This weeks preps check-in

[EastenerWesterner]

It may not matter to some people but DR products are mostly made in China now. A couple years ago I bought one of their "top of the line" rototillers. Its a piece of junk. A few years ago my dad gave me his DR brush cutter. Its over 25 years old and still runs great. It was made in the US.

I stated that the brush hog I got last year was better quality than Countyline/Tarter. More features, less money and comparing them, the DR was better. My only complaint it’s turning pink rather than staying red.
I happened to have their last ad sitting next to me to give him an idea of price.
Even 25 yrs ago, I thought DR was an overpriced infomercial.

 

[Brent S]

I looked at the TSC brand and it looked kind of lightweight and light duty. I’m ok with paying more for a good product but only if it’s actually built better. I looked at a Cherokee implements brand that was built heavier yesterday too. Would like to see a couple more in person before deciding.

 

[SHTFPREPPER]

Made cheese today. Used 11 gals of milk. Ended up with 4 gals of whey. The chickens will be happy.

 

[EastenerWesterner]

Pretty successful day for the preps. Got the rebuilding of the greenhouse done. It ain’t pretty, but it ain’t gonna blow over again either.
Have a red flag warning today, so took the time to set up the camping gear in the Tackroom/bug out trailer. Just have to get food ready to load With the other emergency boxes.

This also starts me on level 6 of my plan-earthquake levels my buildings. I can have shelter, cook and food for a week just with the little that’s in there.

 

[Brent S]

Made cheese today. Used 11 gals of milk. Ended up with 4 gals of whey. The chickens will be happy.

Can you do anything with the whey other than chicken food?

 

[EastenerWesterner]

Can you do anything with the whey other than chicken food?

She could eat it with Kurds if she wants a spider to come down

 

[Dani]

She could eat it with Kurds if she wants a spider to come down

Ricotta!

 

[EastenerWesterner]

Ricotta!

I intentionally misspelled curds as a political joke. I love cheese curds.

 

[Brent S]

I intentionally misspelled curds as a political joke. I love cheese curds.

Culver’s has fried cheese curds that are awesome!

 

[EastenerWesterner]

Culver’s has fried cheese curds that are awesome!

Hellava Good Cheese had the best ones in Upstate NY. I used to stop at the factory store.

 

[Dani]

I intentionally misspelled curds as a political joke. I love cheese curds.

After cheese making I loved to make Lasagna! I have made many a pounds of different cheeses in the past years and I am looking forward to do it again, once my Claire gives birth. Just not sure how much I will be able to do now that I am working full time again. It's a long process, but at least I have my afternoon and evenings. Maybe I can take a nap while it sets.

 

[SHTFPREPPER]

Can you do anything with the whey other than chicken food?

If I could get my hands on feeder pigs I could mix our spare eggs, garden weeds and some corn into a mash and they’d grow well. Been trying for 3 weeks to get a line on some but am only finding 200-300# old sows for sale.

 

[Brent S]

After cheese making I loved to make Lasagna! I have made many a pounds of different cheeses in the past years and I am looking forward to do it again, once my Claire gives birth. Just not sure how much I will be able to do now that I am working full time again. It's a long process, but at least I have my afternoon and evenings. Maybe I can take a nap while it sets.

I have done most homesteading preps and projects but have never tried making cheese yet. It always interested me as I dearly love cheese. And it’s the best of both worlds, you get milk and cheese for years and then get beef at the end. What could be better!

 

[Amish Heart]

I've dehydrated the whey before and made whey powder. But it's good for the chickens, and ours like it. My greenhouse looks alot like yours, EasternerWesterner, but maybe longer. It worked great for all of my seed starts last spring.

 

[dirtdiva]

50 pounds of cotton seed meal and 50 pounds of soybean meal from the farm co-op for soil amendments 2 bottles of Neem Oil concentrate which have been hard to come by. A big tray of zucchini seeds drying and carrots seeds also drying for storage.

 

[SHTFPREPPER]

Canned 45 qts of milk and 25 qts of green beans over the last 3 days. Dehydrated 3 sleeves of celery yesterday. Will be dehydrating okra and tomatoes today. Hope to make pickles tomorrow but will be canning butter tomorrow for sure.

 

[Brent S]

I assembled my new finishing mower for the tractor this morning. The crate it came in was a welded steel angle iron cage. I luckily have a cordless bandsaw that made easy work of freeing the contents. Had to go get some more grease for the fittings and some paint for the scuffs from shipping but am off to a good start for mowing tomorrow with it. The tractor came with a heavy duty box blade that I’m still working on getting the ins and outs of using but it seems to do a much better job of leveling the rock driveway than using the loader did. It’s always fun to set up and learn to use new toys. Then it just becomes work after the honeymoon period….

