Our others were all used up in s'mores.

I always order my s'more without the marshmallow and graham cracker....

@calfoxwc said:

Mystery time, it is.

This morning, checked on the live trap in the barn hay loft.

The trap wasn't even there, a foot back from the top of the stairs ! I walked in further, and there

was the live trap, sprung closed, and ....empty.

So, either:

The big raccoon was trapped, and somehow rolled it down the stairs and got out before the door closed...

Or, it was a female raccoon with a young raccoon, the young one got trapped, and the older one pulled it

to the stairs and got the young one out at the bottom....

or....what?

Maybe.... the old, coniving raccoon was alone, and too smart for the trap, so it pulled and pulled at it,

to get the bait out of it, and did, by lifting up the door just enough to grab the paper plate...

or...

dang. It's a big change.... And the game camera batteries ran low and it turned off before it all happened.

crap.

Live and learn. fresh batteries and some wire to tie the trap down.

Not sure of the box trap that you are using, but if the holes in between the wires are large enough for maybe a mink to get through. Probably not a mink they are far and few between and live near water but you never know. Plus if its a larger coon the door may have just slamed down on his ass and instead of jumping forward he backed up.

Try switching your bait to marshmallows, cats won't bother them.

actually, the raccoons have been just fine. Dumb raccoon came back last night, chowed down

on cat food... and looked upstairs, ate more, and left. Saw the cat there, but it heard something, and left.

Then the raccoon video was there. How to trap the raccoon and not the cat.

This morning, checked on the live trap in the barn hay loft.

The trap wasn't even there, a foot back from the top of the stairs ! I walked in further, and there

was the live trap, sprung closed, and ....empty.

So, either:

The big raccoon was trapped, and somehow rolled it down the stairs and got out before the door closed...

Or, it was a female raccoon with a young raccoon, the young one got trapped, and the older one pulled it

to the stairs and got the young one out at the bottom....

or....what?

Maybe.... the old, coniving raccoon was alone, and too smart for the trap, so it pulled and pulled at it,

to get the bait out of it, and did, by lifting up the door just enough to grab the paper plate...

or...

dang. It's a big change.... And the game camera batteries ran low and it turned off before it all happened.

crap.

The ground cherries are bushy, though, plant them at an end of the garden, just a few, and very loosely tie them up. The ground cherries are only

ripe to eat when they fall off the plant - and are dried out brown. Greens don't take up much space. Onions don't....but staking tomatoes... is the

way you'll need to go. Your garden is small, but you will learn a hell of a lot. Some tomatoes don't have much acid, and not much taste.

My pineapple tomatoes tasted like sludge or something. I tried em, though. The best yellow tomato I've found, is the D'jenna Lee's Golden Girl.

so many of the tomatoes you buy in a store don't have much taste. They are picked prematurely, and don't ripen on the vine, and production

large scale for profit means that they use varieties that are designed to be thick skinned for shipping resilience, and resistent to all sorts of diseases,

and are still sprayed with all sorts of non-organic sprays you don't want to know about. Anybody can buy real tomatoes from a local grower

and tell a big difference. You know, you can also find an Amish wholesale auction. We have one here, out past Medina way. If you know

a bit about the values of stuff - you can buy ten baskets of a good tomato, or peppers, or dried beans, green beans, apples, pears,

you name it. And then take it home and preserve it. And watch out for farmer's markets fakers - they go to those same auctions, and then

take it to a farmer's market and sell it at a profit. That's bad on two counts - unfair competition on pricing, with the produce most often

being days old.

That is hell on blackberries and raspberries. People, including me, have bought some berries there, only to have them fuzz up the next afternoon.

I hate that. blech.

We're planting a bunch of sugar snap peas this year - our friends' kids eat them right out of the garden. Even the kids who don't care for veggies..

And Kosar, if you have never seen a tomato hornworm before, let me know what you thought when you do.....@@

We were having dinner at a friends' house, about three years ago, and they had their first little container tomato garden, far smaller than your garden size.

. She said she never has had a problem with iinsects, but something was eating her tomatoes.

Yeah, she spit up her iced tea when I showed her she had several hornworms on her tomatoes.

