Homegrown vegetables are good for you, but they are frequently dirty. Veggie Wash is an all-natural cleaning spray that seems to do a good job getting the produce clean and ready to eat. For things like tomatoes, apples, and peaches, just spray the fruit and rub it clean under running water. For berries and lettuce, fill the sink with cold water, add the produce, and … Continue reading Veggie Wash
Pick up any slow cooker cookbook, and you’ll be amazed at the versatility of this simple appliance. With a slow cooker, you can combine the ingredients for anything from stew to oatmeal to cobbler within minutes, then just walk away until it’s time to serve and eat. Are there other advantages to slow cooking? Are there any hidden disadvantages? And is slow cooking safe? Let’s … Continue reading Pros and Cons of Slow Cookers
Knowing the state of your garden soil is handy, but if your garden is for personal family use only, you probably don’t feel justified in ordering a professional lab analysis. Fortunately, inexpensive test kits are available online. This kit by Luster Leaf seems to do a fair job. It tests: pH. Nitrogen. Phosphorus. Potassium. As you can see, only the bare basics are included. The … Continue reading Luster Leaf Rapitest Soil Test Kit
Withers Yoke The withers yoke is only used with humped zebu-type cattle, such as Brahmans. The yoke is a wooden pole resting on the hump of the animal and is held in place by a rope or leather strap around the neck. Note that the rope does not take any of the weight of the load. Sometimes wooden staves projecting downward from the pole add … Continue reading Ox Yokes and Collars: Withers Yokes and Ox Collars
When most of us think of an ox yoke, we tend to envision the long, gracefully bowed piece of wood resting on the necks of a pair of oxen. This traditional neck or bow yoke certainly has had an important place in American history, but it is not the only option for aspiring teamsters today. In fact, it may not even be the best yoke … Continue reading Ox Yokes and Collars: Neck Yokes and Head Yokes
It’s already that time of year again—time to celebrate the birth of Christ and enjoy the company of our family members! Cold weather and snow mean that it is also time to find a cozy seat and catch up on some research and reading. Please enjoy this year’s lineup of our best content. We’re looking forward to serving you again in 2017. Merry Christmas! … Continue reading Merry Christmas 2016
Is there a special birdwatcher in your life? You know, that person who never travels without binoculars and who remembers a location by that rare bird he added to his life list while visiting? Here are a few ways to bring a smile to his face this Christmas: Backyard Bird Feeder’s Bible: Every birdwatcher needs a copy of this handy guide to species, seeds, flowers, … Continue reading 5 Gifts for Birdwatchers
June is just around the corner. Take some time to sharpen your knowledge of farming, music, crafts, and history. Find out how glyphosate-resistant crops work. Brush up on your mandolin technique. Teach your kids how to knit on those rainy days. Discover the story of the Stetson hat. Make a strawberry shortcake. Collect five things every beginning charcoal artist needs. Consider what caused the Dust … Continue reading Get Ready for June 2016
If you use diatomaceous earth (DE) to beat your garden pests, you will probably appreciate the Dustin-Mizer. This is a hand-powered device that will help you apply a fine dusting of DE to your plants. Operation is simple: Assemble the Dustin-Mizer. Fill the bin with up to one pound of DE. Point the nozzle toward a plant. Crank the handle to apply DE. Not much … Continue reading Dustin-Mizer
There are many ways of tuning your instrument. Not surprisingly, each has its own set of pros and cons: Pitch pipe: Simple and portable, but limited to standard tunings, hard to hear in noisy settings, and not accurate if you blow too softly or too forcefully. Tuning fork: Simple and accurate, but limited and hard to hear in noisy settings. Piano: Versatile and accurate (assuming … Continue reading Intellitouch Tuners
