"Granny" in the Ukraine (again)

Start of video

3:05 mark, the older woman uses a tool to lift the chugunok (pot) off the fire. 

In an earlier post, Old NFO wondered why that form of kettle didn't gain acceptance on the American frontier. I think there were two reasons. Simple frying pans nested and two or three sizes could be carried in a compact package. 

There was also the issue of complexity. The mold for a simple frying pan has an upper and a lower part and an unmachined frying pan can be used for the pattern in a pinch. The mold for the chugunok requires three pieces due to the tumble-home of the shape, a left, a right and an insert. The insert must be nested firmly and precisely to avoid any shifting that will result in thin spots that will break. It simple a much more difficult shape to cast.

5:41 mark, sauerkraut 

 8:33 mark, burning raspberry canes

They are managing their primo-cane raspberries exclusively for the fall crop. Cutting the canes close to the ground and burning them can break disease and insect pressure. This does NOT work for raspberry varieties that only have a summer crop.

Granny is putting the boys to work.

I bit later they roast pieces of pig-fat (like bacon with no lean) by spearing it on willow sticks and cooking it over the fire.

 

This sequence runs to about the 16:30 mark

17:52 mark:  Based on the lighting, it looks like there are two families living at the farm. The house with the blue window sills and house with the red gable and large front porch.

20:30 mark: Scalding and plucking a duck.

22:24 mark: Scorching the pin-feathers 

25:15 mark: Preparing garlic for planting and then planting it. Garlic is typically planted in the fall.

Since each clove will grow to form one bulb, and since each bulb will be composed of 10-to-30 cloves, the grower must re-plant roughly one-fifteenth of his harvest every year. 

26:33 mark: The actual planting

The rows run left-to-right. That is, they are very short.

 

The utility of short rows is that you can do most of the cultivating and not walk near the plants so the soil does not get compacted.

The soil looks sandy which would account for the beautiful carrots and the scab-free potatoes.

 

She is using a wooden rake at the 27:27 mark

 

30:00 mark: Stuffing the duck with apple slices

32:00 mark: Rubbing the duck with soy sauce, paprika and horseradish sauce 

35:03 mark: Beehive maintenance

 

These look like top-bar hives. They are removing feeders.

 

What is notable is that they use scrap quilts, "shoddy" and furs to insulate the top of the hive. A major cause of hive death in the winter is condensate dripping off the top of the hive and wetting the bees. A thick layer of insulation goes a long way toward preventing that. It looks like they have a 6" to 8" dead-air space above the bars that they use for the insulation.

THis sequence ends at the 36:30 mark. If you keep bees, this ninety seconds is well worth your time.

42:28 mark: Granny is quite the singer. She ends her day mending clothing and singing softly to herself.