anotherkindofdrew blog

I want to thank you for coming to visit the anotherkindofdrew.com blog. It has been a wonderful past 4 years. We have enjoyed over 1000 posts, some funny video moments, quite a few great photos, a few interviews, and a number of experiences. But as time marches on, so should we. That is why this is my last post here on AKOD. I will still keep the site active as it home of my email, has my digital portfolio on it, and is just too hard to let go (read: nostalgia).

The archived posts will remain in tact and you are welcome to link to them and reference them. There simply won’t be any new content. So, again, thank you for reading and being part of the conversation!

From this point forward all experiences will be documented on www.tinyrevolution.us. My email shall remain drew@anotherkindofdrew.com though!

Carhartt Men’s Arctic Quilt-Lined Sandstone Traditional Jacket

For 120 years, Carhartt has manufactured premium workwear known for exceptional durability, comfort, quality of construction, and fit that you can feel in the fabrics and see in the performance. This particular coat is not only the one I wear each day from mid-November to early-March, it is also a pretty heavy duty coat and one that is right for every outdoor person. It has a quilted nylon polyester lining, heavy-duty front zipper, 2 deep hand-warmer pockets and 2 convenient inside pockets, a corduroy collar with under-collar snaps to accommodate an optional hood, and most importantly is machine washable.

Liberty Bib Overalls

Liberty brand denim bib overalls are the number one denim bib in unit sales in America, and the world. Originally manufactured in Cleveland, Tennessee in 1912, they have been the choice of farmers and gardeners for 97 years. I have personally owned a pair since my grandaddy bought me my first pair when I was 2 years old. The newest pair of Liberty’s are a relaxed denim. They feature a zipper fly, ruler and pliers pockets, a 5-piece patented bib pocket, reinforced pockets, and a hammer loop. And of course, they are machine washable!

Replacement Handles

There is nothing worse than have to use a splintered ax handle or having to replace what was once a powerful tool with a fiberglass replacement or otherwise artificial material. That’s why anyone who works outdoors with trees or shrubbery or has to split logs and prepare firewood deserves a replacement handle from Tennessee Hickory Handles.

Muck Jobber 7-inch Work Boots

For those wet and dirty jobs when you don’t need a full-sized boot, the new Jobber is the choice. Temperature range 75F to sub-freezing. This amazing garden boot is 100% waterproof with foam bootie construction. The outsole is self-cleaning and wraps the entire perimeter to provide maximum protection and stability. The coolest thing though is that the added toe protection contains a wrap-up toe bumper with a 10 mm kick rim for hands-free removal.

The Rock Beverage Bottle by Thermos

The Rock is the toughest liquid contain on the market in my opinion. Holding 1 Liter of hot or cold beverage, The Rock incorporates a TherMax double wall vacuum insulation system for maximum temperature retention. It is made of 18/8 stainless steel interior and exterior. The twist and pour stopper lets you pour without removing the stopper and the exterior is cool to the touch even when used with hot liquids. It is a great traveling and job site companion!

Whatever you end of gifting your hobby farmer or serious gardener with this Christmas be sure to do it with love and appreciation for the job that we do! It takes a special breed of person to battle weather, stubborn seeds, and mother nature to produce flowers and food that both edify our souls and our stomachs.

“The first farmer was the first man. All historic nobility rests on the possession and use of land.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson, American Poet and Essayist

Last year we built our first cold frame on Odom’s Idle Acres. I was pretty uncertain as to how successful it would be. As a matter of fact, I was pretty uncertain as to how to even build it. Alas, my old friend Google helped me out.

A cold frame offers a pretty comfortable environment for less hardy plants through the winter months in colder regions. Granted middle-Georgia is not exactly a frozen tundra, it does have some pretty nippy days in the dead of winter. Because we wanted to try our hand at fresh lettuce through the aforementioned months, we opted to build a basic cold frame box that would rely solely on the heat and warmth of the sun.

The first thing to consider before building a cold frame is location, location, location. A shady spot won’t produce enough sun to keep plants warm, so choose a spot that receives an ample amount of sunlight each day. A south-facing wall works the best. We went with the side of the house with southern exposure. Even in late January it was getting 6 solid hours of sun a day.

