2011 can kiss my Ass!

Wanted to take a few moments to tell my online and real life friends Happy New Years and to say sorry I've been scarce here on the blog and over at Homegrown Goodness lately as well as to give some updates regarding the farm, life in general, and what is to come.


2011 was a freight train of a year, it sort of ran me over while I wasn't looking and just keeps soldiering on! It seems more than ever the world (even locally) has become increadibly polarized with those who "get it", those who "don't", and those still sleeping. Regardless, a lot of good came of it. We expanded the farm greatly by adding pigs and ducks to mix, learning some new tips and tricks and building some much needed new infrastructure (with more to come in the next few weeks which I'll report via this blog). We also expanded our business majorly by taking big steps into commercial seed production (even bigger in 2012) and adding two new lines of prodcuts in the form of Uncle Penns Circle W Lye Soap and Isla Tortuga Tobacco Lath work.

We finally smartened up and told our prvevious farmers market endeavor to "kiss both sides of our collective ass" and joined in the mix of community minded folks bound and determined to create a new paradigm in local food and art via a new local foodshed (Washington County Artisans and Farmers) and we even dipped into a bit of community service by joining a couple local organizations that piqued our interest (It's those community projects that have taken a great deal of my time in the past six months and the subsequent political bullshit that goes along with such involvment that explains my absence from most social media sites as of late).

Anyhow, 2012 promises to be a huge endeavor and the biggest year yet for Bishop's Homegrown. We have finished up most of our breeding projects and have a reliable repetoir of "Eco-Logically" grown seed to show for it as well as a solid set of homesteading, as well as land and animal managment skills to apply to our small but ever growing farm. This year, for the first time ever, we will finally be able to enter 100% into a full on small scale production model self-sustainable farm. Every day brings a new lesson and theres always going to be something new to learn and try, some new product to master, some new survival skill to implement, and some new infrastructure to throw together as well as a heap of challenges! Ultimately however, without the love and help of my friends, community, and family, none of it would matter as you are all the driving force behind my work!

This year we look forward to making unique contributions to Washington County Artisans and Farmers, Old Settlers Days, and The Pekin Betterment committee as we move towards bringing food, history, and future together for the betterment of all in the local community. We also look towards working closely with other online bloggers and messageboards to bring our collective message to the rest of the world.

I hope that you too have been watching the news and keeping an eye on your government and economy as we have (despite the lapse in recent blog posts regarding these topics). I hope that you too have been preparing and watching the paradigm shift as we move into this new year, and more than ever I hope your working to build your own community (and more importantly family) to prepare in whatever way possible for the shifts we are going through.

In coming weeks I'll be posting a bit about our animal projects, a new greenhouse were building, our new root cellar, soap making, and gasp perhaps even passing on some information regarding distilling (don't overlook it's importance in tough times!)

Until then, I'm taking a break until after the New Years Celebration has commenced. I'm worn down and worn out at the moment and need a few days to recoup (plus I've got a bit of a cold). I'll return to promoting the market, the farm, and other projects not to mention starting seeds, kicking ass and taking names, and in general being a shit kicker soon enough!

Happy New Year,
Your Friend,
Alan Reed Bishop

Interesting......

Wednesday, December 21, 2011
update as of 10:29 pm: Apparently the "reviewer" decided to contact an intermediary realizing that she was digging a hole for herself to let them know she didn't like the other vendors soap that well either......(too bad I know you've tried it before and your all buddy buddy with them and so does everyone else.) so expect her review of their product (if she decides to do one to be somewhat less "flowery" to cover her ass). You can fool some of the people some of the time but not all the people all the time! Puh-Pow motherfucker, that shit makes me harder than a Methodist Ministers pecker!

Interesting......
So today someone decided to review our soap........Except it wasn't really a review and nor were it truthful, in fact one could argue it was a hit piece. You see, there are these other soap makers in the community, nay, in fact in their own eyes, they are the "SOAP MAKERS". That is to say, they believe that since they make soap, no one else anywhere near their market has the right to make soap, in fact, it might be punishible by death for you or I to even consider making soap if our marketing territory overlaps even the tiniest bit.

Market farmers likely know the type, the insanely jealous folks that will do anything to protect what they rightly believe is theirs even if it means running others into the ground so long as the end goal of being a monopoly is accomplished.That is the situation that I have recently found myself in here in Washington County, made all the more troublesome by the hard work and time I've put into promoting the new farmers market that I and they are a part of which includes promoting their product even as they continue to deride me and my products, once with the husband even taking to facebook to proclaim that I should throw myself head first into a wood chipper and once refering to my inability to perform a certain task for market due to a family member being critically ill as a "Lame Ass Excuse".

You see though, none of that suprises me, I have somewhat trained myself over the years to expect the worst of people, particularly those who you have tried your hardest to help over the years with gifts of seeds, labor, animals, exct.What does suprise me though is when those same people want to deride me and my product they choose not to do it themselves, instead relying on a good friend of theirs to do the job for them such is the case with this "review".I put "reveiw" in quotation marks as I'm not entirely sure you can call something a review if it is prefaced with the words: "NO. Its not about soap and never has been." But then perhaps that's my own critical thinking seeping into this blog post.

I accept full responsibility for this piece of bad publicity though and for good reason. You see the reviewer (who I'm sure will also review the competitors product with glowing admiration within the next 24 hours) was at our most recent winter market this past Saturday (wouldn't you know it, hanging with the competetors and even helping move product) and despite my better judgment (I should have known after the last round of drama ended and after she berated one of my customers and her review on my facebook page which I readily admit to deleting and further banning her. You can talk about me all you want, not my customers!) I sold her a bar of our soap which she procedes to dissect in her review.

Some of her observations I won't argue with such as packaging; yeah it's not for everybody and it's not meant to be, it's meant to be simple.

The catchphrase; this was actually something my grandfather used to say, I have nothing to defend myself with here other than go fuck yourself, it's obviously not something you'll ever get and nor do I have time or energy to waste my breath arguing with you about it.

The single point I agree with; yes, the ingredients label should be on the outside of the soap package, but for lack of time and space the night before market it ended up on the inside label, thanks for the tip though I'll make sure that happens in the future. ;)

Now, onto the things I disagree with or take issue with.

The soap not being cured in the center. Yes, the soap was well cured, over six weeks time. Honey is one of our main ingredients and in cold process soaps it takes some time to evaporate since it is unsaponified, as well the soap sat overnight in my truck where it likely did pick up some moisture (as the soap on the wrapper clearly shows). This in no way means the soap is somehow unsafe as you seem to imply as the saponification renders the lye and oils chemically into a different substance all together, it's called soap. It does mean it might melt a little faster, for that I do appoligize and am working to remedy that situation in future batches.

The soap containing ingredients not listed on the label: That is a bold faced lie, there was no "corn" in this soap (though there is in Grit Getter), what there is is dried lavendar and honey. Everything that's in the soap is on the label and given how often I clean the equipment the chances of cross contamination are zero.Regarding skin issues. Every persons skin is different and every person has a different set of aggrevators which may effect their skin in a negative way. IF there was something in the soap that aggrevated your skin you should know before using the soap (since I know you read the ingredients label) if there is anything which may effect you negatively. Since the soap was properly cured and since the lye is not longer caustic after saponification and since I have the math setting in front of me and know as a matter of fact that the soap is 3% superfated (complete with three different folks reviewing the math) I know that it's not due to chemicals. As stated above, I agree with you, the ingredient label should be on the outside of the soap and in the future it very well will be.

