover flooding, obviously it would be useful, but flood insurance is very expensive, and is almost non-existent, at least for homes and cars.
On Friday, June 21st 2013, 10+ Alberta communities experienced flooding on a scale so devastating, that more than 30% of people had to be evacuated for their safety. One town, High River, was literally emptied. No living human was permitted to remain, on threat of arrest! It sounds drastic, but four people have already been confirmed dead, and the entire town was under water. The whole thing. 13,000 people may have lost homes, businesses, cars, and possessions, and a few lost their lives when the surge came through. A huge number of those homes were buried up to the roof in water, and those houses will almost certainly be torn down. I would not be surprised if the entire town was reduced in long-term population by half or more, simply because people cannot afford to rebuild! The idea is staggering, especially considering that High River is one of my favorite places to shop. It has (had) a nice grocery store, farm store, and it was small enough that you can cross the entire thing in minutes. I had friends there, who almost certainly are homeless right this second!
Well, I won't drag the "emotional" part out. You get the picture, and it sucks no matter what angle you see it from. Here is my perspective on flooding:
People are funny creatures. We have access to amazing technology, we can send pictures across the world in milliseconds, speak any language with the miracle of Google Translate, and access the sum total of human knowledge from a device that fits in your pocket, yet most of us use that technology to take pictures of our food, or make duck faces in a mirror. If I were Nikolas Tesla, who invented AC electricity, I would be clawing my way back from the grave to rampage mankind!
So, people have all this knowledge available, and yet we fail to use it. We fail to remember that the Bow River flooded in 1902, 1929, 2005 and minor flooding in many other years besides. We build houses, made from sawdust and glue, with some tarpaper on the outside, right next to a river that has flooded more than 3 times in the last CENTURY, and just flooded again! Not to kick poor High River when she's down, but they JUST had a massive flood that caused major damage, perhaps 4 years ago. They called that one a "100 year flood", as if God had some kind of sand timer, and every 100 years he floods the river, and flips it over. That kind of arrogance means that we place buildings so close to the river, that people can walk out their back door and stand on the bank. Even if these flood occurred exactly 100 years apart, you are practically guaranteeing that your house will be flooded!
Insurance companies understand this much better than the rest of us. The very reason that flood insurance is so expensive, is that flooding is virtually GUARANTEED to happen. The only people who would buy the insurance, are the very same ones who build their house right next to water that has flooded in the past, and is guaranteed to flood again. I wouldn't sell insurance for that!
There are two kinds of flooding. First, it rains, and rains, and rains. The water simply cannot drain off quickly enough, and it starts stacking up, starting with the lowest level, ie, your basement. The watershed has a natural limit to its drainage, and this exceeds that. The flooding occurs in all low lying areas, but everyone gets a little taste of it, either in your basement, blocked storm drains, or leaky roofs. The biggest danger is in cities with lots of collection area, and lots of hills. The storm water starts barrelling through, and ends up blasting out manhole covers, flooding underpasses, or causing mudslides.
Then, you have flooding caused by someone else's rain. In Alberta, it only rained 36 mm in Calgary, but more than 140 mm in the mountains, which are the highest point. The water flows through the watershed in a "surge" and reaches the lowest level, ie, the basement of my office in downtown Calgary (true story). By that time, it has collected so much extra glop, that it resembles a mudslide, and leaves a 4 inch layer of silt when it leaves!
In "primitive" times, people did their farming, and planting on these flood plains. When the rivers flooded, the silt brought all kinds of minerals and nutrients, building fertility. It's no secret that flood plains are the most fertile land in the world. The main difference today, is that we now build houses on those same floodplains. I would like to suggest that this might be foolish, when combined with the following other facts: we have all kinds of technology to prevent flood water from entering our homes, and we aren't using ANY of it! The Netherlands was actually built on reclaimed seabed. Something like 40% of the land is below sea level, and is held back by dikes. Vancouver has built a kind of "seawall" around some of it's more vulnerable areas to protect from flood waters. We are capable of constructing dams that can hold massive amounts of water and last for a century. We can divert rivers, stop them up, or widen them. But, we didn't, and we paid the price! $100,000,000 in damage so far, and almost certainly many, many times that. A permanent flood wall may have cost $10,000,000, and would have been worth every penny.
Even temporary solutions seemed to have been ignored:
Many companies are selling a long rubber tube that can be filled with water, and braced in place to nearly block all flood waters. Other products include lightweight sandbags that absorb 20 times their weight in water, and can be stacked in minutes by one person. Placed around vulnerable doors and windows, $200 worth of these "sandbags" can prevent water from infiltrating into a basement, and could save the homeowner untold thousands.
I should probably quit while I'm ahead...after all, I deliberately left personal belongings inside my office KNOWING that it was at risk of flooding. It was only a couple small items, shoes etc, but I could have easily moved them. I simply didn't believe that the river could possibly get that high.
I have learned my lesson, Creator. I will never be so arrogant again. I hope that none of us will.
POSTSCRIPT
I would like to send some virtual High Fives to some heroes who showed real love to their neighbors, even putting their own lives in danger:
Cochrane Fire Dept - Not sure how you guys can even walk with those balls of steel, but you literally saved people lives, at the huge risk of your own! Wading into deep moving water is usually pretty inadvisable, but with no thought to your own lives, you saved many more.
High River RCMP/Sheriffs - 48 hours of hell, and it's still going. Good work, again, you literally saved lives, and you've watched your own homes disintegrate as well...
Calgary Civilians - Those people who the first thing they asked me, is "Where can I volunteer to help?" Mr Pond, Mr Hallett, your selfless attitudes are commendable.
Regular people with Couches - And, who offered those couches to the people displaced, no matter where they were from, and who they were!
Mayor Nenshi, City of Calgary - I got the distinct impression that you really cared about your city, and you kept everyone informed. That kind of devotion surely cost you something that you didn't have to give, and sets you apart from other politicians.
Calgary Fire/EMS/CPS/Transit - You did your job, and you did it well, even when your own homes were certainly at risk. Like me, I'm sure most of you wish you could have done more, but none of us knew that it would get THAT BAD!!!
I know that so many have done so much, and sorry that I didn't mention you, but you know who you are!
On Friday, June 21st 2013, 10+ Alberta communities experienced flooding on a scale so devastating, that more than 30% of people had to be evacuated for their safety. One town, High River, was literally emptied. No living human was permitted to remain, on threat of arrest! It sounds drastic, but four people have already been confirmed dead, and the entire town was under water. The whole thing. 13,000 people may have lost homes, businesses, cars, and possessions, and a few lost their lives when the surge came through. A huge number of those homes were buried up to the roof in water, and those houses will almost certainly be torn down. I would not be surprised if the entire town was reduced in long-term population by half or more, simply because people cannot afford to rebuild! The idea is staggering, especially considering that High River is one of my favorite places to shop. It has (had) a nice grocery store, farm store, and it was small enough that you can cross the entire thing in minutes. I had friends there, who almost certainly are homeless right this second!
