Ok, I'll weigh in.

Small farmer anon here. 160 acres in north latitude. Old farmhouse, well water, wood heat. Livestock: 24 hens with crowing rooster, jersey cow and almost grown calf, 2 goats, and about 30 sheep at present (10 due for slaughter in a couple weeks - I slaughter myself). Two dogs, a passel of barn cats. Been here over a decade, have a garden, a few fruit trees (planning on adding more). Before here, was in southern climes for 20 years. Every year I add more to the homestead, either perennials or implements for my 35 horse tractor. I bake my own bread, grow my own food as much as possible.

I grew up in the burbs, and made the transition to country when I was 21.

Ask me and if I know, I will tell you. I can recommend a lot of good books - many available free online, actually. I can point you to websites. And I am willing to share what I have learned the hard way. Short of doxxing myself, of course.

>>1312406

Not here. $12 a quart, raw.

>>1312412

Have you ever actually built one of these? They get clogged with creosote and other impurities. This tech has improved, if you look for it you'll find it. Recommend purchase plans from Mother Earth News.

>>1312443

I can see it being that expensive in Alaska. But there are lots of hives on farms around here, so you can get truly local honey for $12 a quart. Helps with allergies, by the way, if you consume local honey that's not pasteurized. However, NEVER give a baby unpasteurized honey. No child should be given uncooked honey until they are past the age of 2 and have a fully functioning immune system.

>>1312448

You can always barter extras. Or, if you have a lot of extra food, get a pig.

>>1312481

Yeah, I should be out mucking out cow manure right now, but… it can wait a bit.

>>1312495

I agree, it's good tech to have the ability to do. Strongly recommend, if things fall apart it will be a huge barter point for you.

I will say that if things were to fall apart where it wood gas would be necessary, we won't be driving cars for very long because the roads will become impassable right quick without the constant maintenance that asphalt requires.

>>1312535

Haven't gotten to hard cheeses yet. Mozzarella, cottage cheese, cream cheese - I make my own butter. I need to get my girl freshened so she's back up to her 3 gallons/milking. Right now I'm down to 1 gal per milking and I use that right up.

How about you, what are you making, farmers?

>>1312562

You can make soft cheeses without rennet. Use a souring agent like vinegar or lemon juice to make it curd up, then gather the curds by pouring through cheesecloth or thin muslin. Rinse, salt to taste, add chives or whatever and enjoy.

If you have thistles, you can use them to make a form of vegetable rennet, but have to be careful not to overdo because it tastes bitter. I haven't done this, just read about it. I buy rennet. If things go south, I'll butcher a veal calf and keep the first stomach lining for rennet.

>>1312611

Yes, mozz is a snap. Butter too. I let my extra milk sour naturally to make the cottage cheese.

>>1312618

You actually can milk a beefer. The milk won't have as much cream, but it's perfectly fine. Just have to get the big girl used to having her teats pulled by hand.

>>1312598

Raw is so much better. Buying a herd share is a good way to get it without having the tedium of caring for the critter. It is a daily chore. I like it, though, I milk by hand. I know my cow very well.

>>1312698

It's illegal in some states to sell raw milk. I'm lucky, it's legal here if the buyer comes to the farm. I sell milk when I have more than I do now, and I sell my extra eggs as well. I give away to my neighbors, as we all share what we have. It's good will.

You may have better luck getting the milk if you swear it's for your cats, not for you. Barter may also work, because if fednotes don't exchange hands, it's not technically selling the milk but they give it to you. And you aren't selling your sauce, but giving it to them. Just keep your mouth shut about it, don't brag on it.

>>1312723

I just use frozen starter from the last batch, stir it in hot from the teat like you. Then I put it into a half gallon jar (I make about 1/2 gallon at a time, use mason wide mouth), put the jar in a bucket and pour hot water in to the top of the milk in the jar. Wrap with towels. Check and change the water with more hot when it starts to get cool. Usually makes in just 6 hours if you pay attention. I do drain it, keep the whey to make bread with - it gives a crunchy crust and tender crumb bread. That way I have greek style yogurt. Just stir home made jam into it to make it like store bought, but I usually just dollop honey in if I want it sweet.

It's all good.

>>1312796

Warning on the rabbits. They will tunnel out. Prodigious diggers. You could put a metal mesh on the floor of the dog run, the grass will still come up through the mesh for them to graze.

>>1312748

I started out with a machine that a friend gave to me, and my girl was fine with that because she came from a small dairy farm with machine milking. But I have transitioned both her and myself to hand milking. I like it better. She's still not sure, it takes longer than the machine, but I give her a little extra grain for her patience.

>>1312854

Sorry to hear that. Can I recommend something for you to try healing your gut with?

>>1312859

They are cuties, aren't they? Is it a heifer calf or a bull calf?

'Cause if it's a heifer, you could start it out right ;) for future milking.

>>1312900

Here's another thing to try, if you want. Ask local restaurants and bakeries for their throwaway food-quality buckets and jars. Just wash them up and you can store dry foods in them.

