What's Happening In The Ozarks This Weekend!

Oct. 11 - The Red Cross will hold a blood drive at the Walmart in West Plains from 1-6 PM.

Oct. 11-12 - A Quilt Show sponsored by the Eminence Area Arts Council will be held at the Shannon County Museum & Art Gallery, Main St., in Eminence. For more information call 573-226-3531.

Oct. 11-12 - The Annual Fall Show and Tractor Pull will be held at the Ozarks Older Iron Club Grounds in Cabool starting at 9 AM. Admission is free.

Oct. 11 - The Baxter County Sheriff’s Office will be conducting a firearms qualification shoot for Retired Law Enforcement Officers on Friday, October 11, 2013 beginning at 9:00 AM. This will be held at the firing range on Baxter CR 782 off State Highway 201 North. The cost is $10, payable in advance. The retired officer must furnish his or her own firearm and ammunition. Certain restrictions apply, and firing range rules and other limitations will apply. Contact the Sheriff’s Office for further details at 870-425-7000.

Oct. 12 - The “Chopper Walkers” will be holding their 4th Annual Driving For A Cure Golf Tournament at 10 AM. Cost is $80 per team. All proceeds to benefit Relay For Life. You can call 417-274-1584 to register early or sign up day of tournament.

Oct. 12 - The Pride of the Ozarks Goat Breeding Club will meet at 1 PM at the Howell Oregon Electric Cooperative Building on Highway 63 in West Plains. For more information, call 417-764-3423.

Oct. 12 - Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Chapter 1218 of Willow Springs will be hosting their Annual Open House and Fly-In, Saturday, October 12, 10AM – 2PM at the chapter hangar, 810 Bryan Street, Willow Springs.

Oct. 12 - Kids Ages 7 & older are invited to “Fun & Games” at the West Plains Public Library on Saturday, October 12 from 2-3 PM.

Oct. 12 - The Red Cross will hold a blood drive at the Walmart in West Plains from 11 AM to 4 PM.

Oct. 12-13 - The Timbo Volunteer Fire Department will hold their bi-annual Gun and Knife Show from 9 AM to 5 PM Saturday, October 12 and 9 AM to 4 PM Sunday, October 13 at the Stone County Fairgrounds in Mountain View, AR. Admission is $5 for people 12 and older. All proceeds from the event will go to buy equipment for the Timbo VFD. For more information call 870-746-4349.

Oct. 12 - End of Me Ministries will hold a Bible Study at the OMC Community Room, 403 Washington Avenue, West Plains at 7 PM October 12.

Oct. 12-13 - The Haunting in the Hills will take place October 12 and 13 at The City Park in Eminence from 9 AM to 4 PM Saturday, October 12 and 10 AM to 3 PM Sunday, October 13. A special program, called Tales from the Ozark’s Dark Side, will take place from 6-9 PM Saturday, October 12. All activities are free. For more information go towww.ozarkheritageproject.org or call 573-663-2269.

Oct. 12-13 - The Fall 2013 Go Green Self Reliance Festival in Thayer has been canceled.

Oct. 12 - The Howell County Right-For-Life 5K Run will be held Saturday, October 12 in West Plains. For more information call 417-252-1399.

Oct. 12 - The Avenue Theater in West Plains will screen “Fancy Pants,” the 1950 Western comedy that was one of the first movies ever shown at the theater. As a salute to that era, admission to the event will be a dime. Also included that evening is a contest for who dons the fanciest pants.

Oct. 13- Oktoberfest party Sunday, October 13.  At the 88.1 radio station parking lot at 1211 Ozark in Cabool. There will be home-made rootbeer in a Rootbeer Garden, the best wurst around, and other snacks as well. A traditional Oktoberfest rummage sale which will be taking place at the same time. It starts at noon and goes until 4 p.m. Cabool. 

