A Passion for Teaching

 

What makes a person create content to share to the world? What energizes a person to share the stories of their life, their views and belief systems? Is it profit? Ego? I mean think about it. It takes a lot of time and effort for someone tho to edit photos, write up a post, set up a video, do a podcast, anything like that on a consistent basis. Why would anyone in their right mind put themselves through all of this and subject themselves to the trolls and spammers? I am going to tell you and I am going to fill you in on some secrets.

 

 

Why we do this.

A person doesn't spend this much time and effort on something unless they are passionate about the subject. For every video, blog post, or podcast there is normally hours of research. Think about that. A 10 minute video may entail a minimum of 45 minutes of reseach, sometimes as much as 2 hours. It has to be a passion. If it isn't, you the reader, listener, or viewer will know it and you won't pay attention.

 

A content creator has to want to teach and share what they are doing in order to stay motivated. It has to be something deep inside of them.

 

It's not for the money.

There are a few (a very small precentage), that make a living writing, on YouTube, or podcasting. Most do it simply for the joy. Most people who are content creators make the bulk of their living from other activities. Some write books, some are virtual assistants, some sell training courses, but most have a regular full time job to go along with what they are shareing.

 

I am going to let you in on a little secret, and I will be honest I am a little nervous about it. If my income from the blog stays at the current rate I will make a whopping $41 this year. That's right I said $41 total. From the YouTube channel I will make about $151 this year and that is up from last year.

 

Why did I tell you that? To let you know that in the niche of Homesteading and Preparedness content creators, they are doing it because they want to spread a message and to help others. It is as simple as that. They can supplement their income by helping you find products that you will use or by directing you to learning opportunities, but in general any money earned is a trickle.

 

When a creator wants to do more.

As I stated above, if a content creator wants to expand their teaching and possibly make more money in the process they have to move into other areas. Books and courses tend to be the primary methods for creators to increase their income. Increased income means they aren't as reliant on a traditional job, which means they can produce more and better content.

 

I myself have come to this place. I may be slower than most, but that is okay. I have set my sights on producing PDFs on wild edible and herbal plants. This will enable anyone who is interested to create their own foraging notebook. That is just step 1. Step 2 would be an eBook and step 3 is a printed workbook. In order to make this happen, I need some help. We have a Kickstarter running. The Kickstarter ends July 4, 2017. You can watch the informational video below.

 



 



 

We are over halfway to our first goal. If you can help us out with a contribution, thank you so much. If you can't help with contribution but are willing to help by sharing the campaign to help us get the word out, thank you as well. I believe in this project and would love to have your help.

 

Thank you,

 

Bringing Rural Back 



Predicting Weather with Nature

 

Join the listener appreciation contest and share. This is an audio version of a previously release blog post. You can read the original post HERE.  

I am sure this is not a complete list. If  you know of some that I have left out, let me know. If you have a suggestion on a subject that you would like to have covered on the podcast or a question you would like to have answered, please do not hesitate to send us a message.

Homestead Blog Hop #52

 

Welcome to the Homestead Blog Hop!

Wow how time flies. We are just truly seeing the leaves start to change. High School football is wide open and our local team is doing really well. The high school band is doing great and I am not saying that just because our youngest is in the band, but it probably helps. I have already made my Apple Goodie once and it is in high demand. As always I keep playing with the recipe. 

We are truly coming into my favorite time of year. Take some time and keep out some great bloggers. 

Now on to the hop... Homestead Blog Hop will take place every Wednesday and is for all things homesteading: real food recipes, farm animals, crafts, DIY, how-to's, gardening, anything from-scratch, natural home/health, self-sufficiency, self-reliance, natural remedies, essential oils, & more! Basically anything related to homesteading.

Meet and Follow Your Hosts!

Kelly - Simple Life Mom (Facebook/Pinterest/Twitter/G+) Lindsey - Chickadee Homestead (Facebook/Pinterest/Instagram) Jennifer - Homesteading on Grace (Facebook/Pinterest/G+) Amanda - Idlewild Alaska (Facebook/Pinterest) Gregg - The Rural Economist (Facebook/Pinterest/Twitter/G+/Instagram) Bonnie - The Not So Modern Housewife (Facebook/Pinterest/Twitter/G+)

Featured Posts from the Last Homestead Blog Hop

Each week we will choose three posts to feature.Each post will be shared on all social media platforms by all of the hosts! Here are the features from Last Week's Hop:

1. Rain, Rain Come Again. Rain Barrel is Ready and Waiting From Bloom Where You're Planted

2. Pumpkin Seeds with Spice from Day's Ferry Organics

3. How to Can Apples from Oak Hill Homestead

Congrats! Feel free to grab the featured on button for your post.

