The Power of Comfrey

Lately it seems like no sooner is one of my patients healed then another shows up, and I've had plenty of opportunities to practice what I've learned about herbs, healing, health and first aid. Nick's horse Phillip recently got a leg caught in the fence. When I found him he had several deep gashes with blood everywhere. I stopped the bleeding with potato starch and treated the wounds with herbal salve, but by the next day the leg was twice its usual size. I iced the leg throughout the day, but it didn't seem to help at all. I remembered reading that comfrey tea or tincture could heal internal injuries - sprains, breaks, bruises and such, but I was out of comfrey. I ordered some so I would be ready for the next time. Three weeks later, when the comfrey arrived, Phillip's leg was still very swollen. I made a strong tea out of the leaf and root , wrapping the leg in a cloth soaked in it. The next day the swelling had gone down so I repeated the process. After two or three treatments the swelling was almost gone. I missed a day of soaking and the swelling returned. It took a few more days of soaking before the leg looked normal. Phillip went back in with the herd and I started some comfrey root tincture so it would be ready when I needed it. Last week Snickers hurt a leg out in the pasture and could hardly put weight on it. There was some heat and swelling. After three treatments with the comfrey tincture, he was all better and back with the herd. Today I rode him and he pulled Nick around on a toboggan with no problem. Many of you have already seen comfrey at work as a main ingredient in my healing salve. This powerful plant is definitely going on my list of favorite herbs!

Tomatoes

For years I've tried to grow tomatoes, and for years I've harvested only a handful of fruits from wimpy little plants. In 2012 I did not get one tomato. This last year I tried a new experiment. During the winter I covered the ground where I would be planting my tomatoes with about six inches of straw. In early June, I pulled back the straw where each plant was to go and planted it with a shovel of finished compost. The result? Enormous plants, basically no weeds and juicy red tomatoes. By late summer the plants had grown out of their cages and taken over the pathway. Not anticipating such big plants, I planted two plants in each cage as usual, making harvesting quite tricky. I will definitely do the same thing with the straw next year, but I'm going to plant them farther apart next time!

Shady is Booked to Black PRE Andalusian Stallion Confidente SG!

New Horse Breeds

I've been researching different breeds, deciding which direction to take with our little herd. The Quarter Horse and American Paint have a downhill body balance, ideal for racing and cattle work, but not the best for riding and driving. This past week I took advantage of a trip to Utah to visit Tally Ho Farm/Placido Dressage in Park City and Royal Grove Stables in Pleasant Grove.

At Tally Ho farm we were given a wealth of information and shown half a dozen examples of PRE Andalusians and Lusitanos. The breed is attractive not only because of its uphill build, but also because of its beauty, gentleness, trainability and intelligence. Next we visited Royal Grove Stables and met the stunning Friesian stallion Apollo. This loving horse was a giant puppy dog, more interested in getting our attention than in the mare nearby.

http://placidodressage.com/
http://www.royalgrovestables.com/index.html

Once back home in Montana, we visited Spanish Gate Andalusians five minutes away. The McCarters introduced us to their lovely black horses and spent an hour and a half talking with us. They were generous enough to let me ride their stallion, Confidante SG. What a treat to get to ride such a magnificent horse! I loved how he put his heart into each step. Everything he did was careful and deliberate. Even in an English saddle his trot was easy to sit. These horses are very sturdy, with shorter and stronger backs, heavier-boned legs and proportionately larger hooves than the Quarter Horse.

www.spanishgateandalusians.com

Snickers' Driving Training

Are You Prepared For Winter?

Why?

 

 

Often I am asked “why?” Why did I just buy a 120-year-old wood cook stove? Why did I grow 1,100 pounds of squash? Why am I teaching my horses to pull? Why grow my own food and save my own seeds? Why act as my own doctor when I could pay a professional? After all, none of that could exactly be classified as “normal”.