The fact that I don't generally accept checks and or credit cards. You can ask any customer of Bishop's Homegrown or Face Of The Earth Seed, we have almost completely relied on the well concealed cash or money order method over the past seven years for any number of our products and short an ocassional slow to ship complaint during busy times we've never had a complaint and nor has anyone ever claimed they never got their product, ask around, do a google search, were not fly by night, we've been around for quite a long time now. We did use Paypal for a short period of time but gave it up after reading a myriad of horror stories about treatment of their customers. When it comes right down to it we rely on our reputation in the community and at large which speaks for itself (at least when someone is not out running it into the ground to help out their friends and gain revenge for me telling you how I felt about the situation.)

About an unbiased review: hint; they never start with the phrase: "NO. Its not about soap and never has been." and nor do they close with a quantifier like: "Due to the nature of the beast I know I will be called out in regards to posting this review and will be called biased, and hateful. It was not my intent. I paid cash to purchase the item in question and did an honest review of the product as a whole. I did not take into account who made it other than in regards to the end paragraph regarding the buyer being protected from bad product or negligent sellers. Simply put buyer beware."

About the smell; the only smell you'll get from our soap is that of the natural products in our soap. As mentioned before we don't use fragrant oils or synthetic oils as our goal is to use what is available on the farm, this does not lend to a strong fragrance which is something that we have chosen to do purposely. Lard is our main base and depending on the forumla and what the soap is trying to accomplish, yes, sometimes it doesn't have a huge lather, other forumlas we use do. Different strokes for different folks. Nothing against those who use stronger oils to scent their soap but we are catering to a group who aren't after that and who want only a slight smell imparted by ingredients grown on the farm. Theres plenty of room for everybody to make soap regardless of your thoughts. If you had an issue with smelling bad after using the soap you should likely consult a doctor as it's likely clinical in nature and needs attention.

In closing, yes you did buy the soap, and your intentions are now painfully clear for all the world to see. Yes, you got shitty customer service because we all know your a deceitful little troll with absolutely no respect for others (ask your peers at the other market, I'm sure they would be glad to let you know) and you've caused me just as many problems as your omipotent soap making gutter trash friends (even prior to the review). So, if you think Kim or I are going to kiss your fat fucking ass to make four dollars (and destroy our reputation) dream on. For those reading this post, I appoligize for my attrocious grammar and spelling but I couldn't set back and allow somone to damage my reputation (even for a new product which is really only a small percentage of what we do) by running myself and my product into the ground while attempting to decieve her readers into believing that it's honestly only about doing a review (convinent too that here she just started doing reviews and the first product she comes to is soap with mine conviniently being first and her friends surely coming soon! It's the details you'll notice!)

For customers interested in our soap, please feel free to call 812-967-2073 or email bishopshomegrown@gmail.com for those concerned about our reputation a simple google search for bishops homegrown, face of the earth seed or hip-gnosis seed development should provide a list of nearly everything we've done over the years and just how reliable we really are. A look at alanbishop.proboards.com and a simple inquiry post about us should assuage any further reputation damage.

To the reviewer, I'll gladly refund your money post haste as soon as I finish wiping my ass with it!

Christmas time will soon be over!

Christmas time will soon be over!

By: Alan Reed Bishop of Bishop's Homegrown/Face Of The Earth Seed/Uncle Penns Circle W Lye Soap.

This past Saturday morning I rolled out of bed at 5:00 AM to make my way down to Pierce Polk Vol Fire Dept for the most recent (only our second) Washington County Artisans and Farmers Market. Ambitions were high and the truck was loaded down with our Circle W soaps and tobacco lath work.

Vendors started filing in and setting up right around 7:00 and so too did customers. A nice steady stream of Christmas shoppers looking for locally made and handcrafted goods and a little produce to fill out their Christmas list. Everyone was in good spirits and hopes were high for a good turnout and another showing of what the Artisans and Farmers of Washington county are capable of.

At 8:00 Santa Claus arrived to share in the Christmas spirit and take a few photos with some delighted children (Thanks to Tanya Marie Davis and special thanks to Abigail Lengel for dressing up as an Elf!) while customers ate breakfast provided by Pierce Polk Vol. Fire Dept and commenced to shopping and spending quality time getting to know the vendors and their goods.

A slowly building but steady crowd made for a great day and good second outing for the organization. With Christmas nearly over we will recess until January 28'th at the American Legion Bingo Hall in Salem Indiana with space for nearly twice the number of vendors and a “Souper Saturday” Super planned to benefit the market organization from 10:00 AM until 2:00 PM. We will follow this event up with our Valentines market on Febuary 11'th, back again at the Pierce, Polk, Vol. Fire Dept. I'm sure that by that time I'll be asking yet again; “Is it spring yet?”

In the meantime Bishop's Homegrown would like to remind you that our soap and woodworking as well as our CSA option all remain available to you throughout the holiday season and thereafter. Don't forget, your gonna want to wash that old year (and possible hangover) away on New Years Day and we've got just the wares to do it with!

We would also like to take a moment to point you in the direction of our good friends at Addisons Graphic Arts in Salem Indiana who have a wide selection of unique printing materials and shirts and are now carrying our Uncle Penn's Circle W Old Fashioned Lye Soap in their shop! We hope to have some more retail locations secured in the coming weeks!

Anyone interested in becoming a vendor at Washington County Artisans and Farmers can either contact me at 812-967-2073 or send an email to wcaf@ymail.com


Merry Christmas to all!
Your Friend,
Alan Reed Bishop

Bishop's Homegrown/Face Of The Earth Seed/Uncle Penns Circle W Lye Soap newsletter

Hey folks, would you be interested in recieving a newsletter from Bishop's Homegrown via e-mail on a twice a month basis in winter and once a month basis in summer? This would cover everything from seeds, plants, nursery stock, soap, produce, poultry, eggs, and anything else we produce here on the farm and the avilability thereof. If so please drop me a line at bishopshomegrown@gmail.com

Uncle Penn's Circle W Soap and Isla Tortuga woodworking cataloug.

Uncle Penn's Circle W Old Fashioned Lye Soap is the newest addition to Bishop's Homegrown. Soap as it should be...simple.

If you want authenticity and only natural homegrown ingredients in your soap then we have the soap for you! We are sourcing a large portion of our ingredients from our own farm gardens and fields including grains (corn meal and oats), vegetables, dried herbs, fruit, and even local honey.

We are more concerned with sourcing ingredients that have been traditionally used in soap for their skin care properties (as well as sustainability) than with creating over scented bars using expensive essential oils or synthetic fragrant oils. Different strokes for different folks. Many of our soaps are one offs which are made in extraordinarilly small batches when and as ingredients are available from the farm while others are timeless classics (castille, raw, "Home-Brew")

We do use lard in our recipies along with a number of other oils simply because it's a reliable base fat that has been used since the begining of soap making and imparts qualities we appreciate, as well it is sustainable and and practical to produce on a small homested farm (which we are currently persuing). We use no artificial or natural dyes, just simple natural colors, imparted by our ingredients, which we feel speak to the earthiness and utilitarianism of the finished product. Completely bio-degradable and "Eco-Logical" just like all the Bishop's Homegrown products.