Well, I won't drag the "emotional" part out. You get the picture, and it sucks no matter what angle you see it from. Here is my perspective on flooding:
People are funny creatures. We have access to amazing technology, we can send pictures across the world in milliseconds, speak any language with the miracle of Google Translate, and access the sum total of human knowledge from a device that fits in your pocket, yet most of us use that technology to take pictures of our food, or make duck faces in a mirror. If I were Nikolas Tesla, who invented AC electricity, I would be clawing my way back from the grave to rampage mankind!
So, people have all this knowledge available, and yet we fail to use it. We fail to remember that the Bow River flooded in 1902, 1929, 2005 and minor flooding in many other years besides. We build houses, made from sawdust and glue, with some tarpaper on the outside, right next to a river that has flooded more than 3 times in the last CENTURY, and just flooded again! Not to kick poor High River when she's down, but they JUST had a massive flood that caused major damage, perhaps 4 years ago. They called that one a "100 year flood", as if God had some kind of sand timer, and every 100 years he floods the river, and flips it over. That kind of arrogance means that we place buildings so close to the river, that people can walk out their back door and stand on the bank. Even if these flood occurred exactly 100 years apart, you are practically guaranteeing that your house will be flooded!
Insurance companies understand this much better than the rest of us. The very reason that flood insurance is so expensive, is that flooding is virtually GUARANTEED to happen. The only people who would buy the insurance, are the very same ones who build their house right next to water that has flooded in the past, and is guaranteed to flood again. I wouldn't sell insurance for that!
There are two kinds of flooding. First, it rains, and rains, and rains. The water simply cannot drain off quickly enough, and it starts stacking up, starting with the lowest level, ie, your basement. The watershed has a natural limit to its drainage, and this exceeds that. The flooding occurs in all low lying areas, but everyone gets a little taste of it, either in your basement, blocked storm drains, or leaky roofs. The biggest danger is in cities with lots of collection area, and lots of hills. The storm water starts barrelling through, and ends up blasting out manhole covers, flooding underpasses, or causing mudslides.
Then, you have flooding caused by someone else's rain. In Alberta, it only rained 36 mm in Calgary, but more than 140 mm in the mountains, which are the highest point. The water flows through the watershed in a "surge" and reaches the lowest level, ie, the basement of my office in downtown Calgary (true story). By that time, it has collected so much extra glop, that it resembles a mudslide, and leaves a 4 inch layer of silt when it leaves!
In "primitive" times, people did their farming, and planting on these flood plains. When the rivers flooded, the silt brought all kinds of minerals and nutrients, building fertility. It's no secret that flood plains are the most fertile land in the world. The main difference today, is that we now build houses on those same floodplains. I would like to suggest that this might be foolish, when combined with the following other facts: we have all kinds of technology to prevent flood water from entering our homes, and we aren't using ANY of it! The Netherlands was actually built on reclaimed seabed. Something like 40% of the land is below sea level, and is held back by dikes. Vancouver has built a kind of "seawall" around some of it's more vulnerable areas to protect from flood waters. We are capable of constructing dams that can hold massive amounts of water and last for a century. We can divert rivers, stop them up, or widen them. But, we didn't, and we paid the price! $100,000,000 in damage so far, and almost certainly many, many times that. A permanent flood wall may have cost $10,000,000, and would have been worth every penny.
Even temporary solutions seemed to have been ignored:
Many companies are selling a long rubber tube that can be filled with water, and braced in place to nearly block all flood waters. Other products include lightweight sandbags that absorb 20 times their weight in water, and can be stacked in minutes by one person. Placed around vulnerable doors and windows, $200 worth of these "sandbags" can prevent water from infiltrating into a basement, and could save the homeowner untold thousands.
I should probably quit while I'm ahead...after all, I deliberately left personal belongings inside my office KNOWING that it was at risk of flooding. It was only a couple small items, shoes etc, but I could have easily moved them. I simply didn't believe that the river could possibly get that high.
I have learned my lesson, Creator. I will never be so arrogant again. I hope that none of us will.
POSTSCRIPT
I would like to send some virtual High Fives to some heroes who showed real love to their neighbors, even putting their own lives in danger:
Cochrane Fire Dept - Not sure how you guys can even walk with those balls of steel, but you literally saved people lives, at the huge risk of your own! Wading into deep moving water is usually pretty inadvisable, but with no thought to your own lives, you saved many more.
High River RCMP/Sheriffs - 48 hours of hell, and it's still going. Good work, again, you literally saved lives, and you've watched your own homes disintegrate as well...
Calgary Civilians - Those people who the first thing they asked me, is "Where can I volunteer to help?" Mr Pond, Mr Hallett, your selfless attitudes are commendable.
Regular people with Couches - And, who offered those couches to the people displaced, no matter where they were from, and who they were!
Mayor Nenshi, City of Calgary - I got the distinct impression that you really cared about your city, and you kept everyone informed. That kind of devotion surely cost you something that you didn't have to give, and sets you apart from other politicians.
Calgary Fire/EMS/CPS/Transit - You did your job, and you did it well, even when your own homes were certainly at risk. Like me, I'm sure most of you wish you could have done more, but none of us knew that it would get THAT BAD!!!
I know that so many have done so much, and sorry that I didn't mention you, but you know who you are!
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Easy Soapmaking For Lazy People Who Don't Like to Stir
Easy Soapmaking For Lazy People Who Don't Like to Stir
AKA "Hot Process Oven Process"
Many soap recipes, in fact, most of them, tell you to cook the soap on your stove, which requires some stirring, more stirring, stirring again, and just when you think you're done, keep stirring bud! The whole point of stirring is to speed the chemical reactions, and make sure that it completes evenly. It also ensures that the heat is evenly transferred to all of the mixture, and if you aren't using a double boiler, ensures that you don't burn or scorch your soap!
Some people like the stirring, because it really feels like you're "making" something. I don't. I have things to do, and when I first made soap with olive oil, it took 45 minutes to bring the mixture to "trace", which is the point at which the chemical reaction begins. It splashed everywhere, and I was basically glued to the stove, mixing with a stick blender.
Not any more! Someone clever, and perhaps a little lazy, has discovered that soap can be just as easily cooked in the OVEN, as it can on the stove top! Plus, it requires pretty much zero stirring, only once every half hour or so to get things going. Here's how it works.
Hot Process Oven Process Soap Making
1. Set your oven to 175 F. Most recipes will cook just fine at this temp, and it will (mostly) prevent soap from boiling over. The first time I tried this, I set the stove at 225, but this is too high, and my soap did boil over. Nice mess, and it was not much fun to clean up!
2. Mix your oils, melt any solid oils, and stir in your lye mixture. This will work for liquid (Potassium Hydroxide) or bar soap (Sodium Hydroxide). Give it a minute of initial stir, just to get things going.
