53 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Shannon
Shannon
9 years ago

Jack:
Check this out!
It’s an amazing story of Ducks!
https://www.facebook.com/DavidAvocadoWolfe/videos/10152799089091512/?fref=nf

Jake
Jake
9 years ago

I know this sounds like a whiny, entitled, pain in the ass comment, but is there any way you could post timestamps for about when each topic is?

USCPrepper
USCPrepper
9 years ago

I never knew of this service and/or tip jar either. It makes no difference to me, as I listen to the entire show regardless, but there is a value to the service for when I share with non-listeners.

Jake
Jake
9 years ago
Reply to  Jake

I never saw the tip jar, and I only remember a couple episodes where it was done.

I didn’t think you’d agree with my preface so heartily…

Jake
Jake
9 years ago

Also, thank you for the cecil thing… damn I’m tired of that story.

surfivor
surfivor
9 years ago
Reply to  Jake

Cecil seems to me to possibly be some kind of new push on the anti gun/anti hunting front which may also be an agenda 21 thing we are yet to see. If that is the case, then we will see more of the same or related

Richard
Richard
9 years ago

Thanks for the great show Jack, I’m a 25 year old South African and because of your influence I’ve been able to begin moving my life in a more positive freedom minded direction.

(Also Zimbabwe is right next to my country and 99% of us here didn’t know Cecil before bloggers began making a big deal out of it.)

lavendarlou
9 years ago

Weighing in on the guinea question. We have kept and raised them on our place in Texas. They were free range on 30+ acres of pasture and mixed mesquite and oak forest. Our purpose was to control bugs damaging our pastures, gardens and landscape areas. Here is what we learned:
Bug control is a fact, we saw improvement over several years. We noticed the guinea would roam further out each year to get to the larger bug population. We needed to control locust/ grass hoppers. They did their job well, it does take a bit of time to get momentum. I did not know about the ticks, however, we had very little tick trouble on any of our animals.
They are much easier on your gardens than chickens. They will cruise through the plants to eat bugs but leave plants undamaged.
We started with 24 babies and raised them with baby chickens. They lived in the same brooder and were fed a turkey starter formula. The chickens were supposed to teach them to home in at night. Worked great, and never any fighting between them. The guinea taught the chickens to roost in our mesquite trees, they would walk up the trunks and nest throughout the branches. Spot lights will confuse them. We came home to find them milling around on the ground under the garage spot light. We took some portable work lights and turned them on facing the trees where they roosted and they all went right on up. Kind of silly but it worked.
guinea are not good at raising babies, they nest in remote places and predators will kill them and rob the nest of eggs. We were very successful at raising new young by placing the guinea eggs under our broody chickens. The chickens would raise them up and protect them from predators. The young guinea soon realized that they were not chickens and would mingle into the flock of mature guineas. Of interest was how protective the broody hen would continue to be toward “her chicks”. she would chase after the chicks and when a hawk or other predator would come around the chicken would race to protect the babies. Guineas are notorious for “every bird for themselves”. They would scatter and leave the young birds to fend on their own.
Our largest trouble with keeping guineas free range was the constant attrition to Great Owls at night. We also had trouble with racoons taking out a bird or two. They would move around to other trees if a raid happened too many nights in a row. We also had a good guard dog who would chase off predators at night if they came around. He would hear the guineas become agitated or even hear a hawk call out..the next thing he would be out the door and chasing them off leaping into the air after the hawks. So you might consider a flock protection dog. Ours was a Lab.
I suggest you start with a large number of guinea fowl and continue to replenish the flock by hatching eggs with a chicken.
They are a bit noisy, but can be quite entertaining. They also will alert you to snakes. They will surround snakes and kick up a big fuss. We had large numbers of copperheads, rattlers and cottonmouths and a few coral snakes about. I really liked the snake alarm factor!
I found them to be easy to maintain, they required very little supplemental feed. They were much less messy than chickens and did not gather around the house and barn areas making poop messes like chickens can.
We have moved to Idaho and no longer keep guinea fowl. We have a much smaller property and predators would be a very big concern as we sit right on the edge of BLM and a large coyote pack. Chickens work better for us now as we can house them at night.
We found the guineas did best if left to free range and treat them like a semi domestic bird.
Hope this helps you decide. We loved them and will have them again if and when the situation is good to keep them.
We did not use them as a meat source either, however, I understand they are quite good eating.

