Get Your Pitchfork On! (eBook)

The Real Dirt on Country Living

Kristy Athens (Autor)

eBook Download: EPUB

2012
380 Seiten
Process (Verlag)
978-1-934170-35-9 (ISBN)

Infos

A city girl's straightforward and amusing advice about farming and the social aspects of country living.

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For hard-working office workers Kristy Athens and husband Michael, farming was a romantic dream. After purchasing farm land in Oregon's beautiful Columbia Gorge, Athens and hubby were surprised to learn that the realities of farming were challenging and unexpected. Get Your Pitchfork On! provides the hard-learned nuts-and-bolts of rural living from city folk who were initially out of their depth. Practical and often hilarious, Get Your Pitchfork On! reads like a twenty-first century Egg and I. Get Your Pitchfork On! gives urban professionals the practical tools they need to realize their dream, with basics of home, farm, and hearth. It also enters territory that other books avoidstraightforward advice about the social aspects of country living, from health care to schools to small-town politics. Kristy Athens doesn't shy away from controversial subjects, such as having guns and hiring undocumented migrant workers. An important difference between Get Your Pitchfork On! and other farm/country books is that the author's initial country experiment failed. Ravaged by the elements, the economy, and the social structure of their rural area, Athens and husband sold their farm and retreated to Portland, Oregon, in 2009. This gave Athens the freedom to write honestly about her extraordinary experience. Having learned from mistakes, both Kristy and her husband are currently saving up to buy another farm, and this time to live a practical dream rather than an uninformed nightmare. Kristy Athens' nonfiction and short stories have been published in a number of magazines, newspapers, and literary journals, most recently High Desert Journal, Barely South Review, and the anthology Mamas and Papas. In 2010, she was a writer-in-residence for the Eastern Oregon Writer-in-Residence program and Soapstone. This is her first book.

Autor

Kristy Athens and her husband Michael always had visions to get out of the city and get farming. And farm they did on the Washington side of the Columbia gorge. "Get Your Pitchfork On!" is both an amusing how-to from Kristy and hubby's hard-earned personal experiences.Kristy Athens' nonfiction and short fiction have been published in a number of magazines, newspapers and literary journals, most recently High Desert Journal, Barely South Review and the anthology Mamas and Papas. In 2010, she was a writer-in-residence for the Eastern Oregon Writer-in-Residence program and Soapstone. Kristy has served on the boards of the Hood River County Cultural Trust, Independent Publishing Resource Center, and Northwest Writers. She has been a guest blogger for New Oregon Arts & Letters; editor of Columbia Gorge Magazine; and coordinator of the Columbia Center for the Arts Plein Air Writing Exhibition, and of Literary Arts’ Oregon Book Awards and Oregon Literary Fellowships programs.This is Kristy's first book.

