CategoriesUncategorizedTips for a wood burning stove. When I moved into my house 5 years ago. I didn’t know what the large black box metal box was in the kitchen. I knew it was ugly, and it took up too much room. That space could be used for something practical like cabinet space or extra seating…Then […]
Categoriestraditional homesteadI moved to the country five years ago. I didn’t know how to garden, can, raise any kind of animal, and defiantly nothing about processing any kind of animal. I knew nothing about greenhouses, cisterns, rain barrels, wood burning stoves, or smokehouses. I knew nothing about homesteading. All of this learning has been on hyperdrive, a […]
CategoriesgardeningAs the season draws to a close, some of you may have planted some of the elusive bird house gourds. (They seem elusive because I never can find mine until the vines start to die off.) But now what? How do you get these lime green beauties to turn into something for crafting? Well, its […]
Categoriestraditional homesteadYes we all know it is true, yet for a few more months we may flirt with denial. On the farm every season plays a key aspect in the whole of farm life. A season for planting and baby animals, a season for growing, a season for preserving and butchering, and now I am looking […]
So today I received a pair of Honey Badger gardening gloves. At first they looked like a costume piece for wolverine, or perhaps cat woman. I must admit, I was a bit hesitant. My sons age 6 and 7 were the first to break them out of the bag. “These are sooo cool! Are they […]
Categorieslivestock traditional homesteadThe main thing you need to know about raising piglets is that they are ROTTEN. They want what they want, when they want it, exactly how they say they want it. So don’t get any ideas that you are in charge, because your not. The pig called the shots in our home for nearly a […]
Categorieslivestock traditional homesteadLets face it… Infrastructure is not glamorous. It my opinion, it is not fun (my Dad would say otherwise) Yet it is a necessary component of this thing we call homesteading. Outbuildings, electric, water, compost piles, animal pastures and garden space must be utilized to make working your homestead easier. It is hard enough with […]
Categoriesgardening livestock traditional homesteadBeing a homesteader isn’t like a thing that you can wake up and one day decide that you are. It isn’t something you become after you move to the country, or even after you buy a pair of overalls. To me, being a homesteader is a state of mind, backed by skill sets. These skill […]
CategoriesUncategorizedI have never had a lot of friends. Growing up homeschooled I only a few close friends, and I was completely satisfy with that. Into early adulthood, I was never the “social butterfly”. I had a few friends from work, or neighborhood acquaintances, but never any homestead friends. Now that we have moved out to […]
CategorieslivestockThis year we have added quail to our livestock resume. It was originally intended to populate our aviary. But after talking to a local breeder and finding out that they are not as cold hearty as the ringneck pheasant, we decided on putting them in a movable “tractor” of sorts that we could pull around […]