Oct. 13 - Dr. Bryan Sharp will be speaking at Eagle Heights Independent Baptist Church, CR 8570 in West Plains, at 10 AM, 10:45 AM and 2 PM. For more directions or more information, call 417-293-9888

Oct. 14 - The Community Blood Center of the Ozarks will hold a blood drive at Lutie School, Highway 160 in Theodosia, from 1:30-5 PM.

Oct. 14 - The Red Cross will hold a blood drive from 12-6 p.m. at Willow Springs United Methodist Church, 311 N. Harris St. in Willow Springs.

Oct. 15 - The Community Blood Center of the Ozarks will hold a blood drive at Ava High School from 11:30 AM to 5:30 PM.

5 Herbs That Repel Flies

With warm weather in the air, we are all looking forward to grilling out, swimming pools, sun bathing, and just generally spending time outdoors. We’ve waited all winter for spring to get here. But those first few really warm days always greet us with an unpleasant, little problem.

Bugs! The warm weather brings out the bathing suits and suntan lotion, but it also brings out the pests! Mosquitos, ants, yellow jackets, and the grossest of all: flies! Flies are everywhere in the summer. Nothing ruins a good picnic quicker than flies covering the hotdogs! Most people will turn to harsh, chemical solutions this summer to try and solve this most annoying problem.

But what if you have kids around, or pets? Maybe you just don’t want to be surrounded by chemicals all summer. If you are one of the every growing number of people that wish to find a safer, more natural answer, then maybe this article will let you in on a few all natural tricks to repel the flies this summer.

Don’t underestimate the power of these natural alternatives to chemical pest control. Many of these herbal remedies are just as effective, if not more effective, than their chemical rivals on the store shelves. You should, however, use caution if any member of your family has an allergy to any of these herbs or if someone who spends significant time at your home has an allergy to these items. A little commonsense and a little research should have you well on your way to naturally controlling the flies at your home this summer.

Most people don’t realize how many all natural remedies there are for everyday problems, so they just reach for whatever chemical product is being sold. Did you know that there are many herbs that just naturally repel flies?

1. Basil

Anyone that knows anything about herbs knows that basil is great for cooking. It’s easy to grow and smells heavenly! Humans love Basil. But guess who hates, Basil? House flies. House flies are absolutely repelled by Basil. The best way to use this all natural remedy is to plant Basil by you external doorways. If you have a large outdoor picnic area, try using small planters of Basil on your picnic tables. You are serving two purposes at once. While grilling out you can easily access your Basil for cooking, and the flies will stay far away during your lovely, summer meal.

2. Bay Leaves

This is another herb loved by cooks worldwide. Nothing puts the finishing touch on a big pot roast like a few bay leaves thrown in. But once again, as much as we love it, flies hate it. Other insects hate it as well like earwigs and weevils, to name a few. Keep these herbs growing nearby to discourage pesky pests.

3. Lavender

Lavender is the ultimate herb for relaxation. The calming, soothing smell can really make a bubble bath a true spa experience. People have been using lavender for centuries to make their homes and clothing smell sweet. It is also used in quite a bit of cooking as well. Flies aren’t impressed with lavender, though. Hang some dried lavender decoratively around your home to keep away those buzzing buggers!

4. Tansy

Tansy is not as well-known as some of the other herbs we’ve listed here. Tansy was used in ancient times as a strewing herb because it was believed to have cleansing properties. Tansy is a nice foundation plant for household landscaping as it looks very similar to marigolds. Tansy has the added benefit that it repels flies, though. Flies are not the only pests that find Tansy repellant. Ants, fleas and moths will also stay clear if this plant is around. An extra bonus is that this plant will even discourage mice from hanging around.

5. Pennyroyal

This may be one of the most versatile of herbs. This member of the mint family repels flies, mosquitoes and fleas. However, when planted on your property, and specifically around the foundation of your home, this interesting herb can help ward off mice and ants as well! Instead of killing two birds with one stone you’ll be repelling five pests with one herb! You should use caution if you choose to plant this herb around your home, however. Pennyroyal is dangerous when consumed, even in small amounts.

