Holiday gift basket planning starts NOW! (plus so much more)
Edition 5: July 16, 2024
In this newsletter:
Black Soldier Fly Larvae Composting
Holiday Gift Baskets: What I start making now
Save Your Money: Buy This/Not That Garden Tool Edition
Improve Your Weed-Killer Mix
Peanut Butter Pumpkin Dog Treat Recipe
Sneak peek at your early August newsletter
(aka The Zen Hen). We’re at the end of our composting series and I hope you’ve enjoyed the various ways to feed your soil and make better use of your kitchen waste. Every time I post to social media about today’s method, Black Soldier Fly larvae, people have lots of questions. Too many for me, in fact, to answer on the platforms while also taking care of my farm. Hence, the joy of this newsletter. I’ll be taking several of those high-quality questions from TikTok and will share my in-depth answers here. Subscribing has its benefits! ;o)
Black Soldier Fly larvae bins
If you geeked out on vermicomposting, have I got a composting method for you! It is a special variety of human who finds themselves drawn to the Black Soldier Fly larvae bin method of composting. We tend to be a heartier breed than most city variety of humans and don’t get our days ruined if we step in a steaming pile of cow poop or accidentally shoot a nail through our finger during a farm project.
While more work on the front end than other Black Soldier Fly larvae systems out there, this method is “self-harvesting” because it’s designed so that the larvae will climb out of the barrel in search of dirt. That means you do not need to be digging through compost to try and harvest the larvae yourself.
WHO ENJOYS THIS METHOD MOST:
Someone who owns chickens, pigs, fish, or other animals that use larvae as a food source.
Someone with enough outdoor yard space to not be affected by the smell or have flies all up in their living space.
Someone with a love of power tools (or who knows someone with a love of power tools).
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STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO BLACK SOLDIER FLY LARVAE COMPOSTING:
Supplies: a 55-gallon food-grade barrel, wood pallet plus extra wood pieces or cinder blocks, 1 roof vent cap for each barrel, window/door waterproof silicone, a plastic bin to collect the larvae, paper clips, a zip tie, a small roll of corrugated cardboard.
Remove several slats from the wood pallet so that the barrel can rest in the pallet at an angle.
Drill a 3” hole with a hole saw into the side of the barrel near the top opening. Apply silicone to the edge of a roof vent cap and stick it over the hole. Secure by screwing the cap into the barrel.
Prop the barrel to a 25-30% angle on the pallet using either cinder blocks to create the angle or by adding wood kicks.
With a permanent marker, make a line on the bottom side of the barrel, closest to the upward angle of the pallet wood.
Saw through the barrel to create a 1-2” slit along the marker line. I find this is easiest to do by drilling circular holes at each end of the slit and then using my saw to connect the holes with straight cuts.
Roll up a small piece (~4” high) piece of cardboard into a tube (like those old jelly rolls your grandma used to make) and secure it with a zip tie. This is where the flies will lay their eggs.
On the top side of the barrel, drill two small holes to thread a paperclip through. Use the paper clips to form a chain that hangs the cardboard roll from the top of the inside.
Add your compost food scraps to the bin. If you have fermented chicken feed, also add that to jump-start the process. Place the lid on the barrel and let nature do its magic!
The larvae will want to crawl out of the compost and will crawl up the barrel until they fall out of the slit you cut and into your collection bin. Your feathered friends will be so happy for this fantastic source of protein and you’ll eventually have some high-quality compost waiting for you in your barrel.
Q&A FROM SOCIAL MEDIA
Q: Does feeding black soldier fly larva to chickens change the taste of the eggs?
A: Yes! For the better! These lend themselves to dark orange, nutrient filled delicious eggs!
Q: Why are you doing this? I’m trying to get rid of flies at my house why would you breed them?
A: This system doesn’t breed house or horse flies if you only add plant materials and not meats/animals products. It only breeds black soldier flies which are a very different type of fly that doesn’t bother humans or animals.
