Mother Earth News Fair 2010

This past weekend I attended the first ever Mother Earth News Fair in Seven Springs, PA. It was a blast and I heard that there were over 10,000 people who attended! I would believe that; it was quite crowded. They had a little bit of something for everyone, from crafting and fiber to new wind turbine designs, beekeeping, bread baking, and chickens. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

I love watching the working dogs! I don't know if there will ever be any hope for my Old English Sheepdog, Kenai. I've never seen them actually used in herding, but he's got the instinct. I asked this lady above if she'd ever seen an OES herd before, and she said, "no", and indicated that they were harder to train. I would believe that; Kenai is quite stubborn though VERY smart. I've also read that they herd more by size than stare, like the Australian Shepherds and such, and require more interaction from their handler (unlike the Aussies). I still love my OES most! They are great dogs, none the less.

Above is a newer design for a wind turbine called the WindTamer. It is supposed to create a vacuum that makes harvesting the energy from the wind more efficient. Or at least that's what I've gathered. It was neat to watch how it swayed and angled itself with the direction of the wind. There was virtually no sound either! This could be promising as it seems that many have complained about the noise that the larger turbines make with their massive height and blades. The WindTamer does not have to be placed at such a great height either. I will be interested to receive information from this company as we have dreams of being off grid....one day.

Summer's End

Summer was busy and flew past quickly like usual. The farm continues to change, if only subtly. We raised about 25 chicks, and here's what I learned:

Let Mother Nature do the work.

A broody hen is worth more than her tiny eggs.

Chicks in your basement are messy.

Chicks in your basement will raise your electric bill significantly.

Too many roosters, is too many roosters.

The color of your peep is not a good indicator of what it will look like when fully grown.

And lastly, let Mother Nature do the work!

My wool processing skills have jumped leaps and bounds this summer too. This does not mean that I am in any way, shape, or form what you would call a 'professional'. But it means that I now have the ability to process my fiber from start to finish; raw fleece to yarn; all on my own. I no longer need that middle man. My husband got me a carder for my birthday. That was the key ingredient. We then build a huge 4 foot by 8 foot drying table. I can wash and dry an entire fleece at one time. How wonderful! I even knit my very first pair of mittens from shetland sheep that I hand spun. It's a good feeling to know that you were able to produce an article of clothing all on your own. It means I'm one step closer to being more self-suffient. Even if it's only a small step.

The garden was a big success this summer. I was especially glad in that it was truly the first ever garden I've planted (I too find that hard to believe). We didn't get to can as much as we had liked, but we have pickles to last an entire year! They sure were plentiful. Though just about everything has died back out there, we still have a few little yellow squash hanging on along with an eggplant. Our crop included: organic corn, sunflowers, green peppers, jalapenos, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, many other potatoes, beets, cucumbers, yellow squash, and zucchini. It was a good year.

So now I bit summer a last farewell and welcome the fall equinox with a glad heart. It's been a hot one, and I'm ready for those cooler days and hillsides ablaze with color.