Matt McSpadden

Hi Luisa,
Welcome to Permies!

I think starting small and focusing on things that you can do, is a good place to start. Paul has an interesting book called Build a Better World in Your Backyard - Instead of being angry at bad guys which has some pretty good insight.

On a personal note, I believe that this world was designed to handle fluctuations and be able to adjust over time. So I do what I can, and I trust the rest will be taken care of.

Hi Esther,
Welcome to Permies!

While I don't have a need for a farm helper (don't have a farm), I would probably check in with MOFGA. They used to have an apprenticeship program and a journeyman program. Looks like they are restructuring things some... but they do also have a job board. Nothing listed at this time of the year though. https://www.mofga.org/jobs

Still, it might not hurt to reach out and ask if they have any leads on farms looking for help.

They don't make them like they used to.

Hi Paul,
I think it is possible to feed your chickens off your land. I think it is possible to grow things specifically for the chickens and get more production than simply free ranging the chickens. I also think there is something to be said for scale. If you are growing your own things specifically for chickens, I think you need a certain scale either small or large to make it worth it. In the middle seems like a lot of work.

The option I think is most sustainable is using the leftovers to feed the chickens. Human leftovers from meals. Garden waste. Compost. Skim milk from cows. Etc. I think this option makes feeding your chickens much more efficient than having crops dedicated to the chickens alone.

As to the specifics of what to grow... I can;t say that I have a lot of experience, but a laying flock is going to be a bit lighter on protein and heavier on calcium and vitamins. Whereas meat birds will need a higher level pf protein in their feed.

Hi Chris,
Welcome to Permies!

I am not an expert, so take this with a grain of salt. But I would try to make sure there was a way for the water to drain, and not sit in the spot and increase the rot. At a previous house, I had an old apple tree that was easily 100 years old... if not 150. It was hollow in the middle, and was still doing fairly well. With some tending it even produced apples. Some apples trees are pretty tenacious.

John C Daley wrote:What are you actually drying?

In general, culinary herbs.

Specifically this batch is onions for onion powder, and some carrots I'm experimenting with to see if I can make a dried Mirepoix mix.

The temp is important because if you go too low, it can take too long to dry and cause spoilage or wasted time. If it gets too high, it can destroy vitamins and evaporate essential oils. I aim for the happy medium that produces some awesome product.

The insulation and heater seem to be working well. I don't think the heater could handle it, if it wasn't well insulated. Last night it got down to 3F with a wind chill of -12F. I try to keep the room above 80F... and it only got down to 79.6F briefly. The rest of the night it stayed above 80F. It is so nice to be able to continue drying this late in the season.

Welcome!

Nice build!

My concern is you mentioning old fry oil. While I am not a fan of what they do to make vegetable oil... it doesn't go rancid. After you fry with it though... I worry it might go rancid and smell bad. On the other hand, if its a thin coat... in a chicken coop, it might not be noticeable.