Harvest Time

So we have finished canning pears off the Bartlet pear tree last week. Now there is an even bigger pear tree that has been patiently holding on to its fruit for the last three weeks.... now their falling on the ground and we can’t keep up.

I also need to buy more canning jars... Note to self... stock -up on jars all year long so you do not have to go several stores just to find the all the jars left are half-pints.

We have filled something close to 150 jars of various sizes filled with all manner of yummy things. (And we are not done.) My lovely wife has taken to our new found hobby quite well, and has come up with some interesting ideas for jams and jellies. So far we have Rhubarb-Orange jam ~ Pear, Apple, Peach jam ~ Concord Jelly ~ Peach Pear Jam ~ Raspberry Apple Jam ~ Raspberry Pear Jam (and more to come I’m sure).

During this time of canning, I discovered the world of antique BALL jar collecting. I only have a few so far, but next year at this time, I should have many more. Just last week I canned a jar of pear juice in a blue Ball jar from the early mechanization period 1895-1910 with 3L transition embossing. “Translation” that’s means its old and rare to all non-jar collectors out there...LOL
(I crack myself up. If I don't who will?)

We have been told of a place close by that has an apple press. We’re going to bring in 150lbs at least and have all our apples pressed into cider. This is a very exciting time, even if it is busy.

Our second shipment of chickens arrived last week 12 Barred rocks and 12 Cornish x Rocks and 1 Rooster (his name is Boo-Boo chicken (after Donald Duck’s pet chicken on the Mickey Mouse Club house show).

Boo-Boo Chicken will hopefully become the pet that our daughter can grow attached to and he won’t go “missing” after a few weeks.


They are SO cute. You know your life has change when you spending your money on chicken feed and canning jars. Last year at this time I was going to wine tastings on a regular basis and seeing Phantom of the Opera and enjoying the city nightlife. Now its all about chicken poop, compost and growing your own food.

I have to say with the help of dear wife we’re on track for a fairly successful first year on the farm. There is still a lot of work to do yet, its going to be a busy but rewarding fall harvest.

Our Vistor

Today we had a visit from a warty old toad. He had great color and a fat belly.
My daughter was intrigued by the little toad, but not quite willing to hold it, so mommy held Mr. Toad instead. Since amphibians are one of the first creatures to show mutation in an unhealthy environment, it was wonderful to see such a healthy guy.
Here he is in the Toad House.

Rendezvous

You might think that living in the country would make us sick of nature and camping would be the last thing on our minds, well if you thought that, you'd be wrong. We love camping and not just any old time of camping, but Rendezvous camping.

What's that you say, well Rendezvous camping is a celebration of the Pioneer Fur Trade Era (Pre-1840).

It's camping early 1800's style. Camp fire cooking, black powder rifle shooting, tomahawk/knife throwing contest, bow & arrow shooting, trading goods, all kinds of things to do or just relax around the camp fire drinking the finest coffee ever percolated over a fire. We camp with very few modern day luxuries such as a cooler with food and cots to rest our weary and aging bones. The rest is mostly period correct, usually nothing later than 1840.

It's nice to wake up in the morning knowing all I have to do today is forage for berries, make coffee and fry up some pancakes.

For example this weekend my daughter and I went into the woods and picked a big bowl of wild black berries, then made blackberry pancakes with them yummy.

The kids who come have such a good time. They can just be kids, play ring-around-the-rosie, throw hay, play tag till dusk and be safe no matter which campsite they are in. Everyone looks out for everyone elses kids and a good time is had by all.
My wife Kris and my mother in-law won 2nd and 3rd place in a pie baking contest.

Kris also won first in women’s tomahawk throw, 3rd in a frying pan toss, and 3rd in a fire starting contest (and she was the only female). The fire starting contest is where you start a camp fire without matches or lighters just your flint and steel. Yep she's a keeper alright...

Me, well I’m not very competitive, but I do enjoy many of the activities. Though usually relaxing by the fire or in my period correct canvas tent (that is 12x14) is more my style.

The weather was nice this year 77 degrees by day and low 50's at night.

Next year we hope to do a little more camping , maybe not in the fall because right now were up to our elbows in apples and pears and tomatoes.......

Soy

Confused About Soy?--Soy Dangers Summarized
Here is a brief outline of what why we are trying to find soyfree chicken feed, because remember if the chickens eat it and then we eat the chickens then we are eating soy too.

High levels of phytic acid in soy reduce assimilation of calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc.

Phytic acid in soy is not neutralized by ordinary preparation methods such as soaking, sprouting and long, slow cooking. High phytate diets have caused growth problems in children.

Trypsin inhibitors in soy interfere with protein digestion and may cause pancreatic disorders. In test animals soy containing trypsin inhibitors caused stunted growth.

Soy phytoestrogens disrupt endocrine function and have the potential to cause infertility and to promote breast cancer in adult women.

Soy phytoestrogens are potent antithyroid agents that cause hypothyroidism and may cause thyroid cancer. In infants, consumption of soy formula has been linked to autoimmune thyroid disease.

