Poplar Bud Infused oil, by Kira

In a few weeks I am going to be making poplar bud oil.

If you have poplar trees around your home you will recognize the sweet, woodsy smell of their buds opening in the spring.

This is one of my favourite scents.

The buds are picked in early spring before the leaves have started to come out. This is when the buds are rich with sticky medicinal resins.

Poplar buds contain salicin and populin.

These glycosides are similar to aspirin and are effective at reducing pain, inflammation, and fever.

The infused oil is used to treat chapped lips, dry cracked hands,

minor scrapes, and cuts.

It is great for deep massages and relief from arthritis.

If you have little ones in diapers you can use it to prevent or treat diaper rash.

The hardest part of this project will be retrieving the poplar buds!

We have many poplar trees, but most of them are very tall.

The best time to hunt for buds is after a wind storm.

Look for fallen branches on the ground.

Drying Laundry without a Dryer, by Kira

 

 

 

I thought I would miss my dryer when it died.

We knew it was coming; it had a horrible squeak when it ran,

and gradually took longer to get started.

Eventually, it just stopped drying clothes,and we deemed it not worth repairing.

At first I did miss it.

I guess for the most part it was the convenience that I missed;

if you needed something dry now, you could run it through the dryer and have it ready in a matter of minutes.

It was also missed for it's ability to dry the cloth diapers thoroughly.

 

 

 

 

 

It's been two years now without a dryer.

It wasn't missed for long.

It just took a while to get into a rhythm and working out drying details.

 

 

 

 

 

We have an outdoor clothes line that Andrew installed within the first year of moving into our home, which was about 9 years ago.

The second was put up shortly after the loss of the dryer.

Since then, two more lines have been added indoors.

One is a line that goes through the middle of our living room, which I usually only fill before bed and empty early morning.

The other line is the seed shelf that Andrew built last spring for holding my seedlings.

 

 

 

 

 

The woodstove really does work wonders for drying clothes.

If it wasn't for the woodstove it would be slower.

I can do three large loads of laundry in the evening, fill all the lines in the living room and have it all dry by morning.

The most difficult time for me to dry laundry is during the hot

and humid summer days.

If I get too far behind on these humid days I sometimes hang the clothes indoors and light the woodstove.

Some may call that crazy for making it hotter.

But the temperature doesn't normally rise much.

What it does is dry my clothes and also cuts the humidity in the house.

We also started to be more mindful of what was actually dirty before just throwing it into the dirty clothes pile. (Yes, a pile, not a hamper.)

Now that we're diaper free, (yay!) the laundry has been cut back even more.

 

 

 

 

 

This past year I dried more inside than outside.

There just wasn't that much prime drying weather.

The key to going without a dryer is having the right kind of set up in your home.

For me it's lots of lines and a running the woodstove.

 

By the way,

here is a link to my laundry soap recipe.

I felt it was appropriate. ;)

 

 

 

 

 

Roasting Our Beans, by Kira

 

 

 

 

A little glimpse into feed making.

One ingredient that goes into our chicken feed is soybeans.

Andrew buys organic soybeans to use as the main protein component.

Many animals aren't able to properly digest raw soybeans.

So, to make the beans easier to digest we roast them.

 

Our clothes dryer died a couple winters ago, and we became a dryer free home.

We held on to the dryer until we found a use for it.

This past summer it became our soybean roaster.

Andrew removed the drum from the dryer and now it sits on the cookstove inside the school house

(which is nearing completion, I will share photos soon).

The cookstove is on most days,

with dinner slowly cooking inside the stove and beans roasting in the dryer drum on top.

Once the beans are roasted they are ready to go through the feed mixer with the rest of the grains and mineral supplements.

 

 

 

 

Fresh Chicken, by Kira

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dyeing with Turmeric, by Kira

Turmeric is a substantive dye.

This means you do not need to use a mordant to hold the colour.

Other substantive dyes include lichen, safflower and indigo.

Now that I have done this using turmeric, I want to use lichen.

We have many types of lichen here that create some beautiful shades of green, yellow, brown and purple.

I used about a cup of turmeric and four litres of water.

A white shirt.

I boiled the turmeric for about 45 minutes, then put the shirt in and lightly boiled for another 45 minutes.

This is the brilliant orange that the shirt was when I pulled it out.

I rinsed the shirt until the water was running nearly clear.

Then I washed it in the washing machine and hung it on the line to dry in the sun.

It ended up with a beautiful goldenrod colour.

Now into the forest to collect lichen!

 

Two Coloured Cowl, by Kira

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, I made this!

This is the third thing I have crocheted.

I started crocheting last winter.

