Val Vetter

Christopher Weeks wrote:I mostly don't.
So -- do you peel potatoes? And when do you or do you not?

Assuming the potato is thoroughly washed - and you know its history (pesticides, handling) I wouldn’t peel them unless there is an aesthetic reason - like if I was making Vichyssoise.

Michael Qulek wrote:There are table-top propane burners you can purchase.  In my own cabin, I used one for years before I bought a standard gas model from Home Depot.  I suppose you could even set it on top of your regular stove as long as none of the burners can turn on.  It ran to a 5-gallon barbeque tank I squirreled away under the table I was cooking on.

That would allow you to pressure can anything you want without acidifiers.  Once you the ability to pressure can, a new world will open up for you.

Getting into pressure canning would open up a whole new world to you. I was a beginner and jumped into it.

Get a “camp chef” or “Bayou Burner” portable propane burner and a 20# propane tank. Outdoors is best, but with good ventilation and proper flame adjustment - you can use it inside as well. (CO detector recommended!)

I bought an “All American Pressure Canner. They’re pricey, but the gold standard of pressure canners.

We canned EVERYTHING with that setup - our own pork, chicken, turkey, tons of broth, pretty much any veggies. You don’t need to add any acid or sugar.

Never have a can (mason jar) spoil or taste off. I recently used a jar of our pork broth that was five years old. Once properly processed - foods stay useable for ages. They may lose some flavor, color, or some nutritional value - but as long as they stay sealed, they won’t go bad.

If you can’t afford or don’t want to buy the equipment yourself. You might hook up with a fellow homesteader to use their equipment (and expertise).

When I gave up the farm - I sold the pressure canner - for more than it cost me to buy. That brand is a lifetime buy!

If you see where the main line or “soil pipe” leaves your home, the septic tank -should- be straight out in that direction. Though I suppose if property lines, other building, or trees are in the way - it could head off in another direction.

The tongue-in-cheek answer I got from the local good ole boys about finding the septic tank was “when it has a problem, it will show itself”. (True, but hardly proactive.)

I found ours with the probe - straight out from where the main line exited the crawl space.

If you have a clean-out access, you could run a flat sewer tape out. That would tell you if there’s a turn, or when the tape hits the far wall of the tank.

Or - you could just leave it up your septic service guy. Tell him to pump out your tank - and leave the (hopefully) expert figure out where it is.

Regarding Texas - in our county (Wood) there were no inspections regarding existing systems. Only new ones. It was pretty common for folks to service their own tanks. (Don’t ask, don’t tell.)

Another fun tidbit - at brew pubs and microbreweries, I’ve seen these repurposed into urinals….

If you - or anybody you know - are into home brewing, these old retired kegs make great vessels for boil kettles or sparge water heating.

I had a welder friend cut out the top (with the funky connector) with a plasma torch and weld a stainless nipple onto the side near the bottom. Thread on a valve and you can heat water or boil your brew.

Yes, you can cut this material with conventional tonal blades or abrasive wheels - but being a lot of them and eye AND ear protection as it gets real noisy real fast.

Hey Simon,

I sent you a "purple Mooseage" - email me.

Val

Dale Hodgins wrote:Hi Val. This sounds like something that is going to need a good contract, so that you can protect yourself in the event that the world's laziest people show up.

Another important thing to watch for is the accumulation of unwanted stuff. My useless tenants gathered many truckloads of stuff that I later had to dispose of.

It would probably be good to have a neighbor or some other trusted person check up on your tenants regularly, especially in the beginning.

I would never have anyone, who claims to not have a cell phone or the ability to get one. I would also make a consistent pattern of not answering that phone, grounds for eviction. Those who aren't performing their duties, will not want to talk to you very often. Those who are performing, are likely to answer their phone and send you pictures. That's been my experience.

Unfortunately, all too true Dale, which is why I hesitate to even go down this road.