3. Put your non-aluminum, oven safe container into the oven with a lid on top, and leave it for 1/2 hr.
4. After the first half hour, a minute of blending with a stick blender will bring an immediate trace, check on the pot every 1/2 after that for about 3 hours. The last hour, I usually let it sit without too much stirring. It will get to a very thick, mostly translucent stage that seems like vaseline. This is pretty much the end, but you can test it by dissolving a bit in water to see if all the fatty acids are reacted away. The water will be pretty clear if the reaction is complete.
5. Moving quickly, spoon the mixture into your mold, and let it cool. Once cooled at bit, it can be unmolded, and cut into bars. It will be easier to unmold than cold process soap, and is ready to use immediately!
At some point in the future, I will be switching to a number of large slow cookers, which will accomplish about the same as an oven, but it will be easier to check on and stir.
AKA "Hot Process Oven Process"
Many soap recipes, in fact, most of them, tell you to cook the soap on your stove, which requires some stirring, more stirring, stirring again, and just when you think you're done, keep stirring bud! The whole point of stirring is to speed the chemical reactions, and make sure that it completes evenly. It also ensures that the heat is evenly transferred to all of the mixture, and if you aren't using a double boiler, ensures that you don't burn or scorch your soap!
Some people like the stirring, because it really feels like you're "making" something. I don't. I have things to do, and when I first made soap with olive oil, it took 45 minutes to bring the mixture to "trace", which is the point at which the chemical reaction begins. It splashed everywhere, and I was basically glued to the stove, mixing with a stick blender.
Not any more! Someone clever, and perhaps a little lazy, has discovered that soap can be just as easily cooked in the OVEN, as it can on the stove top! Plus, it requires pretty much zero stirring, only once every half hour or so to get things going. Here's how it works.
Hot Process Oven Process Soap Making
1. Set your oven to 175 F. Most recipes will cook just fine at this temp, and it will (mostly) prevent soap from boiling over. The first time I tried this, I set the stove at 225, but this is too high, and my soap did boil over. Nice mess, and it was not much fun to clean up!
2. Mix your oils, melt any solid oils, and stir in your lye mixture. This will work for liquid (Potassium Hydroxide) or bar soap (Sodium Hydroxide). Give it a minute of initial stir, just to get things going.
3. Put your non-aluminum, oven safe container into the oven with a lid on top, and leave it for 1/2 hr.
4. After the first half hour, a minute of blending with a stick blender will bring an immediate trace, check on the pot every 1/2 after that for about 3 hours. The last hour, I usually let it sit without too much stirring. It will get to a very thick, mostly translucent stage that seems like vaseline. This is pretty much the end, but you can test it by dissolving a bit in water to see if all the fatty acids are reacted away. The water will be pretty clear if the reaction is complete.
5. Moving quickly, spoon the mixture into your mold, and let it cool. Once cooled at bit, it can be unmolded, and cut into bars. It will be easier to unmold than cold process soap, and is ready to use immediately!
At some point in the future, I will be switching to a number of large slow cookers, which will accomplish about the same as an oven, but it will be easier to check on and stir.
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Soap & Garden
I'm right now staring at what I hope is a thunderstorm, creeping up the horizon. I just finished planting a bunch of seeds in the garden, and a little rain would not be unwelcome!
GARDEN
We bought a grapevine! I don't know what the grapes taste like, I don't drink wine (or alcohol period), but it seems like something that would grow pretty well unattended. We also have two rhubarb plants that are gaining size pretty nicely. They have been there for two years now, and I think I might plant more of them in time. I really like rhubarb, and it grows really well, even out here on the prairies.
I tried an experiment with a 4 inch drainpipe, cutting holes in it, filling it with potting soil, and planting some strawberries in it. At first, they seemed to wither and die, but they quickly recovered, and almost all of them are still alive! It will still be important to water the tube regularly, but I don't think it will dry out as quickly as I imagined at first. This might turn out to be a viable way to plant small, shallow rooted plants in a "vertical" manner.
SOAP
Ye Olde Fashioned Liquid Soap...is now for sale on Ebay! By the time you read this, I will have bottled the first of the soap, printed the labels, and posted a nice photo. For the first month, I am selling at a huge discount! Most soap of this type would sell for $7.99 to $9.99 for a small 8-12 oz bottle, but I am going as low as $4.99 for the 250 ml, and $6.99 for the 500 ml bottle. This soap is perfect for handwashing, shampoo, or body wash, and contains only olive oil, coconut oil, and canola oil, which when combined with Potassium Hydroxide (KOH), water, and heat, makes soap! This is the way that soap has been made for 5,000 years, and it makes a superior, healthier soap.
Thanks for reading, and please think about trying my soap, I will ship anywhere in North America, plus I will totally combine shipping!
GARDEN
We bought a grapevine! I don't know what the grapes taste like, I don't drink wine (or alcohol period), but it seems like something that would grow pretty well unattended. We also have two rhubarb plants that are gaining size pretty nicely. They have been there for two years now, and I think I might plant more of them in time. I really like rhubarb, and it grows really well, even out here on the prairies.
I tried an experiment with a 4 inch drainpipe, cutting holes in it, filling it with potting soil, and planting some strawberries in it. At first, they seemed to wither and die, but they quickly recovered, and almost all of them are still alive! It will still be important to water the tube regularly, but I don't think it will dry out as quickly as I imagined at first. This might turn out to be a viable way to plant small, shallow rooted plants in a "vertical" manner.
SOAP
Ye Olde Fashioned Liquid Soap...is now for sale on Ebay! By the time you read this, I will have bottled the first of the soap, printed the labels, and posted a nice photo. For the first month, I am selling at a huge discount! Most soap of this type would sell for $7.99 to $9.99 for a small 8-12 oz bottle, but I am going as low as $4.99 for the 250 ml, and $6.99 for the 500 ml bottle. This soap is perfect for handwashing, shampoo, or body wash, and contains only olive oil, coconut oil, and canola oil, which when combined with Potassium Hydroxide (KOH), water, and heat, makes soap! This is the way that soap has been made for 5,000 years, and it makes a superior, healthier soap.
Thanks for reading, and please think about trying my soap, I will ship anywhere in North America, plus I will totally combine shipping!
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Soapmaking: In the Beginning
Not a very long time ago, in a local galaxy (or maybe a nebula), there lived a young man with his family. He had no Jedi powers, unless you consider an exceptionally dark farmer's tan to be a useful ability. He wanted nothing more than to live free on the land, producing things for his family, and things to sell.
Well, here we are in a new spring year, it's finally nice weather, and Disney is the new owner of the Star Wars franchise. What new things can we expect for the year? Well, I've finally gotten on the ball with gardening, a part time job is in the works, and we're starting a non-farm business.
We're making soap! Well, that's where we're starting, I have designs on making a number of useful household products, other than soap, or things that have soap as a base, like shaving soap and laundry soap. Here's the plan:
1. Experiment! Soapmaking is an excellent "cottage industry", unlike say, steel smelting, and building airplanes. It's basically cooking, but with the added element of danger from the lye used to turn oil into soap! So far, I've tried bar soap, and liquid soap, and they both turned out well. The bar soap is still in the little plastic molds, and needs another couple weeks to cure, but the liquid soap is nearly ready to go. My first few tries at bar soap were hilariously disastrous, and the pot boiled over TWICE in one day, hahaha. Turns out I used the wrong type of olive oil, which reacted waaaaaaaay too quickly. Easy fix, and the next few tries worked very well indeed!
