Michael Miller

We are in central WI and have not even tapped yet. We are micro producers and got 10gal of syrup in 2022. Will tap in a week I think. One question is when boiling in a shack does't everything get sticky from the steam? We just boil on a cinder block setup outside.

I am thinking about trying micro aquaponics in my basement. I have a garden pond that we bring the koi inside for the winter. I am running a pump in the inside pond now anyway. I would use lava rock as the growing medium because of availability. Use 2-4 ft grow lights. I would try to grow lettuce and spinach. This would also be a filter to aid the biofilter in the pond now. Any thoughts and ideas would be appreciated. Again this would be just small scale.

Do you have a state or county forester you can check with? Here in WI we have county foresters that are more than happy to come offer advice and answer questions. They will have a better understanding of the woodlot. You may be surprised at what they have to say. I believe their should always be a reason why a tree is cut down and just because it is a tree doesn't mean it's a good tree for the woodlot. Good luck.

First I want to thank everyone for the replies. I'm not too worried so much about the pitting. But I would like to prevent the light surface rust. My cabin has a concrete floor along with having it shut down during winter does create some moisture issues. Nothing real bad but will cause the surface rust. The cabin is totally off grid and run with solar so I believe I may frequent this forum more now that I found it.  

We have a DR Field and Brush mower. Great machine for us. We used it quite often when we bought our property to clear some areas and cut trails. Now we use it just for maintenance. Do 11 acres no thanks and yours sounds fairly easy. I think for what you want maybe a a small compact tractor as said above. You could buy a used brush mower for the tractor. Check on having it done and then what you need to maintain what you have and your budget. Is there a farmer close by that maybe would do it if was clean of debris?  

This is my first post since finding this forum so please bear with me and be kind. Hope I am posting in the correct place. So I have an old woos cook stove in my in my cabin that I have dragged around for about 40yrs before building the cabin. We don't use it a whole lot and the surface does have some rust pitting and very fine surface rust on it now. My cabin is in WI and not heated in the colder winter months. We heat with wood. What can I do to prevent the surface rust? It occurs after we use it. I have coated it with veg oil and olive oil in the past but have heard to use lard, tallow or coconut oil. What about stove polish on the cooking area? Thanks for all and any suggestions. Mike