More incentives to be a sponsor

Just in case you haven't seen my sidebar. On July 28th, beginning at 8 am central time, I will be blogging for 24 hours straight, new posts every 30 minutes. I am doing this to raise money for Farm Aid. And I am not alone. Bloggers from around the world will be staying awake for those 24 hours raising money for their own charity of choice. { I am sponsoring An Indian Summer, The Trainwreck Diaries, Footsteps in the Mirror and KMRL Mojo Radio. Go check out these guys and their charities as well}

This is my second year participating in the Blogathon. I chose Farm Aid because they help families when their farms are threatened. I hear rumors that more people want to buy local, and want to buy from families. Let's help those families just a tad more buy donating to Farm Aid. They have resources that help families through bankruptcy and threats of loss of land.

Standing ovation to those of you on my sidebar. If you haven't yet, stop by my sponsors pages and say hi, and thank you. And if you want to be a sponsor, stop here and place your pledge. Blogathon does require you to sign in, with a valid e-mail address, but no worries. This is only to send you the link for my charities donation page. They do not spam, nor sell or give away your info. And you can even be anonymous so that I don't know that you are they giving type of person. {I know some of you have reps to protect ;)

All my sponsors will be in the running to win these cool incentives. The four e-books and the shopping bag. And the highest completed donation to Farm Aid wins the Farm Aid T-shirt and CD. Wait! Is there more?

Yes!

A company out of Arizona has also thrown in their own incentives. Spraygraphic Apparel is donating 4 of their very cool t-shirts.

To the person with the highest completed donation, not only will you receive the very cool Willie Schwag, but Spraygraphic will send you his and hers shirts. You choose the sizes.







I really need to get my hands on one of these shirts. {psst, if your thinking birthday for me, I like the clock one} And don't forget to stop by the Spraygrachic apparel store, and help support a US company that is such a huge fan and supporter of Farm Aid.

Clicking on any of the pictures above will take you to their site. The shirts photos will take you to that direct page.

One Local Summer

With my father passing on last week, I missed the 3rd OLS entry. So this is officially the 4th.

Last night however I wasn't sure what to do. I was on the last day of my 2 week grocery supply. And those of you that find money tight and can't run into town for what ever until payday, understand the dilemma. So what was I to do? My garden is coming in slow as well. ~sigh~

Here I ran around, quite differently than a chicken with its head chopped off {they tend to flop, not run} freaking out that Not only did I need to cook dinner, but I needed a local dinner.

Here is what I pieced together. Ha! And it actually worked.






For dinner we had home made linguine with a Hidden Spinach Sauce, topped with pan seared local steak. Roasted new potatoes, fresh and frozen green beans, and sweet apples and tangy tomato salad.



Everything, except the brown sugar {which I did use and was made in the US} came from under 50 miles. The veggies from my garden, the dairy products from 36 miles away. The meat is 20 miles away, and flour 36 miles away. All the herbs I used came from my kitchen herb garden. And salt 15 miles away. The apples came from 48 miles away.

Click links for recipes.

For desert I had made cookie dough last apple season. We thawed it out and had, Apple, walnut and chocolate chip cookies. It is a basic chocolate chip cookie recipe with chucks of apples and finely chopped walnuts. All local except sugars, vanilla and chocolate.



And to answer your question Carol Anne. When we first moved out here, I had a hard time going from the house to the chicken coop in the dark. I just knew that a rabid skunk would jump out and eat my face off. Now its nothing to run out in the middle of the night in a snow storm or lightening storm. I had to adapt, and get over my fears to be able to survive, and keep my animals alive.

What do I know.

Normally I take my subject clues from your responses. But lately it looks like I have scared a few of you off. Not sure if it is the Fundraising or the NAIS talk. When times are slow, like now, and I am not attempting something new, I look to some of your questions and expand on the explanations.

Google is telling me that many people are heading this way to find out how to use a Hot Water Bath to can their green beans, I would suggest pressure canning. And butchering your own birds {chickens, turkeys, ducks} is also a popular look up. Click links to read posts

So you tell me. What do you want to know? If I have done it, I will tell you all about it, mistakes and all. If I have already done it and written it up, I will link and update it.

I'm trapped!

Some of you know by now that yesterday around 9:15am there was a explosion in the small town I live close to. Barton Solvent Plant exploded, causing the evacuation and shut down of the entire town.