Clean and Green

When you choose a more natural path in your home, you can have more peace of mind that your family will be safe from harmful chemicals and strange side effects. People don’t realize that there is almost always a natural alternative to chemical solutions when it comes to pest control, cleaning supplies, and many other household items. A little research and attention can go a long way to preserving your families’ health this summer.

Composting

10 Uses For Wood Ash

Before you dispose of those wood ashes sitting in your fireplace or your wood burning stove, try using your wood ash these 10 different ways:

1.   Use wood ash to add nutrients to your compost. Contains potash and calcium carbonate.

2.   Use wood ash to deter snails from plants. Spread around the perimeter of the plant.

3.  Use wood ash to add nutrients to planting holes for tomatoes  by adding about half a cup to each hole.

4.   Use wood ash to clean stove glass doors. Add to a damp sponge to wipe away sooty deposits.

5.   Use wood ash for soap making. Soak ashes in water to make lye which is used in the soap making process.

6.   Use wood ash to clean metal by making a paste with the ash.

7.   Use wood ash as a dust bath for chickens, it kills lice and mites.

8.   Use wood ash to remove sticky labels from glass jars by making a paste with a little water.

9.   Use wood ash as a top dressing around onions, leeks and garlic.

10. Use wood ash to raise the Ph of soil if required, as an alternative to lime.

These 10 uses for wood ash was originally published on The Cyprus Garden Blog

Sun Pickles

Gallon glass jar
Cucumbers
3 1/4 cups white vinegar
6 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup kosher salt
Dill to taste
1 teaspoon alum
I also added onion , garlic and 1 chili pepper
Combine all in glass jar set in sun for three days

Living Fences: How-To, Advantages and Tips

Living Fences: How-To, Advantages and Tips

Sustainable living fences can hold animals, protect soil, provide livestock fodder, offer food or compost, and will last generations.

A living fence is a permanent hedge tight enough and tough enough to serve almost any of the functions of a manufactured fence, but it offers agricultural and biological services a manufactured fence cannot. For instance, it provides “edge habitat” that supports ecological diversity. As more species (insects, spiders, toads, snakes, birds and mammals) find food and refuge in this habitat, natural balances emerge, yielding, for example, a reduction of rodents and crop-damaging insect populations.

Read more: http://goo.gl/K4TK7

Best of Mother Earth News: Build It Yourself: http://amzn.to/150XZmz

Fish Pond Accessory - Neat idea!

This is AWESOME! The instructions said, "use a gal jar and a type of stand place the jar in 

the water on it's side, let it fill with water (completely submerged) then tip it up slowly 

bottom up, and place the jar mouth into the stand, making sure to keep the mouth under 

water. The fish can swim up into the jar as they wish.

Glow In The Dark Pots For Planting

Buy a flower pot that you really like and use Rustoleum's Glow-in-the-dark paint to paint the pot. During the day, the paint will absorb the sunlight and at night the pots will glow.

Growing Potatoes In Containers

Potatoes can easily be cultivated in containers simply as easy as in a classic technique of growing plants. half barrels, Terracotta pots, trash cans and also a burlap sack,or trash bags are all excellent options of containers to raise your potatoes in. The one factor that you require to keep in mind when developing potatoes in a container, is that the vase of your option could not really be to deep, 12 - 18 inches is a great depth. The cause for this depth is that sun energy is essential for vegetable progress, plus even though potato plants could expand to a level in the place of 2 - 3 feet, they require to be hilled or protected as they grow.

Growing your plants in a bag enables you to pull the sides up as the vegetable grows, in a container or other sort of pot you will always have to hill the plant as it gets taller. That can easily done just by placing a 2 foot tall wire mess close to the inside of the pot as the plat develops and covering the plant with hay, potting media, or compost. When you have you have the pot of your option, make sure there are enough drainage gaps in the bottom or the lower sides.