Vitamin B12 analogs in soy are not absorbed and actually increase the body's requirement for B12.

Soy foods increase the body's requirement for vitamin D.

Fragile proteins are denatured during high temperature processing to make soy protein isolate and textured vegetable protein.

Processing of soy protein results in the formation of toxic lysinoalanine and highly carcinogenic nitrosamines.

Free glutamic acid or MSG, a potent neurotoxin, is formed during soy food processing and additional amounts are added to many soy foods.

Soy foods contain high levels of aluminum which is toxic to the nervous system and the kidneys.

All this information can be found at http://www.westonaprice.org/soy/index.html
They also have a great tri-fold brochure you can print out and hand out.

Here are the Truths & Myths about soy.

NOTE: These Myths & Truths as well as our summary of soy dangers are provided on our Soy Alert! trifold brochure (PDF). You may print this at home or at a copy store for mass distribution.

Myth: Use of soy as a food dates back many thousands of years.
Truth: Soy was first used as a food during the late Chou dynasty (1134-246 BC), only after the Chinese learned to ferment soy beans to make foods like tempeh, natto and tamari.

Myth: Asians consume large amounts of soy foods.
Truth: Average consumption of soy foods in Japan and China is 10 grams (about 2 teaspoons) per day. Asians consume soy foods in small amounts as a condiment, and not as a replacement for animal foods.

Myth: Modern soy foods confer the same health benefits as traditionally fermented soy foods.
Truth: Most modern soy foods are not fermented to neutralize toxins in soybeans, and are processed in a way that denatures proteins and increases levels of carcinogens.

Myth: Soy foods provide complete protein.
Truth: Like all legumes, soy beans are deficient in sulfur-containing amino acids methionine and cystine. In addition, modern processing denatures fragile lysine.

Myth: Fermented soy foods can provide vitamin B12 in vegetarian diets.
Truth: The compound that resembles vitamin B12 in soy cannot be used by the human body; in fact, soy foods cause the body to require more B12

Myth: Soy formula is safe for infants.
Truth: Soy foods contain trypsin inhibitors that inhibit protein digestion and affect pancreatic function. In test animals, diets high in trypsin inhibitors led to stunted growth and pancreatic disorders. Soy foods increase the body's requirement for vitamin D, needed for strong bones and normal growth. Phytic acid in soy foods results in reduced bioavailabilty of iron and zinc which are required for the health and development of the brain and nervous system. Soy also lacks cholesterol, likewise essential for the development of the brain and nervous system. Megadoses of phytoestrogens in soy formula have been implicated in the current trend toward increasingly premature sexual development in girls and delayed or retarded sexual development in boys.

Myth: Soy foods can prevent osteoporosis.
Truth: Soy foods can cause deficiencies in calcium and vitamin D, both needed for healthy bones. Calcium from bone broths and vitamin D from seafood, lard and organ meats prevent osteoporosis in Asian countries-not soy foods.

Myth: Modern soy foods protect against many types of cancer.
Truth: A British government report concluded that there is little evidence that soy foods protect against breast cancer or any other forms of cancer. In fact, soy foods may result in an increased risk of cancer.

Myth: Soy foods protect against heart disease.
Truth: In some people, consumption of soy foods will lower cholesterol, but there is no evidence that lowering cholesterol improves one's risk of having heart disease.

Myth: Soy estrogens (isoflavones) are good for you.
Truth: Soy isoflavones are phyto-endocrine disrupters. At dietary levels, they can prevent ovulation and stimulate the growth of cancer cells. Eating as little as 30 grams (about 4 tablespoons) of soy per day can result in hypothyroidism with symptoms of lethargy, constipation, weight gain and fatigue.

Myth: Soy foods are safe and beneficial for women to use in their postmenopausal years.
Truth: Soy foods can stimulate the growth of estrogen-dependent tumors and cause thyroid problems. Low thyroid function is associated with difficulties in menopause.

Myth: Phytoestrogens in soy foods can enhance mental ability.
Truth: A recent study found that women with the highest levels of estrogen in their blood had the lowest levels of cognitive function; In Japanese Americans tofu consumption in mid-life is associated with the occurrence of Alzheimer's disease in later life.

Myth: Soy isoflavones and soy protein isolate have GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) status.
Truth: Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) recently withdrew its application to the FDA for GRAS status for soy isoflavones following an outpouring of protest from the scientific community. The FDA never approved GRAS status for soy protein isolate because of concern regarding the presence of toxins and carcinogens in processed soy.

Myth: Soy foods are good for your sex life.
Truth: Numerous animal studies show that soy foods cause infertility in animals. Soy consumption enhances hair growth in middle-aged men, indicating lowered testosterone levels. Japanese housewives feed tofu to their husbands frequently when they want to reduce his virility.

Myth: Soy beans are good for the environment.
Truth: Most soy beans grown in the US are genetically engineered to allow farmers to use large amounts of herbicides.

Myth: Soy beans are good for developing nations.
Truth: In third world countries, soybeans replace traditional crops and transfer the value-added of processing from the local population to multinational corporations.