Innholdsfortegnelse for December - January 2018 i MOTHER EARTH NEWS

Agricultural pesticides are a billion-dollar industry in the United States. Neonicotinoids (nicknamed “neonics”), a class of insecticide, have come under intense criticism in recent years for killing honeybees and other pollinating insects that farmers rely on. In light of these concerns, the U.S. Geological Survey and the University of Iowa conducted a study on the impacts of neonics in Iowa rivers and streams. The researchers took water samples from 48 tributaries of the Iowa River, the main drinking-water source for much of the Midwest, and found unprecedented evidence of pesticide contamination. A staggering 63 percent of the samples were found to contain traces of neonicotinoid compounds. Even more alarming, samples from tap water at the University of Iowa, whose campus borders the Iowa River, revealed traces of three different neonicotinoids,…

For most of their species’ existence, cattle grazed on native, organic grasses. But in the past century, humans have introduced massive amounts of grain into cattle’s diets to fatten them up quicker, sell them at an earlier age, and mass-produce their beef. Fortunately, a few of us have enough grassland for cattle to graze on, which allows us to offer grass-fed beef. And just recently, I decided to go for it. Last year, Mike Nihsen, of Nihsen Family Farms, had 30 head of cows and calves he had to move overnight, so we struck a deal to graze the cattle on my land, and I would be in on a few head. Along with my sister Cynthia and her spouse, Virginia, I bought a few more bull calves to go…

Forms of the scythe have been in use since at least 200 B.C. The version of the scythe we know today originated in central Europe about 700 years ago. It’s interchangeably called the Austrian, European, or Continental European scythe, and is essentially a piece of steel that has been drawn out, curved in all planes, sharpened along its length, and attached to a long handle called a “snath.” It’s lightweight, encourages healthy movement of the human body, and can be peened to razor-sharpness with a robustness appropriate to the task at hand. When used properly and cared for competently, a scythe offers a shockingly high degree of effectiveness and efficiency for a hand tool. Adding one scythe — or, better yet, an assortment of them — to your arsenal of…

We were inundated with letters about your faithful canine companions after Editorial Director Hank Will wrote about his pack (“Living a Good Life,” August/September 2017). We wanted to include all of your stories, but had to narrow it down to a few of our favorites! Momma Marty Marty is the most awesome and weirdest little dog, all in the same package. We found each other. I went to the animal shelter looking for a pet, and when I was just about to give up, I was asked if I’d ever considered adopting a small dog. I hadn’t, but I squatted down and waited to see what they’d send out to greet me … Marty! The bond was instant and mutual; he came right over and claimed me as his own.…

I recently moved a swarm of bees into a hive. How can I tell whether a queen is present? Everyone who catches a swarm of bees will wonder whether their hive houses a queen during their first month or two with the bees. I’ve seen queens enter new hives often this year, ever since I switched to walking bees into the hives rather than dumping them in. As my eyes adjust to the movement of thousands of bees marching up a covered plank into their new home, I’ve been lucky enough to see the telltale long abdomen of royalty, hurrying up the ramp with her escorts clustered around — and sometimes on top of — her. If you’re not lucky enough to see a queen on the ramp, looking for…

“I’ve been reading your magazine and gardening ever since we moved to my great-grandmother’s homestead in 1996.” Alternative Tractor Options I read Tim Nephew’s article “Targeting Tractors” (October/November 2017) on selecting the right tractor, and would like to tell readers that for properties under 5 acres, walk-behind tractors are an excellent and affordable option. The highquality European machines offered by BCS and Grillo come with numerous implements for working soil, mowing, splitting wood, pumping water, and even making hay, all at a fraction of the price of a fourwheel tractor. We use a walk-behind tractor to manage our 1-acre flower farm and 3-acre field. It allows us to get into tight spaces and does almost everything we need. The only attachment that isn’t available for our two-wheel tractor is a…

A new world record has been set for the longest range traveled in an electric vehicle at highway speeds on a single charge — and the winning car might surprise you. On April 1, 2017, the tech company IT Asset Partners (ITAP) conducted a highway range test of four electric vehicles, including three commercial cars — the Tesla Model S P90D, the Chevrolet Bolt, and the Nissan LEAF. The fourth vehicle in the test is known as “The Phoenix.” This BMW was slated for the scrapheap until ITAP reclaimed it and upgraded the car with 88 percent recycled materials, including the controller and the battery. Altogether, the vehicle and its improvements cost ITAP less than $13,000. For the range test, each vehicle was required to drive as far as possible…

