Composting Your Black Gold – Part 1, by Hobbit Farmer

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Composting: Microbes, Black Gold, and Growing the Best Food

A search of the SurvivalBlog archives will uncover pages and pages of articles mentioning compost and its value in gardening. However, if there was a startup composting guide I missed it. If you are an experienced composter hopefully you can still learn from this article, but everything here will be geared toward someone just starting out. Be warned I don’t use a sophisticated “fast” method. I work with God’s design, and let the microbes do the work. Well-balanced compost takes time–8-to-12 months with this method. This means you need to start a pile now, in order to have it when you need it to grow food. I’ve been running a variety of composting experiments over the past five years and am very happy with my results.

Here is what we are going to cover:

  • Nature’s Fertilizer: What compost is, how compost mimics nature, and why it is so good for plants.
  • Building Your Bin: How I built my bins, and suggestions for low cost bin systems.
  • Managing the Pile: How to build your pile, manage your pile efficiently, and source materials for your pile.
  • Using Compost: Recommendations for using compost in your garden for best results.
Nature’s Fertilizer

Most of you probably already know what compost is, or even if you don’t you’ve already experienced it first hand. Compost is simply organic matter that has decayed. If you have ever dug into the leaves during a hike in the woods and turned up the rich dark layer of earth underneath, that is compost and plants LOVE it! In nature compost is formed through 2 main natural processes: the aerobic process (no exercise required) in which oxygen is present and microbes break down the materials producing heat as a byproduct, and the anaerobic process which takes place in low oxygen environments and the material is broken down by fungal colonies. This article will focus on the aerobic method, which is the faster of the two and more common in gardening use.

The two main components of fertile soil are humus (dead organic matter), and rock particles. In the natural world leaves and dead plants accumulate on the surface of the soil and are slowly broken down by the bacteria, fungi, and soil organisms. This creates an upper layer of organic matter (humus) that has many benefits for the soil. The biological life in the soil is supported by this organic matter and a myriad of biological and chemical processes are triggered by this diversity of life and unlocking the nutrients in the soil. Just as bacteria play an important role in our own digestive processes, they also makes nutrients available for plants. Dumping fertilizer may work short term, but it will not improve the biology of the soil and may harm it long term. This means many of the micronutrients plants need to thrive will be absent because you have not cultivated the life of the soil. The result is weaker plants, and more disease and pest pressure (not to mention where will you get fertilizer if the supply chain breaks down?)Continue reading“Composting Your Black Gold – Part 1, by Hobbit Farmer”

SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt

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This weekly column features news stories and event announcements from around the American Redoubt region. (Idaho, Montana, eastern Oregon, eastern Washington, and Wyoming.) Much of the region is also more commonly known as The Inland Northwest. We also mention companies of interest to preppers and survivalists that are located in the American Redoubt region. Today, we focus on the conflagration in Malden, Washington.. (See the Idaho section.)

Idaho

Archery hunters attacked by grizzly bear in Idaho. JWR’s Comment: In bear country, I recommend carrying both pepper spray and lead spray!

o  o  o

Over at Redoubt News: Todd Engel Update – Feds File to Dismiss with Prejudice! Here is an excerpt from the article:

“Recently, Engel’s appellate attorney, Warren Markowitz, successfully argued this case in front of the 9th circuit court of appeals. The judges ruled to vacate the conviction of Todd Engel and sent the case back to Nevada for either release or a new trial.

Now, the prosecution team has filed to have the charges against Engel dismissed with prejudice, meaning that Engel would be released with no chance of being retried on these charges. Judge Navarro is expected to sign the motion within the next couple of days.”

o  o  o

Here’s what we know about Idaho’s 407 coronavirus deaths (Sept. 10). JWR’s Comment: For comparison, consider Alameda County, California, with a population about the same size as Idaho. (1.7 million people.) To date, that county has had 303 deaths, despite draconian lockdown measures, including banning church gatherings, and the closure of most stores. Why is it, that with all their strict rules that they haven’t been able to flatten the curve, while Idaho has?  It is all about population density.  Avoid crowds, folks!

