In a day filled with minor disasters, the Duroc pork butt was a winner

[FireMan]

I grew up in Detroit also and I to want to know if ya got the chipster. Not that Detroit even matters but the chipmunk has us hangin in suspense.

[klflowers]

Late to the party but floor drains bring me back to the house i grew up in in Detroit. We had floor drains in the basement. Did you guys get the critter? And did you do him hot and fast?

[IowaGirl]

Bees do not use elder flower and pollen as food sources. Chuck (my hubby) has almost an acre of elder bushes in his orchard, and I only see the occasional bee even when the orchard is in massive full bloom, like right now.

My small cherry tree almost vibrates with the bees when it's in bloom with far fewer flowers. There's a huge difference in the desirability of the two plants as bee food.

Here are some of Chuck's elderberry plants in bloom from a few days ago --

[IowaGirl]

I can't speak for the Compart folks and their shipping. But I ship a lot of packages for the small biz I own and operate and know all too well about shipping costs for my products. The big guys get some crazy good deals on shipping and us little folk don't. That is true for standard (ground) shipping and extra true for expedited. Some of my customers complain about my shipping costs too. I do my best to politely explain I ain't Amazon (in more diplomatic language, of course.)

[NapMaster]

Thanks and that is very interesting. I new the berries were used in wine. Have you ever noticed your bees using them as a nectar source?

[Troutman]

My only issue with them is their shipping cost. I just check on buying some butts and they wanted $107 for shipping on an order that costs about $150. What up with that? I get Porter Road Berkshire/Duroc shipped for like $20. Something ain't right.

[IowaGirl]

Curiously, what are you doing with the elderberry flowers?

Currently we are drying most of the elderflowers for sale, but hubby is looking into selling frozen fresh flowers. Fresh or dried flowers are used to make wine, mead, beer, and vinegar. Dried elderflowers can be added to tea blends, where it adds a delicate floral flavor. There's a big thing lately where bartenders make simple syrup infused with elderflower and use the syrup in drinks. I make elderflower cordial (elderflower steeped in sugar syrup with citric acid and/or lemon juice), a traditional use for the flowers. We're also experimenting with infusing honey with elderflower.

[IowaGirl]

Thank you for reading all the way through! I thought not everyone would know about all the things I mentioned, especially if a person wasn't raised in a farming community, but I'm glad you got the general gist.

[IowaGirl]

I heard a presentation this spring by the Compart folks. If I hadn't heard their talk, I might not have paid any attention when their products showed up in my local grocery store. Good thing I listened up and remembered!

[Troutman]

Just one of those days. We had squirrels in our attic over the winter, one died and got caught in the rafters and stunk our kitchen up for about a month. But that's a whole other story.

I've only had the Compart Duroc once and thought it was amazing. We're getting a lot of Berkshire down here but I'm dying to order again from Compart. Thanks for the reminder. Sound like yours turned out good !!!

[HouseHomey]

Wow. Suddenly I feel ok with my life.

So, I read and comprehend every part of your story above. The amazing thing about this place is.

I have absolutely no index for anything you said above other than "at least my spouse and I are still talking."

farms,’passing clouds, floor drains in the house, chipmunks,good pork, raising hogs, beehives, elder bushes and berries and the like. Zero index.

I am happy you survived and I hope this day is better.

i vote for hot n fast on that chipmunk.

only in the pit.

[Skip]

IowaGirl , Sounds like you had quite an eventful day that turned out ok in the end. Good job on the Duroc Pork. Now go get that chipmunk.

[NapMaster]

Wow! What day! Glad ya'll are OK.

Curiously, what are you doing with the elderberry flowers?

[IowaGirl]

I agree -- this one is definitely being added to the family history book.

Roast chippy -- Wonder what rub I should use? Low 'n slow ... or hot 'n fast?

[mountainsmoker]

Yep Duroc is a great heritage pork. Slicing it at 160 was probably your best choice. I love it that way as well as pulled.

Glad you survived the storm, and all is well. We have property in Iowa also and went for our vacation in May and June and it rained every day the first week and 1/2 out there in Burlington. The cabin built in the 40's by my wife's dad and granddad sits between the river and the levy. We raised it when we acquired it so that no water would get in until about 26' We watched the Mississippi rise to 24.6 feet. Our farm is south in Lee county and it barely got planted in planted in time.

I'll tell you driving from NC to Iowa a lot of the farm land looked more like lakes than fields of corn or soy beans.