When I finished school, my plan was to build the fish business I had going at the time, perfect my homemaking skills, and learn new skills that would prepare me to be a better wife and mama someday. My studies quickly grew into an interest in current events and prophecy. The more I studied, the more things I discovered that I didn’t know. Sure, I knew how to cook on an electric stove, but what if I didn’t have electricity?

Unfulfilled prophecies, 56 trillion dollars of debt, one in five dependent on food stamps, antibiotic resistant diseases, war, EMPs, the list goes on. Worst of all is the spiritual and moral decline, the “tolerance” which is really intolerance, and the persecution of believers around the world. We live in an interesting, and exciting time. If Christ does not return soon, things will be rough, especially for believers. We may see the worst times yet in the history of the world. Most of you are not prepared. You are not afraid, which is good, but neither do you have any clue about how to survive. You say that God will provide. Will he cause bread to fall from heaven when you knew ahead of time what would happen and were unprepared? He might, I don’t know, but why would he do the supernatural to save you when you knew what was coming and could have been ready? Proverbs 3:25-26 says “Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh. For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.” Fear is not the same as using wisdom and common sense to be reasonably prepared for what will happen. When times get rough, will God send someone to give you food, or will you be the one to give food and share the gospel with others?

I don’t know what is going to happen, but we know from Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21 that there will be wars, famines, earthquakes, signs in heaven and persecution. We know from what is happening in this country that we will likely have to do without, maybe without electricity, perhaps without cars, without a store to buy things at, without the internet, or without a doctor, maybe all of the above. Don’t be afraid, but be ready. Consider the possibilities and have a plan. At the very least, learn the basics of gardening, keep some heirloom seeds on hand and have the tools you will need. Don’t shop day to day, keep enough food and medicine on hand to see you through a temporary crisis and have a plan to renew your supply if needed. A bag of beans is cheap and can easily be sprouted in jars. Dandelions grow everywhere; the entire plant is edible and nutritious. Garlic is easy to grow, and tests have shown it to be more effective than an antibiotic.

Above all, be ready for eternity, “And when these things begin to come to pass, look up, for your redemption draweth nigh.” – Luke 21:28

 

 

Some good resources:

 

The Encyclopedia of Country Living by Carla Emery

Be Your Own Doctor by Rachel Weaver

Seed to Seed by Suzanne Ashworth

The Backyard Homestead by Carleen Madigan

http://www.bulkherbstore.com/articles/smart-packs

http://www.bulkherbstore.com/articles/survival

http://nogreaterjoy.org/articles/how-to-survive-the-coming-apocalypse-part-1-fear-not-them-which-destroy-the-body/?topic_slug=survival-emergencies

http://nogreaterjoy.org/articles/how-to-survive-the-coming-apocalypse-part-2-pre-wrath-rapture-zombies-earthquakes-scorching-heat/?topic_slug=survival-emergencies

http://nogreaterjoy.org/articles/how-to-survive-the-coming-apocalypse-part-3-worst-case-scenarios/?topic_slug=survival-emergencies

http://nogreaterjoy.org/articles/how-to-survive-the-coming-apocalypse-part-4-getting-prepared/?topic_slug=survival-emergencies

www.bulkherbstore.com

http://www.homesteadcommunitypost.com/

 

 

Squash

 

Easy to grow, easy to store and yummy to eat, winter squash is one of my favorite crops to grow. My seeds had a low germination rate this year because of last year's short season - nine out of ten didn't even come up. Still we harvested about 1,100lbs of winter squash for winter eating and chicken feed, what a blessing!

 

Squash is divided into several different species, and varieties within each species will cross with each other. The two most common species are Cucurbita pepo and Cucurbita maxima.

 

C. pepo includes most summer squashes (including zucchini), acorn squash, small gourds and many pumpkins.

 

C. maxima includes some pumpkins, banana squash, buttercup, hubbard and turban squashes.  With larger leaves and larger seeds than C. pepo, as well as a longer storage life, they also take a bit longer to grow. This group needs to be cured for a week to ten days at 70-80 degrees before storage.

