Words of Praise and Worship

"Teach me, LORD, the way of your decrees,

that I may follow it to the end. Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law

and obey it with all my heart. Direct me in the path of your commands,

for there I find delight. Turn my heart toward your statutes

and not toward selfish gain. Turn my eyes away from worthless things;

preserve my life according to your word. Fulfill your promise to your servant,

so that you may be feared. Take away the disgrace I dread,

for your laws are good. How I long for your precepts!

In your righteousness preserve my life." Psalm 119:33-40

A call to Simplicity

‘Tis a gift to be simple,
‘Tis a gift to be free,
‘Tis a gift to come down where we ought to be,
and when we find ourselves in the place just right,
‘Twill be in the valley of love and delight.
When true simplicity is gained,
to bow and to bend we shan’t be ashamed.
To turn, turn, will be our delight,
‘Till by turning, turning we come ’round right.

Those are the lyrics to an old Shaker folk tune, written in 1848 by Elder Joseph Brackett while he lived in the Shaker community in Alfred, Maine.

I have been considering these lyrics for some time now, pondering their message. They seem more poignant as I consider what homesteading really means to me and my family.

I have been watching as the body of Christ has strayed away from God, and striving for his way, as our world has grown more and more complex. Sadly, it has become difficult to spot a christian today. We have become so worldly, there is little difference between the people of God and non-believers other than where we park our cars on Sunday.

We have set our hearts on achieving what the world defines as valuable, and have put aside the ways of the Lord. Christians today are more concerned about the performance of their 401k then they are about laying up treasures in heaven. We also have developed a case of the “I wants” as bad as our unbelieving neighbors. This worldly focus has us chasing big screen televisions, new cars, bigger homes, elaborate vacations, and a life of leisure, as much as any of the pagan fellows we pass on our way through the store’s glass doors on “black friday”.

We eagerly follow our favorite television shows, know every name and stats of every player on our favorite sports team, yet we can’t navigate our way through the books of the Bible, let alone give good explanations of the doctrines we believe.

The writer of the book of Hebrews felt this same frustration around 67 A.D. when he had to stop his dissertation on Melchizedek because he realized his audience couldn’t understand the point. They had been christians for 20 to 30 years but he said; “…though by this me you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truth’s of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!” Hebrews 6:12 (NIV).

The Barna research group has done some polling on modern Christianity. His survey’s show some disturbing trends. I have attached a link to the Barna information. http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/18-congregations/103-barnas-annual-tracking-study-shows-americans-stay-spiritually-active-but-biblical-views-wane

I realize I am painting with a broad brush, however, God has burdened my heart regarding this issue. I fear we have become the Laodicean church spoken of in Revelation 3:14-21. Jesus had harsh rebukes for that church that resonate today; “You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.” Revelation 3:17 (NIV).

Christ also had a dire warning for that church, reminding them that God will not allow us to be cavalier in our faith and ignore him for very long. He will discipline his church as a father disciplines a wayward child.
I want to use this blog to call the Church back to simpler, humble lives. I intend to explore how God intended his Church and his children to live.

I plan to do this using God’s own word as a guide. I want to avoid drifting into legalism and lists of do’s and don’ts. We have freedom in Christ by his death and resurrection. I want, rather, to start developing an understanding of what the prophet meant when he said; “…to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8b (NIV). I wish to rediscover how to live simply and worship with a simple faith.

In Christ,
Todd

Garden vs. Microfarm

The thing that separates a garden from a Micro farm is the utilization of ground. A garden is usually placed in a spot, picked in advance, and never much changes from the original area. Plantings may come and designs may change, however, the space occupied by the garden rarely changes.

A Microfarm is all about change and expansion. Since I'm not able to work on lots of acerage, I have to make the best use of every inch of ground I have. That means less grass and more tillable ground. My wife and I spend alot of time walking around our property and planning a future expansion.

We recently had some stumps removed and next spring we will see a new raspberry patch and a asparagus bed.

The area shown here is the beginning of the asparagus bed. Our plan is to increase the size of the bed and to raise it in a stone bed. The rectangular bed will be raised about 1 - 1 1/2 feet with a beautiful bed.

Shown below is the area we will add our raspberry bed next spring. We've been wanting to add raspberries for quite a while, but never had a good spot in mind for the bed. The compost bin and removed stumps revealed and excellent site for the bed.

