Original Transplants

The Original Transplants Podcast Episode 68: Rookie Numbers finds Satoyama Homestead stewards Will and Sarah surprised to discover that Feedspot has named us #8 in the 20 best horticulture podcasts in the world. We introduce plans for a NCAA-style fruit bracket to determine once and for all what is the best fruit produced on the homestead. We visit the apiary, where Will is treating for varroa mite and recounting his adventures speaking about bees at a library with a resident observation hive. Will's beekeeping thriller, Here, the Bees Sting, is available everywhere books are bought (...and even on some pirating sites!). Almost one-year-old Lucy enjoys tea-time visits to the chicken coop, where matriarch seven-year-old black australorp brooder hen Mayapple still lays the occasional egg. Sarah is embarking on a pasture management project to establish white clover and replace encroaching weeds. In the edible landscape, tomatoes, peppers, okra are performing well, while summer and winter squash and melon ar

Original Transplants Podcast Episode 67: is sponsored by Will's forthcoming book, Here, The Bees Sting [https://mercenarypen.substack.com/p/here-the-bees-sting-dropping-52022], available from Amazon and other major booksellers. Satoyama Homestead stewards Will and Sarah are busy with spring activities. In the bee yard, Will is hoping the newly installed bee packages will grow in strength and number - or be supplemented by a trapped swarm or two - after a cold and rainy start to spring that saw a lot of tree blossoms nipped by late frosts.  In the chicken coop, broody hen Mayapple is isolated in the barn to break her broodiness, and the rest of the chickens are testing their boundaries. Sarah is working on rehabilitating the edible landscape, using a mattock or "grub axe" to restore an overgrown garden bed. The currants and raspberries experienced a significant die-off, the peach buds all frosted off, and the apple trees are infested with eastern tent caterpillars. In better news, the homesteade

Original Transplants Episode 66: Let Them Eat BugsOriginal Transplants Episode 66: Let Them Eat Bugs opens with Will's preparations to install new honey bee packages in the bee yard in the next few weeks. Sarah reports that the chickens are generally healthy, although brooder hen Mayapple's indulgence in wild bird seed has caused a mild flare up of sour crop. Activity in the edible landscape is ramping up for spring planting, including pruning in the orchard, repair of the kiwiberry trellis, and planting early season crops in the vegetable nursery: arugula, spinach, buttercrunch lettuce, collards, kale, mustard, bok choy, red and green cabbage, and kohlrabi. The homesteaders finally found a good use for excess ash from the wood stove: dumping on the gravel driveway to kill weeds. Homestead fun features a visit to Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area for the snow goose migration. Rock the Cradle updates the previous discussion of microplastics in newborns with a study correlating microplastics in th

Episode 65: Monkeys, Hunting, and JamOriginal Transplants Podcast Episode 65: Monkeys, Hunting, and Jam finds Satoyama Homestead steward Will recounting his successful late season crossbow hunt. Will stalked a white tail herd on a snowy evening and harvested a six-point buck. Things are slow in the dead-out apiary and Will is trying to find reliable, quality bee packages for sale in the spring. Send Will your best bee buying stories to satoyamahs@gmail.com. There's not much activity in the edible landscape but the stewards are enjoying fruit preserves. Sarah shares recipes from MFK Fisher's wartime cookbook and social commentary, How to Cook a Wolf, including crackling bread served with homestead jam and pheasant with sauerkraut and apples. Will prepared deer liver with onions as the stewards await the rest of the venison from the butcher. During the Rock the Cradle segment, Sarah shares research and her misanthropic views on infant socialization after receiving some advice from Lucy's pediatri

Original Transplants Episode 64: Supply Chain ResilienceOriginal Transplants Podcast Episode 64: Supply Chain Resilience finds Satoyama Homestead stewards Will and Sarah planning for the year ahead in 2022 in the bee yard, chicken coop, and edible landscape. Will is researching spring bee package suppliers following the demise of his beehives, with one colony absconding and the other dead-out. In better news, the four pullets he raised from chicks during the summer are fully integrated into the flock and have begun egg-laying. Sarah is slowly prepping the vegetable garden beds for the off-season and plans to identify some of the weeds to see if any are useful and should be saved during clean-up. The homesteaders are enjoying the previous season's harvest, including glazing a roast ham with kiwiberry preserves and using dehydrated vegetables on veggie pizza. Will explains harvesting vermicompost and leachate from the worm farm, and the homesteaders plan new storage methods to prevent clumping in key homem