Just right click and 'save image as...'

Guidelines for this Get-Together:

1. Click on the “Add your Link” Button below and add a great image of your project or recipe. Make sure you link to the page of your family friendly post – not the main page of your blog!
2. Try to visit at least a few other blogs at the party. Be sure to leave a comment to let them know you stopped by!
3. Please link back to this post somehow (a text link is ok). This is one thing we look for when choosing who to feature. We will share on multiple social media if you are featured!

Let the Party Begin!

Too Poor: To Homestead

I know you have heard someone say they are too poor to do something. This is going to be a multi part series. I will be honest and tell you I don't yet know how many posts there will be in this series. I already know of three, but there could be more. Today we are going to be talking about homesteading and several aspects of the term.

First some definitions

Homestead -  if you look up the definition of homestead in a dictionary it will say something along the lines of a home, lands, and outbuildings that are the residence of a family.

The Rural Economist definition of homestead- a place where an individual or family works to improve their self reliance, improve their health, and live a happy, productive life. 

Notice the massive difference in these two definitions. One is about possessions and only possessions. The other is about attitude. 

 Poor- not having the money to purchase basic necessities. i.e. shoes, clothing, food

What does it mean to be too poor to homestead?

I have talked to people who have told me they couldn't afford to grow any of their own food. Yup, I really have. I admit that there are people who do not have the resources to go out and buy a tiller, fertilizer, and plants and grow food in what we now call a traditional manner. There are many that truly do not have the money to afford the basic necessities. I work with a man that struggles to make ends meet. He works hard too. You will never see him in new clothes or a new vehicle, but he still makes a way to plant a small garden. He has told me, "Harvest time is when I eat the best". 

What most people really mean when they say they are too poor to homestead.

I am convinced that what most people mean when they say they are too poor to grow some of their own food is they really don't want to try. But there are some people who honestly believe they cannot afford to take any money away from the pantry today to provide for tomorrow. Others just don't know how to grow any of their own food and are afraid to try or are unwilling to learn.

Ways to be able to afford to produce some of your own food.

No till.

One of the biggest expenses for the first time gardener is acquiring all of the equipment they think they need to produce their own food. A tiller is one of the largest upfront costs for the backyard gardener. What if I told you you didn't need a tiller? In many circumstances a tiller can be counter productive, especially in the long run. Tillers produce an upsurge in fertility in the short term because they kill several things in the soil. The organisms decaying increase available nutrients for a short period of time. Tilling too much can actually impact the soil even more, several inches under the surface, but for "new ground" or heavily compacted soil I will till the first time or two so the ground is capable of being worked. After that I start working toward going no till.

Here is the how. Lots and lots of stores will give you cardboard boxes if you ask or find someone in your area that has livestock and ask for their paper feed sacks (I actually prefer the feed sacks). Plant your plants and place the feed sacks or cardboard around the plant, then cover with mulch, leaves, or straw. This will decrease the amount of weeding you will have to do and will actually increase the health of your soil for next year. Look at your ground as a long term venture.

For a little more information on no till and some information on hugelkultur you can read this previous post. It is a really old post and really isn't up to the visual standards we have now, but the information is still valid.

Compost

Compost is a great at improving the soil. Best of all you can make it with things you throw away. This is your fertilizer. Now I want to make something perfectly clear. If you are looking for instant results, compost will not work in the same way as a chemical fertilizer. A chemical fertilizer has a faster uptake into the plants, but tends to damage the soil in the long term. When possible I advise against chemical fertilizer. There are organic fertilizers available, but they tend to be expensive and we are trying to make food production affordable for the less fortunate here.

For more information on composting you can see another previous post.

What kind of garden to grow?

Seeds are always cheaper than plants. But plants help you get produce sooner or even harvest things that you couldn't due to growing times. If at all possible I suggest starting all of your plants from seed. If you have decided to start your garden and it is a little late in the season, you may want to start a garden or maybe even a container garden to produce at least a little bit of food. You will need to decide how you are going to grow your food. You can learn more about that by reading our post, Garden Design: What Should You Build. You can produce at least some of your own food no matter where you live. You can do this.

