September - October 2019

Grit

Rural American Know-How

Grit2 min read
A Wild Life
My husband and I like to sleep with the bedroom windows open in the summer. Even though we live in a city, the morning “alarm” in our quiet neighborhood is usually birdsong. Earlier this year, though, we were woken in the middle of the night by a wil
Grit5 min read
The Handicapped Hen
My husband and I have been raising chickens since the early years of our marriage, and we’ll soon celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary. We raised our first batch of Rhode Island Reds from chicks. They’d just reached egg-laying age when some neighbo
Grit1 min read
Looking For
I’m in need of some recipes and cookbooks featuring natural and/or whole foods and herbs. Anna Bulcher17224 404th St.Bertha, MN 56437-1135 I’m looking for individuals who can help me become a better homesteader. I have property that’s big enough for
Grit2 min read
Catching Up
JOIN THE CONVERSATION Raising Goats for Land Clearing (www.Facebook.com/GritMagazine) William Laut: Goats are awesome! I plan to have several as pets, and so I can use their soiled bedding as compost. Kendra Rudd Shatswell: [Our goats] worked to clea
Grit2 min readAstronomy & Space Sciences
WIT & WISDOM
Suspending small bunches of fresh-picked everlastings — flowers that keep their shape and color when dried — in a warm, dark, dry place is a simple drying method that’s been practiced for generations. An attic, a room with a woodstove, or a closet wi
Grit5 min read
Find Your Homestead Mentor
Of all the articles I’ve written, this one is the closest to my heart because it serves as a reminder that no matter how long we do this homesteading thing, we’ll always need good mentors. The week before I sat down to write this, my teenage daughter
Grit5 min read
Cooking With Crab Apples
When our ‘Dolgo’ crab apple tree is at peak production, we dine on crab apple waffles, pancakes, bread, cobbler, muffins, and jelly. But perhaps our favorite way to use this fruit is in pies, which resemble cherry pies in both appearance and flavor.
Grit5 min readNature
Bird Sanctuary
Our homes are sanctuaries. They contain all the things we need to survive: food, water, shelter, and safety. Birds look to meet these same needs with their homes. While these basic requirements may seem easy enough to obtain, think about the last tim
Grit2 min read
Nest Boxes for Cavity Nesters
Approximately 85 species of North American birds will only nest in cavities, and for many of them, nest boxes can meet this need. In nature, cavities form in damaged or dead trees, either from decay or woodpecker activity. You can also find cavities
Grit4 min readCooking, Food & Wine
PLEASING Pickles
Enterprising individuals who prepare dozens of jars of tomatoes and strawberry jam are easy to spot. You’ve probably seen them at the farmers market, arms full of baskets of cucumbers, smug in the satisfaction that they won’t go hungry if the world’s
Grit5 min read
JACK of All TRADES
Bushes and shrubs are common fixtures in rural and suburban landscapes, adding beauty, interest, and privacy to a property. Eventually, however, they outgrow their space and need to be removed or replaced. If you’ve ever tried, you know that manual r
Grit6 min readEarth Sciences
Fall Foliage
Each year, the lush green of summer turns into the drabness of winter as trees lose their leaves. But the transition in fall typically offers a spectacular panorama of color. For some New England states, it’s a major economic factor. “Leaf peeping,”
Grit6 min read
Going Whole Hog
Twenty years of marriage has taught my wife not to expect a lot out of me when it comes to event planning. At our wedding, my only jobs were to show up and get the beer. I’m often trusted with preparing the meat too. I’m a pretty simple guy. Months b
Grit7 min read
Cheese AS YOU Please
I love everything about cheese: Carving delicious mild cheddar and enjoying it with crackers. Eating hard, tangy Parmesan in thin, block-devouring shavings. Melting an assortment of cheeses on top of my favorite savory dishes. Incorporating my own fl
Grit2 min read
10 Ways to Discourage Opossums from Hanging Around
If there’s an opossum in your area, it’ll most likely move on in a day or two. If not, there are simple, nonlethal ways to encourage them to leave. The easiest way to eliminate opossums is to prevent them from becoming a problem in the first place. 1
Grit3 min read
Enter the MOTHER EARTH NEWS 50th Anniversary Giveaway!
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Grit4 min readRegional & Ethnic
The Art of Homemade Venison Sausage
If you’re a hunter, or you know one, chances are you have the good fortune to have access to deer meat each year. There are many ways to prepare deer, but one of my favorites is to make venison sausage. It may seem intimidating to make sausage at hom
Grit5 min read
The Misunderstood Marsupial
My first up-close encounter with an opossum took place years ago, when I went to get feed for our horses one evening. I was used to seeing these hairy, grayish animals flattened on the road, their lives abruptly and unceremoniously ended while out on
Grit8 min read
How To Field-Process A DEER
I was raised in a family that processed most of the meat we ate, so when I began hunting deer, it was second nature to process them myself. It’s satisfying to sit down to a meal of venison that I’ve harvested, processed, aged, and packaged, and often
Grit5 min read
Parasite Smarts
Regardless of how you manage your animals, parasites should always be on your radar. Parasites are a significant cause of disease, lowered production, and high mortality among livestock. These problems create unnecessary economic loss, regardless of
Grit2 min read
Tips for Collecting Fecal Samples
Understanding the value of a fecal is paramount in using dewormers correctly. However, the information obtained from a fecal is only as good as the sample collected. Keep these pointers in mind when collecting that next batch of pellets, patties, or
Grit8 min readAgriculture
GRIT Recommended Products for Wiser Living
A gift for anyone ready to get in the soil. This handmade, multipurpose tool makes digging, weeding, hoeing, and trenching faster and easier than ever. Dig through rocks, cut through plant material, and remove unwanted plants without disturbing the s

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