HOMEinSTEAD

[VINCENT]

ayla just turned 5 in late june. and I tossed the last of the rosemary I could find in the garden into the rabbit. you can see it finely chopped in the picture. and the garlic is from my home town in California. Gilroy is the garlic capital of the world. my folks send it or bring it our to me often. I eat garlic raw like candy. or whole heads roasted for a snack. where I grew up, every restaurant used garlic so heavy in their every day recipes that it made "industrial strength garlic" in other restaurants look bland. I typically ask for 3x industrial when I go out, they stare blankly and still it comes to me to weak.

[kickstand]

V, we all give ya hell, but I am impressed. May I ask how old Ayla is? Just a suggestion, but toss in some rosemary with the lamb...is goooood.

[Tex]

Way to go, Vincent. The Hostile Native and my niece have caught two clutches of guinea chicks in the last few days. My niece is now raising 21 guinea chicks and 1 baby chicken. A lady that the Native trades rabbits with called and she had a couple litters ready to go, so the Native takes niece and they come back with a buck and doe flemish x california. Now the niece has two rabbits to raise too.

A couple of years ago the Native and I went to the Basque Festival over in Buffalo, Wy (I'm Basque) and we bought a Basque cookbook. Basque people eat a lot of lamb, beef and rabbit and this cookbook had a lot of rabbit recipes. Last week the Native made a rabbit recipe that is cooked in red wine that was delicious. We drink paisano, which is a Basque wine so we used that for the rabbit. I really like rabbit, but that was probably about my favorite. If you need some ideas for cooking rabbit, let me know.

If you guys come out next summer I will hook you up with some rabbits and fiber goats.

Tex

[VINCENT]

yesterday I took 2 guinea fowl to the auction. intention was to get rid of them and not buy anything. well bid 1 dollar on some chicks just to get the bidding started and apparently nobody wanted any chicks. I ended up with 11 straight run chicks of misc orgins. so the fowl sold for 15 and I paid 11 for the chicks. I received $1.75 after fees. there was a female lion head that a woman had. it did not reach its reserve. I jokingly said to the lady that I would give her what I had earned at the auction for her rabbit. she said, ok. so I gave her my buck 75. she took the dollar and said I could keep the change. Ayla now has a female for her male lion head to breed with. but we all know how that goes here on my farm. the chance of rabbit babies is slim to none.

and on that note. I butchered the male and female new zealands today. they are merinading in the fridge as I type. I also took down the net fencing around whats left of the garden and picked the Hungarian peppers while I was out in the heat. then I cam in and pickled 6 jars of peppers with some good ole Gilroy garlic. im looking forward to the BBQ tomorrow.



I think I failed to mention the new goats are doing great. and getting huge. and yes tex. I did band them at about the 2 week mark.my intention is to keep them both and either butcher and eat them , or trade them and butcher then ones I trade for. that may its easier for the wife and kids. although after today and ayla standing beside me while I butchered, and even asked to help shoot the second rabbit. shes just about ready to eat anything. I honestly don't think the pony is safe if it nips her again.

[VINCENT]

my olive egger are doing great. 6 blacks, and a rare blue hatched. all survived chickdom, and have progressed to the next step. im keeping them caged for several more weeks at least.

[angeryamerican]

Oh, Vinny got full and quit eating them.

[kickstand]

Yo, Vince, you never did tell us how the Olive Eggers did?

[W.Lynn]

I like Texas, I just need 8-12 acres farther out from Austin, and could even do with just septic, water, and a couple hundred feet of level ground somewhere near the water and septic.

And Gwynn needs about the same, maybe even farther out (think Rockdale, or Hearne.)

[Gena.KY]

Lynn,
If you ever want to live in Kentucky, I work at a Real Estate office & can help you look. You can get five acres & a pretty nice home in the $150,000. range. If you want a modular, they are a lot cheaper. Some like them, some don't. I could help anyone looking in this area. Lots of small rivers & creeks here. Pretty trees & grass too.

[W.Lynn]

It's getting on toward apple season again, and other tree fruits ...

Damn, I need a place where I can plant useful stuff, but every piece of ground anywhere near seems to be 75-100 acres (except for the 200-500 acre places.)

[Tex]

We all flip a little BS toward Vincent because it is easy and fun, but to tell the truth I actually admire and respect Vincent for what he is doing on his little homestead. Last year he and the Mrs sent me a box of assorted jams and jelly's that he and JTJT had put up themselves. About that same time I also got a care package from WLynn with some apple butter too. If you ask my sweettooth I'm sure it would tell you that 2012 was a good year for sweets.

Vincent has quite a bit of experience with exotic animals, but the regular farm animals he did not know much about. I have seen a lot of people who were either too proud to ask for help, or too dumb to even realize how dumb they really are. Several times Vincent would call me or send a message asking for tips or advice concerning his livestock. I would be the same way were I to get into exotics. He asked though so that he could learn and be a better stockman. I respect a person who will put they ego aside and will seek out help from someone who has already made the mistakes. Several of us have kept up with Vincent and JTJT's homestead since he first started his thread over at SB. He and his family, with fence building help from AA, have done a heckuva job on their little place. With the mild climate they enjoy and the experience he has gained, I have no doubt that Vincent could take care of his family on his place if the poop ever hits the fan.

Now that I've bragged on him though, he will probably kill a goat or something on accident. Congratulations on the progress you have made, Vincent. You have set a good example to new preppers and I would bet that you have inspired a few others to start on their own preps.

Tex

[WisconsinBadger1972]

Tex,

Actually, Vinnie probably stopped by one of those roadside stands where the entrepreneur, approx 75 years old, usually sitting with his wife of 50+ plus years (that's how it is usually up here in Wisconsin at least) decided to step out for awhile, but leaves the cigar box, a.k.a., the 'honor system' to put your money in when you take your vegetables of choice. Our hero Vinnie got enough veggies to get him through the winter for the low low price of 3 quarters and assorted change he could dig up between his seats and under his floormats...

[Tex]

I see you stopped by the Farmer's Market on the way home from work.

He probably robbed some poor migrant worker on his way home from the fields.

Tex

[Kessler]

So i decided to rip out the garden this weekend. as i began ripping out the yellow droopy soggy zuchini plants i made a discovery. underneath were very happy thriving green bean plants. to the tune of 15lbs of green beans. then i began finding cukes. yep they were still orange, but they are hella good. plus several of my herb plants are growing. not as many as i would like, but i was able to harvest some rosemary, some basil, and some cilantro. i found one3 zuch, and a few more that will be ready in afew days(not all theplants were mush and dead). a few yellow squash should be ready by mid week. my peper plants are bloomoing and doing well. now if i could just remember which peper plant is which. chives are growing well in some area, and in others they had all died off. but basicly the garden is doing better then i thought. dont get me wrong. i threw out ALOT!!!!! the goats were well fed. but all in all i was surprizingly happy with my harvest this weekend.

I see you stopped by the Farmer's Market on the way home from work.

[VINCENT]

HOMEinSTEAD

Hey Vincent,

Did you put iodine in their navels? That will help prevent infections from setting in.

If you name them after me and AD, I wanna be the brown and white one.

Tex

SORRY TEX , YOU'RE THE WHITE ONE. ALL WHITE LIKE A CRACKER, AND NEVER STOPS DRINKING.