Episode 63: Pajama BuckEpisode 63: Pajama Buck finds Will celebrating a successful harvest from the meat garden: an antlerless buck taken by Will whilst in his pajamas. The homesteaders answer a listener question on how to select plantings for a new homestead (see the show notes for more!). Sarah shares research on the immune benefits of letting kids play in the dirt for the Rock the Cradle segment. Visits to the bee yard and chicken coop have the homesteaders hoping for more activity come spring. The edible landscape is winding down for the season with garlic planting, weeding, and mulching, but the homesteaders are enjoying their harvests in pumpkin chili and pepper pot soup. Will closes the episode with some hard-hitting agricultural news from New Zealand about Doug the Potato.Show NotesResources for selecting plants for establishing a new edible habitat landscape:Identify your hardiness zone with the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/Find your local extension service at yo

Episode 62: Rock the CradleEpisode 62: Rock the Cradle features the return of Original Transplants Podcast hosts Sarah and Will with new(born) co-host Lucy. Sarah introduces a new podcast segment, "Rock the Cradle," which will focus on parenting and child development on the homestead, including the impact of nursing on infants' microbiomes and immunity. The podcast continues with a visit to the neglected bee yard, where Will is winterizing his sole surviving hive; and to the chicken coop, where brooder hen Mayapple is moulting and an uneasy truce prevails between the old guard chickens Mayapple and rooster Jumpy and newly introduced pullets Kiwiberry, Blueberry, Blackberry, and Nightshade. The edible landscape is winding down after successful harvests of squash, peppers, tomatillos, peaches, persimmon, and figs. Will is gearing up for hunting season and discusses the benefits of scouting, and Sarah is hoping to weed invasive stiltgrass and Canada thistle before putting the gardens to bed for wi

The Original Transplants Podcast Episode 61: Gone CuckooThe Original Transplants Podcast Episode 61, Gone Cuckoo, opens with Satoyama Homestead stewards Will and Sarah rating their growing season an 8 out of 10 so far. Will details progress in the bee yard, including a modest honey harvest and first varroa treatment. Sarah describes the drama of introducing the new flock of pullets to the rooster, Jumpy, and brooder hen, Mayapple, who are the lone survivors of Will's recent cull. The edible landscape is in full swing with summer squash, greens, beans, blackberries, currants, gooseberries, and a mayapple, with promises of winter squash, peaches, persimmons, tomatoes, peppers, kiwiberries, elderberries, maypops, and the second raspberry harvest on the horizon. Sarah advises on the use of plant tags in the garden after realizing she's been erroneously harvesting her pinto soup beans as Italian green beans all season. Homestead chores were driven by hosting the recent baby shower; the homesteaders hope

The Original Transplants Podcast Episode 60: Brood XThe Original Transplants Podcast Episode 60 finds Satoyama Homestead stewards Will and Sarah sharing some personal brood news of their own, and reflecting on successes and failures in the apiary, chicken coop, and edible landscape. Despite a strong spring bloom season, the bees are off to a slow start and do not have strong honey reserves. Broody hen Mayapple rejects the introduced chicks, which are instead being hand-raised in a plastic tote in the garage, confirming experiences shared by listener Wyoming Jo (https://www.instagram.com/jodhopper_g/). The stewards are enjoying decent harvests of strawberries, shell and snap peas, lettuce, and leafy greens, but Sarah is disappointed in a poor showing from her rhubarb, broccoli, and weak tomato seedlings. For homestead fun, the stewards have enjoyed citing songbird fledglings, groundhog pups, and even a pregnant whitetail doe on the property. While Brood X cicadas were a bust on the homestead, Sarah reveals she

The Original Transplants Podcast Episode 59: Meat GardenThe Original Transplants Podcast Episode 59 begins with a visit to the bee yard, including an update on package installations, diagnosing queenlessness, and spring feeding techniques with homestead apiarist Will. Then, Sarah reviews three varieties of spring fever in the chicken coop: broodiness, Mycoplasma flare-ups, and wantonly crossing the road. The edible landscape is back in production as Sarah manages the seedling lifecycle from seed to transplant, including challenges with germination, seed hoarding, and pest predation. Most early season crops are now planted in the garden, with hot season crops starting in the garage nursery. Elsewhere on the edible landscape, the stewards are pulling (and eating!) invasive garlic mustard, pruning berry canes and shrubs, and spraying copper fungicide for pathogen management. For homestead fun, we are hunting morels, sustainably harvesting ramps (wild leeks), and planting a meat garden. Agricultural news on what

