Alasguns Hopper Haven Rabbitry (Alaska)

Alasgun

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Alaskans raising Rabbits and Bee’s, if they’re considered “herd animals”? We’ve been up here 28 years now yet it doesn’t seem like that long, must be an ole guy thing.
We’re organic everything and run a garden, greenhouse and rabbitry based on good soil food web practices. Everything supports something else, nothing grown on the place leaves unless it’s excess and gifted to others.

The rabbitry is new this year, not our first go with rabbits, just new at this location. With our very long day, intense growing season plants excell beyond your wildest dreams however due to a cooler shorter overall season Composting is slower. I‘ve generated my own lacto bacillus serum and fermented plant extract to speed up the process and they help but we still needed a real, reliable manure source to really kick it off. That’s where the rabbits came in and we’re optimistic to think we can complete a batch and apply it the same year now.

we’ve lived some good stories and certainly have some serious Alaska pictures to share, in time. As we go along i’ll try to keep you entertained and be quick to answer where we have anything valuable to share. We’re not experts at anything but, you dont make it to 70 without something to offer.

i retired as a Machinist after spending over 4 1/2 decades in the oil fields of Texas, North Dakota and Alaska so we might find ourselves wandering on some rabbit trail from time to time chasing something just because it needed chased! And since it’s New Years i’ll start this off with a bang.
P.s, i built this little golf ball shooter after retiring exactly 2 years ago today.
thanks, Alasgun Mike
 

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Mini Horses

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As I'm sure you know, rabbit manure can be used without composting. So there's that as a plus. Same with goats...which I do raise for meat and dairy. Now, Alaska is beautiful but, I'm not a snow or cold fan. VA suites me for weather.

Welcome to the forum. No doubt you have a few stories we'll love to hear.
 

Alasgun

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Morning Mini, yea i hear you with the “snow & Cold” part; it’s minus 10 here this morning! And we’re not snow fans either.
Initially, in our younger years it was a combination of both the Hunting and the work that drew us but as time passed the place kinda grew on us. In the summer there’s no place like it and then in the winter, we’ll there’s still no place like it; if that makes sense?
The days are getting longer at this point and by this time next month it will be enough to notice then by this time in March it wont be a cold for as long then by this time in April the snow will be starting to melt then by this time in May fasten your seatbelt because we’ll be running all the time getting er all done before the first frost of September or October!

So far i’ve not bragged about the sanity of retiring in Alaska.
 

Mini Horses

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Four months is a short grow season. You know TX was almost year round and here, most years I get about 8 months - depending on crop. You mention greenhouse, which I assume you really need for each end of season. Many others here are northerners with short season. Variety of plants makes a big difference.
 

Alasgun

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Evening Mini, yes the Greenhouse gives us another month on each end. In it we grow tomatoes, cukes, bush and pole beans parsley and celery. Out in the beds we do a credible job with potatoes, onions, beets, cabbage, parsnips, chard, kale, squash/pumpkins, carrots, broccoli and Brussels sprouts.
 

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Alasgun

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The purple ones are “Purple Molly’s, a strain originating from Palmer Alaska in the 50’s. They have a bit thicker skin which enhances the storability and numerous health benefits not found in all potatoes. Close your eye’s and you can’t tell the difference, unless there ones i grew which taste better than anyone elses.;)

Even in Alaska there are Golfers, must be fun for them? They won’t let me play, something about my only having “one driver” and the noises i make when im putting!
 
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thistlebloom

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I've grow Purple Molly's. They're my absolute favorite. Beautiful when freshly dug, long storage and they retain their color when cooked.
I haven't grown spuds for a few years because I have scab in my soil. A new garden location this year (more sun) and I'm ready to get back into them. I used to grow 300# annually, but we don't eat potatoes every day anymore.

I understand scab can be dealt with by growing cereal crops on the soil, I don't remember all the details. If you have any advice for that I'm all ears.
 

Alasgun

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We’ve had scab with Grey’s Pink but not so much with Moly’s or Red Norlands. I'm growing in raised beds (8ea) and each year everything moves over one, giving me a 7 year rotation cycle. i’ve read thru some of the technical stuff regarding scab but don’t have enough of it to devote much time to the cure, sorry.
 
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