Comments

Episode-673- Listener Calls for 5-27-11 — 38 Comments

  1. do you have a new address to mail a check to for joining the brigade? I note the Arlington Address for mailing. Please email me the info.

  2. Hi Jack,

    You posted a youtube video about a group of people in Nebraska who moved into a city and started their own urban homestead and aquaponics system. As well as running their own community center and community services too.

    I can’t find it anymore could you repost a link to it or the name of it so I can look it up myself on youtube?

    Thanks.

  3. ok don’t kill the messenger, charcoaol bricks are a proven carcinigenic, yeah i know its just once in a while, tastes so good etc,however why do it if there is a reasonable alternative ? wouldnt small propane tanks be easier and cleaner ?
    also i belong to an organization called Acupuncturists Without Borders. we go to diaster sites and perform NADA protocal ear acupuncture to survivors and relief workers.proven for years to be very effective for stress and trama. we are coordinating for Joplin Mo. now. no worries about where your donations are going. we are very grass roots. please google our website so you can learn about the protocol and get a better idea what we do. in down time we have nation wide clincs for troops and thier families suffering from PTSD. so any one needing that check it out. wanted the sevices to be known.( all free to troops etc )
    great call ins, great family

  4. About charcoal, perhaps the caller should consider making her own as well. Perhaps one could gather enough wood and make it for free.

  5. Read about using die-toe -may-sh (not sure of spelling this is how it sounded out to me) for flea control inside and outside and works on animals. But what is it? and has anyone used? did it work? cost? thanks

  6. ok found the spelling diatomaceous earth what is it/ any one use it any info helpful

  7. I recall several instances of pancake mix used out of date actually resulting in death. I don’t know if it is the ‘complete’ mix which would include powdered eggs but would appreciate anyone with better understanding sharing what you know about it.
    It also seems reasonable to discard powdered sauces from boxed meals out of date, although I use the pasta.

  8. On the subject of fleas, I dont know if its a myth but I have always been told that garlic is a great thing to repel fleas. Maybe you could mix it into the chicken feed or purhaps do a dry rub on the chickens.

  9. I object to use of pepper spray by our local middle school. If all else fails OK. My daughter has come home twice this year telling me she wasn’t able to finish her lunch. Both times kids started fighting and security sprayed pepper spray on the fighting kids. However, others in the cafeteria had burning eyes, etc. And each time they cleared the room afterwards. This last time she told me when security came in with the pepper spray, the 2 boys (not a mob) quit fighting and covered their faces. They were still sprayed. I’m still angry with the school. If they couldn’t break up the fight is one thing, but if they stop, use of pepper spray is excessive.

  10. About fleas, Sulphur granules(available at any garden or feed store) spread on the yard at the rate of about 50lbs per 5000 sq.ft. will remove fleas and chiggers which is a type of flea, also sulphur powder in an old sock and patted around shoes and pant legs will repel fleas and chiggers. Sulphur is an element not a chemical or compound it is natural and safe. Pharmacuetical grade sulphur is taken internally as a laxative. Diatomaceous Earth(D.E.) is a natural white powder which is very effective as a topical insecticide when applied to animals. Available at the same stores. Wikipedia D.E. and you will disover that you can use D.E. to kill all sorts of insects as well as use it to worm your animals and also for grain storage.

  11. This a reply about the price of D.E.
    I manage a feed store in West Texas and we sell 50lbs. of Diatomaceous Earth for $26.99. We personally use it to store our food storage grain. Google it. Make sure you get the right kind, fresh water D.E. is food grade. Read the label and get yourself educated. It should be available at a feed store in your area.

  12. Re: first time hunter.

    Try going on a guided hunt if you can afford it. Not a canned hunt, buy a real free range guided hunt. The guides are usually very well educated on how to harvest whatever it is that you are hunting and can educate you on the safety aspects,scouting an area, tracking it after you harvest it, and even processing. Also, take a hunter safety course.
    Be safe,
    Toph

  13. @Karen – All mail is being forwarded to our office by the post office, just use the old address until we change it on the form.

    @Susie – http://www.youtube.com/user/TheUrbanFarmingGuys

    @Brenda – Breathing air is proven carcinogenic, the last thing I am worried about is cooking on charcoal.

    @bluprint – No one will be making charcoal while living in an apartment complex.

    @roundabouts – You are thinking of diatomaceous, you really can only use it in spot applications because while all natural and not a toxin it kills all insects indiscriminately.