Most of our soaps use either homebrewed beer or wine bases or spring/well/rain water and nearly all include Honey in the mixture (a natural humectant and anti-bacterial), as well our soaps are all 3-5% superfated to help further moisturize your skin. Similarly the scet of our soap is in no way overbearing, owing it's slight scent to the presence of the natural ingredients inherent in the soap. We feel that there is an underserved soap market who appreciate a more subtle and earthy soap and share our appreciation of light natural scents imparted simply by on farm ingredients.

The main job of soap is to help water clean and moisturize your skin afterall.It's our belief that what you put on your body should be just as important as what you put in your body and the use of on farm ingredients assures that the two are one in the same (not to mention soap is another good form of preservation of the yearly harvest).

Keep your eyes peeled for further product introductions in the coming months!

If your after simplicity and quality over production and perfume we exist to cater to you!

Ordering information and custom orders: It seems like there is a growing trend when it comes to ordering from small business and farms online, utilizing credit cards, and unsecure digital forms and middleman services which cut into profit margins and play into the hands of the same big business we all seem so adamant to stand up against. Here we shun such practices and encourage ordering in the old fashioned way.

Give us a call and stop by the farm at 5604 S. State Rd. 60 Pekin IN 47165 or visit us at Washington County Artisans and Farmers market (spring-summer Saturdays 8-12 @Pekin Park. Winter @ Various locations) or order by mail the old fashioned way by sending well concealed cash or money order to Alan Bishop at the address above.

Shipping for wood products isn't currently available but will be soon

We also love custom orders, if you have something you'd like to see made drop us a line a bishopshomegrown@gmail.com

Tobbacco Lath wall hanger. This one is just sanded down to reveal the natural stain from years of hanging tobacco in our family barn. 4 inches deep x 4 inches wide by 4 inches tall. Great for hanging on a wall for your candles or soap or other items ot interest. 5.00 locally. No shipping at this time, check back soon.

Tobacco Lath Planter. Sanded down to reveal the natural tobacco stain. Great for a natural hanging planter complete with drainage holes and a bit of old barbless wire for hanging. 6 inches deep/wide/long. $15.00 locally, no shipping at this time, check back soon.

Tobacco Lath Ladders. We make these in several different sizes including miniatures and up to 5 foot tall. Great to lean against a wall or table to display items. Stained or unstained. Contact us for prices and sizes. No shipping currently. Locally available






Hand split tobacco lath coat hanger. Rustic and cool coat hangar made from a hand split tobacco lath over 100 years old. Would look great hanging in your home this winter. Stained mahogany. 10.00 each. Available locally. No shipping at this time.







Tobacco Lath Stars. We make these in a variety of sizes, both stained and unstained. Great for hanging on walls, doors, barns exct and look great decorated with Christmas lights! Small stained star 5.00, Small unstained 3.00. Large unstained 5.00 and large stained 8.00. No shipping currently.

Also for your Christmas shopping pleasure were proud to present some of our woodworking ventures. All of these products are handcrafted here on the farm using tobacco sticks (lath) that have graced our family farm fields for years (the hand split ones are sometimes near to or older than 100 years old and originally from Greensburg KY) First up is this hand split lath shaddow box window frame. The lathe were sanded and stained mahogany, would look great setting over a picture on your wall. 5.00 locally. No shipping at the moment, check back soon. Also available unfinished.








Uncle Penns "Dumb Ass County Boy": This ones all about the cooked down elderberry wine and fresh spearamint w/coarsley ground oats. This ones all about being unrefined and crude. 3% superfat with sunflower oil, coconut oil, lard, oats, honey, fresh spearamint, wine and mead. 5 ounce bars 4.00 each locally, 5.00 shiped. Bulk deals available.

Uncle Penn's "Manda": Great grandma 'Manda Burns spent a lot of time rendering lard from homegrown hogs and screening potash for lye to make her families yearly supply of soap. This here is nearly as authentic and "real" as it gets. Straight up lye and lard by popular request. Pure as the driven snow and white enough to prove it. This one is 3% superfat but we can make it 0% by request. Old timers claimed it good for drying out poison ivy, washing stains from clothes, and dealing with other skin issues as well as washing out some "dirty" mouths when needed. 5 ounce bars. 4.00 each locally 8.00 shipped..

Uncle Penns "Grit Gitter": We love gritts here on the farm, to us there isn't a thing in this world better than real grits from home ground corn flavored with some homegrown honey! What better way to pay tribute than to make soap with the same aesthetic! Lye, lard, coconut oil, sunflower oil, bees wax, and elderberry wine hook up with grits from homegrown Amanda Palmer corn (ground fine in a coffee grinder) and flavored with homegrown honey. Great exfoliating body bar with moisturizing properties that smells like breakfast, lunch, and dinner! 5 ounce bars. 4.00 locally 8.00 shipped. Bulk discount available.

Uncle Penn's "Anne-Marie": Uncle Penns sweetheart (my grandmother) was "Anne-Marie", this ones for her. Lavendar Meets honey and wine w/sunflower, coconut oil, lard and beeswax. Great for those who want that light old timey sweetheart scent. Five ounce bars 4.00 each locally 8.00 shipped. Bulk deals available.

Uncle Penns "Aunt Molly". Aunt Molly is one of those somewhat shrude weomen who remembers exactly where she came from. Straight up, she tells it like it is. This ones made in her spirit. Farm fresh spearamint blended with coffee makes for a great work soap to scrub the dirt of a hard day away. The base is spring water from "down the hill" as liquor would serve only to infuriate the aunt who it's named in honor of. 3 ounce bar. 5% superfat. Castille (olive oil) based. Excellent moisturizure. 3.00 locally 7.00 shipped

Uncle Penn's "Workin' Man": That he was! And of course theres that song ("I get up, seven yeah, go to work at nine" so what if the lyrics were a bit of a late starter!). This ones a straight up coffee scrub with a bit of honey for some "smellum good". Lot's of coffee grounds (home roasted from Sweet Maria's fair trade) for that extra grit you need to scrub out those deep workin man stains and as always some honey to help moisturize. 3% superfated too with the light scent of honey. 4 ounce bars. 4.00 each locally 8.00 shipped. Bulk discount available.

Uncle Penns Possum Fruit: Yeah, we went there, down in the hills of Kentucky nobody eats perssimmons, claiming their only good for possum feed! Good for us Hoosiers we know what they are all about! Luckily so to did those in the orient who used persimmon soap to aid in complexion and to cover body odour. True American persimmon meets lye, lard, coconut oil, honey, and elderberry wine. 3% superfat and honey means this ones great for moisturizing. Light honey-persimmon scent is reminicent of that famous pudding your grandma made. 5 ounce bar for 4.00. 8.00 shipped. Bulk discount available.

Uncle Penns Homebrew Soap: A blend of homebrewed wine and beer meets up with old fashioned lard and lye (along with coconut and sunflower oil) and some Avena Nuda oats (farm grown) with a bit of honey and chamomille to give you that kick in the pants you've been looking for. 3% superfat and honey keeps you moisturized while the slight natural scent of honey and chamomille make you presentable for the speakeasy crowd. 4.00 each. 8.00 shipped. Bulk discount available.

