I got a cider press! Well, not me alone but Bruce and me and two other couples. I am excited on two fronts. Of course, I am tickled that I will be able to make cider and press fruit for wine but I am just as pleased that I have made my first group purchase. I think it is such a waste of resources for everybody to buy these big-ticket items when they are used for just a few days a year. Pressure canners, cider presses, even pick-up trucks are huge expenses and it only make sense to share the costs and benefits. It does demand a different mind-set but I ma slowly getting there.
Today was an on again, off again rainy day, perfect for soup. I made a lentil stew with lots of onions, garlic , kale and carrots and topped it off with home-made rolls. I am getting a lot more intentional about using my food storage. I am not so good about rotating the canned vegetables as I don’t care for them. I’ll bet I will like them better in April when the garden stuff is gone.
We have had two trees cut down this summer. It left us with a pile of wood that will be a good start on the fuel we will need when we get the chimney repaired and can begin to use the wood furnace in the basement. We also bought our arch so we can start a maple syrup operation in the spring. Between the honey, the syrup and the cider we will be swimming in sweet. I sure hope we can find enough people to barter with for the stuff we need like more wood and manure for the compost heap.
Plans are moving along for a sewing center in our church vestry. Our sustainability group has had dozens of sewing machines donated and enormous amounts of fabric and notions. The idea is to set up a center where we can go to sew, hold classes and repair clinics one night a month. We had everything but space and new we have that. I will probably do a 4-H sewing group too. I bought the pattern for some very cool slippers. I do need some help putting them together. Fortunately, there is an excellent seamstress in my group of friends. I hope I can trade some honey for some help. Sewing is not my strong suit.
September 29, 2009 at 1:23 am
Oh, a cider press!!! I’m jumping up and down with excitement for you! You ARE blessed. Great idea to share this purchase. And I love the idea of the church sewing center.
September 29, 2009 at 8:49 am
A group of crafty women teamed with the Outreach Ministry of our church to sew 100 simple blankets from scrap donated fabric for a local elementary school where most of the children live at poverty level. I made two myself. The kindergarteners will use the blankets during their daily naptime. The project was a wonderful convergence of available talent, will and resources to meet a local need. They also knit/crochet prayer shawls and hats for women going through chemo.
I am going to canvass my neighbors to see if any like-minded prepper will go in with me on a quality grain mill. I may discover that somebody already has one and will let me use it — even better!
September 29, 2009 at 11:56 am
Boy I wish I lived near you. A cider press and willing to exchange honey for sewing help! I have sewed everything from bathing suits to my hubby’s suits. I would love to help you out for some of that honey. I’m sure that lady in your group will help you out, it sounds like a fun time
September 29, 2009 at 12:02 pm
I guess it never occured to me that one could sew a bathing suit! How cool.
September 29, 2009 at 3:55 pm
” We also bought our arch so we can start a maple syrup operation in the spring.”
Could you explain this, I’m trying to figue out what an arch has to do with maple syrup?
Congrats on the apple press, I got one from Happy Valley Ranch earlier this year.
September 29, 2009 at 5:25 pm
There has been an unfortunate glitch with the arch. I should really get Bruce to answer this. The arch is the fire box the pan sits on. One can boil in a wood stove with perfectly good results but the arch is a definate improvemnent to the process.
October 3, 2009 at 8:47 am
The press came yesterday. It is not so much a press as the promise of a press. It is all in boxes and needs to be assembled. I can’t wait to open the boxes. I am hoping for an included recipe book.