Summer kitchen cook stove

In the fall of 2008, we purchased a Smederevac wood cook stove to use in a summer kitchen.

The summer kitchen was only in the plans at that time, not a reality.

We didn’t know anything about this stove at the time except that it is made in Serbia, having been made since the 1920s (or so we read). It’s fairly light weight with a small fire box. It’s designed for cooking, not heating.

The stove has been sitting on our back porch patiently waiting to be set up – we’ve never used it. As the weather continues to warm up here, it’s gotten kind of warm inside the house when we’re cooking on the Baker’s Choice cook stove. So, that has provided some impetus to actually get the smaller stove hooked up. I’ve had stove pipe sections that I bought some time ago ready, and I purchased a couple more this week.

So, this afternoon, I moved some things on the back porch, including the stove. I installed the stove pipe adapter (it has a small outlet, not 6 inch). Because the solar panels are installed on the porch roof, I wanted to route the chimney behind and above them. Originally, we were going to install the stove with the stove pipe running in front of where the panels are now installed. I guess I would have had to move it if it had already been installed.

I cut a hole in the metal roof and ran the 6 inch stove pipe straight up from the stove. Ideally, I would’ve used double-walled insulated chimney pipe, but for this installation I didn’t want to spend the money for that. So, it’s just single wall pipe all the way. There is 14 feet of stove pipe so that the top is above the solar panels.

Of course, once I had the stove set up and the chimney installed, I had to try it out. So, I built a small fire to see how it would work. I set a tea pot on the top to test the temperature of the cook top. It didn’t take long for it to start blowing steam and whistling. It looks like the stove is going to work.

I want to enclose the porch a bit to keep out some of the wind and the rain that blows in. It will have several screened windows for ventilation. We also have a sink with a cabinet that I’ll install, and I’ll put in a couple shelves with counters. Then, we’ll have a fully functional summer kitchen. That will be a good thing since we don’t want to heat the house up during the summer and using the electric cook stove is no longer a viable option.

Bobcat M500

One piece of machinery that is necessary for the expanded composting operation I have in mind is a loader of some sort. I recently found an old Bobcat skidsteer loader for sale in Michigan for a very good price. Everything worked out for buying it, including making arrangements to have it hauled here – I wasn’t interested in driving nearly 700 miles to get it myself, and the haul fee wasn’t too much more than it would have cost me in time, gas, food, and lodging.

My shipper called last evening to let me know that he had it on his trailer and was heading my way. I drove over to Somerset, Kentucky, this morning to meet him and transfer the machine to my trailer. We had no problems, thankfully. The Bobcat started fine and drove onto my trailer without any problems. I chained it down securely and headed home. There is an old manure bucket that came with the loader, but it is in need of some repairs.

When I bought it, the seller was unsure which model it was. Someone had painted it in the past, including painting “Bobcat 610” on the side, but he couldn’t find a serial number tag. I looked for information online about the model based upon the seller’s ad which said it had a 2-cylinder Wisconsin engine. I could find no Bobcat models that ever had such an engine. The 610 had a 4-cylinder Bobcat.

Well, after getting it home this morning, I discovered that it has a 2-cylinder Kohler engine. Based upon this discovery and a little more searching, I determined that it is a Bobcat M500.

The loader works. It does need tuned up a bit – it’s been sitting the last few years. I think it will work out alright for what I need. If not, I do believe that I could sell it and get all my money back out of it since it is a working skidsteer.

I hope to put it to work soon loading some compost that needs spread on the fields.

And the winner is. . .

Regina!

I printed out all of the entrants’ names (70 in all), cut out each name, folded them, and placed them in a stainless steel bowl. After thoroughly mixing the pieces of paper, Anne drew out the winning entrant.



Thanks to everyone for participating in the giveaway contest! It’s been a lot of fun.

I’m currently boiling some more sap into syrup. I haven’t decided yet, but I may give another small jar away. It depends on several factors. So, if I do, I’ll let you know.

Okay, Regina, you’ll have to email me the address to which I should mail the syrup. My email address is: darrylapifer(at)gmail.com. I’ll let you know once it’s on its way.

You load 16 tons. . .

Well, I didn’t actually load it myself – the guy with the skidsteer at the stock yards did. And, not all at once. My truck couldn’t handle that. It would be nice, though.

