A return to the call

I have to confess that I don't juggle as well as I'd like to think I can. My life has been busy since my last post in August. Throughout the summer I had set this blog, and posting to it as top on my priority list, and was seeing the fruit of my focus. I was pasting frequently on topics I love, seeing growth in followers and readership, yet I in September I stopped...cold turkey.

I not only stopped writing, I stopped reading what others writing. Beyond my on-line homestead, I also stopped working on StonePath. My interest had waned.

Now before you worry that I've given up on the whole notion of organic growing, and microfarming, I stated the facts above because my attention was pulled to God. My relationship to my King has become increasingly stronger and for some reason, I cannot understand, He is allowing me to be used to further His Kingdom. This has been where my attention has been focused.

I intend to write over the next few weeks about the journey of faith I have been on. It has been an incredible, sometimes scary, ride. God is faithful, He is amazing in His purpose and in His sovereignty. I have been blessed to see Him in action these past months.

So today is a renewed posting. I am posting with a different purpose and we'll see where it goes.

Some news and updates

I'm sorry for the lapse in my posts. I have been side-tracked preparing materials for two ministries projects that I have become involved with, and my free time has suffered a bit.

My wife and I are now leading our church Senior High Youth group. It just started meeting this past Sunday and it's been a wonderful challenge. There has been a lack of good Bible/discipleship training in that group in the past, and we hope to get the group on the right road.

I am also prayfully considering starting a teaching ministry. This ministry would take me to various churches and settings to teach the "whole counsel of God". I am passionate about teaching God's word, and feel an urgency to the Body of Christ. I am seeing a startling rise in Biblical illiteracy in the church, this is a dangerous position as it quickly opens the door to apostasy and more. You only have to look at how the major denominations have traded Biblical truth for political correctness, all in the name of diversity.

Finally, I am going to begin a teaching on the book of Isaiah this fall at Camp Risley. Preparing to teach this book is a huge undertaking, but I love every minute spent in the word.

*****UPDATE on Hope the pig**********

Hope is doing fantastic. She's back at the farm where she was born. We were able to get her weight up over 3 lbs, she is eating grain, and walking all over the place.  Trust me when I say that a toddler pig is worse then a human toddler. She got into everything, so we knew it was time for her to rejoin her brothers and sisters.

A piglet named Hope

What an eventful weekend. I apologize for not adding my normal Sunday praise and worship post, but we were beyond busy this past weekend.

Friday night we went out to my good friends farm to see his new litter of pigs. His pig LuLu had a litter of nineteen piglets. Three were still born and there was one runt.

The runt just wasn't going to make it. The mother did not have enough teats to begin with and this runt was getting shoved aside and it was obvious what her fate would be. We were not going to let that happen. So between my family and another family, we decided to take it upon ourselves to get this piglet "over the hump".

Meet Hope, a very adorable, very hungry piglet. We brought her home Friday evening and commenced the every two hour feeding schedule such a young piglet requires to survive. Every two hours means exactly that, so all through the night my wife and kids would wake up to handle Hope's needs.

What a worthwhile endeavor, despite the sleep deprivation, the kids loved it. My wife took the brunt of the late night feedings saving the early morning feedings for the kids.

Hope seems to be doing very well, although I'd like to see her add some weight, she is a voracious eater. We started her off an a mixture that was found on the Internet, a mix of whole milk, raw egg, and half/half. Later we were able to get some colostrum from a nearby Dairy Farm. This hopefully, will do the trick.

Our friends took over pig raising duties last night to give us some needed rest, and we'll take her back this weekend. The goal is after two to three weeks she'll be strong enough to handle life on the farm.

Squash loss mystery solved

Meet Halyomorpha halys, better known as the the brown marmorated stink bug. These little plagues are the cause of my total squash loss this year. Had I paid a little closer attention I might have been able to stop the damage and save my squash, but unfortunately, my attention was focused elsewhere and my squash was a total loss.

This garden pest could prove to be a major threat to home gardens and organic farms. Government entomologists are especially worried about a new Asian variety that has been spreading from Eastern Pennsylvania. The problem is that this new variety has no natural predators in the U.S. and the damage they can do is catastrophic. “If they get to Florida, it could be like the atomic bomb going off,” said Douglas G. Luster, research leader for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service. “They’re starting to show up in North Carolina.”

