Bertia lanhe: Mei 2015

Rabu, 20 Mei 2015

Soul Filled Sabbath

Lets take a moment to prepare our hearts as we enter into the season of celebration and thanksgiving!

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!
  Serve the Lord with gladness!
  Come into his presence with singing!

Know that the Lord, he is God!
  It is he who made us, and we are his;[a]
  we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
  and his courts with praise!
  Give thanks to him; bless his name!

For the Lord is good;
  his steadfast love endures forever,
  and his faithfulness to all generations."

- Psalm 100

Selasa, 19 Mei 2015

A Week in Farm Photos Sept 28th Oct 4th

For someone (me) who doesn't leave our property much, except to buy groceries and chicken feed, and up until now has lived a pretty private life on our farm, this past week was really a whirlwind. I returned from P. Allen Smith's farm on Sunday, appeared on a local television show on Tuesday and then Friday spent the day posing for my first professional photo shoot. Add to that signing a whole bunch of books and getting them mailed out, I barely stopped to catch my breath.

It was all so much fun, but I'm looking forward to a far slower-paced next week - and some quality time with my husband and our animals. It's fun to be a jet-setter, but there IS no place like home. Oh and did I mention our spring Marans have laid their first eggs! Sweeet!

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A is for Albumen Decoding Chicken Terms

When you start raising chickens, you are bound to run into terms, abbreviations and phrases that might seem like a foreign language at first. Here is my non-scientific, layman's guide to some of the more common terms and their meanings:

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arctic ice melt

The ice pack floating on the Arctic Ocean is melting faster than people thought before, according to a study reviewed by the NY Times Andrew Revkin. The old estimate was that the ocean could be ice-free sometime between 2050 and the early 22nd century; the new estimate isnt really clear from the story. Read the whole thing here. Also check out Doug OHarras explanation.

Plan To Eat Black Friday SALE!

Now is the time to renew your Plan To Eat subscription or take advantage of their annual half price sale and kick the tires so-to-speak. If you tried it before and havent seen the new lights and bells that make it even better, be sure to check it out. By going to their site you can view their tour and find out more.

Did I mention they have a fantastic food blog?
Happy eating!

Senin, 18 Mei 2015

Barn Hop 80

Welcome to the Monday Homestead Barn Hop where youre invited to link up your blog with your very best post of the week; something happening at your homestead or something of interest that will help benefit fellow homesteaders. Plus, each of the 3 Homestead Barn Hop hostess selects her favorite post of the week to highlight the following week. So be sure to visit all three blogs because the "Featured Homestead" could be YOURS!

If I could only tell you how hard it is to decide on the Featured Homestead each week! So many, many great posts linked up! Thank you, friends. I get a ton of ideas from your blogs and Im so blessed to have a weekly reminder that there are others out there who are definitely kindred spirits! Occasionally, I come across a really great post, but no link back... please be kind and link back to one of the three host blogs so we can include you in the featured segment.

week, the featured homesteader is JES of Strangers & Pilgrims on Earth.

"Making your own cleaning products has made a comeback as many homemakers seek to save money and remove creepy chemicals from their homes. Most of the recipes involve vinegar, water and essential oils. The addition of essential oils... can really add up! Instead of constantly dropping those expensive ingredients into your concoctions, why not create your own lavender based vinegar to clean with? "

If youve been featured in the past...

If youve been a featured blogger on the Barn Hop, either today or in the past, we now have a special button for you should you wish to add it to your sidebar stating that youve been a featured blogger! You can find it on my button page by clicking the hen with the blue barn on my sidebar that says "HR Buttons". Its a good idea to link it back to the page where you were featured so your readers can see where youre actually mentioned. (These buttons do not have a code since it needs to be linked to the page youre featured in and it will change from week to week. Just copy the button or drag it to your desktop).

Join The Barn Hop!

Jill @ The Prairie Homestead

Kendra @ New Life on a Homestead

and Amy @ Homestead Revival...

...invite you to link up and share your homesteading adventures!

Did you share any cool new homesteading tips on your blog this week? If so, we’d love to have you link up below! Even if you don’t have a blog, we always welcome your comments!

Please remember that the Homestead Barn Hop is meant to be a place to share homesteading related encouragement and inspiring ideas specfically related to homesteading. In an effort to keep our weekly round-up clutter free, links which are not specifically homestead related, and any promotions such as giveaways, contests, carnivals, etc, will be deleted in order to maintain the integrity of the Barn Hop. Please remember this is a family friendly link up. Any pictures or posts linked to the hop which aren’t appropriate for our children to view or read will also be deleted immediately. We’re pretty conservative, so we ask that you use good judgment and err on the side of caution.

