Comments on: Bunt To the Whee! The Battle Cry of Food Storers! http://sharonastyk.com/2008/03/26/bunt-to-the-whee-the-battle-cry-of-food-storers/ Sharon Astyk's Ruminations on an Ambiguous Future Tue, 19 Aug 2008 22:06:01 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.2 By: Michelle P http://sharonastyk.com/2008/03/26/bunt-to-the-whee-the-battle-cry-of-food-storers/#comment-6309 Michelle P Tue, 03 Jun 2008 14:51:42 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2008/03/26/bunt-to-the-whee-the-battle-cry-of-food-storers/#comment-6309 Great site here. This post was just what I needed to keep me going in my dirt digging/ planting projects. I have been putting as much time into gardening as I can these days, almost to the exclusion of other things (except taking care of chickens). This year we are growing beans for drying (black turtle & hidatsu shield figure) & saving the seed for next year. Also many types of winter squash & soybeans. .Pumpkins, green beans, onions & garlic all to store, can or freeze. Lots of different herbs, a few flowers too. Mammoth sunflowers, amaranth & kale are grown for the chickens. Blueberries, raspberries & rhubarb are all new. So are the fences around the garden to keep the chickens out! They do have their own greens garden which will become their straw mulched winter yard. 6 hens for eggs, 3 go broody... out of 5 chicks...3 are roosters.Son in law is going to learn how to butcher the young roosters. Previously, they were given away. I try to share as many perennial plants of all kinds & get many in return. Having other homesteading type friends is essential. A solar food dehydrator is our immediate project. I have high hopes for abundant produce & being able to store up some food by canning, freezing & drying. I've put a lot of $ & time into expanding the gardens, it is sometimes overwhelming the amount of work it is but is my passion & focus. There is so much to learn about food preservation ...so many possibilities. I found this great site by googling 'backyard permaculture' Thanks, I look forward to reading & learning from your site Sharon! Great site here.
This post was just what I needed to keep me going in my dirt digging/ planting projects. I have been putting as much time into gardening as I can these days, almost to the exclusion of other
things (except taking care of chickens).

This year we are growing beans for drying (black turtle & hidatsu shield figure) & saving the seed for next year. Also many types of winter squash & soybeans.
.Pumpkins, green beans, onions & garlic all to store, can or freeze. Lots of different herbs, a few flowers too.

Mammoth sunflowers, amaranth & kale are grown for the chickens. Blueberries, raspberries & rhubarb are all new. So are the fences around the garden to keep the chickens out! They do have their own greens garden which will become their straw mulched winter yard.
6 hens for eggs, 3 go broody… out of 5 chicks…3 are roosters.Son in law is going to learn how to butcher the young roosters. Previously, they were given away.
I try to share as many perennial plants of all kinds & get many in return. Having other homesteading type friends is essential.

A solar food dehydrator is our immediate project.
I have high hopes for abundant produce & being able to store up some food by canning, freezing & drying. I’ve put a lot of $ & time into expanding the gardens, it is sometimes overwhelming the amount of work it is but is my passion & focus. There is so much to learn about food preservation …so many possibilities.

I found this great site by googling ‘backyard permaculture’

Thanks, I look forward to reading & learning from your site Sharon!

]]> By: Kate http://sharonastyk.com/2008/03/26/bunt-to-the-whee-the-battle-cry-of-food-storers/#comment-3997 Kate Sat, 29 Mar 2008 18:51:27 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2008/03/26/bunt-to-the-whee-the-battle-cry-of-food-storers/#comment-3997 Hi, I've been reading this blog for a few months now and I think it's great. I tried to subscribe to the food preservation yahoogroup, but the confirmation link they sent was incomplete, so I can't confirm my subscription. I sent 2 subscription requests, but got the same result both times. Any suggestions? Thanks! Hi, I’ve been reading this blog for a few months now and I think it’s great. I tried to subscribe to the food preservation yahoogroup, but the confirmation link they sent was incomplete, so I can’t confirm my subscription. I sent 2 subscription requests, but got the same result both times. Any suggestions? Thanks!