My first project was a pair of slippers, then a few wash cloths and now this.

Crocheting isn't something I like to fill my spare time doing.

It usually starts by me seeing a pattern or a piece of clothing,

and wanting to make it.

Now that my cowl is done I probably won't pick up my crochet hook until next fall. Now it will be plants, gardens,bees, pigs, chicks and chickens.

Time to get out in the mud!

The Purl Bee is where I found this pattern, I used an organic 2 ply bamboo from our local fiber store.

 

 

 

 

Wood Butter, by Kira

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Andrew and I are both doing a little wood working now and we wanted a finish for the wood that was safe for kitchen use and wouldn't chip away in time like a varnish.

So we are trying a recipe for wood butter.

It is a mix of bee's wax and USP grade mineral oil.

If you have ever finished a wood project using an oil you know how nice it looks.

It brings out the natural colours, the wood grain and markings.

I made up a small batch to test out on some small projects and we are going to treat our counter top with it as well.

Wood Butter

4 ounces of bee's wax

16 ounces of USP grade mineral oil

On low heat melt the bee's wax.

In a separate pot, warm up the mineral oil.

Once the wax has melted and the oil warmed, pour the oil into the wax.

Stir together and then pour it into a jar or other container.

Once the butter has cooled keep it sealed.

Rub the butter on with a clean cloth. Once you have rubbed it on,

take another clean cloth and wipe off the excess.

This also gives it a little bit of a shine.

(We are still in search of an alternative to the mineral oil, which is a petroleum based laxative.

Something that won't go rancid, that is potable, and won't threaten people with

nut allergies.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Getting Warmer

Despite having been well prepared beforehand,

I still found the chimney installation to be a challenge.

The instructions are clear and concise.

But there are small details that can aggravate a straightforward job.

Few people will recommend scrounging chimney parts.

It's great if you can find what you need,

but a good flue is critical to safe and efficient wood burning.

We chose a quality, Canadian manufacturer.

The instructions are most clear about nominal measurements, such as clearances.

What the manual can't help with is each case scenario for every installation.

That part is up to you,

as long as you adhere to the meaurement guideline.

To be honest,

I obsessed for days about this job.

Having finished it,

It was much simpler that I thought it would be.

(Though I did manage to complicate it.)

The cookstove is to arrive next week.

Installing it should be easy as long as we can move it.

Having heat in this building makes it functional.

Now it's time to find more firewood.

 

 

 

 

Our Homemade Laundry Soap, by Kira

 

 

 

 

Family Size Batch

 

 

2kg pure washing soda

2kg pure borax

1.25 kg pure soap flakes

500g sea salt

Mix well and store in sealed containers.

Add two to four heaping tablespoons per load.

I sometimes add a couple drops of essential oil to a load of laundry, lemon and lavender are my favourites.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ritual

Most days are new to us.
Some are mundane.
And then there are rituals.

After having butchered nearly eight hogs,
much of the novelty has worn off.
But instead of becoming a loathsome chore,
it is now a ritual.

Music helps the work go quickly.
I wear headphones and play the mix from last year.
This is the only occasion that I listen.

There is comfort in knowledge.
No uncertainty that comes with learning new skills.
And the outcome is fairly certain.

 

Ready for Pork

It's mid-November now and not only has the weather cooled down, but the hogs have gained enough weight to be brought in for the Winter.


Also, they become large, and unruly during feeding time and it gets tiresome dealing with their poor manners twice a day.


And, they eat quite a lot and I'm ready to eliminate that expense until next year.


It is a lot of work to turn hogs into pork, but that's because we are still learning.
I bet that after a few years of this, we'll be bringing pork in without as much struggle.


We have the tools that we need.
Though I could use another building.
We have the experience from four previous hogs.
But many of the challenges haven't been adequately resolved.


The plan is to start with this year's pigs.
There are two leftover from last year and they are massive.
We'll get some practice on the smaller ones before trying to handle 400+ lb sows.
Even then, I don't think our current system will work with the older animals.
I have strengthened the hanging pole but the older pigs are wary and not easily fooled into their own demise.
I expect trouble.


For now, we are sharpening knives and rearranging things to set up for butchering.
It is illegal for us to sell our meat but it is permitted to kill and butcher meat for your own immediate family.
The reason we raise hogs is to provide us with meat that we have controlled from beginning to end; it's certainly not a money making venture.


After we're through, there'll be a large freezer full of roasts, chops, ribs, ground pork, bacon, and various other cuts.
We ran out of pork early last year.
This year bodes well for a larger stock of frozen meat.


