Sommaire pour May/June 2024 de Grit

“Looking behind, I am filled with gratitude. Looking forward, I am filled with vision. Looking upwards, I am filled with strength. Looking within, I discover peace.”—Robert Muller Few things ring truer to me recently than the Creole quote “One rain does not make a crop.” It reminds me, particularly lately, that many of the changes we wish to see don’t happen instantly, but through time and good work. Often, we get so busy trying to make everything work all at once and see results, we forget to stop and reflect. What would it look like if we combined patience and diligence to grow the important things in our lives with the ability to see what’s before us and behind us to cultivate a spirit of fulfillment in ourselves? For me,…

Refreshing mint has so many uses and qualities, and it deserves a place in every garden. Mint is medicinal, culinary, and ornamental. Even better, it’s a pollinator favorite in the garden. The problem is that mint usually forgets its place. Literally. History and Uses Greek mythology tells the tale of the nymph known as Minthe, proud mistress to Hades, Lord of the Dead. Hades’ wife, Persephone, hearing of Minthe’s boastings of his favors, cursed her, transforming her into a lowly herb growing in spring-fed meadows beside the Gates of the Underworld. To this day, mint still grows in the open streamside, sweet, seductive, and forever reaching beyond its station. On a more practical vein, mint has the distinction of being one of humanity’s earliest and most prized herbs. Its name…

Y’all, nothing beats homemade bread. Homemade anything can’t be beat. Bread is the center of many meals, unless you’ve eliminated it from your menu. For me, bread is a joy to make and a cultural lesson to be learned, not to mention the flavor it adds to meals and the nutritional value it can hold when made with quality ingredients. Among my favorites is fry bread, which was developed by the Diné (Navajo) tribe in the mid-1860s. At that time, more than 10,000 Diné people were forcibly evicted from their homelands in what’s known as “The Long Walk” and forced to live in an internment camp in New Mexico. There, appalling living conditions killed 2,000 Diné before the tribe negotiated a treaty to return to their homelands. Fry bread originates…

DEAD OR ALIVE I’ve taken a couple of bee pictures I’d like to share. One is of a spider eating a bee on a hive frame I’d recently harvested honey from. The other is of a bee on an almond flower in February when I was touring Californian almond fields. MALISA NILES SOUTH DAKOTA Making Something from ‘Nothing Good’ While visiting a friend, I saw her husband processing a deer and leaving the large rib cage in the kitchen sink. I asked what they were going to do with the rib cage, and he answered he was going to toss it into the woods for the wildlife to eat, as there was “nothing good” on it. So, I asked if I could have it. I took it home, rinsed it…

With the increasing attention being given to specialized floral plantings tailored to target groups, such as native bees, butterflies, and garden pest predators, it’s no surprise honeybees should get their turn with honeybee pastures. Down to (Honeybee) Basics Texts on the history of beekeeping reflect that many plants were once marketed to, mass-planted by, and prized by beekeepers for their desirable nectar. Bees collected nectar from these plants to produce enormous quantities of honey with exceptional color, flavor, and resistance to granulation. Among these plants were white clover, hyssop, carpenter’s square (also called “Simpson’s honey plant”), fireweed, sainfoin, wingstem (occasionally termed the “golden honey plant”), and even the quite tall sourwood tree. Providing only nectar-rich plants isn’t exactly the purpose of honeybee pastures. Though including plants that produce exceptional honey…

Climate change is one of the most urgent issues facing the world today. As a meteorologist for nearly 50 years, I’ll share my thoughts with you and the facts that support my conclusions by answering some basic questions. IS THE CLIMATE CHANGING? Data says the climate is changing and Earth is getting warmer. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), “The global annual temperature increased at an average rate of 0.14 degrees Fahrenheit per decade since 1880 and over twice that rate (0.32 degrees) since 1981.” In 2023, NASA also reported, “The past nine years have been the warmest years since modern recordkeeping began in 1880.” Although Earth’s air temperature has increased, around 90% of this excess heat has gone into the oceans, as water has a much…

Keeping metal and wooden gates in good repair is an important part of homesteading. A sagging or broken gate can be a chore to open and shut. It might also tempt an animal to jump, lean over, or crawl through, potentially injuring itself in the process, or to escape onto a road or a neighbor’s land. Here are a few tips for making your life with gates easier. Sagging Gates To keep your gates from sagging or otherwise not swinging freely, set your gateposts deep in the ground and make sure they’re sturdy. Sometimes, however, the posts will “give” a bit over time, unless they’re set in concrete. Some ground is unstable and won’t hold a post well, especially for a heavy gate. Other times, frost can push posts upward,…

With their adorable faces, docile behavior, and delicious meat, Meishan pigs make an excellent choice for the aspiring swine farmer. Meishan pigs originated from China, and they’re one of the oldest domesticated pig breeds. However, the conservation status of this breed is currently critical, according to The Livestock Conservancy. Laura Jensen, president of the American Meishan Breeders Association (AMBA), is preparing to change that. Here’s what this expert has to say about this versatile heritage breed. The Basics of the Breed Behavior. The Meishan pig has a lot to offer in terms of personality. “If you’re looking for something that’s not going to destroy your land, your fences, your kids, or your customers, the Meishan pig is a great choice,” Jensen says. She describes it as “a pig that you…

Nostalgia, thy name is “drive-in theater.” This iconic pastime is no longer a standard part of America’s landscape. Oh, sure, some remain, but it’s certainly not the way it was when I grew up. My family didn’t go to the drive-in often, but when we did, it was a big event. Since my parents operated a small motel court about 30 miles away from the theater, the main criterion for going depended on whether all of our cabins were rented. This mainly happened on holiday weekends, when tourist traffic was the heaviest in our small Ozark vacation town. But us leaving for the drive-in also hinged on two additional factors: fair weather and timing. So, there was always great excitement when the sun hadn’t set and our parents would announce…

Share your visual perspective! Post your photos at www.Facebook.com/GritMagazine, tag us on Instagram (@Grit1882), or email us at Letters@Grit.com. Share your best shots, and we just might select one of your photos for a future issue of the magazine.…

The word “sustainable” is one that’s thrown around a great deal today for a variety of purposes. There are reports out there written by both state and federal agencies as well as nongovernment agencies that discuss sustainability. This term is used on MadisonAvenue to sell “environmentally friendly” items that corporations want you to believe you need. Flip through the channels on your television, and you’ll find a slew of shows that discuss what sustainable living is all about. Outside of its trendy catch-all usage, the Merriam-Webster definition of sustainability points toward something that’s capable of being sustained, “a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged.” But if you ask 100 different people how to live sustainably, you’re likely to get…

GARDENGRO PLANT & SOIL BUILDER: QUART OR GALLON GardenGro enhances backyard gardens with natural and certified organic ingredients, promoting healthy growth and quality produce. Its unique blend supports higher yields, repairs soil damage, and improves nutrient uptake. Regular use leads to healthier soil and improved fertility. Nurture healthier fruits and vegetables while nourishing the soil with GardenGro. Quart #12249: $26.45 Gallon #12250: $79.95 THE ALL NEW BALL BOOK OF CANNING & PRESERVING Organized by technique, The All New Ball Book of Canning and Preserving covers water bath and pressure canning, pickling, fermenting, freezing, dehydrating, and smoking. Straightforward instructions and step-by-step photos ensure success for beginners, while practiced home canners will find more advanced methods and inspiring ingredient twists. #8030; $24.99, Sale: $21.24 FORGED TRANSPLANT TROWEL This transplant trowel has a…