Alan
Alan
9 years ago
Reply to  lavendarlou

Thanks for all the good info. lavendarlou

davidks
davidks
9 years ago
Reply to  lavendarlou

I found this book when looking for info on guineas a while back. The author keeps them with chickens and put 2×4 on the top of the chicken yard fence so the guineas can fly in an out to free range. Might be worth a look. The autor has a message board and awnsers questions at the site below.

Gardening with Guineas: A Step-By-Step Guide to Raising Guinea Fowl on a Small Scale

http://guineafowl.com/

Carol
Carol
9 years ago

My Power Pressure Cooker XL arrived today, woohoo! I can’t wait to get started pressure canning small quantities frequently in my no AC house.

Currently, I live at 300′ elevation but will be moving to 2,900′ elevation in a few months. Now I know, because the manual says, not to use this for canning above 2,000′ but I also know that high acid food can be water bath canned.

So if I convert a low acid food to high acid by adding lemon or vinegar, I wonder if it would be safe to use. If not, I guess I’ll just be using it for high acid foods 🙁

I know you’re sick of talking about this pressure cooker/canner but I really trust your judgement.

Jorja Hernandez
Jorja Hernandez
9 years ago
Reply to  Carol

I really perked up when Jack talked about the Power Pressure Cooker until the elevation bit. We’re a 6200′ – sigh. Back to my 1/2 ton All American (at least it seems that heavy after a day of canning).

Carol
Carol
9 years ago

I hear that. I have a 1/2 ton All American too… I’m sighing with you.

But I also received my Excalibur dehydrator today so I’m going to the Farmers Market on Thursday to buy a bunch of veggies and I’m going to try my hand at sauerkraut too.

Oh, and biltong 🙂 thanks, Jack, for the videos!

Jake in Pittsburgh
Jake in Pittsburgh
9 years ago

Hi Jack,

I agreed with about 80% to 90% of your take on the Cecil story (and you do address a huge part of this whole thing, it is indeed a ‘story’ that the media bangs the drum for), but there are a few things that I’d like to point out and maybe even one or two points that I’d like to contest.

1. I think it is a healthy thing if humans care for lions, elephants, rhinos, or other species that have extremely small populations yet continued to be hunted for sport and/or money (i.e. the price of ivory). Man is the dominant species on the planet right now (and has been for at least the last 400 years), and because we’re fairly evolved, I believe that we have the intellectual capacity to be good stewards for the flora and fauna. This does not mean that we DONT chop down trees or kill animals to eat meat, as much as it means we are evolved enough to strive for balance (lets plant trees to replace the ones we cut down, and lets try to go easy on the animals that have dwindling populations)

2. The whole concept of Cecil as a ‘beloved’ animal is a little blown out of proportion, but my guess is that the ‘beloved’ description came along pretty quickly because he may have been considered the ‘old reliable’ lion to photograph in the park, or the lion that you could count on to be around for a photo if you visited the park. Certainly a stretch to call him ‘beloved’ because of those things, but I figure that is how they arrived at using the term of ‘beloved’ (not because he was some magical Disney animal that would never eat you). My point – You make a very good point on dismantling the ‘beloved’ adjective.

3. I dont think that wanting to prevent these types of animals being killed (again, those with dwindling populations) is mutually exclusive to whether somebody cares about veterans or not. It is possible to care about both. You raise the issue of what is the ‘caring priority’ though, and I think that is an extremely important point. That was indeed the spirit of the discussion that recently I had with a neighbor who volunteers for a children’s charity when we talked about Cecil the lion. My neighbor said, “look – I dont really care. I have little humans right in front of me that tug at my heart way more than a lion in Africa”. It was a great point to which I could not disagree in the slightest, but I did mention that with 6+ Billion humans on the planet, perhaps we’re a bit out of balance in comparison to the lion population today. But hey, in looking out for ourselves, are we going to sacrifice humans for lions? I dont think so! But with the huge delta between the two populations, maybe it should give us pause to consider what we can do to not exacerbate their extinction while riding the wave to 7 billion!

4. Lastly, I’m pro-hunter and pro-gun, but in 2015 I’ll admit to being very anti-big-game trophy hunting. Some of my heroes (Teddy Roosevelt, Ernest Hemingway, John Huston, etc) were big game trophy hunters, but it is a different time now with pretty crazy population imbalances (IMHO). Some radical animal activists might argue that the population imbalances may existed 100 years ago. Hmmmm….I dont really know about that. But knowing what you also know; namely, that hunters and fisherman are some of the most dedicated conservationists out there, I’d hope that some are coming around to the idea of saying, ‘look, maybe we oughta pause on the big-game trophy hunting for a generation or two until these species start to really come back strong’.