    @maineman – Garlic and pepper sprays are both pretty good repellents for most pests.

    @Topherlee – Good advice I should have said that as well.

  14. Diatomaceous is great if your house is infected with scabies or bed bugs.

    Welcome to the new world order 1984, pepper spray in schools, TSA groping and strip searching your kids,…getting you used to the police state and ready for the concentration camps.

  15. I’ve been keeping my dogs flea-free for over 2 years by feeding them each a clove of garlic each day. They won’t eat it raw, so I microwave the garlic as I cook a serving of oatmeal & each dog gets the garlic in his oatmeal. They not only don’t get fleas, their coats got really thick and beautiful on this treatment.
    Don’t know how this would work for chickens – garlic-flavored chicken, maybe? (With a bit of red wine…. hmm, not bad.)

  16. Wasp spray for self defense is a bad idea. It is a myth! Stick with the Pepper Spray. Wasp spray is unproven and has never been tested on humans. Wasp Spray will NOT work on those who cannot feel pain i.e. drugs or alcohol. Pepper Spray is an inflammatory which will cause the eyes to slam shut no matter the situation. That’s why over 40,000 law enforcement agencies carry it nationwide and even the smallest canisters will fire 10 ft while the larger canisters will fire 25 to 30 ft.

    • @Mike I believe pepper spray is a better tool for the job for the reasons I gave on the show. However, YES wasp spray will work and work very well. I get very bored about this “don’t feel pain” bullshit and yes it is bullshit. Your odds of winning the lottery with out playing because someone gives you the winning ticket on your birth day are about equal to spraying anyone in the face with wasp spray and having no effect on them.

  17. Re: the new doctor with HUGE student loan debt:
    Consider looking into the National Health Service Corps’ debt forgiveness program. You work (on salary) in an underserved area of the country and for every 2 year committment they pay off $60-170K in your student loan debt. You come out with a few years of very good experience working somewhere that prepping is a lifestyle and with a huge part of your debt covered by Uncle Sugar. Win-win.

  18. For the new Doctor:
    Drop by your local Air National Guard, Army National Guard or Reserves Recruiter. For 1 weekend a month and 2 weeks a year, they will forgive all your student loans. Yes, you might be deployed for a year, maybe 2, but otherwise You get
    allot of benefits and You will not have to do Boot camp. Ask about being a “Flight Surgeon”. Usually a 6 year obligation. Pay is good, bennies great.
    Troubleticket

  19. on storing dog food…
    I always smile when I hand my dog a snap pea out of my garden and she sits real pretty cause it’s a treat for her. I smile because I know, as long as I have food to eat- she will never starve. My dog is very omnivorous. She eats the regular dry dog food sure, but I always feed her the same food I eat, so she is accustom to it. She eats potatoes, squash, breads, of course meat (and carcasses- with no problems)…oats, rice, etc…
    If you are growing your own food to be sustainable for yourself and raising rabbits or chickens, etc..- you have a fresh source of food for your canine friend as well.
    Also many people have recipes listed online to make homemade dog food.

  20. Like LisaPainterGirl, I agree your dog can eat almost anything you would. A great product I found is Natural Balance Dog Food Rolls. They look like a tightly wrapped sausage and are marked with a one year shelf life. Unopened I’m sure you could store them longer.

  21. Thank you Luke for the link.
    I had simply made a mental note to watch those dates but from reading what you provided it seems I should stop buying the mixes without the protective bags inside the boxes. They are more susceptible to contamination.
    It’s also good to know that this only seems to affect people with mold allergies.

  22. Hey jack
    I have natural lump charcoal, that was made over 30
    years ago. It is still good, it was made for my great uncle.
    He was gold miner in Wyoming, and did some bootleging.
    He the charcoal as part of his filter.

  23. We were infested with fleas a few years back. I found out about nematodes(sp) and got some, we havent seen a flea since. Make sure you get the right kind for your area, some cant live in hot/cold climates. I think I ordered mine from Gardens alive.

  24. I can attest to growing currant in the shade. I have a north facing garden area on the back side of our bilevel home. I have had a currant there for years with great success. It gets probably 2 hours of direct sunlight in the late evening. it does better than my other bush that’s getting afternoon sun.

  25. Try spraying your dog down with an alcohol based commercial flea and tic spray, don’t let him dry off, stick him in an enclosed space while your at work and voilà! NO fleas with bonus… horrific seizures for two weeks. True story. I know… read the instructions. Ruff has been just fine for 4 years since. A vet almost had me talked into spinal surgery.