]]> By: Rebecca http://sharonastyk.com/2008/03/26/bunt-to-the-whee-the-battle-cry-of-food-storers/#comment-3929 Rebecca Thu, 27 Mar 2008 20:10:27 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2008/03/26/bunt-to-the-whee-the-battle-cry-of-food-storers/#comment-3929 For some reason, this post makes me want kids even more. :) For some reason, this post makes me want kids even more. :)

]]> By: Sarah http://sharonastyk.com/2008/03/26/bunt-to-the-whee-the-battle-cry-of-food-storers/#comment-3925 Sarah Thu, 27 Mar 2008 18:16:22 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2008/03/26/bunt-to-the-whee-the-battle-cry-of-food-storers/#comment-3925 SPOOON! Here, the most common battle cries are "Meep me meep me mooo!" and "Wejjable!" The second is what it sounds like. The first one is something I said once while sleep deprived, and it was highly amusing and stuck around. I'll definitely sign up for the second round of the food-storage class if I can -- this time around I was too busy with library classes, but I get a brief reprieve from those in August. SPOOON!

Here, the most common battle cries are “Meep me meep me mooo!” and “Wejjable!” The second is what it sounds like. The first one is something I said once while sleep deprived, and it was highly amusing and stuck around.

I’ll definitely sign up for the second round of the food-storage class if I can — this time around I was too busy with library classes, but I get a brief reprieve from those in August.

]]> By: homebrewlibrarian http://sharonastyk.com/2008/03/26/bunt-to-the-whee-the-battle-cry-of-food-storers/#comment-3924 homebrewlibrarian Thu, 27 Mar 2008 17:56:23 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2008/03/26/bunt-to-the-whee-the-battle-cry-of-food-storers/#comment-3924 Oh, I caught the Tick reference. Someone gave me a talking Tick doll as a gift years ago and one of the things it would say was "SPOOOOOOON!" (My personal favorite was "Naughty spawn! You face the Tick!) The food storage class information is getting shared with others. Occasionally, some bit of it will come up in office conversation but it's dicey whether it will be a conversation starter or killer. Making lactofermented sauerkraut? Thumbs up! Converting a chest freezer into a refrigerator? Um, will ya look at the time? But I keep at it. The elder in the building feels the need to fortify the place against invaders should we reach TEOTWAWKI. My thought is that we want to know everyone around us because if we know and interact with each other, we're more likely to keep an eye out for each other. With all the gardening and planting we've got planned for this year, I suspect we'll meet the neighbors, no problem. Perhaps we'll attract people to growing their own gardens. I sure hope so! Kerri Oh, I caught the Tick reference. Someone gave me a talking Tick doll as a gift years ago and one of the things it would say was “SPOOOOOOON!” (My personal favorite was “Naughty spawn! You face the Tick!)

The food storage class information is getting shared with others. Occasionally, some bit of it will come up in office conversation but it’s dicey whether it will be a conversation starter or killer. Making lactofermented sauerkraut? Thumbs up! Converting a chest freezer into a refrigerator? Um, will ya look at the time? But I keep at it.

The elder in the building feels the need to fortify the place against invaders should we reach TEOTWAWKI. My thought is that we want to know everyone around us because if we know and interact with each other, we’re more likely to keep an eye out for each other. With all the gardening and planting we’ve got planned for this year, I suspect we’ll meet the neighbors, no problem. Perhaps we’ll attract people to growing their own gardens. I sure hope so!

Kerri

]]> By: Mike Lorenz http://sharonastyk.com/2008/03/26/bunt-to-the-whee-the-battle-cry-of-food-storers/#comment-3923 Mike Lorenz Thu, 27 Mar 2008 17:20:22 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2008/03/26/bunt-to-the-whee-the-battle-cry-of-food-storers/#comment-3923 Correction: it's "Spruenge" not "Sproenge". Mein Deutsch ist immer nicht so gut. - Mike Lorenz Correction: it’s “Spruenge” not “Sproenge”. Mein Deutsch ist immer nicht so gut.
- Mike Lorenz

]]> By: Mike Lorenz http://sharonastyk.com/2008/03/26/bunt-to-the-whee-the-battle-cry-of-food-storers/#comment-3922 Mike Lorenz Thu, 27 Mar 2008 17:17:35 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2008/03/26/bunt-to-the-whee-the-battle-cry-of-food-storers/#comment-3922 Great series of posts. I've printed off hardcopies of most of them. My garden is expanding to two locations this year - my house and my sister's. I finally have the chance to move beyond just a few tomatoes and peas and actually grow a decent variety of fruits and veggies. It's a little bit overwhelming at times. I hope to dehydrate and can as much as I can. Good luck to everyone who's jumping in this year. My 4 year old twin boys yell "Eins, Zwei, Drei, Sproenge!" before they jump out of the bath tub. - Mike Lorenz Great series of posts. I’ve printed off hardcopies of most of them. My garden is expanding to two locations this year - my house and my sister’s. I finally have the chance to move beyond just a few tomatoes and peas and actually grow a decent variety of fruits and veggies. It’s a little bit overwhelming at times. I hope to dehydrate and can as much as I can. Good luck to everyone who’s jumping in this year.

