Something to Gobble About! By Sher Jennings

Tale of Woe & Learning in How-to Safely Process Your Turkey

At one of the last general membership for the Pacific Northwest Poultry Association (PNPA) meetings in 2013, Mike Omeg and I did a presentation on Processing Poultry.   It was a very thorough presentation and included a lot of hand-outs, display items, notes, recipes, advice on processing options, a powerpoint presentation with a lot of pictures, and safety information. The safety part of it included using knives that are sharp, positioning and stance, handling birds, etc etc. Based on a recent and humbling experience, I’d like to add one more item to that Safety List that hadn’t occurred to me at the time.   Propane equipment.

Well “DUH!!!”, you might say. But I’m not talking about the obvious considerations when working with propane. I’ve been raising and processing birds for decades. I’ve taken great pride in how thoroughly I’ve thought through set-up well before I even touch the first bird. In this instance, I had agreed to assist Lisa Plous in processing a couple of turkeys, one of which was the Champion Turkey at the Skamania County Fair weighing in at 42.6 lbs, as well as 4 Jersey Giants cockerels………turkey-ish in their own right.

Normally, I process in the back of my property where I have close access to my kitchen, plenty of water, shade, etc etc. This time, because of the uncanny heat predicted for the day, I set up in the front yard on the lawn, also near water but under the shade of some large trees and next to the driveway, and also my house.

My fairly new, recently filled 5 gallon propane tank, however, refused to work after hooking it up to the burner (one of those turkey fryer stands which works great for heating up water). We determined the problem was the tank and so Lisa brought down her freshly filled 10 gallon propane tank. Max, my company from Arizona, and gourmet cook, was excited about the prospect of getting to learn how to process poultry so had volunteered to do whatever he could to help. Once Lisa arrived, he helped her set up the tank and light the burner, while I busied myself with finishing the table set-up nearby.

As I walked back out to the driveway, I was stopped by the horrified expression on Max’s face as he pointed past me and hollered, “FIRE!”. As I turned around, I could see that the burner was burning. And so was the TOP of the propane tank.

-       *****Please keep in mind that this story, from this point, is minus the volume, expletives, memorable one-liners, and a few other actions taken by the parties in attendance, me included. -****

I had just told Max an hour earlier that the two things in the world that truly scare me are electricity and propane. It was all I could do to grab the charged hose and start spraying water. While the burner went out, the propane tank fire dropped down but kept going. The hope was to keep the tank cool and the fire from turning into a full blow torch.

Lisa grabbed a hoist rope, intended for the turkeys, tied it to her bumper and the other end to the burner stand. Still connected by the propane hose to the burning propane tank, she pulled everything down the gravel driveway until she got to the end. Meanwhile, my daughter called 911 and thanks to tax cuts immediately was connected to a recording which told her to say “9-1-1” if it truly was an emergency. Then it connected to a dispatcher who’s job apparently was to determine what kind of emergency it was and then re-route to (in our case) the fire department. By that point, Lisa had disconnected the drag rope from the back of her truck and sped up the street. By the time the fire department arrived, the flames coming out of the propane tank were shooting up to 20 feet out of the top of the tank across my driveway. Had that tank been anywhere else, it would have ignited our countryside neighborhood with forested land homes, starting with my own house.

Even the firefighters were surprised that two hours later, the fire was still coming out of that propane tank like a blow torch, although down to about 5 feet in length. Thirty minutes later, they were hosing the tank down in hopes of knocking down the last of the flames.

Turns out, my newer tank hadn’t worked originally because of a safety valve that the newest tanks have. The older tank, minus the safety valve sensor, had released gas into a propane line that apparently had a crack in it.