Q: Why do you need the top hole for the flies to enter if there’s a hole in the bottom?
A: You might able to get away without it, BUT the vent at the top isn’t just for flies to enter it’s so that built up gasses from the compost can exit without building up in the bins and potentially being toxic to the larva.
Q: What about liquid build up in the bottoms of the bins?
A: You could add a few small drainage holes in the bottom of these, but I have tried that in the past and they just tend to get clogged by compost. Instead I prefer to manage the additions to the bins and keep the compost on the drier side. The vent at the top also keeps rain water from entering the bins.
Q: How often do you change out the card board tubes?
A: The only time I changed one was when one got wet, but otherwise I don’t.
Q: How to you rotate/stir the compost in them?
A: I don’t. This is one of the beautiful benefits of this type of composting—the larva mix the compost for you!
Q: How often do you empty the bins?
A: I empty mine about every 18-24 months. The insects eat this down quite a bit so they don’t fill up nearly as quickly as conventional bins. I also only add enough compost to these to attract and feed the larva similarly to vermicomposter bins.
My TikTok Holiday Gift Baskets
One thing that helps me get through the craziness of the holiday season is focusing on making gift baskets for my friends and family.
From now through December, I’ll be including one or two of my how-tos on how to make some of my favorite products, from baking extracts to candied citrus, soap, candles, and a bunch more.
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START THIS MONTH: BAKING EXTRACTS
Many of my gift baskets included small bottles of some of my favorite extracts to use in baking, coffee, or cocktails— vanilla, orange, and peppermint. Extracts are such a precious gift to people because, while they don’t involve a high cost or labor, they take time to create. Here’s how to get started now:
Supplies:
80 Proof (aka 40%) Ethanol/Alcohol
Vanilla beans, cinnamon, orange, grapefruit, lemon, peppermint, or anise
Small bottles (I like these.)
Instructions:
Add whatever plant, peel, stick, or bean to your alcohol in an air-tight container.
Store in a cool, dry place like a cabinet or pantry, and allow it to steep for 3-6 months until it’s reached your desired potency. (Note: it can steep even longer if you’d like).
Strain into smaller bottles for gift giving. (Note: when possible I include a small vanilla bean in my tiny vanilla extract bottles, both for the aesthetic and to build the flavor even longer.)
SMART SPENDING: BUY THIS/NOT THAT GARDEN TOOL GUIDE
I don’t have to tell you that gardening can get expensive, especially in the beginning when you’re trying to figure out what tools to invest in. I have purchased my fair share of things that either broke quickly, proved to be more work than they were worth, or were just cumbersome. Save yourself money, learn from my lessons, and buy right the first time!
SOIL BLOCKERS
Ladbrooke is my brand of choice when it comes to soil blockers, however I only really like the “Mini 4” size. I also own both the micro and the 4” large single and have found that I don’t care for either size. Do they work? Yes. But I find the micro and large sizes to be awkward and somewhat pointless.
HAND CLIPPERS
Do NOT buy cheap hand clippers. This is one of the tools you will use most often and where spending a little more is well worth the investment. Look for a solid midrange clipper, like Fiskars, or go more high-end with Haus & Garten.
1020 TRAYS
One might call me a bit “particular” about my 1020 trays, but for the number of seeds I start, I am tired of flimsy or cheap 1020 trays that fold or crack and ruin my seed-starting efforts. I also avoid 1020 trays with channels in the bottom, which can hold too much water and cause my soil blocks to fall apart.
Instead, buy a stronger 1020 tray and look for one with a mesh bottom or holes. My favorite is the extra-strength mesh bottom tray from Bootstrap Farmer. Mine have lasted for many seasons and still look great.
WEEDING TOOLS
Have you seen those long-handled garden weeding tools? They make it seem so easy to just pop the tool over the weed, step on the lever, and voila! Unfortunately, I have yet to meet a person who has any degree of success with these. They’re a huge time waster and ultimately do little to save your back given how short they are.
