Comments for Curiousfarmer

Comment on Planted Pig Pasture by bc

bc — Sat, 12 May 2012 08:10:43 +0000

Looking good! In France rapeseed is called colza and there’s a lot of it here in the SW. It gets seeded in the fall. About a month ago the region was awash in yellow colza fields. They sometimes use it for winter grazing, too.

Comment on New Truck, New Haybine by curiousfarmer

curiousfarmer — Fri, 11 May 2012 11:10:33 +0000

I don’t understand why we gave up so much of our trains and tracks in the US. We’ve turned the tracks into ATV trails. I guess we’re on our way to becoming a pleasure economy.
My uncles in LaSalle county, Illinois still use a train to ship their corn to huge cattle feedlots in Texas. My great-uncles used to use the train to ship in western feeder cattle to eat their corn.
I doubt this is the best use of corn, but at least their transport is effecient!
Livestock hauling used to be exactly as you described sixty years ago. Farmers didn’t have their own trucks or trailers. You made an appt. with a man with a large straight truck, (the animals ride on a long bed on the truck), and he would pick them up and take them to market. I don’t know why this fell by the wayside.

Comment on New Truck, New Haybine by Toasted Tofu (@toastedtofu)

Toasted Tofu (@toastedtofu) — Sun, 06 May 2012 18:03:09 +0000

I think trains are going to make a resurgence in the post-oil glut world. While that won’t help you with a 60 mile trip, perhaps a new niche for transport trucks will be a milk run length trip…someone could come pick up your livestock along with a few other farmers in the area all in one go and bring it to the butcher and save you the trip.

Comment on Cat Fort Vs. Sounder of Piglets by Toasted Tofu (@toastedtofu)

Toasted Tofu (@toastedtofu) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 23:29:51 +0000

I’ve always liked collective nouns too. They seem both frivolous and superfluous and excessively specific at the same time.

Comment on Cat Fort Vs. Sounder of Piglets by chris

chris — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 01:48:18 +0000

So, how traumatized are the kittens??!! Did anyone try to huff and puff and blow the walls down?

Comment on Cat Fort With Kittens by Matt Solverson

Matt Solverson — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 23:24:29 +0000

The kids want a cat and I tell them they don’t have a barn for the cat to live in. Hope they don’t read your blog

Comment on Cat Fort With Kittens by pjf

pjf — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 21:07:54 +0000

So it looks like you’re very trendy — same topic (building forts) — in The New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/19/garden/lessons-in-the-art-of-pillow-fort-construction.html?_r=1&src=me&ref=general

And your post came before theirs; good timing.

Comment on Cat Fort With Kittens by Miles Allen

Miles Allen — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 14:34:08 +0000

Farmer, didn’t realize that those pigs were feral hogs. Completely different story. We have a major problem with them here in East Texas. We actually shoot them on sight, but they are slowly taking over due to a high birth rate and abundant food all year. .308 works great, BTW.

Comment on Cat Fort With Kittens by Miles Allen

Miles Allen — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 13:33:49 +0000

Say Farmer, do U know why the Michigan Department of Natural Resources has been raiding pig farms and killing all the livestock? Just what is the Invasive Species Order? This story has been on Drudge Report for two days now. Thanks!

Comment on Cat Fort With Kittens by Elisabeth

Elisabeth — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 20:46:04 +0000

Thats great that the mama chose the box…that will encourage the kids to continue inventing! Great entry–it brings back so many wonderful memories of growing up on a farm. I wish everyone could expeirence childhood this way.