The problem with this pest, it is an equal opportunity eater. It loves fructose, any source of fructose. My squash with their hollow vines full of sap were a nice treat, but they eat everything else from tomatoes, cabbage, grapes, peaches, anything sweet.

There are tests being done to see if an Asian wasp can be introduced to the U.S. to handle this menace, however, there is always a risk when introducing new insect species in an ecosystem. For organic gardens and farms, there currently is no remedy except to pick them off and burn them.

So how did I get hit so bad with this bug? For the first time I planted sun flowers in my garden. In fact, I planted them in a row right next to my pumpkin bed. It seems that sun flowers are one of a few of stink bug "trap plants". Stink bugs love them, so the idea is you plant them far away from your garden and the bugs can't help but go to the sun flowers. I planted mine 2 feet from my pumpkins.

You could watch the spread; first the pumpkin row, then up one row to the next series of squash. Unfortunately, my grapes are in line next. We destroyed everything in the lower beds last night and took as many of the bugs out as possible. I'm pulling the sun flowers today.

Lessons learned:
1. Be more vigilant in the garden. Look close at each plant to deal early with any problems.
2. Companion planting has a dark side. I need to learn more about companion planting, there are things that can be planted that pests hate.

Farm primitives

I have a hobby that has really begun to take off (as if I needed something else to occupy my limited time), I collect farm primitives. Farm primitives is a small area of antique collecting focusing on old tools and equipment found in barns, farm yards, and the like. I have always sought out old rakes, shovels, hoes, etc... but lately my hobby has taken a dramatic turn.

In a previous post I gave tribute to my father-in-law, Alger Langworthy, who recently passed away. Alger was a collector of all kinds of things and thru him, I was able to bring home a couple fun, interesting pieces for my collection. The first piece is am old, horse drawn, two-armed cultivator. This piece is wonderful. It rolls fine and is begging to be restored and someday put back into use.

The one thing I look mostly look for in farm primitives is their ability to be used again around StonePath. These old tools, with very few exceptions, are not meant for decoration, rather, they are meant to be refurbished and put back to work.

Many of the old rakes, forks, and such just are not made new anymore, or worse are made in China. Their function is still sorely needed, however, there is no market demand. Many of my old, antique forks, find very good use around our homestead. They made need a little TLC, a new handle perhaps, but they still function as designed. The old saying, "They don't make them like they used to." definitely applies in old tools.

The piece pictured above is a classic horse drawn plow. It needs new handles and a  new coat of paint, but otherwise it's a tool looking for a horse.

I hope to start restoring both of these large pieces sometime late fall, but I'm in no hurry. These tools were made to last and can hang on for quite sometime.

I encourage anyone looking to homestead to consider older tools. They are usually much cheaper then a new tool (if it's even made), built far better, and can be surprisingly useful. 

The Country Boy's (or Girl's) Creed

The Country Boy's Creed

I believe that the Country which God made is more beautiful than the City which man made;

that life out-of-doors and in touch with the earth is the natural life of man.

I believe that work is work wherever we find it, but that work with Nature is more inspiring than work with the most intricate machinery.

I believe that the dignity of labor depends not on what you do, but on how you do it;

that opportunity comes to a boy on the farm as often as to a boy in the city
that life is larger and freer and happier on the farm than in the town,

that my success depends not upon my location, but upon myself—not upon my dreams, but upon what I actually do, not upon luck, but upon pluck.

 I believe in working when you work and in playing when you play and in giving and demanding a square deal in every act of life.

-Edwin Oswood Grover

My wife and I found a framed copy of this creed in an antique store and immediately fell in love with it. It says exactly what we feel. It's simple truth is tonic to our souls and what we seek at StonePath Farm.

Busy weekend at StonePath

We spent a very busy weekend at StonePath. We are remodeling our front room (a subject of a future blog), which caused my wife and I to split forces so that we could get work done on the room, the ton of canning that needed to be done, and some chores around the farm.

