Description

Stories in this issue:

• Fly Protection: Anne and Eric Nordell discuss both mechanical and chemical fly protection for their horses. The benefits of fly nets, fly bonnets, neck sleeves, repellents well as a list of suppliers of nylon fly nets are included.
• Fun with Flint Corn: Charlie Tennessen teaches us about nutritious flint corn. He has experimented with a number of varieties and shares his planting, cultivating, seed saving techniques as well as explaining nixamalization to ensure the nutritionals value of the corn for human consumption.
• Tamales Recipe: Flint corn makes great tamales. Charlie Tennessen teaches us his technique of soaking (nixamalization), grinding and prepares his flint corn.
• A Year in a Farm’s Life: Part 3 – Summer and Fall: Katrina Julian continues her beautifully written journal about a year on she and Jason’s dairy farm. Read about this fine tuned diversified farm business where all members play essential roles. Katrina does a wonderful job of explaining the complexities of every element of the business, from the daily chores to the building of a new barn to the loss of their much loved Brabant, Billings.
• Bethany Caskey – Part 2 – Roads Less Traveled: This second article about the many roads Ms. Caskey’s has taken in her life. From her work in the Vintage Show Company to starting an internet company, learning to fly, painting, magazine editing, book and magazine illustrating, sculpture, not to mention the many horses and breeds that she has loved along the way.
• Small Farm Grain Storage: Ralph Rice instructs us on how to build a couple of different corn cribs and a grain bin. Advice on sizing your bins is also included.
• You Went Where?: Karen Kirsch attended the Donkey Welfare Symposium in November 2017. There were seminars on donkey history, ecological impact, physiology, behavior and versatility. She also reports on some disturbing global activities harming donkeys.
• World Record Mule Plowing: A call to attend and participate in the Middle Tennessee Mule Skinners world record attempt at the most mules plowing
• Changing Times: Brandt Ainsworth’s essay about the respect that one earns for a lifetime’s work and how we need to keep that in mind and show our appreciation…even at the grocery store!
• Crossing the Country in 1910: Jenifer Morrissey shares another journey her great-great grandparents took in 1910 from Florida to Oregon. His diaries give us a good sense of the times as they toured Cumberland Island, Georgia, observed barrel staves in Arkansas, Success, Arkansas, known for their freshwater pearl boom, traveled the Ohio River to Chicago, road the rails to threshing season in Montana.
• The Care of the Farm Flock: Another in our series reprinted from Farm Knowledge, Volume 12, Farm Animals, Their Care and Diseases, prepared by Sears and Roebuck. Everything you want to know about raising chickens; choosing a breed, general care, housing, breeding, hatching, and artificial brooding.