2. Start simple: Let me be honest. I am not the first person to try selling soap from home. It may have been done before, and many people are making a small, but honest living selling soap, makeup, deodorant, lip balm, and fancy looking soaps that look good enough to eat. Most of these are women, and their products are exceptional in quality! All kinds and flavours of soap, scented with everything from lavender to coffee. They seem to sell what they make, or else they wouldn't make it.
I don't want to compete with these ladies of super-soap. I think the market might be pretty crowded for "fancy" soap, although I think there is room for someone to make custom printing on soap bars as a gift item. When is the last time you bought a bar of soap with dried herbs in it? Or a salt scrub? Or a bar scented with lavender? I have never purchased any of these things. I have purchased bars of soap to wash my hands with, and I really didn't care what it smelled like, except that it didn't smell "bad". I also buy a bottle of liquid dish soap about every two weeks, because we wash our dishes by hand. The average Joe (or Jane) may occasionally buy a fancy soap as a gift, but what they NEED is regular soap for every day use. Some of them might be interested in soap that is free from chemicals, and that's where Herbal Haven comes in! (Herbal Haven is the name of our company)
3. Ebay, Internet sales: There is a few sellers of liquid soap on Ebay, but most of them seem to be in the US, and I suspect that they find shipping to Canada to be irritating. I plan to target Canadian buyers with smaller sized bottles of liquid soap. My wife is working on a different line of products, womens makeup, perfumes, lip balm etc.
4. Getting bigger: If you've ever made soap by hand, you can appreciate that it requires a lot of patience, something I was not given an abundance of at birth. Fortunately, there are shortcuts, although it requires some money to buy these time saving devices, it will drastically cut down on the time spent endlessly stirring a batch of soap.
That's about it, I will have some pictures of what we've done so far, and when it comes time to sell, I will link to the Ebay page where you can buy all natural liquid soap!
Well, here we are in a new spring year, it's finally nice weather, and Disney is the new owner of the Star Wars franchise. What new things can we expect for the year? Well, I've finally gotten on the ball with gardening, a part time job is in the works, and we're starting a non-farm business.
We're making soap! Well, that's where we're starting, I have designs on making a number of useful household products, other than soap, or things that have soap as a base, like shaving soap and laundry soap. Here's the plan:
1. Experiment! Soapmaking is an excellent "cottage industry", unlike say, steel smelting, and building airplanes. It's basically cooking, but with the added element of danger from the lye used to turn oil into soap! So far, I've tried bar soap, and liquid soap, and they both turned out well. The bar soap is still in the little plastic molds, and needs another couple weeks to cure, but the liquid soap is nearly ready to go. My first few tries at bar soap were hilariously disastrous, and the pot boiled over TWICE in one day, hahaha. Turns out I used the wrong type of olive oil, which reacted waaaaaaaay too quickly. Easy fix, and the next few tries worked very well indeed!
2. Start simple: Let me be honest. I am not the first person to try selling soap from home. It may have been done before, and many people are making a small, but honest living selling soap, makeup, deodorant, lip balm, and fancy looking soaps that look good enough to eat. Most of these are women, and their products are exceptional in quality! All kinds and flavours of soap, scented with everything from lavender to coffee. They seem to sell what they make, or else they wouldn't make it.
I don't want to compete with these ladies of super-soap. I think the market might be pretty crowded for "fancy" soap, although I think there is room for someone to make custom printing on soap bars as a gift item. When is the last time you bought a bar of soap with dried herbs in it? Or a salt scrub? Or a bar scented with lavender? I have never purchased any of these things. I have purchased bars of soap to wash my hands with, and I really didn't care what it smelled like, except that it didn't smell "bad". I also buy a bottle of liquid dish soap about every two weeks, because we wash our dishes by hand. The average Joe (or Jane) may occasionally buy a fancy soap as a gift, but what they NEED is regular soap for every day use. Some of them might be interested in soap that is free from chemicals, and that's where Herbal Haven comes in! (Herbal Haven is the name of our company)
3. Ebay, Internet sales: There is a few sellers of liquid soap on Ebay, but most of them seem to be in the US, and I suspect that they find shipping to Canada to be irritating. I plan to target Canadian buyers with smaller sized bottles of liquid soap. My wife is working on a different line of products, womens makeup, perfumes, lip balm etc.
4. Getting bigger: If you've ever made soap by hand, you can appreciate that it requires a lot of patience, something I was not given an abundance of at birth. Fortunately, there are shortcuts, although it requires some money to buy these time saving devices, it will drastically cut down on the time spent endlessly stirring a batch of soap.
That's about it, I will have some pictures of what we've done so far, and when it comes time to sell, I will link to the Ebay page where you can buy all natural liquid soap!
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Year End Report
MEMO
Fm: Frodo @ Sunset Meadows Farm
To: Everyone
RE: What happened to 2012??? We thought you were dead!
I haven't posted since May, which in Canada is just about the primetime of spring. Alas, the warm weather left us too soon this year, we got our first major snowfall on October 12th, and temperatures dropped like 99 luft balloons to car-not-starting-ly cold.
There was no garden this year. There were no chickens. I focused this year on curing some debt woes, and the fix is just about in! Ever since the "credit-crisis" struck the world in 2008, getting a loan refinanced, even on real-estate, has been quite difficult. We needed all of our debt rolled into the mortgage, but the bank wasn't going for it. Until now, that is. Once we've completed the refinance, we will be shaving $1,400 in interest payments off our monthly budget. That's $1,400 that can be used for savings, car repairs, home renos, and buying things that are on my prepping wish list. Here's my list, just for fun!
1. More solar - I can now buy solar panels for less than $1/watt, but I need to invest in the mounting hardware too! #70mphwinddestroysthings
2. Wind turbine - Nothing from the ChinEsebay collection.
3. Landscaping - I need a bunch of permanent planting beds (wooden, 2.5 feet high), surrounded by gravel, and filled with soil. I never want to fill a planting bed by hand ever again. The wife wants it to look good, which I am on-board with. #IheartBobcat
4. Fencing - To pasture animals efficiently, one must be able to move them from paddock to paddock.
5. Water collection/storage - I need at least 10,000 gal of storage that's connected to the house, and buried underground. That means cinder blocks, and a way to divert the roof water into it. I've got 2,500 gal of storage now, about 1.5 months worth.
6. Trees, trees, bushes, and more trees - And more trees. Big fast growing poplars, mulched, with automatic watering devices of some kind.