I didn't hear anything, but when I saw it on the news I walked out to see what I could. Lots of smoke. Lucky for us the wind was going NE and I live NW of the town. We were not forced to leave. A good thing as my husband had the trucks and I wouldn't have been able to transport our animals.

They claimed that there was no health issues involved with all the smoke, yet they evacuated and told those that were in the path of the smoke to stay indoors, bring in pets, turn off the air conditioners, and duct tape doors and windows. hhhmmm. . .

This morning I needed to go into Wichita, and discovered that I can not. The road we normally take is shut down. I have no idea why. But there was many cops and big trucks. Another road we take is also shut down, and the way through the blown up down of Valley Center is also shut down. I had to head north to get to a store, took me an hour.

My husband was on a bike {motorcycle} near the plant when it exploded. He is fine, and will not be going into work today, because there is no way out of here. Looks like a nice day at home doing some work.

Thank you for those that were concerned, we are well and safe.




Click on photo to read more about what happened in the Wichita Eagle.

Do you own a horse?

If so, Penn State is doing a survey about what you think of NAIS.

Will you pay attention? Or just pay?

USDA SELECTS KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY TO LEAD A BENEFIT-COST ANALYSIS OF THE NATIONAL ANIMAL IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM.

Thank you for the link Gina. I had a wonderful laugh at this one. Beneficial costs? For whom? Cargil? Wal-mart? Oh wait in my own State we have The Kansas livestock association that loves NAIS and have already signed up for it. And why would they love this program, because it pushes the small producer out of business, because China wants us to have this program in place.


There is no cost benefit to me. I do not sell my chickens or goats. And if I did, with NAIS in place, and for me to make a profit so I can keep paying the USDA I would have to charge you {we will round it up slightly to include state tax} $45 a bird. And I would barely make a profit. That would pay the triple taxes we have here and all the items that must be paid for with the NAIS in place. Would you be willing to pay me that much for an organic chicken? Would you pay your local raiser that much? Or would you rather spend the $2.00 a pound that Tyson will be able to still afford? {update on cost figures found here, Looks like my numbers will have to go higher}

That's what I thought.

It is predicted that NAIS will cost the average small farmer somewhere between $5- $35 per animal. These figures come from various people including the USDA. And this does not include the price of lack of privacy or religious persecution. {and yes it will be akin to persecution, because when NAIS becomes mandatory, everyone must obey or lose everything}

KState has a long history with the USDA, so the article doesn't surprise me in the least. It is unfortunate that I live in a state that doesn't seem to get it. And it saddens me that so many in the general public don't get it. Last night on the news there was a poll done that claims that 96% of Americans want to know where their food is coming from. I had a good hardy laugh. Where are all these Americans that claim to care so much about their food source? When I go to a store, I never see someone looking for where it was produced. They look at the price and the name, and choose based on those items. And why is 16% of our beef imported? We have plenty here, and if that many Americans really cared they would only be buying local beef. They don't care. They claim to so that they will look good to their neighbors, who are merely claiming to as well. It is the in thing to care locally.

Americans will eat anything. Yes, that is my statement. We are consumers, we are taught this at birth. A friend of mine that died a few year back use to say. "People will eat anything. If humans gave birth to 6 regularly and had 6 nipples we would eat ourselves." I hear we taste like chicken. And with NAIS on the horizon, it might be cheaper. This stems from the frustration of a government that will not listen to those whose policies it will really affect. The homesteader, the micro-farm, the hobbyist, the family farms, and anyone that eats.

I dare you, no I double dog dare you to walk to your pantry and see where your food is from. How much of it comes from your country?

This small rant is brought to you by the blogathoner that is raising money for Farm Aid. Without their help, more families will lose their farms.

One more time

Do you remember when I told you about all the problems we had with our hens? The disappearing, things eating them. We are going to try one more time.

A few months back I ordered more hens from the hatchery. I ordered pullets. Well I got pullets, just barely. I really didn't want to brood them in the house again.

Still I am happy, no, thrilled to have birds again. This time we will do better.

I ordered 25, knowing that they would send 26, and received 27.


I am amazed how many people reference my How to butcher a turkey post. Welcome Backyard chicken forum readers!

It's stopped raining

Look what I was able to drag in. The Brandywine is doing the best so far, and the cherries. Harvest is coming in slow, but I am sure I will be overwhelmed by it shortly.