Double Dip Recession?

[Farmfresh]

If you have horses then you have your dirt problem SOLVED. Composted horse manure is about the BEST thing ever to use on a garden. We sometimes used the easy compost method of simply spreading the manure over a selected space - thick as you want, the thicker the better - and then simply allowing it to compost in place right there for a season. Once it is well composted lightly turn it up and start planting. That would work great for some raised beds. Just build the bed, fill it up with manure and bedding and maybe some other lawn and yard clippings and let it rot for a good while. Remember it MUST be allowed to rot well as fresh manure is mighty HOT with nitrogen. I would also plant corn or some other nitrogen loving crop on the bed for the first planting. After that it will be just like regular dirt.

ANY organic material straw, hay, leaves, peanut shells, corn stalks... use your imagination ... will work for mulch on top of the bed. Look around YOUR area and see what is available for cheap or free.

 

[Marshmallow Man]

Thanks for the info. Next year we are putting more effort in to growing. I really wish I could grow some fruit trees. We have 3 apple trees. Two have been planted in our yard for 6 years, they were about 2 years old when we bought them. Every year the have small apples on them that never get bigger than a plum and stay green except for 1 or 2 that turn red. I have pruned played with water amounts mulched out and made sure there was no grass within the drip line. We are at 6500 ft so it might be the altitude. Every one in our family loves apples.

 

[Old Sew'n'Sew]

OFG says:wow i know someone who was very happy to brag about how they bought a toyota last winter. during the worst of it.

Umm... Some Toyotas are made here in WV... is that considered in the USA?
If not, don't tell me, I don't want to know.

Actually I have issues with Fix Or Repair Daily, I have owned a few, and still do, just look for the little piles of rust where they are parked.
They provide plenty of work for the local mechanics.

We owned a 1985 Cadillac til last year, we donated it to a needy person and she is still driving it.

I found a 7-year old Escalade to replace the 25 yr old , The owner lost his job and needed to sell so was less than a new Toyota, I hope to drive it at least 10 years or more. Made in Pontiac Michigan, USA I think. It has a hitch, so we are going to haul firewood with it, but nobody will talk to me when I want them to put a snow plow on the thing. (Hillbilly humor) You might be a redneck if.......?

Farmfresh
Yesterday 3:24 pm Definitely always try to buy AMERICAN whenever possible. Even if the product costs more it is supplying jobs.

All good points but consider a sustainable economy, instead of a growth based economy. Where we fix and repair things ,and don't be embarrassed to go places in a older car, We used to get plenty of looks in that Fleetwood, but I didn't care as long as I got where I was going.( 20mpg too)

 

[Farmfresh]

Thanks for the info. Next year we are putting more effort in to growing. I really wish I could grow some fruit trees. We have 3 apple trees. Two have been planted in our yard for 6 years, they were about 2 years old when we bought them. Every year the have small apples on them that never get bigger than a plum and stay green except for 1 or 2 that turn red. I have pruned played with water amounts mulched out and made sure there was no grass within the drip line. We are at 6500 ft so it might be the altitude. Every one in our family loves apples.

If you want to start growing next year I would start composting right now.

A good dose of horse manure at the drip line might be just what the doctor ordered for those apple trees as well. It does not need to be composted to use around the trees in this way either.

 

[Farmfresh]

I found a 7-year old Escalade to replace the 25 yr old , The owner lost his job and needed to sell so was less than a new Toyota, I hope to drive it at least 10 years or more. Made in Pontiac Michigan, USA I think. It has a hitch, so we are going to haul firewood with it, but nobody will talk to me when I want them to put a snow plow on the thing. (Hillbilly humor) You might be a redneck if.......?

Farmfresh
Yesterday 3:24 pm Definitely always try to buy AMERICAN whenever possible. Even if the product costs more it is supplying jobs.

All good points but consider a sustainable economy, instead of a growth based economy. Where we fix and repair things ,and don't be embarrassed to go places in a older car, We used to get plenty of looks in that Fleetwood, but I didn't care as long as I got where I was going.( 20mpg too)

I am currently looking for a replacement truck and probably get way too excited about some that I have found for sale. One had a flat bed, a full compliment of built in tool boxes all around and a snow plow came with! Too old so suit hubby, but the "added features" had me all jazzed up!

I am all about fix it until you can fix it no more. I drove a 1978 Chrysler Newport until I could no longer pass inspection due to a broken and irreplaceable window. I am sure it was the inspiration for the line in the B-52's song "Love Shack" when they sang "lets all jump in my Chrysler it's as big as a whale and we are about to set sail." Got a few looks in that one as well.

