The Sweet Stuff

Every year it dies back when it freezes.  And every year, it comes back with a vengeance.  I'm talking about sugar cane.  Years back, an older gentleman gave me some to plant in the event he lost his.  It was a form of insurance, you might say.  If his died, he could come get a cane from mine and replant. That's been years and years ago.  I passed by his house the other day and looked out at his sugarcane thriving.  This afternoon a neighbor from down the road pulled in and inquired about my sugarcane, asking if he could buy some from me to get it started at his house.  I told him it was given to me and I'll give some to him.  He's a welder by trade and told me he would fabricate a sugarcane crusher or press.  More on that at the end.

Here's the 2025 crop of sugarcane.  It seems to get thicker and taller every year.

As an experiment, I cut three mature canes down.  I wanted to try a different method of extracting the juice.  There is a farm in Grant, Louisiana that uses a mule to walk around as cane is fed into a grinder that crushes the cane and juice flows out and is captured in a big kettle.  I don't have a mule or a grinder like that.  

Using some pruning shears, I cut the cane at each joint.  The cane is tough.  It put my shears to a workout, that's for sure.

I got my Chicago Cutlery knife that I usually use for butchering chickens.  Not today.  Today I used the knife to remove the tough outer layer of the cane, exposing the sweet, inner portion.  You could cut it into strips at this point and chew on it.  It is sweet and tasty.

I cut the inner portion of the cane into disks.  You can see that, although fibrous, it is full of sweet sugary liquid that awaits extraction.

A couple of cups at a time, I fed it into a blender and pulsed it on the grind setting.

This yielded a pulpy, sticky mulch.

I know this is incredibly inefficient, but it is the only thing I could think of.  I used a lemon juicer and handful by handful, I squeezed the sugarcane pulp.  Juice would flow out of it as I applied pressure.  The juice was strained in a sieve.

In my experiment, three average sized canes yielded 3 cups of sugarcane juice.  We drank sips of it and also poured it into a smoothie to add some natural sweetener.

I wish you could taste the nice flavor.  I boiled some of this on the stove, allowing the water to evaporate, leaving me with some tasty syrup.

Although a very time-consuming and inefficient process, the experiment resulted in knowing that if we had a better sugarcane juice extracting process, we could make plenty of syrup.  I'm anxious to see if the device that my neighbor is fabricating will be the solution.

A Time To Kill

A mink or minks devastated our flock of hens.  I talked to a neighbor down the road and minks wiped out his neighbor's entire flock.  It's not just us.  Misery loves company, I presume, but that doesn't make it any better.  So I began putting a plan into action.  This plan involves retribution.  I gutted all fifteen of the hens that the mink killed and collected it all in a bucket.  Then, for a couple days, I hunted squirrels in the yard, killed 14 of them and added their guts to my bucket.

This may look nasty to you, but to a varmint, like a mink that likes smelly, bloody stuff, this is heaven.

I put a little bit of everything in the back of the trap to try to entice the mink to pay a visit.  You can see a chicken head, a squirrel tail, gizzards and entrails.  Looks appetizing... for a varmint.  The trap is set, along with two others, and we'll see if we're successful in the morning.

We were only somewhat successful.  I caught the neighbor's cat.  She wasn't happy, but she wasn't hurt.  I let her go.  I didn't tell the neighbors.  No harm. No foul.  Let's bait up and try again.

The next night, something had gotten into the trap, eaten the bait, and escaped somehow.  In fact, one of the traps had been drug out into the woods.  I fixed that issue by wiring the trap to the fence.  We'll bait up and try again.

Well, looky here.  In the snap trap, we seem to have caught a fat possum.  

But that's not what we're targeting.  I want to catch the mink that's responsible for the death of so many of our chickens.  And lo and behold, we finally caught the mink!!!

After the arraignment, the perpetrator was given a speedy trial and was found guilty.  At the sentencing, the jury passed down the death penalty.  The sentence was carried out swiftly and efficiently on the mink.

I will continue to bait up the traps nightly, until I catch everything or until I run out of guts in my bucket.

Hopefully, our hens will be spared from the murderous nightly rampages that they've been subject to here lately.

