You eat them with BBQ Sauce

I received two questions yesterday. The first was about lettuce.

Could you talk about lettuce? I tried growing some in pots and it didn't do to good. The plant got about two feet tall, with small spaced out leaves, then it flowered and went to seed.

To be honest, I have never seen a 2 foot tall lettuce plant. I have seen stems grow close to that before seed though. You can start eating lettuce as soon as it sprouts, but to keep it producing, wait until a good amount of leaves have been produced, stripping the plant of both mature and baby leaves as it grows (from the lower 1/3 of the plant). The leaves will grow back. As for bolting, lettuce will do this when the days get longer and warmer. To help slow down the bolting process, try placing a wet cheese cloth over it (them). But as this question stated, the leaves were too small and spaced out. Lettuce likes water, air, light and well crumbled soil that has been fertilized the year before. If the soil isn't good for lettuce, it will concentrate on seeds rather then leaves. Lettuce have very short root systems and will not go on the hunt for food. I hope that helps.

I have a peach tree in the back yard. It produces peaches, but the squirrels always get to them. Do you know how I can keep those pesky long-tailed rats away!

I don't have squirrels here. My uncle us to make them into Buffalo Wings. Most people use netting to keeps birds out. And your local garden stores will have blow up owls and snakes (some have plastic ones). I hear these work wonders for keeping them away. We have a 6 foot gold manikin dressed in loose clothing, this keeps birds away.

I also received an email about my cows being the best antidepressant. This link was included:

ScienceDaily (Apr. 11, 2008) — Time down on the farm with animals could provide some therapeutic benefit for people with mental illness, according to researchers. The results come from the first randomised controlled study of the benefits of farm animals, as opposed to domestic pets.

And my mom needs your help. She is trying to name her goat. Got a good name? Silly name? Go leave it here for her.

What to tell ya

My father would say that whenever there was a lull in a conversation. That was usually my cue to ask something or say goodbye.

Same ole same ole around here. We have had a first round of severe storms of the seasons. Nothing too nasty. I hope my Plano, Tx readers are ok.

I got a phone call yesterday from an orginization that is raising money to get more politicians into government that are pro-organic foods. If started his speil an I interupted, knowing wat he was going to say about what the USDA is allowing to be organic. I feed him back the info, before he could say it and he seemed surprised that I knew. He actually said that most people didn't get it. We chatted a bit more, and soon I was the one lecturing him. I got him interested in NAIS and he asked questions. By the end of the conversation he thanked me for teaching him something.

Speaking of NAIS:

DeLauro, who is a longtime advocate of a mandatory program pointed out there are mandatory ID programs in European Union, Canada, Argentina, Brazil and Australia. When the U.S. program was originally announced by USDA in 2001 it was to be mandatory, she recounted. "Early on USDA recognized NAIS would help the U.S. in world competition." Read the entire article here.

Also from Feedstuffs

Last week USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) released a draft Business Plan to further the implementation of the National Animal Identification System (NAIS). AMS encourages participants in voluntary marketing programs such as the USDA Process Verified, the Quality Systems Assessment and the Non-Hormone Treated Cattle Programs to meet the inherent animal identification requirements by using NAIS. Entire article here>>>

It's beginning to look a lot like spring around here. Our fruit trees are in bloom.

***

***

What's in a name?

When one thinks about getting parts for a tractor, and one isn't an expert on finding said parts, one would think of the first place that comes in mind. We needed a tube for our new to us tractor. So we headed into Wichita, as the tractor salvage close to us had no such thing. The first place we went to did not carry such large tubes. One would think that a Company with the words, Supply and Tractor in the name would carry such things. But no.

We headed off to Tractor Row. This is a street in Wichita that has every (except for Ford) tractor company and independent companies on it. We walked into the first store on the street, and immediately saw that this was a "Lawn" tractor store. But we asked any way, and were informed that there was a little building just a block off of tractor row that carried only wheels, rims and tires. Of course, we headed off that way. We told the men what we were looking for, and as the young man headed off into the back, my husband and the older man talked about the tractor. He was impressed that it was running in less then a day after sitting for so long. And was surprised that only one of the wheels had damage. He told us to take good care of those front tires, as they were "gems". They don't make them anymore. He said that they were the best ones for turning.

He also said that 85% of these old tractors were still in use.

I didn't think I mentioned that when we pulled the tire and tube off the tractor that the tube was filled with anti-freeze, not air. This was done to add weight to the tractor, and so it wouldn't freeze in the winter. We have wheel weights, something that was picked up for no apparent reason at the time, so there should be a need for us to do the same.

It's Dora the Angora!

I received an email on Sunday night, asking if I could meet the Angora dealer in Wichita. I replied with an, as long as you aren't too picky on how they are transported.

Yesterday I went into Wichita, and got my goat.

They came out of her minivan and into my Phoenix. (truck is still sans engine)

one! one goat! ha ha ha!

Two! two goats! ha ha ha!

They tolerated the move fairly well. One seemed very curious about what was happening in the driver's seat.

While the other was content to watch the scenery as it passed.

Seemed like the people of Wichita have never seen goats in the back of a car before. They were pointing, cell phones took pictures, and rubber necking became almost an epidemic. I was cracking up.

It wasn't a very long drive, we got home and soon had the two out of the car and into their new home. Once out they promptly discovered the other goats and the sheep, and that the angora's had the power of terror. Even Donkey the Sheep was petrified of these new creatures. And he is larger then they are. It will be only a matter of time though, and Donkey will not put up with them having all of his food!

We will be shearing everyone sometime this week. Now that shall be an adventure tagged with mistakes.

If this story seems familiar, it is because it is similar to the last time we got goats.

yeah, that would be a tractor

A 1940 Ford 9N to be exact.

Friday night, the neighbor and my husband headed south to my brother-in-laws rental farm (that would be a farm he is renting, not a large place to rent things) My husband said the despite the rotten rim,

it rolled right up onto the trailer. I know it is hard to tell, but the picture above is of the rotten rim. It is nasty looking in person. So does the seat.

This tractor has been sitting in an open field for at least 24 years. My husband and the neighbor from across the way were quick to get it running.

The mason jar is original.

Did I mention it had a hand crack starter?

My husband had it running, started for the first time in 24 years, by the evening. Now to find a new rim, a manifold, clean out the gas tank, buy some arms, and we are good to go.

Total price so far? $50