Make sure that you link to your Barn Hop post, not your blog’s main page, so your guests won’t have any trouble finding your great tips!

We would also appreciate it if you would link back to the Homestead Barn Hop in the post that you share! Feel free to grab the banner at the top of this post to link back to us with.

Want a chance to be a “Featured Homestead” next week?

Be sure youve included an actual link to the Barn Hop, preferably the button, on your post or sidebar, with a link back to us. Thank you for sharing the message about the Homestead Barn Hop!

Occasionally there is a problem posting due to glitches in the internet or the Linky Tools. If you have difficulties posting and it does not show up immediately, please wait a little while and try re-posting (this helps avoid double posting). Were sorry for any inconvenience this may cause, be we do not have absolute control over the internet. Thank you for your patience and understanding!

T310 Chicken Trailer Plans Construction Chicken Trailer Design How To Build A Chicken Trailer

T310 - Chicken Trailer Plans Construction - Chicken Trailer Design - How To Build A Chicken Trailer

...

T310 - Chicken Trailer Plans Construction

Chicken Trailer Design - How To Build A Chicken Trailer

plan does not mention the detailed design for the trailer,

Trailer will be purchased on the market such as:

http://bit.ly/HeavyDutyFoldingTrailer

...

Units: Inches - fractions

...

Principles of design:

"Sustainability"_"Insulation"_"Ventilation"_"Easy to Clean"

...

It can comfortably hold 25 chickens;

Nest boxes for 12 hens
- Chicken Cage: 4 5 1/2" x 10
- Construction area: 6 x 10
- Total height: 11 2"
Total volume of wood: 96066 inches3 (= 55 feet3)
...
- Dimensional lumber sizes:
a: 4"x4" (Nominal)=3 1/2"x3 1/2" (Actual)
b: 2"x4" (Nominal)=1 1/2"x3 1/2" (Actual)
c: 2"x2" (Nominal)=1 1/2"x1 1/2" (Actual)
d: 1"x10" (Nominal)=3/4"x9 1/4" (Actual)
e: 2"x6" (Nominal)=1 1/2"x5 1/2" (Actual)
f: 1"x3" (Nominal)=3/4"x2 1/2" (Actual)
g: 1"x6" (Nominal)=3/4"x5 1/2" (Actual)
k: 1"x1" (Nominal)=3/4"x3/4" (Actual)
h: 1"x2" (Nominal)=3/4"x1 1/2" (Actual)
m: 1"x8" (Nominal)=3/4"x7 1/4" (Actual)
...
The functional component - the build step guide - Table of Contents:
0.0 - 0.5 - Concept design
1.0 - 1195 lb. Capacity 48 in. x 96 in. Heavy Duty Folding Trailer
2.0 - Building the Floor
3.0 - Building the Main Frame Structure
4.0 - Building the Nest boxes
5.0 - Building the Interior Wall
6.0 - Building Perches for chickens
7.0 - Building Roof Beam
8.0 - Building Fiberglass Insulation for Wall
9.0 - Building Exterior Wall
10.0 - Building Doors, Windows and Vents
11.0 - Building Roof - Roof Beam
12.0 - Building Ramp
13.0 - Building Litter Tray
14.0 - Perspective - The building was completed
...

...

T310 - Chicken Trailer Plans Construction

Chicken Trailer Design - How To Build A Chicken Trailer

...

See more Concept Plans

...

Detailed Plans for Construction

(PDF file; Excel file

Units: Inches - fractions

Minggu, 17 Mei 2015

climate change 101

Please excuse my delinquent posting. Im taking a class at the University of Alaska Fairbanks on climate and climate change, and last week was the final exam. I think I might have tanked it despite studying a fair amount. I completely missed the first question by confusing dynamical feedbacks, which deal with the transport of energy over latitudes, and biogeochemical feedbacks, which highlight the way biology can effect climatic changes.
Tuesday I have to give a half-hour presentation, which Ive chosen to do on the Pacific Decadal Oscillation. The PDO is a pattern of atmospheric changes something like El Nino/La Nina but on a longer time scale and located primarily in the North Pacific rather than the tropical Pacific. Its important for Alaska because it caused at least some of a big jump in air temperatures in 1976, and confuses the question of how much the state has warmed in the last 50 or 100 years because of anthropogenic climate change. Some ignore the PDO as say, Look! Alaska is 4 degrees warmer now, while others point to the PDO and say, No sweat, itll get cold again.
Today I had a scattered day of reporting that included interviewing an Alaskan environmental leader on Gov. Palins environmental positions, blogging about the natural gas pipeline, covering a Ron Paul rally, doing a short profile of a woman from southern California, typing up the police report, and interviewing the brother of someone who was just killed by a drunk driver in Anchorage.
In my spare time, Ive been cleaning my caribou skull to make a European mount.