While the firefighters couldn’t decide if Lisa and I were really stupid or really brave, they were adamant that our actions, while dangerous, had saved houses and forested land. Here are the parting thoughts that could have avoided our day of drama:

1. Keep a welding glove (elbow length) and fire extinguisher nearby when using any outdoor propane appliances. This way, we could have sprayed down the propane flame and quickly turned off the valve (if not damaged).
2. Keep a foam spraying fire extinguisher (standard for most home extinguishers) nearby.
3. Keep a charged hose nearby as well (which helped to keep the propane tank cool and the grass from igniting.
4. Only use propane appliances in a location that have no flammable materials nearby (DUH), preferably on a driveway, and where emergency responders can easily reach, not in your back yard where you may feel better because the neighbors won’t have to witness your processing, but otherwise a very bad idea.
5. And MOST IMPORTANTLY - replace your propane hose every two years, and do not store them outside during the winter. Because we use our propane appliances year-round, I’ll be replacing the hose annually. They’re only about $5.
6. Check the etched numbers on your propane tank. You can tell the month and year that your propane tank was manufactured. The newer ones have the safety valve. Had I known even THAT much, I’d have shut us down when the first newer tank wouldn’t work to begin with. Turns out the alternative tank we ended up using, which had been thought to be relatively new was 24 years old. Propane stations are not allowed to refill older tanks, however, there are still little country stores out there that don’t know or don’t care and don’t even check.

On a final note, picture a massive turkey in an extra-large dog crate sitting in the truck bed of Lisa’s big red truck, next to a huge running fire truck blocking traffic from using the roadway with firefighters in full dress standing nearby. If you know anything about turkeys, you can imagine the non-stop gobbling he was shelling out. Traffic stopped, neighbors coming out, joggers and walkers piling up, horses running back and forth across the pasture…………..that turkey didn’t shut up for almost 2 ½ hours.

Hot Tea can Warm You Inside and Out.
Hot Tea Warms the Body and the Heart.

China gets a lot of bad press these days, for various reasons. But in two areas they have
excelled for centuries: fireworks and tea. We shall leave the pyrotechnics for perhaps another
time, and turn toward tea, the second most consumed beverage on the planet, after water.
No one knows really how long ago the Chinese discovered the pleasures and benefits of tea,
but it has been close to two milennia back that they began to use it on a regular basis. One
amazing thing is that ALL tea, properly called, derives from exactly the same plant, Camelia
sinensis, and its very close cousin Camelia assamica. How can this be? you ask. It all
depends on when in the plant’s growing cycle it is plucked, how it is plucked, and the various
ways the plucked leaves are handled before it goes into your cup.

Yes, white, green, yellow, red, black, oolongs, pu ehr and other aged teas, all the “bricks” and
“cakes” and “pressed” teas are from exactly the same plant. The time of harvest during the
growing cycle of the plant also affects flavour, the First and Second flush picks, late harvest,
autumn flush, and what part of the plant is taken all are managed to bring out different
characteristics from even the same bush. And this is the ‘magic” of tea. The chinese are very
ingenious, and over time have tried many things, perfecting that which brings good results.
The wide range of flavours derived from this one leaf, nothing added, only handled differently
is nothing short of astounding.

As the tea plant became known in China, it was also discovered in India (and neighbouring
Nepal and Tibet as well), along with its close cousin, the assamica, the type most common in
northern India’s two famous tea provinces, Darjeeling and Assam. Again, a vast range of
flavours can be derived from the same plant, depending on how it is handled.
The health benefits of tea are well known throughout China, India, and the rest of the ancient
tea-driinking world. These are slowly becoming known in the West, and scientific studies are
increasingly demonstrating what these benefits are and often how they operate on our bodies.
Enzymes, antioxidants, bioflavinoids, tocopherols, bring definite benefits to those who enjoy
tea. Some types provide more or less of certain helpful compounds, but this will have to wait
for another time.

Personally, the aspect of tea which I love the most is its soothing flavour, always interesting,
and I can always find a tea that suits my present mood or disposition, whether I wish to calm
down and relax, simply delighting in the sensory qualities of a great cup, or need a pick-meup;
whether I am in the mood for a strong, “rowdy” cup or a smooth, sweet, mellow one with
loads of complexity. I enjoy exploring whatever tea is before me, savouring its smell (“nose”,
the flavour itself, colour, feel on the tongue, astringency or smoothness, and noting the
changes as it cools.

SO... how to begin your own exploration of tea’s delights? Most folks have never tasted
anything besides the pre-bagged teas from the grocery store, and these are seldom, if ever,
worth exploring. No, not even the popular brands, Stash, Tazo, Twinnings, Bigelow, let alone
LIpton or Red Rose, PG Tips, Good Earth. deliver acceptible quality. Good qualtiy loose leaf
will deliver if well chosen and properly brewed.