All species of grazing animals are born with natural behavior patterns that help them avoid predators. Handlers can make use of these behaviors to gather and move livestock. Calm animals are easier to handle than agitated animals — and studies show that animals that remain calm during handling have increased weight gain, better reproduction, and fewer injuries. Grazing animals naturally employ five basic instinctual behavior patterns to avoid predators. If you understand these behaviors, you’ll be able to gather and drive almost any grazing animal herd. 1 When grazing animals first spot a predator, they’ll turn and face it. The predator is in the pressure zone. The pressure zone is the area in which an animal first becomes aware of a potential threat — whether a predator or an approaching handler —…

Keep Chickens Warm the Off-Grid Way My husband and I have been raising chickens for many years now on our off-grid homestead in the mountains of Idaho. Being offgrid has afforded us an opportunity to be creative and adaptable with many of our tasks, including how we keep our chickens warm during winter. Because we don’t have the benefit of limitless electricity, reaching for a conventional on-grid fix, such as a heating lamp or an electric water-dish heater, just isn’t an option. Thus, we’ve adapted how we keep our flock warm and healthy by first looking at free resources already available around our homestead. We also love using items that are natural, organic, and biodegradable! After implementing and refining our off-grid tricks over many winters, we can’t believe how easy…

MOTHER EARTH NEWS FAIR Best Seller! A gift for anyone ready to get in the soil. This handmade, multipurpose tool makes digging, weeding, hoeing, and trenching faster and easier than ever. Dig through rocks, cut through plant material, and remove unwanted plants without disturbing the surrounding soil with the unique triangle head and open interior. Each hickory handle is hand-lathed by the inventor. Made in the United States. #8485 $61.90 MAKING PLANT MEDICINE Perfect for any gardener or DIYer, this book teaches readers how to get the most out of their gardens' herbs. Readers learn how to grow, dry, and process medicinal herbs, and create tinctures, syrups, teas, oils, salves, creams, poultices, compresses, and soaks. With a listing of more than 100 common North American herbs and their uses, this…

SHOW US! Share your unique perspective with our community by submitting photos of inviting gardens, nutritious foods, wild animals, and more to the MOTHER EARTH NEWS Photo Group on Flickr (www.Flickr.com/Groups/MotherEarthNewsPhotos/Pool). We’ll feature our favorites here and online!…

While much of California’s cropland is chronically short on water, a drought-friendly growing strategy called “dry farming” is challenging the region’s reliance on aquifers. Old Hill Ranch, the oldest rooted vineyard in its region of California, refrains from irrigation and instead relies only on seasonal rainfall and the soil’s natural ability to retain moisture. This seemingly counterintuitive farming strategy is creating impressive results. Dry-farmed grapes tend to be smaller and more intensely flavored than irrigated ones, making them well-suited for crafting award-winning wines. Tomatoes, apples, potatoes, and other crops produce similar results when dry-farmed. The secret to success with dry farming comes from the roots it encourages. Without easy access to irrigated water, plant roots are forced to mine deep into the soil, sometimes more than 30 feet. While overall…

Olive trees line city streets in Arizona. They thrive in yards and cast scant shade in parking lots. In spring they bloom profusely, and in fall they drop ripe fruit onto cars and sidewalks and into gutters. Olive trees are so common that most Arizonans hardly notice them, except in April when pollen causes allergies to flare up. Because olives are so easy to grow in Arizona, you’d think the place would be packed with olive farmers. Instead, “It’s me and three guys in Yuma,” says Perry Rea. Husband and wife team Perry and Brenda Rea are the founders and operators of Arizona’s only working olive farm and mill, the Queen Creek Olive Mill (www.QueenCreekOliveMill.com). Over 20 years, they’ve grown a small family business into a 100-plus-employee operation. Their 100-acre…

For all those who collect water from their own land, but want to ensure they are providing clean, safe drinking water for their families. The AquaRain Natural Water Filter System offers water filtration without electricity, plumbing, pressure, or chemical treatments. The system removes living organisms and harmful bacteria using microfiltration and gravity, and produces quality drinking water for less than 2¢ per gallon! #8383 $239.99 COUNTRY WISDOM & KNOW_HOW The complete guide for everything homesteading-related, Country Wisdom and Know-How will get homesteaders from every phase of life back to providing for themselves and their families with their own two hands. Filled with 8,167 useful skills and step-by-step instructions, this 1,000-page guide covers everything from raising animals to butter and cheese, to gardening, building structures, crafting, and more. #8219 $19.99 $17.99…

I live in Palmer, Alaska, and have an acceptable garden, but this hasn’t always been the case. When we first started, after having gardened in urban Nome, I wasn’t concerned about garden predators. I quickly learned that a moose could wipe out our garden in one night. This was especially true if I was ready to harvest the next day. I tried several chemicals over the course of a few years, but nothing worked well at keeping moose out of the garden. I then tried a battery-powered electric fence. The moose just charged right through it. I varied wire spacing and tied ribbons to the wires, to no avail. I got to talking to one of the old-timers in the area, and he offered a solution to my problem. He…