7. Watering system - For plants and animals. Either ponds that stay filled year round (difficult), or piping to send water to distant areas underground (expensive)
8. Greenhouse - Nothing less than 1,000 sq feet of almost year round growing space will do. I would prefer more like 3,000 sq feet, but I am will to start small. #motherofallgreenhouses
9. Batteries - A brand new bank that can store 3 days worth of power. Very costly, but necessary!
I haven't abandoned my dreams, but I did get reaaaaally distracted this year! The fallout will last another year, and then we can really start to grow! I am very excited to imagine the future out here, and the great things that can happen, not just on the land, but in my own family's lives as well! Stay tuned, good things are en-route...
Fm: Frodo @ Sunset Meadows Farm
To: Everyone
RE: What happened to 2012??? We thought you were dead!
I haven't posted since May, which in Canada is just about the primetime of spring. Alas, the warm weather left us too soon this year, we got our first major snowfall on October 12th, and temperatures dropped like 99 luft balloons to car-not-starting-ly cold.
There was no garden this year. There were no chickens. I focused this year on curing some debt woes, and the fix is just about in! Ever since the "credit-crisis" struck the world in 2008, getting a loan refinanced, even on real-estate, has been quite difficult. We needed all of our debt rolled into the mortgage, but the bank wasn't going for it. Until now, that is. Once we've completed the refinance, we will be shaving $1,400 in interest payments off our monthly budget. That's $1,400 that can be used for savings, car repairs, home renos, and buying things that are on my prepping wish list. Here's my list, just for fun!
1. More solar - I can now buy solar panels for less than $1/watt, but I need to invest in the mounting hardware too! #70mphwinddestroysthings
2. Wind turbine - Nothing from the ChinEsebay collection.
3. Landscaping - I need a bunch of permanent planting beds (wooden, 2.5 feet high), surrounded by gravel, and filled with soil. I never want to fill a planting bed by hand ever again. The wife wants it to look good, which I am on-board with. #IheartBobcat
4. Fencing - To pasture animals efficiently, one must be able to move them from paddock to paddock.
5. Water collection/storage - I need at least 10,000 gal of storage that's connected to the house, and buried underground. That means cinder blocks, and a way to divert the roof water into it. I've got 2,500 gal of storage now, about 1.5 months worth.
6. Trees, trees, bushes, and more trees - And more trees. Big fast growing poplars, mulched, with automatic watering devices of some kind.
7. Watering system - For plants and animals. Either ponds that stay filled year round (difficult), or piping to send water to distant areas underground (expensive)
8. Greenhouse - Nothing less than 1,000 sq feet of almost year round growing space will do. I would prefer more like 3,000 sq feet, but I am will to start small. #motherofallgreenhouses
9. Batteries - A brand new bank that can store 3 days worth of power. Very costly, but necessary!
I haven't abandoned my dreams, but I did get reaaaaally distracted this year! The fallout will last another year, and then we can really start to grow! I am very excited to imagine the future out here, and the great things that can happen, not just on the land, but in my own family's lives as well! Stay tuned, good things are en-route...
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
A long overdue update
The last two months have been very busy! Some activities are done for the year, like my karate class, but others have taken their place, including soccer, and spring cleanup.
LIVESTOCK
We have goats! There are now two pygmy nanny goats running wild and free on the farm, and they are pretty dang cute! They are only about the size of a medium dog, and have little short horns, but they are very playful, and completely non-aggressive. They like to climb on things, but they typically stay within 100 feet of the house. We don't have them penned up, but they eventually will be put into a fenced area, and I might be getting a few more of them. I am thinking about selling them as milking animals, so that people who would like raw milk, but don't have room for a cow could have one of these, and then they could have some milk!
I am also gearing up for my first batch of chickens in 2012. I will be ordering them next week, and I'm starting with 150. Instead of ordering all of them at once, I will order smaller batches, raise those, and that will allow me to manage my freezer space better. It's also a lot easier to manage 150 chickens on pasture than 400!
This year, I will be raising several different breeds, the main breed being the Cornish Cross. As much as I don't really like that breed, they do grow fast, and they get big. Last year, my dual-purpose birds only got to 3 pounds in 14 weeks! It costs $5 per bird for processing, so literally half of the price of the bird was the processing. My net profit was very low, maybe $1 per bird. I need bigger birds, or lower processing costs, or both. I will still be raising some dual purpose types, but mainly so I can have some hens. Last years flock was all male.
WORK
I mentioned before that I am volunteering with the local fire department, and I am still doing that. I am not officially a member, but I am hoping that will change this week! Apparently they are reviewing the budget to see if they can add more members, so here's hoping... Even so, I have enjoyed the training immensely! There is so much to know that I literally feel retarded, but this summer should hopefully see me learning enough to be a contributing member of the team. I've also been able to meet some more people, which has been a bit of a challenge, since I don't work in town.
NERDY STUFF
A couple of weeks ago, we had a STAR TREK CONVENTION in the big city that I work in! Technically, it was a "comic convention", but the main attraction was the entire cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation coming. I've loved that show since I was a kid, and I determined that I was going to go to this convention! I took the kids to the stadium, and walked up to the front...and was informed that they were not allowing anyone else inside. Apparently the fire department had told them to stop allowing walk-in's because they had too many inside already! I was choked...and we went home. If they ever return again, I will make sure and pre-purchase my tickets. Hopefully at least some of the cast will be back next year!
EPILOGUE
Everything is turning green, the weather is great, and I am excited about summertime! I will also be posting more pictures, and maybe a few Youtubes. By the way, you can visit my website at
www.sunset-meadows.org
and see pictures, order chicken, or shower me with glowing accolades ; )
LIVESTOCK
We have goats! There are now two pygmy nanny goats running wild and free on the farm, and they are pretty dang cute! They are only about the size of a medium dog, and have little short horns, but they are very playful, and completely non-aggressive. They like to climb on things, but they typically stay within 100 feet of the house. We don't have them penned up, but they eventually will be put into a fenced area, and I might be getting a few more of them. I am thinking about selling them as milking animals, so that people who would like raw milk, but don't have room for a cow could have one of these, and then they could have some milk!
I am also gearing up for my first batch of chickens in 2012. I will be ordering them next week, and I'm starting with 150. Instead of ordering all of them at once, I will order smaller batches, raise those, and that will allow me to manage my freezer space better. It's also a lot easier to manage 150 chickens on pasture than 400!
This year, I will be raising several different breeds, the main breed being the Cornish Cross. As much as I don't really like that breed, they do grow fast, and they get big. Last year, my dual-purpose birds only got to 3 pounds in 14 weeks! It costs $5 per bird for processing, so literally half of the price of the bird was the processing. My net profit was very low, maybe $1 per bird. I need bigger birds, or lower processing costs, or both. I will still be raising some dual purpose types, but mainly so I can have some hens. Last years flock was all male.
WORK
I mentioned before that I am volunteering with the local fire department, and I am still doing that. I am not officially a member, but I am hoping that will change this week! Apparently they are reviewing the budget to see if they can add more members, so here's hoping... Even so, I have enjoyed the training immensely! There is so much to know that I literally feel retarded, but this summer should hopefully see me learning enough to be a contributing member of the team. I've also been able to meet some more people, which has been a bit of a challenge, since I don't work in town.