One of the interesting aspects of tea is that it does store quite well, if a bit of wisdom is
applied. Larger leaf “particles” store better, particularly when compared to typical “tea bag cut”
or “fannings and dustings” (what I rather callously refer to as “floor sweepings”, and most
often what is used to fill the littie single cup brew bags from the grocery store). The smaller
particles have more surface area exposed to the air (oxygen is the worst enemy of tea, light
being a distant, but significant, second). The “fannings” have a very high surface to weight
ration when compared to a whole leaf tea, even more when compared to a tightly curled or
rolled leaf. Of course, the larger leaf bits equal higher grades, thus more dear. But, particulary
when one is putting away tea for long term storage (against the day when one cannot simply
run out and buy another supply) the additional cost is well worth it for the pleaseure delivered,
both when drunk soon after purchase and when ferreted out of storage “in the day”.
Often the difference in price, while a significant increase in percentage over the low grade, is
not much in terms of price per cup. Proper “dosage” when brewing is about 2 grammes for an
eight ounce cup. That delivers about 225 cups per pound (454 grammes/lb, 2 grammes/cup =
227 cups/lb). Divide the price/lb by 225, and your “far too dear” special grade oolong from
Formosa, at $35/lb costs a mere fifteen cents the cup. Compare this to the cost of a one litre
bottle of drinking water today, at near a doller.. that same 8 ounce cup costs twenty five cents.
Buy that tea iat today’s dollar, put some of it by for the long term, and when eggs are five
dollars each, your tea is all but free.

SO.. how to “put it by” for long term storage? As mentioned, air/oxygen is tea’s most lethal
opponent. If you buy your tea “loose” by the pound, it will likely be put into a small paper bag,
perhaps mylar lined, the top rolled over and taped, or secured with the “tin tie” bonded to the
bag. This is fine if you will use the tea within the month. For the medium term, say, for a year,
perhaps two, a glass jar with a tight sealing lid will serve, fill it absolutely as full as you
possibly can, perhaps vibrating or shaking it down, refillig, and so forth, untll that jar is well
packed. If the leaves are very open, large, curled, there will be a lot of air surrounding them,
leading to shorter shelf-life. A broken or cut leaf grade will be a bit lower quality to begin with,
but will store longer under the same circumstances. Thread the jar’s lid down tight, then put
your jars of tea into a cardboard carton, or store in some dark place (remember, light is
Enemy Number Two), preferably in a cellar, cool room, whatever, as heat will also lead to
faster deterioration. A small garden shed, uninsulated, is NOT a very good place. A shelf in a
pantry or store-room will serve, if the area can be closed off to the light. For long term
storage, oxygen absorbers are a great tool. Calcuating the size packet for the capacity of the
container is not as straightforward as for, say, beans, where the percentage of air relative to
the capacity of the container is fairly constant. For a full-leaf tea, probably a 40% figure would
be close, for a broken or cut leaf tea, perhas even as low as ten or fifteen percent would
suffice. As always, it never hurts to toss in an extra packet, or use one “too large” for the
container’s calculated air volume. (don’t forget to multiply your air volume figure by 20% to get
OXYGEN volume, then use the appropriate packet size for that figure).

To get a more reliable, and easier to store, packaging, I use the four-layer “high barrier” foil
packaging, preferring the “gussetted bag” style for good cost to performance rating. These
bags are easily heat sealed, either with a relatively inexpensive hand heat sealer, or even
(I’ve done it when needing to seal a bag and no “proper” sealer about) a clothes iron. An
absolutely air tight enclosure can be had. With a bit of creativity one can draw a vacuum
before sealing, use oxygen absorbers, nitrogen or CO 2 flush then vacuum.... with any of
these methods one can “put by” very high quality teas in a rather economical fashion and rest
assured that, until/unless the bag itself is broken or pierced, the tea will be as fresh on a
hundred years as it is today. Using a smaller packet size will preserve more of it for longer, as
one can then open one of, say, three smaller packets thus preserving the remaining two thirds
in perfect condition until needed. Or to trade with someone else who REALLY wants that
lovely tea you shared with them, but has NO idea where to find such a thing.

