Preparedness Notes for Saturday — December 16, 2023

The famed Boston Tea Party took place on December 16th, 1773.

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December 16th, 1928, was the birthday of Philip K. Dick, who died on March 2, 1982. He penned a remarkable number of sci-fi novels and novellas that have been adapted into movies.

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The Romanian Revolution began on December 16th, 1989. No less than 1,066 civilians died in the successful attempt to overthrow the dictatorial President Nicolae Ceaușescu.

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This new 550-acre listing at SurvivaReallty.com looks amazingly versatile: Longhollow Acres – A Rural Refuge near Burkesville, Kentucky.

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Today’s feature article is a guest post, by my #1 Son — Jonathan Edwards Rawles.

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We are seeking entries for Round 110 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $850,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. We recently polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 110 ends on January 31st, 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.

Buying and Developing Rural Land With Friends or Family, by Jonathan Rawles

The current real estate market, economic situation, and high interest rates continue to limit options for buying real estate. While prices have come down from their peak in many areas, the recent increase in interest rates means that affordability has not improved for the average buyer. There is also very limited inventory on the market, as many would-be sellers are choosing to stay put. Many buyers have to look in more affordable regions, go even more remote, or consider homes or properties that are smaller or in poorer condition.

With all these challenges, many would-be property buyers are turning to more creative strategies. One potentially feasible and cost-effective route is to team with friends or family to buy and develop a piece of land instead of purchasing property separately.

This path is also a natural fit for those hoping to relocate as a group or establish their own rural neighborhood. Being able to “pick your neighbors” like this can make it much easier to get settled and provide immediate mutual support.

Several routes can be taken, to develop land as a team effort. The simplest is to buy multiple parcels as a package from a single owner. This might an existing rural subdivision with multiple lots available. As another possibility, look for a piece of property that already has multiple legal parcels. This could be multiple undeveloped parcels or a farm or ranch property with one parcel for the homestead and multiple undeveloped parcels around it.Continue reading“Buying and Developing Rural Land With Friends or Family, by Jonathan Rawles”

SurvivalBlog’s Annual Disclaimers, Provisos, and Public Notices

Just doing my annual duty…

SurvivalBlog, a private information service, is obliged to post some disclaimers and provisos, annually. These notices are current as of December 16, 2023 and remain in force unless later specifically revoked or modified by the Editor.

Advertising and Reviews

Per FTC File No. P034520: SurvivalBlog accepts cash-paid advertising. We also have affiliate advertising  relationships. To the best of my knowledge, as of the date of this posting, none of our advertisers that sell the products mentioned in this blog have solicited SurvivalBlog or our staff to write any reviews or endorsements, nor have they provided me any free or reduced-price gear in exchange for any reviews or endorsements. JWR is not a stockholder in any company. SurvivalBlog is no longer associated with Amazon.com, and has not earned any commissions from Amazon since 2001.

Several of our advertisers have overlapping product lines. We believe in competitive free market economics, so we do not offer any “exclusives”, “non-compete” agreements, or “protected territories.”

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All writings that you send us must be original works and their copyright will become the property of SurvivalBlog. Anyone sending a letter or article grants the right for posting, reproduction, or any other use by SurvivalBlog. To differentiate: Any items that you send that are not intended for posting must include “NOT FOR POSTING” in the subject line.

I will post letters from readers that are topical. Please e-mail us your letters. OBTW, I will only post a letter writer’s initials and location, unless they specifically tell me otherwise. Anyone sending a letter or article grants the right for posting, reproduction, or any other use. Again, all writings must be original works, and the copyright will become the property of SurvivalBlog.

I reserve the right to reject or edit letters for foul language, blasphemy, racism, anti-Christianity (or bad doctrine), anti-Semitism, and assorted off-topic tin foil hat rants about Gray Aliens. If you see “[Rant Snipped]” in a letter, then you’ll know that someone crossed the line.

I also edit letters to conceal the identities of their writers, which might otherwise be compromised by the letter contents or contextual references. Please let me know how you’d like your letters or articles signed.