 

C. pepo Winter Luxury Pie Pumpkin is one of my favorites. In my climate they can be anywhere from 2-15lbs. They have always been gone by February so I can't say how long they will store.

 

What is a pumpkin? Everyone knows what they are, but they really are not any particular species. Any winter squash that is somewhat round and orange could be considered a pumpkin.

 

C. pepo Bitterroot Acorn is a genetically diverse squash varying in color and in size (1 1/2-3lbs). Any that are left rapidly go bad in January.

 

C. pepo Costata Romanesca Zucchini is a favorite I've talked about before. In order to save seeds from summer squash, they need to grow as large as they will and harden like a winter squash. This one was hand pollinated and "seed" lightly scratched onto the surface while it was soft so we would know to leave it on the vine.

 

C. maxima Sweet Meat Squash is a delicious good keeper ranging from 8-15lbs.

 

C. Maxima Bitterroot Buttercup, another good keeper, is 2-6lbs.

 

C. maxima Australian Butter Squash is new to me. It grew 6-12lbs this year.

 

My favorite method of growing squash is to dig a long trench and fill it with compost. I plant the seeds 10-12" apart and 1/2" deep. Early in the season I try to keep up on the weeds, but healthy squash plants with soon smother most of them. Fruit that resists a fingernail scratch is ready to be harvested. They can handle a light frost, but be sure to get them inside before a hard freeze. Go over the field several times as the vines begin to die back - I always miss some the first time around. Store them in a cool, dry place where there is no danger of freezing. For me that is the barn, but I've heard of storing them under a bed. Check them often and remove any that begin to rot or get soft. These can usually be salvaged if you catch them quick enough and cut off the bad spots. Fruits that don't have stems, were harvested before they were ripe, or were exposed to too much frost will be the first to go bad.

 

What to do with them? All of the squashes I grow make delicious pumpkin pies, cooked at 350 until tender then pureed in a food processer. Several times a week we slice one in half, scoop out the seeds and bake at 350 until tender - 1-2 hours depending on size. Serve with butter and maple syrup or brown sugar. I also cook them for the chickens.

 

Saving seeds from squash is fairly easy. If you have only one variety within a species you can simply save the seeds you scoop out when you go to cook the fruit. If you have more than one variety within a species, you will need to hand-pollinate. In the evening tape shut the blossoms that are about to open, making sure to get both male (just a flower on top of a stem) and female (a flower on top of a tiny green fruit) flowers. The next morning remove the tape and rub pollen from the male flowers inside the female flowers and tape them up again immediately, making sure no bees get in there with pollen from another plant. Mark the squash you hand-pollinated. The seeds will continue to ripen inside a fruit for about three weeks after it has been picked.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Flying Cattle

I've been trying to actually make the time to take some pictures this year!

 

What to Feed the Horses?

Five years ago we were giving each horse their own special grain mix, supplements, every shot the vet recommended and all the suggested chemical wormers. They were not very healthy, and as I began to do research, I gradually cut back on the vaccines, stopped the wormers and just had the horses checked for worms occasionally, and stopped giving grain and supplements entirely. The past three years, they have just been on pasture in the summer and chemical-free hay in the winter. Chance got some organic oats or sunflower seeds when he got too skinny, and I left Redmond salt, kelp and diatomaceous earth out free choice for them. They have been much healthier on that simple diet than they were before, but I still thought I could do better. I had taken the bad out, but I wanted to put some good in, so I started researching. This is a work in progress, but here it is what I have come up with:

Basic feed is still grass in summer and chemical-free grass hay or grass/alfalfa in winter, with free choice salt, kelp and diatomaceous earth. They get their "grain" mix once a day.