My 4 year old twin boys yell “Eins, Zwei, Drei, Sproenge!” before they jump out of the bath tub.
- Mike Lorenz

]]> By: Greenpa http://sharonastyk.com/2008/03/26/bunt-to-the-whee-the-battle-cry-of-food-storers/#comment-3921 Greenpa Thu, 27 Mar 2008 16:52:06 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2008/03/26/bunt-to-the-whee-the-battle-cry-of-food-storers/#comment-3921 I would be fascinated to know the origin of the phrase. Sometimes, the little people can tell you, though snaking it out of them is tricky. It's a good one. I also like the "flying" squirrel. We already tell Smidgen that SOMETIMES her head is FULL of squirrels, all chasing each other around. And could we please, now, actually speak to HER, instead of the squirrels? Sometimes it works. I would be fascinated to know the origin of the phrase. Sometimes, the little people can tell you, though snaking it out of them is tricky. It’s a good one.

I also like the “flying” squirrel. We already tell Smidgen that SOMETIMES her head is FULL of squirrels, all chasing each other around. And could we please, now, actually speak to HER, instead of the squirrels?

Sometimes it works.

]]> By: Sharon http://sharonastyk.com/2008/03/26/bunt-to-the-whee-the-battle-cry-of-food-storers/#comment-3920 Sharon Thu, 27 Mar 2008 13:39:44 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2008/03/26/bunt-to-the-whee-the-battle-cry-of-food-storers/#comment-3920 Matriarchy, I know just what you mean about it being too hot to can. Amy's turkey fryer idea is brilliant - I never would have thought of that - add it to the yard sale list. The other thing I do is to try and put a lot of the canning off until September, when things start to cool down - that isn't possible with strawberries or peaches, but I have tomatoes and green beans and cucumbers coming until mid-October - and I've pushed my start date for some of these crops back a wee bit, so that the plants are at their best when I want to do my canning. I'm also relying more on root cellaring and dehydrating - and the best time to dehydrate is when the sun is hot. So that helps. That said, I've not yet managed to skip having some days on which one would much rather not have to be in front of a stove - but I can minimize it. Erika - We've thought of that, except he used to also say VuntooFree! But could be ;-). And I'm glad someone caught the The Tick reference! Sharon Matriarchy, I know just what you mean about it being too hot to can. Amy’s turkey fryer idea is brilliant - I never would have thought of that - add it to the yard sale list.

The other thing I do is to try and put a lot of the canning off until September, when things start to cool down - that isn’t possible with strawberries or peaches, but I have tomatoes and green beans and cucumbers coming until mid-October - and I’ve pushed my start date for some of these crops back a wee bit, so that the plants are at their best when I want to do my canning.

I’m also relying more on root cellaring and dehydrating - and the best time to dehydrate is when the sun is hot. So that helps.

That said, I’ve not yet managed to skip having some days on which one would much rather not have to be in front of a stove - but I can minimize it.

Erika - We’ve thought of that, except he used to also say VuntooFree! But could be ;-).

And I’m glad someone caught the The Tick reference!

Sharon

]]> By: Amy http://sharonastyk.com/2008/03/26/bunt-to-the-whee-the-battle-cry-of-food-storers/#comment-3919 Amy Thu, 27 Mar 2008 13:15:11 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2008/03/26/bunt-to-the-whee-the-battle-cry-of-food-storers/#comment-3919 I have attempted to solve one problem of canning in August and September by getting a Turkey Fryer. A little bit of propane and I'm good to go, outside. Now canning outside may be only a nominal change but at least I'm not heating up the house. I imagine a canopy or awning of some sort would also help. I did not go out and buy a turkey fryer at a big box store, or any store for that matter. I waited until I found one at a garage sale. I knew the luster of deep fried turkeys would wear off eventually and I'd find one. It did take a couple of years though. Sharon, I think a food storage book would be a wonderful idea. I have attempted to solve one problem of canning in August and September by getting a Turkey Fryer. A little bit of propane and I’m good to go, outside. Now canning outside may be only a nominal change but at least I’m not heating up the house. I imagine a canopy or awning of some sort would also help.

I did not go out and buy a turkey fryer at a big box store, or any store for that matter. I waited until I found one at a garage sale. I knew the luster of deep fried turkeys would wear off eventually and I’d find one. It did take a couple of years though.

Sharon, I think a food storage book would be a wonderful idea.

]]>