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt”

Work Sharp Bench Stone, by Pat Cascio

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I’ve been around knives all my life – ever since owning my first one, at about age 5 or 6. So I know a little bit about cutlery. Over the past 28 years, I’ve been fortunate enough to test hundreds of new knife designs — and perhaps more than a thousand new designs. I’ve lost count. It’s exciting to get new knife designs to test and write about – no doubt about that. And, just when I think I’ve seen it all, when it comes to cutlery, someone comes out with a new design, or new locking mechanism, or new blade design. I’m an amateur knife designer myself – well, I guess that’s what I’d be called, even though several of my knife designs have gone into production with some major knife companies. Still, I consider myself an amateur in this regard – I’ll certainly never get rich off my designs.

One of the most asked questions I get from readers, or those who know my martial arts/military/law enforcement background is: “What’s your favorite knife?” Of course, this is impossible to answer in simple terms. It just depends on what the knife will be used for…be it in hunting and dressing game, self-defense, general cutting, etc. The second most common question that I get is: “How do you put a factory edge back on a knife blade, after it gets dull?” Again, a not-so-easy to answer. I’ve watched the pros at several knife companies who do nothing but sharpen knives on their 8-hour shift. And, it never ceases to amaze me how fast they can put an edge on an unsharpened knife. Most of the time, primarily using a specialized power belt sharpener it takes little more than a minute to do this.

These guys who sharpen cutlery for a living sit at two machines, one has an abrasive belt on it, for getting the primary edge put on a knife, and the second, has a buffer on it, for putting the finishing touches on a blade, so it is hair-popping sharp out of the box. Then, they have a stack of old newspapers, that they use to test the sharpness on a blade – they slice the edge of the newsprint, and if it doesn’t “shave” they run it back across the buffer. Like I said, this is all these guys do – all day long – and they are the best at it. So, if you want that “factory” edge on your blade, you’d best get some training, and have the right tools – power tools.Continue reading“Work Sharp Bench Stone, by Pat Cascio”

Recipe of the Week: Roast Leg of Venison

The following recipe for Roast Leg of Venison is from The New Butterick Cook Book, by Flora Rose, co-head of the School of Home Economics at Cornell University. It was published in 1924. A professional scan of that 724-page out-of-copyright book will be one of the many bonus items included in the next edition of the waterproof SurvivalBlog Archive USB stick. This special 15th Anniversary Edition USB stick should be available for sale in the third week of January, 2021. The 14th Edition sold out quickly, so place a reminder in your calendar, if you want one.

Ingredients
  • Leg of venison
  • Fat salt pork
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1/4 cup butter or butter substitute or oil
  • Flour
Directions

Wipe carefully, and draw off the dry skin. Lard the lean side of the leg with strips of the pork, then soften the butter or butter substitute oi oil, rub it over the meat, and dredge with salt, pepper and flour. Lay the leg on the rack in a baking-pan, sprinkle the bottom of the pan with flour. Place it in a very hot oven, and watch carefully until the flour in the pan is browned, which should be in five minutes. Add boiling water to cover the bottom of the pan. Baste the venison well every flfteen minutes, until the meat is done, renewing the water in the pan as often as necessary. If a double roasting-pan is used, then basting is not necessary.

Should the meat be liked very rare, allow one and one-quarter hour of cooking for a ten-pound roast; most tastes require at least twenty-five minutes longer than that.

SERVING

Serve with a gravy made from the juices in the bottom of the pan. Always serve a tart jelly — like currant jelly or wild grape or plum jelly with venison.

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Do you have a favorite recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? In this weekly recipe column, we place emphasis on recipes that use long term storage foods, recipes for wild game, dutch oven and slow cooker recipes, and any that use home garden produce. If you have any favorite recipes, then please send them via e-mail. Thanks!

Economics & Investing For Preppers

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Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. Most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor, JWR. Today, we look at an anticipated price swing in vintage Rolex wristwatches. (See the Tangibles Investing section.)