So just some of my thoughts and opinions, some of which may stand in stark contrast to your own opinions. As an aside, I believe I’ve been respectful in my comments and shared my take on this subject with an open mind so in all sincerity I’d like ask something special of you if you choose to respond. In anticipation of your reply, please do not tell me that I am stupid or call me an idiot. That would be unfair. I’m a longtime listener and supporter. Just tell me that you disagree, or point out an additional opinion I should consider.

Take care,
Jake

Jake in Pittsburgh
Jake in Pittsburgh
9 years ago

@Jack – thank you for explaining the term ‘trophy hunter’ a bit more. I needed to be educated on it. With that in mind, I’ll think through how I can re-articulate my 4th point in the future.

PowersProduce
PowersProduce
9 years ago

^^ Most civil internet conversation of all time?

Stephanie
Stephanie
9 years ago

I agree with you. I think that the Cecil thing is just one of those news stories that people get all in a tizzy about.

Also, there was news that Cecil’s “brother” Jericho, was shot on Saturday. Jericho was a protector of the pride and now that both are gone, there is worry that the pride (cubs mainly) will be unprotected.

And maybe I’m ignorant on this topic, but do people actually eat lion meat? Was it an important meat for indigenous African people?

To me, the bottom line is that if some species were not protected, they’d be extinct. And I think like you said, there is something to be said about “chilling out” on that specific animal until its population rebounds. That’s basic survival instinct, not to kill everything you eat so that you don’t have any food sources left.

Lastly, people went ape shit over the killing of this lion, but no one talks about the 40 some elephants killed a day for their ivory. I wonder why that’s not plastered all over the news?

Stephanie
Stephanie
9 years ago

1. Yes, you are right. Why did I think they were?

2. I did know that about the conservation hunting. I guess my upset on the matter was because I was operating off the thought they were endangered.

3. After some research, Jericho is alive. Why would I even think about trusting my local “news” station. Sorry for posting that before fact checking.

5. The whole elephant thing, I don’t really care who is killing them, legally or illegally, just that they are being killed (to their probable extinction) and it’s not common knowledge like this whole Cecil thing is and people aren’t losing their shit over it. Yes, I knew that about Alan Savory. I know he feels deeply sorry for that. I can’t imagine having that burden on me.

I’m a 27 year old female who grew up in the age of Disney. So, yea, I have the Disney sickness. I am working through it though.

Adam
Adam
9 years ago

Is there a link to the vacuum caner? I did an amazon search and couldnt find anything.

Thanks.

Carol
Carol
9 years ago
Reply to  Adam

Check out Jack’s Food Storage show notes from a couple of days ago. It’s a link near the bottom, pretty cool device.

I’d buy one but I already have dry canning attachments for my vacuum sealer for wide & regular lids for my jars.

Adam
Adam
9 years ago
Finster
Finster
9 years ago

Re wood chips
I have used wood chips (uncomposted raw branch and tree trimmings from my local contractor to mulch every thing I do on my property including 200 newly grafted apple trees planted in 5 gallon pots with no negative effects.
I dont get the paranoia with wood chips if you can get them for free (or near as) use them everywhere even in my greenhouse beds to reduce watering in summer
Cheers Finster

John
John
9 years ago

Jack, based on your comment about Tattle canning lids and the Vacucanner I assume you can not reuse regular Ball jar lids even though they were never boiled? Thanks.

Tracy kuykendall
Tracy kuykendall
9 years ago

Jack I have to comment with a small disagreement, while I do agree that 99.75% of “gamey” meat is the result of improper handling, there are occasions of deer feeding on less than desirable browse and will take on a off-putting flavor, especially in cedar (juniper) or sage heavy areas, the few times I have encountered this, was in areas where the landowners were heavily grazing goats that compete directly with the deer for food sources, forcing them to basically a starvation diet. With the upswing in the meat goat market the last several years this has become more common. Now back to agreeing, you’ll be able to tell this as soon as you open the deer for field dressing, the worst I’ve ever encountered smelled like a cedar when we field dressed her, smelled like a cedar when we cooked her, and tasted like cedar (really strong cedar) when we attempted to eat her. Just wanted to point out that under the right conditions what an animal eats will affect the flavor of the meat.

(The New) Mike Cornwell

For Jack,

In your definition/opinion what is “gamey” (if it exists)? What do you believe other people call gamey? (Just trying to get kind of a solid cross section)

When I think of the term gamey, I have always heard of it from the perspective of texture and potentially toughness of the meat, rather than taste.

