In this edition…
supporting local ag and food security
sustainable infrastructure: composting toilet!
new products and winter market
mobile veterinary service
Supporting local ag and food security
Lately we’ve been overrun with duck eggs. We’ve started donating surpluses to a local food bank. The Justice Project food pantry is a fantastic and deeply needed effort in our community. We want to support them beyond donating eggs irregularly and only when and if we have a surplus. Our goal is a weekly commitment of 20-30 dozen eggs that they can count on being able to distribute to the families and individuals they serve.
To fund this effort we have enabled paid subscriptions. Magpie Hollow Farm News will always be totally free. However, readers who wish to support us to donate eggs to the food pantry can sign up for a paid subscription.
When it comes to eggs, once you quack you’ll never go back!
Sustainable infrastructure: composting toilet!
For an environmental engineer and hillbilly agrarian the manure business is a labor of love. That includes humanure!
A fun project this fall has been the design/build of a composting toilet for a friend’s off-grid project.
I built it at our place using a modular approach that facilitated it to be disassembled, loaded onto a trailer and transported to the off-grid project site for reassembly.
I had hoped to get away without a visit from the county latrine inspector, but luckily he approved.
It all went back together pretty much how it was supposed to at the off-grid project site!
There are some add-ons to complete:
Solar-PV panel and battery storage for lights, ventilation fan, and water pump.
Rainwater collection with roughing filtration (non-potable) to supply a handwashing station
The receptacle is a rolling trash can with a lid. “Deposits” are covered with sawdust and biochar. Once the receptacle is full, swap it out for an empty one, clamp the lid on the full one, and wait 6-9 months for the poo-sawdust-biochar mix to transubstantiate into pleasant smelling fertile soil. No muss, no fuss. Even suburbanites could do this (first check with your HOA lol…).
Next project might be an off-grid solar thermal shower. If you are interested in these kinds of custom off-grid appropriate technology infrastructure kits for energy, water supply and treatment, and sanitation, I am for hire to design, build, and install.
New products and winter market
We made the leap and are doing year-round sales at the Hickory Farmers’ Market now. Come see us on Saturdays (and bring hot chocolate).
Our Merguez lamb sausage has been a real hot item (hee hee). We’re exploring the wide world of ethnic spice blends for lamb sausage. Next up to go on sale is lamb Chorizo! I CANNOT WAIT TO MAKE TACOS!!!
And of course the much-anticipated Cajun-style andouille - “lambdouille” as I call it - will be featured later this winter.
Our sheep are grateful for the cooler weather!
Mobile veterinary services
This fall Rachael launched her mobile veterinary business:
Business is already booming - maybe a little too much!
Our lil farm boy! He’s four years old this month. My how time flies.
Excellent update and photos!