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  1. Kim_NC

    Free's piggie thread...new pics p 19

    That would work as long as the sides are enclosed so that they can get out of the wind. When temps are under 60*F, the wind is very hard on pigs. Pigs also need to be able to get out of the rain. Tarps will work as long as they're secured to keep from being blow away.
  2. Kim_NC

    Free's piggie thread...new pics p 19

    Ours are at ~190 lbs. Typical weight gain is about 1.5 lbs/day (or a little more). We want them to get close to 250 lbs for butchering. Doing the math, that means we have a ~40 days to go. You'll hear numbers quoted anything from 6 - 16 sq ft per pig in the 'sleeping area' for growing out...
  3. Kim_NC

    WHAT ARE YOU CANNING TODAY?

    Canning black beans this weekend. During Winter I try to can enough of the various beans to last us for a year. That gives us a nice stash of canned beans in the pantry to cook with and we never have to buy those commercially canned things.
  4. Kim_NC

    Free's piggie thread...new pics p 19

    There are some nice metal food slicers on the market at ~$100. Our nearest Costso is 50 min away, so I don't get to shop there much and haven't seen theirs. Anyway, I would go for an all metal model....where the body base and back have no plactic.... just the collection tray and sliding...
  5. Kim_NC

    Sustainable Firstfruit's "Black Bean Chocolate Cake"

    LOL. I'm canning more black beans this weekend to increase our stash - since I'm certain to need more this season in order to make this cake once/month or so. :gig
  6. Kim_NC

    Ow, ow, OUCH!!!

    Holy Smoke, what an egg!
  7. Kim_NC

    Free's piggie thread...new pics p 19

    WooHooo! :celebrate There is nothing better than farm raised meats. These are our next 2 for freezer camp - ready in about 6 more weeks. If you decide to process yourselves, you might go with paying to have them killed, cleaned and cut in halves, or each half cut into thirds (shoulder...
  8. Kim_NC

    Canning expiration dates?

    There was a bunch of very old canned food left in our root cellar when we bought the place. We emptied all we could onto the compost pile, rinsed them, soaked a few, and put them through the dishwasher. I got some lovely unusual masons that way - many made in the 30s or 40s. Unfortunately many...
  9. Kim_NC

    Canning expiration dates?

    Many will start to loose flavor in the jar (or a commercial can) after 2 yrs. However, if canned properly, they remain safe to eat indefinitely as long as the seal is unbroken - but the loss of flavor or texture over an extended time will make them inedible.
  10. Kim_NC

    Homemade Velveeta Cheese

    It works. I make the exact same recipe with water instead of milk, and have not bought Velveeta cheese for close to 2 yrs. I've also found variations work well by simply using other cheeses - grated Swiss, Gouda, etc. We really like the variations with added things such as herbs, onion or...
  11. Kim_NC

    Does anyone sell their produce/homeades at the local farmers market?

    Thanks! Yes, we're close to the VA border, only about 10-15 miles. What part of VA are your family in? We bought our farm in Spring 2007 and moved later that Summer. We love it here...very pretty and a very friendly community. We started doing the farmers markets in 2008. We've found it very...
  12. Kim_NC

    Sustainable Firstfruit's "Black Bean Chocolate Cake"

    Thanks for the welcome. :) I've been hanging around BYC for about a year and decided to look around at the other boards. Yes, I canned the peaches. Almost all of the canned food we eat is our own homecanning. DH helps ...no children, so we can for us and farmers market sales. I need a source...
  13. Kim_NC

    Does anyone sell their produce/homeades at the local farmers market?

    We sell at 3 markets. The largest one is indoors, electricity and all, open year-round. It's a city market. The other 2 are small town markets, outdoor, May - Oct. Our products are meats (pastured chicken, pork, beef) veggies, eggs, baked goods, jams/jellies, relishes/pickles. Depending on the...
  14. Kim_NC

    Sustainable Firstfruit's "Black Bean Chocolate Cake"

    I also found it on the BYC forum and tried it. Delicious! When I told DH it was made with black beans...he said, "REALLY? No way!" :D Ya'll need a visual? Here's a piece of it topped with homemade yogurt, peaches and blueberries. edit: ooppss, messed up the photo
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