As a “class” or type of tea, my absolute favourite is the oolongs. These span a wide range of
flavours, as they are made with varying degrees of oxidation, at some of them giong through
many cycles of partial oxidation, then heating, then osidixing again... between these “bouts” of
treatmend the leaves being gently crushed, kneaded, pushed about, until the “Tea Master”
determines he has the effect he wishes. Oolongs are, as a class, considerably more dear
than, say, a classic black or green tea, but oolongs, in general, also have one amazing quality
to which I have only recently been exposed: most oolongs can be steeped, or brewed,
mulitple times. I’ve had some which I have actually brewed six times, each time presenting a
different flavour profile, each one enjoyable. The next attempt (I was actually “pushing the
envelope” to see how large it was) resulted in a bland, characterless cup... which I did not
finish. Thus, a hundred dollar the pound oolong can present you with thirteen hundred
enjoyable cups, at a cost per cup of about seven cents....... making the far higher price a
bargain.

Alright, I can hear you wondering “where to I PERSONALLY begin exploring tea?” I
recommend starting with some of the classic Chinese styles, most of which were developed in
one or another district several hundred years ago, and still made the same way in the same
places, often on the same grounds, twelve hundred years later. Yes, its true... some examples
are (for green teas) the “gunpowder” (so named because the physical appearance of the
rolled leaf strongly resembles the early types of cannon gunpowder.....get a Special Grade,
higher than the normal) , Dragon Well, or Lung Ching, Chun Mee; for blacks, find a good
grade of Yunnan, Keemun; and for white, the “white peony” or Bai Mu Dan. Japan specialises
in greens, Sen Cha and Bancha are the classics. Japanese greens are steamed to stop the
oxidation, and present a very bright flavour, highly prized by the Japanese. There is also the
classic Gen Mai Cha, a bancha with toasted rice kernels mixed in, providing a smooth, righ,
nutty flavour unique in all the world. India is the second largest tea producer after China, most
of their teas are the black teas... here, the growing region has much to do with the style (and
often price) of tea. The richer, smoother ones tend to be from Assam, but some areas of
South India will rival them. Darjeeling teas are generally very bright, lively, “brisk”, as Sir
Thomas Lipton would say. Not for everyone, but I really enjoy a good qualty First Flush
Darjeeling on occasion. They tend to be, to me at any rate, “heppy” teas, not for sipping
quietly by the hearth on a cold morning but better suited to enlivening an active afternoon.
India is less known for green teas, though most estates will produce at least some. I
recommend avoiding the typical blends, particularly out of India, when one is first exploring
teas, preferring to explore the single origin regional and estate teas. India use an interesting
grading system comprising a series of letters after the tea. At first, this seems too arcant to
make the least bit of sense out of it, but, in general each letter stands for a certain attribute,
and the longer the “string” the more of these attributes apply, the higher the grade (and
quality.. and price). Once one gets up to five or six of these letters, the difference in quality
with each added one diminishes. SFTGFOP will almost always be higher quality than “plain
old” OP.... and deliver greater pleasure in the cup.

Sri Lanka, formerly called Ceylon, is home to a wide variety of tea styles, as well, but here
again, I’d recommend exploring single origin estate teas, and from the different regions in that
island nation. Best known for their high quality black teas, I’ve seen some top award winners
from here in the international competitions. And the island nation of Formosa, modern name
Taiwan, is home to some of the most exquisite, amazing, delightful (and, sadly, most dear)
oolong teas anywhere, though a few gardens in China will rival even the best Formosa
oolongs. These teas can range (in degree of oxidation of the leaf) from very green (perhaps
ten percent oxidation) to fully black (ninety percent or more oxidation).