Uncle Penns "Turtle Creek": An homage to a small tributary to blue river where some of the best produce and homebrew are grown and brewed respectively. Beer base meets farm fresh cucumber (full of vitamins and nutrients and slightly astringent so good for oily skin) and oatmeal. Great for that early morning "wake up" call. 3% superfat, light oat and cucumber smell. Great lather. 5 ounce bars for 4.00 locally 8.00 shipped

Uncle Penns "Mull Digger": For those who don't know what a "Mull Digger" is down in the hills of Kentucky it's a term used to refer to a lazy or otherwise useless dog (or lazy person/a cheat) who digs for moles but never catches them, instead leaving only distruction and subsequent work in it's path. Here we use it to refer to our pine tar soap which harkens back to the days of "patent medicines...". Pine tar has been used for centuries to ward off bugs, deal with skin conditions, and mask the smell of hunters from prey. 3% superfat, coconut oil, sunflower oil, lard, rain water, and bees wax makes this superior to others. 5 ounce bars. 4.00 each locally, 8.00 shipped. Bulk deals available.

Check out these gift baskets, they make great Christmas gifts. Included is your choice of one of two different types of handmade wooden totes made from antique tobacco sticks from our family farm which have been sanded down and stained mahogany with a gift bow and decorative poinsettas and your choice of any four Circle W soaps as well as a tube each of "Kisser Fixer" Chapstick (Latte and Butter Cream). 40.00 each local only.

Not Everybody is lucky enough to have an Uncle like Penn Wilson. A simple appalachian man who has an insatiable passion for life and liberty. Our soap, like him, is as it should be...simple. Straight up natural, farm grown "smelllum good" herbs, honey, homebrewed wine and beer, spring and rain water, lye and oils. Never any artificial colors or scents out of a bottle. Just good old fashioned mountain wisdom.

"Uncle Penn says to stay clean you gotta wash ass!"

Our article in Edible Louisville....

Check it out Here

Community, cooperation, and local goods. Pushing the boundaries of a local market!

Community, cooperation, and local goods. Pushing the boundaries of a local market

“Winter is no time for a local Artisans and Farmers market!”.....we blew that notion completely out of the water this past Saturday when 13 vendors and hundreds of customers poured into our first ever Washington County Artisans and Farmers event graciously hosted (along with a breakfast) by the Pierce Polk Vol Fire Dept.

A steady stream of community customers filed into the building to check out all the cool and local handcrafted and homegrown items on display (including a handful of local produce including tomatoes, lettuce, turnips, and greens the week before Thanksgiving). Local (and those from as far away as English) really seemed to dig the wide selection of items including jewelry, baked goods, assortments of soaps and body care items, local meat, hand sewn items, and folk art.

We (Bishop's Homegrown) were there in a corner set up between our friend Mary Beth Morgan and our friends Tye and Laura Gazarian taking in the awe that this project we've all worked (and are working) so hard to put together and promote seems to have begun to pay off in spades. We took the opportunity to use the event to show some of the other complex sides of what we do here on our small family farm by debuting our new Uncle Penns Old Fashioned lye soap (lip balms, body butter, and lotions too!) and Isla Tortuga trading company items (woodworking using 100 year old tobacco laths from the family farm). Of course our Face Of The Earth Seed Company also made a good impression despite the oncoming winter season (the persistence of hope in a gardener is hard to diminish even when the snow flies!)

We look forward to the next event on December 17'th, from 8-12 (once again in conjunction with Pierce Polk Vol. Fire Dept and their awesome home cooked breakfast and an appearance by the man of the season himself Santa Claus) and will use it as an opporotunity to expand on the groundwork the market as well as Bishop's Homegrown has done so far.

-Alan “The Working Man” Bishop

homegrowngoodness.blogspot.com
faceoftheearthseed.blogspot.com
812-967-2073
bishopshomegrown@gmail.com

Proof of Pre-Columbian New and Old World Trade.

Check out the link HERE

Anyone who has read this blog for quite a while will know I have touched on the long history of new and old world contact and trade quite a few times (particularly in reference to corn, chickens, and peaches). Anyhow, there has always been proof of such movements but it's nice to see it broken down in such a way. Sure, similar organisms could have evolved in seperate circumstances, but not identical (well perhaps, but this would be pretty miraculous, tantamount to the Jesus argument, ie a man was born of a virgin, son of god, died and rose from the dead vs a man was born, had an inspired message, married, had children, died and lived on through tradition).

Back by popular demand; Bishop's Homegrown Farmstand Credit Program

Well, we've heard our customes and listened. No traditional CSA here, seems the farmstand credit works better for our customers and since our customers keep us in business we do what makes 'em happy!

Tell me this isn't an awesome deal? More bang for your buck and more choices! Please pass it on!


Bishop's Homegrown Farm Stand Credit Program! A new local/regional CSA program alternative. Providing more convenience and better value to our community. For 2012 Season.Bishop's Homegrown is a small Eco-Logical and self sustainable farm in the town of Pekin Indiana. We are family owned and a fourth generation farm focused on providing quality produce from yesteryear as well as the new food and flower crops of the future to our valued friends and community members.

We use the strictest possible sustainable guidelines for on farm food production and make no exceptions. We feel that it is of utmost importance that locavores, members of the slow food movement, and community members, know who and from where their food comes from and how it is grown. We produce 90% of our own seed crops as well as 100% of our own organic fertilizer and we never ever opt for chemical options to control pests or disease issues on farm, feeling that growing food “eco-logically” is the only alternative to our failing food system in the United States.

We have searched the world over to bring you the most unique, exciting, and rare food crops from diverse cultures the world over with an emphasis on nutrition and taste! Our doors are always open to our community and customers who we encourage to visit the farm in order to see and know where and how their food was grown. Food security begins when a relationship is formed between the community and its farmers, this essential connection is what allowed civilization to flourish 10,000 years ago.

This year we would like to introduce you to our newest program which we feel you will find immense value in!The Farm Stand Credit Program: The concept of Community Supported Agriculture (AKA. CSA) is generally defined as a mutually beneficial arrangement between a farmer and his customer wherein the customer agrees to share in the risks and rewards of local farming for the benefit of their food production and the farmers well being. The CSA consumers become by proxy shareholders in the farm and it's well being by paying an upfront membership due which covers the production of food in a “Share” system. Generally a traditional CSA allows for the consumer to pay for up front costs of the farmers start up cost with the farmer reciprocating by preparing a predetermined amount of produce every week through the growing season which the shareholders pick up once a week. The farmer generally picks the produce that the customer will receive.This year Bishop's Homegrown is looking to create a viable alternative to the traditional CSA program by creating a farm stand coupon program which will allow customers to still share in helping us get our business going during the part of the season in which seed and implements and other essentials are being purchased while also making the relationship more convenient for the farmer and the shareholders. In this arrangement, instead of the farmer putting together a box of produce weekly he has selected for you you will instead receive credit from our farm which will allow you to visit our farm stand or farm where you can make your selection of produce that we have available including also a selection of seedlings, nursery stock, seeds, compost, poultry and other items from our farm. This gives you the opportunity to decide what you want instead of us deciding what you want.

Every $100 you invest will also get you a 10% discount which means that you will actually get 10% more produce for your food dollars.Our produce will be available to you via Washington County Artisans and Farmers market held at Pekin Park in Pekin Indiana on Saturday Mornings from 8 AM to 12 PM as well as at all subsequent “winter markets” held at the Pierce Polk Vol Fire Dept. in Pekin Indiana (as well as any additional events) For convineince you can also schedule a time to pick up things or peruse the fields here at the farm!. It is important to note that we don't usually deal in custom ordered bulk produce on a normal basis (i.e., a bushel beans, or a bushel of corn) but that when these items are available at market, as they often are, your credit can be used to purchase them as well.