I spent several hours today hauling eight loads of manure and bedding that they’ve cleaned out of the pens at the livestock buying market in the local town. It’s just over 6 miles away from our home. I can haul two tons per load. Thankfully, I didn’t have to load it with a shovel. The round trip, including helping the guy switch from the forks to the bucket on the skidsteer and watching him load the truck, took 45 minutes. It would have taken a lot longer if my truck didn’t have a dump bed.

I’ve hauled manure from the stock yards before, a few times using the truck. Before that I’ve hauled on my 16 foot trailer. I can haul more with the trailer, but then I have to unload it by hand. If I can figure out how to unload the trailer more easily, then I could bring more each trip. Any ideas?

The stock yard actually pays someone to haul away the manure and bedding that they clean out of the pens. I’m not sure where all he takes it, but I have had him bring some here in the past. It’s probably cheaper to pay him $15 a dump truck load than to haul it myself, but that doesn’t always work out. He can’t get in the bottom here to dump it where I want/need it when the ground is wet (which seems like half the year – the same time during which they stock yards have the most material to get rid of). His schedule also doesn’t always coincide with mine. I’ll work on that. He’s a nice guy, the same one I had dig our pond. He knows I’d like him to haul more. I need to make a point to tell him that I’ll take all he can bring.

So, with today’s hauling, I’ve started my own small mountain of compost. It will take time to build it up. I hauled today because I could get it, and there was some pretty good stuff available. It has a lot of saw dust and some hay in it along with the cattle mess. It was steaming really well when he dug into the pile to load my truck.

On another note. . .

The Giveaway

I’m keeping a record of all the entrants and referrals. I’m also enjoying the comments. A lot of people are saying some very nice things. Some of you would like to buy some maple syrup. I wish I had some to sell. We generally make enough for our use throughout the year, not extra to sell. I can see that if I did have extra, there would be a market.

The bottle I’m giving away, which I wish I could give to everyone, is some that I made this week. What I’ve made so far has been very good. This particular batch had a little more than the giveaway jar which I put in another jar. It actually boiled a little too long while I was bottling the giveaway jar and most of it turned to sugar after bottling (we’ll enjoy it, though). I mention this because it should be an indication of the thickness of the giveaway bottle. It’s not sugar, but the next bit that was still in the pan while bottling it is mostly sugar (I have in the past made syrup  that wasn’t as thick as it ought to be – still tasted good, though).

Maple syrup giveaway!

Now is your chance to not only sample but to enjoy a jar of fresh, 100% natural, homemade maple syrup! This is not just any syrup, it is special grade syrup made from the sap of South-Central Kentucky maple trees. These trees were grown sustainably and organically, happily enjoying life while growing in the fertile soils and clean air of Kentucky with plenty of fresh water and sunshine. After being gently tapped, sap from the trees was collected and then boiled over a real wood fire in order to concentrate the sugars and highlight the maple goodness that typifies real maple syrup.

One lucky winner will receive a jar containing approximately 20 ounces of select grade, organically grown maple syrup. To enter the contest and have a chance to win this fabulous prize, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post. Those who have already commented stating their desire to be considered will automatically be entered. All comments for entrance must be received before I finish my chores and breakfast on Monday morning, March 9, 2010 (I might sleep late, or I might not, so no definite time will be stated). After I have finished my chores and breakfast, I will randomly select one entrant as the winner of the first New Kentucky Homestead maple syrup giveaway. The winner will be announced Monday morning immediately after the drawing.

If you want to increase your chance of winning, then refer someone to my blog. If someone leaves a comment stating that he/she was referred by you, then I’ll enter your name an additional time for each referral. That’s it. Good luck!

Once a pond a time (article in Countryside)

In the latest issue of Countryside and Small Stock Journal, there is an article featuring our pond (and homestead).  Some of you have already commented on the article (you can read the article here), but I waited until the put it online before sharing it.

Jerri Cook, the author of the article, left a comment several weeks ago on my blog. She was given the task of writing an article about homestead ponds. She’d found a lot of information online but thought it was mostly technical, boring stuff for an article. Then, she came across my blog and wanted to set up a time to talk with me.

So, I emailed her my phone number, and she called me on the weekend to talk about our pond. I, of course, was glad to share when information I could about our pond project and building a pond, in general. She did a nice job writing the article and made us sound pretty good, too. So, if you have a chance, you ought to check out Once a pond a time.

I’m working on getting some pure, homemade maple syrup ready for a giveaway. I mentioned in my last post that I might give some away. There was a little interest. I’ll record the names of all those who comment on my blog to enter them in the contest. I’ll also announce the contest when I’ve gotten the syrup ready. So, if you want to be considered, just make a comment in order to be entered.