Other areas we are future planning include the front yard, east-side yard, current kitchen garden, and our west fence area. The front yard is in process with the addition of the new picket, however, there are 3 trees that will need to be addressed.

Some ideas we are kicking around include: a dwarf, apple orchard (for the front yard), 3-4 peach trees along the main garden line, strawberries or a perma-culture alternative for the east side, and lots of currents along the west fence.

We are beginning construction of our chicken coop in the next few weeks. This is a dream/goal that we have considered for a few years. We will also be adding meat rabbits next spring. I'll definitely be writing on both projects as they develop.

Bottom line to this post is that if you wish to move beyond a hobby garden and develop a true microfarm or homestead, you must be an "out-of-the-box" thinker when it comes to your property.

P.S.

A great big "THANKS" to our friend, Lindsay, for updating the look and feel of our blog. She made it look fantastic!

Words of Praise and Worship

Ecclesiastes 2:5-6 - I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits: I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees:

The writer of Ecclesiastes warns us to be mindful of the ultimate goal of our endeavors. We can plant and plan, reap and sow, discuss new ways of preparedness but we must always remember the one who makes this possible.

If we toil for no reason, we do so in vain. God must be in our work, and our work must be to God, otherwise there is no value in it.

Finishing the new grape trellis

The new grape trellis on the east side of our property didn't start out as a grape trellis at all. It evolved form, of all things, a planned foray into dairy goats. Now you may be wondering, how does a person start with dairy goats and end with grapes. I sometimes wonder these very things, as that's usually the pattern around here.

A couple years ago, we were sure that we wanted to add a couple dairy goats to StonePath. We were so sure that when a great deal for a large amount of 4' x 8' fence posts fell into our laps. We purchased the posts in anticipation of using them for fencing for the goats the next spring.

At some point, we began expanding the gardens into their present form.  This expansion nibbled and nibbled into the expected goat yard until we realized that goats were not going to be a part of StonePath Farm, but we still had a bunch of fence posts.

I suppose I could have sold them, but never one to let a good deal or useful item go to waste we began to slowly add them into the property. First up was posts for the two kiwi plants we purchased, then we added more grapes to the old trellis. Finally, we were walking the property and planning our next move. The east side of the house has always been a neglected plot. I do have gooseberries there, however, they have never done well, probably because of the heat from the house.

That's when I decided to add another grape trellis using posts from the abandoned goat project. We had room for eight posts and seven grapes. I installed the posts late last fall as the rest of the gardens winded done and waited till this spring to finish.

As I stated, we added seven more Concord grapes. We like Concord being native to this state, they flourish in this climate and have very few pest problems. Since we love to can jelly, they are a natural.

I build the trellis using #6 screw eyes spaced at 2' and 4' off the ground.

I string 14 gauge, galvanized wire between posts for the grapes to grab hold of. At one post I attach the wire right to the eyelet, at the other end I use 7/32" x 6-1/4" turnbuckle eye/hooks/  The turnbuckles allow me to tighten the wire and keep it taut. 

Be sure to leave additional adjustment threads on the turnbuckle.  As the wire stretches, over time, with the added weight of the grape vines, you will have sag.  If you haven't planned for this sag with the turnbuckle, it is a pain to restring the vine.

Weeding and planning

Our schedule over the last couple weeks has been murderous.  We've been running to and fro, adding projects to an ever growing list, and running out of time.  A few posts ago, I was lamenting my lack of time. 

This craziness in our schedule left very little time to attend to StonePath and as a result the weeds began to take over. We were not about to let them take control, so over the past few days and culminating today, we waged war on the weeds.

We started bed by bed, moving in order until I am happy to say the beds are clean! I actually don't mind weeding, if I'm alone I use the time to pray and dream.  Usually, however, Shelley is with me and we talk, listen to music, and dream.  Often, this is one of the few moments we can share alone because our children want nothing to do with weeding.

We also had time to plan the next phases of the farm. We finally settled on an area for the asparagus bed.  We intend to build up an area just outside the upper gardens.  We plan on building a raised bed using stone, for a permanent structure.  This will enable us to increase the bed depth for the asparagus.  The stone wall/bed will be low, no ,more then 12 -18 inches in height. We love using stone in the gardens (probably why we named the place as we did), and this will really set it apart.

