Wild Squirrel Acres

Refer to  How to Make an Air Pruning Bed 1: Plans, Shopping List, and Budget for planning and further instructions. Process: 1. Cut the 10' douglas fir/cedar/pine boards, using a circular saw, into: 4' (qty: 2) 2' (qty: 2) 2.Cut the lath, using a circular or miter saw, into: 4' (qty: 2) 2' (qty: 2) 3. Cut the hardware cloth in half using tin snips. 3. Construct main box frame by attaching the 4' sides to the 2' ends. Secure with four of the 3 1/2" screws at each juncture. Pre-drilling the holes helps to prevent the wood from splitting. 4.  Place hardware cloth on bottom and wrap around sides. Staple into place. Fold the edges like you're wrapping a present. 5. Reinforce the stapled hardware cloth with pieces of lath. Secure with the 1 1/2" screws. I used 5 screws on the long edges and 3 on the short edges. Again, pre-drilling the holes helps to prevent the wood from splitting. 6. Set the box on pedestals. You could use landscaping bricks, milk...

Plans:  Budget/Shopping list: Air Pruning Bed Part Amount Cost/Piece Total Untreated Douglas Fir 2"x10"x8' 2 $15.15 $30.30 3'x10' 1/4" Hardware Cloth 1 $24.13 $24.13 4' Untreated lath bundle (50) 1 $19.98 $19.98 3 1/2 " screws 1 $5.98 $5.98 1 1/2" screws 1 $1.28 $1.28 Staples 1 $6.97 $6.97 Pedestals - Cinder Block 4 $1.12 $4.48 $93.12 Cover Cage Untreated Pine 1x2x8 (furring strip) 4 $1.77 $7.08 Wildlife netting, 100'x7' 1 $19.98 $19.98 $27.06 Total Cost $120.18 Note, this is the cost for the 1st bed. You will have leftover hardware cloth, screws, and lath, so the 2nd bed will be less expensive. We chose douglas fir, since it is more rot resistant as compared to untreated pine. Cedar would be best, or even black locust if you have access, since these woods are more rot-resistant. Whichever wood you choose, just make sure it is untreated to avoid having chemicals leach into the soil. After reviewing videos on YouTube, like: Twisted Tree...

Last year, we had trouble finding seed potatoes, so I made sure to plan ahead and sprout our own this year. There are some advantages to purchasing seed potatoes from a reputable source, such as reducing your risk of disease, but sprouting your own potatoes is very easy and much less expensive. Select an organic potato. Conventional potatoes are typically treated with a chemical to inhibit sprouting, which is not your goal here!  "Chitting'" potatoes basically involves allowing them to sprout. This gives you a head start once you put them in the ground, which is especially important for colder climates that have a shorter growing season! Giving space for each potato as they are sprouting allows good air flow and prevents molding. An old egg carton is perfect for the job! Just place one potato per cup in an upright position.  I keep them in the dark basement to allow slow, gradual sprouting. You can remove the weaker sprouts and encourage the stronger sprouts to grow.  I ...

    Strawberry Poppy seed Salad   This is a great salad to take to a dinner party, especially when there are kids or picky eaters involved! It is a sweeter, fresh salad that really brightens a meal.   It is really versatile, too! No pears? Substitute apples Lactose intolerant? Skip the cheese and add slivered almonds Out of apple cider vinegar? Just use plain white vinegar Have fresh blueberries on hand? Use them in place of the dried cranberries   Salad: 2 heads romaine lettuce, washed and chopped 2 pears, chopped 1 lb fresh strawberries, sliced 6 ounces dried cranberries, or about ¾ cup 1 cup shredded swiss cheese   Dressing: ½ cup olive oil ½ cup apple cider vinegar ¼ red onion ¼ cup honey 1 tsp salt 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard 2 Tbsp poppy seeds Blend all dressing ingredients in a small food processor or blender to combine well. If you are taking this to a dinner party, be sure to keep the dressing separate and...

Winter is the best time to plan your garden and order seeds! It's also a good reminder, on a cold winter's day, that spring is just around the corner.  While I do favor heirloom, non-GMO seeds, local, or organic seeds, I try not to get too dogmatic about it. I do think it's important to pay attention to where the seeds are collected, as compared to your USDA growing zone. You can find your USDA zone by typing in your zip code here . If you plan on saving your own seeds for next year, it's important to make sure they are non-GMO. Here's our go-to list when it's time to order seeds: Seed Savers Exchange You can search for the seed you want, then filter by state. Then you know exactly where and who your seeds are coming from. Genius!  FedCo Seeds: Based in Maine, they do not sell GMO or seeds treated with fungicides. They also have trees that ship out in April. Experimental Farm Network: Non-GMO, seeds are not patented/licensed. Albert Lea Seed House: Organic, base...

I originally found this recipe on a great blog called The Family Freezer.  I have made it many times and adapted it slightly each time. I love to make this for dinner on a chilly day, then make an additional one for the freezer. You never know when you might need it! It also makes a great gift to someone in need of a little extra time and nourishment (i.e. new baby, spouse is deployed, someone is ill, etc). This is a versatile recipe, so feel free to add/substitute/omit as needed! For example, sometimes I use fresh red bell pepper, or other times frozen green bell pepper. I have tried ground beef, ground venison, ground pork, and ground chicken for this recipe, and they all taste great! Note: I do not brown the meat before adding it to the slow cooker or the freezer. It actually cooks very well in the slow cooker from a frozen state.  Ingredients: 1 lb ground meat (beef, venison, pork, or chicken) 1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed 1/...

Organic or free-range chicken broth costs around $3 at our local grocery store, and it only contains 4 cups! It has also been pasteurized at high heat to make it shelf-stable, so I wonder what nutrients it is losing in the process... An easy, more delicious, more economical solution? Easy homemade chicken broth. As we're cooking other dishes, we collect scraps and put them in our "broth bag," which is simply a gallon-sized Ziploc bag that we keep in the freezer and use many times before discarding.  Here's what is usually in our broth bag: Onion ends and outer peels Carrot peels and ends Celery ends and those forgotten pieces that go limp in the fridge Chicken bones and unused skin The "broth bag" that stays in the freezer Note, you should really stay away from anything cruciferous, so broccoli, kale, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, etc. This gives a really awful taste. Once the bag is full and we have a little extra time, we simply dump the bag in a big pot, ...