Early American Gardening

Okiepan

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Just wondering how many others out there who plant and harvest by hand , only use human or animal power and do everything without the aid of modern powered machines.
We have been sowing and harvesting wheat this way and then threshing it with a peddle operating thresher then grind it with a hand crank mill .

Curious how many others out there do this or am I just one of a dying breed ?
Thank y'all
 

flowerbug

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Just wondering how many others out there who plant and harvest by hand , only use human or animal power and do everything without the aid of modern powered machines.
We have been sowing and harvesting wheat this way and then threshing it with a peddle operating thresher then grind it with a hand crank mill .

Curious how many others out there do this or am I just one of a dying breed ?
Thank y'all

the only power machines i use here when gardening are the well pump for watering and we do have a lawn/grassy area that we do use a lawnmower on once in a while but that is it. i much prefer doing everything else by hand - mostly because i really hate the noise and smell of most other things. the gardens are mostly low till or perennial gardens that just need weeding and mulching so i don't have to do much for those. a good stirrup hoe can take care of a lot of area if you use it frequently enough.

my hedge trimmers i've not used in several years, they're electric, make a lot of noise, i don't need to use them often, but i do have a cedar tree that is crowding out a pathway now that i keep telling myself i need to trim it back so we can walk down the path without wandering off into the neighboring decorations. the past few weeks i've knocked over some of those while carrying buckets so it is really getting to be time to do that...

for cutting down trees or bushes i have some pretty big loppers that can remove branches up to three inches across and i've also taken down trees with a chisel and hammer. i do need some dead trees removed now, but those i won't touch as a friend wants them for firewood.
 

Hinotori

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Good job! It's good you're keeping skills alive.

I use a tiller because I just can't deal with the rocks in our soil and the tiller ignores them. I just have to drag anything fist size and larger out.

I use hand tools for taking care of tree pruning and blackberry removal. Chainsaw is needed for making firewood rounds. I have a saw for bucking but can't physically do that. I split by hand even though we do have a gas splitter. I'm usually quicker. I use a 5 pound kindling hatchet half the time.

If I was younger or had less issues, I'd try doing more by hand.
 

tortoise

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I don't do everything by hand. I aim for no till gardening, but part of the garden gets away from me and I ask DH to till it. I've had a lot of hand injuries so I have slowly been giving up and using more power tools, especially in the kitchen
 

baymule

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@Okiepan I would LOVE for you to do a tutorial with pictures, step by step. That would be educational and who knows, you might inspire someone to try it too.

I bought wheat berries and have an electric mill to make flour. I don't always do it, but I enjoy the bread when I do.

I have a 23 HP tractor. I can't handle the chainsaw, so my son bought me a battery operated one and I love it. I don't have a tiller, I use the tractor disc and then use cardboard and mulch as much as I can. Weeds still overtake the garden and in the fall I turn the sheep in it.
 

tortoise

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Just wondering how many others out there who plant and harvest by hand , only use human or animal power and do everything without the aid of modern powered machines.
We have been sowing and harvesting wheat this way and then threshing it with a peddle operating thresher then grind it with a hand crank mill .

Curious how many others out there do this or am I just one of a dying breed ?
Thank y'all
I am considering growing small amounts of pre-modern grains. I found a seller in my region. Can you share more about your thresher?
 

Okiepan

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It is a peddle operated threasher from Back to the land store in TN

you can see them operate on youtube , they really are neat little Machines,
 
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