We also set aside an area for a raspberry patch.  Shelley has a friend in P.A. that is willing to give us all the canes we need. I love permaculture and this fits the bill perfectly.

Finally, in our planning, we have decided to add meat rabbits along with the chickens we are getting next spring. The rabbits and chickens are going to satisfy many needs here at StonePath.

First up, however, is to remove 4 stumps that lie directly in the way of the proposed chicken coop, and raspberry patch.  I plan on renting the stump grinder this weekend.

Installing a new rain barrel

We decided to add a third rain barrel to our system.  We installed two last year and love them, however, they were not convenient to the new grape arbor and gooseberry patch.  We had originally intended to install a 300 gallon tank that we got surplus to the back of the garage, but it was so ugly and impractical that we traded it for some work on the house instead.

That left us with our initial problem of no water source to the grapes. Rather then reinvent the wheel, we just bought another Algreen Cascata barrel.

The company shows the barrels installed right on the ground, however, we had problems with one of our first barrels leaning as the weight let it settle unevenly.  I decided to build platforms for each barrel to sit on.

Under the platforms I have dug out approx 6" of dirt, replaced that with coarse sand to prevent shifting.  I then add a layer of small pebbles for a nice finished look.

Each barrel can hold 65 gallons of water.  They come equipped with a front spigot or a side hose.  I want to get a small pump to use with a sprinkler in the main garden, however, for this new barrel I may just attach a soak hose along the gooseberries for a nice slow watering.

These barrels have more then proved their usefulness.  We use them for more then just plant watering.  We clean tools, cool feet, water our dogs, and more. 

For winter, we just drained them, left the spigot open, and they did just fine.

Natural Farming and Stewardship

Here's an interesting article that I found over at CBN.com.  I've provided the link to the original story.  While I don't have animals at StonePath yet, this Biblical/Natural approach is exactly what we have in mind here.  I agree that God has provided the example for how things should work.  Man is the one that has thrown everything so far out of balance through chemicals fertilizers, pesticides, factory farms, GMO, etc...

http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/healthscience/2011/May/Farming-Gods-Way-Inspiring-Passionate-Stewards/

Natural Farming: Inspiring Passionate 'Stewards'

by Heather Sells 

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Joel Salatin is an outspoken, alternative farmer who wants Americans to think about what they eat and where it comes from.

And he thinks the Church should be leading the way.

His fresh approach has been featured in documentaries like "Food, Inc." and books like The Omnivore's Dilemma.

Salatin's Polyface Farm in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley is not showy or high tech. Its very simplicity is actually revolutionary given the state of agribusiness today.

Salatin does not confine his animals in cramped and filthy living spaces. Nor does he inject them with hormones or offer them chemically enhanced food. Such conditions are typical for most American farms today where efficiency and corporate demands dictate much of the animals' existence.

One of Salatin's main missions is to mimic God's creation. That's why all his cattle eat grass, not grain. There are no pesticides, no fertilizers, and no hormones. Everything is natural.

Animals Living Together

"We move the cows every day to a new spot which allows the grass time to recuperate and go through its what I call 'the teenage growth spurt,'" Salatin said.

On his fresh pastures, Salatin feeds his cows, hens and broiler chicks what he calls a 'salad bar.' It's simply a mix of all kinds of grasses which provide rich nutrients for the cattle and the other animals to follow.

Salatin's innovative cycle builds all kinds of synergies from the different animals he raises. As opposed to corporate farms which promote a "monoculture," such as all corn or all beef, Salatin pursues a polyculture.

The farm's name "Polyface" promotes this idea of animals living together to leverage their God-given traits in such a way that produces maximum advantage for the farmer.

For instance, Salatin puts broiler chicks on the land where the cows previously fed. The shortened grass encourages their ingestion of fresh, tender sprouts.

Next, Salatin brings in what he calls the "eggmobile," a sort of hen house on wheels. He drives it to a new spot each day and opens the doors so the hens can literally have free range on their pasture.

Along the way the hens dig through the cow patties to eat protein-rich larvae. Their droppings in turn fertilize the field all over again.

Theological Farming

Salatin believes the model creates healthy animals and ultimately, healthy people. And he believes it's an approach that makes theological sense as well.