Disaster in the Hen House

At 6 am the alarm clock goes off and I head out to the barn to do the morning chores.  I feed the goats, the cows, and feed the chickens.  Then I open the henhouse to open the nesting boxes.  After sunrise, the solar-powered door opens and the chickens go out to roam on the pasture.  When I opened the door to the hen house, I was met with a startling sight.  There were feathers everywhere.  There were numerous carcasses of dead hens littering the hen house floor.  Carnage and savagery on display.  It was only a few months ago that we worked very hard to cement the floor of the henhouse where mink can't tunnel under and get to the chickens.  Mink had, you'll recall, killed 39 hens back then.  What in the world happened?  The surviving birds had witnessed a murderous rampage and I wondered if they had PTSD.

When I got back from work, I loaded the deceased into a wagon.  There were FIFTEEN dead hens.  Fifteen of them!  But I have a plan.  Like Wyatt Earp exclaimed in the movie, Tombstone, "You tell 'em I'm comin', and hell's comin' with me!"  Phase one of my plan is to gut all these chickens, so I sadly, but resolutely brought the wagon of death to the back patio.

Once I gutted all fifteen birds, I dug a big burial plot in the back of the garden.  If any good can come of this, it's that we're importing some fertility to the garden.  Tossing the birds in the burial plot, I covered them up.

I collected a nice collection of chicken guts.  I'll show you what I'm planning on doing with this in a future post.

Once that job was out of the way, I went to inspect the henhouse.  How could the mink get into my feathered fortress?  I closely surveyed the entire exterior.  And then... I found it.  There was a very small gap at the bottom of the door casing.  It is only an inch and a half wide by 1 1/2 inch tall.  That's more than enough room for a bloodthirsty mink.  They don't even eat the chicken.  It appears they suck the blood.  To fill this gap, I cut off a piece of 2x4 and nailed up the hole to prevent re-entry.

That night a contingent of hens that previously roosted in the hen house gathered in front of the rabbit hutches to roost where it's safe behind hardware cloth

They were exposed to a lot of violence.  I guess they've seen enough.  For that matter, I have, too.

Spinach Mushroom Ravioli - From Scratch

I have to tell you, in my youth and into my college years I have opened, heated up, and eaten many cans of Chef Boyardee Ravioli.  It was a quick and satisfying meal for a young man on the go.  Those canned ravioli (along with the blue box of Kraft Mac 'n cheese kept me fueled.  I'm not saying it was the most healthy diet, but back then, I wasn't exactly focusing on health.  Regarding ravioli, it wasn't until I was into my adulthood years that I discovered that there is no magic in making your own.  In fact, ravioli made fresh with good ingredients and no processed stuff or preservatives is healthy fare.  It's also delicious.  It is also a good family bonding activity that everyone has a part in putting together.

Tricia, as she always does, figured out how to do it.  Here she is rolling out her own dough to make the pasta with which we'll make our own ravioli.  Tonight we're making mushroom/spinach ravioli.  We captured some of the steps.

Here is the mushroom & spinach filling for the ravioli.  We found that a tool that you normally use to remove 'balls' of watermelon or cantaloupe from the melon makes a perfect scooper for the filling.

The sheets of ravioli dough or pasta is laid out on the countertop and we spoon the filling on half of it, spaced out uniformly.  We then make an egg wash and paint between each dollop of filling in order to seal each ravioli.

The top is carefully folded over and pressed down, using your fingers to push out any air and leaving tight little raviolis that are then cut to form individual pasta.

We lay all these out on a dishtowel for further processing while we make the rest of them.

Each of the raviolis are boiled with salty water and then pulled out when done and set aside.

Meanwhile, a simple sauce is put together with onion, pepper, garlic, a little cream and some freshly picked tomatoes from the garden.  Green onions are thrown in as well.

The sauce is poured over the ravioli and topped with some fresh basil from the garden.

Now, it's time to say grace and eat!  I'll have to say, these are far better than what Chef Boyardee put in those cans.

