Archive by Author

Compost on the Cheap

14 Jun

You can make an inexpensive compost barrel using one of the screw-top pickle barrels that are readily available on Craigslist. First wash out the barrel, fill it with plant matter, then place a piece of plastic window screen over the opening and screw the ring back on. Set the solid top aside for other uses. […]

Greenhouse Grows Tomatoes

14 Jun

We posted some pictures of an inexpensive greenhouse we built last fall. This April, we set out our tomato seedlings in 5 gallon pots filled with garden and potting soil. They got a good head start when it was chilly outside, and today are about 5 feet tall! Pretty good for mid-June. There are also […]

Prepper Festivals Galore

16 May

On May 7 and 14 we presented our Preparedness Radio Communications at prepper festivals in Virginia. The first was the NPS Expo in Richmond, and the second in New Castle, Virginia. The New Castle festival is pictured below, and our class was standing room only. There were loads of other interesting classes at both events, […]

New Hams Licensed!

16 May

Several new Amateur Radio operators have been licensed as a result of our class, AND their diligent study. Congratulations! Hard work pays off. If you are interested in getting a license, let me know. I’ll do classes for 10 or more on two Saturday mornings, with some time in between for proper absorption. It’s easier […]

Preparedness Radio Communications Class

07 Mar

Expanding the reach of our class offerings, I’ll be presenting a class on Preparedness Radio Communications during the NPS Expo, May 7-8, 2016, at the Richmond Raceway in Richmond, Virginia. Come out and learn something about communications, and learn from other experts on a wide variety of topics from medical to permaculture. Get all the […]

US Cooperative Moving Forward

03 Mar

Lewis Hopkins at US Cooperative held a good meeting in February, and we heard from several local businesses. Specifically, please check out www.FranklinCountyFreshFoods.org (locally grown foods from multiple vendors) www.GoodFoodGoodPeople.net/Farm-Shares (farm produce shares) www.4oaksfarms.com (hydroponic greens — their samples tasted great!) Also, David Hurt (Phone: 540-598-9645) owner of Truman Hill Farm provided samples of his […]

Build a Micro Tiller

03 Mar

It always disturbs me tilling the entire garden just to plant a few rows of vegetables. Here we have a settled environment of soil and creature, and I come blowing through with several horsepower and upset all those worms in front of their tiny big screen TV’s. How would you feel? So I have built […]

Have you seen Franklin County Fresh Foods?

22 Feb

If you are in the Franklin County, Virginia area, check out Franklin County Fresh Foods. This site lists a load of local farms, orchards, nurserys, greenhouses, farmer’s markets, country stores, vineyards and more! Franklin County even has a cannery. Who knew? I thought all they had down there was red clay, pine trees and overpriced […]

Nothing Like Fresh Hams

31 Jan

We had a testing session this afternoon for the students in our ham radio class. In short, everyone passed the test they studied for, and a couple passed the test above that! We have three new General class and eight new Technician class licensees. Congratulations to all who studied so hard and passed the test! […]

Cauliflower Soup for New Year

01 Jan

Happy new year! This morning I went out to the greenhouse and cut four cauliflower heads off the plants I transplanted in the fall. The plants had not bloomed all summer, but had grown about chest high, and the stalks are over an inch thick. I was not going to let those plants go to […]

Learn Land Navigation

26 Dec

I took a class recently covering land navigation. I had previously read this book on land navigation, but this class was taught by an Army trainer, and it was loaded with even more information, and some interesting field stories. Shared here are a few resources to get you going, so to speak, on land navigation. […]