At this point is it the moment to get ready your potatoes for seeding. These potatoes may be seed potatoes from a garden company, or potatoes that you possess on hand that are beginning to develop. Cut the potatoes so that there are three eyes on each piece, two eyes is good if the numbers is not going to work out. I have even grown all of them with one, and they did just good. As soon as the cutting is finished, you will require them to stay for around a day to create a dry covering around the cut area.

When you are looking for the potatoes to dry, you might begin filling your pot using potting media combined with an healthy fertilizer, and pre soak the media so that it is moist. Once ready, put the potatoes that you have cut in the pot with the eyes facing up. In the regular container,with a size around twenty inches, I put three items spaced apart evenly, protect them with about 2 - 3 inches of media, plus water until the media is moist. To avoid wasting time, you could pre soak the media before you plant, and get it available for covering the potatoes at planting time.

Caring for your potato plants is pretty easy. Put them in a place that obtains a minimum 6 hours of direct sun and is not opened to winds. Examine the moisture content of the media, and water everyday if necessary. Pots dry faster that soil in a classic garden, so they might require watering each day.

When the plants obtain to a height of about 6 inches, you will have to hill the potato plant by masking the plants using more potting media, giving about 2/3 of the plant exposed. Keep on hilling till the plant halts from increasing, or begins to blossom.

Reaping your own potatoes can begin any moment after the plant blossoms, youthful potatoes are tiny, but tender. If you decide not to picking them early, simply wait till the plants begin to change yellow and gently spill the media out of the container to gather your new crop of potatoes.barrels, Terracotta pots, trash cans and also a burlap sack,or trash bags are all excellent options of containers to raise your potatoes in.

From Organic Gardening: Squash bugs are grayish brown bugs up to 3⁄4 inch long; nymphs are similar, but do not have wings. Feeding by adults and nymphs causes leaves to wilt and blacken. Hand pick them and drop them in a container of soapy water. Also destroy their red-brown egg clusters on the undersides of leaves. To trap adults, lay boards on the soil at night; the squash bugs will tend to congregate beneath them, and you can destroy the pests the next morning. Planting radishes, nasturtiums, or marigolds among your squash plants may help repel squash bugs. If plants are heavily infested with young squash bugs, try spraying insecticidal soap.

Heart of the Ozarks Farmers Market - West Plains, Missouri

There will be cucumbers and fresh green onions at Heart of the Ozarks farmers market today. We are open 11 am - 4 pm in the parking lot at Lost Treasures, between Dairy Queen and Highland Dairy.

1755 S. US Hwy 63, West Plains, MO.

417-293-8306/417-293-7904

Difference in Eggs

The color of the yolk is an indication of the presence of nutrients. The pastured egg on the left is a dark orange color. The organic store egg in the center is slightly less orange. The supermarket egg on the right is paler and might even be white were orange foods and dyes not given to the chickens. By the way, chickens producing organic eggs are mostly raised in barns, not on pasture. Conditions are certainly better than those for the typical battery egg. However, the USDA has determined that the chicken is a vegetarian, and they can be given no animal foods. Chickens are in fact, omnivores, and their eggs will be much healthier if they are getting animal foods. The pastured egg and the organic egg both have two parts to the white, a viscous part around the yolk and then a thinner part around the edges. This is a sign of freshness.

HOW TO: Cook Corn in Husks

Instructions:

1. Remove a few of the outer husks that might be dirty.

2. Cut the bottoms off of the corn. Be sure to cut above the part of the cob where the husk is attached. It would be above the part of the cob where it starts to round down.

3. Place a moist paper towel on the bottom of the microwave or on top of the carousel and place the corn on the paper towel.

4. Use this guide for your cook time. Remember the cooking time can vary for each microwave.

1 ear - 2 minutes
2 ears - 3 to 4 minutes
3 ears - 5 to 6 minutes
4 ears - 7 to 8 minutes
6 ears - 8 to 9 minutes

5. After cooking, let the corn sit about 3 minutes. It will continue to cook and will be cooler and easier to handle.

6. Pick the cooked corn up by the top (you might want to use an oven mitt if it is too hot to handle) and squeeze and lightly shake out the ear of corn. It should just slide out leaving the silk and all of the husks intact.