 

[Dani]

I assembled my new finishing mower for the tractor this morning. The crate it came in was a welded steel angle iron cage. I luckily have a cordless bandsaw that made easy work of freeing the contents. Had to go get some more grease for the fittings and some paint for the scuffs from shipping but am off to a good start for mowing tomorrow with it. The tractor came with a heavy duty box blade that I’m still working on getting the ins and outs of using but it seems to do a much better job of leveling the rock driveway than using the loader did. It’s always fun to set up and learn to use new toys. Then it just becomes work after the honeymoon period….

I dont know, even after hunny has had these big boy toys for years, he still seems happy to use them. He always makes the comment on about how much easier his life is with them.

 

[MOS0231]

Picked up a bulk meat order,
Chicken breast.
Chicken thighs.
Chicken quarters.
Sirloin tri-tips.
Ground beef.
1 10lbs slab bacon. Will cut that up into 1lbs slabs, and cure those starting tomorrow.

 

[Mountain trapper]

I'm looking at some new equipment for my tractor too. Probably the first 2 pieces will be a brush hog and a wood chipper. The chipper I'm looking at will handle a 7" log. Its PTO driven and the tractor is 65 hp.
I'm also considering putting in about 40 acres of hay next year. I've got about 80 acres or so that were hay grounds from the olden days. The rocks have already been cleared years ago. 40 acres should produce about 120 +/- tons of hay and thats enough. I've got most of the tillage equipment I need. Just need the haying equipment and another tractor.

 

[Proud Prepper]

I just ordered 15 cases of nonfat milk powder from LDS, to add to my stores.

Earlier we ordered 2 Sattelite phones. We have to wait for one of them, there stock is becoming scarse.

 

[EastenerWesterner]

The big toys do make life easier. I’ve been toying with a spreader/seeder just to get a better forage. Ponies have be fertilizing nicely.

 

[jontte]

got my and my soon to be wife a new camping stove, a new compass,
and I have been plotting on my map places where to find "stuff" and mentally learning new evac routes, s shyt load of new road works this summer.

 

[MOS0231]

Picked up a bulk meat order,
Chicken breast.
Chicken thighs.
Chicken quarters.
Sirloin tri-tips.
Ground beef.
1 10lbs slab bacon. Will cut that up into 1lbs slabs, and cure those starting tomorrow.

I have raised and processed about 20 hogs now.
Looking at the pork belly we bought yesterday, it looked more like something out of a 80s slasher movie.
Not nearly the fat layer I was expecting either. It came as a single 10lbs cut, so this had to be a big hog.
Still, it will eat.
Half in maple syrup, the other half in brown sugar.

 

[Acdoctor]

We just finished up putting half a beef in the freezer, man those ribeyes looked good . I got a total of 31 steaks, more burger than I know what to do with, stew meat, cube steak. With the way things are going, I’m blessed to have been able to find it locally.

 

[Mountain trapper]

Got our fuel delivered yesterday, off road diesel and non-ethanol premium. Over $1800 of fuel. Got another cord of firewood in. Killed a rattlesnake by the house. This is the third rattler in a week. I guess when its this dry they come around the house because of the water. Almost have the new ATV shed finished. Later this week the 250 gallon propane tank should be delivered for the new pump house generator.
Going out this morning to get some new tools for my boat building project and a new BBQ. This will replace the one that got crushed when a chunk of ice fell off my roof this spring.

 

[SHTFPREPPER]

Cut corn off 94 ears of corn. Have been canning since 7am. Have 2 more canner loads waiting. Will churn butter tomorrow and pressure can the butter. I see dairy prices going up drastically in the next 6 months.

 

[Kiwichick]

• Ordered more beans, pulses, legumes.
• Updated the evacuation bags
  • Rotated medicines
  • Bigger clothing for the kids
  • Rotated the food and water
  • Upgraded the torches and lanterns
  • Upgraded the first aid kit
• Got the kids Christmas gifts (anticipating shortages in more and more areas)

Need to get next week

• Bigger shoes for the kids
• Oxo cubes and canned tomatoes

 

[jontte]

it's a lot more to do, when kids are in the pics,
easier for me and my future wife.

 

[Owen Quin]

• Ordered more beans, pulses, legumes.
• Updated the evacuation bags
  • Rotated medicines
  • Bigger clothing for the kids
  • Rotated the food and water
  • Upgraded the torches and lanterns
  • Upgraded the first aid kit
• Got the kids Christmas gifts (anticipating shortages in more and more areas)

Need to get next week

• Bigger shoes for the kids
• Oxo cubes and canned tomatoes

One of my relatives (who is an prepper) told me that buy ing Huge bags of beans ( assuming thats you bought) are not that smart. If an disaster strikes, soaking takes a bunch of water and & cooking them are a waste of fuel and energy. Buying Pre-Canned beans are a good choice, and they don't go bad. Now if You are canning beans for a disaster, well thats the way to go.