How to afford seeds or plants

Even if you are on a very limited budget you can still get either seeds or plants. Many libraries offer seeds to the public. Gardeners are some of the most generous people you will ever meet, if you talk to a few you will find someone who will be willing to give you some seeds.  If you cannot find someone who will give you seeds you can purchase seeds.

I recently found out that EBT cards can be used to purchase vegetable seeds, plants, fruit trees and even canning supplies. This is something I can believe in. I just wish it was more widely publicized. I have been told that this is covered in the information packet that is handed out when someone receives foodstamps. Unless a person reads the information thoroughly they may not know this. Other than the informational packet it is up to individual retailers to make this information know. Anywhere that is set up to accept SNAP can sell you seeds or plants.

All Wal-Mart stores accept SNAP and most sell garden seeds and plants. Sometimes, however, the employees may not know that you can use this benefit for that. If you are told you cannot use your SNAP card for seeds or plants ask for the manager and have them look up the SNAP Gardens site. This can really help improve your self reliance.

So you see, no one is really too poor to begin the homestead journey. One step at a time and person by person, we are
Bringing Rural Back

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Opportunity Knocks

Have you ever been presented with an opportunity that you knew was a good idea? Even though you knew it was a good idea, did you still experience fear? Fear is a powerful and persistent thing for many people. For some fear can be paralyzing. For the most part I consider fear to be an enemy of progress and growth.

Are there times that fear is necessary?  Fear throws all of your senses into overdrive. If you see a car heading straight for you, fear can quicken your reaction time. In acute unexpected situations fear can be beneficial, but in my opinion that is about it. We are going to talk about a couple of opportunities that my family have and cover one of the ways I help make a decision when it seems tough.

I am not saying you should take every opportunity, even if it is a good one, it might not be good for you. I am saying that you should never make a decision based on fear unless an immediate action is required i.e. getting out of the way of a speeding car.

Opportunities do not have to be business or money related. I have had the opportunity to get 2 bushels of apples for free. Big opportunity.

Opportunities are all around us. Some are in your face and some you have to search for.

My family has two opportunities that have recently started to materialize. First, my wife has registered to become a CPR instructor. Second, my dad has been presented with the opportunity to grow pork for a regional restaurant chain.

Both of these opportunities have initial up front costs. Both have the ability to choose their own paycheck. Both have major responsibility and benefits.

CPR Instructor

My wife has talked about becoming a CPR Instructor since she was in the respiratory program in college. There is a little fear involved. In order to become an instructor you have to take an online course and find somewhere that has an instructor course. You cannot take the instructor course until after you have completed the online portion.

Once you have completed both the online training and the instructor class an instructor must watch you teach a course. This is the part that my wife is most concerned about. Sometimes she gets stage fright. I know she will do well. 

We will be buying a set of CPR mannequins and printing my wife some business cards. Once everything is complete my wife can start scheduling classes. She will be reaching out to people who have not been properly served.

I am so excited for her. I know she will be 

great. Look for more details coming soon.

The Pork Business

My dad has been working toward self reliance for a couple of years. He has been doing the truck farm thing and has done well, but it is a lot of work and not a big return. He never complained, but with the changing regulations he has found it more difficult.

How he landed the opportunity to produce pork for a growing restaurant chain, I don't know. What I do know is he is only going to use a portion of his land and the restaurant wants 10 hogs a month.

This will provide my dad with a much needed income stream while still allowing him flexibility to work toward a more self sustainable life. It is a big deal.

Evaluating an Opportunity

How have you evaluated an opportunity? Do you write out checklists, pros and cons, or just go with your gut feelings? Unless you just go with your gut feeling, in some way you think about the advantages and disadvantages of an opportunity. Some advantages as well as some disadvantages are more important than others. You cannot just make a list of pros and cons, count the number of items in each list and come up with an answer. A simple list doesn't take into consideration the gravity of each individual pro and con.

If you are looking into buying a new piece of property, there may be one or two things that if a property does not have them, even if the property is perfect in every other way you will pass on the purchase. Things that are that important are called deal breakers. They "weigh" more to you than all of the other things combined. This concept is called a weighted average.