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

OFG says:wow i know someone who was very happy to brag about how they bought a toyota last winter. during the worst of it.

Umm... Some Toyotas are made here in WV... is that considered in the USA?

sure some cars owned by foreign companies are made here - and provide some jobs - but the profits dont do anything for our stock market or more importantly.... to provide a reason for american companies to keep operating.

if folks want to buy them - great. but for me, if i couldnt do it.

 

[Marshmallow Man]

OFG says:wow i know someone who was very happy to brag about how they bought a toyota last winter. during the worst of it.

Umm... Some Toyotas are made here in WV... is that considered in the USA?

sure some cars owned by foreign companies are made here - and provide some jobs - but the profits dont do anything for our stock market or more importantly.... to provide a reason for american companies to keep operating.

if folks want to buy them - great. but for me, if i couldnt do it.

That's the only reason the foreign manufacturers build here. To help assuage our consciences about buying a foreign car. The foreign manufacturers really did use to make a better car.

I think it's worse when the big three build in Canada or Mexico. Canada wages are lower because the govt pays for health care so the big 3 don't have to like they do here. Of course in Mexico the wages are just lower. At least the foreign cars that are built here supply some jobs.

Fixed or repaired daily or found on road dead. I remember that from being a Chevy guy. I forget the Ford people said about Chevy. I know a lot of people think Ford is great because they didn't have to borrow money. They were actually the first to borrow huge money. They just did it a year before the economy crashed. The other 2 just held off longer and were then unable to get credit from regular sources because the economy had crashed. The other 2 would have been in a better position if they had done the same thing but evidently they didn't have a crystal bulb like Ford did. Anyhow Ford sure did profit from the good press and the fact they didn't borrow money from Uncle Sam. They do make a much better product than they used to. I will admit to having a 68 Mustang with a 428 Cobra Jet beat my 66 Chevelle Super Sport when I was 16. I always beat the Mopars though. The 383's were easy.

 

[Wifezilla]

Ford quality has improved tremendously over the last 30 years. I had a POS Concord, but I loved my turbo probe. Some idiot smashed it. A few years later we bought another probe and drove that in to the ground, gave it to our oldest son and he finally killed it. I think it had 230k on it when it died.

I have a 98 Taurus now. It's a beater, but I got it for free, so I don't mind minor repairs to keep it going. It "only" has 175k. There a coolant leak of some sort now, so I need to track that down. I just drive my 97 vw golf when the taurus acts up. Hubby has a Jeep that is a true POS.

 

[mlynd]

OFG I'm with u ,My mom- mom and pop-pop both lived back then and i remeber all there stories, it isn't as hard as u think it's just a different way ,u will get out of ur comfert zone MM if SHTF was to happen but if u have some idea no how to grow food or where to find it u will get by and i don't work 16 hr days to put food on the table I just use my time wisely

Do you have 7 people to feed? I don't spend 16 hours a day either. I grow what can be grown and buy the rest at the supermarket. I'm glad to hear that you use your time wisely. I hate wasting time too.

yes I do have 7 people 5 kids and a husband , 4 of the kids are still in school and hubby and I both work outside the home ,My Son who graduated this yr takes care of the morning chores and My hubby don't go to work untill3 so he is doing the afternoon ones I come home at 1 and help or do other chores and the girls get home to help with the night stuff we all work at it and we save the big stuff for the weekend What we dont produce here we buy at the framers market and our local co-op to keep costs down as well as suport our loal farmers I dont think it is easy but I dont need heavy equiment to get the job done either

 

[Marshmallow Man]

When I referred to heavy equipment I wasn't talking about a 50 x 80 garden that would supply some or most of YOUR families vegetable needs. The comment had been made that everyone would buy food from farmers. I have read about farmers in the depression. They actually did better than most, because they had land to grow crops on and eggs and meat and such. They also had more than a vegetable patch and a small flock of chickens. By the time the depression rolled around Farmers were mechanized. Granted those machines were horse drawn but the farmers were not out there planting 50-200 acres by hand. Yes I know you can plant a small garden by hand. I know you can build chicken coops (I have built 3 of them). So what I am saying is you can't both have jobs and produce enough food to totally feed your family unless you want to work 16 hours a day. I work 12 hours a day already and I'll admit that when I get home I don't want to weed a garden for a couple hours.

I have received a couple constructive criticisms that offered ways to do things with less work. Thank you to those that have offered ideas.