Cultivate Simple 38: Hog Heaven
On this weeks episode we are discussing pigs and why you should think about getting one.
Susy’s Geeky Corner
Start decluttering your mailbox with CatalogChoice.org.
The Permaculture Podcast – Josh Trought and D Acres – This is where we got our pigs from. In the last 10 minutes of the interview he talks about how they use pigs on their farm.
Premier 1 Supplies – Pig Quick Fence
Books of the Week
What is your favorite cut of pork?
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:43:42 — 71.9MB)
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Fire Delay
Last night, just as we were getting ready to sit down to record Cultivate Simple, the fire radio went off. You have probably heard that Mr Chiots is a volunteer fireman here in our community. When he wasn’t home by 10:30, I figured I should write this post delaying the podcast until tomorrow.
We would have recorded the podcast in the afternoon, but Mr Chiots was busy checking one of the five things off his list. We went down to a friend’s place and he got his first sailing lesson.
He really enjoyed himself. I stayed on shore getting some much needed rest and relaxation. Looks like I really need to look up a mushroom class or something to check something off my list of 5 Things.
Have you learned anything new recently?
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Quote of the Day: Organic Gardening
“Organic gardening is not a system of rules to abide by or be punished for breaking. It is a way of looking at the world. The garden is a model of how we would like to live. We should all garden organically not because it is currently politically correct but simply because it is the most sensible and best way to make a good garden.”
Monty Don from Fork to Fork
Even though the word “organic” is being watered down by corporate interest, it’s good to see more and more people becoming aware of the dangers of chemicals/pesticides and leaning toward gardening more organically.
How many of the gardeners you know are organic?
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Garden Helpers
I’ve mentioned before that we got our pigs partly to do some garden work. They’re workhorses when it comes to moving soil and clearing sod. On Thursday I put them in the chicken run to break up the compost. Ever since we moved here I’ve been adding weeds and grass clippings to the chicken run. I also add any bedding from the chicken or duck house. The chickens have a blast scratching through it and eventually it all composts down into a beautiful soil amendment.
I was contemplating how to dig it all out earlier in the week, then I remember we had our piggies. Into the chicken run they went and they happily softened up all the wonderful compost for me. Now I just need to bring in my shovel and wheelbarrow. I’ll most likely compost this a little further since it will have a small amount of fresh chicken manure in it.
I was wondering how the pigs would do with the chickens, I’ve heard that some pigs eat chickens. Most of the chickens were allowed to roam free, then the pigs were let in. Our guineas and one chicken wouldn’t leave, so I watched closely to see what would happen. The pigs completely ignored them and went happily about rooting.
Next year I’m hoping to add a special chicken composting area. It will be a small coop connected to a big composting area. All the yard/garden waste will be added to the composting area and the resident composter chickens will turn the pile for me. I love using animals to my benefit, not only does it make them happy and healthy, it saves me having to do a lot of extra work! I’m also thinking in the future of training a dog to pull a garden cart for me, how convenient would that be?
Do you have any animals that work for you?
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Friday Favorite: Garden Peas
I’ve always been a big fan of garden peas, they’re just so sweet and tasty. I rarely every have enough for freezing, most of them are enjoyed within a few hours of being picked.
Since I never end up with enough peas for the freezer, this year I planted a ton. Two seventy foot long rows to be exact, along with a few six foot rows in the back potager for fresh eating. I grew ‘Green Arrow’ from High Mowing Seeds as my main crop peas. Other sowings included: ‘Little Marvel’, ‘Lincoln’, and ‘Dakota’.
My plan finally worked, on Wednesday evening we spent an hour shelling peas. After shelling our harvest weighed in at 8 pounds. They were blanched and packed into two cup glass containers for freezing.
Typically I’m not much of one for freezing or canning much from the garden, peas are the exception because winter soups and stews just aren’t the same without them!
We’ve also been enjoying our share fresh from the garden. Mostly, I’ve been steaming them then tossing them with butter and some homemade duck breast prosciutto. I always read about traditional recipes featuring peas and mint, but somehow I just can’t bring myself to put mint with peas. One of these days I will.
What’s your favorite way to enjoy garden peas? Do you like peas and mint together?
