Canopy Roads of South Georgia

Dirt igloo door (sweet potato curing mound)

The slideshow of the building of the dirt igloo for the sweet potatoes ended before the adding of the door. So here's the door, in place, with reference yellow dog:

Pictures of sweet potato curing teepee
by John S. Quarterman, 8 September 2011,
Okra Paradise Farms, Lowndes County, Georgia.
Yellow Dog was busy tracking something, so didn't stay to pose.

The door is on the north side. It's six pieces of 2x6" pine, each 18" long, three vertical and three horizontal, screwed together, and set inside the doorposts. Here's a closeup:

What's that sound in the woods?

Very odd sounds.

Here's video:

What's that sound in the woods? Part 1 of 3:
that sound, in the woods,
Lowndes County, Georgia, 20 August 2011.
Videos by John S. Quarterman.

Some kind of cat, maybe?

Let's get closer:

Dogs and Armadillo at 3AM

What are the dogs barking at at 3AM?

Oh, just an armadillo five feet outside their door.

Pictures of dogs and armadillo by John S. Quarterman, Lowndes County, Georgia, 10 August 2011.

So what happened to it?

Scratchy the raccoon

Even wildlife gets itches.

Video of raccoon by Gretchen Quarterman, Lowndes County, Georgia, 11 June 2011.

-jsq

Pokey the Possum

Here's a possum poking along:

Video of possum by Gretchen Quarterman, Lowndes County, Georgia, 31 May 2011.

-jsq

Raccoons or hogs?

They Look like raccoons, but they eat like hogs:

This one wanted to get up close and personal:

Wild foxes 23 June 2011

Unlike a dirty yellow dog, this is what actual foxes look like:

Video of wild foxes by Gretchen Quarterman
Lowndes County, Georgia, 23 June 2011.

-jsq

Armadillo

What are the dogs barking at at the crack of dawn?

Oh, right: the yard armadillo. It's digging in, making noises like a hog:

Beef: Grass-fed versus Grain-fed

Kim Cross writes in Cooking Light about Grass-Fed Beef versus Grain-Fed Beef:

Could a grass-fed cut, with its lower-fat content, rival a grain-fed cut? Yes: It was succulent, buttery, and robust, with a perfectly caramelized crust. The juices formed a simple, rich sauce.

Well, I guess if you're used to the taste of CAFO beef. To me, who was raised on beef from cows in the field, grass-fed beef tastes like beef, and CAFO beef tastes like cardboard.

Is it better for you?

Grass-fed beef is lower in calories, contains more healthy omega-3 fats, more vitamins A and E, higher levels of antioxidants, and up to seven times the beta-carotene.

Does it cost more? Yes, but in my experience I don't need to eat a lot of it to feel full and get the taste. Your experience may vary.

Perhaps the most interesting part is that this article is in a mass-market magazine. Which also gives tips on how to source your own local grass-fed beef. And has a facebook page.

Or come to Valdosta Farm Days and get your local beef there.

-jsq

PS: This post owed to Lindsey.

Animal miscarriages from new fungus or virus in Roundup-read crops?

Jill Richardson publishes a letter from Col. (Ret.) Don M. Huber, Emeritus Professor, Purdue University, who is APS Coordinator, USDA National Plant Disease Recovery System (NPDRS). It begins:

Dear Secretary Vilsack:
A team of senior plant and animal scientists have recently brought to my attention the discovery of an electron microscopic pathogen that appears to significantly impact the health of plants, animals, and probably human beings. Based on a review of the data, it is widespread, very serious, and is in much higher concentrations in Roundup Ready (RR) soybeans and corn-suggesting a link with the RR gene or more likely the presence of Roundup. This organism appears NEW to science!

What's an "electron microsope pathogen"?