Trent C.
Trent C.
9 years ago

Good info on dry canning! I wanted to add that I pull my Co2 tank off my kegerator and fill the bag / bucket with Co2 prior to sealing (bugs can’t live in Co2).

Paul
Paul
9 years ago
Reply to  Trent C.

Bill Mollison has a book called Ferment and Human Nutrition ( http://www.amazon.com/Permaculture-Book-Ferment-Human-Nutrition/dp/0908228066 ).

One method was to put a candle in the container, light it and seal the container. The candle burns out when the oxygen is gone creating an environment where things can’t live.

RonBoots
RonBoots
9 years ago

Social Security Diability Insurance (SSDI) and federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits have work incentives that allow you to keep some benefits while working more. There is even the federal Ticket to Work program to assit people on these benefits find vocational rehab programs. However, in my experience only 1 in 1000 are interested. Most folks just want to know at what point their checks start decreasing or stop.

I do agree that there should be more programs to help those who do want to get off assistance. The problem is it seems there are not that many people who want to get off. Kudos to the lady you discussed for fighting to do so.

RonBoots
RonBoots
9 years ago
Reply to  RonBoots

Like I said, I agree that if we are going to have the programs we should have incentives to get off of them. My comments were directed at SSDI and SSI and not at the many other programs (foodstamps, state assistance such as TANF etc.) as I do not know how they work.

And no, not all programs are set up where you get less. SSI for instance, your beneift goes down $1 for every $2 you earn over $65.

Math- Benefit $700

Go to work and earn $500. Take off the $65 and divide in 2 ($1 for every $2)

$500-$65= $435. $435 / 2 = $217.50

$700-217.50= $482.50 SSI benefit

Total $500 wages + $482.50 SSI= $982.50 ($282.50 more plus keep Medicaid)

However, like I said most people do not seem interested. And a good argument can be made that the incentives are too complicated and should be simplified (I would agree.) Most folks on SSDI or SSI get to keep their Medicare/Medicaid for a certain period of time or unless they pass much higher thresholds.

Again, no argument with the gist of your commentary. Just pointing out that their are some benefits with work incentives and yet still very few people take advantage.

mountainmoma
mountainmoma
9 years ago
Reply to  RonBoots

Well, you might also consider that people on disability, which is what SSDI is, unlike those just on unemployment or general assistance, it is because they realy CANT work. That is the definition. SSDI is a long term disabled program, a short term disability, like after an accident would be covered under a state short term disability program.

Yes, I am disabled and on SSDI, and a few years back I looked into this whole program, and maybe some day I will be able to do it, but their help to work is for people who are no longer disabled, to help transition back into the working world. It is not for a disabled person to work just a few hours a week to improve their life. And, the reality is that a disabled person who can do a little today or this week, may then be laid up and doing n0thing for a few weeks, so not a good candidate for regular employment from someone else.

So, to just blanket say, most are just not interested is realy disengenuous. Most would likely be REALY interested, especially as this program does incentivize keeping benefits while working, if they actualy could be healthy enough to work. It realy is a good program, someone who just got better does not have to worry about losing benefits if they were wrong and realy couldnt handle the work (yet, or ever), they get to try out both at once and see if they can do it. A program like this also would likely be realy good to help transition off of more general assistance.

RonBoots
RonBoots
9 years ago

Just FYI- A disabled person on SSDI has a 9 month trial work period where they can earn as much as they want and keep all benefits (could be a million a month, really.) To count as one of your months you have to earn over $780 (for 2015.) In other words, if you have part time job earning $100 a month you will not ever use up your 9 month trial work period and can continue to do that forever.

After the 9 months, you can still work and keep your benefits as long as you don’t earn over the set Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) limit for the year, currently $1090/month for 2015.

So anyone on SSDI can work and earn up to $1089 per month for 2015 and never lose any benefits. Even if you go over the $1090 (after the 9 months) your benefits stop but you get to keep Medicare for several years(which you get after 24 months of being on benefits)

There are other regulations for getting benefits started again after the trial work period.

All the above only applies to SSDI. SSI has its own rules.

RonBoots
RonBoots
9 years ago

Well, with any agency/corporation as big as SSA there are going to be some morons. Hell, 10% of them are probably psychopaths! 🙂

If you don’t mind me posting a link, here is the SSA pamphlet on working while disabled.

http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10095.pdf

mountainmoma
mountainmoma
9 years ago

Oh, I had forgotten about. I did find an opportunity, for while, where I used to live, where I went to an organic farm with a large CSA program and helped fill the CSA boxes once a week, in exchange for a CSA box of food. I brought my dd with me most of the time, who also worked (she was maybe 10 at the time, homeschooled, usually got her own box, or just spelled me if I was having a super bad day, we ate ALOT of produce those months). And, this farm sent a letter to Social Security about how much I made (money equivalent that the CSA box cost in open market) so that I WAS part of one of their programs for a while. Being part of the working disabled program, in even that small way, meant that my medicare premium was waived for those months I worked. Even just a bit over 100/month savings on the premium, plus the food, is significant when you are not able to work.

