Tabla de contenidos para March - April 2020 en Grit

Whether you’re starting from scratch on previously uncultivated land, or taking on the restoration of conventionally cultivated fields, establishing a new pasture begins with soil preparation. Begin with a soil test before planting a pasture. A traditional soil test measures pH, phosphate, and potassium availability in soil, and is a good place to start. Many other soil tests are available too, such as those for micronutrients. The more information you have about the soil, the better the decisions you can make. If you have cropland that’s been tilled and received only commercial fertilizer in the past, a transitional soil test may be all you need. If the land has been no-tilled or cover-cropped, received manure or compost applications, or been in pasture for many years previously, there may be organic…

Water usually lies nearby. It hangs heavy in the air before it condenses on grass. It dwells within plants, drips down rock, and pools in crevices before it’s absorbed by roots, lapped up by animals, or evaporated into the atmosphere. But in the vast wilderness, you can’t refill your canteen until you first find fresh water, and filter it, if necessary. If you’re in a familiar area, you’ll likely know the locations where water pools, or where running water abounds. If you’re in an unfamiliar area, you’ll have to recognize universal patterns, use past experience, and engage in some trial and error to locate what you’re looking for. Finding water requires using your senses, as well as a hefty dose of common sense. The following clues and cues will serve…

With up to 83 aromatic notes, the flavor of pomegranate blends the syrupy sweetness of grape, the refreshing astringency of cranberry, and the cooling quality of lemon. A hint of its juice and the sound of its name can command a premium price, and bestow superfood status to any dish with which it’s associated. If culinary pleasure isn’t enough, the benefits for gardeners and orchardists are plentiful. Pomegranates bear early and suffer from few diseases or pests. For those searching out a niche market, pomegranates come in more than 1,000 diverse cultivars, most of which aren’t commercially available. But, to the frustration of pomegranate lovers in North America, more than a century of efforts have yet to lift it to staple fruit status. For many in the Western world, the…

Cold smoking is easier to manage than hot smoking because you don’t have to worry about maintaining a consistent temperature; in fact, you don’t even want heat from the fire to enter the smoking chamber—hence the name “cold smoking.” Once you’ve established a strong burn and a nice, steady stream of smoke, the process requires little attention. You’ll only need to check the fire every now and then, and occasionally restock the wood. However, building a cold smoker is a little more complicated than building a hot smoker, because you need to create two chambers: one that holds the food and smoke, and a separate chamber that holds the fire that generates the smoke. The two chambers must be connected to each other so the smoke can travel from one…

When I was in seventh grade, I went through a rough patch in my life. I didn’t really have any friends, I was often bullied, and I needed a healthy distraction. When a new member joined my 4-H Club, I signed on to her goat project. I fell in love with the goats instantly, and told my mom I wanted one. She quickly pointed out that farm animals weren’t allowed within the town limits. Later, someone encouraged me to petition the village board to be able to keep goats in town. So, I wrote a letter to the board, and presented my proposal. I tried to change the city ordinance so I could raise three goats and five chickens in town. Though the board denied the request, one member suggested…

Have you ever considered making your own knives? It’s much easier than you may imagine. To get started, you can buy blade “blanks” in many styles, and then all you have to do is cut handle scales, rivet them to the blade, and then shape, sand, and oil the handle. The photo above shows the range of knife options you can create, from simple to fancy. The indispensable utility knife is, without argument, the most useful implement for tooling about a farm, homestead, or shop. Whether you’re cutting baling twine or slicing an apple, you’re simply not equipped without a sharp knife. To build your own beautiful utility knife, you’ll need a full-tang blade blank (see photo 1, Page 31) without a bolster or finger guard, wood for your handle…

Spring is the season of renewal and celebration. The world is once again fragrant and green, the days are milder, and even the occasional rain shower is welcome because it helps plants and flowers flourish. After a long winter spent studying garden books and seed catalogs, I’m ready to get my hands dirty. In this season of change, however, shifts in the weather affect not only the land around us, but also our own skin. Exposure to stronger sunlight, warmer temperatures, and higher humidity means our bodies produce more sweat and oil, and our hands quickly get rough from work. With a few simple self-care tips, you can easily adjust from the dry winter months to a new spring skin routine. Remember to always use a good sunscreen when you’re…