We canned nine quarts of our much praised salsa using tomatoes and peppers grown here at StonePath. We did need to supplement with some locally grown green peppers but only a few.

We also were able to can thirteen pints and 6 1/2 pint jars of zucchini relish. This recipe could be our favorite thing we can each year and the most requested item from our friends and family. We are tthankful to some of our friends up the road who provided us a bunch of zucchini so we could get this project done.

In an earlier post I talked about the complete loss of all my squash, zucchini included. We were planning to replace the lost harvest at our local produce auction, however, our friends wonderful gift got us moving in the right direction.

We also managed to freeze seven 4 cup packages of shredded zucchini to be used later in a variety of ways.
The spring lettuce, in the kitchen garden bed,had run it's course and bolted in this heat. Normally, I replant lettuce in this bed and we take advantage of the micro-climate the house creates. We had lettuce into the second week of December last year (not bad for North-Central Ohio) largely due to the house, exterior walls providing warmth and shelter.

I decided to plant a second zucchini crop as an experiment. I am not ready to throw in the towel on zucchini, it's too much of a staple for us. So I ripped out the lettuce bed and planted three hills of zucchini Costata Romanesco, which is a 52 day heirloom variety, and three hills of Zucchetta Rampicante, which also is an heirloom and around 55-60 day. I will have to trellis the rampicante, it runs fairly long vines.

 

Tonight I intend to harvest our beets and use that bed for our fall lettuce crop. I doubt it will produce as long in the lower garden as it has in the kitchen garden, however, I am more interested in the squash then the lettuce at this point.

Words of Praise and Worship

God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day. - Gen. 1:31

God created the heavens and the earth for us, for me! The thought never ceases to fill me with wonder and amazement. The reason the sixth day was "very good", was He had finished all His creation with the pinnacle achievement of man.

God did this knowing we would disappoint Him, reject Him, and ultimately kill His son in the height of our rebellion. He did this anyway and pronounced it "very good".

The relationship that God desires to have with us was worth it enough to Him to leave heaven and die for us.

I say humbly, it is very good.

Bad squash year

I am having the worst year for squash that I can remember. My entire pumpkin bed is gone, that is over 15 vines. I have two sad hubbard squash vines left, however, they are not sending out any vines. My entire lower squash row is a total loss.

That's not the only affected area. I have lost my entire vegetable spaghetti bed. Last year we produced so many spaghetti squash that our freezer was packed and it provided all winter. Our acorn squash is producing but just barely. We have a total of two fruit on eight plants!

The zucchini is also barely producing. We have harvested four zucchini off of a similar eight plants. Our rampicante zucchini isn't producing at all. Yellow squash yields are similarly bleak.

The rest of the garden is flourishing with a few exceptions. I just can't explain my squash failures. To combat pests, I used floating row cover until late June which should have done the trick in that arena.

I am wondering if the very wet spring, coupled with the early, prolonged heat wave created the perfect storm of poor growing conditions. I'd like to hear what others are experiencing.

In the meantime, we'll be supplementing from the produce auction this year.

Words of Praise and Worship - Remembering Andy

For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” - Romans 9:15

We just arrived home from my father-in-laws funeral. The trip took us to northern Michigan, to lots of tears, and to much joy.  Alger Lynn Langworthy (Andy to most everyone) passed away on Sunday July 24, 2011 just 2 days shy of his 80th birthday.

I wish I could say that I knew Andy well, however, because my wife and I met late in our lives I only was able to talk with him a few times. The times we did talk I found his stories and humor heart-warming, authentic, and grew to love him in my own way.

I also came to know Andy through his remarkable children, my wife being the last born of six girls and two twin boys. They are a truly wonderful lot, hardworking, full of life, ready with a joke, or an offer of help. His legacy also includes many grandchildren and great grandchildren. 

Through choices made or ones forced upon him, Andy's life was a hard road. He forced many of those who loved him away, and chose many things as poor substitutes. It was only during the last few years that his kids came back into his life bringing him joy, peace, and an end to loneliness.

The reason I started this entry with the verse from Romans was that after much prayer, Andy came to know the Lord shortly before he passed. He always thought that he was too bad to be saved, however, Jesus finally made him understand that is the message of the gospel. The Lord had mercy on Alger Lynn Langworthy.

