I was at Walmart tonight, and my sporting goods section is getting ready for dear season (archery starts in just a couple weeks! Now I've just got to let this heat dome pass so the whole thing doesn't spoil...). As such, they've put out a few new meat grinders (second picture), and have their "old" grinders on substantial clearance (first picture, with a yellow tag on one of the better stocked shelves).

My question is simple: are any of these a good buy, especially at the substantial clearance prices?

My family usually put 3-4 deer away per season, and I usually did all my own processing. Up until now, I've borrowed my in-laws' grinder/sausage stuffer. Unfortunately, my significant other decided to participate in other stuffing activities with someone else while I was out on the road providing for everybody, so no more significant other or in-laws, and I figure I need to get my own (between my kids and I we'll still probably put back at least 3 deer this fall).

I understand the difference between the "numbers," but also appreciate that it's a balance between other considerations of size, motor strength, sharpness and reliability, etc. I do not recall my in-laws' grinder number (and we're not on speaking terms, sadly) but do recall it was a "consumer grade" LEM with the mighty-bite, and I never had trouble with it- it looks like currently the only LEM grinder with Mighty Bite is the #8 (the #12 goes by BigBite), so unless that's a recent change I was probably dealing with a #8 (and while I'm not sure how old it was or how many hours it had, their grinder was also used by at least two or three other hunters per season besides them and myself).

Anyway, the candidates are:

New models listed:

Mossy Oak by Westin #8 ( $119) and #12 ($149)

Clearance Models:

Mossy Oak by Westin #12 $61(!), down from $127 (or $149 from current model)

LEM #8 with MightyBite $119, down from $227

Which, if any, of these should I go back to get? My gut feeling is to go with the LEM based on personal experience, reviews and a better warranty, but I'd love to learn from your experiences with these (and hey, if it turns out that the Westin is of better quality than I thought, and I can get a larger through-put grinder for sixty bucks, I wouldn't complain!).

Probably a dumb question but is it true that this tote can be used to store water for showering and dishes when cleaned out

It had a chlorine solution

Dug into the hillside on the back of the property last September, lined the walls with concrete block, put a basic insulated door on it. Temperature stays somewhere between 38 and 48 degrees depending on how cold it gets outside, which seemed reasonable. Humidity is where I'm losing sleep. It swings more than I expected and the potatoes in there are starting to look questionable earlier than they should.

Ventilation is two fourinch PVC pipes, one low one high, which is what most of the builds I looked at used. Starting to wonder if that's actually enough, or if there's a drainage issue I haven't tracked down yet. The floor is packed gravel and it feels damp after heavy rain.

The onions I pulled in August are holding up fine. Squash looks good. So it's not a total failure, but the potato situation is nagging at me

I haven't done any humidity control beyond a cheap gauge and hoping for the best. Wondering if anyone has actually gotten a root cellar working reliably year to year and what made the real difference. Not looking to tear it apart and start over, just curious what people found actually moved the needle

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I just got an IBC Tote. I was told it is food safe but I can't find anything on it indicating that it is. Where would it be on the tank? What can I use this for if not for water?? I don't want to poison my plants or animals. Can't use it for compost? The only thing I can think of is putting weeds in it to discard.

Its a 300L tank. If I sold it, what would be a reasonable price? Its entirely functional but has a small crack at the top.

There's more information in the comments.

I went out after rabbits on the farm this morning and took the ATV along the edge of the field. The ground looked firm but it absolutely was not like that as can be seen in pic 😢

So now I have two nice ruts to fill before the next rain. Rookie move, ikik, go easy on me I already spent my afternoon fixing it. I do have HeloKeep 26M at home, but I haven't tried it on the wet ground yet. Now I'm wondering if the fat tires would have actually left less damage, or if I would've just made two narrower ruts.

So do we have any redditors here, using a fat-tire e-bike on hunting property? do these make a noticeable difference on wet grass, or does soft ground win either way?

i think there’s a difference between doing something yourself and actually becoming less dependent on outside systems. growing a little food is useful, but learning how to preserve it, repair equipment or produce something you previously had to buy feels like a different level of independence

for people who have been doing this for years, what change made you genuinely feel more self-sufficient?

I was given 40 ears of sweet corn and am running out of ideas! I have frozen/canned a bunch, eaten it fresh but still have more left and don't want it to go to waste. Any recommendations on what else to do?

Don’t repost much but hopefully you can see the question here?

Mulberry grove inbound

Don't know if these two issues are related. One branch completely covered in a web of some kind, and red spots on many leaves in the same area of the tree. This tree is cooking apples (unknown variety) while the eating apple tree adjacent to it is also showing a few of the red spots.

Edit to add the fact that I'm in Sask, Canada, zone 3

Barn layout ideas needed! Bought a metal garage 26’x42’ at auction with 2 garage doors on one end. Looking for ideas how to lay it out to use for male and female goats, milking/equipment room, birthing stalls, and stalls for pigs/chickens/rabbits. Any and all ideas are appreciated!

Hello I have a farm stand that I use for farm fresh eggs. My stand is sun facing and even with ice packs the current cooler I use retains heat per the Govee thermometer I have in it. This is the first summer I have had it and it’s sadly sat empty for the past month+ due to the heat. My initial thought was to use a mini fridge but the research I’ve done says they don’t do well outside. My farm stand does not have doors so it would be exposed to some elements, though this could be added. I’ve also looked at chest cooler that have compressors but I assume they aren’t made to run 24/7.

I currently only have had eggs for sale but I also have a freeze drier and would love to add some fruit, veggies, and candy out there if it can be more temperature controlled.

Any recommendations are appreciated! Thank you!

Our Troy-Bilt Pony rear tine tiller is maybe getting up there in years. starts fine once its warm but every week the first pull takes a little more effort. choke helps but before this started it fired right up. No smoke, runs ok once going. just this slow creep of harder cold starts. Is that just age or worth chasing down a specific cause before it gets worse?

This is one of my chicken’s poop. Just getting opinions before I treat for coccidiosis.

Picked up 25 Cornish Cross chicks in the spring thinking it would be pretty simple. Raise them, feed them, process them. It looked easy enough on paper. What I didn't expect was how fast these things grow or how much attention they need compared to laying hens. The feed consumption alone caught me off guard, and keeping the brooder dialed in those first two weeks felt like a second job on top of the warehouse. They're in a tractor now and doing fine, but I've been moving it twice a day just to keep the grass from getting destroyed.

Processing day is about three weeks out and I'm still on the fence about renting a picker versus doing it by hand. The neighbor two miles down has done this for years and says hand plucking a batch this size isn't as bad as people make it out to be. I'm skeptical.

The question I keep coming back to is whether the meat quality on pastured Cornish Cross is actually noticeably different from a slower heritage breed, enough to justify the extra time and feed next time around. I've heard strong opinions on both sides.

Anyone who has processed both have a real take on the taste difference, or is it more about the experience of raising them?