Chance: A 27 year old Thoroughbred cross, he is always skinny and needs some help keeping weight on.
1lb. organic oats (I get them from a co-op for around the same price conventional oats would be at the feed store)
1 1/2 cups chemical-free sunflower seeds
2 oz. Fertrell Horse Power (a blend of vitamins, minerals and probiotics)
1 T kelp
molasses for palatability

Shady, Phillip and Snickers: mid-aged horses that are easy keepers (don't have trouble keeping weight on), as you can see in the picture of Snickers
1 cup alfalfa pellets
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
2 oz. Fertrell Horse Power
1 T kelp
molasses for palatability

Migdalah: Two year old not being ridden yet.
1 cup oats
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
2 oz. Fertrell Horse Power
1 T kelp
molasses for palatability.

The horses were on this diet for about a month. Two weeks ago I stopped the "grain" temporarily since I have been busy and will be leaving town. I will definitely resume when I get back after the results I saw after just a few weeks on this diet. Wow! I've noticed the biggest change in Snickers; he is all glossy and dappled out.

Snickers in July, just before starting this diet

Snickers in August, after less than a month on the new diet

Life With a Cow

Life with Sassafras has definitely been an adventure. In the first week I was accidentally whacked with her horns as she tried to get flies (I'm glad they aren't sharp!), stomped on, temporarily blinded by her tail time and again, and squished underneath her before she realized she was on top of me. Oh, and I forgot to mention being chased across the pasture because she wanted to "play". The bucket was kicked over or she put her foot in it more often than not. Once she even managed to put both feet in it - that milk went to the chickens!

I've had to learn that cows are not horses. If she doesn't want to go, she will stop and will not budge until she decides to. If she wants to go a different direction, she is going that way and the only thing I can do is hang on to the rope for dear life and run (yes, run) after her until she decides to stop. I've come to appreciate her steadiness, though. At week three we had a big storm and it was pouring down rain. Deafening thunder and a bolt of lightning directly overhead made me jump out of my shoes and the horses scatter in all directions, but Sassafras calmly stood there like nothing had happened, wondering what was the matter with the rest of us.

My hands were taking seemingly forever to get used to milking, and after three weeks milking was still taking me 1-2 hours. Daddy bought a milking machine for when I leave town and I started using it part of the time. The break really helped my hands. I continue to milk by hand part of the time and I'll probably go back to milking completely by hand in the fall, but for now the machine has been a big blessing!

She is giving about 2 1/2 gallons a day now, half of what she was producing when I bought her, but that is all I can use anyway until I really get into cheese making. She will probably increase in production as I get better at milking and figure out the best diet for her.

After five months of looking, I finally found some Corriente steers. Sassafras has been easier to handle now that she has buddies to play with and is getting all that energy out of her system.

I had expected her to go into heat last Sunday and thought I had missed it, but last night I went out to milk and to my surprise she was in heat! I must have gotten the date wrong on the last one. The A.I. technician came out this morning and bred her to a Brown Swiss bull. If the breeding takes, we'll have a calf late June.

Spearmint the Mama Hen

This first-time mom hatched a dozen adorable chicks

The Newest Member of the Family... Meet Sassafras!

We finally have a milk cow! Sassafras is a three year old Jersey/Brown Swiss. After I inquired about her, I realized that she belonged to the friends we buy milk from. They spent an hour and a half showing me the ropes and helping milk her last night. She is a sweetie and is already used to horses and other critters. Most modern milk cows need lots of grain to produce, but Sassie is used to eating grass as cows were meant to. The first milking by myself took five hours! It might take a while for my hands to get used to it!

 

It was such a blessing to get a really nice cow from someone we know at a good price. Yesterday I was excitedly rushing around getting things ready for her. When I came in the house, our dog, Kirby Bear, had his tail caught in the door, so I just left it open. I danced into the kitchen and mixed my words all up as I told Nick that "Kirby Bear's door is caught in the table." He asked if I was excited or something. :)