I'm not looking forward to late cold nights in the cooler cutting up whole hogs into family sized portions.
But the promise of tasty, wholesome meat for the better part of the year is enticing enough to get me to keep at it.
Especially the thought of bacon on a snowy Sunday morning in December.

 

From Yard to Table

Even though the gardens have been picked clean long ago,
the Autumn harvest continues.
The weather is now cool enough to begin harvesting our animals.

We don't consider meat to be a staple,
but there may be enough for us to enjoy all Winter long.

Traditionally, I have done the killing and Kira does the cleaning.
After the deviant rooster incident last week,
Kira is ready to take over the chicken dispatch.
I will still be responsible for the ducks and hogs,
but it helps the rhythm of the day if Kira can grab a chicken or two when needed.
 

After several years, we are still perfecting our technique.
The task is kept as simple as possible.
We don't pluck the birds; they are just skinned.
The killing is clean and quick and done without an axe.

Neither of us grew up knowing how to handle livestock and turn animals into food,
though Kira has dressed a few deer with her father.
It is one thing to get the job done,
but it is another to make light work of it so that the job fits seamlessly into a normal day.
 
 

We let the kids watch the process and they are always interested.
They know where their meat comes from.
We all have soft hearts for the animals but death is as important in life as is birth.
Our children need to understand that as much as they must learn to care for and respect our farm animals.


There is a knowledge gap when it comes to how food is grown and prepared.
The risks are high if we allow that knowledge to remain solely in the hands of producers.
We are learning for ourselves what our parents are unable to teach us.
And so we will teach our children,
so that the knowledge gap doesn't continue to grow wider.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Woodwise

Homesteading means building.
This is still the "New World" and development continues.
Even if you are on an old farm, there will be repairs and improvements.
So you will need to buy some lumber at one point or another.

Buying the wood that you need is simple enough.
You go to the store, tell them what you're doing, and they will sell you what you need.
The lumber stores are usually pretty helpful and honest.
But when it comes to shopping around and knowing that you're getting your money's worth,
you need to know a little before you start.


 

First of all, wood is sold by different denominations.
Sometimes by item; like a spruce 2x6x8 costs $6.00.
Also by lineal foot; like v-joint pine at $1.00 per foot.
Wood flooring can be sold by area; $3.50 per square foot.
But the basic unit of measurement is the board foot.
A board foot is one inch thick, 12 inches wide, and 12 inches long.
Understanding and converting into board feet helps you compare different products or gives you a better idea of how the wood product is being priced.

Here's an example.
You would like to buy some building lumber.
One store is selling by unit. An 8' 2"x6" is priced at $5.60.
Another is selling by board foot. All wood is $.55 per board foot.
Each lineal foot of a 2x6 is a board foot. (1x12x12=144, 2x6x12=144)
At $5.60 divided by eight equals $.70. That means a difference of $.15 per board foot.
If you don't know the conversion, you could pay more than necessary.


 

Keep in mind that as wood is processed, there is value added to it.
Processing means a portion of the lumber is removed through planing and that a one inch thick piece of finished wood won't actually measure a full one inch, but it is still identified as being one inch.
So don't try to haggle someone down because the wood is thinner than it's called.
You may notice that if you buy wood that has only been milled into a board and has not been smoothed by a planer, that the dimensions are usually the nominal measurement.
That is, a 2x6 is actually two inches thick and six inches wide.
Normal store bought lumber has been planed and so a 2x6 will really measure 1.5"x5.5".

Often there is simply no haggling when it comes to the lumber stores.
But it helps to know when someone is gouging the unsuspecting public especially when it comes to high demand woods like red cedar.


 

Another helpful bit of info is that lumber stores will usually accept returned lumber.
This is not unusual if you have over bought, but you can also ensure that you aren't sold really poor quality lumber.
If you don't like what you bought then send it back.
Just because the lumber has been graded and stamped doesn't mean there is an implied quality
I just bought 2x4s from the lumber store and found that half of them are really poor.
I'll keep them because of their intended use, but had I bought them for making furniture or for building an precision product, I would have sent them back.
Ideally, find a local mill and buy local.
I ended up in a bind so I used the lumber store instead of my neighbour.

One last tip.
When your wood arrives from the lumber store, it will be stacked together.
That's how they store and ship the wood.
It's not ideal however.
Lumber is best stored with spacers called stickers.
The stickers helps keep the wood dry and aid in keeping the wood stable and straight.
My lumber from my neighbour Paul always comes stickered and is as straight as an arrow.
The store bought stuff comes in a pile and if you let it dry out like that,
it will twist and warp.
When your wood arrives, stack it with the stickers if you plan on holding it for any length of time.
You can find stickering instructions online.