Friendly Hello from NC Fl..

[Farmer Connie]

Tell me about your water pot smoker.

It is just your average run of the mill Brinkman (charcoal version) water pot smoker. Steams as it slow cooks. For the p/belly DH added apple juice/water 50-50 with apple wedges and onion petals to the water pot. Meat was rub cured for 8 days, turning it over once a day. washed off the cure/dried it thoroughly and rubbed light brown sugar deep into the p/belly prior to smoking it. Makes it caramelize as well as drip sugar into the water to add even more flavor to the steam.
Hurricane Irma was nice enough to provide us with plenty of Hickory firewood for plenty more smoking events. In the top background of this photo displays 'Irma's Gift". Wasn't free firewood. Replacing the fence lines was costly. At least we got plenty of grilling wood, an optimist would say.

Your bacon looks fabulous.

Part of that bacon slab was cast iron skillet fried and placed between slices of the homemade bread I baked that day. Delicious Honey Loafs..

I like your loading ramp too. Is it portable? Can you take some more pictures of it?

That ramp belongs to our processor. Photos taken upon dropping off the porkers. It is basically built from 2X8's and maybe 6-ish feet long. 2 no-flat tires under the center of the apparatus fashioned such as a "see-saw" method to allow the ramp to be applicable to various heights on each of the ends. Also has metal hanger clips on each end to latch onto the trailer and receiving pen.
We use steel corrugated car ramps to load the trailers with panels fastened to our pens when we load at home. This particular ramp he has at his business,is a very good idea and well built. I wouldn't mind having one.

Perhaps one day if we build one we could share the plans and show the completed project on this website?

When we cook whole hogs, we (DH) will butcher. But processing and packaging, nothing beats a professional job. Especially someone as clean, honest and knowledgeable as our processor.

Again, I'm glad our paths crossed again @baymule , always a pleasure seeing your presence..
gotta run!
Thanks again to everyone!

 

[baymule]

Thanks for the bacon info. Your bacon looks so good, I could lick the computer screen! I want to build a portable loading ramp, when I do, I’ll make a thread on it.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

OH my goodness....homemade bread, home cured bacon! Life doesn't get much better than that.

 

[baymule]

x2

 

[CrealCritter]

Glad to see that all threads turn to a discussion about food if left long enough.

Welcome

 

[Farmer Connie]

Thanks for the bacon info. Your bacon looks so good, I could lick the computer screen! I want to build a portable loading ramp, when I do, I’ll make a thread on it.

Yellow wood or P.T., build it to last. Are you still active on BYH? I wish I could frequent & drop a tid-bit here & there-there. I'm spread thin like expired shelf life paint these days.
We are building our Ducky waterfall right now. Nickels & dimes are being liquidated from the Treasury dept.. oh well.

 

[Farmer Connie]

Glad to see that all threads turn to a discussion about food if left long enough.

Welcome

I have 5000 gigs more on tap!//lol. we are obsessed photographers with 6 hard drives full of current events jammed packed w/everything. Brings a whole new meaning to the computer terminology of the slave drive(s).
We are major self sustainable.. nice to flash back to see long forgotten achievements. Helps us to remind ourselves why we are so sore at the end of the day.. I am looking fwd to sharing our archives.

 

[CrealCritter]

I have 5000 gigs more on tap!//lol. we are obsessed photographers with 6 hard drives full of current events jammed packed w/everything. Brings a whole new meaning to the computer terminology of the slave drive(s).
We are major self sustainable.. nice to flash back to see long forgotten achievements. Helps us to remind ourselves why we are so sore at the end of the day.. I am looking fwd to sharing our archives.

Yes... I have to constantly delete photos off my phone in order to make room for new ones. They say a picture speaks a thousand words. I believe this to be true but honestly the words spoken are reminders of good, bad and all points in between.

 

[milkmansdaughter]

Here too. My kids cannot believe that ALL my memory is used for photos (not music or games or aps....just pictures) I like before and after pictures, especially if I remember to get the before picture before I jump into a new project. I'm enjoying your thread Connie!

 

[sumi]

I am looking fwd to sharing our archives.

I'd love to see that! Baymule started a thread here for us awhile ago, showing and telling how they build up their farm and everything they've done on it. It's wonderful to see the process and how hard work pays off