Blackberry Rosemary Herbal Simple Syrup

Fresh rosemary paired with blackberries really gives this simple syrup a nice, complex taste. I love to whip up a batch of the syrup, then add it to a glass of ice and club soda for an all natural flavored 'soda' in the summer.

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300 million for insulation

Without any mention of climate change, Alaska could soon take a huge step toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
State Senator Lyman Hoffman of Bethel is quietly pushing a huge, one-time boost in funding for home weatherization and energy efficiency programs. In recent years, the state has put $3 million into low-income weatherization. Hoffman wants $200 million. In recent years, the state has not put any money into an energy efficiency rebate program. Hoffman wants $100 million.
Both programs are overseen by the Alaska Housing Finance Corp., a public corporation. The weatherization program works by funneling money through regional non-profits that do the actual work. With the $3 million in state funds and $1.8 million in federal funds, the program reaches about 600 households a year.
Thats way below the income limit, which is set by regulation at 60 percent of the Alaska poverty line. A 2005 Information Insights study estimated 45,000 homes were eligible out of the roughly 260,000 in the state.
Hoffman figured a 10-time increase in funding would still only cover a fraction of the homes that qualify -- about 4,200. The $200 million he wants would be about a 42-time increase and would cover about 17,400 homes, which works out to about $11,500 worth of work per home.
The other program would provide rebates of between $2,500 and $5,000 for improvements in home energy efficiency, based on how many steps homeowners increase in Energy Star Ratings. (One step gets you $2,500; five or more gets you $5,000.)
That program is not dependent on income.
(Info is mostly from Hoffmans office.)
I dont really have any figures on greenhouse gas reductions from something like this, but consider the following.
-Any reduction in the use of heating fuel or electricity (from fossil fuel-fire power plants anyway) also reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
-Energy conservation is widely considered the cheapest, most effective measure (compared to renewables, for example).
might sound like a pipe dream -- another rural lawmaker is struggling to get a $10 million state match for LIHEAP -- except that Hoffman is co-chair of the Senate Finance Committee, and the money
is already in the supplemental budget the committee approved.
The Housing Finance Corp. is apparently on board, but Im not sure about the gov.
A bill that may or may not be needed to make the plan work is up for its first hearing today.
Stay tuned.

Do you Know your Culinary Herbs Herb Identification Chart and Benefits

Do you know your culinary herbs by sight? How about their health benefits for both you and your chickens? Here are a few varieties of herbs that I grow in my herb garden and the wonderful goodness of each.

I grow both Lime Basil and Sweet Italian Basil. Basil has antibacterial properties and enhances mucus membrane health. All types of basil work as a fly deterrent as well.

Basil makes delicious pesto when combined with olive oil, Parmesan cheese and pine nuts and is also wonderful when paired with fresh mozzarella cheese and home grown tomatoes with some balsamic vinegar drizzled on top, or assembled between two sliced of Italian bread as a grilled cheese sandwich.

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Sabtu, 16 Mei 2015

Dear Daughter Keeping Our Femininity

I realize there are men that read Homestead Revival™, but may I take a day to specifically address not only my daughters, but our female readers on the topic of femininity? (Guys, youre more than welcome to post your comments on this topic as well).

Ladies, this topic has come up in my own home, especially as of late, and I felt that I wasnt communicating my thoughts to my own daughters very clearly or graciously. Writing it out has helped me tremendously and it reflects my own interpretation of scripture. Perhaps it is a discussion in some of your own homes as well. If so, I hope it helps. Also, I pray that everyone (including my daughters) will remember that this is how we should be characterized; none of us will probably ever do this perfectly 365 days a year, myself included!

Dear Daughter,

As you already know, having a house full of daughters, its easy for our home to become a "girl world". And yet, living miles outside of town where a knock on the door is rare, its also easy to become very relaxed in our day to day living, specifically in our appearance.