FAQ

How much does it cost? The investment levels start at 50.00. An investment at the 100 dollar or above level will earn you a 10% discount which means that an investment at the $100 level only costs you $90! Thats right; $100 dollars of credit only costs $90! That's essentially the same as getting $10 of produce free just for paying ahead of time! Your credit is good for two years which means that whatever is not spent this season can be carried over to next season! The maximum investment is $500.

Here is the layout:

$50 credit for $50
$100 credit for $90
$200 credit for $180
$300 credit for $270
$400 credit for $360
$500 credit for $450

How will we keep track of your credit? Good old fashioned pen and paper, anytime you make a purchase we will deduct that price from our ledger. You will receive a receipt after each transaction so you too can keep track of the amount of produce purchased.What if I make it to market late and you are out of what I want? Unfortunately this may happen from time to time which is why we are keeping the investment level low to start with. Sometimes we just flat out run out of an item due to popularity. The best bet is to show up to market early, the best of the best goes quickly!

There are occasions when we may not be able to make it to market from time to time due to emergencies or just the need to take a break here and there but we will inform you a few days ahead of time via e-mail (unless it's a last minute emergency) that we will not be at market in the coming week.

What can I purchase with Bishops homegrown credit? Does this offer only include produce? No, any item we bring to market is eligible for purchase via this credit, including seeds, plants, seedlings, poultry (chicks), occasionally rabbits, compost, fishing worms, handcrafts including soap and wood or any other product we have at market or our farm stand. We also occasionally have winter produce available. This also covers poultry butchered here on the farm including a Thanksgivning turkey. This also includes nursery stock and our new Face Of The Earth Seed company seeds!

Payment is due by the February 2012 in order that we know what we have in the bank and can plan accordingly. Payment can be made by check, money order, or well concealed cash. Credit takes effect immediately and rolls over for a two year period.

Make checks or money orders payable to: Debbie Bishop and send to: Alan Bishop 5604 S. State Rd. 60 Pekin IN 47165Also include a note with your full name, address, e-mail address, phone number and a list of people who you will allow to purchase items with your credit if you need to send someone to the farm stand in your place!

If you have any questions feel free to e-mail bishopshomegrown@gmail.com or give me a call at 812-967-2073

Dear Seed Geeks......

Don't forget that the official Face Of The Earth Seed Bazzare is up and running Here. The very first CSA orders as well as customer orders went out this week and between that and selling seed at Friday Night On the Square, Old Settlers Days, and at Beck's Mill we are already running low on some items. Now is the time to get your order in. There is a strong demand for these seeds growing locally and I don't expect it to slow down any time soon. We have six events planned between now and next March so get on it quick!

Bishops Homegrown 2012 CSA

Hey local peeps, heres your chance to join our CSA for 2012~

Bishop's Homegrown 2012 CSA
5604 S. State Rd. 60Pekin IN 47165
812-967-2073

Introduction: Bishop's Homegrown is a small “eco-logically” grown farm in Pekin Indiana. We first started operating as an offshoot of my parents/grandparents former tobacco growing operation offering fresh produce, good plants, and compost all produced using traditional non chemical methods.. Much of our work in recent years has been focused on breeding and or collecting and replicating more nutritious and well adapted local plants and animals for the local/regional market and particularly catered towards low input farmers. From these enterprises we have seen much success and we have built an inventory of locally adapted – low input adapted plants and seed that is unmatched by any other in Washington County Indiana and likely by any in Southern Indiana in general.The Farm and Certifications:We feel that we are now in a position to be able to share these plants and their bounty more freely with the surrounding community as we have further modified our low input (no chemicals) production methods to fit a model which gives the greatest yield with the least amount of input.

In conjunction with the newly formed Washington County Artisans and Farmers market we would love to be one of the first blocks in the formation of a new local food shed! This is why we are offering a 2012 CSA program to interested locator consumers who want the freshest and best local produce grown with the least amount of chemical contaminants possible. This gives the consumer a chance to not only know where the produce that graces their table comes from but to also foster a relationship with the farmer and become more aware of the hows and why's of local food products. We are not organically certified but we are customer certified, meaning that we hope that you our discerning customers will take the time to come and tour our farm and fields over the years. We feel that this is far more “authentic” and meaningful than any government issued “stamp” of approval.

What We are Offering: Currently we are offering three membership options, first up is a general overview of all three plans: You receive Weekly Basket of Produce running from roughly May-Sept/Oct. Depending on climatic conditions and production conditions. This will run of the gammit of most commonly grown food crops as well as many rarities including some occasional fruit and berries. Discounts and first chance at bulk produce plus the perk of extra produce when available at no extra cost. 10% Discounts on other items such as heritage turkeys for Thanksgiving, seeds, plants, compost, and more. One turkey is included every Thanksgiving for family plan members. You will be expected to pick up your produce weekly on Saturdays from 8:00 Am - 12:00 Pm at Washington County Artisans and Farmers Market held in Pekin Park.

Perks of family plan: By signing up for a family plan you share with me in the risks and benefits of farming. Early in the season the basket may be sparse. Later on a rich abundance is expected which aught to more than compensate for the sparse weeks. Family plan members have my highest allegiance: You get my first of season vegetables before anyone else. And if there is just a tiny bit of your favorite crop left I will save it for you. If you have a favorite variety I may try growing it for you. You will also get the first chance to purchase any bulk quantities of produce we have on hand at a discount compared to farm stand prices. Obviously types of produce and amount thereof varies weekly. The family plan also includes one Heritage Turkey a year prepared specially for you for Thanksgiving.
Individual and couples plan: Couple and Individual plan members will also receive first and last of crop perks that don't go to market if there is enough quantity after the family basket orders are filled. Otherwise, they will receive all of the same produce, in lesser quantities than the family basket delivered with the same quality and care. They will also receive a 10% discount on turkeys, seeds, plants, and compost.

Prices are as follows:Family Plan (4 people): $15.00 a week. Running from (roughly May/June-Oct) – 300.00
Couples Plan (2 people) $10.00 a week. Running for same amount of time.- 160.00Singles Plan
Individual plan $8.00 a week. Running for same amount of time. - 130.00

I can also customize plans if someone wants to talk about doing so. All plans can be paid a year in advance or up to April 30 of 2012. We may be able to work out a week to week billing plan as well. The current prices will be somewhat discounted for those who wish to join a year in advance as such forwarded cash helps us prepare greatly for the year ahead, the advanced pricing scheme lasts until December and is as follows:

Family 290.00
Couples 150.00
Singles 120.00

Make Checks payable to Alan Bishop and either visit us in person or mail to 5604 S. State Rd. 60 Pekin IN 47165.

Edible Louisville Magazine

Got a mailbox full of Edible Louisville magazine in todays mail complete with a two page article covering Bishop's Homegrown/Face Of The Earth Seeds mostly focusing on our "Kiva" turkey breeding project. Have already been contacted by multiple folks from Louisville and Kentuckiana about turkeys and seeds and other stuff for next year. It's nice to be recognized for hard work from time to time! If you get a chance check it out, should be available lots of places around town and I know at Fresh Start Growers Supply


There should be an internet version up sometime in the near future. I'm hoping the photographer will be kind enough to pass along some photos that weren't used for the article for use here on the blog as the ones in the magazine turned out beautiful. After our Washington County Artisans and Farmers meeting tonight I dropped one off to some friends at the local watering hole to show off my new "Centerfold" which they really got a kick out of!