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Why is there no SurvivalBlog forum and no “autoposting” or semi-automated moderated replies to blog posts? Because: A.) They are a security risk to my readers. B.) I don’t have to have the time to moderate the posts, and C.) I know from past experience that if I were to allow autoposts, it would quickly degenerate into a venue for flame wars and foul language. So I will pick and choose the letters that will be posted. (It’s my ship, and I’m the Captain. Sorry.)

I am the sole “filter” for what is posted on SurvivalBlog. Just e-mail me what you’d like me to post. (There is no “Post” button, so don’t look for it!)

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I am a paid consultant on survival-related topics, including relocation, logistics, communications, firearms, privacy, communications security, food storage, caching, vehicles, field gear, signals intelligence, retreat architectural concepts, and retreat security. I provide my Vonage phone number or Skype name only to pre-paid consulting clients. Before hiring me for consulting, please first search the SurvivalBlog archives and FAQs. I also strongly recommend that you read my book “How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It”. That book answers a lot of questions that I typically get from consulting clients. (And buying a $14 book beats paying $100 for consulting.)

If you need my expertise about something that I haven’t already published, then my fee is $100 per hour, with a one-hour minimum. You can send pre-payment via PayPal.

My PayPal address is: james@rawles.to

Be sure to include your e-mail address, phone number, and and the best time to schedule the call in your online payment instructions.

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On the advice of my attorney, I never have and will not ever discuss any potentially criminal activities such as bomb-making, poaching, poisons/toxins, fully automatic firearms conversions, active insurrection, coups, or firearms suppressor (“silencer”) construction. If you raise any such topics, then I will immediately terminate the consulting call; there are no exceptions.

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In part because SurvivalBlog has many contributing authors, we cannot guarantee the accuracy or reliability of what is published in the blog. Consider it only one of many sources of information that you must test against standard references and compare against your local climate and conditions, as well as your local laws. (See: “Accuracy, Safety, and Legality,” below.)

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SurvivalBlog.com is an entirely private information service that is my sole property made available to others as a form of free personal expression under my de jure Preamble Citizen’s right as later guaranteed in the First Article in Amendment to the Constitution. SurvivalBlog.com is not a “public accommodation” and it is preemptively exempt from any forced or coerced accommodation, via legislation (or bureaucratic interpretation thereof) or any dictate, directive, or decree by any agency of government or by any NGO or by any individual under any future “Fairness Doctrine” or similar charade. I reserve the right to refuse service (to wit: to refuse posting, linking, or mention of anyone or anything, at my sole discretion) to any person, agency, corporation, or other entity. I make these reservations for the sake of maintaining sound business practices, competitiveness, and to maintain my moral and religious principles.

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Our links to articles at third party web sites are offered for informational purposes only. These links are most often at the suggestion of individual SurvivalBlog readers. Not every link is checked in detail. We are not responsible for updating links that have become obsolete at third party sites. The authenticity, political persuasion, morality, and religious standpoint of those articles and any other articles housed at those sites are not necessarily endorsed by the editors of SurvivalBlog. A link on SurvivalBlog does not constitute an endorsement!

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Accuracy, Safety, and Legality

The content of this blog site is not guaranteed for accuracy, reliability, safety, or legality in all jurisdictions. It is presented for educational purposes only. You are responsible for your own actions. This includes your stupidity or carelessness. Refer to manufacturer documentation for safety and dosing information. Consult a locally-licensed attorney to check on the legality of the devices, formulas, and practices mentioned in SurvivalBlog in your locale. Do not write me to ask for legal advice!

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The content of this blog site is free to access, but copyrighted. Permission to use up to 800-word excerpts is summarily granted (no need to e-mail me for permission), but only if you include full attribution–most notably a link to the survivalblog.com URL. –  JWR

Editors’ Prepping Progress

To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make both 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.  We always welcome you to share your own successes and wisdom in your e-mailed letters. We post many of those –or excerpts thereof — in the Odds ‘n Sods Column or in the Snippets column. Let’s keep busy and be ready!

