Growing/Raising food section?

[Beekissed]

Would anyone be interested in a Growing/Rasing Food section?

Why not just what she asked? Just a Growing/Raising Your Own Food category. It wouldn't have to have any subcategories about bees and suchwhat....just a place to reference if one wanted to PLACE it somewhere more specific than Everything Else Self-sufficient...that encompasses a lot of territory!

Still....if noone wants a special place for that and everyone is satisfied with just sticking all those interests in the "everything else" category, I'm fine with that too. Bebop just sounded like she might have some valuable info to impart and wanted a place in which to do so....and far be it from ME to get in the way of extra info....

 

[dacjohns]

We need to recruit more members to help revive some of the topics.

I think Maplesky from BYChickens raises bees so she might be able to give some input on beginner beekeeping.

As was mentioned, it is winter now. What should we be talking about? The upcoming gardening season? We could start but by time to start planting the information shared will be forgotten.

So when trying to live a self sufficient lifestyle what do you do during the winter? Hunt, we've talked about that. Ice fishing. Mend your harnesses. Keep the stove warm. Survive until spring. Gather nuts, little late but can still be done. Cut wood for next year.

Any more ideas?

 

[Beekissed]

Heck, yeah! Winter is my time for building projects! You don't sweat much and you get out in the fresh air and get some lung expansion!

I am going to start on my pole shed/lean-to after the holidays and start getting my electric fencing organized and in place for my porkers. I also am putting a new window in my cellar house and replacing the light switch and installing some new lights over my workbench. Also redesigning the roosts and the equipment layout in my henhouse to improve space and prepare for a new configuration in their spring free ranging area. Oh...almost forgot...building a grow light stand for my seedlings for this year's garden.

I also use winter time to haul any mulch hay and store it, scrounge for any manure or other items for my garden in the spring, and chart my garden lay-out and plan for this by constructing trellis and such in preparation.

If I get any spare time, I am also going to paint the living room and hallway. 'Cause in the spring and summer, I won't have the time to stay indoors and do it!

THAT's what I do in the winter...with a few variations...and I also dream up more projects and read all the SS type books I can get my hands on!

 

[MorelCabin]

You are goin to be busy this winter Bee:>) I wish the weather would allow me to keep working around here, but our winters send you into the house to stay warm! And you can't do anything with all the snow anyway. I gotta move closer to you in winter....I'll bring my own accomodations...like a travel trailer or something haha!

I think a growing raising food section would be great...I am really enjoying the posts about goat care and others...

 

[Beekissed]

I'll build you a guest house!

 

[MorelCabin]

I'll build you a guest house!

Awesome! I'm on my way...I'll help you build...I have the experience RFLOL!

 

[Beekissed]

Winter time is also a good time to organize and eliminate! Get those shelves and closets neat for spring!

I like to sort out outgrown clothing, pass on anything fit to wear and cut up any that aren't for rags, quilts, etc.

One could clean, sharpen and organize hand tools.

Quilt, sew, create.

Keep up with old friends by writing a good, old-fashioned letter, organize and clip info from magazines for use in the spring, make something special for loved ones, visit the sick and elderly~carry them in some wood, run an errand (its cold!) or even help them do all of the above.

Winter is a good time to be productive or just lay around and dream of being productive!

 

[Bebop]

Would anyone be interested in a Growing/Rasing Food section?

Why not just what she asked? Just a Growing/Raising Your Own Food category. It wouldn't have to have any subcategories about bees and suchwhat....just a place to reference if one wanted to PLACE it somewhere more specific than Everything Else Self-sufficient...that encompasses a lot of territory!

Still....if noone wants a special place for that and everyone is satisfied with just sticking all those interests in the "everything else" category, I'm fine with that too. Bebop just sounded like she might have some valuable info to impart and wanted a place in which to do so....and far be it from ME to get in the way of extra info....

That's what I kind of meant, because I know there aren't many people here yet, and you never know, maybe it would draw more people in.
I'm okay with posting in the everything else forum for now, though, until there is more interest.
>^.^<

 

[Nifty]

Great discussion everyone!!!

A lot of these items are ones that I've struggled with. For a time we were going to add gardening to BYC but in a moment of clarity realized that the topic was just too broad for it to be part of a chicken site.

Same with the topics here on SS. There were a LOT of discussions on the topics we have here and I thought it got to the point where it justified it's own website.

BYCows started off as a joke but after a TON of pleading over a couple years we opened that up.

We also don't want to be in a position that someone felt awkward joining a chicken forum to discuss gardening, sufficient living, cow topics if they didn't have chickens. We think (hope) that in time each forum will find the balance between having its own identity while sharing ties to brother and sister forums.

I'm back to the same struggle with www.BackYardGoat.com and www.BackYardHorse.com (both of which I know nothing about) and wondering if each should be their own forums. In my opinion, I kinda feel that they don't really hurt BYC since they cross reference each other and actually may help in the long run.

So, to the main discussion: We should have gardening on TEG, chickens at BYC, cows at BYCows, and general sufficient topics here. Other topics can usually find a home on any one of the general sections of any of the forum.

Keep up the good discussion, it's good to see your thoughts.

 

[reinbeau]

I've suggested this before, and I think the answer was it wasn't something that could be done, but couldn't the hotlinks to the other sites be moved up somewhere to the middle of the page or something to make them more noticeable? That way people could more easily (at least in some minds) jump back and forth between all of the forums. That may make the transitions between the forums easier.

And I really do suggest keeping the same user name between all of Nifty's forums, it's much easier for yourself to remember and for others to recognize you as the same person. Relationships are easier for all if we all know who each other is/are (hmm, grammarian, I'm stuck here and too tired to figure it out! )