One more word on sourcing: early on in my tea adventure, I tried to find “bargains” at oriental
markets, from small to very large supermarkets in Asian sectors of some cities. Most of the
teas in these places are relatively low grade teas, though most often far superior to grocery
store offerings. Low price (compared to the grocery stores) is a benefit, but the search for a
reasonably priced loose leaf supplier will often reward your efforts by establishing a long term
relationshi with a supplier of high quality teas for excellent value, often rivalling in price the
boxed and tinned prepackaged offerings in the oriental shops, but considerably higher quality
teas. Some online sources provide low prices.. and quality to match, while others, though a
little more costly, provide MUCH higher quality. Yet others again will provide decent quality at
VERY high prices. The best path for online purchasing is to either get a solid recommendation
from a knowledgeable friend, or better yet, sample some of your friend’s teas, compare them
to the lower price product of other places. You may not think your palate is sophisticated
enough to “grade” tea, but you will know what YOU prefer when you taste it. Remember, or
take notes, what you’ve tasted from where. Some vendors will supply smaller packets to allow
one to explore. If you don’t care for one, you’ve not committed yourself to a ten year supply. If
you really like a particular tea, you can return to the vendor and acquire that large stash for
forever storage.

A good tea room can also afford opprtunity to explore for little cost. I always
prefer to order from the list of classic Chinese, Indian, Formosan, Ceylon, Japanese teas,
leaving aside the “herbal blands”, strange concoctions with amazing names..... ask your
hostess to guide you to some of the well established classics. They should be able to properly
brew and present an excellent cup, and start you on your journey into the delightful and
amazing world of fine teas. 

The next "Tea Workshop" at GorgePrep.com is scheuduled for Sat., May10--just in time for a wonderful Mother's Day gift.

  The Poulty Corner

POULTRY PROCESSING SAFETY:  Something to Gobble About!

By Sher Jennings

At one of the last general membership for the Pacific Northwest Poultry Association (PNPA) meetings in 2013, Mike Omeg and I did a presentation on Processing Poultry.   It was a very thorough presentation and included a lot of hand-outs, display items, notes, recipes, advice on processing options, a powerpoint presentation with a lot of pictures, and safety information.

The safety part of it included using knives that are sharp, positioning and stance, handling birds, etc etc. Based on a recent and humbling experience, I’d like to add one more item to that Safety List that hadn’t occurred to me at the time.   Propane equipment.Well “DUH!!!”, you might say. But I’m not talking about the obvious considerations when working with propane. I’ve been raising and processing birds for decades. I’ve taken great pride in how thoroughly I’ve thought through set-up well before I even touch the first bird. In this instance, I had agreed to assist Lisa Plous in processing a couple of turkeys, one of which was the Champion Turkey at the Skamania County Fair weighing in at 42.6 lbs, as well as 4 Jersey Giants cockerels………turkey-ish in their own right.

Normally, I process in the back of my property where I have close access to my kitchen, plenty of water, shade, etc etc. This time, because of the uncanny heat predicted for the day, I set up in the front yard on the lawn, also near water but under the shade of some large trees and next to the driveway, and also my house.

My fairly new, recently filled 5 gallon propane tank, however, refused to work after hooking it up to the burner (one of those turkey fryer stands which works great for heating up water). We determined the problem was the tank and so Lisa brought down her freshly filled 10 gallon propane tank. Max, my company from Arizona, and gourmet cook, was excited about the prospect of getting to learn how to process poultry so had volunteered to do whatever he could to help. Once Lisa arrived, he helped her set up the tank and light the burner, while I busied myself with finishing the table set-up nearby.

As I walked back out to the driveway, I was stopped by the horrified expression on Max’s face as he pointed past me and hollered, “FIRE!”. As I turned around, I could see that the burner was burning. And so was the TOP of the propane tank.-       *****Please keep in mind that this story, from this point, is minus the volume, expletives, memorable one-liners, and a few other actions taken by the parties in attendance, me included. -****

I had just told Max an hour earlier that the two things in the world that truly scare me are electricity and propane. It was all I could do to grab the charged hose and start spraying water. While the burner went out, the propane tank fire dropped down but kept going. The hope was to keep the tank cool and the fire from turning into a full blow torch.Lisa grabbed a hoist rope, intended for the turkeys, tied it to her bumper and the other end to the burner stand.

Still connected by the propane hose to the burning propane tank, she pulled everything down the gravel driveway until she got to the end. Meanwhile, my daughter called 911 and thanks to tax cuts immediately was connected to a recording which told her to say “9-1-1” if it truly was an emergency. Then it connected to a dispatcher who’s job apparently was to determine what kind of emergency it was and then re-route to (in our case) the fire department. By that point, Lisa had disconnected the drag rope from the back of her truck and sped up the street.