@kosar_for_president said:

Cal,

What is the best way to can/jar food to store for a winter. I am planting a garden this upcoming month and a friend and I were having this discussion. Any tips would be helpful, even on the set up. I am looking at a 10 foot long x 4 foot wide, starting small. That is still a ton of food for a person that lives solo.

Thanks man.

Not to discourage you or any thing but with a smaller garden of 10 x 4' it would be really tough for you to can much of anything worthy of your time. We usually can on Sundays but have to go to the local growers market to get enough vegetables to make it worth our time. Our garden is 40x20' and the only thing that gives me enough yield to make it worth canning is green beans. everthing else doesn't ripen at one time.

*******************************************************

I can open carry = it has best be OPEN carry without a license. But, when riding our ATV, I can't have it with me at all, ... without

the CCW, that comes from the game warden as we were walking our woods, after I had that threat from a nutjob. You can't open carry

in a vehicle, on an ATV, even on our own farm. So... ride it out there a lot, especially to go way out back and cut firewood.

I told the game warden I was glad to find that out, or he'd have to arrest me... he just grinned and said he'd only give me a warning...the first time...@@

And, getting your pistol and holster snowed on doesn't seem real smart, I think....

The coyotes concern us, and our neighbors. I have to keep an eye out anytime I'm out back to take them out - rifle, .22 mag, of course.

BTW, I have to get a different holster for ccw for summer. The one I have now is too bulky for a tshirt, except maybe the new longsleeve 2xl I bought at Gander

Mtn this evening - camo. We love watching Duck Dynasty = that's my camo inspiration.

And, Steve is right, I have to protect the garden.... from stupid groundhogs. I told my Wifie I was having young groundhog for supper some time. She said

that was fine. I'm still going to put up an electric fence around it. It's getting close to work, work, work time.

@the-cysko-kid said:

My pond turtle loves her some horn worms. Yum. Fun fact there's two kinds of horn worms. Tomato worms and tobacco worms. Apparently the two plants are similar.

And that's another reason Cal needs a gun on the farm.

Protecting the tomatoes.

WSS

@calfoxwc said:

Erie Dawg - We do crops, and a giant garden. And a young orchard I hope to get fruit from this year. No livestock - too much work.

Fishing and camping, you know. But we are going to have a dozen chickens, half of them roosters, so the roosters will be meat birds...

as long as I get them into the freezer while my Wife is running errands with a girlfriend or something...@@

Kosar - your best bet is to go to some auctions or garage sales where you can try for some boxes of jars. Or,

just buy new ones at your local hardware store. Then, buy a copy of Bell's Blue Book. It's a canning instruction, recipe book

you can depend on.

You can also get yourself a dehydrator. Our favorites are apples and pineapples..., Gala and Granny Smith apples, dry em as slices, vacuum seal them,

and they will last for months. I haven't had any luck canning green beans. I don't get it = they get soggy. The best tasting tomato imho, in the

Early Girl Hybrid. You can save seed from heirlooms and open pollinated varieties. Some tomatoes just taste blah. Some old time favorites

are Brandywine, Rutgers, and Marglobe. For something cool, grow some ground cherries. They come in a Japanese lantern wrapper like a tomatillo,

but they are only about a half inch large, and are very sweet, like a pineapple tomato. I've introduced them to a lot of folks, and they love them.

Only plant a few maybe, because they can grow pretty good size, and have a whole LOT of tomatoes on them.

My favorite sweet pepper is the Aconcagua, an heirloom out of Venzuela. Or was it Argentina.... it gets about 9/10 inches long sometimes, and is

very sweet, rich in flavor, and no funky aftertaste like a green bell. The Hungarian semi hots are outstanding, but for some reason, they are hard to find

anymore.

A good winter squash can be stored whole, or sliced and dehydrated for months. The same goes for potatoes. Canned tomatoes are outstanding in the middle

of winter. You can also canned pickled peppers and green tomatoes, too. You can try growing your own plants, too - that will save you a lot of money.

Stake your tomatoes, learn to trim the suckers off for nicer tomatoes - those are those shoots that grow at a 45 degree angle in between a legit. branch,

and the main stalk. Learn to check the PH of your soil. Don't plant Jerusalem artichokes t here- they spread like crazy. (their roots taste like water chestnuts

in salad)....

You will need a rotatiller to dig up the soil, a toot deep would be great. When you plant a tomato plant, it isn't like planting most other things.