Inhalt

Get Your Pitchfork On! A No-Romance Country PrimerAcknowledgments10Introduction11Section One: Land16Chapter 1: Buying17REALTOR Versus FSBO19Topography21Potential Hazards22Water Features22Pond23Channel Water25Driveway26Microclimates26View27Government and Municipal Considerations28Vehicle Licensing and Insurance28Taxes29Zoning30Covenants31Environmental Health32Conservation Easement33Mineral and Timber Rights33Airspace34Vegetation Control34Property Lines35Proximity36Neighbors36Utilities38Bare Land38Domestic and Irrigation/Livestock Water40Surface Water41Well Water43Septic System44Services47Chapter 2: Maintenance50Woodlot and Yard50Planting Trees51Fire Abatement52Falling53Burn Pile55Road Kill59Noxious Plants60Invasive Species60Native Species62Poison Ivy, Oak and Sumac63Tractors and Other Tools64Tractor64Tractor Implements66Repairs68Chainsaw68Other Yard Power Tools70Pickup (Rig)71Storing Fuel71Traditional Hand Tools74Fencing75Fence Materials78Gates81Tools82Corners83Odd Terrain83Attire84Boots85Clothes86Gloves87Hat88Section Two: Buildings, Inside and Out89Chapter 1: Maintenance91Roof and Gutter92Septic System93Critter-Proofing94Sump Pump95Wood Heat95Acquiring98Splitting99Storage102Kindling102Lighting103Wood Type104Chimney106Sap107Chapter 2: Other Utilities and Services108Other Heat Sources108Electricity109Communications109Postal Service111Package Delivery113Newspaper Delivery113Pizza Delivery113Locator Landmark114Chapter 3: Winter and Storm Preparedness114Critical Systems115Generator116Getting Out117Chapter 4: Sustainable Power118Solar Hot Water119Solar Electricity120Water and Wind Turbines122Passive Solar Heat122Geothermal Energy123Chapter 5: Alternative Building Materials124Adobe124Straw Bale125Cob125Rammed Earth127Chapter 6: Other âGreenâ Ideas127Composting Toilet127Gray Water System128Rainwater Catchment130Insulation131Clothesline133Chapter 7: Outbuildings135Section Three: Animals138Chapter 1: Pets140Cat141Dog142Protective Dog143Wandering Dog144Country Dog Fun146Chapter 2: Livestock151General Maintenance152Fencing153Personality154Training155Handling/Safety156Feeding157Vaccinations and Parasites160Manure Management161Males162Gender Names163Specific Species164Birds164Camelids175Bovines177Equines180Honeybee188Goat190Pig191Rabbit192Sheep193Chapter 3: Wildlife194The Most Dangerous Wild Animal196Insects and Arachnids198Carpenter Ants199Chiggers200Cockroaches200Fire Ants201Mosquitoes202Scorpions202Squirrels, Chipmunks, Ground Squirrels203Subterranean Termites204Ticks204Wasps206Fish, Reptiles and Amphibians209Alligator210Boa Constrictor and Burmese Python210Catfish210Frog211Iguana, Lizard and Gecko211Snakes213Turtle and Tortoise214Mammals215Badger216Bat216Bear217Beaver218Coyote and Wolf218Javelina, or Peccary220Mouse and Rat221Porcupine221Raccoon222Razorback, or Wild Hog222Birds223European Starling224Flicker224Hawks225Muscovy Duck225Owl226Quail227(Wild) Turkey227Section Four: Food229Chapter 1: Buying230Animal Products230Eggs231Milk232CSA233Big-Box Stores234Chapter 2: Domestic Animals234Hiring a Butcher236Butchering237Butchering Ages238Dressing238Chapter 3: Gardening240Design241Compost244Compost Tea249Worm Bin249Hand Tools250Cultivation and Planting252Germination253Planting256Maintenance258Saving Seed259Woody Perennials260Competition (Pests)264Gophers266Other âPestsâ270Chapter 4: Harvest and Storage274Individual Fruits and Vegetables275Apples275Artichoke276Asparagus276Avocado277Basil278Beans and Edamame279Berries280Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Collard Greens, Cauliflower280Cabbage, Bok Choy281Cantaloupe, Honeydew Melon281Celery281Cherries282Chives282Coconut282Corn282Cranberries and Currants283Dates283Eggplants283Grapes283Guava284Kale284Mango284Okra284Onions, Garlic, Shallots284Oranges, Grapefruit, Limes, Lemons, Tangerines, Mandarins285Oregano286Parsley286Peaches, Nectarines, Apricots, Plums286Peanuts287Peas287Pears, Asian Pears287Peppers288Pineapple288Pomegranate288Potatoes289Pumpkin290Rhubarb291Root Vegetables291Squash292Sweet Potatoes293Tomatoes293Tomatoes, Green294Tomatillos294Watermelon294Canning294Water Bath/Steam297Pressure299Canning 101299Freezing302Drying304Chapter 5: Harvesting From the Wild305Wildcrafting Plants306Hunting Animals309Fishing317Section Five: Community, Family & Culture321Chapter 1: Small-Town Etiquette321Colloquialisms322Chapter 2: Town Personalities323Farm Town325Ranching Town325Fishing Town326Industry Town327College Town328Tourist Town328Sports Town329Exurb/Bedroom Community331Economically Depressed Town331Chapter 3: People333Neighbors336Trust338Privacy341Locals343Minorities346Religious347Racial348Sexual/Gender349Mainstream Culture351Sports352Gender Roles353Chapter 4: Children354Babysitting and Day Care355Education356Homeschooling357Unschooling359Online Schooling360Montessori360College Prep361Bus Shelter362Fundraising3634-H363Future Farmers of America364Safety365Chores366Chapter 5: Amenities367Library367Public Transportation368Grange Hall368Formal Social Clubs368Local News372Shopping373Chapter 6: Community Events373Festivals, Rodeos and County Fairs373Fourth of July375Halloween376Christmas376School Events377Recreation, Arts and Culture378Recreation378Fine Arts380Restaurants382Other Cultural Opportunities382Television and Movies383Adult Education384Complex Political Issues384Environmentalism388Guns389Chapter 7: Making a Living391Relying on an Urban Economy392Commuting393Telecommuting394Surviving in a Rural Economy395Job-Seeking396Interviewing397Fundraising and Volunteering398Interning400Bartering400Welfare401Opening a Business402Farm-Based Income404Agri-Tourism406Tax Deferral406Employees407Interns409Organic Certification409Value-Added Products410Other Opportunities412Bed-and-Breakfast414Marketing and Public Relations415Sample Press Release416Chapter 8: Health Care422Mental Health424Reproductive Health424Obstetrics424Infertility425Pregnancy Avoidance or Termination425End-of-Life Care426Alternative Medicine427Studios and Gymnasiums428Safety428Abuse430Chapter 9: Vehicles and Driving432Animal Collisions434Waving435Open Range436Unpaved Roads436Snow438Chapter 10: Urban Connections439Visitors440Events440

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 8.5.2012
• Reihe/Serie: Process Self-reliance Series
• Reihe/Serie: Process Self-reliance Series
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Sachbuch/Ratgeber ► Freizeit / Hobby
• Themenwelt: Sachbuch/Ratgeber ► Gesundheit / Leben / Psychologie
• Themenwelt: Sachbuch/Ratgeber ► Natur / Technik ► Garten
• Themenwelt: Sachbuch/Ratgeber ► Natur / Technik ► Natur / Ökologie
• Themenwelt: Weitere Fachgebiete ► Land- / Forstwirtschaft / Fischerei
• ISBN-10: 1-934170-35-6 / 1934170356
• ISBN-13: 978-1-934170-35-9 / 9781934170359