By the time the fire department arrived, the flames coming out of the propane tank were shooting up to 20 feet out of the top of the tank across my driveway. Had that tank been anywhere else, it would have ignited our countryside neighborhood with forested land homes, starting with my own house. Even the firefighters were surprised that two hours later, the fire was still coming out of that propane tank like a blow torch, although down to about 5 feet in length. Thirty minutes later, they were hosing the tank down in hopes of knocking down the last of the flames.

Turns out, my newer tank hadn’t worked originally because of a safety valve that the newest tanks have. The older tank, minus the safety valve sensor, had released gas into a propane line that apparently had a crack in it. While the firefighters couldn’t decide if Lisa and I were really stupid or really brave, they were adamant that our actions, while dangerous, had saved houses and forested land. Here are the parting thoughts that could have avoided our day of drama:

1. Keep a welding glove (elbow length) and fire extinguisher nearby when using any outdoor propane appliances. This way, we could have sprayed down the propane flame and quickly turned off the valve (if not damaged).

2. Keep a foam spraying fire extinguisher (standard for most home extinguishers) nearby.

3. Keep a charged hose nearby as well (which helped to keep the propane tank cool and the grass from igniting.

4. Only use propane appliances in a location that have no flammable materials nearby (DUH), preferably on a driveway, and where emergency responders can easily reach, not in your back yard where you may feel better because the neighbors won’t have to witness your processing, but otherwise a very bad idea.

5. And MOST IMPORTANTLY - replace your propane hose every two years, and do not store them outside during the winter. Because we use our propane appliances year-round, I’ll be replacing the hose annually. They’re only about $5.

6. Check the etched numbers on your propane tank. You can tell the month and year that your propane tank was manufactured. The newer ones have the safety valve. Had I known even THAT much, I’d have shut us down when the first newer tank wouldn’t work to begin with. Turns out the alternative tank we ended up using, which had been thought to be relatively new was 24 years old. Propane stations are not allowed to refill older tanks, however, there are still little country stores out there that don’t know or don’t care and don’t even check.

On a final note, picture a massive turkey in an extra-large dog crate sitting in the truck bed of Lisa’s big red truck, next to a huge running fire truck blocking traffic from using the roadway with firefighters in full dress standing nearby. If you know anything about turkeys, you can imagine the non-stop gobbling he was shelling out. Traffic stopped, neighbors coming out, joggers and walkers piling up, horses running back and forth across the pasture…………..that turkey didn’t shut up for almost 2 ½ hours.

Coffee

COFFEE... the world's second most traded commodity (only surpassed by oil), and one of the most consumed beverage in the US. Today, anyone can obtain, with minimal difficulty, what it takes to enjoy a cup, and nearly anywhere. But, what about when things are not "normal"? I know many who consider coffee to be one of life's essentials, and simply not enjoyable without it. If you are in that cetegory and are concerned about preparing for "non-normal" times, I have some good news for you. It IS possible, with some foresight, learning a few simple skills, and little additional cost, to assure yourself an all but endless supply of quality, freshly roasted coffee given a few basics being available.... and by few, I mean FEW: drinkable water, some means of heating it, and a handful of simple and affordable tools (that can also serve to provide amazing coffee for your family now, at considerable cost savings over buying ready-roasted or prepared brewed coffee).

Since the "green" (unroasted) coffee keeps well, obtaining a supply now, and storing it properly, can assure a supplly of the bean no matter what happens. Well, you might ask, HOW do I roast it and brew it from those hard tasteless round things? Its not that difficult. Some source of heat (camp stove, wood burning or gas fired, perhaps an oven); frying pan, whirlypop corn popper, dutch oven, sheet pan (in oven); hand-crank coffee mill; French press, Aeropress, pourover funnel/filter, vacuum brewer, or a simple kitchen tea-strainer; cup, are all that is needed. Then, a few bits of understanding about how to make use of these items toward your desired result, and you're assured freshly roasted high quality coffee, to rival most of what is commercially available ready-brewed, is yours for a bit of trouble. The basic equipment can be put to use now, along with beginning to build your "stash" of the green coffee. Learn and polish your skills now, when it doesn't matter that much, and you'll be ready for that power outage, government shutdown of highways, fuel panic for the trucks that bring our goods to market, volcano/flood/snow/ice storm that otherwise could end your present supply system for some unknown time. (added advantage: you'll be drinking better tasting coffee for far less money than you now spend whilst you're awaiting that "difficulty").