Here is an example. We are going to look at the possibility of me starting wilderness survival classes. Something I have seriously thought about doing for some time. For this example I am going to rate each pro on a 10 point scale. 10 being critically important and 1 being a consideration, but not very important. Ready?

Pros: 

• Being my own boss again (8)
• Being able to work outside (7)
• Teaching something I love (10)
• The ability to set my own schedule (9)
• My children could participate if they chose (6)
• I could decide how much I wanted to earn and work toward that goal (4)
• Build local respect (4)
• Networking with people interested in the same type things as I (5)
• I will need an apprentice (5)

I could go on, but you get the point.

Cons:

• Liability insurance (9)
• Having to deal with difficult students (8)
• Working with a state run park (6)
• Communication challenges due to weather (4)
• Cost of equipment (6)
• Cost of operation (6)
• Dealing with state and local regulations (8)
• Being away from my family if they choose not to participate (7)
• I will need an apprentice (4)
• Dealing with attorneys for solid waiver. (7)
• Dealing with allergies of others (3)

Okay just looking at these two lists, to me it looks like it is almost dead even. But is it really? I have not done the math a head of time so we will find out together. There are 9 pros and 11 cons. If we simply count the pros versus cons, I will not look into teaching any farther. But is that wise?

Now to the math. If I add the ratings of the pros together the sum is 58 and the sum of the ratings of the cons is 68. Only 10 apart. If I stop there it looks like the math tells me not to teach these classes. However, if we take into consideration their weight it looks a little different. 58 divided by 9 gives us 6.44 and 69 divided by 11 gives us 6.18. Wow, that is pretty close, but by the math I should consider offering these classes. The difference of 0.33 or one third of a basis point is statistically significant. 

The numbers above may change as I do more research, but the fact that the pros have the upper hand in intensity has encouraged me to do just that. If the cons would have had the majority after the math that idea would have had to set for a while. 

Do I do this for every decision? Heck no! Somethings I just look and decide, others I consider more intently. I want you to have additional tools to help you decide when opportunities come your way. There are lots of different ways to weigh a decision.

Opportunities are all around you. Get out there and find one or more that will help you achieve your...

Rural Dreams and Homestead Wishes.

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Wild Edibles #3 Dove's Foot Geranium

Disclaimer: Some wild plants are not only edible but delicious. Other wild plants will kill you if you eat them. Be absolutely certain what a plant is before you eat it. Plant varieties differ from region to region. When in doubt, consult a local expert.

This little plant is known by several names; Dove's Foot Geranium, Dove's Foot Cranesbill, and Geranium Molle just to name a couple. It is native to the Mediterranean but has spread over much of the industrialized world and is considered an invasive species in the Pacific Northwest.

This plant is very willing to fill any bare spot of ground and is not very picky as to the quality of soil. It is an annual but so readily reseeds that for the most part you can count on it returning year after year. The leaves are odd shaped and a little fern like. It produces flowers that range from pink to purple. I have read that this plant can reach 11 inches in height, but I have rarely seen it above say 8. Multiple stems rise from a single root base. The stems and leave are quite hairy. Dove's Foot Geranium blooms start in mid April here in the Southeast and can bloom until early fall. It produces an odd looking fruit the shape of which is where the Cranesbill name comes from.

As Food

Dove's Foot is not very tasty. At least not to me. The leaves can be eaten raw and I have even read of people using the leaves in smoothies. I can find no information as to nutritional value. Just know I have eaten it many times and am still kicking.

Don't worry,there is a lot more to be said for this little plant. Just know if you need something to munch on this plant is there. I would however eat in limited quantities.

As Medicine

This is where the excitement really kicks in for this plant. Historically there are tons of medicinal uses for this plant. Dove's Foot Geranium has been used for the treatment of gout, joint pain, muscle pain, and colic. This plant has been used for the treatment of bruises and bleeding. Extract or decoction of this plant in wine have been used to treat internal injuries.

The praises of this plant medicinally have been around for centuries. Nicholas Culpeper wrote of the benefits of Dove's Foot Geranium in 1654.

Decoction: an essence or extract of something obtained by boiling.

Dove's Foot contains gallic acid. Gallic acid is an astringent and is found in other plants like witch hazel. Gallic acid combines with glucose to create tannic acid. Tannic acid causes blood to clot which may be why it was used to stop internal bleeding. The most common herbal use of Dove's Foot is as a tea or extract.