The next step for the success of a cold frame requires butting it up against an existing structure: your home, garage, out building, or solid fence will do nicely. Obviously, a heated home will give added warmth to the cold frame, but other buildings will work, also. By placing the cold frame in front of a building you’re providing protection from winds and the elements to some degree. Ours was well tucked into the corner of the back porch and house.

Next on the list of must haves for an ideal location is a site with good drainage. It will do little good if the plants sitting inside the cold frame are stuck with their feet in water all winter. They will not survive in wet conditions. The ideal spot would be slightly sloped to allow for water to flow away from the cold frame. You may consider building a slope yourself. For added insulation, set the cold frame into the earth just a bit.

Building the Cold Frame

The top of most cold frames made at home are old window sashes. Ours was. Earlier in the year when building our main chicken coop I had put out an ad in the newspaper asking for spare building materials and old wood. One gentleman responded with an offer of 21 old, single pane windows. A couple of those ended up being perfect for our cold frame. The panes of glass let the sunshine in. When building yours, the dimensions of the frame depend on the size of the window you use. You will need to hinge the window, so purchase heavy duty hinges. An extremely simple cold frame is nothing more than cement blocks lined up to hold a window on top.

If you opt for a wood frame as we did, make sure the wood will not decompose. The wood we chose was heart pine and was at one time flooring for an old farm house. It was donated to us and was in excellent shape. We didn’t have enough for any other project so we found this to be a great use for the lumber. Cypress or cedar are also good choices for the wood frame though. Keep one thing in mind as you build your cold frame: do not make it so wide that you cannot easily reach the plants at the back, especially if you’re growing vegetables in the cold frame. Three to four feet is the maximum width for most people to reach the back for weeding or harvesting.

Build the frame to fit the windows, higher in the back than in the front. Add weights to keep the window sashes from blowing open during strong winter storms. You’ll also want to include a way to keep the window open for ventilation during warm days when the temperature reaches above 45 degrees. A prop comes in handy for this purpose.

Using Your Cold Frame

Seasoned gardeners know the advantages of a cold frame. I am neither a seasoned gardener nor did I know the real advantages of the cold frame. Those masters though know to use it to harden off seedlings in the spring that were started indoors. You can also start annual seedlings in a cold frame to get a head start on growing plants before the earth is ready to be planted. This offers various blooming or harvesting times. The plants started in the cold frame will mature sooner than those planted directly in the garden. Plant cool weather crops in the autumn – it’s possible to plant, grow and harvest fresh herbs, greens and root crops like carrots throughout the winter if the thermometer doesn’t plummet too low. Additional insulation may help in your winter growing endeavors. We used ours for lettuce and a few onion rows.

Two problems may arise in your cold frame, both from the weather. If you do not open the windows on sunny days, your plants could fry in the heat of the sun and the reflection of the glass windows. On the other hand, if a cold snap hits with freezing temperatures lingering, the plants may freeze. If in doubt, cover the entire cold frame in old blankets or burlap bags. Just be sure to uncover when the sun comes out to warm the cold frame again.

A cold frame gives you the opportunity for fresh greens and herbs in the dead of winter. It protects semi-hardy plants from dying off in freezing temperatures. It extends the growing season in the spring and in the winter. Best of all, it requires little money and few materials to build and recycles old windows. Build a cold frame and discover yet another way to make nature work for you and your plants.

The Story of Stuff Project was created by Annie Leonard to leverage and extend the film’s impact. The project amplifies public discourse on a series of environmental, social and economic concerns and facilitate the growing Story of Stuff community’s involvement in strategic efforts to build a more sustainable and just world. The on-line community includes over 150,000 activists and SOS partners with hundreds of environmental and social justice organizations worldwide to create and distribute their films, curricula and other content.

It seems that we are told on a daily basis that our ideas of sustainability and our “needs” will change when we have kids. I believe these people. I truly do. But I also believe in children adapting to the environment they are raised in. If you don’t saturate your child’s life with toys and such, they will know no different. But the problem I hear is that OTHER people want to “bless” your child even more than you do. They give toys, clothes, books, etc. as if the child were there own. Inevitably the child will outgrow said toys, clothes, and books though. What then? There just doesn’t seem to be enough space for it all. How about the basement or attic? Is there space enough to pack up and store the toys? And even if there is, is that the right thing to do?