Thanks to the editors and photographers of Edible Louisville Magazine as well as to the fabulous (and might I add highly underrated Loren Freed who went above and beyond to capture my rambling and tubling/stumbling incoherant ramblings on multiple ocassions and through multiple technical difficulties to get this interview!

Washington County Artisans and Farmers.

One of the many projects which has kept me busy this year (and subsequently away from the blog and messageboard) is my hand in helping to foster the birth of a new local Artisans and Farmers Market. You may remember from a few months back that I had quite a falling out with my previous market over ego-trips and a general "do nothing" attitude as well as their disallowing of local artisans (and dismissal of some produce vendors). Luckily a local civil group called Washington County Awarness had targeted a Artisan and Farmers market as their class of 2011 project!

I was extremely lucky to hook up with these forward thinking folks made up of citizens, who also want to see a local food and art shed thrive, in order to develop and foster a new market for Washington (and surrounding) counties which will highlight the amazing breadth of local goods available to consumers living locally and regionally! To boot we got the support of my hometown Pekin Indiana who offered us the lovely Pekin Park (Gill's Grove historically) in which to host our main season market from April-October!

On top of all this we decided to exploit the winter months to offer artisans and farmers a place to sale their wares at a time of year when income on a farm is at it's lowest. Once again my community stepped to the forefront offering Pierce Polk Vol. Fire Dept. as a venue for a once monthly winter market hosting up to fifteen vendors in concert with the fire dept. holding a benefit breakfast. The first of these markets is knocking on our door as I type.

November 19'th from 7:00 AM - 12:00 PM we will be at the first ever Washington County Artisans and Farmers Market peddling our homegrown Face Of The Earth Seed, Wood Crafts, and our brand new project; Penn Wilsons Circle W Soap (which I will write about in short order).

Come see us if you get a chance!

By the way perspective local vendors, theres still room in our main season market for many more, just shoot an email to wcaf@ymail.com

-Alan Bishop, Vice President of WCAF and proud Anchor Vendor of a new and growing market for the betterment of mind, body, soul, and community!

A Few Seeds I'm looking for.....

If you didn't know we do take trades for seeds too......reciprocal of course with anything you might want from the Face Of The Earth Seed Bazzare. Here is a little of what we are seeking for future breeding projects.

These Carrots If bulk is offered I'll match with bulk of what you want!

Good round raddishes in a multitude of colors as well as long winter type raddishes

Good sized sweet well netted yellow muskmelons

Spinach of many types

Mustard greens

My Resume.......

Unfotunately being a farmer doesn't always make ends meet and ocassionally a job must be sought off farm to fill in the gaps. Unfortunately having a seven year work history working for yourself on a farm doesn't tend to get you hired anywhere for some reason, not to mention it definitely doesn't seem to get you hired doing something that you actually love that wouldn't necessarily feel like a job!



Yes the economy sucks. I get it. Yes, I don't have a long list of recent employeers you can call for verification exct. but surely theres got to be someone out there willing to hire me to do something for you or your business!

So, let me cover my qualifications, perhaps not in the most organized resume sort of way, but something similar anyhow.

I grew up on a tobacco farm In Pekin IN. I've been running farm equipment since the age of seven and I am proficient in cultivation, plowing, fertilizing, mowing, and planting and any number of other machinery driven jobs. I have a strong background in self taught plant breeding. I am an expert composter; both thermophilic and "cold" composting and I have an intense love for plants and animals and could be considered a professional seed saver.

I have tons of experience in plant propigation both from seed and cuttings including grafting, cloning, root cuttings, air layering, rooting and more. I have mixed potting soils using both professional materials as well as homemade compost and locally sourced sustainable ingredients. I have five years of experience in worm composting as well.



I have experience with woodland management and am proficient with a chainsaw and am familiar with trail making. I also am proficient at maintaining and increasing woodland bio-diversity such as ginseng and yellow root, both of which I have raised from seed to fruition. I know my local flora and fauna and have a bit of experience with grading timber and maintaining a stand with a good mixture of species.



I have experience with a number of different types of livestock including poultry of all types, pigs, and also goats. I have incubated eggs, raised poults, and even made my own feed from corn I grew and harvested on my farm in conjunction with other crops. I have butchered a few hundred chickens, turkeys, rabbits, guineas, quail, and squirrel at this point in my life; safely, quickly, and proficiently.

I have a strong connection to my community and the wider agriculture community via my blog at homegrowngoodness.blogspot.com and also my messageboard at alanbishop.proboards.com, both of which are focused on education of the general public. I also serve on the board of Washington County Artisans and Farmers as Vice President and I am working with the board of Old Settlers Days to improve the festival. I have done historical reenactments as a Yeomen farmer at both Old Settlers Days and Becks Mill. I am a former board member of Washington County Farmers Market and a previous member of Pierce Polk Vol. Fire Dept.



I have a lot of customer service experience due to my several years of working at farmers markets. I also have a strong background in advertising as I am the primary driver of business to both my produce business and also to my seed company. I also work on the marketing comitte of the Washington County Artisans and Farmers market. I am proficient at contacting newspapers and driving media attention as well as designing and distributing flyers and brochoures.




I have some carpentry skills due to the necessity of needing to build barns and animal pens on the farm as well as house repairs, building greenhouses, and generally making due with what I have on hand. I have some chemistry experience from making wine and soap by hand from scratch.

I have experience with conducting education and giving tours as I have done for several years to large groups here on my farm. I am excellent at giving presentations to large groups of people due to my many speaking engagements at local social clubs including the Rotary Club, Chamber Of Commerce, and Master Gardeners.

I have written articles for many publications including Permaculture.co.uk, Lost River Market and Deli newsletter, Not Just Heasay News, and several blogs.

I'm a hard worker capable of picking up 75 lbs of weight at frequent intervals and up to 150 lbs. I can and have dug ditches, ponds, root cellars and holes to put plants in. I'm not afraid to get dirty and I am certainly not above or new to mucking out a barn or pig pen. I am proficient with a wheelbarrow and a maddock. I have tons of landscaping experience including design including permaculture.

Oh yeah, I also volunteer to play Santa Clause on a yearly basis for my town Christmas celebration as well as the fire dept. Christmas celebration.

This is just a small sample of what I have done as a farmer over the past seven years, if this skill set might match your job or an employer that you know of please contact me at:





Alan Bishop


5604 S. State Rd. 60


Pekin IN 47165





or call


812-967-2073

Bishops Homegrown 2012 CSA

Hey local peeps, heres your chance to join our CSA for 2012~


Bishop's Homegrown 2012 CSA
5604 S. State Rd. 60Pekin IN 47165
812-967-2073


Introduction: Bishop's Homegrown is a small “eco-logically” grown farm in Pekin Indiana. We first started operating as an offshoot of my parents/grandparents former tobacco growing operation offering fresh produce, good plants, and compost all produced using traditional non chemical methods.. Much of our work in recent years has been focused on breeding and or collecting and replicating more nutritious and well adapted local plants and animals for the local/regional market and particularly catered towards low input farmers. From these enterprises we have seen much success and we have built an inventory of locally adapted – low input adapted plants and seed that is unmatched by any other in Washington County Indiana and likely by any in Southern Indiana in general.The Farm and Certifications:We feel that we are now in a position to be able to share these plants and their bounty more freely with the surrounding community as we have further modified our low input (no chemicals) production methods to fit a model which gives the greatest yield with the least amount of input.

