persimmon Hatfield

It is true that WNS is the most serious bat threat I've seen ever.  Within 2-3 years there has been almost 100% mortality where it has shown up.  It has just been confirmed at Hellhole cave in West Virginia.  This cave harbors about 60% of the hibernating population of Virginia big-eared bats (Corynorhinus townsendii virginianus).  so far, the Virginias have not shown signs of the disease.

WNS is bone-chilling.  While a whole lot of folks are involved with various aspects of the emergency, not a lot is known.  Bats don't reproduce quickly.  Well over a million bats have succumbed thus far.

BTW, every state I've been in within the US has a state beekeeping organization (or sometimes more than one) which gives beginner beekeeping "schools".  Many of them give the classes in many parts of their respective states.  Great resources, access to vendors, and plenty to look at before you start.

Great stuff.  Thanks.  I'm passing the story around.

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paul wheaton wrote:
I spent five hours making this yesterday. 

The idea is that the shit will be two colors printed on an organic "natural" color t-shirt.    So the diagonal stuff is supposed to be a little subtle.

Questions are:

first impression?  Cool?  Lame?  Stupid?  Interesting?

Dupes?

http://richsoil.com/images/permies_tshirt_2_color.gif

Yep...BIG difference between survivalism and emergency preparedness.  Also, there is often a big difference in modern emergency preparedness and using ancestral skills (or insert appropriate euphamism here).  One may have need and ability to use a fire piston or some other friction method for fire, but many live in the burbs or in apartments and may want to remain in place for a week while power gets brought back online.

I prefer wildcrafting.  You may have additional folks interested in hunting with an atl-atl, but many (most?) foragers are plant gatherers with little desire to throw spears.  Just my opinion.  I don't hunt any more but if I were to restart (unlikely), I'd hunt with a gun so as to make it quick.

Appalachian relatives, my grandfather and Euell Gibbons.  I've been a forager/wildcrafter ever since.  Jack McQuarrie's book "Wildcrafting" was interesting later. 

BTW, for those interested there is a group on yahoo called "forageahead" that contains many knowledgeable folks, authors, etc.  Can't go wrong for the price of free.

A lot of folks just find a pecan business and pay to have them cracked and blown.  This will make your work a lot easier if you're close enough to one. 

If you're doing them by hand, many reed rockets-type shellers will work, but I also like the #816 Texan Nut Sheller by Texan nut sheller company.  Replaceable blades and EASY to use.

...and you can always graft additional seedlings to spread out the desired harvest and/or flavor pallette.

Wow!  Two threads in and I find persimmons!  I may be a tad partial...

While I love all persimmons, it really depends on what you want to do with them.  Fuyu-type Asian persimmons (Diospyros kaki) (you may have some growing "naturalized near you depending on where you live) are great because you can eat them without waiting for them to be bletted (sort of like pears).  The other great thing is that they can be peeled, cut into slices or chunks and used in ways softer persimmons can not be used.  Hachiya-type D. kaki need to be bletted just like native (to the US anyway) Diospyros virginiana.  The advantage is that they can be shipped everywhere and have a much longer harvest than D. virginiana.

But for FLAVOR, nothing beats D. virginiana.  Even within the species, flavors run from pure sweet to caramel-like.  The issue here is that they do not ship well (which keeps industrial ag away) and they are limited to eating fresh or in things which require pulp...like persimmon pudding.  That said, you really can't beat them.  They have a wide array of applications and for those of you who hunt or enjoy wildlife, you can't get a better wildlife tree...EVERYTHING that walks, crawls or flies, eats D. virginiana.

Someone above had it right when they said you judge ripeness by when the fruit looks like a small bag of jelly.  This is correct.  The skin will also almost let the pulp slip right out...sort of like the strength of a wet tissue.  In fact, many will pop when they hit the ground.

Even if you don't judge them right...don't despair.  I've been eating them all of my life...probably more than my weight each season, and I still get impatient or want to sample a tree I may not have the opportunity to return to.  Unripe fruit can still be quite sweet, but the astringency which follows may be unpleasant.  It is temporary though, so I don't sweat it.

Oh...and there is an unfortunate myth about having to wait until frost for ripening.  It's a myth that has been countered by a good many folks for a couple of hundred years.  People grow up hearing it and swear by it.  Granted, D. virginiana ripens late in the year.  Some trees can ripen VERY late.  This doesn't mean they require frost, but they may get it.  Many ripen much earlier.  If you choose not to take advantage of the early ripeners, that's OK.  Those of us who do will appreciate your convictions!