Most of the "preparedness lists" include coffee in their set of "trading stock" items, too. Not only will you assure your own supply of great coffee when no one else has any, you'll be equipped with a highly desirable trading commodity for those who did not prepare against the day of "coffee panic" and may well have items YOU want.

Come on in to our facilty for two sessions covering this topic, held on Saturday 26th October. Two separate workshops (discount for taking both) will deal with (morning session) grading and sourcing green coffee; packaging options for normal, longer, and indefinite storage of the green coffee; various roasting methods with simplicity and accessibility in view; storage of roasted coffee. After we take a lunch break, we'll reconvene and get into what to do with the roasted whole beans to prepare incredibly delicious coffee, again emphasising simplicity and accessibility.

In my personal life, I almost always have freshly roasted coffee wherever I travel, and carry in one small crate all I need to brew coffee that constantly brings raves from those who are fortunate enough to be nearby. All I need to find are drinkable water (I most often carry that with me if I've a car, and find it when on my bicycle) and a source of heat to boil it. As far as roasting, yes, my favourite tool is a professional drum roaster, but when that is not available I will roast the green coffee I have along by hand. All I need is some source of heat, and in the van I always have propane and a simple camp stove. I have roasted and brewed amazing coffee at Appleseed shoots, out boating, car-camping. And so can you. You will leave these two sessions able to do it as well. We'll have supplies and tools available for purchase there for any interested, wiith discounted pricing for attendees. You COULD spend that one day and go home with everything you need to assure availability of great coffee in any situation, for as  long as you desire. Don't believe me? Come and prove me wrong!!! (we'll ALL have fun anyway, which is never a bad thing).

  Backyard Goats

Hello Homesteaders and Goat Lovers out there!

While some of us are outside cleaning up or harvesting what is left in the garden, those with goats are planning for next spring. Some may have already begun the "progeny" process and their goats are already bred. Let me give a little insight into October/November activities that support our ranch. 

If you are thinking about getting goats, you need to decide what you want - will they be pets? Make milk? Provide meat or fiber? Be pack goats or harness goats? Just be cute? I have 70 goats here at the ranch and they are all pets - so that area is cleared up for us immediately...haha

Here at the ranch, meat goats have already been bred - they usually go in with a buck mid-August thru mid-September. This is so we can provide animals for market projects throughout Southwest Washington, in early spring. The most important things to do for meat animals is to feed them well, trim hooves as needed, keep them warm and dry and always have water present. They will have received preventive shots prior to breeding and parasites do need to be dealt with but the pregnant does must be considered. Consult your veterinarian for suggestions. If you don't have a good vet, try the site FiasCo Farm - they have terrific information on all breeds of goats.

Our dairy goats are coming in to heat quite visibly now - they stand at the fence and call to the bucks that are two fence lines away. By this time, we have decided who we want to breed, what we want the doe to produce, and when we want them to kid. Doe kids need to be 80 pounds before they should be bred - some kids from last spring might make that weight, some not. We usually breed our kids that are big enough, and yearlings to meat animals - we can use the offspring as meat, pack goats, or brush goats and we can see what the udder looks like. You can have a beautiful dairy goat, but the udder is kinda important - if not there, the goat goes. The decision about when to breed requires that the breeder look ahead. When do you want kids to be born? What goat shows will be attended? How busy will the breeder be during the spring months? February births requires breeding in September, March in October, and so on. The breeder needs to decide when they want their milk goats to freshen (come into milk). The earlier, the better as to parasite control for the kids - coccidia is rampant in our warm/wet climate. Kids can die of the symptoms which include profuse diarrhea and dehydration - if your kids are born during our spring rainy season, you must be very prepared to deal with coccidia. This and other factors are considered when deciding when to breed. 