The Original Transplants Podcast Episode 58: Spring ForwardThe Original Transplants Podcast Episode 58, Daylight Saving Time edition, opens with small livestock winter survival observations from the apiary and chicken coop with homestead stewards Will and Sarah. The edible landscape is going back into production as Sarah breaks ground for the early season, planting peas, carrots, radishes, turnips, and baby lettuce. The garlic planted in November 2020 is sprouting. Sarah also discusses starting lettuce, spinach, and rainbow swiss chard transplants in the indoor nursery. For homestead fun, we visit the snow geese migration at Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area, and invite you to check out Will's game camera exploits at the homestead instagram, https://www.instagram.com/spreadcasts/ Homestead chores include dormant pruning in the orchard, rejuvenation pruning the native woody perennials, and spring clean-up of perennial wildflowers in the pocket meadows. Agricultural news celebrates "doing good in

The Original Transplants Podcast Episode 57: Heinz-sight is 2020The Original Transplants Podcast Episode 57 opens with beeyard winterizing tips from homestead steward and resident apiarist Will - combine hives, ensure adequate honey supply, and wrap with tar paper for insulation. Sarah gives a molting status update from the chicken coop, explains weird chicken behavior, and advises increased dietary protein as supportive therapy for feather growth. The edible landscape is cleaned up from potentially infected plant matter and mulched with leafmould compost, while cabbage, chard, collards, kale, mustard, and sorrel are still producing. Seasonal homestead fun / chores including canning preserves, running biomass through the chipper/shredder, hunting, and measuring specimens for PA Big Trees. Our 2020 homestead holiday gift guide includes a 1-gallon garden chemical sprayer, Indian pump, and freezer-safe canning jars. We share agriculture news from Morgan Irons, Cornell graduate student, who is sending the first o

Ep 56: Take the (ethical) shot!Original Transplants Podcast episode 56 Take the (Ethical) Shot! begins with questions from new Pennsylvanians [at]theroadstead via Instagram about PA homesteading and composting, and from a new homestead friend via email to satoyamahs[at]gmail[dot]com about rain barrels. Shout out to Camels Hump Rain Barrels in Phoenixville, PA! Will recounts his archery season opening day experience, and Will and Sarah share perspectives on how to prepare to be a successful ethical hunter. We then return to our normal podcast programming, with a visit to the late season beeyard, where Will is combining hives and delivering a final formic acid varroa treatment, and to the chicken coop, where Sarah is providing supportive therapy for molting chickens. The edible landscape enters its third growing season with a light frost days before the fall equinox, and Sarah is still pulling in kiwiberries, leafy greens, soup beans, and tomatoes and peppers from the dedicated chiles rellenos garden. Satoyama

The Original Transplants Podcast Episode 55: Sweat EquityThe Original Transplants Podcast Episode 55 finds stewards Sarah and Will enjoying long summer days staying busy with homestead chores, beekeeping, backyard chickens, and edible gardening. Will traps a late season swarm and begins Varroa mite treatment in the bee-yard. Sarah describes raccoon predator deterrence in the chicken coop and reports on the progress of edible landscape, including the orchard, original kitchen garden, and new tomato and pepper bed in its first season. Sarah reviews four products essential to integrated pest management (IPM) and the stewards discuss winter preparations: firewood and food processing. Sarah reads from three Lancaster Farming articles on the theme of 'farmers doing good deeds'. Find us online at https://spreadcasts.tumblr.com/ and https://www.instagram.com/spreadcasts/Notes:Ultra Breeze ventilated beekeeping suits: https://www.ultrabreezesuits.com/Methods to control Varroa mites: An integrated pest manage

The Original Transplants Podcast Episode 54: Morels or LessThe Original Transplants Podcast Episode 54 announces May 17th as International Root Flair Appreciation Day and shares morel mushroom hunting results and lessons learned from Satoyama Homestead stewards Sarah and Will. Will updates listeners on swarm trapping his own hive and other apiary news. Sarah examines the significance of 2:30am and 4:30am in the life of a rooster. Stewards discuss the challenges of late season frosts and frozen precipitate in the orchard, and the edible landscape yields harvests of bok choy cabbage, mustard greens, kale, collards, snap and shell peas, strawberries, rhubarb, and wild carrot with other berry crops not far behind. Seasonal chores include succession planting in the vegetable garden, fencing and netting fruit harvests and preserving surplus for the off-season. Will shares a Lancaster Farming article, "Post-Freeze Apples Looking Good, Peaches Still Fuzzy." Find us online at https://spreadcasts.tumblr.com/

