This weeks preps check-in

[Brent S]

Supposed to be cloudy and 60something tomorrow, then 80 Tuesday.... but dry!

I'm really spoiled by being raised in Fla. we had sunny skies 95% of the year. It's hard for me to stay motivated in gloomy wet weather.

 

[WGregMiller]

I'm really spoiled by being raised in Fla. we had sunny skies 95% of the year. It's hard for me to stay motivated in gloomy wet weather.

I'm just glad the rain washed away some of the pollen!

 

[Brent S]

I'm just glad the rain washed away some of the pollen!

I'm with you there. I'm an allergy bug and never have a clear nose, but my eyes have been burning from this season.

 

[jontte]

welcome over here,we have had snow,rain ,sleet and about +4C, spring time in Finland

 

[Mountain trapper]

It's rained all day today, so I've been a bum for two,days in a row now. I guess I must have needed some rest. One good thing about prepping though, by working hard most of the time, an occasional day or two off isn't a big deal.

I tried taking the day off and being a bum too but couldn't do it. I ended up digging some post holes for the new corral. Since my tractor is still on vacation I had to dig them by hand. Only have about another 20 to go.

 

[Brent S]

I tried taking the day off and being a bum too but couldn't do it. I ended up digging some post holes for the new corral. Since my tractor is still on vacation I had to dig them by hand. Only have about another 20 to go.

I bet digging in frozen ground is about as much fun as Georgia clay. I bought a Kobalt post hole digger from Lowes. They are guaranteed for life. I'm on my third one now, and it's looking pretty beat up. I like to get my money's worth.

 

[Mountain trapper]

I bet digging in frozen ground is about as much fun as Georgia clay. I bought a Kobalt post hole digger from Lowes. They are guaranteed for life. I'm on my third one now, and it's looking pretty beat up. I like to get my money's worth.

Fortunately the frost is out of the ground now and that's letting the water soak in. The area where I'm building the corral has good deep soil with no rocks and no clay. Can't say that about the rest of the ranch. Some areas I have to build rock cribs in place of posts. Last year I put in over 400 fence posts, and all but about 75 was done by hand. This week I'm going to get some equipment and get my tractor out. I think the ground has firmed up enough.

 

[SheilaT.]

I'm making Rhubarb and Ginger jam today. Nothing like stuffing those cupboards with homegrown, homemade produce.

 

[Maverick]

Picked up another grain mill (hand crank)

Added another 80lbs ea of hard white wheat, hard red wheat, soft wheat. 40lbs of oats to the pantry. Some more #10 cans on the way of butter (powder) and whole eggs (powder)

 

[Mountain trapper]

Picked up another grain mill (hand crank)

Added another 80lbs ea of hard white wheat, hard red wheat, soft wheat. 40lbs of oats to the pantry. Some more #10 cans on the way of butter (powder) and whole eggs (powder)

Mav, what brand of grain mill did you get? We've been wanting to get one too. Have you tried growing and separating your own wheat?

 

[Maverick]

Mav, what brand of grain mill did you get? We've been wanting to get one too. Have you tried growing and separating your own wheat?

The mill is a wondermill junior (deluxe) No, we haven't tried growing and separating our own wheat, we kicked it around a few times but without modern harvesting equipment (expense) we aren't sure we want to devote man-hours to manually harvest and separate in an already busy season.

 

[SheilaT.]

Jam Turned out well.

It definitely has attitude!

 

[lonewolf]

just got hold of some serious medical wipes, hospital being closed and all the equipment and stores being got rid of, trader at our local weekly market got hold of a few, going to go back next week and get a few more.

 

[lonewolf]

just checked the price online, £12 for the exact same thing I paid £2 for this morning, wife just used them in the bathroom and she says they work a treat and we must get some more off the guy next week, 2 or 3 to say the least(tub holds 70 wipes).

 

[WGregMiller]

The mill is a wondermill junior (deluxe) No, we haven't tried growing and separating our own wheat, we kicked it around a few times but without modern harvesting equipment (expense) we aren't sure we want to devote man-hours to manually harvest and separate in an already busy season.

My wife bought a Country Living mill a while back. Then, she found out that it takes some time to mill wheat, lol, so then she gets me to adapt a motor to it. Works great.

 

[lonewolf]

just checked the price online, £12 for the exact same thing I paid £2 for this morning, wife just used them in the bathroom and she says they work a treat and we must get some more off the guy next week, 2 or 3 to say the least(tub holds 70 wipes).

wife has just told me, the bathroom is now the cleanest it has ever been since we moved here in 09!!

 

[Mountain trapper]

The mill is a wondermill junior (deluxe) No, we haven't tried growing and separating our own wheat, we kicked it around a few times but without modern harvesting equipment (expense) we aren't sure we want to devote man-hours to manually harvest and separate in an already busy season.

