stebi Hatfield

Why spend a fortune, get what you like and are comfortable with. If you're good with a handgun it will kill a varmint as dead as a rifle or a shotgun will. Go to a good gun shop and talk to the owner. Anybody else will recommend their favorite gun which may not suit you at all.

My Mrs. is a real good knitter and she say start simple and practice, practice, practice.

Snooty chef, point him to McDonalds and tell him to shush if he complains. Set up a small fruit and veg. stand. You do a great and wonderful thing do not let petty shallow people upset you. With a fruit and vegetable stand you will see how quickly you efforts will be valued.

A .22 to the base of the skull, stops all nerve passage plus their is a web of veins in the skull base it causes a very fast bleed out. This gives a clean animal for butcher and a quick pain free death. I have used this method for years. It is quick and clean.

All apples go into a couple of apple pies.

Try Joel Salatin's book "You Can Farm". Chock full of good ideas.

Hi, I'm not a major expert either. What I can tell you is check with your local permaculture contact Also your local greenhouse and nursery will help they are in the biz to sell plants and will answer questions because they want your custom. Organic fertilizers are good but remember smells like poop, must be poop. As for the  garden, plan, plan, and plan some more. Test your ground to see if its acidic or needs some other additive. Read the seed packs and plant sticks to be sure of your growing season, and temps the plans like. Example peas like cool weather do not do well in heat, tomatoes do well in heat. You might want to check out the southwest U.S.A forum on this website. Good luck and be diligent.

In the part of the east coast I used to live in pens were common and pastuering pigs was just not done. I live in Ak. now and one has to think about bear and wolves. Pastured pigs in the warm months is still possible but during the winteer a nice warm pen is nice for pigs. As for yelling at pigs the only way they might notice is if the person were dressed as Obelix.

If you have been doing it for years I would like to know more. As for the piglets perhaps they just need a stouter pen until they are no longer so curious. After all their life is to dig smell and explore. A stout movable pen might work well. I have heard of a few people who have done this. Joe Salatin might have some good ideas on this.

I never heard of trying to keep pastured pigs. Either they are kept in a pen or they are feral. I know a nice penn with good sides works well. Pigs are diggers(children of the earth) Earth provides food and minerals, dirt and mud to keep cool. In the wild also earth provides a burrow to protect from the elements. Pigs wear dirty but are not filthy or foul unless the have no choice. A good pig pen with six foot sides, two foot underground and four foot above ground. Depending on the number of pigs will give you the size of the pen. I used to keep six or eight pigs in a pen twenty foot by twenty foot. I kept my pigs for meat and sold off at between two and three hundred pounds. Understand pigs will eat almost anything including you if you pass out in the pen. Pigs are smart and even in a pen if they want they will leave.