Spring Gathering 2016

Plans are coming together for our 2016 Spring Gathering at our homestead on May 14th, 2016.  We are very excited to be able to offer educational sessions along with a time to share ideas and experiences with like-minded people.  We are planning to run sessions from 9 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.  We are hoping this will allow ample time for morning and evening chores and still give you time come and enjoy the day.

At this time we are scheduled to have 9 presenters who will be offering information on many topics: raising rabbits and goats, growing and using herbs, blacksmithing, wooden bowl making, natural gardening, butchering small animals, basic beekeeping and more!  Our day will be available at no charge to attendees.  Bring your lawn chairs and a picnic lunch and plan to spend the day with us.

You will be able to choose and attend 6 of the 12 sessions that will cover various topics.  The schedule for the day is outlined below.  Sessions followed by (*) will only be offered at that time, all others will be offered at two different times during the day.

9:00-10:00  Soap making--a simple soap made from common kitchen ingredients
                    Raising Goats Naturally--Raising and natural treatment for common problems
                   Growing Herbs*--Basics of herb gardening and common herbs that are easy to grow  

10:15-11:15 Basic Beekeeping--Understanding the miraculous honey bee
                     Raising Rabbits--Raising Rabbits and dealing with common issues        
                     Blacksmithing*--See and watch some new items made from common metal  

11:30-12:30 Natural Gardening--Growing produce with natural pest control and soil enhancement   
                    "Pellet Free" Rabbits--Feed your rabbits in ways that don't involve processed pellets
                    Dispatching Fowl*--process chicken, quail and perhaps and prepare for the freezer
 
12:45-1:45 Basic Beekeeping--Understanding the miraculous honey bee     
                   Raising Rabbits--Raising Rabbits and dealing with common issues
                   Dispatching Rabbits*--process rabbit and prepare it for the freezer 

2:00-3:00   Prepping Herbs*--Learn various ways to prepare, preserve and use common herbs
                   "Pellet Free" Rabbits--Feed your rabbits in ways that don't involve processed pellets
                   Natural Gardening--Growing produce with natural pest control and soil enhancement   

3:15-4:15  Soap making--a simple soap made from common kitchen ingredients
                  Raising Goats Naturally--Raising and natural treatment for common problems
                  Wooden Bowls*--Watch as Caleb works to turn a slab of wood into a shallow bowl   
                 
The sessions will be informal and questions will be encouraged.  You may choose at any point to skip a session, spread a blanket and have a picnic lunch, or you may eat lunch during one of the sessions. We have a large grassy area, and will have bottled water and drinks available.  Again, there is no charge for anything throughout the day and a box will be provided for donations to help offset costs, IF you choose to do so. 

One of the goals with our own homestead is to help others take their dreams to a realistic point.  You don't have to own a large acreage to provide healthy food for your family.  You can grow a garden anywhere; you can make soap and other projects in your kitchen; raising rabbits, chickens and even goats is possible in small areas; growing and using herbs will take your cooking to a whole new level, and many have medicinal uses as well; beekeepers are found even in large cities!  Some towns even allow small animal husbandry, with some restrictions.  Check the ordinances where you live.  You can preserve healthy foods by attending farmers markets, shopping produce sales at your local grocer, or trading your neighbors for their excess produce.  Nothing is impossible.  We hope to teach some basics and begin to offer resources of knowledge and networking to give you the motivation to start!  My point is that you can do this! No matter where you are in your life, there are ways you can provide better, safer, more enjoyable food and items for your family.

Papa and I were both raised on farms and it did not occur to us until recently that we have knowledge, and a wealth of family and friends with knowledge that should be shared.  Many people do not have access to this knowledge, so this is our way of beginning to share with others.

In addition to Papa and myself, we have had 7 others step up to help organize and put together this event.  With their help, we hope to make this a recurring event at least twice a year.  Look for the organizers, the day of the event, in their bright orange shirts.  Let them know how your day is going, and let them know what we can do to improve future Gatherings.  We already have several topics in the works for a Fall Gathering if you all would like.  Your feedback after the event will help us determine what sessions to plan for the Fall Gathering and will help us make improvements to best meet your needs.

Please, let us know of your intentions to attend, so that we can have plenty of drinks available, and plan for parking accordingly.  Visit  2016 Spring Gathering on FaceBook to reserve your spot, learn more about the presenters and find out additional information as it becomes available!  No FaceBook account?  Email me with 2016 Spring Gathering in the subject line!

We hope to provide you with a day of fun and knowledge, please come hang out with us.

Recycle and Re-Use for Rabbit Hay Feeders

 

We have now had our rabbits for a year.  We have raised several babies, and learned many lessons on the best way to care for them.  Most recommend that the rabbits be given all the hay they want to eat and limit the amount of pellets the receive to about a cup per day for the adults.  Of course the you ones that we are growing out to butcher size, get more.  We were doing this backwards in the beginning, keeping the feeders full of pelleted feed at all times and giving them hay as a treat.  We would put hay in their cages, where they would eat some, but much of it would end up under the cages, mixed with the poo and end up as compost.  The wasting of hay and over feeding pellets, were making a dent in our budget and also keeping our adults too fat.  A fat doe may not breed, and fat buck, may lose his desire to breed.  We knew we needed to keep hay in front of them at all times, but do so in a way that would allow for minimal waste, and not blow the budget on fancy feeders.  I had made some wire hay feeders for the outdoor summer cages that worked well, so when I found a video on Facebook that shared a way to make a hay feeder from trash, I decided to give it a try.  The results were perfect! 

We now have these feeders on each cage that we can keep filled with hay.  The Rabbits simply pull the hay through the wire and munch away! I chose to put a little larger one on each grow out pen since there are multiple rabbits in each pen.

I started with some coffee containers that I had saved.  I also found a large Tupperware container at my local thrift shop for $1.25 and purchased it to use for the larger feeders on the grow out pens.  Otherwise, this project cost nothing.  So I have 8 feeders for $1.25, making them a little less than a whopping 15 cents each. 

I began by drawing a vertical line down the side of the containers and cutting them in half on the band saw.  If you don't have a band saw, the plastic can easily be cut with a hand saw. 

After being cut into two equal pieces, I drilled four holes, one on each side at the top and bottom, close to the cut edge.  Wire was then run through the holes, across the outside of the container, and back through the corresponding on the other side.

 The ends of the wires are then used to attach the feeders to the sides of the cages.  Where the rabbits can have access to all the hay they want.

I did end up cutting out a wire in three places on the front of the feeders to allow more room to pull the hay out, but after finding one empty that I had missed doing this to, I don't think it is absolutely necessary.












In today's world of plastics, excess trash, and being a part of a "throw-away" society, it is nice to know that we can continue our progress to live as Modern Missouri Pioneers, by re-using items that otherwise have no value.  We have turned our trash into something useful.  This project was easy to do and basically free.  The feeders are easy to fill, the rabbits love the hay, and the hay waste is minimal.  We just bought a new bag of rabbit pellets and these Modern Pioneers are hoping to see it last at least twice as long as the last one. 

What projects have done that have been a benefit to your Modern Pioneer lifestyle at little to no cost?  We'd love to hear!