The Original Transplants Podcast Episode 53: Homesteading for Food SecurityThe Original Transplants Podcast Episode 53 explores food security and supply chain logistics during the COVID-19 pandemic. Will explains swarm-trapping for apiary expansion, and Will and Sarah discuss preventive and supportive therapies for low-intervention chicken flock health. Sarah shares favorite recipes for preparing dandelions and fiddlehead ferns foraged from the edible landscape, and updates listeners on the progress of vegetable seedlings and orchard pollination. Sarah and Will discuss invasives management and lessons learned while morel hunting, including proper identification, dangerous look-alikes, and the importance of ethical harvest. Episode 53 closes with articles from Lancaster Farming featuring farmer perspectives on food security and supply chain logistics during the COVID-19 pandemic.NotesExton Bee Companyhttp://extonbeecompany.com/Tom Seeley et al. - Bait Hives for Honey Beeshttps://ecommons.cornell.edu/handle/181

The Original Transplants Podcast Episode 52: Shelter at HomesteadThe Original Transplants Podcast Episode 52 begins with covid-19 pandemic well-wishes from Satoyama Homestead stewards Will and Sarah. Sarah shares highlights from a list of more than fifty homestead plants and other products that are documented to promote wellness in the context of coronavirus symptoms and co-morbid conditions. Household preparedness can be as simple as resprouting the trimmings from store-bought produce for a continuous harvest (see Mother Earth News note). Will details preparations for spring bee package installations in the apiary, and the stewards ponder the impact of pandemic shelter-at-home orders on the road kill supply for carrion scavenger species. We explore homestead chores and fun, including pollinating our peach trees by hand with chicken feathers.NotesSatoyama Homestead "CoViD-19 Homestead All-stars"https://www.satoyamahomestead.org/homestead-all-starsMother Earth News "The Garden of Rebirth" A

The Original Transplants Podcast Episode 51: "Resisting the Urge to Prune"Will and Sarah respond to listener feedback about sharing bad news by sharing more bad news: the beehives are deadouts. The chickens are laying again and Will recounts a recent hawk attack and close call for hen Kentucky. In the edible landscape, Sarah is resisting the urge to prune all the woody vines, trees and berry canes; she is staying busy with seed auditing and seed orders for 2020 and baking quiches with fresh eggs and dried veggies. Lancaster News shares a research update on bioengineered microbes to fight deformed wing virus (DWV) and varroa mites in honeybees.NotesMeadows and Prairies: Wildlife-Friendly Alternatives to Lawn - PennState Extensionhttps://extension.psu.edu/meadows-and-prairies-wildlife-friendly-alternatives-to-lawnBacteria Engineered to Protect Bees from Pests and Pathogens - UT Austin (as seen in Lancaster Farming)https://news.utexas.edu/2020/01/30/bacteria-engineered-to-protect-bees-from-pests-and-pa

Original Transplants Episode 50: "Short Days, Long Nights"Original Transplants, special solstice 2019 edition, begins with Will and Sarah discussing tools they've worn out, replaced, upgraded, and can't live without after six years on the homestead. Sarah then describes the homestead harvest preserves and crafts she's giving as holiday gifts, including homemade bee wraps. Will and Sarah make homestead News Years Resolutions, and Sarah reads "A Visit from Jack Frost," the Satoyama Homestead parody of "A Visit from St. Nick ('Twas the Night Before Christmas)".Notes:Tchaikovsky - Nutcracker Suite, Trepak (Russian Dance):https://archive.org/details/TCHAIKOVSKYNutcrackerSuiteOp.71a-NEWTRANSFER/04.Trpak.mp3Don the Fat Bee Man - YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/user/fineshooter/videosCaitlin Wilson - Reusable Food Wraps from Mother Earth Newshttps://www.motherearthnews.com/diy/home/reusable-food-wraps-zm0z1908zstaSatoyama Homestead - A Visit from Jack Frosthttps://spre

The Original Transplants Podcast Episode 49 "Thanksgiving and Conspiracy Theories" The Original Transplants begin this episode with reflecting on what we are thankful for and winter apiary news, including the bees' surprising preference for another homestead critter's feed; then, we discuss supportive therapies for a chicken experiencing moult-related Mycoplasma-S complications. Updates from the last fruit harvests on the edible landscape and seasonal homestead chores, along with hunting and food preservation / canning. Then during agricultural news, Sarah makes a surprising connection between state public land leases in New Mexico and Jeffrey Epstein's alleged transhumanist eugenics project using articles from Lancaster Farming and New York Times.Notes -Merck Vet Manual - Mycoplasma synoviae infection in poultry -https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poultry/mycoplasmosis/mycoplasma-synoviae-infection-in-poultryUS News & World Report - New Mexico Ending Public Land Leases Near Epstein R