Vittles That Jethro Bodine Would Love

We have an over-abundance of squirrels in our live oak trees and pecan trees.  They feast on countless acorns and pecans, they dig up the garden, they pull the 'bark' off of the palm trees to make their nests.  Over-population is definitely an issue.  While endearing creatures with their bushy tails, they are also a nuisance.  They are also a delicacy and as they need to be thinned out, we might as well put some in the freezer.  Pan fried squirrel in a brown gravy served over rice is good eating.

I checked to make sure squirrel season is open and what the bag limit is (7) and grabbed my old 12 gauge shotgun and a pocketful of 7 1/2 shells.  This is where living in the country really pays off.  I don't know what would happen if you lived in the city and in the middle of the day on a Tuesday, you went out in the front yard and shot squirrels out of the treetops.  It didn't take long.  In two minutes I had two ready to be skinned.

On the back patio with a sharp knife and some game shears, I quickly skinned the squirrels and cut them up and put them in a zip loc bag for the freezer.

Later that same afternoon, it was time to do a little more squirrel hunting.  This time in the side yard near the pecan trees, there was a scurry of squirrels.  The squirrels in our yard are mostly cat squirrels (also called grey squirrels).  Although fox squirrels are bigger, cat squirrels are better tasting.  It wasn't long at all before I had four more furry tails for the pot.  Six on the first day was a good start, but we have a LOT of bushy tails in the yard and I have some more thinning out to do in the upcoming days.

Tricia drove up at that point and got a kick out of the stereotype I was reinforcing and had to get a picture.  Barefooted, long hair, dirty t-shirt with a shotgun, holding four squirrels.  Very redneck indeed.  As I'm writing this tonight, I'm laughing to myself about the wide variety of topics.  Last night we talked about stoicism, philosophy, and Marcus Aurelius.  Tonight we're talking about shooting squirrels in the backyard and skinning them for supper.  Jethro would approve.  Maybe after I get the rest of the squirrels in the freezer, I'll take a dip in the cement pond.

I guess the bad thing about squirrels is once you skin them, if you leave the head on, they look just like a rat.  In fact, many people call them tree rats. That's not very appetizing to me.  That's why I like to take the head and tail off quickly and then quarter them.  Then they just look like meat.

Once you quarter them, they look sort of like a rabbit.

Nothing goes to waste, except maybe the used shotgun shells.  I saved all the guts in a bucket to set traps in the woods.  Perhaps we'll talk about that Sunday night.

Reading about the Stoics

I always loved the movie Gladiator and have watched it over and over.  I especially like Marcus Aurelius and want to read his Meditations.  The movie, of course, takes some creative liberties.  Marcus was not killed by his son, Commodus, but by the plague.  However, the movie highlights his wisdom, his goodness and his virtues.  In searching in my audiobook library to find Meditations of Marcus Aurelius, I stumbled across the following book: "How to Think Like a Roman Emperor" and just finished listening to it.  Tonight's post summarizes some things I got out of it.  I'm not convinced I'll be thinking like a Roman Emperor in all things on Our Maker's Acres Family Farm, but there are good things to learn from this book.

First, I must preface this post with the fact that I am a Bible-believing Christian.  I believe Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation.  I believe that all our works, our striving, our trying to be good and virtuous amounts to nothing as far as eternity is concerned.  I wanted to learn what stoicism is and what it has in common with Christianity.  I never took a philosophy course in college, so the book interested me, and I do intend to go ahead and read Marcus Aurelius' collection of meditations.

Stoicism was a school of philosophy founded by Zeno of Citium.  He has an interesting story.  He was a very wealthy businessman.  He was a seller of purple dye.  It reminded me of Lydia in the Bible.  Zeno would use the fermented mucous from sea shells and extract a purple dye.  This purple dye was used to color the robes and garments of royalty.  One day, in a storm, Zeno's ship was sunk and he lost his cargo.  In fact, he lost everything he owned.  He almost lost his life in the process.  Arriving on shore penniless, he begged for his food.  One day, he met a man who told him to stop depending on the fermented mucous of sea shells to get dye to color garments and instead allow the wisdom of men to color him.  He did just that.  He found a book on Socrates and read and read.  He decided that the pursuit of studying philosophy, rather than attaining riches, would be his life's goal.

