Jess DeMoss

We have a home with central heat and are wanting to get a wood stove.  We were hoping to get rid of the central heat and only have the wood stove.  I was thinking it would be great if I could use some of the heat from the pipe to push through the existing duct work in to the rooms farthest from the stove.  I figure I'd have a short section of single wall in the attic.  The duct work would somehow attach to this and the heat would be pushed through the duct work in to the rooms.

Does anyone have any experience with this?  Would this even be possible?

I've heard tale of putting up Wren houses near berry bushes because they are very territorial and will fight off other birds. This way you only need to deal with the loss from the resident Wren. I don't know how this would work for giant flocks of rooster sized fruit eaters but I thought I'd throw it out there. Good luck and let us know how it goes!

How much would a Norwegian Fjord eat compared to a larger draft horse? and how about a burro? I'm just wondering how much feed would be required for these dudes if I didn't have much if any pasture for them...

That's a very interesting take on the whole thing.
What are these "langostas" that you are talking about? Do you know of them by another name by chance?

I agree that 2011 and 2012 summers were quite dry. Have you been in the area this year? We had a VERY wet summer...so many varieties of grasses came up with just as many varieties of "weeds". So far, this winter seems to be going pretty well also. I do know of many wells drying up in the area but I feel that is all the more reason to work on water harvesting methods, spreading the word and showing the results to folks that are skeptical. Do you feel that these things naturally flow in rhythms...dry/"normal"/wet?

various ecological measures regularly enacted by those farmers which had an impact on the entire area which are now ignored

Could you give some examples of these?

Victor,

I'm in Silver City, NM which sounds pretty darn close to where you just moved from! I'd like to talk to you about the drought if'n you don't mind...

Mulch...
I've mostly used straw, wood that I rake up from around the chopping block, and a composted wood mulch that is available from a local non-profit that thins the forest for fire suppression and then sells many many by products from those thining projects...

This may be in the wrong place but I am curious...Besides the usual, horse, can other animals be used for pulling a plow or seeder or crimper or etc.?

Mules allegedly eat less than a horse and could pull these things but how about even smaller and less acreage needing animals like draft goats or draft chickens or draft guinea pigs?

Without much land it would be hard to use horses as they require so much feed and without much land it'd be difficult to raise enough for the critters.

Thoughts?

Thanks everyone! And thanks John for the Extension Agency lead.

2 more questions: Are winter rye and buckwheat A: heavy feeders? and B: good for sourdough bread making?

Thanks John!

We're on the line of 8a and 7b according to the New USDA Plant Hardiness Map

Is winter rye not a heavy feeder? Good for bread?

However, it takes 330-345 days to mature to grain.

YIKES! How would that do as a cover crop? Plant in September...harvest following August-ish...then plant what? Perhaps plant in Spring then harvest next spring, cut and drop, plant spring crop?

Does anyone have any suggestions for grains that could be used for fall/winter cover crops. Ones that could be able to feed the soil AND feed me...bread? Are most grains heavy feeders?

Has anyone tried using a scythe to produce the same effects as the roller crimper? I understand that one crimps the stalk and the other would cut the stalk but would there be much difference in the 2? Would there be specific cover crop plants that would lend themselves better to being cut than bent? Would a scythe be possible in a one acre field?