NERDY STUFF
A couple of weeks ago, we had a STAR TREK CONVENTION in the big city that I work in! Technically, it was a "comic convention", but the main attraction was the entire cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation coming. I've loved that show since I was a kid, and I determined that I was going to go to this convention! I took the kids to the stadium, and walked up to the front...and was informed that they were not allowing anyone else inside. Apparently the fire department had told them to stop allowing walk-in's because they had too many inside already! I was choked...and we went home. If they ever return again, I will make sure and pre-purchase my tickets. Hopefully at least some of the cast will be back next year!
EPILOGUE
Everything is turning green, the weather is great, and I am excited about summertime! I will also be posting more pictures, and maybe a few Youtubes. By the way, you can visit my website at
www.sunset-meadows.org
and see pictures, order chicken, or shower me with glowing accolades ; )
Friday, March 2, 2012
Joining the Fire Dept!
Last Tuesday, I participated in my first training night at my local volunteer Fire Department. Because I live in a rural area, we don't have a huge full-time Fire Dept like a large, or even small city might. What we do have is thousands of square miles of land that is the size of a small European country! With homes and people working in the far flung reaches of the county, having a way to combat fire is essential, but it has to be cheap! Hence, the volunteer Fire Dept, where people like me give time to train, and eventually attend calls that require specialized rescuers and equipment.
I originally thought about doing this when I realized that I need a part-time job. Rather than take some low-paying gig sweeping floors, or driving to the Big City to do something, I thought I would rather do something worthwhile. What could be more worthwhile than rescuing people in emergencies?
I'm sure I won't make much money, but I only need a little bit extra to help pay some bills (and traffic tickets), plus, the department will give me all kinds of amazing training, free of charge! My first night, we learned how to pull someone out of a well using ropes, pulleys, and harnesses. I got my own pair of boots, pants, and a jacket, although they are well used, they are mine to use during the training. If I am persistent, I could be a regular member in a few months, and be able to attend calls!
One of the courses that I really want to take is the Emergency Medical Responder, the very first level of Paramedic training. Once I have that course, and register with the Paramedic College, I would be certified to ride on ambulances as a junior member! Of course, I would rather ride the fire truck, but they attend many of the same calls.
I will keep updating as I continue doing this, including some pictures of the vehicles, if I am allowed.
I originally thought about doing this when I realized that I need a part-time job. Rather than take some low-paying gig sweeping floors, or driving to the Big City to do something, I thought I would rather do something worthwhile. What could be more worthwhile than rescuing people in emergencies?
I'm sure I won't make much money, but I only need a little bit extra to help pay some bills (and traffic tickets), plus, the department will give me all kinds of amazing training, free of charge! My first night, we learned how to pull someone out of a well using ropes, pulleys, and harnesses. I got my own pair of boots, pants, and a jacket, although they are well used, they are mine to use during the training. If I am persistent, I could be a regular member in a few months, and be able to attend calls!
One of the courses that I really want to take is the Emergency Medical Responder, the very first level of Paramedic training. Once I have that course, and register with the Paramedic College, I would be certified to ride on ambulances as a junior member! Of course, I would rather ride the fire truck, but they attend many of the same calls.
I will keep updating as I continue doing this, including some pictures of the vehicles, if I am allowed.
Monday, February 20, 2012
HugelKultur planting beds.
GARDEN PLANNING
It's February, but it feels like April, or maybe late March at the worst. The picture below was taken today, as you can see there is no snow, and the soil is pretty much thawed in the first few inches at least. Below that, it is frozen, but I was still able to hack into it with a pickaxe.
Soon to be hugelkultur mound
If you haven't read any of my past postings, I will briefly describe the benefits of hugelkultur. It was invented by a very wise and inventive man name Sepp Holtzer, who is Dutch. It consists of wood mounds covered in dirt, and left to decay. The decaying wood soaks up and retains lots of moisture from rain fall, and when it's planted, the roots have access to that water, as well as nutrients from the decaying wood. A hugelkultur bed that's large enough may not need to be watered at all! This has some very obvious benefits in a dry climate like mine, watering is a pain, and costs me money. If I build a couple of these beds every year, I will eventually have enough of them that my gardening will be a relative breeze. These mounds should be plantable immediately, with the addition of chicken manure to the pile. The only difficulty is getting enough wood to make a decent sized pile!
I will add more photos when I have placed all the wood, I will need to wait for the soil to thaw a bit more before I really get going, since I will need quite a bit of soil to go on top.
Friday, February 17, 2012
How Capitalism can Save the Free World
I am a Capitalist. I provide goods that people want and need, and I make it possible for 6 billion people to exist on this planet.
The whole point of capitalism is "Capital", the real durable good that make production possible. A farmer's tractor, the land he plants, the trees he harvests from, and the animals whose meat he sells. Capital does not fall from the sky, nor does it grow on trees. In order to buy the land, the farmer needed to save a down payment. To buy the tractor, he needed to save more money. The trees cost money, and take time to grow. The farmer plants trees with the hope to someday profit from them, in some cases knowing that his children will be the real beneficiaries of that profit.
All of this "Capital" would not exist if the farmer did not save. He willingly consumes less money now, with the hope that by accumulating these items, he will profit from them more in the future. It's true that the farmer is thinking of himself, but in doing so, he is benefiting all of mankind. If the farmer had no land, he could not plant. If he had land, but no machines, he would have to work with primitive tools, and he could not produce nearly as much food, nor could he transport that food to the people who want to eat it. Trees produce even more food, and feed the soil through their leaves. The farmer has to nuture and feed that tree for many years before he can gain the harvest, while there is always a risk of the tree dying before it becomes productive.
Many people believe that capitalism oppresses people. Walmart underpays it's employees, destroys other business, and is bad for us. They moan about the loss of "mom and pop" stores, which are more of a fantasy that reality. Even large stores usually have a single owner, who may be a "mom and pop" team, or a business team of 2 or more unrelated partners. Smaller stores can, and are very prosperous, judging by the fact that we apparently still have millions of them. Most of the people who have jobs work for an employer with less than 100 employees, which is the definition of a "small business". Only about 20% of the workforce are employed by the "big guys".
Many millions of people are like me, the farmer, working for themselves. Are they contributing less to the world than the Walmarts? More? Or, do all of these people benefit the human race through their work?
My contribution may be smaller than Walmart, but it is real, and measurable. I use the capital that I own to provide something that people want, and they are my bosses. If no one buys my products, I have failed, and I need to do something differently, or find a different group of bosses. I don't get to charge whatever I want, and neither does Walmart. The people who buy the products determine the price, and they also determine what is on the shelf, through their "votes".
If you don't like Walmart, that's a personal choice. Don't "vote" by shopping there, and your conscience will be clean. But maybe I like Walmart, and I want to vote for it. Who will win this battle? How about both of us? You win by shopping where you want, and I win by shopping where I want. We both get what we want, and no one loses. Too bad politics doesn't work that way!
