Shelter

[Lex]

What is it made of? It has a stucco finish, but is it mud, or what?

I believe cob is mud, yes.

Cob is a building material consisting of clay, sand, straw, water, and earth. Cob is fireproof, resistant to seismic activity, and inexpensive. It can be used to create artistic, sculptural forms and has been revived in recent years by the natural building and sustainability movements.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cob_%28building%29

[fourthgeek]

Cob is mud+sand+straw and sometimes with manure too, usually with some sort of natural plaster on top.

The trick is getting it the perfect consistency, supposedly almost as good as light grade concrete.

[cathleeninnh]

I love goat meat! I am vaguely aware that they aren't very pleasant to raise. They rip up the roots of anything they forage, stripping land quickly.

Cathleen

[Kat Kanning]

You could rent out your goat for poison ivy removal.

[cathleeninnh]

Only if my poison ivy has been taken care of. Didn't I hear that an increase of poison ivy is due to global warming and the antedote is fern fronds? Maybe that was a dream.

Cathleen

[Lloyd Danforth]

While agree with your idea of draft horses, I have no experience with such. Such a thing takes knowledge and experience. I am learning a lot about survival, and doing without, but some things take more time to master. What if things fall apart fairly soon?

Making your own fuel is just as, if not more, complicated than having a horse.

The horse requires fuel wether it is doing work, or, not.   Visits from the Veternary are more critical and expensive than from the tractor repair guy.  Another problem with large domestic animals is someone has to be around to take care of them.  You could build an automated feeding system  to feed chickens and dogs.

[Lloyd Danforth]

While agree with your idea of draft horses, I have no experience with such. Such a thing takes knowledge and experience. I am learning a lot about survival, and doing without, but some things take more time to master. What if things fall apart fairly soon?

Making your own fuel is just as, if not more, complicated than having a horse.

You apparently grew up with farm animals. For those of us who didn't, it is a daunting proposition. I grew up a carpenter's son in an urban setting. We had a garden, but no animals. I can build anything with wood, but know little about animals other than chickens. A neighbor had a chicken farm and I helped out some, not a lot.

Actually, I lived most of my life in some of the biggest cities. I grew up in Kiev, Ukraine, then lived for many years in Chicago, IL, then in Arlington, VA and finally I'm here :-)

When I was in Ukraine I spent summers with different family at summer houses and we did a lot of gardening. Not many of them had animals (because it was too much of hassle to have animals if you are just there for the summer). My experience with goats is from a lady who lived next to our summer house all year round. We always bought milk from her when we were there. My wife is a horse trainer and owns a thuroughbred but once we get a stable built we'll definitely get a draft horse or two and probably another horse for just riding.

Animals aren't hard, the biggest thing is not forgetting to feed them, everything else will work out as long as you are "animal friendly". If you treat them well, feed them and keep them warm in winter, then they'll return the favor... unless you have goats, those are rotten animals, but they do have the best milk :-)

Well......there ya go!  You're already in the   'large animal, someones always gotta be around' business!

[Kat Kanning]

Only if my poison ivy has been taken care of. Didn't I hear that an increase of poison ivy is due to global warming and the antedote is fern fronds? Maybe that was a dream.

Cathleen

I used to use fern fronds on stinging nettle rashes.  You have to get the fronds with the spores on the back.

[bailey228]

While agree with your idea of draft horses, I have no experience with such. Such a thing takes knowledge and experience. I am learning a lot about survival, and doing without, but some things take more time to master. What if things fall apart fairly soon?

Making your own fuel is just as, if not more, complicated than having a horse.

The horse requires fuel wether it is doing work, or, not.   Visits from the Veternary are more critical and expensive than from the tractor repair guy.  Another problem with large domestic animals is someone has to be around to take care of them.  You could build an automated feeding system  to feed chickens and dogs.

An automated feeding system is even easier for horses and such. You build a 3 sided shelter in the pasture (should have one anyways) so they can excape cold and wind and rain. Buy a large round bale (huge bale of hay) place in pasture. Leave. Vet visits- stables are horrible for the health of horses. I've never known a horse that lives out side to need a vet for anything other than a run in with a poorly maintained fence. Horses do not need heated barns, fluffy shavings, grain, indoor arenas, trailers... all that is for the convience of people, at the cost of the horse's health. That's why you always hear of people complaining how expensive horses are . Oh, food for a horse costs WAY WAY less than gas. 50 a month for a regular sized horse, 100 for a draft. I'll bet you're spending 3 times that for gas right now. In the summers, if you rotate your pastures properly and don't let them overgraze a pasture, you should have free food for a few months.

[cathleeninnh]

Only if my poison ivy has been taken care of. Didn't I hear that an increase of poison ivy is due to global warming and the antedote is fern fronds? Maybe that was a dream.

Cathleen

I used to use fern fronds on stinging nettle rashes.  You have to get the fronds with the spores on the back.

I found more on ferns in Organic Housekeeping by Ellen Sandbeck.

"In 1980, experiments conducted at NASA's John C. Stennis Space Center in Mississippi showed that houseplants placed in sealed test chambers were capable of removing large concentrations of chemical contaminants from the air.....The following common chemicals were successfully and efficiently removed from the airby NASA's houseplants: benzene, formaldehyde, xylene, toluene, acetone, methyl alcohol, ethyl acetate, ammonia, trichloroethylene, and carbon monoxide....NASA experiments showed that houseplants reduced the indoor concentration of molds and bacteria by 50 to 60 percent. The researchers also found some evidence that radon was also absorbed and sequestered in the plants' tissues.... Dr. Wolverton gave the following houseplants very high ratings: Areca palm...Lady palm...Bamboo palm...Rubber plant... and Boston fern."

Cathleen

[Malsem]

Only if my poison ivy has been taken care of. Didn't I hear that an increase of poison ivy is due to global warming and the antedote is fern fronds? Maybe that was a dream.

Cathleen

Jewelweed for nettles and poison ivy is awesome.

  One of the biggest problems concerning the "overgrowth" of poison ivy (and ticks, and mosquitoes) is anthropogenic.  We've cleared so much land and altered the nutritional content of the soils to the point that poison ivy thrives in the wake of our disturbance.  I would hardly say that it's made any significant increase, however, expecially relative to the way that mosquitoes and ticks have become issues.  Again, caused by human interference with the natural processes.

-M