Newsletter #273 2024 Aug 30 Friday
The meat bird processing dominated the week. The first leaves are falling, and there is so much work yet to be done. Summer just flew by.
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Primal Woods
Seeing those leaves on the ground was a real wake-up call. I’m at work on five big-project priorities: oxen perimeter fencing, sheep fencing, water (barn well source), firewood and “tubes install.” The tubes install priority is about creating access to the high tunnel with the tractor during the wet seasons.
Sawmill Services
I’ve had no jobs since the last news letter, but I’ve got one coming up this weekend. Since the mill is the biggest contributor to Primal Woods’ cash flow, it’s good to have a couple of jobs visible on the calendar.
Homestead Rebel Farm
The Cornish X butchering was on the schedule for last Saturday, by the time we were ready we decided to postpone it until Sunday; it took most of the day.
Above is the original setup: from L-R; the killing cone on the tree; several water buckets for wash hands, rinsing butchered chickens, etc.; stainless pot on a propane burner (to prepare the chickens for plucking); the new-for-’24 plucker; the butchering table; a second pot for shrinking the chicken freezer bags; and a new 50 gallon water trough with ice for cooling the packaged birds. We ended up adding a smaller stainless steel table between the second pot and the water trough for packaging the birds.
We ended up with 20 birds in the freezer, 131.5 lbs of chicken; not bad given the work and cost involved involved in raising the chickens. The average chicken weighs 6 lbs 9 oz., after just 8 weeks.
And, we put 10 lbs 5 oz of offal in the freezer (feet, necks, gizzards and hearts). Also, we dehydrated all of the livers. In total, well over 142 lbs of food.
Very little of the chicken goes to waste, and the offal is the most nutritious food of the lot. Geri was a huge help throughout the entire process.
Both sets of pigs are in good shape.
Men’s Retreat
The dates for the next Men’s Retreat have been moved out to 26-29 September. The 2025 dates are unchanged; 20-23 Feb, 5-8 Jun, and 4-7 Sep. If you or someone you know might be interested, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Farmhouse
We are thankful for all of the great guests we have had this year so far, and we are hopeful for a solid fall and winter. There are plenty of attractions in both seasons, not to mention the making of pure maple syrup in the early spring. No doubt, God willing, we will be making more major improvements in the coming months and years.
Back to young Jonathon, a recent guest; he helped me with all of the chores for two days. I had a great time, and if Jonathon’s easy laugh and smile were any indication, so did he.
News
Slowly, but surely, some of the facts are coming out. Some will never be allowed to come out.
I made a couple of posts this week, the first being further to the Food Safety post I published a couple of weeks ago.
And the second having the do with the Federal Reserve, which it should be no surprise, is neither Federal, nor does it hold any Reserve. More slight of hand.
I’ve been having some thoughts on two things recently, which I hope to write on in the near future; each being a true “3rd rail” of the political system that has evolved over the course of almost 250 years in these United States. The first is the JFK assassination, and why documents relating to its perpetrator(s) continue to be withheld; the second is the future of the Federal Reserve and a debt-based, fiat currency. As to the latter I’ll just say for now, it is no mere coincidence that FDR confiscated the gold, took us off the gold standard, and pushed through the “New Deal.”
Books
I’m still reading JFK and the Unspeakable: Why He Died and Why It Matters. It occurs to me that reading the real history of these United States is much harder, and less pleasant, than reading what schools at every level offer up as the history of these United States.
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All the best, and may God bless you and yours,
John & Geri
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