Then, before breeding, all of the dairy herd needs preventive shots - this includes CDT and BoSE. Once that is done, the birthing times are decided on, and the buck has been selected, the watching begins - does should be viewed at least twice a day for sign of heat, and then they can be bred when you see it and want them to be serviced. 

Tina Goodnight is the owner of Camas Camp-n-Ranch, in Camas. She breeds champion lines of Boer and Boer-X meat goats, Alpine dairy goats, and Nigerian goats, and has buck service available.

  The Bee Keeper

Want to get started keeping bees? If you're thinking of keeping a hive or 2 (or 2 dozen) then now is the perfect time to begin your preparations. During the month of October the bees are gathering the last bits of pollen and nectar that will help to see them through the coming winter, and October is the month beekeepers, or potential beekeepers, begin preparing for next spring.

First, I recommend picking up some books and doing some online research. For beginners I recommend The Complete Idiot's Guide to Beekeeping by Dean Stiglitz and Laurie Herboldsheimer. This guide will teach you the basics of the hive and bee biology and walk you through your first year. But that's just the beginning and the tip of the learning iceberg. A really good online resources is BushFarms.com where Michael Bush publishes a wealth of information. You can also watch online videos like my video diary series on Youtube.com/TheBeeVlog. Not a how-to series, but more of an over-the-shoulder view into my beekeeping activities.

Second, if you haven't already you should attend my next Backyard Beekeeping class. October 23th I'll be repeating Beekeeping 101. In this introductory course I cover topics of what is killing the bees and how we can help, what goes on inside a beehive, and where to get your bees.

After you've learned some of the basics it's time to decide what type of hive you want to use and to start buying or building equipment. Most of the little white boxes you see out on the farms are called Langstroth hives, but that's not the only option. In reality, bees will build a home in pretty much any empty cavity you give them, but your beekeeping goals and philosophy will play into your choice in hives. Have you heard of a Top Bar hive or the Warré hive? These are a couple of the other popular options out there.

You'll also need to start planning for where you will get your bees. Catching swarms is a great option, but can be challenging for first-time beekeepers. If you're going to buy your bees then October is a good time to start researching local breeders and suppliers and placing orders. If you want to bait hives then it's time to start learning and preparing for that too.

If you want to keep bees but aren't allowed to have them on your property then you should start asking around with friends and neighbors to see if they'll host some hives for you. Sometimes honey sharing arrangements can be made or some people just love to have them around. Start asking and see what you can find. But I do recommend keeping them as close to home as possible to make things easy on you.

Even though the honey is all harvested and the hives are tucked in for winter, October is still an active month for beekeeping preparations.

Master Gardener... Gardening in the Gorge

Gardening ideas for October

1. Harvest your warm weather crops (tomatoes, peppers, egg plants cucumbers, summer squash) if you still have any after the rains.  Wait for dry weather to harvest winter squash and pumpkins. They will keep better when stored dry. 

2. Clean all the weeds from your garden. It will save you a lot of weeding next spring. Do not put weeds with seeds in your compost pile. The seeds will come up after you use your compost to improve your soil. Dispose of these weeds by burning them or just put them on a pile to rot.

3. You can still plant a winter garden from vegetable starts available at some nurseries. These include cabbage, kale, broccoli, lettuce, swiss chard, parsley and spinach. It is too late to plant to plant these from seeds unless you have a green house. Kale is especially hardy and can provide greens all winter even in the snow.

4. Bring in all your tender plants you want to save over the winter and put them in the garage or a sheltered area. 

5. Plant spring flowering bulbs such as daffodils, tulips and crocuses by the end of October so they have a chance to get established. Make sure the drainage is good. You can also put chicken wire cages around the bulbs to protect them from moles.

FYI: GorgePrep.com does not receive any financial benefit from these sales--we are just passing on a great sale to you our customers (we really like a great sale, and especially one that also supports worthy causes!!!).

   Bee Keeping 101 was a great beginning bee keeping workshop. Bill gave an in-depth overview of the science and art of bee keeping and we all left ready to jump into becoming bee keepers. Bee Keeping 102 will be the 4th Wednesday in January.

For those that missed this great workshop Bill will be repeating Bee Keeping 101 on October 23. Sign up now and we promise you'll be glad you did (remember to bring a friend or two as well!!!