Rather than going the “hoarders” route or the “wasteful, throw it away” path, how about trying the recycle option? Are you aware that there are children who would love to play with your child’s discarded toys? Remember, one man’s junk is another man’s treasure. And in the case of children, there is little discrimination when it comes to gifts. Your child’s old toys are another child’s new toys! Of course, this post is assuming your child’s toys are in good, playable condition; not broken. While these toys are used, they are also in a condition which will allow them to be used again. I am not referring to broken toys. Trucks with two wheels missing, dolls with limbs missing, or puzzles with pieces missing do not qualify!

First of all, share the experience with your child. Once you identify that your child no longer plays with a particular toy, why not take advantage of this occasion to encourage your child to be generous by donating the toy to a good cause? You might be pleasantly surprised to find that your child will be more than willing to part with an outgrown toy, knowing that other little girls and boys would be delighted to receive the toy. Your child might actually come to you on his own and let you know of other toys he’d like to share with other children. Not likely, but possible – especially if the child has seen mommy or daddy donate!

So, now that you have an outgrown toy (or better yet, a pile of outgrown toys!) where do you donate it/them?

Goodwill, Salvation Army, and Other Charity Stores

When you give to an organization like Goodwill or Salvation Army, you are almost giving twice! You not only get the satisfaction of knowing that your child’s toy is going to be enjoyed by another child, but you also get the satisfaction of knowing that the charity employs people to run the organization. You are also free to ask for a receipt that you can claim on your taxes as a charitable donation.

Library

Of course, the public library system is a great place for children to be exposed to books. Donating your child’s gently read books to your local library is a way for the library to expand its offerings as well as support local literacy. There are a lot of underfunded public and private libraries now that would love almost new copies of books; new and traditional! The same goes for your child’s magazines. I personally grew up reading ‘Ranger Rick‘ at the local library!

Hospital

A great way to recycle your child’s unwanted toys is to donate them to the children’s ward at your local hospital. When children are in the hospital for long or short stays, it’s always nice for them to have access to new (to them!) toys.

Charities

Places like Boys Town or Ronald McDonald Houses are great recipients of used toys. Because of the many children who reside in these places, it seems like they could always be in need of more toys.

Schools

Your child might enjoy giving his unwanted toys to his school. Classes for Special Needs children are often in need of developmental toys that can be used to teach different skills. And with all the budget cuts that school districts are experiencing, recycled toys would be greatly appreciated! Be sure to speak with the principle first and not the classroom teacher. You don’t want to risk breaking the rules or, even worse, the law!

Family Shelters and Battered Women’s Shelters

Homeless shelters are very worthy recipient of toys. Children living in shelters are already feeling the anguish associated with not having a home of their own. Your child’s unwanted toys could make a big difference to these children. Remember that your child’s old toys will be new toys to other children!

High School and College Day Cares

A lot of high schools and colleges have day care drop-offs for parents who are students. Donating your child’s unwanted toys to these day cares guarantees that your child’s toys will either be used at the day care or given to a child in need of toys.

Remember, the toy you are holding may be old to its current owner, but to another boy or girl it is a brand new toy or book. By recycling your children’s toys, clothes, and books, everyone wins! Your own child can experience the gift of giving and generosity while learning about recycling and upcycling. A boy or girl gets a new toy they may not otherwise have received. Your house stays clean and clear of clutter.

So did I miss anything? Is there anyplace you regularly donate to? What are some other places or ways to breathe new life into that favorite, used toy, book or item of clothing? As always, if you like this post be sure to Tweet about it or Share it with your friends on Facebook!

For those who don’t cross-read both this blog and Tiny r(E)volution it is time you start. Seriously though, it has been hard keeping up both blogs mainly because without being at Odom’s Idle Acres and instead spending all of our time preparing for Tiny House, nothing much is going on in our world of farmer/gardening/homesteading. We just haven’t had time and don’t have the agricultural resources right now. So, allow me to fill you in on Tiny House.