>>1312824

Garlic is a great wormer. Also wormwood, black walnut hulls, tansy - heck, even diatomaceous earth (food grade).

When you source your food from people that you trust, you know it will be healthy for you to eat.

As to the good point - community is very very important. Be good to your neighbors, share what you have. Be willing to lend a hand if you can. When you live out in the sticks, your neighbor is your lifeline, and you are his. Too many folk think they will just buy a cabin in the woods and hermit it and be fine. That's not how it works, and you won't last in the country if you act like a stuck up prick.

>>1312960

No problem. This one I give you from experience ;). You don't want to have to spend the next three months hunting down the rabbits that got out - that have an inordinate fondness for your garden.

>>1312988

Time and need have a way of changing things. <g>

>>1312998

Yes, glyphosate is foul stuff.

There are some ayurvedic supplements that actually work very well to heal the digestive tract.

>>1312884

I don't blame you. It is a world of difference.

The same with eggs, imo. I have a hard time stomaching restaurant eggs. Commercial eggs have a metallic taste and the yolks are so pale. It's like you can taste the hens' distress in the eggs.

>>1313320

Hmm. I have some thoughts on that, that has to do with epigenetics and the alteration that people undergo when they are truly converted - but this is not the thread for that.

>>1313393

Mash them then dehydrate them.

http://thehomesteadinghippy.com/make-dehydrated-potato-flakes-scratch/

>>1313449

>>1313320 - sorry, answered wrong post

>>1313205 - it was meant for this post

>>1313496

You are right. This is a good conversion for generators. Also, I am interested in it for my 35hp ford tractor, because I frankly don't want to go back to plowing with horses.

>>1313491

Sounds like a good setup.

>>1313619

My pleasure. And now, I have to finish up chores and close up the barn for the night. Good night anons.

Book recommendation for newbies to country life: Carla Emery's "The Encyclopedia of Country Living" - and if you get a chance, take a look at the Foxfire series of books as well. All should be available in your local library or through an interlibrary loan.

Shadilay, anons!

>>1316815

There are old fashioned treadle sewing machines. They don't have fancy stitching, only straight stitches, but they work very well. I used to have one but had to give it to a friend when I moved up north - no room to take it.

Here's an eBay link so you can see:

https://www.ebay.com/b/Singer-Treadle-Sewing-Machine/156327/bn_55192685

You can find them in second hand stores or antique stores.

But if you want a modern style machine that works with a treadle, you can get that too at a hefty price tag.

https://www.lehmans.com/product/traditional-sewing-machine-cabinet-and-treadle/

Before buying from Lehmans, if you have an Amish community in your area, find their store. They always have an Amish store. The merchandise is always quality and reasonably priced. The merchant may be able to get you a new fancy treadle machine at a better price than Lehmans.

For example, I buy my shepherds crooks at the local Amish store for $8. The same crooks online are $45.

>>1315495

There is a lot of info online on go bags, but the standard is to have enough food for three days, a water container and small water filter (like a straw filter, can get for under $20, highly recommend), lighter/matches, med kit, a change of clothes or if not that at least a change of sox and undies (better to have two extra sets), sleeping bag and pad. Tarps. Have clothes to match the season, as well - as in layers if its cold season.

You'll want a good knife. Some cordage (paracord). Good hiking boots that are broken in. Maps of the area and to your intended destination.

The idea of a bugout bag is to have the necessities to allow you to walk away from where you are and get started on your way to your bugout location. In other words, it's not enough just to get away. You have to have somewhere to go to. That's a whole 'nother subject.

So is having a bugout kit for your vehicle if you plan to go on wheels.

Recommend you spend some weekends camping to find out what works for you and what you can carry comfortably and what food you want to have with you.

>>1311362

I only buy Wheat Montana brand. Non GMO and no pesticides.

>>1314671

>1313083

what about sourdough bread and organic home milled grains?

I don't understand what you're asking. Sounds great.

>1313517

>I frankly don't want to go back to plowing with horses. Don't need to plow. A good cultivator will do wonders for the land without plowing. I LIKE to plow but I don't NEED to plow. I run a two wheel walk behind David Bradley.

Reread my post. We were talking about using wood gas generators if there is no gas available. Bradleys are great for a hobby farm like yours. Not so good when you're on real acreage, though.

>>1314848

No need to live off grid until you have to. But it's good to be prepared to do it if you have to. ;)

>>1317104

If you aren't now consuming rice and beans regularly, I recommend you add a couple such meals a week now, if you're planning on eating that if things go bad. Otherwise, you are going to be mighty uncomfortable if that's all you have to eat. Better add a few bottles of multivitamins with minerals to your preps, too.

>>1317141

On the first question, sure. Why?

About Stephen Leslie, I hope he's wrong. Because the price of food will go way up as you simply cannot work as much acreage with horses as with even a small tractor. We will see food scarcity in this country again, and people will starve. A little secret about the great depression is that an estimated 10 million people died of starvation during it, because they couldn't afford to buy enough food to survive.

OK. I figured that…?

>>1317186

OK, gotya! Then my rec s/b for the OP ;)