DIY - How to: Keep Birds Out of Your Strawberries

Paint a bunch of small stones and place them in and around the strawberry plants. The birds will dive for them and learn they are NOT nice and juicy.  By the time the berries are ripe the birds will not bother the real fruits.

Collect some strawberry shaped stones. Wash well with soap and water and let dry overnight.

When it's time to paint, I like to work on about a dozen at a time so that the paint on the first one is dry by the time I'm finished that particular step on the 12th. one. I use acrylics.

 Step 1 of painting:

To achieve a bright red result, undercoat stone with white.Paint half your stone at a time,let dry, turn over and paint other half.One coat of white is sufficient. The white undercoat makes the red "pop out".

Basecoat with any red of your choice, letting the first side dry before continuing to the other side.  You will probably need two coats of red.
In these examples I used Delta Ceramcoat Fire Red.

Look at your "berry" and decide which end would be best suited for the hull. One end is usually less pointed and that is where the hull would go. With Hauser Medium Green, or any medium green of your choice, base in the hull, making 6 or 7 pointed leaves that come about 1/4 to 1/3 of the way down the strawberry. Try not to make your hull so small that you can't see it from a side view.

With Hauser Dark Green, or any dark green, outline each hull leaf, put in a central vein on each, and add a circle at the top center.

With Hauser Light Green, or any light green, randomly add  highlights here and there.  No need to wash out your brush between greens..mixing them is more interesting.

With Black, using a liner brush,randomly add the little pockets where the seeds grow.
Avoid the temptation to add too many.
Also, keep them small so they don't end up looking like watermelon seeds.

 Again, using a liner brush, place a dot of off white in each little pocket to represent the seed.  I used Ceramcoat Light Ivory.

The final step is to give your berry 2 or 3 coats of varnish..either in spray form or with a wipe-on product called Final Coat.  The varnish protects the paint from chipping,gives depth to the colour,and it keeps the paint from sticking and lifting when you pile the berries in a basket.

DIY Water Hose Storage / Cleaning Station

This is just the neatest idea & is so handy for the garden! Your diy wash station that is so simple & get's the water hose of the ground. Make it your own.  This example shows a galvanized  pail screwed to a 2 x 4 that is in the ground with a bird house on the top. Roll the hose around the pail & inside a place to store brushes, small garden tools, and a great place to hang a towel! I just love it & is gonna be a summer project for me!

What's For Dinner - Chicken Wild Rice Soup

Chicken Wild Rice 

Prep: 10 min. Cook: 40 min. Yield: 14 Servings

Ingredients
2 quarts chicken broth
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, chopped
1 cup finely chopped celery
1 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1/2 cup dry white wine or additional chicken broth
3 cups cooked wild rice
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
Directions
In a large saucepan, combine the first nine ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
In Dutch oven, melt butter; stir in flour until smooth. Gradually whisk in broth mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Whisk in soup and wine. Add rice and chicken; heat through. Yield: 14 servings (3-1/2 quarts).
Nutritional Facts
1 serving (1 cup) equals 154 calories, 6 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 27 mg cholesterol, 807 mg sodium, 14 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 10 g protein.

Originally published as Chicken Wild Rice Soup in Taste of Home's Holiday & Celebrations Cookbook Annual 2001, p75

The Benefits of Vertical Gardening

What Is Vertical Gardening?

Simply put, vertical gardening is the practice of growing certain vegetable plants up a support to keep them from spreading on the ground. Most vining plants, such as cucumbers, can be grown vertically using a trellis. Growing these plants vertically saves space, and generally promotes more vigorous growth.

The Benefits of Vertical Gardening

As mentioned above, growing plants vertically saves space in the vegetable garden. You can grow more plants in a smaller area by using vertical gardening practices. A plant that would normally take up 4 square feet spread across the vegetable garden, will only take up 2 square feet if vertical gardening is used.

