SMALL ACREAGE QUARTERLY
Written and published by Billie Malchow,
Director, Teller County CSU Extension Office
(719) 689-2552

The Small Acreage Quarterly is a news letter which offers information on issues of interest to those who own or live on small acreages. It is currently received by approximately 1200 households around the area.  You can pick up a copy at the CSU Extension Office in the Centennial Building in Cripple Creek.   

    The Small Acreage Quarterly was chosen the State Communication winner in the Individual Newsletter division of the National Association of County Agricultural Agents Awards Program in 1997.

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DON'T FEED THE DEER

    During the growing season, I get numerous questions about keeping deer from eating flowers, shrubs and young trees.  However, when cold winds blow and the snow is deep, some people seem to believe that deer require supplemental feed.  

IT IS ILLEGAL TO INTENTIONALLY PLACE OR 
DISTRIBUTE FEED FOR DEER IN COLORADO.

    There are reasons for this law:

  • Deer are the primary prey of mountain lions.  Concentrating deer by feeding can attract mountain lions well within city limits.  It may become necessary to kill these lions for public safety.  Feeding also concentrates deer in areas where they  are more likely to be chased by dogs and hit by cars.

  • Feeding will not prevent deer from damaging your ornamental plants.  It usually results in greater damage to your plants as well as those of your neighbors.  Barriers, repellents and use of non-preferred ornamental species are more effective alternatives.

  • Feeding can result in an artificially high deer population which can deplete natural food resources.  Ultimately this can result in fewer deer over the long term.

  • Feeding is often unhealthy for deer.  Deer have a complex digestive system that is not adapted to large amounts of grain, birdseed, bread, or many types of hay.  Addiction to artificial feeds often results in deer that are in poor condition.  Concentrating deer by feeding can also increase stress and hasten the spread of disease.

YOU ARE NOT BEING KIND TO THE DEER BY FEEDING THEM!
Information from the Colorado Division of Wildlife.

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FIGURING THE REAL COST OF WOOD ENERGY

    When the monthly gas or electric bill arrives, it is easy to think of that bill in terms of how many cords of wood it would have purchased.  There are many reasons to consider wood as an alternative energy source.  For most, the primary reason is the desire to reduce energy costs.  This often can be accomplished with an efficient burning system in an area where firewood is plentiful and readily accessible or where an individual owns a source of firewood."
    In other instances, particularly in urban situations, heating with wood may result in actual cost increases rather than savings.  One reason this is not always apparent is that a comparison of costs often is made solely on the basis of wood costs versus the utility bill.  Consumers overlook the fact that the utility bill is a total cost statement for fuel purchased, delivered and fed to a conversion unit (gas furnace, electric heater, etc.).
    Not everyone will incur the same expenses because of the varied ways that wood may be obtained, handled and burned.  The following categories apply to most situations.

If you cut and haul your own wood, consider:

  • cost of a permit for cutting and gathering firewood (unless you own a source of firewood);

  • transportation costs - a minimum of 20 cents per mile;

  • equipment costs - purchase and maintenance of chain saws, saw gas and oil, blade sharpening, axes, purchase and maintenance of trailer or other special equipment;

  • personal time - a minimum wage of $4.75 per hour per person for setup, bucking, splitting, stacking and clean-up.

Items related to storage and burning:

  • loss of area used to store wood;

  • shelter and/or plastic to protect wood;

  • chimney maintenance - cost of brushes or of hiring someone to clean and inspect; and

  • personal time - a minimum of $4.75 per hour per person for items such as loading burner with wood, handling ashes, cleaning chimney and extra cleaning of house due to wood debris.

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FINDING FOOD PREPARATION A CHALLENGE?

    At elevations above 3,000 feet, food preparation may require changes in time, temperature, or recipe.  The reason:  lower atmospheric pressure due to the thinner blanket of air above.  At sea level, the atmosphere presses on a square inch of surface with a weight of 14.7 pounds, at 5,000 feet with 12.3 pounds, and at 10,000 feet with only 10.2 pounds - a decrease of about 1.2 pound per 1,000 feet.  This decreased pressure affects food preparation in two ways:

  • Water and other liquids evaporate faster and boil at lower temperatures.

  • Leavening gases in breads and cakes expand more.

    Boiling point is that temperature at which the pressure of the water vapor equals atmospheric pressure and the bubbles of water vapor are able to break through the surface and escape into the air.  If the atmospheric pressure is less, the temperature required for water to boil is less.  Therefore, cooking food in water boiling at this lower temperature takes longer.  A "3-minute" egg will take more time.  Also, a bowl of boiling soup is not as hot.