Precious Metals:

Gold Price Forecast: Gold Targets $1700 In September.  JWR’s Comment:  Take advantage of this dip. And note that there is still an opportunity to advantageously ratio trade some of your gold into silver and/or platinum.

o  o  o

With some charts, Hub Moolman illustrates how we are still early in a silver bull market: Get the big prize for silver

Economy & Finance:

Over at The Hill: US budget deficit hits record $3 trillion: CBO

o  o  o

By way of Whatfinger.com, here is a piece at the Gatestone site: China Threatens Total Economic War by Dumping Treasuries: Be My Guest

o  o  o

At Wolf Street: The Fed Bought No Bond ETFs in August. ETF Holdings Actually Fell. Bought Almost No Corporate Bonds

o  o  o

And, Unemployment Crisis Going in Wrong Direction: Week 25 of U.S. Labor Market Collapse

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

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“Democrats have become the party of socialism, open borders, sanctuary cities, the elimination of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), underfunding the military, abortion on demand, infanticide, environmental extremism, gun confiscation, higher taxes, radical identity politics, suppression of free speech and religious expression, and among some Democratic members of Congress, undisguised anti-Semitism. They’re also the party of intolerance, smears, lies, character assassination, besmirchment, and fake Russian dossiers.” – Sean Hannity

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — September 13, 2020

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September 13th, 1951 was the birthday of President Salva Kiir Mayardit of South Sudan.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 90 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A gift certificate from Quantum Harvest LLC (up to a $2,200 value) good for 12% off the purchase of any of their sun-tracking models, and 10% off the purchase price of any of their other models.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three-day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (a $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Second Prize:

  1. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, that have a combined retail value of $589,
  3. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  4. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  5. An assortment of products along with a one-hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

Third Prize:

  1. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. Naturally Cozy is donating a “Prepper Pack” Menstrual Kit.  This kit contains 18 pads and it comes vacuum-sealed for long term storage or slips easily into a bugout bag.  The value of this kit is $220.
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. A transferable $150 purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Round 90 ends on September 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Hurricane Preparedness–Floridian Style, by R.L.

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Florida. The name conjures images to people from around the globe. Sure, most people imagine the beautiful beaches, Disney, NASA, the Daytona 500 and others, but one cannot think of the State of Florida and not think hurricanes. Hurricanes are not concerns for Florida residents only, no way, as we have witnessed many of the most destructive hurricanes in the United States impacting states such as Louisiana, North Carolina and South Carolina, Texas, even New York State! The reality is that a major hurricane (Category 3 or above) is going to wreak havoc and devastation anywhere the storm impacts. This article is not about the destructiveness of hurricanes or a plan for surviving a major hurricane, instead, I’d like to shed some light on the unique challenges that major hurricanes pose to residents of the State of Florida.

I am a Floridian, born and raised. I’ve lived my entire life residing in this state. I grew up near Cocoa Beach, have lived in Tallahassee and currently reside in Jacksonville. I have been an active participant in most every hurricane since my birth in 1979. During that time I have hunkered down for storms, evacuated for storms, witnessed the destruction of homes, roofs, windows and trees due to hurricanes. I have lived without electricity for days and weeks, and unfortunately witnessed friends and neighbors who have suffered complete losses due to hurricanes. There is no other way to put it….hurricanes are horrible. They destroy, kill and devastate. And yet, with God’s grace, we overcome. Along the way, I have learned a few lessons that I would like to share.

In case you were unaware, the State of Florida is at the extreme southeastern portion of America. In reality the state is a giant peninsula. Florida is surrounded by water on three sides with over 1,300 miles of coastline. The waters of the Southern Atlantic, Straights of Florida and the Gulf of Mexico are warm year round and are perfect breeding grounds for storms to strengthen from Tropical Storm to major hurricane overnight. In addition, unlike other states that hurricanes impact, due to the peninsular shape of Florida, evacuation routes are limited to just two Interstate highways and a handful of State Highways and local routes. Florida also boasts a population of nearly 22 million people, the majority of which reside on the peninsular portion of land mass. In other words, when evacuations are ordered, gridlock ensues.