I hear a lot of noise about "reforming capitalism" or "paying our fair share", and I tune it out. Just let me concentrate on producing as much of what people want to buy as I can. Let me keep the profits of my labors, and I will be inspired to produce more. If I produce enough, I could even start hiring people! This is how the system works when nobody interferes.
If you care about humanity, stop trying to "help" the poor by taking from the rich. The rich may have the money, but believe me, they would rather invest it in something useful than shove it in a drawer. That useful investment could give one of those "poor" people a good job, or provide a better tractor for a farmer, or enable a company to create a better TV, cellphone, gadget, all of which makes the lives of the "non-rich" a little bit better.
The whole point of capitalism is "Capital", the real durable good that make production possible. A farmer's tractor, the land he plants, the trees he harvests from, and the animals whose meat he sells. Capital does not fall from the sky, nor does it grow on trees. In order to buy the land, the farmer needed to save a down payment. To buy the tractor, he needed to save more money. The trees cost money, and take time to grow. The farmer plants trees with the hope to someday profit from them, in some cases knowing that his children will be the real beneficiaries of that profit.
All of this "Capital" would not exist if the farmer did not save. He willingly consumes less money now, with the hope that by accumulating these items, he will profit from them more in the future. It's true that the farmer is thinking of himself, but in doing so, he is benefiting all of mankind. If the farmer had no land, he could not plant. If he had land, but no machines, he would have to work with primitive tools, and he could not produce nearly as much food, nor could he transport that food to the people who want to eat it. Trees produce even more food, and feed the soil through their leaves. The farmer has to nuture and feed that tree for many years before he can gain the harvest, while there is always a risk of the tree dying before it becomes productive.
Many people believe that capitalism oppresses people. Walmart underpays it's employees, destroys other business, and is bad for us. They moan about the loss of "mom and pop" stores, which are more of a fantasy that reality. Even large stores usually have a single owner, who may be a "mom and pop" team, or a business team of 2 or more unrelated partners. Smaller stores can, and are very prosperous, judging by the fact that we apparently still have millions of them. Most of the people who have jobs work for an employer with less than 100 employees, which is the definition of a "small business". Only about 20% of the workforce are employed by the "big guys".
Many millions of people are like me, the farmer, working for themselves. Are they contributing less to the world than the Walmarts? More? Or, do all of these people benefit the human race through their work?
My contribution may be smaller than Walmart, but it is real, and measurable. I use the capital that I own to provide something that people want, and they are my bosses. If no one buys my products, I have failed, and I need to do something differently, or find a different group of bosses. I don't get to charge whatever I want, and neither does Walmart. The people who buy the products determine the price, and they also determine what is on the shelf, through their "votes".
If you don't like Walmart, that's a personal choice. Don't "vote" by shopping there, and your conscience will be clean. But maybe I like Walmart, and I want to vote for it. Who will win this battle? How about both of us? You win by shopping where you want, and I win by shopping where I want. We both get what we want, and no one loses. Too bad politics doesn't work that way!
I hear a lot of noise about "reforming capitalism" or "paying our fair share", and I tune it out. Just let me concentrate on producing as much of what people want to buy as I can. Let me keep the profits of my labors, and I will be inspired to produce more. If I produce enough, I could even start hiring people! This is how the system works when nobody interferes.
If you care about humanity, stop trying to "help" the poor by taking from the rich. The rich may have the money, but believe me, they would rather invest it in something useful than shove it in a drawer. That useful investment could give one of those "poor" people a good job, or provide a better tractor for a farmer, or enable a company to create a better TV, cellphone, gadget, all of which makes the lives of the "non-rich" a little bit better.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
More chickens for sale!
Just a quick announcement, we now have around 50 nice, plump older roosters for sale, at the same price as the smaller, more tender chickens.
These roosters are a bit under 5 months old, and weigh about 4 lbs each, some a bit more than that. They are tougher than the regular birds, especially in the thigh, but the breast is much bigger, and has so much more flavor!
The legs are tender enough to eat, but I just took the whole leg and thigh and simmer it for about 6 hours in a large pot of water. Then, the meat will be quite tender, and the water will have absorbed an incredible amount of flavor. The minerals in the bone and marrow will now be in the water, and if you let it cool, it will actually set as hard as jello!
These minerals are very nutritious, supporting your immune system and giving you lots of calcium, magnesium, and trace minerals. There is a reason that chicken soup is the universal food for colds and flu!
You will not find a better chicken for soup or stew anywhere, with this much flavor. These chickens have been foraging since their first day, even during the winter, and they have never seen any antibiotics or hormones in their life. Order now, because if you don't buy them, I just might end up eating them myself : )
PROJECTS
This week I expect to be very busy with some things. I need to plan the location for my huglkultur bed (google search, or visit www.permies.com) and then try and dig down a bit through the soil so the logs will be partially buried. I am going to cram old hay, and a bit of chicken manure into the spaces between logs, which will hopefully start them breaking down faster with the extra nitrogen. I would like to have about a 4 x 16 foot area planted with huglkultur. Then, I will need to hay mulch all of the saskatoons, blueberries, cherry trees, and asperagus plants I put in the last few years. I will put about 6 inches around the plants, which will compact a bit. This will hopefully keep the soil moisture high, and provide some nutrients as it breaks down for the trees. I may also toss a bit of chicken manure too, I have probably 300 lbs of it in the shed.
GOATS
We have goats! I purchased two female miniature nubian goats, and they have been roaming free range around the property for the last week or so. They are very small, but I will breed both of them in March, and perhaps I will be able to sell the kids when they are grown. I will also be able to milk them, although I won't get a lot of milk unless I milk daily. I would be content with a cup a day or so, since I would be the only one to drink it. The goats are easy to keep, and don't eat much. A bit of barley keeps them happy, and they have been grazing on the exposed grass as well. Now that the majority of the chickens are gone, I can cut my feed costs down to about $3/day for all the animals. I could save more by purchasing barley or wheat in bulk directly from a farmer, except that I need to store it somewhere safe and dry. I still have plans to build a barn, and as soon as the soil is warm enough, I will start mapping a location.
These roosters are a bit under 5 months old, and weigh about 4 lbs each, some a bit more than that. They are tougher than the regular birds, especially in the thigh, but the breast is much bigger, and has so much more flavor!
The legs are tender enough to eat, but I just took the whole leg and thigh and simmer it for about 6 hours in a large pot of water. Then, the meat will be quite tender, and the water will have absorbed an incredible amount of flavor. The minerals in the bone and marrow will now be in the water, and if you let it cool, it will actually set as hard as jello!
These minerals are very nutritious, supporting your immune system and giving you lots of calcium, magnesium, and trace minerals. There is a reason that chicken soup is the universal food for colds and flu!