In conjunction with the newly formed Washington County Artisans and Farmers market we would love to be one of the first blocks in the formation of a new local food shed! This is why we are offering a 2012 CSA program to interested locator consumers who want the freshest and best local produce grown with the least amount of chemical contaminants possible. This gives the consumer a chance to not only know where the produce that graces their table comes from but to also foster a relationship with the farmer and become more aware of the hows and why's of local food products. We are not organically certified but we are customer certified, meaning that we hope that you our discerning customers will take the time to come and tour our farm and fields over the years. We feel that this is far more “authentic” and meaningful than any government issued “stamp” of approval.

What We are Offering: Currently we are offering three membership options, first up is a general overview of all three plans: You receive Weekly Basket of Produce running from roughly May-Sept/Oct. Depending on climatic conditions and production conditions. This will run of the gammit of most commonly grown food crops as well as many rarities including some occasional fruit and berries. Discounts and first chance at bulk produce plus the perk of extra produce when available at no extra cost. 10% Discounts on other items such as heritage turkeys for Thanksgiving, seeds, plants, compost, and more. One turkey is included every Thanksgiving for family plan members. You will be expected to pick up your produce weekly on Saturdays from 8:00 Am - 12:00 Pm at Washington County Artisans and Farmers Market held in Pekin Park.

Perks of family plan: By signing up for a family plan you share with me in the risks and benefits of farming. Early in the season the basket may be sparse. Later on a rich abundance is expected which aught to more than compensate for the sparse weeks. Family plan members have my highest allegiance: You get my first of season vegetables before anyone else. And if there is just a tiny bit of your favorite crop left I will save it for you. If you have a favorite variety I may try growing it for you. You will also get the first chance to purchase any bulk quantities of produce we have on hand at a discount compared to farm stand prices. Obviously types of produce and amount thereof varies weekly. The family plan also includes one Heritage Turkey a year prepared specially for you for Thanksgiving.

Individual and couples plan: Couple and Individual plan members will also receive first and last of crop perks that don't go to market if there is enough quantity after the family basket orders are filled. Otherwise, they will receive all of the same produce, in lesser quantities than the family basket delivered with the same quality and care. They will also receive a 10% discount on turkeys, seeds, plants, and compost.

Prices are as follows:
Family Plan (4 people): $15.00 a week. Running from (roughly May/June-Oct) – 300.00

Couples Plan (2 people) $10.00 a week. Running for same amount of time.- 160.00Singles Plan

Individual plan $8.00 a week. Running for same amount of time. - 130.00

I can also customize plans if someone wants to talk about doing so. All plans can be paid a year in advance or up to April 30 of 2012. We may be able to work out a week to week billing plan as well. The current prices will be somewhat discounted for those who wish to join a year in advance as such forwarded cash helps us prepare greatly for the year ahead, the advanced pricing scheme lasts until December and is as follows:

Family 290.00
Couples 150.00
Singles 120.00

Make Checks Cash able to Alan Bishop and either visit us in person or mail to 5604 S. State Rd. 60 Pekin IN 47165.

Pot Belly Pigs as Homestead Hogs?

Banshe
O'Dale

Winehead-Given to me by an old friend of my fathers who pulled up to the farm one day in a 1970 rusted out stepside truck; barefoot, cutoff shorts, no shirt, hair to his ass, beard to his chest, with this big boy in the back of the truck. He was on his way to a David Allen Cole concert and I traded him a bottle of Bishop's Homegrown Elderberry wine for him!

The Girls Pen

I'm sure there are gonna be an equal amount of both farmers and animal rights activists both reacting with the same indignant and ignorant thought to that statement!

"Potbellies are pets not food!"

Wrong. Potbellies have a long history of domestication for exactly those purposes in the Far East! As a matter of fact they are the "Heritage" homestead hog of Vietnam and Korea!

We had been discussing raising pigs for meat for the house and possibly for sale for quite some time and I never could decide which breed I really wanted to go with, like all things I leaned hard towards creating my own uniquely adapted landrace.

I had a number of considerations to look at when selecting a type based around my production practices. Mostly I wanted the following:

-Efficiency. How quickly do they grow? How much do they eat? Can they forage?

-Cleanliness and Sloth: One thing I hate about most hogs I see even on pasture farms is their laziness. I want an active forager that's up doing stuff, checking things out, and generally being a "pig"....rooting around.

-Litter numbers and mothering instincts: I want a fair number of piglets come breeding time but I don't need 20 each from each sow I have. Eight or nine would be more appropriate and have a higher rate of survivability. I also wanted good mothering instincts. I don't want mothers that abandon piglets or roll over on them.

-Demeanor: I prefer to eat a pig not the other way around.

-Size: For home use I don't need a huge pig as I don't want to have to freeze or smoke (though I will build a small smokehouse soon to go with the new greenhouse and rootcellar!) several hundred pounds at a time. Meat on the hoof to me is far more secure than meat that is preserved via freezing.....even cured it has to be used in a certain amount of time. It's also a whole lot easier for me to sling around 150 lbs during butcher as opposed to 300 or 400 lbs.

I settled on the potbelly for all of the above reasons..........and because I got three of them for free from some local friends.

......And a fourth from another old friend.

My plan is still to create a landrace which will be made up of Potbelly (2 strains) and American Guinea Hog along with genetics from any other small breed pig which might suit my fancy in the coming years, Kune Kune would be nice but is nearly impossible of prohibitively expensive to afford at the moment.

My most important consideration is good foraging skills as I have plans to create some pasture areas for the pigs (ducks, turkeys, exct.) over the coming months as well giving them some amount of "free" range with the addition of some electric fencing. One thing I would really like to do is breed the pigs in January or so (both sows I currently have) and raise about 6 for meat the first year. I'd like to fence off a couple acres of Amanda Palmer and turn the pigs and turkeys loose to forage in the fall as the corn dries down (easier to take the pigs to the corn than the other way around) allowing them to forage and strip the corn plants, root up the field and of course fertilize it alongside the turkeys leaving nothing left for the following spring but to take down the fence and replant Amanda Palmer corn for animals! This eliminates plowing, fertilizing, hand harvesting, shucking, and grain storage and gives good, fresh, farm raised pork! Of course in time pasture stips can be established as well alongside the fruit and nut trees where the pigs can be actively encourage to eat low quality fruit as well as windfall fruit while improving the soil and plants on those terraces.

Of course there are other economic advantages of raising my own pigs on farm as well, extra piglets can always be sold to those with a similar interest or for raising as housepets and extra fatening hogs can be taken to butcher for sale to customers. Another reason we leaned hard on potbellies (and hopefully soon guineahogs) is for their lard content. These days lard is oft overlooked as unhealthy in the Western diet but it has been consumed for thousands of years and can't be any worse than some of the GMO based vegetable oils in the long run. Of course as well lard can be used to make a fantastic soap and since we just happened to recently venture into that business we will certainly make use of any farm byproducts we can get including the lard.

I spoke to an old family friend the other day while collecting persimmon germplasm for next season who told me his family used to raise potbellies and potbelly derrivatives for food and he spoke highly of them. The only real difference as I understand is you don't really get bacon of them which is fine with me as my main interest is ham, lard, jawl bacon, and pork chops as well as a whole roasting small pig for get togethers! (what other farm do you know you can go to and eat roasted potbelly, drink homemade elderberry wine, buy seeds, eat rabbits, eat duck, buy homemade soap, homegrown produce and discuss philosophy?)!