Absolutely nothing was done to the trailer or to Tiny House for that matter this past week or two. Once Crystal finished sandblasting the trailer and I primed it, we straightened “her” up the in the back yard of my folks’ house, lowered the scissors jacks in the front corners, and called it quites for a while. So where does that leave us?

Financially it leaves us in the place of savings. We figure on $10,000 to build Tiny House the we want her. Granted we may have….nevermind, we understand we will have to adjust this number, but it is what we are shooting for in the next few months. Between my day job, a few gigs in the works, some writing odds and ends, and other various factors, we are hoping to resume building full time by about June 1. But what will we do until then?

Part of what I think many tiny home enthusiasts forget is that before you can call your tiny house a home you need somewhere for it to go. Even those who are in 100 sq. ft. or less had to find a semi-permanent location. From what I can tell people have settled in backyards of friends, side lots of family members, land they already own, etc. We didn’t have the option of any of that. However, we were kindly given full and indefinite use of Crystal’s brother’s lot in Pink Hill, NC. It is a square acre and will fit our homesteading needs quite well. The issue is that it is 95% wooded. We have to clear out everything we need which at this point means a nice little garden path between her bro. and sis’ house as well as a place to pour a concrete pad for Tiny House to park, and then some areas for things like the gardens, chicken coop, goat barn, etc. We have quite a task ahead of us. In order to work on it though we have moved to Pink Hill, NC and are living in what we have all affectionally dubbed “The Bungalow.”

The Bungalow is little more than the add-on room to Crystal’s brother’s woodshop. It is probably 11 x 15 square with a door and a small front window. In the past few weeks we have added a small lavoratory, a kitchenette, a small closet, etc. It is quite homey actually and has actually turned out to be more space than we had first envisioned. I think it is going to fit us well. You can see that whole photo album by visiting our Flickr page. Last night was first night in it and thanks to an upcycled wall-mounted propane heater, a beautiful new SleepNumber bed, and a long day of manual labor, we had a wonderful rest!

But for those of you who are still confused as to what our timeline looks like:

• Thanksgiving break away from NC
• Month of Dec. back in NC
• Christmas through Feb. 1 in GA
• Feb, March, April, May, June in NC
• July, August, and possible some of September in GA (external build of Tiny House)
• September…..ad nauseum in NC at the new ‘Pan Gardens’ in Pink Hill, NC

As we move from Odom’s Idle Acres in Barnesville, Georgia to Pink Hill, North Carolina and our own little plot of dirt, the one thing that we intend on intensifying (even while downsizing) is our goal of self-sufficiency. We’re not vegans or even vegetarians so we have to think about our source for milk, eggs, and meat. Even if we were vegan though, keeping animals on our homestead would allow us natural fibers or wool to sell. Basic animal husbandry would also allow us the peace of knowing our animals were raised humanely and treated with care and and every day.

Goats

From what I gather goats are among the most practical and versatile animals we could raise. They are small and relatively easy to handle. In fact, a single goat can produce two to four quarts of milk each day, which can simply be drunk or used to make cheese, butter, and soap. Angora goats and other long-hairs can be bred for mohair and fiber which can easily be sold or used for crafts. Did I mention goats can be raised for meat? It may sound odd if you’ve never tried “cabrito” or goat meat but it really is as healthy as a chicken breast with a taste like that of veal.

One thing we have to read up on is what breed is best for what use. I am not aware of a breed that produces fiber, milk, and meat. For milk we will probably look to Nubian, Saanen, or LaMancha goats while if we decided to cultivate fiber we will want to look in the Angora direction.  And while any goat can produce meat, Boer and Myotonic (“fainting”) goats are the best suited for this purpose.

Poultry

We’re pretty versed in poultry since we currently raise 4 layers of chickens; hatchlings/broilers/layers/meat. And like for many neo-homesteaders, chickens are an obvious choice for us because they don’t require much space and provide us with eggs and fresh meat. Once a hen’s egg production has declined, she can be a great addition to the stew pot. Believe it or not (which I am sure you will if you are reading this blog), mature chickens are far more flavorful than the rapidly-fattened youngsters sold in supermarkets. Chickens aren’t hard to care for, and young chicks or fertilized eggs are very inexpensive to buy.