You will not find a better chicken for soup or stew anywhere, with this much flavor. These chickens have been foraging since their first day, even during the winter, and they have never seen any antibiotics or hormones in their life. Order now, because if you don't buy them, I just might end up eating them myself : )
PROJECTS
This week I expect to be very busy with some things. I need to plan the location for my huglkultur bed (google search, or visit www.permies.com) and then try and dig down a bit through the soil so the logs will be partially buried. I am going to cram old hay, and a bit of chicken manure into the spaces between logs, which will hopefully start them breaking down faster with the extra nitrogen. I would like to have about a 4 x 16 foot area planted with huglkultur. Then, I will need to hay mulch all of the saskatoons, blueberries, cherry trees, and asperagus plants I put in the last few years. I will put about 6 inches around the plants, which will compact a bit. This will hopefully keep the soil moisture high, and provide some nutrients as it breaks down for the trees. I may also toss a bit of chicken manure too, I have probably 300 lbs of it in the shed.
GOATS
We have goats! I purchased two female miniature nubian goats, and they have been roaming free range around the property for the last week or so. They are very small, but I will breed both of them in March, and perhaps I will be able to sell the kids when they are grown. I will also be able to milk them, although I won't get a lot of milk unless I milk daily. I would be content with a cup a day or so, since I would be the only one to drink it. The goats are easy to keep, and don't eat much. A bit of barley keeps them happy, and they have been grazing on the exposed grass as well. Now that the majority of the chickens are gone, I can cut my feed costs down to about $3/day for all the animals. I could save more by purchasing barley or wheat in bulk directly from a farmer, except that I need to store it somewhere safe and dry. I still have plans to build a barn, and as soon as the soil is warm enough, I will start mapping a location.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
The blogging continues.
Hey-o, the blogging continues! There were some neccessary changes that had to be made, things were deleted, and life continues.
I was looking at the stats of this blog, and I was astounded to see that I've had 292 visitors from Russia! I had no idea that this would be so international, but that's awesome, and thanks to all of you Russians, Slovanians, Germans, Philipinos, and Japanese for reading my humble blog. I hope you are doing well in your corner of the globe!
CHICKENS
Some friends of mine call this the "chicken blog", and I can't blame them, it was my main focus over the last summer. I am happy now to report that almost all of the chickens are sold, and the consensus among everyone is that the chickens are excellent! I am selling them at a break-even price right now, $10 per chicken, with free delivery for 6 or more. I'm guessing I have about 50 more left, out of 240 initially. I have 50 more than are going for the butcher on the 6th of Feb, and these will be "soup" chickens, since they are older and less tender.
The main project this spring will be to give the chickens a larger area to graze in, start them earlier, and spread them into two groups of around 150 each. There will also be some turkeys grazing too, and of course, baby calves! At some point, I would like to run some goats, but I will need some extra-tall fencing for that.
HOMESTEAD
I want a basement! I'm going to sit here and hold my breath until I get one. Or maybe I could just build it, might be more productive. The plan right now, if the code approval guys, the bank, and the county are on-board, is to build a wooden framed basement, and move the mobile home on top of it. That will essentially double our square footage, give me a proper area to store my tools and other stuff, and possibly another bedroom too. It will also protect the water pipes from freezing in the -35 C weather that we occasionally get here in Canada, eh? All of the deep-cycle batteries, the washer/dryer, and everything else we have crammed into the house will be in there. If, for some reason I can't get approval to do a full basement, I will then try for a large addition with a basement of it's own, maybe a 20 x 25 foot. Then, the house itself needs to be permanently affixed to the ground, so I can mortgage it like a real house.
That's just a quick update, it's still winter so I can't do much but dream...but at least my dreams are big!
I was looking at the stats of this blog, and I was astounded to see that I've had 292 visitors from Russia! I had no idea that this would be so international, but that's awesome, and thanks to all of you Russians, Slovanians, Germans, Philipinos, and Japanese for reading my humble blog. I hope you are doing well in your corner of the globe!
CHICKENS
Some friends of mine call this the "chicken blog", and I can't blame them, it was my main focus over the last summer. I am happy now to report that almost all of the chickens are sold, and the consensus among everyone is that the chickens are excellent! I am selling them at a break-even price right now, $10 per chicken, with free delivery for 6 or more. I'm guessing I have about 50 more left, out of 240 initially. I have 50 more than are going for the butcher on the 6th of Feb, and these will be "soup" chickens, since they are older and less tender.
The main project this spring will be to give the chickens a larger area to graze in, start them earlier, and spread them into two groups of around 150 each. There will also be some turkeys grazing too, and of course, baby calves! At some point, I would like to run some goats, but I will need some extra-tall fencing for that.
HOMESTEAD
I want a basement! I'm going to sit here and hold my breath until I get one. Or maybe I could just build it, might be more productive. The plan right now, if the code approval guys, the bank, and the county are on-board, is to build a wooden framed basement, and move the mobile home on top of it. That will essentially double our square footage, give me a proper area to store my tools and other stuff, and possibly another bedroom too. It will also protect the water pipes from freezing in the -35 C weather that we occasionally get here in Canada, eh? All of the deep-cycle batteries, the washer/dryer, and everything else we have crammed into the house will be in there. If, for some reason I can't get approval to do a full basement, I will then try for a large addition with a basement of it's own, maybe a 20 x 25 foot. Then, the house itself needs to be permanently affixed to the ground, so I can mortgage it like a real house.
That's just a quick update, it's still winter so I can't do much but dream...but at least my dreams are big!
Friday, August 26, 2011
Website still coming soon
I know I said by the end of the week, but I was overestimating my abilities a bit, hehe. I purchased a template, and I'm making it look good, I only just need about 10 really good photos for the front page. I can't really use my iPhone photos, they aren't large enough for most of them, and the coloration isn't quite right. My wife has a good camera that I'm going to abscond with this afternoon, and take some shots.
I've had a long week off, and work starts again today, but I do feel like I've accomplished quite a bit. My best work was moving the solar panels to a more permanent position, and cleaning them off. It's a bright sunny day, and each of the 11 working panels is producing about 90% of maximum power, maybe a bit less. I'm getting 900 watts at peak times, which is the most I've ever had. I have one panel that was shattered, so it's not putting out much, and one more wasn't working at all, so really there are 10 good panels running.
It would be nice to start some more projects, but I don't have much more time. I am certainly ahead of where I was last year though, and it will be nice to have a warmer house once I insulate the crawlspace a bit more, and seal up the holes in the fabric. I am really, really looking forward to the day when my home has more than 4 inches of insulation...hopefully next summer, if all goes well!
I've had a long week off, and work starts again today, but I do feel like I've accomplished quite a bit. My best work was moving the solar panels to a more permanent position, and cleaning them off. It's a bright sunny day, and each of the 11 working panels is producing about 90% of maximum power, maybe a bit less. I'm getting 900 watts at peak times, which is the most I've ever had. I have one panel that was shattered, so it's not putting out much, and one more wasn't working at all, so really there are 10 good panels running.
It would be nice to start some more projects, but I don't have much more time. I am certainly ahead of where I was last year though, and it will be nice to have a warmer house once I insulate the crawlspace a bit more, and seal up the holes in the fabric. I am really, really looking forward to the day when my home has more than 4 inches of insulation...hopefully next summer, if all goes well!
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