Tabla de contenidos para July/August 2023 en Grit

Water management is a critical component to conservation, and when used effectively, it can significantly increase the production value and habitat quality of your land. Strategically placed swales are one of the easiest ways to enhance your drought resilience and vegetate the more arid zones in your landscape. Swales are shallow trenches or waterways created to channel and trap or slow the movement of surface water. From the short linear depression that channels runoff from your downspouts to a water garden or pond, to a much larger earthwork that’s installed transverse to the slope in your south 40, swales can help you keep more of the water that falls on your place, on your place! Swales can be vegetated or not. Vegetated swales are arguably more beneficial, because they have…

All of us who grow something in the soil—gardeners, homesteaders, and farmers—should be familiar with cation exchange capacity (CEC). It affects plant growth and vigor, the nutrient density of crops, and even disease resistance. Let’s take a peek behind the curtain. What Is a Cation, and Why Would We Want to Exchange It? We know our plants need nutrients to grow, flower, and fruit. Some of these nutrients are called “macronutrients” because plants need them in higher quantities. Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and sulfur (S) are commonly classed as macronutrients. Plants also need other nutrients in lesser amounts for proper growth and function. We call those nutrients “micronutrients,” and examples include zinc, iron, boron, manganese, and copper. You’re on the right track if these…

Okra graces our garden each year, standing tall beneath the flood of summer sunshine. With roots in ancient Africa, this crop has been the center of comfort foods for centuries. Okra is part of the mallow family, and it’s a relative of hibiscus, rose of Sharon, hollyhocks, and cotton. Surprising, isn’t it? Yet once you see okra’s beautiful blooms, the relation starts to make sense. The flowers are creamy, open, and showy, with dark, velvety centers. After the bloom, the small and tender seedpod emerges. This is the treasure we call okra. I’ll get it right out there: I’m a big fan of okra! I also understand that it’s one of those garden crops that gets folks on different sides of the fence. The obvious culprit is okra’s characteristic texture.…

You never imagined it could happen to you, but suddenly, your loved one is involved in a serious farm accident and needs your help. What can you do to assist them and provide lifesaving care they may need right away? Call 911 LaMar Grafft, retired associate director of the North Carolina Agromedicine Institute, says the first key step is to call 911. Be prepared to give the operator the exact address of the accident and a description of where the injured person is located. Use street numbers and specific directions, such as north and south, to describe the accident site, instead of colloquial or local terminology. If appropriate, contact a neighbor who can meet emergency responders at the farm site address and assist them in reaching the field or extended…

Readers, with the start of our new nostalgia department, The Best of Times, we wanted to take this opportunity to share the history of GRIT. We often get letters from readers asking if this is the same publication they delivered newspapers for years ago, and we’re happy to say it is! —GRIT Editors When the first headline for GRIT was set in 1882, it’s doubtful anyone could’ve envisioned the publication continuing into the 21st century. Dietrick Lamade was a 23-year-old assistant press foreman for the Williamsport, Pennsylvania, newspaper the Daily Sun and Banner. In December 1882, the newspaper began a Saturday edition titled GRIT, which included local news items, editorials, and humorous tidbits. Dietrick set the first headline for the new edition. The Birth of GRIT Dietrick was born Feb.…

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.…

There’s likely little that feels more timeless, visceral, and rewarding than building a fire and cooking your food. In a modern world of food-delivery apps, drive-thrus, and prepackaged plastic packets of passably palatable provender, there’s something about the direct relationship with flame and nourishment that reminds us of where we came from and, perhaps, connects us a little more tangibly to what it means to be human. Fire cookery is often relegated to survival and “prepper” handbooks, but I contend it can and should be a more commonplace skill. I personally choose to cook over fire through the year to provide for my family in our purposely low-tech, off-grid home. I like that the fuel for our cooking can be sourced sustainably and directly from our own land as well.…

With their propensity for aggressive behavior and temperamental attitudes, mature bulls can pose risks that outweigh the benefits for small family farms. In some instances, though, you may not have the option of alternative breeding methods, such as leasing a bull or using artificial insemination. While housing a bull definitely brings challenges, some considerations can help you in this venture. I’ve been raising Miniature Jersey dairy bulls and selling them to small farms across the United States for more than 17 years, and most of these folks have kept their bulls successfully. While good genes definitely have a significant impact on a specific animal’s disposition, I’ve also found the following six management considerations have great potential to increase the odds of a favorable outcome. Keep in mind that all bulls…

I remember a time when many rural folks never even thought about locking the doors of their homes when they left. We didn’t lock our vehicles on our own properties or worry about someone stealing our dogs or about our children playing in the yard. Furthest from our minds was the idea that people would steal food from our gardens, chickens from the coops, or even cattle in the pasture. Well, those days are behind us now. We live in a time when rural property thefts are uncomfortably common. A time when, as my father used to say, “If it isn’t nailed down, someone will take it.” It does no good to simply complain about it. It’s reality, and we need to address it. So, what do you do to…

In the middle of a tall-grass prairie, it can seem like time stands still. Day after day, the bluestem grass sways in the breeze, and the buffalo wallows continue to look like a herd of bison passed through just the other day. Underneath this calm façade, though, an entire ecosystem is hard at work. With the right care, you can work in conjunction with that ecosystem to find a system for managing your grassland that benefits both your pasture and your animals. Know Your Landscape For centuries, tallgrass prairies have played a vital part in ranching and cattle production. While these pastures can be left to their own devices, without proper management and care, they can fall prey to invasive trees and noxious weeds. As my brother-in-law, Klayton Krispense, says,…

“Have you been checking on the chicken lately?” asked my wife, Elaine. “Isn’t it about ready to come back?” No, we don’t have a wayward hen that periodically returns for visits. But we do have a chicken of the woods mushroom that reappears every six weeks or so on an ash stump, or on one of the long-dead tree’s roots, from late May through early November. The stump is just 15 yards from our front door, so we don’t have to go far to gather what we (and many other foragers) consider the best-tasting wild mushroom. Widely found across North America, Laetiporus sulphureus is saprobic, meaning it grows on dead or dying wood, especially hardwoods, such as white and red oaks. This fungus is as beautiful as it is flavorful,…