The Official Mule Shoe Farm Miscellany

Thanks to everyone who wanted a share and sent in your form with your payments. There are just a few shares left for the 2008 growing season. Click here for the form with instructions.

CSA Share Reservation Form

Now here's some stuff we just gotta share....

Honey bees are not native to North America.

Feral horses travel 10 miles a day grazing and usually don't need their hooves trimmed or shod - ever.

You can tell which continent a chicken breed was developed by the color of its eggs. Europe: white; North America - brown; South America: blue

Green eggs are a cross between a North American and South American chickens.

Dogs, chickens and cats are all carnivores. So are bears, but bears will eat anything.

Calendula flowers served originally as a dye in cheeses and for coloring butter.

Annatto is the name of the carrot juice used to dye things yellowish orange, like butter.

Chamomile is good for cabbage but must planted a yard away from onions.

Chamomile is also related to ragweed. So if you have allergies in late summer through early fall, you might not really like chamomile tea either.

People who suffer from gall stones and kidney stones should stay away from turnip greens, mustard greens, dock, spinach and swiss chard. The oxalate in those plants can make their conditions worse.

Gourds are pollinated by moths at night. It is not possible to over water a gourd.

Organic ketchup has five times the lycopene of regular ketchup

Goldfish eat mosquito larvae and make good water cleaners for standing water ponds.

Barley straw can combat too much algae in your pond.

A hen will lay an average of 2 eggs in three days.

Cover cherries with cold water. If some them float, throw them out. They're no good.

You can use old hose to store onions. Put an onion in the hose then tie a knot. Add another onion and tie a knot. When you need an onion cut the bottom below the first knot.

To keep moles and the like from eating your bulbs, plant them in cans. Cut off both ends and put the can in the ground. Fill with soil 1/3 of the way and put in bulb. Fill it with soil to the right level and the can should cut down on raiding rodents. Of course you could always get a rat terrier or a feist dog which will hunt the moles.

To keep cats out of your garden put down plastic mesh or chicken wire which they do not appreciate walking over.

Most wild herbivores will absolutely love your sweet potatoes. If you're going to fence in part of your garden, this is the part you'll want to fence in.

If you water your acid-loving houseplants with leftover tea or coffee once a month, they will love it.

You can use beer or salt to get rid of slugs depending on whether you want to get them drunk or dry them up.