The population grows every year in the state with many new residents who have no clue when it comes to hurricane preparedness and evacuation. State and local officials do a fantastic job of making sure that residents receive the information needed with regards to storm shelters, flood zones, items to prepare and evacuation routes, but unfortunately the implementation from residents come too late in my opinion. So what to do?

Continue reading“Hurricane Preparedness–Floridian Style, by R.L.”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

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 “And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God,

Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.

And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.

And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.” – Rev. 11: 15-19  (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — September 12, 2020

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After nearly 40 years of riding across millions of American TV and movie screens, the cowboy actor William Boyd, best known for his role as Hopalong Cassidy, died on this day in 1972 at the age of 77.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 90 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A gift certificate from Quantum Harvest LLC (up to a $2,200 value) good for 12% off the purchase of any of their sun-tracking models, and 10% off the purchase price of any of their other models.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three-day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (a $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Second Prize:

  1. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, that have a combined retail value of $589,
  3. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  4. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  5. An assortment of products along with a one-hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

Third Prize:

  1. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. Naturally Cozy is donating a “Prepper Pack” Menstrual Kit.  This kit contains 18 pads and it comes vacuum-sealed for long term storage or slips easily into a bugout bag.  The value of this kit is $220.
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. A transferable $150 purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Round 90 ends on September 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Relocating to The Yaak, by L.S.

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I could type for hours with stories of Cougars, Grizzly Bears, Wolves, The Elements, and Cantankerous Neighbors. Allow me to introduce myself. I am a resident of Yaak, Montana. It is a tiny little town in the extreme northwest corner of Montana, not far from the Idaho state line. For the most part, I have raised and am raising six children here in these wilds. I have been married for 30 years.

This article focuses on my experiences in the Yaak River Valley–commonly called “The Yaak”–but it encapsulates some truths that are applicable to moving to nearly any rural area in the United States.

We are the exception to the norm. We moved up to the Yaak River Valley in our early 20s and we figured out how to live. Most don’t. Most folks come up here with a lot of “citified” ideas and ideals. They don’t last long. Now, more than ever, it is important to know how to get along with your neighbors.

For years, I stood back and shook my head wondering what people were thinking. After 25 years of homeschooling, my eldest two are now nurses serving our population locally. They have provided us with 6 grandchildren. Three of my children own land in Lincoln County. After working primarily in Emergency Medicine for 25 years, I became a Real Estate Agent. At first, I really questioned why after all those years, feeling fulfilled in Health Care, that I would do such a thing. It hasn’t been long on the job that I realized I am specially tailored to do what a lot of people can’t. I get along with the neighbors. I can go most places in this county helping folks buy and sell which is not the case for many. I understand how we think.Continue reading“Relocating to The Yaak, by L.S.”

Editor’s Prepping Progress Saturday September 12, 2020

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To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make long-term and short-term plans. In this column, the SurvivalBlog editors review their week’s prep activities and planned prep activities for the coming week. These range from healthcare and gear purchases to gardening, ranch improvements, bug out bag fine-tuning, and food storage. This is something akin to our Retreat Owner Profiles, but written incrementally and in detail, throughout the year. Note that as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. We always welcome you to share your own successes and wisdom in the Comments. Let’s keep busy and be ready!

Jim Reports:

I’m still out of state, helping an elderly relative. I’ve also been helping another relative move to a high elevation retreat property. This travel has given me sufficient time for blog writing, editing, hunting for additional antique gun inventory, writing gun descriptions for my Elk Creek Company online catalog, and plenty of exercise. But I’ll be very happy to get home to the Rawles Ranch.  I plan to resume taking orders for Elk Creek Company on October 2nd. Thanks for your patience!

Continue reading“Editor’s Prepping Progress Saturday September 12, 2020”