  26. @Humble, I don’t know on sulfur but DE will kill anything with an exoskeleton and most invertebrates. It is a very indiscriminate killer and must be used with moderation. The good news is that is doesn’t persist, one good rain and that is that.

  27. Humble I have dog that had seizures ( also surgery suggested $3300 on the cheap side) another that could hardly walk arthritis. After many trips to the vet and them wanting me to put them on “their food” (very $$) and expensive dangerous meds. I looked into cooking for my dogs glad to say that after 3 years no seizures no arthritis no vet bill and cooking for the dogs is cheaper than buying high end dog food. I save $$ big time and the dogs are happier & healthier. I don’t really treat for fleas since started cooking for them we don’t really have a problem. I do need to have something on hand just in case.

  28. For the new hunter, I would recommend a hunter education course, which is generally required for new hunters in most states. I’ve been teaching these for nearly 20 years and they are generally more than just a safety course, covering hunting implements from firearms to archery, ethics, personal safety, and your state laws. While in the class you can approach one of the instructors and explain your situation. They can probably hook you up or at least point you in the right direction. There are also most likely other adults in the class who are experienced hunters who may also be of help. These folks are generally there to have a recent certificate for hunting out of state (in some western states) or accompanying children or grandchildren.
    Jack, I assume that the word you were trying to pronounce on the chicken flea problem was Pyrethrum, which is a natural insecticide made from the dried Pyrethrum daisy, which is a member of the Chrysanthemum family. While it is a “natural” insecticide, I think that like the diatomaceous earth it tends to be pretty indiscriminant and kills a rather broad spectrum of insects.

  29. On eating roadkill…
    I’m glad to hear it wasn’t just our family that was willing to capitalize on an opportunity like fresh meat laying on the side of the road. Most people are completely appalled, of course
    I grew up in rural Arkansas not far from where Jack now lives. There were a couple times we hit deer and took them home, one time was in my mom’s car-we put the doe in the trunk! Another time my dad was behind a guy that hit a young spike buck. Dad put the deer out of it’s misery with his .22 and we brought it back home. The guy that hit it just wanted the almost perfect spikes- they were 11 1/2″ and 12″. We also volunteered for the rural volunteer fire Dept, and would take home the deer that stared too long at the headlights when we responded to wrecks.

    You just have to avoid any bloodshot areas and be careful with the gut cavity in case anything ruptured. And I wouldn’t think about taking anything home if you didn’t see it get hit or didn’t know how long it had been dead.

    We either didn’t have or we weren’t aware of a program like Jack talked about where you call to get a tag for the animal. Sounds like a good program though. Normally people would just leave the deer on the side of the road or our local game warden would take it home and stock his own freezer.

    We only ever did this with deer, it was great to be able to put extra meat in the freezer. Although, on the way home from work a couple weeks ago I did think for a second about stopping and picking up what looked like a squirrel massacre, there were 3 of them laying within feet of each other near an intersection, and they weren’t flat or anything! But, my wife would have freaked. Would have made good dumplings though…

    I know some of you are picturing a toothless hillbilly from Arkansas, but I promise you I’m quite normal looking!

  30. @Lucas,
    Here in Ohio you cannot have a deer in your possession without paperwork from the game officer or a sheriff’s deputy. Keeps the poaching down. The last one I hit was about 15 years ago and the deputy asked if I wanted the meat. Since I did, he issued me a receipt. If I hadn’t wanted it, then a call would go to the next person who signed up on their list of folks who wanted the meat. When you have yourself added to the list, the only caveat is that they may call you @ 3:00 AM and you have to travel somewhere in the county a field dress the deer that night. I’ve known folks who have kept the freezer full that way.

  31. @ OhioPrepper

    Thy sounds like a pretty cool system. If Arkansas has anything like that I’m sure it’s not that sophisticated.

    Speaking if a full freezer, I remember Jack talking about a guy a while back who bow hunts and hasn’t bought beef in several years. For us, between roadkill, hunting, fishing and my grandpa raising a few cows, we always had a full freezer. People look at me like I’m crazy when I tell them about my grandma coming over for a chicken killing, canning and stuff like that.

    It took no time at all to get away from that lifestyle, but it’s taken a long time for the light bulb to go off, and I’m working hard to get headed back toward the simple life.