We've even had somebody who was personally recommended to us and vouched for string us along and then bow out after we had stopped looking for people, making us start the whole process over again.

Val

Anne Miller wrote:

Having a good contract drawn up by a lawyer would be worthwhile.  Having worked with many volunteers it is true that there are many good ones and just as many that will load up anything of value and leave in the middle of the night. .. and  leave their trash behind.  

Excellent points Anne, and having seen how lame and opportunistic many "WOOFERS" have been, I hesitate to even look for people and consider other options.

My other options are: sell the property, pay somebody (still no guarantee of competence or honesty) or continue to mooch off friends good-natured enough to watch the place.

Val

David Livingston wrote:Also I don't think the term sharecropper helps bad historical vibes

David

True David, "Sharecroppers" does have a bad "vibe" to it, but it's not really deserved and only the bad, dishonest owners who violated the agreement gave it this bad reputation. Evicting tenants after they have done all the hard work and keeping the harvest is hardly living up to the agreement.

Val

Folks,

   I don't know exactly how to pitch this - or even where. I've tried advertising with "Eager Farmer"and a local self-reliance magazine and got zero replies.

Moderator: If this post would be better in another forum - please feel free to move it.

Anyway - here's the deal:

We own 40 acres in Northeast Texas - roughly between Dallas and Texarkana. The property is 90% wooded, and we run a small organic (Certified Naturally Grown) farm or Market Garden on a couple of acres.
We got into raising chickens for eggs, a few pigs, turkeys, and we grow veggies in am 8,000 sqft garden. We also have a small orchard.

In short, MOST of this property remains unused.

Our problem - we'd like to travel more and be away from our "farm" for extended periods of time.
Unfortunately, chickens need feeding and watering, garden needs watering, dogs and cats need to be fed - and - we need to make sure we don't return to find squatter and/or a meth lab on our property.

We've taken short trips (a week or less) but - we really can't afford to hire and pay a "farmsitter" for extended periods of time - and - we've imposed on our friends far too many times as it is already.

WE NEED SOMEBODY TO LIVE ON THE PROPERTY!

Our cabin is teeny-tiny. No room for more than us - and - we need to have it available when we ARE here.

There is PLENTY (TONS!) of room to build a cabin, park a motorhome or trailer, build a Yurt, or pitch a tent.
(We actually HAVE an old, old motorhome that needs a lot of TLC that someone could use - and even keep.)

The property HAS Co-op ("city") water. Electricity is available - though best solution would be to order another "drop". Phone lines run to the property.

The person/couple/family that would be living here would have pretty much full run of the property to grow, raise, farm as they please. We would just require that organic methods be used (NO ROUNDUP!!!) that no illegal activity be conducted,
and that the value of the property no be adversely affected. (no commercial logging, quarry, etc)

We would make our tools and small equipment available to the folks living here - mowers, tiller, chainsaws, garden tools, etc.

There is a ~2 acre electrical easement that has some rough "pasture" under it. (actually, decent bahia  grass when it's kept mowed - would be great for sheep.

Plenty of firewood for heating/cooking and enough pine trees that one could even build a log cabin. (If I were 30 years younger and 80 years more ambitious.)

"Seasonal" creek on the property - in case that means anything to anybody. (Yes, I thought "Microhydro" at one point - and it may well be possible - but that's a whole 'nuther discussion)

So - what we're offering is use of land & tools at no cost. We also have an extensive library that would be at your disposal.
What we want is - reliable, honest, sane, live-on-the-land "stewards", sharecroppers, caretakers, etc - who could either supply or build their own shelter - or - are willing to live in an OLD neglected motorhome.

I've just rambled out a few lines of what I can remember about the place and what we're looking for. If there are QUESTIONS about the situation here - please feel free to ask.

If anybody might actually be interested in discussing this more seriously - PLEASE contact me directly and we'll chat.

So - that's all I have for now.

Let the madness ensue.