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  1. ARC55

    The Olympics

    As much as I like sports in general, I've never paid much attention to the Olympics. I think it's more fun to either play the game or watch it in person. I still hope the USA racks up a ton of gold medals.
  2. ARC55

    Cucumbers

    This is the first year that my wife and I have tried homesteading, so I really can't complain. We've been pretty lucky so far. I wish the okra had fared better, but I probably planted it too early and will know better next time. Thanks for asking.
  3. ARC55

    Locally foraged salad

    Oh, good point! You've made me laugh tonight, Susanna. Even my wife heard me and wanted to know what was so funny. Thanks for bringing me back to reality. Yep, I was probably clutching my pearls for nothing.
  4. ARC55

    Green powered aerator

    I need to make a trip to that store anyway, so I'll give it a look while I'm there. Thanks for the Airmax recommendation. I'm hoping an aerator will help cut down on the muck.
  5. ARC55

    Can u cut Alfalfa with a brush hog rotary shredder?

    I'd say you can, but I bet it will be a lot more work and you'll have a lot more waste. It might not be worth it in the end. I hope it works for you.
  6. ARC55

    Green powered aerator

    I'm looking for a green powered (solar or wind) aerator for my medium-sized pond. Do you have any recommendations? I've found some incredibly cheap ones at Walmart, but then I wonder whether they'll stop working within a short period of use.
  7. ARC55

    Locally foraged salad

    It sounds reckless to me. There are so many poisonous look-alikes out there. What if a customer decides to source their own and eats a deadly plant instead?
  8. ARC55

    Regulating the Uses of Citrus

    I wouldn't use the juice at all. Citrus juice contains quite a bit of sugar, so I can't see it acting as a good pesticide unless the odor is meant to ward off an animal like possums, rabbits, mice, or something else. Even then, you'd be trading in the pests for a ton of ants. The juice wouldn't...
  9. ARC55

    Freshwater pond

    I hate to dissuade you for your plans, but I've looked into doing something similar, and I doubt you'll find an affordable way to source prawn and keep them going on a small-scale operation. Raising prawn also often involves the eyestalk ablation process, which is gruesome and blinds the...
  10. ARC55

    Planting after pig rotation

    I've rotated my pig pen and naturally the ground is pretty sparse. I'm afraid to passively wait for the vegetation to recover since a heavy rain or two might send their waste into the pond. I also don't want the area covered in weeds that won't benefit the pigs nutritionally when they...
  11. ARC55

    Certified Naturally Grown

    I didn't do a lot of research into it, @Urban Homestead, but from what you've said, it sounds like a good program. I'll have to look more deeply into it. Thanks for the info! I'm glad to hear that the certification helps your business.
  12. ARC55

    Gas going into muffler

    Were you ever able to get it fixed, @Patric? It sounds to me like an overfill or leak is the culprit, but you've probably already figured it out by now.
  13. ARC55

    Country vs. city

    @Digger, we left a medium-sized city for rural living, and the only thing that I miss is having a reliable trash service. Here you have to burn your trash, compost it, or carry it off to the dump. I'm with you, @Ecohugger. No way could I have handled riding out the pandemic in the city. Our...
  14. ARC55

    Certified Naturally Grown

    The CNG certification seems to be an alternative to applying for the USDA Organic certification. As we all know, the USDA certification can cost thousands of dollars depending on the size of your operation. That prices many of us out. The CNG certification is only about $200 which will appeal...
  15. ARC55

    USDA Releases Study on Hurdles to Healthy Eating on SNAP

    I used to think that food deserts were a myth, until I visited a relative up north where the closest food place was a gas station. That area had no public transportation and Uber didn't serve the area, so it made things difficult to get fresh food if you didn't own a car.
  16. ARC55

    Salt from softener..

    Yeah, it is pretty awful. If your flowers aren't too damaged, then you can try to save them by flushing the soil out around them.
  17. ARC55

    Best value for family meat?

    @Stocky, those are good points. It is valuable to know how my pigs lived and what they ate. I have to say that the pork we raised is more tender and flavorful than anything that I've ever picked up at the grocery store. @OhSusanna, I didn't have much for them to eat forage wise, but I can...
  18. ARC55

    AC woes

    I'm glad to hear that you've settled into it, @Gordyg. Sometimes my knee aches when it's raining outside, but I can't say that the heat matters much to my body. I sweat more is all. It's weird how our bodies react to the changes in weather.
  19. ARC55

    Best value for family meat?

    I'm hoping that some of you experts can help me out. Raising the pigs went well enough. However, I've run every calculation I can think of, and we're pretty much going to lose money every time we do it and that's even after processing the pigs at home by ourselves. The meat does taste better...
  20. ARC55

    Favorite Gardening Tool?

    If we're counting large pieces of equipment, too, then I'd go with my tractor. If you only mean small garden items then I'd go with my sturdy hand truck because it's so versatile.
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