We brought this cherry tree home from Andy's house in tribute and memory of him.

British Bread and Butter pickles

One of the fun things we do every year at StonePath is to try and find some new canning recipe. Our criteria is to find a recipe that uses products that we grow (although we did do champagne blush jelly one year from complete store bought that was wonderful) on the farm.

Last year was the year for pumpkin pickles. They were a big hit and we quickly went through every jar we had. I don't count ground cherry jam because the ground cherry itself was an experiment and there's nothing unusual about the jam.

This year our pickling cukes are really producing so we started hunting for something other then the regular dill, sweet, bread and butter, etc... That's when we found British Bread and Butter pickles.

The recipe is a variation of regular bread and butter pickles as found in the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving.

British Bread and Butter Pickles

10 cups sliced, trimmed pickling cucumbers

4 medium onions

1/2 cup pickling or canning salt

3 cups cider vinegar

2 cups packed brown sugar

2 tbsp mustard seed

1 tsp celery seed

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp ground ginger

1. In a glass or stainless steel bowl, combine cucumbers, onions and salt. Mix well and cover with cold water and let stand at room temp for 2 hours. After allowing the cucumbers to stand, rinse them well in a colander under cool water and drain.

2. In a large stainless steel saucepan, combine vinegar, brown sugar, mustard seed, celery seed, turmeric, and ginger. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Stir in the vegetables and return to a boil.

3. Pack vegetables into hot jars to with a 1/2 headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding hot pickling liquid. Wipe rim and screw on cap.

4. Place jars in a boiling water canner, completely covering the lids. Process for 10 minutes.

Mid-Season Farm update

I thought it would be useful to give a Mid-Season farm report on what's going on at StonePath, the good and the not so good. The gardens are in full flush, everything is green and growing.

We've had lots to harvest so far, including bush beans, banana peppers, hot peppers, lots of pickles, and lettuce. Pickles have been the hero of the season so far with no end in sight. We've canned lots of kosher dills,and British bread and butter pickles.

The tomatoes are just coming in and they look beautiful. We have somewhere around 140-150 plants and look forward to a very busy canning year. We do lots of salsa, pizza sauce and, of course, whole tomatoes. This looks to be a bumper crop year.

On the down-side, something is destroying our squash. I planted a 60' row of pumpkins that did wonderfully last year, this year we've lost most of the plants. I used floating row cover to thwart squash beetles, but something still managed to get them. I am in the process of doing a CSI style investigation. We'll have to get our pie pumpkins from the Amish produce auction for this year.

Our zucchini, yellow squash, acorn squash, and butternuts all seem to be faring better. However, they are all growing slowly. We got these in early and I think the extreme wet is to blame. A good friend of mine who runs a very large, organic farm has observed that his early crops are growing much slower then his later crops.

Weeds are always a challenge with our busy schedule, however, this year our kids finally have decided to help out and weed three beds a day. They have been a tremendous blessing.

I have to say that over-all I have been pleased with the performance of the farm this year. It's still has a lot of growing season left and we are hopeful for big yields. Organic gardening can be a frustrating learning environment, but the results definitely are worth while.

Buckets of Love

There hasn't been much happening at StonePath the past couple days.  The kids managed to get some beds weeded (what a blessing to have willing helpers), which allowed us to focus on some in home projects. We are finishing a remodel on our front, family room.  Shell and I have been called to lead our churches Senior High Youth Group, and plan to hold meetings there. It will be great fun and a true blessing.

In the meantime, we were able to participate and see completed a very cool mission project. We have been involved with The Risley Agricultural Center which is a non-profit, Christ centered ministry.  One of the projects we recently helped with was the "Buckets of Love" ministry. It's a simple, yet wonderful, ministry where we planted 5 gallon buckets with a tomato plant to be given to the poor. We planted and delivered around 140 buckets to the needy in our area yesterday.

Words of Praise and Worship

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. - Jeremiah 29:11

This oft-quoted verse, known by some many, fills me with both awe and challenge. The God of the universe, who sets the electrons in their paths around a nucleus, has taken time to think about me. He has not only considered me, He has made a plan for me.