Other poultry are also worth considering. Guineas, ducks, and geese are also great sources of eggs, meat, and feathers. Although they cost more than chickens, the meat is richer and many people love fresh duck and goose eggs. Guineas have the added advantage of being an effective pest control measure; they will happily snap up wasps, hornets, ticks, ants, and even mice.

Small Animals

Another option for homesteaders who have very little room to spare is small animals. And the reason for this post really is because lately Pan and I have been talking about raising rabbits; the pros and cons. They can be raised in hutches in your backyard, and true to their reputation, reproduce frequently. As with many other animals, you’ll need to decide what you want to use the rabbits for before you choose a breed. Angora rabbits are a great source of natural fiber. New Zealand, Florida White, and Californian rabbits are good choices for meat. And I am supposing that if we preserve the fur we can use it for insulation on a number of things. And let we forget rabbit poop. It makes great fertilizer – higher in nitrogen than some poultry manures and it also contains a large amount of phosphorus–important for flower and fruit formation.

Did I forget anything? What do you think is important for us to consider in terms of raising animals on our small homestead? What do you raise? Was it a good choice for you? Why? Why not?

To borrow a line(s) from Midnight Oil, “The time has come / A fact’s a fact / It belongs to them/ Let’s give it back”

And so with winter on the wing, we have realized the soil is not really ours and we have given it back to the earth for a few more months. What am I talking about? Well, this morning I harvested the last of the Georgia Southern Creole Collards and pulled the roots. I have to say though. It was a very good season for the leafy greens.

As a member of the cabbage family, Collards plants are much less known. As far as I understand, Collards are closely related to Kale. They are a strong flavored, open leafed cabbage that are clipped when leafy as they don’t form a large, round head, at all.

I found out though that outside the deep South they aren’t all that popular. The only reason I can imagine is because of the taste. Collards have a strong taste, and can sometime be quite bitter if allowed to grow in warmer weather.

Sowing Collard Seeds:

Many areas (including our zone) can grow a spring and a fall crop. All members of the cabbage family can withstand frosts and freezes and collards are no different. Plan to place your seeds or seedlings in your garden as one of the first crops. They take up quite a bit of room as the leaves shoot up and out and if you time your crop right, you will have ONLY a couple weeks in the middle of summers’ heat and humidity when you are not growing Collards. This is actually good, as these plants do not like high heat and dry conditions. In fact we think of them as cool to cold crops actually.

TIP: If you plant early in the year, consider using a raised row or bed to allow better drainage during early spring rains.

We chose to sew our seeds outdoors in a raised bed setting that had been home to onions back in the spring and early summer. The soil in said bed was adequately composted with chicken manure and the levels were as perfect as we could ask for. We put our collard seeds in rows forming a seedbed of sorts. This allows for better control of the spacing of your seedlings. The plant seeds were pushed by thumb about 1/2 inch deep. We watered them only until we saw shoots. Then we allowed the morning dew and natural rain to be the only irrigation.

About 6 weeks into our crop we had to thin out the plants so they could grow well and not choke each other out. The final spacing ended up being about 18 to 24 inches apart, in rows three feet apart. NOTE: The outer leaves of a healthy plant will spread and cover a lot of space.

Days to Maturity:

Collard greens are normally harvested in 70 – 80 days. We allowed our most recent crop to grow until the first frost. That was approximately 118 days from planting to harvesting. At that point we cut them with sharp, garden shears and then allowed the plants to continue growing for a 2nd, 3rd, and, YES, 4th harvesting. It really was unbelievable to us.

Insects and Pests:

While we had absolutely no problems this season, all members of the cabbage family are extremely susceptible to insects. Collards are no exception. Among the most common are aphids, and cabbage loopers. Cabbage loopers the larva stage of a moth. Those white moths that visit your garden and yard are the culprits. Effective treatment in the home garden is to place a screen over the plant so the moth can not lay her eggs.