Jim Reports:

The unseasonably warm weather is continuing, with high temperatures of 38 to 40 degrees F., most days. The lows have been right around freezing. Unless there is a change in the weather pattern, it doesn’t look like I’ll be doing much plowing, this winter. It has been so warm that Lily had me carry some bussing trays of sprouted greens out to the greenhouse.  We’ll see how those fare.  I may need to light a fire in the greenhouse woodstove if there is a very cold night in the weather forecast. If low temperatures persist, then those gardening trays may have to be brought back into the house.

I decanted five gallons of olive oil that we recently bought in bulk into six one-gallon glass repurposed cider jugs.  This little project required six jugs because I only filled the straight-walled portions of the jugs, to prevent them cracking, when frozen. These all went directly into one of our chest freezers.  I should mention that we’ve had great success with freezing olive oil, to preserve it. Most of that was purchased in plastic 1-liter bottles that we had bought, back when we were Costco members. We’ve found that the plastic bottles have sufficient room for expansion, as the oil freezes. In all these years, we’ve only had one bottle go rancid, after thawing out.

We’ve been busy this week, preparing for a family gathering this weekend. Lily can tell you more about that. Now, Lily’s part of the report…Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them.

All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.

This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.

For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.

Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.

Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.

Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment.

Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.

For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.” – Ecclesiastes 9:1-12 (KJV) 

Preparedness Notes for Friday — December 15, 2023

December 15th is Bill of Rights Day. (The Bill of Rights became law on this day in 1791, following ratification by the state of Virginia.) We encourage our American readers to gather publicly and read the Bill of Rights aloud.

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The Hunkpapa Lakota chief Sitting Bull was killed by Native American policemen who, with others, were attempting to arrest him near the Grand River in South Dakota.

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The 15th of December, 1923, was the birthday of Uziel “Uzi” Gal (born Gotthard Glas). According to Wikipedia, he was “…born in Weimar, Germany. When the Nazis came to power in 1933 he moved first to England and later, in 1936, to Kibbutz Yagur in the British Mandate of Palestine where he changed his name to Uziel Gal. In 1943, he was arrested for illegally carrying a gun and sentenced to six years in prison. However, he was pardoned and released in 1946, serving less than half of his sentence.” He is, of course, remembered as the inventor of the famous Uzi submachine gun and the short-lived Ruger MP9 (an improvement to the Uzi). Uzi Gal is not to be confused with Israel Galili, the chief weapons designer for Israeli Military Industries (IMI), who along with Yaacov Lior designed the Galil improvement to the AK-47.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 110 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  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. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  5. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. 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).
  3. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC.
  4. Montana Survival Seed is providing a $225 gift code for any items on its website, including organic non-GMO seeds, fossils, 1812-1964 US silver, jewelry, botany books, and Montana beeswax.
  5. A transferable $150 FRN 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!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $305 value)
  2. A $300 gift certificate from Good2Goco.com, good for any of their products: Home freeze dryers, pressure canners, Country Living grain mills, Emergency Essentials foods, and much more.
  3. 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)
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

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More than $850,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. We recently polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 110 ends on January 31st, 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.

Practical Rain Catchment, by Javelina

I think everyone agrees that water is an absolute necessity, regardless of the situation at hand. Catching what nature provides can be as simple as a bucket or tarp or as complex as multi tank systems with complete purification systems. I am no expert, nor is this meant to be a technical article but a simple guide to get started harvesting rain. As always consult your local codes and permit requirements. The American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association (ARCSA) is a great place to start. The American Society of Plumbing Engineers (ASPE) is also a source of installation information as well. Your state may have a similar publication – a Manual on Rainwater Harvesting.

Getting started – How do you want to utilize the harvested water? Are you interested in watering plants, maintaining your garden and/or building a potable water system? All can be accomplished with the right resources and motivation.