Tannic acid has also been used to tan leather. I hope you are enjoying learning about the edible and medicinal plants around you.

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Other Posts in this Series: #1 Wood Sorrel, #2 Wild Strawberry and Woodberry

I wish you
Rural Dreams and Homestead Wishes

The Bees' Knees:Oh Honey!

So my next adventure as a new-found ,part-time homesteader is all about those hardworking Anthrophilias,also known as the Honey Bee!

Ok, so we all know how I felt about eating fresh farm chicken eggs (Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road?Don't know,don't care.Just give me your Eggs!) How do you suppose I felt when Dear Ol' Hubby first brought up raising a hive of Honey Bees? I FREAKED! How could he stand the thought of putting us in harm's way of those pesky,angry,ready to sting anything that comes their way critters?

Well of course he'd done this whole " Dances with Honey Bees" routine before.But that was before me.This was whole new territory. And the territory he had previously was more than a half-acre. It was actually a friend's land. He wanted us to be neighbors with the enemy.

Flash forward two years later and we now have a hive,so graciously given to us by a friend we go to church with. Let me say this; my husband did not push this one down my throat.(Ow!That would hurt!) He weighed the options, and educated me on all the benefits of having these little guys (and gals!) around.

Honey Bees are misunderstood.True to the phrase, "Busy as a bee.", these amazing insects live up to the reputation. First off Gregg told me that they will travel for miles to go after pollen.And when they return,they can communicate where the good stuff is to other worker bees! I especially loved watching YouTube videos where the bees place the pollen in little sacks on their legs.Very cool!They have guards watching over the hive,as well as the nursery having a full staff of nannies to tend to future workers and queens.

I have seen how they are diligent.I have stood near their hive and not been afraid. They really aren't concerned with me as long as I don't go poking around. I want them to learn my scent so that they become comfortable with the giant in their area.Gregg has also taught me that as long as the Queen is safe they're pretty docile.We have the Italian Honey Bees,and these are pretty laid back.

It's fascinating to watch these creatures and realize what a key role they play in our environment.Without these guys life would kinda stink. According to the National Resources Defense Council, more than $15 billion worth of crops are pollinated by bees each year in the United States alone.Whoa! These babies are the real deal. And truly, I don't wanna go without foods such as apples, almonds, blueberries, avocados, onions, grapefruit, oranges...well you get the picture.

Now for the best part.The part that Winnie the Pooh dreams of.Yes, the liquid gold of nature. I can't wait til our girls start putting out the Honey!And the beeswax too. I have much to learn about the many uses of it.
Back to the honey. According to people who harvest it, it's not just good for eating. It's also supposedly good for seasonal allergies.The Mayo Clinic is not completely agreeing with that,however they're not disregarding  it either.You can check it out yourself at www.mayoclinic.org/diseases/honey-for-allergies. They do say that the idea isn't far-fetched since honey is used as a cough suppressant and could act as an anti-inflammatory. They also point out that honey contains flower pollen which is commonly used against allergens. I'm no expert, but I'm willing to give it a try. And ladies there are recipes you can find online that are great for the skin. A friend of mine made one,It was awesome!

Another thing to consider is what type of box you want. There are three common types.The Langstroth, the Warre, and the Top Bar. We are as of right now using the former due to the fact when we got the bees they were already placed in it and Gregg didn't want to disturb them. With the Langstroth, you will get more honey with it than a top bar, but less beeswax. Some experts claim the Top Bar is more like their natural habitat which keeps the bees calmer. It really depends on your preference. Next year we will probably try out the Top Bar since we have it.

It's still awhile off until we get our first batch of honey and for all of you newbies out there like me who were cynical and scared, just know that I'm sold out on Honey Bees and I have a new found respect for them and their place in this world. I plan to do a follow up on the harvesting of our first batch of honey. Wish me luck!

Embracing the many adventures of Homesteading.
The Un-Country Country Wife.

Farming on "New Ground"

The term new ground refers to an area that has not been previously cultivated or has not been cultivated in several years. New ground can be former pasture, brush land, timberland, or even non chemically treated lawn. New ground had major benefits as well as some serious challenges. We will cover both.

If you talk to any old timers they may tell you about new ground that has been in cultivation for years. What they really mean is it is the newest ground they have.

Benefits of New Ground

Most of the time new ground has not been contaminated by chemicals. As I said before this may not be true if turning a section of lawn into garden space. The chemicals approved for use on lawns are way more harsh than most approved for food production.