My recommendation for weeds? Check out my recipe below for big weed jobs (that are not around your other plants) or find yourself a good low stool or cushioned knee pad and pull the weeds by hand. It feels better to dig in the soil, anyway!
IMPROVE YOUR NATURAL WEED KILLER RECIPE
I have no doubt you’ve seen the images or videos on the internet sharing the easy-breezy natural weed killer recipe. It works great, however how you apply it and the type of vinegar you use will impact the efficacy. Here’s my preferred mix and method of application:
Ingredients:
1 gallon of 45% vinegar (sometimes sold as “cleaning vinegar”)
1 gallon of water
1/2 c Epsom salt (or table salt works too)
1 Tbs liquid soap (castile soap or dish soap)
Application:
Water the area to be treated 12-24 hours before spraying.
Mix the formula in a sprayer. (Visit this affiliate link for what I use).
Protect yourself with gloves, protective eyewear, and closed-toed shoes before you apply to weeds. It is corrosive and will cause burns after prolonged contact with your skin. Flush any areas of your body that it touches immediately.
Spray the weed area when you have at least 3 hours of sunshine with no rain in the forecast for that period. Watch your weeds wither away.
FROM MY KITCHEN TO YOURS
Ingredients
1/2 cup peanut butter (best if the only ingredient is peanuts)
1/2 cup pumpkin puree or sweet potato puree
3/4 cup cassava flour or other flour of choice
Optional: 1 teaspoon turmeric powder and pinch of black pepper to activate
Instructions
Preheat over to 325° F.
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and form into a dough.
Roll out dough to 1/4 to 1/3 inch thick.
Cut into desired size and shapes. I will either use a cookie cutter or cut them into squares.
Bake for 20-35 minutes depending on thickness and how crunchy you’d like them. Note: The crunchier/drier treats will store longer at room temperature than softer treats.
See You Next Tuesday
Will this help your garden? Only occasionally. Will you be thoroughly entertained? Probably. These are my stories of the absurd, incorrect, and downright scammy things floating around the homesteading internet.
Does anyone else miss the days when social media influencers would share products that they actually used, enjoyed, and were excited about? With my social media following, I have been privy for quite some time to the evolution of influencer marketing and now am spammed daily with requests to push products in exchange for my own free version or a commission. (My favorite requests are the ones that have NOTHING to do with my business, like the company who asked me to promote a baby stroller and an anal bleaching cream. What the actual…?
I don’t know about you, but I am frustrated by all of the garbage and companies that try to link themselves to me, when what I stand for is clearly not what they offer (side-eyeing you, Miracle Gro!).
What many people may not realize is that often these influencers are only promoting products because there is a decent commission or some kind of contest attached. They may have never used the product before and may not stick with using the product after (once they actually have to pay for it). Additionally, companies often give an extremely short turnaround time between when influencers receive a product and when the videos need to be posted, which does not give ample time to really experience the quality or longevity of what they’re sharing.
Please know that ANY product that I link to or talk about on my social media pages is one that I have used and continue to use. In nearly every case, I was a customer first who then reached out to see if the company would help support my small business in return for me sharing my love of their product.
At the end of the day, my reputation and integrity are more important than any commission I could make. While I support enterprising social media creators and respect their right to earn an income, I encourage you to do your research before buying anything an influencer recommends.
What’s In the Next Edition?
Here’s what’s coming to your inbox on Tuesday, August 6
August planting guide
My tried and tested propagation techniques
How to prep your garden now for my HUGE Fall Planting Guide coming in September
What to start now for your holiday gift baskets
Have questions? Drop them in the comment section below and I’ll cover them in my next newsletter.
What did you find most helpful or interesting in this edition?
Thanks for the natural weed killer recipe. I have a large area with weeds in the shade of large oak trees. Will this work well in the shade too?