The challenge in that verse is in the daily living. Do we truly trust God in times of trial that He really has a plan for our lives? The second part of the challenge is have we set our ideas on what it means to prosper in accordance to His will? What is our response if our expectations are not met by God? That is the challenge of faith.

First canning of the season

Yesterday was a good day of canning and freezing produce from StonePath.  We knew we had pickle cukes ready to harvest and we were pleasantly surprised at the amount we had to work with.

We were thinking that we would only be able to get a few jars worth, but ended up with enough for two water bath canner loads. 

I will confess that we cheat on pickles. We have found that the Mrs. Wages brand of instant pickles to be very easy to use with excellent results. Next year we may plan on growing lots of dill to scratch can pickles.

Our method is fairly straight forward.  The Mrs. Wages product is a dry mix of spices that is added to a white vinegar and water bath. The liquid is brought to a boil and added to the already packed, hot jars.

We process quart jars for 10 minutes and pints for 5 minutes in a boiling water bath.  A couple years ago we went to Lehman's Hardware in Kidron, Ohio and purchased a Camp Chief outdoor stove. This stove has been a great addition, it keeps the kitchen cooler and speeds the process up tremendously.

We ended up with 5 quarts and 8 pints of kosher dill pickles. This volume should continue throughout the summer.  We love kosher dill, polish dill, and bread & butter pickles.

The other item we made a small batch of was Apple Rhubarb Chutney. Chutney is in the same category of relish and salsa, except that chutney's usually have more fruit and tend to be saucier. Many recipes have nuts, although the one we did does not.  We'll use this chutney on pork roast, or even spread on crackers with some cream cheese.

The recipe for this chutney came from the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving which is a great resource for anyone who likes to preserve food at home.

Apple Rhubarb Chutney

4 cups - diced, peeled, cored apples (treated to prevent browning)

4 cups - granulated sugar

2 cups - diced rhubarb

1/2 cup - water

Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

1/2 cup - dried cranberries

1 tsp - ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp - ground nutmeg

1. In a large stainless steel pot, combine apples, sugar, rhubarb, water, lemon zest and juice. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring frequently for 15 minutes.  Add the cranberries, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Boil gently, stirring frequently, until thick enough to mound on a spoon, about 15 minutes.

2. Ladle hot chutney into hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace.

3. Process jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes, making sure the lids are covered by water.

Yields 4 1/2 pint jars.

We finished the day with pickles, chutney, and 6 cups of banana pepper rings. We freeze the peppers in food saver bags by the cup to use later on pizza or omelets.



http://homesteadrevival.blogspot.com/2011/07/barn-hop-20.html



Words of Praise and Worship

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your  ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6

This verse has, as of late, become my life verse and my guide. The truth contained in it, and the challenge it presents are enormous and life changing. That simple word "Trust", so often spoken but rarely lived out convicts me every time I read it.

The writer of this proverb had me nailed from the first line.  Not only do I struggle in trusting God, I definitely want to lean on myself. Somehow, I figure that the God of the universe can't help me as well as I can help myself. That's where the trouble begins.

Whether the issue is a sin, an unbridled tongue, fear, worry, or any of the nagging issues that daily beset me, God simply says to trust Him completely, ignore what I think is right, SUBMIT to His will and then He will work the issue out.

I want to be careful and not imply that God will take away hard times, we know from scripture that we are promised to experience trials, persecution, hard times, etc... If, however, we submit and trust fully God promises to make the path straight.  He will help us through the hardship and grow us in the journey.

The forest will still be dark and full of danger, however, the path through it will be straight and guarded by angels, if we only trust.

StonePath gets a new stone path

We purchased the slate needed to complete the path from the driveway to the front gate this past weekend.  Laying out a path sounds like a fairly straight forward proposition, however, it is anything but straight forward.

We have found that creating a path is as much art as labor.  You can't just throw the slate down any old way.  So we usually lay it in a pattern and live with it a few days before making it permanent. The pattern pictured above is the winner thus far and, unless something changes in my wife's mind, I'll set it tomorrow.

We love using stone around our farm (hence the name of the place), it adds a sense of time and permanence.