First, determine if your roof is suitable for harvesting rain. A wood or shake shingle roof is no go. Normal asphalt roofs are not great due to weather- and age-related breakdown, but being the most common type of roof system, I would not rule it out. Metal or tile roofs are the best option.Continue reading“Practical Rain Catchment, by Javelina”

Economics & Investing For Preppers

Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. In this column, JWR also covers hedges, derivatives, and various obscura. This column emphasizes JWR’s “tangibles heavy” investing strategy and contrarian perspective. Today, we look at some rumored ammunition price increases. (See the Tangibles Investing section.)

Precious Metals:

The big swings in the precious metals markets are continuing. After hitting an all-time last week, spot gold took a dive back into the high $1,980s range, on profit-taking. When I checked on Wednesday morning, spot gold had recovered to $2,020 per Troy ounce and silver was at $23.45. The silver-to-gold ratio has also seen big swings. As of Wednesday, it stood at 86.1-to-1. So we are approaching another good juncture to ratio trade out of gold into silver, if you have the vault space for the bulkier metal. In my estimation, a 90-to-1 ratio should be your “make the switch” signal.

I must also mention that platinum and palladium are presently also looking undervalued. However, the difficulty with those white metals for physical investors is that the dealers’ premiums are quite high. Paying $1,188 for a 1-ounce Platinum American Liberty — containing $938 worth of platinum — seems painful. – JWR

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Radomski, at Gold-Eagle.com: The Clearest, Biggest, and Most Important Reversal in Gold.

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Here’s why silver is stalling; Can it break out in 2024?

Economy & Finance:

Signs of the times: Dollar General to open 800 stores in 2024; Q3 tops Street.

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Reader H.L. spotted this: Jeep employees learn of mass layoffs just over one month after UAW strike ends.

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Hasbro Lays Off 20% Of Company On Plunging Toy Sales.

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At Zero Hedge: The Markets Are Front-Running The First Rate-Cut.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — December 14, 2023

One of the greatest figures in the history of polar exploration was Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen, who left Norway for Antarctica in June 1910 and on this day in 1911 became the first person to reach the South Pole.

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This large property listing on SurvivalRealty.com with five natural gas wells caught my eye: 587 SE Kentucky Acres – Defensible – Ridges and Streams, Spectacular Views.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 110 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  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. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  5. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. 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).
  3. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC.
  4. Montana Survival Seed is providing a $225 gift code for any items on its website, including organic non-GMO seeds, fossils, 1812-1964 US silver, jewelry, botany books, and Montana beeswax.
  5. A transferable $150 FRN 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!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $305 value)
  2. A $300 gift certificate from Good2Goco.com, good for any of their products: Home freeze dryers, pressure canners, Country Living grain mills, Emergency Essentials foods, and much more.
  3. 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)
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

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More than $850,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. We recently polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 110 ends on January 31st, 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.

Milk Cows on the Homestead – Part 3, by SaraSue

(Continued from Part 2. This concludes the article.)

More milk cows

Cows are no trouble at all if they have what they need: plenty of grass to graze, hay during the winter, a little grain at milking time, minerals, plenty of fresh water, good fences, shelter, and no predators.

I should tell you that I obtained more milk cows and there’s a reason for that.  Once I weaned the calf, my Jersey’s milk production started to drop until she was giving half a gallon of milk a day.  This happened over a few month’s time.  She was about 8  months post-calving when she decided she was “done”.  She was not yet “bred back”, although she had been artificially inseminated (A.I.) a couple of times.  I kind of panicked, as I had read that a cow who dries off and is not bred may have hormonal issues that prevent them from becoming pregnant again.  I was also dismayed at not having milk for the house.  I contacted the farmer who I purchased her from to see if he had any more milk cows and he had a beautiful Guernsey cow who had just calved a bull calf.  She was also A2/A2, health tested, and was a registered Guernsey.  He sold her to me for the same price, and delivered her to me.  She was not as sweet and good-natured as the Jersey, terrified of her new surroundings, and man was she a kicker!  To make matters worse, I had her calf banded (castrated) on the trailer before he got off.  She lost her mind hearing her calf bawling, and the bull calf never forgave me for that.Continue reading“Milk Cows on the Homestead – Part 3, by SaraSue”

The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods

SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods. This column is a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from JWR. Our goal is to educate our readers, to help them to recognize emerging threats, and to be better prepared for both disasters and negative societal trends. You can’t mitigate a risk if you haven’t first identified a risk. In today’s column, we further examine the risk of solar flares and extreme solar storms.