He also told me a cool trick for clearing up lard, which is aparently yellow when rendered, drop a few potato slices into your pot and it will pull out the impurities and turn the lard white!

Some of you may have seen some of the pics in this article before for an article I wrote for a magazine in the UK and posted on the blog before about creating hog houses. For those who are interested in getting into potbellies on a budget, definitely consider building out of pallets as they are freely available material that readily ends up in the landfill and make good sturdy enclosures. The pigs haven't even attempted to escape at this point!

Also, be sure to check out Wind Ridge Farm in Kentucky for more information on raising potbellies for meat.

Enoch's Garden

A "Tire Garden" proper....

If there is such a thing as a proper tire garden!

Back in the 70's tire gardens were all the rage as the back to land folks made use of what sources they had due to a lack of money, jobs, or desire to be a part of capitalism (or perhaps all of the above). I've seen a ton of articles about tire gardening in old Mother Earth News Magazine that my friend Karen Padgett passed on to me but somehwere way back then the idea got dropped.....

Likely, as with most things, I'm sure some eco trend probably contributed to this as well as yuppy folks deciding they didn't like the looks of the black rubber monsters surrounding their house.....to be honest I had never even considered doing it until this year.

While working some business deals with a neighbor he showed me his tire garden. A few rows here and there spread out throughought his quarter acre garden filled with asparagus, garlic, beans, potatoes, squash and some various other crops. I still wasn't sold on it yet, I mean afterall what of the health and eco-logical consequences of all that rubber and heavy metal....I began my research and learned that the chemicals and heavy metals are actually so tied up in the rubber matrix that they don't present any problems until reduced to tiny particles.....I began hauling tires and compost from the neighbors farm, truck load after truckload!

Lots of hard manual labor latter I had a nice little tire garden on the hill behind the house and a second smaller one next to the drive.

Why tires you might ask?

Let me explain my theories and thoughts.

The tires warm the soil quite a bit earlier in the season than even an ordinary raised bed giving you a couple weeks early planting in spring and late harvest in the fall.

The tires can be used on sections of ground not suited to ordinary cultivation such as steep hilsides, areas of poor soil, and rocky ground opening up new opporotunities for planting that did not exist previously.

No till planting; part of what makes this work and proved its value to me was the no till method of planting. Essentially you are creating a nice habitat to culture useful micro-organisms which maintain fertility as long as you start with a good quality compost and top dress a little over winter and in the spring. In between the tires I leave a nice 2 foot walkway which I cover with straw and in time I will build these row centers up in every other row by applying straw through the growing season and compost in the off season, after a few years of building up humous in this way I can plant the center rows to low impact crops such as strawberries, onions, and garlic nearly doubling the productivity of the given pieces of ground.

Most of the articles I read in Mother Earth advocated cutting off the outside flap of the tires but I decided to keep them as the one on the bottom will help to retain moisture in dry weather.

The only down side of the tires is the high heat of summer which I handle with the straw in between rows by simply piling it high enough to cover the edges of the tires, even then the tires get dry, this of course could be remidied with some drip irrigation on the upper slope of the hill above each row of the tire.

Cover crops could really expand the soil line beneath the tire, Daikon raddish would be a great crop which could help to break up the hard ground underneath the tires and make some water channels as well as pull up nutrients otherwise not available in the tires.

We decided to name the garden "Enoch's Garden" in honor of Enoch and his wife Sarah who are credited on the deed to the land as the original owners of this farm and builders of the barn that I recently renovated. It is of course also an homage to my interest in Gnosticism as well. By next year we hope to have a fence built around the garde to preclude access to the ducks and turkeys. At the moment we are building u strawberry stocks, garlic, multiplying onions, walking onions, and potatoe onions there as well as about 50 varieties of garlic. We will also be overwintering our turnip and kale and collards there for seed production next season.

This past summer we grew a number of crops in the tires including late tomatoes, peppers, onions, lettuce, sweet potatoes, potatoes, summer squash, winter squash and a few others.

Some messageboards of interest to agricultural explorers.

Well as cool weather sets in I'll find myself with a bit more time to set behind this screen and type here on the blog as well as the ever growing Homegrown Goodness Messageboard where the conversations are already heating up with talk of many new breeding projects and seed trades as well as homesteading skills and more.


I'd be remiss however if I didn't also mention a couple other boards I thought my readers might enjoy starting with my buddy Dean Slater (Darthslater to those in the know) owner and operator of both PKS Seeds as well as The Tomato Garden messageboard the sister site of our very own homegrown goodness messageboard!

Darth will be growing out some of our toughest selections on some of his toughest land next season, a project which you can follow on Homegrown Goodness.

I should also mention that Rob Wagner and Tom Wagner of New World Seeds And Tubers have a new messageboard as well Here

Free Download: Post-Apocalyptic Personal & Family Security Book

Dear Prepper friends,

If you really want to be ready and you desire to help others get ready then please give me a hand getting the word out there about this one!

Our good friend Bill Drake from cultivatorshandbook.com (Cultivators Handbook of Natural Tobacco, International Cultivators Handbook) has recently published a new ebook which will go a long ways in helping all of us prepare for the Shit to Hit!


The book is free of charge to you and free to distribute under the Creative Commons license and provisions in the document.


For those who would prefer to download the document please check this link at Shit Hits The Fan Blog

Theres a ton of useful information covered in this 76 page word document, much of it you will one day find useful.

Here is the introduction:


Introduction
I’ve been traveling and working around the world as a writer all my life and have seen the world go from relatively safe in the 40s and 50s to incredibly dangerous today. Early in my travels I began collecting US and foreign government and non-government security documents for personal use on the premise that if anybody knew all the tricks of the personal security trades it was government & NGO agencies. And it’s true – everything that anybody needs to know about how be secure at home or on the road has been published at one time or another by the government. Problem is that none of this critical information is available in one place; in fact, most of the information is difficult to impossible to find even through the internet.
That’s why I’ve taken the best of the information I've been able to find over the years, tried to edit it for clarity, and brought it together in one place as an electronic resource for easy access. This handbook contains information gathered from the government military, diplomatic and intelligence agencies, international non-governmental organizations, and even foreign governments including Israel and the UK. In short, I’ve tried to include as much as possible of what I think may be helpful about how to guard your person, home, family and property from the kind of violent chaos that all agree will follow an apocalyptic financial and social collapse of the US.
While I've lived and worked in a lot of different places, I'm a writer, not a security expert. - although I've been in some situations where I've wished I knew a lot more than I did then! That's why I've spent a lot of time the past few years preparing my home and property for what I believe is the coming breakdown of American society and the accompanying descent into mob rule and rampant criminality directed against anyone that owns any property perceived as worth having. That's also a big part of why I wrote this Handbook - to gather the knowledge of experts, usually writing anonymously in the public domain, and to create a useful resource for individuals and families who either want to create a more secure environment in their present home, or who are thinking about relocating to a more secure environment before TSHTF.
Please use this resource as a beginning reference point for your own research into how to make your home, yourself, and those you love more safe and secure in the increasingly likely event of society-wide breakdown of the rule of law. I could sling around a lot of self-protective lawyer talk here about not being responsible for any decisions you make based on this information but let's just say that the following information is offered in good faith but that each of us is the ultimate arbiter of our own life and fate. Please use this information as a starting point for your own research and don't just assume that it is either complete or accurate, or that it applies in your particular case. If you can't agree with that please disregard everything from this point forward. I wish you good fortune and safe passage through the terrible storms that many, including me, believe lie just ahead.