Vertical gardening can also greatly improve your crop production. Keeping vegetable plants off the soil will help prevent soil-borne diseases, and may limit the chances of rotten fruit. If vegetables are allowed to lay on the soil, they can begin rotting on the bottom side due to excessive moisture.

Growing some vining plants up a support also reduces the risk of powdery mildew, and other mildews, by improving the air circulation around the plants. This will also improve access to blooms for bees and other pollinators. Vertical gardening can greatly improve the overall appearance of your garden, because spreading plants will not look so unwieldy.

Tips to use recycled plastic jugs in your garden

Here are are few tips to use recycled plastic jugs in your garden! 

ENJOY!

1. Use gallon bottles/jugs and cultivate what you want.. ideal for anyone who lives in an apartment or small area.

2. Cut the bottom off your gallon milk jugs (and save the bottoms ... you'll see why!) and use them as cloches in the garden! Place them over young tomato, pepper, and other plants, to protect them from frost on chilly spring nights.

3. Slice off the bottom inch or two of your milk jugs, and use them as a tray for starting seeds. Use the top sections as cloches, and you've gotten two great uses out of every milk jug! Poke a few holes in the bottom for drainage, add potting soil or seed starting mix, and plant seeds.

4. Don't spend a bushel of cash on upside-down vegetable planters. You can make them from milk jugs.

5. Slice milk jugs at an angle and you have an instant scoop, complete with handle. Just make sure you leave the lid on! This works perfectly for grass seed, fertilizer, potting soil, and even bird seed! For smaller jobs, use half-gallon jugs.

6. For liquid fertilizer, plant food, herbicides, or other chemicals that need mixing with water, use a milk jug! Measure and add the first ingredient to an empty milk jug, set it on a level surface, and use a permanent marker to make a line at the top of the liquid. Write the ingredient name in the space it occupies in the jug. Add other ingredients as needed, one at a time, marking and labeling after each addition. Next time you make the mix, you won't have to measure. Just use the markings on the milk jug! To avoid mixing chemicals that shouldn't be mixed, reserve one milk jug for your plant food, another for herbicides, and so on, and label them clearly.

7. Punch a series of small holes in the top of a gallon or half-gallon milk jug, fill with water, and use in place of a watering can! The half-gallon size works great for children or anyone who can't manage a heavy full gallon. The water comes out slowly, so kids are less likely to drown plants. If you have to transport water to a garden or flower bed, use a solid lid to haul the gallons of water, and replace it with a hole-punched lid once you get there!

8. Gallon milk jugs are big enough to plant tomatoes. Can hang on deck or wall.

9. Poke tiny holes in the bottom of the jug and place next to new plants.

Start a 1 Acre Self-Sufficient Homestead

We wanted to share this great information from Mother Earth News on how to start a 1 Acre Homestead. There are some great ideas here. 

We have the land for sale. All it needs is you! Contact us Today!

Your 1-acre homestead can be divided into land for raising livestock and a garden for raising fruits, vegetables, plus some grain and forage crops. 

Everyone will have a different approach to keeping a self-sufficient homestead, and it’s unlikely that any two 1-acre farms will follow the same plan or methods or agree completely on how to homestead. Some people like cows; other people are afraid of them. Some people like goats; other people cannot keep them out of the garden. Some people will not slaughter animals and have to sell their surplus stock off to people who will kill them; others will not sell surplus stock off at all because they know that the animals will be killed; and still others will slaughter their own animals to provide their family with healthy meat.

Read more: http://www.motherearthnews.com/modern-homesteading/self-sufficient-homestead-zm0z11zkon.aspx#ixzz2Or9G0TxS

Regrow your green onions!

Did you know you can regrow your green onions?? You can cut off the roots and 

put them in water, then the roots will absorb the water and start to grow a new 

green onion. It takes a good 2-3 weeks for the green onion to grow completely 

so you can use it again, but it grows a whole new one!!!