Marcus Aurelius was a Stoic.  So what do Stoics believe?

Stoics believe that you should try to understand how you fit into the world and then live your life in harmony with nature, not trying to fight against it.  Reason is key.

Stoics believe that worrying about things outside your control is futile.  You can only control yourself, your actions, your thoughts.

Stoics have a different idea on good and bad, believing that wealth, health, and your reputation are neutral.  Those can be good or bad.  An example is if you were very wealthy, it's not a good thing because you can use your wealth for good or for bad.

Stoics are very big proponents on being in control of your emotions, especially anger and fear as they are destructive.

Finally, Stoics believe in four primary virtues:

Temperance - Moderation in everything. Maintain self control.
Courage - Be bold. Face uncomfortable situations with resolve and steadfastness.
Wisdom - Learn. Discern right from wrong.
Justice - Be fair in your dealings with other people.

I believe Marcus Aurelius was a good man.  A wise man.  Definitely not a perfect man.  He was not a Christian.  In fact, during his rule, he persecuted Christians.  It is my opinion, however, that some of the principles in Stoicism don't contradict Christianity, and in fact, some of the principles of stoicism align with things taught in Scripture.  (Be angry and sin not (emotions), Store your treasure in Heaven (materialism), Be bold and courageous, Study to show yourself approved, Let justice roll like a river, etc.)  All Bible verses in alignment with what Marcus Aurelius believed.

But sadly, Stoicism departs from Christianity in a pretty wide swath.  They did not believe in the afterlife, believing that you return to nature, the universe.  While Christians look to God, Stoics look within themselves for virtue and goodness.  Believers in Christ die to self and are raised a new man in Christ where the Holy Spirit will change you to be more Christ-like.  Stoicism focuses on living a virtuous life by self-effort and discipline.  Stoicism is focused on self for attainment of wisdom and all earthly good.  Christianity is focused on Christ.  Without Him I could do nothing.

The end of the book, as Marcus Aurelius dies, is very sad as he wearily accepts his fate, his mortality and goes to "be at one with nature."  He died an unbeliever. 

Marcus Aurelius was born about 60 years after the Apostle Paul died.  It reminded me that Paul was in Athens, Greece at Mars Hill where he gave a famous speech to the philosophers that always wanted to learn something new.  They had all these statues to false gods - even one to an anonymous god, in case they missed one.  Here's what Paul said:

Acts 17:22-23 KJV. Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.

I wish that Marcus Aurelius could have learned from Paul or another believer.  Perhaps Paul could have led him to Christ.  Now that I've finished this one, I'm on to re-reading another classic, something totally different - To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee.

Something New for the Bees

October is usually one of our driest months.  Up until two days ago, we'd only gotten half an inch of rainfall so far during the month.  When I saw that Saturday and Sunday we had chances of precipitation, I set my plan into action.  That plan involved seeding around the beehives and garden in the side yard with Crimson Clover.  Why?  I think the honeybees will enjoy it this Spring.  I know the cows will enjoy it, too.  Finally, it sets nitrogen in the soil, so it will be growing its own fertilizer, one might say.

Our local feed store sells it priced at $3 per pound.  I'm not working up the soil.  I'm just broadcasting the seed by hand.  To do this, you want to make sure the seeds make contact with the ground.  It's still a little risky, but I ventured to spend $6 for 2 lbs of seed.  If it doesn't germinate, I'm out of $6.

The Crimson Clover seed looks like it has a treatment on it.  I read that it takes between 1 - 3 weeks for the seed to germinate.

I simply grabbed a handful and scattered the seed like the Sower who went out to sow.  There's nothing precise or scientific in how I'm seeding.  If you look closely, you can see the grey seed below contrasted against the soil.

I made sure that I primarily planted in two main areas - the area in front of the hives and behind the hives.  I'm envisioning a sea of crimson clover covering the landscape.  Won't that be pretty? 

We also seeded Crimson Clover by the garden in the side yard.  After broadcasting the seed we got 6/10s of an inch of rain and the very next day, 7/10s.  Today, I got out there and sprayed the whole area down with water.

Looking forward to seeing if this was a worthwhile endeavor.  We'll keep you posted.