Most times new ground will be extremely fertile. Leaves or grass clippings are often left to decompose wherever they fall. This of course increases the organic content in the soil, which invites earthworms and a whole host of beneficial microbes.

New ground can be very mellow. It may not have ever been impacted by tillers or heavy equipment. Mellow ground is easily worked, holds water well (needs less irrigation), and is just easier for your plants' roots to get around in.

New ground has most likely not been contaminated with diseases. New ground normally has a wide range of biodiversity which inhibits many vegetable diseases and helps control many pests.

Challenges of New Ground

New ground is very labor and time intensive. Getting my area to the point is is now has taken me 10 months. This has been me working on it a little at a time, an hour here and 6 hours there. All but about 5 hours were done completely by hand. A buddy of mine brought his tractor over for half a day. Everything else was done by hand.

Weeding new ground in the first year is a beast. It does not matter what the ground was before, there are bound to be hundreds of seeds and roots waiting to grow in the middle of your vegetable patch. This can be a constant fight, and can turn into a battle of the bramble if you will.

When you have wonderful, fertile new ground, you will want to at least keep it as healthy as it was and hopefully make it healthier. Direct sunlight to soil can kill the top levels of beneficial insects and microbes. Many plants take nutrients from the soil. The answers are simple mulching, composting, rotational planting, and if needed organic fertilizers. I will provide links for each of these topics, as this is beyond the scope of this post.

My New Ground

My new ground started out covered in privet and honey suckle. It took me nearly a year to get it to the point where I could plant anything in it at all. I cut even with the ground anything I couldn't pull up. Burned all of the brush that was too large to go through my chipper. Raked everything I could and am constantly pulling what feels like thousands of honey suckle and wild blackberry roots.

I am out in the garden everyday hoeing to stop any weeds from getting too far. As the plants I want get bigger I will be putting down cardboard and mulching with a mixture of pine shavings, wheat straw that was at the bottom of the chicken brooder area, and compost. This will go a long way to stopping the weed invasion, will prevent moisture loss, and will breakdown and actually improve the soil.

By taking in this new ground I increased my food production area by a little over 3 times. I am hoping to provide updates in the months to come.

For more information related to this topic you can read the following articles.
The Lowdown on Compost
Chinese Privet Homestead Hero or Villain
My Experiments with Hugelkultur and No Till
Lasagna Gardening
Instant Garden

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This post shared on the following blog hops: Simple Saturday Blog Hop

Saying Good Bye To A True Homestead Hero

Disclaimer: I am not really even sure how to start this post but I feel sure if you will stick with me it will be worth your time.

How do you say goodbye to a Hero? How about a Mentor? Teacher? Adviser? Spiritual Leader? Friend? Family member? Now that you have all of that rolling through your mind, imagine saying goodbye to a person who was all of those. April 10th,2014 I said goodbye to my grandfather. Had he have lived till June he would have been 89 years young. He was the toughest and hardest working man I have ever known. He is a very big reason for me being the way I am.

Granddad was born in 1925, remembered The Great Depression ,and served during World War II. He knew more about farming, gardening, homestead livestock, hunting, fishing, foraging, and wild herbs than anyone I have ever had the privilege to meet in person. He could work with wood or metal and get done what he wanted doing.

This is not going to be just a eulogy so hang in there.

I don't remember how old I was the first time my granddad took me to dig ginseng. We walked all over the mountains around home and it seemed that he knew every single plant and whether it could be used for something or not. I have learned a lot of things from books and blog posts, but nothing compares to having a person standing right there showing you and answering your questions. Herbs that I remember us talking about include: ginseng, arrow root, lambs quarter, burdock, plantain (he called it something else but I cannot remember what), Indian turnip, Queen Ann's Lace, and Elder berry. I am sure there are countless more.

Ginseng

The first time  Granddad made elder berry juice he wanted me to taste it. Of, course I did. I knew he would never do anything that would hurt me. It tasted like a mix of blueberry juice and Vick's 44 D. Nasty. He just sort of laughed and said "tough isn't it".

He taught me about edible plants. Hickory nuts (taste just like walnuts), persimmons (don't eat them till they are completely ripe), cattails, and even something we call sour grass (also known as wood sorrel).