Our goal is to have slate paths running throughout the entire farm.  Currently, we use straw to layer the paths around the raised beds, but next spring we will install the slate paths. 

Our kitchen garden has always had a water problem that really impacts the growth of the crops.  We plan on raising the beds in stone approx 2' above the current level pictured above.  Our new asparagus bed will get the same treatment.

Black Horse Rider watch

"When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, 'Come!' I looked, and there before me was a black horse! It's rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, 'A quart of wheat for a day's wages, and three quarts of barley for a day's wages, and do not damage the wine!" - Revelation 6:5


I decided to start a weekly segment on my blog regarding the coming global food crisis. Many of you in the United States will probably wonder what I'm ranting about. Food in the U.S. seems ample and the stores are always fully stocked. That may make it seem like everything is honky dory, however, there are storm clouds on the horizon and the Rider in Revelations is getting ready to mount his steed.

I have been watching various news articles, both Internet and regular news, for any information about crops, food stocks, droughts, etc...  That information I have been compiling and will sort, digest, and summarize for you.  The patterns are plain to see and frightening in their forecast.

My goal with this information is not to frighten, however, it's to send a call to people to wake up and pay attention to the world around us.  It's a call to action, to preparedness, and watchfulness.  I especially hope to awaken the children of God to be watchful as Christ commanded us.  He told us to recognize the seasons and be prepared for His coming.

The first topic I wanted to discuss is the decline and impending end of the Ogallala Aquifer.  An aquifer is a body of water trapped hundreds of feet below the surface.  It's trapped usually between two different plates and they vary in size and gallons of water trapped.

The Ogallala Aquifer stretches from the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains through the badlands of South Dakota and into the Texas Panhandle.  At it's deepest, in Nebraska and Kansas, it is roughly 300 feet deep.  That changes the further south you travel.  Around Amarillo, Texas the depth is from 0-50 feet. This Aquifer does not refill, when it's gone, it's gone.

The problem has been the rapid draining of the Aquifer by over farming, poor resource management, and surface drought.  Researches now believe that the Ogallala Aquifer may only have a few decades left until it is dry. The fact that it will dry up is not in debate, the time until the last drop is removed will depend on how the resource can be managed.  The best hope is to manage the decline. The shallowest areas will probably be dry within 10 years.

The impact of this loss will be felt world-wide.  The agricultural area supported by the aquifer provides 20 percent of America's grain and corn, not to mention how much of the world market depends on food produced in this section of the U.S.  A collapse in this area will mean starvation in many areas of the world.

I encourage everyone reading this to take steps to grow and store food at home.  Anyone with even the smallest plot can grow enough food to make a difference.  If you live in an apartment or do not have the space to grow a garden, find some like-minded friends purchase a small plot and form a small, private community garden/farm, start to build a few months of food in your pantry while food is still inexpensive.  There are many tips available on how to prepare, that's not the focus of my topic. 

My urgent prayer is that those who call Christ, Savior, will begin to watch and tell others of the impending troubles. There is a storm coming and the horseman are preparing their mounts.

First harvest.

We were able to freeze both banana peppers and hot, hungarian peppers yesterday.  I love this time of the season when the garden is starting to take-off and we begin to harvest.  Everything looks fantastic except for the broccoli.  The very wet spring caused such a delay in planting that the crop never lived up to it's potential.  We are seeing many of the plants bolting before establishing any real heads.

I was able to get my hands on approx 1/2 acre up the road.  My friend and I plowed and disced the ground that was fallow for many years.  We planted corn and squash and hope for a late, big yield. We intend to plow up more this year and at least plant winter wheat as a cover crop and green manure.  Hopefully, we can really add lots to the pantry with this new acreage.

Words of Praise and Worship

 ¹ Blessed is the one 

   who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take    or sit in the company of mockers, 

² but whose delight is in the law of the LORD,    and who meditates on his law day and night. 

³ That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,    which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—    whatever they do prospers. - Psalm 1:1-3

I hope everyone has a wonderful 4th of July.  Remember the sacrifices made by so many that this nation might live.  God has blessed this land for His purpose, however, if we do not recognize His hand and yield to his purpose, I believe He will remove His blessing.

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.