But really, any excuse is as good as any when youre homesteading and maybe tired, working out in the yard or the chicken coop, gardening in the dirt, canning in a hot kitchen.... you get the idea. Soon, we have swapped out the nice clean shirt for one with paint and a hole (daily instead of when were actually painting), we skip the makeup for the day, decide well wash (or brush!) our hair later, and tell ourselves no one will see us.

Our family does. And our men do!

And before you know it... were characterized by looking haggered, tired, and overall... unattractive.

Because our men are typically such great guys, they wont say a word (and because theyre smart, they dont want to say the wrong thing, like "Honey, that dress makes you look 10 pounds heavier than you really are, Im sure.")

First, whether we wear jeans and cowboy boots, a skirt and head covering, capris and a t-shirt, its important that we look like a lady! Dont just take my word on this. Look to Gods Word for direction on the subject... while you may interpret Deuteronomy 22:5 differently, at the very minimum, we can agree that a man was to look like a man and a woman was to look like a woman.

“A woman shall not wear man’s clothing, nor shall a man put on a woman’s clothing; for whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD your God."

At the time this passage was written, everyone wore a tunic of some kind, but apparently there were little nuances that made the difference between a mans tunic and a womans. Hmmm...

We need to seriously consider what God desires for women to do when it comes to being feminine. There is the minimum expectation and then there are things we can do that might enhance our femininity even further, without being legalistic, specifically things that please our husbands that are not forbidden by scripture.

Second, we also need to remember that God is a god of order. We see this reflected throughout the Bible, but I Cor. 14:39 immediately comes to mind...

"But all things must be done properly and in an orderly manner." I Cor. 14:39.

verse may be speaking about prophesying in tongues, but in general, its speaking about how we conduct ourselves... period. God would not have us orderly in our speech, but disheveled in our appearance, would He? God took great care to place your eyes, nose, and mouth in an orderly arrangement that has not varied from person to person... so apparently, He has shown us that a systematic display of facial features is important.

Taking care to maintain ourselves is not just "acceptable", its a statement that we recognize Gods desire for us to be orderly as well. Brushing our hair, arranging it in a pleasing manner, and keeping our bodies clean are all ways we reflect His order. Even things like neatly trimmed or manicured nails, ironing a skirt, or making sure the blouse has all the buttons sewn in place communicates our submission to His will. And when we do it with joy, it pleases our Heavenly Father.

And finally, what about Gods character in terms of beauty? While we may not always feel beautiful, shouldnt we try to reflect all His character at all times, including beauty?

"but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in Gods sight is very precious." I Peter 3:4

Ill be the first to agree that we should not spend more time on our outward beauty than our inner beauty. Proverbs 31:30 warns us specifically of a woman who only relies on her outward beauty, but this warning was not a command to purposefully make ourselves ugly; nor was it a license to neglect our appearance and let ourselves go.

There is no biblical requirement for us to wear costly clothing. But I hope you can see there is a call to look like a lady, as well as to be clean, neat, and as attractive as possible given the context of the moment. Doing hard work should not be an excuse, nor should the fact that we think no one else will see, because we never know what the day will hold and who may grace our doorstep! And our husbands and family? Do they not deserve our very best? Who else should we want to please the most other than our Lord?

When the time comes that you are married, ask your husband what he prefers (or ask your father now), but typically most men appreciate a woman who...

• knows the difference between frumpy and baggy clothes as well as too tight, too short, and immodest

• realizes that a tad of natural looking makeup is good; too much is gaudy

• wears a dress or skirt daily or on occasion

• realizes jewelry should be an accent, not overpowering or distracting

• is neat and clean in appearance, even at home, but isnt afraid to get dirty when necessary
• who is modest inside and out; in character and her adornment; (the internal gives birth to the external and God does not pit the internal against the external, but rather he calls them to be in harmony)

How we walk, our speech, our manners at the table... all contribute to our appearance. A young lady who laughs so loud as to drown out others, chews her food with an open mouth, or talks incessantly about herself or anything else, for that matter, detracts from any physical beauty she may naturally possess. Rather than drawing people to her, she ends up pushing them away.

God made you to be a woman for His pleasure and His glory; its an opportunity to reflect the beauty of the Lord within you. Dont miss out on the blessing youve been given! And dont miss this moment in time to bless those around you.

Love,
Mom