Say, you have a tomato plant 10 inches high. You dig a hole/trench for it, you pluck off the leafs/stems from the bottom to kinda near the top. I leave

about three at the top = and then you plant it by laying it down in the trench, maybe 5 inches deep... and only leave the top stick out with the last 3 stems

sticking out. What happens is, the tomato plant will grow new roots all along the stem underground, and your plant will dynamically grow and produce like crazy.

You will want good jars, with no chips at the top, and with the metal lids and rings = always buy new lids. Always check your canned jars after they cool a while,

looking for the definate dimple that goes down. If it pops up, reheat in the canner.

Oh yeah, you'll need a canner. For some things, it will require a pressure cooker canner - like green beans and meat, I think.

Not for tomatoes - they will have a high acid content. The blue book is worth it's weight in gold. Email me anytime. A garden that size could

cool produce for you. If the ground is low - you can build it as a raised bed - you will need a rich dirt, humus, _like decayed leaves -....

You will need to spray for tomato hornworms. They grow to about 3 inches long, and are 1/3 or so of an inch wide. That isn't a joke either.

Their horn is harmless, but it doesn't look it. There are organic ways to combat them - one way is a bacteria you can spray on the plants,

the hornworms eat the bacteria and they die. The bacteria is completely harmless to people.

Yeah, research, and email me anytime. I'll be happy to answer your questions and help out any way I can. Oh, and if you love sugar snap peas,

you can plant them anytime no here in Ohio. They are a cold weather, early spring crop.

Kudos cal, this is the best post you've ever written.

@legacy-fan said:

Why do you have a CCW for being alone on your farm? Who are you concealing from? Open carry is generally easier to access and allows you to carry a larger firearm (some of the reasons LEO open carry).

Are you not allowed to OC in Ohio?

Legality of Open Carry in Ohio

There is no "Open Carry Law" in Ohio... the Ohio Revised Code does not authorize, prohibit, or otherwise regulate the open carry of firearms on foot. Open Carry of a handgun or long gun is protected across Ohio by virtue of ORC 9.68 which preempts any municipal laws prohibiting the act. There is no requirement of residency or license to carry openly in Ohio - however, you must be legally in possession of the firearm that you intend to carry. It is recommended that you be at least 18 to carry a long gun, and 21 for handguns.

Important! You may not carry a "loaded" handgun in a motor vehicle in Ohio without a recognized Concealed Handgun License. The definition of "loaded" in Ohio means you must have no ammunition in the gun, and no ammunition in a compatible magazine or speedloader anywhere in the vehicle.

You may not carry a "loaded" (same definition) long arm in a vehicle, even with a recognized Concealed Handgun License.

Other exceptions - not a comprehensive list:

• You may not carry in a room or open area covered by a Class D liquor license (bars and restaurants that serve alcohol for consumption on the premises) unless you are licensed to carry concealed and are not consuming alcohol or already intoxicated http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/2923.121
• "No Guns" signs DO carry legal weight other than trespassing

Here is a great introductory video by Don (rottman43055):

Here's a memo from the Greene county Prosecutor in response to a request by the Beavercreek Police Department (after this incident http://www.scribd.com/doc/49957246/Greene-County-Prosecutor-Memo-to-Police-Departments

Are you not allowed to OC in Ohio?

Fishing and camping, you know. But we are going to have a dozen chickens, half of them roosters, so the roosters will be meat birds...

as long as I get them into the freezer while my Wife is running errands with a girlfriend or something...@@

Kosar - your best bet is to go to some auctions or garage sales where you can try for some boxes of jars. Or,

just buy new ones at your local hardware store. Then, buy a copy of Bell's Blue Book. It's a canning instruction, recipe book

you can depend on.

You can also get yourself a dehydrator. Our favorites are apples and pineapples..., Gala and Granny Smith apples, dry em as slices, vacuum seal them,

and they will last for months. I haven't had any luck canning green beans. I don't get it = they get soggy. The best tasting tomato imho, in the

Early Girl Hybrid. You can save seed from heirlooms and open pollinated varieties. Some tomatoes just taste blah. Some old time favorites

are Brandywine, Rutgers, and Marglobe. For something cool, grow some ground cherries. They come in a Japanese lantern wrapper like a tomatillo,

but they are only about a half inch large, and are very sweet, like a pineapple tomato. I've introduced them to a lot of folks, and they love them.

