This weeks preps check-in

[Amish Heart]

Butter churns do take forever. Right now I use a blender. Even a hand mixer will do. But unless you can find cheap or free cream, it's cheaper to buy butter. I just skimmed the cream off the gallon of raw milk I picked up Sunday night from my cousin and it made about a stick of butter. I put it in the freezer for later use. Noticed cream price was way up at Aldi. Butter went from under $2 in December...$3.07 last week, $3.17 this week. For a pound. Heavy cream is a buck more than it was before

 

[GeorgiaPeachie]

Yeah, it is cheaper to buy now, but as you know, it won’t be before long. Also, if the news that the Rail Carriers are going to declare ”Force Majeure” on delivery of Dairy Feed, we are in for a real shortage! I felt like we needed a backup to make butter in case the power goes out and we don’t want to waste the solar or generator on such things. It has been years since I’ve made butter with a churn. My arms were much younger then. But I am still looking forward to it!

I’m working on a couple of connections for fresh cow and goat milk. Crossing my fingers they work out!!

Amish Heart, do you know what the closest TN Amish settlement is to Northwest Georgia? Was wanting to go get some things from them and hopefully find out if they will still be selling/trading if things get real bad. What advise do you have for me?

 

[user 7704]

I have a couple of lemon trees in large containers. They are producing like crazy!! Good luck with yours!

How large does the container need to be?

 

[GeorgiaPeachie]

How large does the container need to be?

You can start with a 10” pot, but will have to move up to a 16” pot after a year. So happy I didn’t trim back my Lemon trees as they sprout during the winter. Who knew? LOL Not me anyway. Right now there are at least 40 lemons growing on my big tree and about 10 on the small tree. Would have bought 2 big ones, but all that was left was a small one. It is amazing how fast these trees grow! The larger one is now 6’ tall!

 

[user 7704]

Do you grow it indoors or in your greenhouse?

 

[GeorgiaPeachie]

Do you grow it indoors or in your greenhouse?

They winter in the greenhouse and after cold temps are gone I move them outside in front of the greenhouse on river pebbles. My daughter has two that are more bush like and she grows them inside all year long. Hers are about 4 years old now.

 

[Mountain trapper]

I would love to have a couple lemon, lime and orange trees. I just dont think they would make here, even in a greenhouse.

 

[GeorgiaPeachie]

I would love to have a couple lemon, lime and orange trees. I just dont think they would make here, even in a greenhouse.

You can grow them inside year round. The dwarf Meyer Lemon Tree would be a good one! Haven’t tried oranges yet, but like you, I want one!!

 

[GeorgiaPeachie]

A Dwarf Valencia Orange and Dwarf Clementine are the ones I’m looking into.

 

[Mountain trapper]

You can grow them inside year round. The dwarf Meyer Lemon Tree would be a good one! Haven’t tried oranges yet, but like you, I want one!!

That might work. We have a large west facing window where it would fit. During summer they can go out on the deck. I like the little oranges, mandarins I think.

 

[GeorgiaPeachie]

That might work. We have a large west facing window where it would fit. During summer they can go out on the deck. I like the little oranges, mandarins I think.

So far I haven’t seen any dwarf mandarins, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any. And now that you say that, those are my favorite type of orange! The west window would be great. My daughter has hers in a wide west facing window and she has had zero problems.

 

[EastenerWesterner]

Dwarf Meyer lemons are pretty hardy. We were given a potted one a year ago. First spot was too much sun.
Moved to a less full sun and blossomed out. Didn’t care for the wind In that spot. Looked and blossoms on it now.
At least in a pot you can move around. Or inside for the winter.

 

[user 7704]

I'm thinking of getting a lemon tree now. Mine would have to winter inside. Do you think the Meyer would be the best? Don't want to get scurvy

 

[GeorgiaPeachie]

I'm thinking of getting a lemon tree now. Mine would have to winter inside. Do you think the Meyer would be the best? Don't want to get scurvy

My Meyer Lemon is the one doing the best. The lemons are oh so sweet too! It is because they aren’t a true lemon. They are a mixture of a lemon and a sweet orange.

Don’t blame you on the scurvy! LOL. Being in the areas we are, citrus would never survive outside in the winter.

 

[user 7704]

I'll look them up.

 

[GeorgiaPeachie]

For those growing bigger gardens and more long term storage vegetables here is a great place to buy baskets to store your all those goodies in. They work well in root cellars and basements.

https://texasbasket.com/product-category/applebaskets/

 

[EastenerWesterner]

I get snow 2-3 times a year and 2-3 more nights where I will get a hard frost. It will almost always get up to 50 in the day.
We have an orange, lemon and lime tree and they have survived about 15 years+ judging from their size. I think Limes need 2 trees for good pollination and yield
Had a dwarf blood orange, but it didn’t survive being girdled by the weed whacker (not me)
Seems to me that some of you could have some citrus, just maybe not Arcticdude.