Thanks. I'll look it up the next time I get to a computer. I thought the same thing about growing wheat. I have enough stuff to do already. But, I may sow a small patch of wheat just in case and let it go to seed for the birds.

 

[Maverick]

My wife bought a Country Living mill a while back. Then, she found out that it takes some time to mill wheat, lol, so then she gets me to adapt a motor to it. Works great.

I like the electric ones! far faster than hand crank, by hand I can grind a cup of flour in about 3 minutes, the new mill I got is a low rpm, connecting a motor might cause premature failure unless the motor is geared for low rpm. I though about rigging a bike up to one using a pulley system.

We do have an operational grist mill out here, I get my flours from time to time, it's been operating since 1876. People been volunteering for years keeping it operational. The mill requires 170,000 gallons per hour to operate

 

[WGregMiller]

I like the electric ones! far faster than hand crank, by hand I can grind a cup of flour in about 3 minutes, the new mill I got is a low rpm, connecting a motor might cause premature failure unless the motor is geared for low rpm. I though about rigging a bike up to one using a pulley system.

We do have an operational grist mill out here, I get my flours from time to time, it's been operating since 1876. People been volunteering for years keeping it operational. The mill requires 170,000 gallons per hour to operate

View attachment 6827

We've got a mill nearby as well. They got it operational again several years ago.

The mill we have has a crank that is a pulley, so I looked up what motor they sold for it (to get the specs) and found the exact motor for about 100 bucks. It is geared down to 120 RPMs. The kit they sold, with the motor, belt and a sheet of plywood to bolt to was $425. I spent a little over 100.

 

[Brent S]

We've got a mill nearby as well. They got it operational again several years ago.

The mill we have has a crank that is a pulley, so I looked up what motor they sold for it (to get the specs) and found the exact motor for about 100 bucks. It is geared down to 120 RPMs. The kit they sold, with the motor, belt and a sheet of plywood to bolt to was $425. I spent a little over 100.

The Internet has made finding parts and pieces so much easier. I order all kinds of things to repair things vs telling customers they need a new one. It's amazing how many options a part or model number can bring up on line.

 

[Brent S]

I'm glad to get some input on non electric grinders. I've considered getting one just for shtf, but since I've never ground wheat in my entire lifetime, I guess I don't really need one. Don't get me wrong, I love homemade bread, but need to loose some weight anyways.

 

[Mountain trapper]

The Internet has made finding parts and pieces so much easier. I order all kinds of things to repair things vs telling customers they need a new one. It's amazing how many options a part or model number can bring up on line.

Absolutely. The first thing I'm going to do after the house is built is install satalite internet and TV. Even with a booster on my cell phone internet is very limited.

 

[WGregMiller]

Actually, we use it a lot more than I'd have ever thought. We don't eat that much regular bread, but being from Alabama, I make cornbread quite a bit. It works well for that.

 

[WGregMiller]

And I need to lose weight too, lol.

 

[Brent S]

Actually, we use it a lot more than I'd have ever thought. We don't eat that much regular bread, but being from Alabama, I make cornbread quite a bit. It works well for that.

I've wondered what other stuff you can grind in it for an alternative to wheat, since it dosent grow here. Corn, maybe rice? I'm not much of a baker, but can cook any kind of main dish.

 

[WGregMiller]

I've wondered what other stuff you can grind in it for an alternative to wheat, since it dosent grow here. Corn, maybe rice? I'm not much of a baker, but can cook any kind of main dish.

All the way to coffee. I'm pretty sure this thing would grind bones...

I even tried some dry field corn (that's used to feed cattle) and it turned to powder. Pretty impressive.

 

[Maverick]

I'm glad to get some input on non electric grinders. I've considered getting one just for shtf, but since I've never ground wheat in my entire lifetime, I guess I don't really need one. Don't get me wrong, I love homemade bread, but need to loose some weight anyways.

You can make crackers if bread is too heavy such as saltines or pilot crackers etc..

 

[DrHenley]

I've wondered what other stuff you can grind in it for an alternative to wheat, since it dosent grow here.

You sure about that? Wheat grows just about anywhere. In the fall, go to a feed and seed store and they will have bags of hard red winter wheat for food plots. It's really cheap, where I buy it, it's about 10 bucks for a 50 pound bag. Besides putting it in food plots, we sow it on bare spots on the levees and it grows like crazy.

 

[Brent S]

You sure about that? Wheat grows just about anywhere. In the fall, go to a feed and seed store and they will have bags of hard red winter wheat for food plots. It's really cheap, where I buy it, it's about 10 bucks for a 50 pound bag. Besides putting it in food plots, we sow it on bare spots on the levees and it grows like crazy.

I had never seen it growing in farmers fields so just assumed it was a Midwest thing. Isn't it just a type of grass?

 

[WGregMiller]

They grow it all over the place here. Tons of really green winter wheat here. Then, they harvest in May or June, bale the straw for landscaping and plant something else.