Only plant a few maybe, because they can grow pretty good size, and have a whole LOT of tomatoes on them.

My favorite sweet pepper is the Aconcagua, an heirloom out of Venzuela. Or was it Argentina.... it gets about 9/10 inches long sometimes, and is

very sweet, rich in flavor, and no funky aftertaste like a green bell. The Hungarian semi hots are outstanding, but for some reason, they are hard to find

anymore.

A good winter squash can be stored whole, or sliced and dehydrated for months. The same goes for potatoes. Canned tomatoes are outstanding in the middle

of winter. You can also canned pickled peppers and green tomatoes, too. You can try growing your own plants, too - that will save you a lot of money.

Stake your tomatoes, learn to trim the suckers off for nicer tomatoes - those are those shoots that grow at a 45 degree angle in between a legit branch,

and the main stalk. Learn to check the PH of your soil. Don't plant Jerusalem artichokes there- they spread like crazy. (their roots taste like water chestnuts

in salad)....

You will need a rotatiller to dig up the soil, a toot deep would be great. When you plant a tomato plant, it isn't like planting most other things.

Say, you have a tomato plant 10 inches high. You dig a hole/trench for it, you pluck off the leafs/stems from the bottom to kinda near the top. I leave

about three at the top = and then you plant it by laying it down in the trench, maybe 5 inches deep... and only leave the top stick out with the last 3 stems

sticking out. What happens is, the tomato plant will grow new roots all along the stem underground, and your plant will dynamically grow and produce like crazy.

You will want good jars, with no chips at the top, and with the metal lids and rings = always buy new lids. Always check your canned jars after they cool a while,

looking for the definate dimple that goes down. If it pops up, reheat in the canner.

Oh yeah, you'll need a canner. For some things, it will require a pressure cooker canner - like green beans and meat, I think.

Not for tomatoes - they will have a high acid content. The blue book is worth it's weight in gold. Email me anytime. A garden that size could

cool produce for you. If the ground is low - you can build it as a raised bed - you will need a rich dirt, humus, _like decayed leaves -....

You will need to spray for tomato hornworms. They grow to about 3 inches long, and are 1/3 or so of an inch wide. That isn't a joke either.

Their horn is harmless, but it doesn't look it. There are organic ways to combat them - one way is a bacteria you can spray on the plants,

the hornworms eat the bacteria and they die. The bacteria is completely harmless to people.

Yeah, research, and email me anytime. I'll be happy to answer your questions and help out any way I can. Oh, and if you love sugar snap peas,

you can plant them anytime no here in Ohio. They are a cold weather, early spring crop.

What is the best way to can/jar food to store for a winter. I am planting a garden this upcoming month and a friend and I were having this discussion. Any tips would be helpful, even on the set up. I am looking at a 10 foot long x 4 foot wide, starting small. That is still a ton of food for a person that lives solo.

Thanks man.

@calfoxwc said:

For hay in the hay loft, and the entire barn is filled with farm equipment.

Kicker wagon, hay ride wagon, combine, hay baler, hay cutter (moco) JD bar cutter with rollers, disc,

grain drill, etc etc etc. And a space for wood splitting, and our JD tractor.

Unpacking this spring will be more fun than putting it all in there....

Cool do you raise any cattle or just crops?

@calfoxwc said:

We've been feeding the two uninvited barn cats there.

Commie

Kicker wagon, hay ride wagon, combine, hay baler, hay cutter (moco) JD bar cutter with rollers, disc,

grain drill, etc etc etc. And a space for wood splitting, and our JD tractor.

Unpacking this spring will be more fun than putting it all in there....

@calfoxwc said:

So, the game camera showed us we had -another- raccoon raiding our barn. So we trapped it.

And it was so calm and inquisitive, we drove it 8 mi away to a state park, and released it.

The game camera shows we have a third raccoon. I hope it acts mean and angry,

so I can shoot it.

crap.

Nice, in a way its a good sign that spring is coming when you start seeing coons and skunks more often. What do you use your barn for anyway cal?

And it was so calm and inquisitive, we drove it 8 mi away to a state park, and released it.

The game camera shows we have a third raccoon. I hope it acts mean and angry,

so I can shoot it.

crap.