A Timely Update, Thursday PM:

MAJOR X-CLASS SOLAR FLARE: The sun just unleashed the strongest solar flare of Solar Cycle 25 (so far), an X2.8-class explosion from unstable sunspot AR3514. The blast caused a deep shortwave radio blackout over the Americas and may have hurled a fast CME toward Earth. Follow this developing story @ Spaceweather.com

Extreme Solar Storms More Frequent Than Had Been Thought?

Over at Forbes: Extreme Solar Storms May Be More Frequent Than Previously Thought.  This article begins:

“An international team consisting of scientists from nine countries has published a detailed study on a lesser-known solar storm—named Chapman-Silverman event after two astronomers who collected the first data—that hit Earth in February 1872. Their findings confirm that solar storms powerful enough to directly impact our infrastructure are more common than previously thought.

Coronal mass ejections or flares are powerful outbursts of charged particles traveling towards Earth. When such a flare hits Earth, it can cause a solar storm disrupting the planet’s magnetic field.”

Solar Storm From 1977 Reveals How Unprepared We Are

Solar storm from 1977 reveals how unprepared we are for the next ‘big one’.

Continue reading“The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods”

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — December 13, 2023

On this day in 1642, Dutch navigator Abel Tasman sighted South Island, New Zealand, and later, mistaking the strait north of the island for a bay, believed he had found the west coast of a hypothetical southern continent.  Tasman was the greatest of the Dutch navigators and explorers. He was the first European to sight Tasmania, New Zealand, Tonga, and the Fiji Islands.

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December 13th is the birthday of Sergeant Alvin York.

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Wow!  GunMag Warehouse (One of our affiliate advertisers) is running a pre-Christmas special: ETS GEN 2 9mm 32-Round Magazines for Glock Pistols (Black only) for just $6.49 each! (Normally $14.99 each.)

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 110 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  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. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  5. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. 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).
  3. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC.
  4. Montana Survival Seed is providing a $225 gift code for any items on its website, including organic non-GMO seeds, fossils, 1812-1964 US silver, jewelry, botany books, and Montana beeswax.
  5. A transferable $150 FRN 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!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $305 value)
  2. A $300 gift certificate from Good2Goco.com, good for any of their products: Home freeze dryers, pressure canners, Country Living grain mills, Emergency Essentials foods, and much more.
  3. 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)
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

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More than $850,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. We recently polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 110 ends on January 31st, 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.

Milk Cows on the Homestead – Part 2, by SaraSue

(Continued from Part 1.)

My first cow and calf 

I spent the next few months getting to know my cow.  I was terribly intimidated by her size.  In fact, I was afraid to go into her pasture.  I would cut up apples and feed them to her over the gate.  She would eat them out of my hand while I called her by the name I had given her, and I would tell her what a sweet cow she was.  I’m convinced this is what endeared her to me.  When my excited grandchildren visited, they would also feed her cut-up apples through the gate.  They got to feel the rough tongue of a cow, see how large she was, and learn her name.  The cow got used to a bunch of excited kids shrieking near her.

Once a week I would call her over, feed bucket in hand, to the milking area.  I would give her a little grain, lock her head in the head gate, and let her know that I could touch her all over without her being afraid.  I was told to not overfeed her while pregnant, and that a fat cow will have difficulties birthing.  I could only give her one quart of dairy ration, once a week.  She had plenty of grass, but she found the stash of hay in the barn, figured out how to open the gate to it, and buried her nose in that fresh hay often.  So, that’s how it went for a few months.Continue reading“Milk Cows on the Homestead – Part 2, by SaraSue”