Dennis Lanigan

Do you know about state seedlings sales? May save you a lot of $$$ getting plants. Google "state seedlings sales" and put in states like Missouri, Virginia, Iowa, etc. Missouri sales start September 1st.

Hi Russell. I know a lot (but not everything) about bark tanning. Can you tell me what is the latin name of the gum tree? If you have access to wattle bark that will work best. Rawhide is difficult to make into leather. Not impossible but not ideal.

Happy to pass on some bark tanning manuals that will answer most of your questions. Email me at dennis.lanigan at gmail.com

https://mdc.mo.gov/trees-plants/tree-seedlings

I recommend Missouri State forestry as well. Seedlings for .90 each! I planted my yard full with elderberry, Chickasaw plum, mulberry, false indigo, pawpaw's, etc. All the seedlings are doing great.

Here's the small yurt.

Poplar (likely Tulip Poplar) worked for me for the Khana. I cut my wall strips from 5/4 rough cut boards. I believe willow is traditionally used for poles, so that could work as well.

When I lived in Cherryville, NC (Cleveland county) everyone seemed to have Dorper (hair) sheep if that interests you. In Henderson county I see a lot of goats and hair sheep. Edit: oh I see you said fiber. I have recently gotten Merino fiber from a farm in Zicronia, NC.

Looking for moschata squash, okra, or other southeast heirlooms. Have Japanese Indigo seeds, with plenty to share.

I have Japanese Indigo seeds for trade. Looking for disease resistant Appalachian squash or okra.

Hi Joe. I live in the same general area. Welcome. I discovered that I could get a ton of woody plants cheap from Missouri State department of forestry delivered here to NC. Persimmons, chickesaw plums, elderberry, nut trees, mulberry, paw paw, etc. Something to consider for next fall/winter planting season.

You may be on to something with the protein. I composted a lot of deer scraps from hide tanning and see a higher concentration of symphylans in those compost piles. Around any sunchoke roots I overwintered too there's tons. They definitely like sugar and protein.

In addition to the chickens I am going to add fungi in the early spring to the mulch and see if that gives the symphylans something else to chew on. This is a suggestion by Elaine Ingham which seems flawed, but I'm willing to try. The trees that did best had fungal mats around them despite being surrounded by symphylans.

I may have to give up on strawberries for the near future.