Sour Grass (Wood Sorrel)

When I was 12 he hired me one summer to help tear down a house that a man had given him. We took all the materials that were usable and built another house that he rented out for years till he sold it. I helped him work on tractors and countless other projects. Many of the skills I have today were either learned or improved by helping this man.

My grandfather was one of the best shots with a firearm I have ever seen. I don't think I ever saw him miss. Between him and my dad ,they helped me become a pretty good shot myself. One year we were dove hunting and it was near the end of the day. We had all grouped back together and were talking and taking turns with the birds that would come by before we headed home to clean them. When it was my turn, I took careful aim and said "Bye- bye birdie ",before I pulled the trigger. The bird fell. My grandfather smiled and said "The boy is becoming a good shot".

He would tell stories about his life during the Depression. His father, my great grandfather, made his living hand hewing railroad cross ties, cutting dye wood, cutting hair, and of course farming. One year was not very good to the Carter family and my great grandfather told all the kids that Santa wouldn't be coming that year. They just did not have the money for anything extra. A man who owned a general store several miles away that my Pa Pa Carter traded with came by Christmas Eve after dark and left all of the kids an orange and  a nickel's worth of rock candy they were able to split. Nearly every time after telling that story he would say "Hard times will come again and you had better be ready to do everything you can yourself". He did not tell that story to prove how hard he had had it. He told it to warn us how hard things could get again. 

Rock Candy

 If my grandfather had not been the way he was and taught us all the things he did, I probably would have never started The Rural Economist. My dad and aunt have started a farm that sells produce, honey, eggs, jellies, and jams. They are looking to expand. There is no way to know how many people he has taught about being self reliant. So you see, simply by your reading this, one man's life continues to touch others and lead others to a simpler more sustainable way of life. That is the best tribute I could ever offer.

In the end he told me he was proud of me and that I had become a real man. I, my dad, my cousin Dusty, and nearly every member of the family was able to tell him goodbye. Only my dad was in the room when he passed.We were trying to get some rest in the waiting room. Even though it is hard to have him gone, I am blessed indeed to have had the time that I did have with him. 

Granddad, you helped teach me about homesteading, about preparedness, and about life. I will do everything I can to keep your lessons alive. I love you Granddad.

To my dad. Hopefully, between the two of us, we have most of the knowledge that granddad had. I know you will help me spread this wisdom.

Now for the challenge. This is not just a memorial. I want each and everyone of you to learn everything you can and teach anyone you can. In this way, we can take the lessons my granddad taught me and make them exponential. I told him once I was going to make him famous. Let us make him one of the catalysts to make the world a better place.

For another article featuring my granddad. A Family Tradition of Sustainability
You can also read the tribute written by my wife God Gave Me a Carter

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I hope you all enjoy Rural Dreams and Homestead Wishes.

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Rural Wisdom and Know How #1

News From Around Carter Homestead:

Here in the South the weather is chaotic, one day the high will be the low 50's and two days later the mid 70's with night time lows ranging from upper 20's to low 60's. Our weather makes things interesting. For tonight at least I am sitting by the fire.

My wife is in full on "Let's get this Christmas shopping done" mode. Most of the shopping has been done on Amazon so far. She is incredible. No procrastination going on with her.

We have two birthdays this week both my wife's mother and mine. We also found out that my wife will be having to work Thanksgiving day and the weekend before, so we will be having to get creative in our celebrations this year.

I would like for this to turn into a real conversation. I would like to get to know all of you and give you a chance to get to know my family and myself. In that spirit I am going to post some questions each week and give my answers. I would like for you all to answer the questions in the comments.

(1) As we are coming up on Veterans Day, are there any veterans in your family?
(2) Do you do anything to celebrate Veterans Day?
(3) Have you started your Christmas Shopping?
(4) When do you start listening to Christmas music?

My answers (1) I am a veteran as are both of my grandfathers. Both of my grandfathers served during WWII. I have my paw paw's WWII flag that was on his casket and his father's WWI flag. (2) Sadly, I do not do anything special. I will have to work. (3) My wife is on this with a vengeance. (4) I listen to Christmas music anytime the mood strikes me February or even July is fine by me. My wife thinks it should wait till the day after Thanksgiving. Now it is your turn.

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We have a giveaway going for copies of two eBooks. The Urban Chicken and The Gardening Notebook. You can enter for this giveaway either on the posts about these books or on The Rural Economist Facebook page. We are looking forward to hearing from you.