SEWING MACHINE BOOKLET I’m looking for an instruction booklet for a 1960s Singer sewing machine that does embroidery. Will pay. Ann Limbert 2785 Glaston Way Milton, GA 30004-5105 STATIONERY I’m seeking people who’d like to swap stickers, stationery, and postcards. Darlene Kursinsky 127 Mills Street Croswell, MI 48422-1126 TIPS FOR GROWING CAULIFLOWER We planted self-blanching cauliflower, and would like tips on how to keep it white without it turning purple. John Hoover 2268 Friend Road Penn Yan, NY 14527-9205 HEALTH PRODUCTS We’d like to hear from people who share our passion for chemical-free, environmentally friendly health products. The Millers 115 Van Alstine Road Mohawk, NY 13407-9205 SLEIGH BELLS I’m looking for brass sleigh bells since mine were stolen. They remind me of the Belgian horses that neighed as they pulled…

Share your visual perspective with the GRIT community. Post your photos at www.Facebook.com/GritMagazine, or tag us on Instagram (@Grit1882). We chose several of the images you see here from those platforms, and you can find more within the blogging community on our website. Share your best shots, and we just might select one of your photos for a future issue of the magazine. To admire even more readers’ photos, visit www.Grit.com.…

The following are recipes for highly productive pasture mixtures. Grass-only blends allow for herbicidal broadleaf weed control, but require nitrogen fertilizer for good production and don’t produce the animal performance of mixtures that include legumes and forbs. When using these mixtures, be sure to read the descriptions and add, omit, or adjust seeding rates of components to fit your soil, management conditions, and current prices. For example, adding green wheatgrass to a mix is warranted on salty soils, but probably not on other soils. The rates given are in pounds per acre. GRASS-ONLY WARM-SEASON PASTURE MIX ■ Eastern gamagrass (6 pounds)■ Big bluestem (2 pounds)■ Indian grass (2 pounds) GRASS-ONLY COOL-SEASON PASTURE MIX ■ Meadow brome (5 pounds)■ Orchardgrass (5 pounds)■ Nontoxic endophyte fescue (5 pounds)■ Low-alkaloid reed canarygrass (3…

■ Gardeners and farmers don’t control the weather. Especially in spring, unpredictable heavy rains sometimes mean water can’t drain away fast enough, leaving soil impossible to work. How do we adapt when it’s too wet? What are our best options for planning ahead? As part of your rainfall preparedness, think about the average weather in your locality. Figure out which crops are already marginal in your climate, and decide whether they’re important enough to warrant extra protection. Primary Prevention For crops you do decide to keep, try the following tips to prevent flooded plants and soil erosion. First, where feasible, plan to use raised beds or ridge planting to help excess water drain sooner. Minimize tillage, because tilling accelerates nutrient burn-up and the loss of organic matter. Also avoid tilling…

I learned to hunt wild turkeys through trial and error, beginning in 1988. I stuck with it, and after a few seasons of experimenting with calls, equipment, and techniques, I learned how to get close to this wary bird. If you’re interested in doing the same, be sure to read up on your local turkey hunting regulations before you do anything else. Wild turkeys are extremely skittish and moody. No single technique works on them every time. Consistently filling turkey tags requires learning several different techniques, being flexible, understanding all you can about your quarry, scouting the territory, developing your outdoor skills, and knowing your weapon. Bearded Tom and Matted Hen Male turkeys have black, shiny, iridescent feathers; a beard, which is a clump of stringy feathers that grows from…

Sheep come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, but among them, the British longwool breeds are considered royalty. The Lincoln is the largest of the longwools, and over the years, I’ve had the pleasure of visiting several flocks in the U.S. and Canada. I still remember the first time I looked at one of their fleeces, so brilliant it shined like foil in the sun. But fleece alone doesn’t make a sheep, and this old British breed also offers some culinary delights. Good things can come in big packages, and the Lincoln seems to have it all, wrapped up in one versatile sheep breed. Long-Reigning Longwool The history of British longwools dates back to the Roman occupation of Great Britain. Longwool sheep were documented on the European continent as early…