But, a few things, first off there are very, very few opportunities like this, and you need to know someone to find out and to get it, this stuff is NOT advertised. Second, I was lucky that the women overseeing this part of the farms operations took the time to write the letter documenting, most people these days do not seem to go out of their way. Third, although we likely would have done this just for the food, this was not good renumeration for the time put in, as a CSA box might be worth $25 and you might be working washing and packing for 3 hours (or more, you go until it is done). Fourth, the work was becoming too much for me and caused further pain and other health symptoms, so long term I likely couldnt have kept it up even if we hadnt moved away. Problem is if you dont go every week, they cant count on you and you get replaced, so then you go even if your symptoms are flairing that day and you shouldnt.

But, this type of arrangement is I think better than food distributions for free that happen here by me now. I have helped a few times at these, and there are 2 sets, people that realy just the getting there and standing in line is more than they realy should be doing. And, then people that seem to get entitled to it being there, and while most of those even could not keep a steady job, could actually help with gathering, unloading, filling bags or something. And, I know that if they did so, it would be better for all concerned.

RonBoots
RonBoots
9 years ago

@mountainmoma- just to clarify, for others reading- SSA and Medicare do not waive Medicare premiums. She probably wrote a letter to the state. Most states (all of them as far as I know) have programs with their own qualifications where they will cover part or all of your Medicare premiums if you qualify. Sounds like you were able to qualify for your state’s program. This is usually part of the state’s Medicaid program (which of course gets part of its funding from federal dollars.)

It is very hard to keep up with. As I stated earlier, there is a very good case that the incentives could be simplified!!!

mountainmoma
mountainmoma
9 years ago

Ah, I am sure you are correct that it would have been a STATE program then. I dont know — I have cognitive problems when things get too complicated 🙂

Another point I had tho, is that I agree with Jack in that we are all better off to have less entitlement and more being involved, in any ways one can, in meeting your own needs. So, having people that are able bodied especially, well I live in an agricultural region. There should be some way they could help with food procurement to get a food benefit, it is HARD work, even the washing packing, but it is good to keep a bot of perspective on the gifts your receive.

Right now, I sporadically garden and give thanks to what I receive there

RonBoots
RonBoots
9 years ago
Reply to  RonBoots

You are right that both of these programs in particular are long term disability programs. However, the federal disability requirements only require a disability that is expected to last at least a year (or in the case of SSI, be disabled or be over the age of 65.) Many people have conditions that improve after that threshold.

If you are permanently disabled and can not work, then that is what the program is there for!

However, I work with people on these beneifts daily and have done so for the past 13 years. I can tell you from personal experience that most folks that I deal with on these benefits do not want to hear anything about work incentives once on the program.

Is that everyone? NO!!! There are some that genuinely want to go back to work and will take the time to find out the information needed to do so and transition back to full time employment. But my own personal experience for the past 13 years is that the majority of beneficiaries are not interested in incentives or returning to work.

My comments were only meant to state that there are programs with incentives to get off but most folks (and I will stick by that) do not take advantage even if they are able. If the state programs and other assistance were designed with incentives, some would take advantage (like the lady Jack mentioned) and I think we should have those so that those who want to can get back to work. But thinking that if we designed them that way that a majority of those on would suddenly jump up and happily go back to work is not based in reality. That probably says something more about our current culture than anything else.

Now maybe if they had to show up and put in a day’s work for their food stamp card as Jack mentioned, their would be an incentive to go out and find something better.

Scott Gordon
9 years ago

Best, most common-sense outline of tobacco use I have ever heard. Awesome.

Paul
Paul
9 years ago

your thoughts on Cecil were so close to my own thoughts it was scary last weekend I posted to my FB page: so here is my thoughts… if every person so outraged over the killing of the Cecil gave $20 to Zimbabwe for conservation then Zimbabwe wouldn’t need rich American trophy hunters. If you are outraged then put your money where your mouth is…. even better donate another $40 towards African relief efforts… Hundreds if not thousands of African children die every day from starvation/malnutrition… where is YOUR outrage that children still starve in 3rd world countries?