Gearing up for composting on a larger scale

I’ve continued to be impressed with Forerunner over at the homesteading today forums. Some of his latest posts are in the Extreme Composting thread. He’s inspired me to develop and expand my composting efforts. I’m planning on putting the dump bed on my 1979 F250 to good use starting very soon. There are a lot of items in the county that need composted, and our fields could sure use some amendment since they are mostly old tobacco fields.

I own a couple pitchforks. Actually, I own three, but one has only half a handle because it got broken. I need to buy a new handle and figure out how to put it on that one. Pitchforks and the old scoop shovel that I own are good tools for making compost and cleaning out a barn. I’ve done that. There’s nothing wrong with hard work and a bit of sweat. However, I’m thinking of doing some composting on a scale larger than what I would like to do with a couple pitchforks and a scoop shovel. I’ll do it that way if I have to, of course.

So, I’ve been seeing about acquiring some equipment to help with this endeavor. One of the things that would be helpful is a manure spreader. I already have one, but it’s about 100 years old, or thereabout. I bought it a few years ago from a man who cleans up junk for people. He drug it off of an old farm where it had sat for who knows how long, but it was still operational. I didn’t pay much for it, something less than $150.

It continued to work until last year when both of the chains for the moving floor broke. I haven’t fixed them yet. I know I should have, but it’s just one of those things that I haven’t gotten to. I’m going to soon. I haven’t decided whether to keep it or to sell it. It’s an old Oliver horse drawn spreader that someone removed the front axle from and welded on a hitch for a tractor. It shivers and shakes when in operation, threatening to blow itself apart, but other than the chains that broke, it hasn’t given me much trouble.

Still, I’ve wanted a newer manure spreader, or at least one that doesn’t seem like it’s gonna blow apart. I found one on Craigslist last week and bought it on Friday. It’s a pto driven spreader and is in decent shape. I’m going to replace the floor sometime and replace a bearing in the top beaters which are currently disconnected. They only serve to knock the top off the load when spreading, so it works without them connected. I think it will be a good piece of equipment to have, especially when considering the amount of bedding in the barn that will need spread after it composts.

Contemplating loading several tons of composted bedding and manure by hand for spreading doesn’t excite me greatly, although if that’s what must be done, I’ll do it. My old International 424 would make a nice loader tractor except for one thing – it doesn’t have power steering. I know how hard of a beast it is to steer without extra weight on the front. So, I have never seriously considered adding a loader to it.

I thought about maybe buying a small loader tractor for my composting endeavors. Then, I thought maybe it would be better to find another tractor to replace the 424 that had a loader. I looked at one that might have worked, but it only convinced me that I really like my 424. Then, I found a good deal on an old Bobcat skidsteer online.  There was only one problem: it was located way up in the thumb of Michigan. That’s a long ways away. However, the deal was a really good one and I found someone to haul it very reasonably. So, I’m buying it. I believe I could resell it here and actually make some money off of it. I’ll know better once I get it here.

Someone on a forum explained that they considered their tractor to be their most important investment on their farm/homestead after their house. I never thought of it that way, but I can see their point. I’ve mostly approached buying equipment with a very frugal viewpoint. That’s been justified, I think, by the fact that I don’t have much to actually spend. However, I’m going to consider saving some pennies in order to upgrade my tractor (not Grandpa’s JD MT, though) at some point.

The animals in the barn are doing well. Josey ought to have her calf in a couple of months. She isn’t really showing much, but she’s not been in heat for the last seven months that I’ve been aware of, and she usually makes it obvious by how noisy she gets. Cleo is growing strong, but she’s a wild thing. She never calmed down and responded positively to human interaction. I decided I really didn’t want to spend the time to tame her. So, we’ll sell her in another month. Hopefully, Josey will have a heifer – I’d rather keep hers anyway. It will be Ramiah’s calf.

Jessica’s horse, Spice, is fairing well, and Jessica is looking forward to it warming up and drying up a bit around here so she can work more with her and ride her more. I’m trying to figure out how to rotate grazing for the cows this spring and summer. I want to really implement management intensive grazing. Milk cows offer some extra challenges for doing so than beef cows. I’ve got some ideas which I’ll share later as they develop.

I’m going to boil down some more maple sap to make syrup. I’m thinking about having a giveaway with a bottle or two of the syrup. Is anyone interested? I’ll announce it soon. There aren’t a great number of readers of this blog, so the odds should be pretty good. So far, what we’ve made has been excellent.