"It is how you respect and honor the least of these that creates a consistent ethical framework on which you honor and respect the greatest of these," he said. "It starts by honoring and respecting the pigness of the pig and the chickenness of the chicken."

Respecting these animals and their innate needs not only is good farming but foundational to a "God-don't-make-no-junk" philosophy of life, Salatin said.

Salatin explains his views in-depth in seven self-published books. He's a sought-after speaker on college campuses where he promotes local food and tears down anything hinting of corporate production.

Not surprisingly, he's viewed with skepticism by many associated with agribusiness.

Salatin's Congressman, Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va. is vice-chairman of the House Agriculture Committee. He said Salatin is a good friend but he doesn't agree with much of his philosophy.

"In my opinion, it's not necessary to produce food the way he does it," Goodlatte told CBN News. He added that Salatin's prices are unaffordable for many consumers.

Salatin maintains good food is worth it. He also countered that processed food is often more expensive.

Plowing Future Fields?

There are those in Washington who think Salatin might just be on to something.

Jaydee Hanson, a policy analyst at The Center for Food Safety, said he'd like to see more research on Salatin's approach.

"We need the U.S. Department of Agriculture to put as much money into studying how Joel Salatin does, so they can teach folks, as they do subsidizing the big operations," Hanson said.

Around the country. Salatin has earned a loyal following. At the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill recently, his lecture sold out and fans quickly formed a book signing line afterwards.

Steve Gisselman was one such fan. As an assistant strength and conditioning coach at UNC, he's read several of Salatin's books and said Salatin has changed his thinking,

"I've really thought about where does my food come from? Where am I getting it from? Is it sustainable?" Gisselman said.

UNC food studies major Lauren Wilson said Salatin is influencing many young people who are considering farming.

"He's a person out there showing it can be done and he's been successful in various ways--environmentally, economically and socially" she said.

Inspiring 'Loving Stewards'

If Salatin's plans succeed he'll help build up a new generation of farmers who subscribe to an all-natural approach. That's why he's so quick to denounce the negative stereotypes.

"We've got this cultural mentality that you've got to be an idiot to be a farmer" he told students at UNC.

Instead, he believes, the best and the brightest should be considering it.

"If we are wanting to take care of and steward our landscape, then we are going to need more loving stewards on that landscape," Salatin said. "If it is to be done well, it is going to need excellent practitioners and more practitioners."

Every year Salatin turns away hundreds of applicants wanting a shot at his rigorous apprentice and intern programs. Daniel Pike made the cut last year.

"I always wanted to farm but I didn't think it was a real possibility," Pike said. "You know, I need to go work in an office, work with computers and make money, make a living."

Then Pike started reading Salatin's books and began to see his dream as a viable option.

"There's this alternative farming where people are making money," he said. "Where it's respecting of the animals and it goes in line with how God set up all the systems."

Salatin said the good news is that many in the faith community are beginning to re-think their attitudes toward food and farming. And it's home schooling families he says that are leading the charge.

"When a person is freed up to examine and then make an opt-out change as a strategic decision and then finds it soul-satisfying -- 'Wow, our kids are responding, our family is harmonious'-- then they say, 'Well, what else should we opt out of?'" he explained.

Creator, Not Creation, Worship

But Salatin still believes the church has a long way to go to fulfill the Biblical approach to literally eat and drink for the glory of God.

"It really disturbs me that the environmental movement has been co-opted by creation-worshippers instead of being encouraged by the Creator-worshippers," he said.

The work on his farm has already inspired countless Americans to think more carefully about what they eat.

And if Salatin's dreams come true, it will also energize the Church towards greater environmental stewardship and raise up a new generation of passionate farmers.

Time

I haven't had much of a chance to get anything done around here.  Our middle son is working on his Eagle Scout project this weekend, and between that and make-up soccer games for our daughter (thanks to record rainfall) there just hasn't been any spare time.

Thankfully we managed to get everything planted over the long weekend, but I swear I can hear the weeds plotting a revolution. They have to be stopped!!

I have a growing list of chores to finish, among them is installing another rain barrel.  The two we already have in place are making a tremendous difference, adding the third was a no brainer. Getting it hooked up and running is the trick.

Hopefully, I'll manage to squeeze some time in tomorrow evening....