 

[Mountain trapper]

I get snow 2-3 times a year and 2-3 more nights where I will get a hard frost. It will almost always get up to 50 in the day.
We have an orange, lemon and lime tree and they have survived about 15 years+ judging from their size. I think Limes need 2 trees for good pollination and yield
Had a dwarf blood orange, but it didn’t survive being girdled by the weed whacker (not me)
Seems to me that some of you could have some citrus, just maybe not Articdude.

Wait a minute, we usually have 2 months without snow. Our last snow is usually in June, first snow in September. It doesn't last though, but we do have snow on the ground from November through April.

 

[EastenerWesterner]

Wait a minute, we usually have 2 months without snow. Our last snow is usually in June, first snow in September. It doesn't last though, but we do have snow on the ground from November through April.

I lived in that climate most of my life in WNY. You know, the weather area that made Buffalo infamous.
I know the joys and the hardships of where you are. Just glad to be in the mountains where it isn’t as tough.

 

[Amish Heart]

Hey Georgia Peach...TN settlements are in: Belvidere, Cottage Grove, Crossville, Deer Lodge, Ethridge, Huntingdon, Lafayette, McKenzie, Olive Hill, Paris, Pleasantville, Rutherford, Sparta, Stantonville, Summertown, Tellico Plains, and Whiteville. Georgia has two settlements: Montezuma and Resaca.

 

[GeorgiaPeachie]

Hey Georgia Peach...TN settlements are in: Belvidere, Cottage Grove, Crossville, Deer Lodge, Ethridge, Huntingdon, Lafayette, McKenzie, Olive Hill, Paris, Pleasantville, Rutherford, Sparta, Stantonville, Summertown, Tellico Plains, and Whiteville. Georgia has two settlements: Montezuma and Resaca.

My oh my they are everywhere!!! Luv that. Very much appreciate the information too. Everyone needs to keep the Amish in mind as valuable Trading Partners.

 

[user 7704]

But, most people in Middle TN go to the Amish in Southern KY to get their produce. I don't know why.

 

[dirtdiva]

But, most people in Middle TN go to the Amish in Southern KY to get their produce. I don't know why.

There are also Mennonite settlements in Muddy Pond , TN with a large store, apiary and many carpenters, leather workers and such. I get my dog harnesses and leashes made there. For Produce there is an excellent farm in Clarkrange, TN ( Clear Creek) that does a bang up business selling produce and lumber, trusses, milk, eggs, honey etc.

 

[GeorgiaPeachie]

There are also Mennonite settlements in Muddy Pond , TN with a large store, apiary and many carpenters, leather workers and such. I get my dog harnesses and leashes made there. For Produce there is an excellent farm in Clarkrange, TN ( Clear Creek) that does a bang up business selling produce and lumber, trusses, milk, eggs, honey etc.

That is valuable information DD. It was nice of you to share it.

 

[Mountain trapper]

My oh my they are everywhere!!! Luv that. Very much appreciate the information too. Everyone needs to keep the Amish in mind as valuable Trading Partners.

I wouldn't count too much on the Amish after SHTF. In my experience in doing business with them, and the Mennonites, is they are very clickish. Its not likely that they would be willing to trade with outsiders too much after SHTF. Thats just my feelings with them from buying and selling draft horses and farm equipment in north Idaho and Canada. Dont know what they're like back east.

 

[user 7704]

I was watching the Appalachian Homestead person, PatAra and she made a good point.

We all say how we can always go out and kill some game, but EVERYONE will be saying that and it won't take long for the herds and flocks to start thinning.

 

[GeorgiaPeachie]

I was watching the Appalachian Homestead person, PatAra and she made a good point.

We all say how we can always go out and kill some game, but EVERYONE will be saying that and it won't take long for the herds and flocks to start thinning.

Even where we are, I don’t want anyone going out hunting. Too much of a chance of being shot by accident from so many hungry hunters. Now if you have hundreds of acres of private land, that you KNOW people can’t get to, that is a different story.

 

[EastenerWesterner]

I wouldn't count too much on the Amish after SHTF. In my experience in doing business with them, and the Mennonites, is they are very clickish. Its not likely that they would be willing to trade with outsiders too much after SHTF. Thats just my feelings with them from buying and selling draft horses and farm equipment in north Idaho and Canada. Dont know what they're like back east.

Back east in NY, the Mennonites are very interactive. They have their own farmers market that people flock too.
They also come to community garage sales and buy all the baby clothes for their secondhand shops.
They build the best barns and you don’t have to worry about insurance or being sued.
The first time I walked in my barn, I said Mennonites built this. I have have several friends from back east say the same.

 

[GeorgiaPeachie]

Back east in NY, the Mennonites are very interactive. They have their own farmers market that people flock too.
They also come to community garage sales and buy all the baby clothes for their secondhand shops.
They build the best barns and you don’t have to worry about insurance or being sued.
The first time I walked in my barn, I said Mennonites built this. I have have several friends from back east say the same.

My son has a farm that the Amish built the house and barns. They do an amazing job at building! That house is strong as well as tight.

 

[EastenerWesterner]

This is the level of craftsmanship I am talking about. And this barn was built in the 80s Nobody else was doing this for a barn then.