Clik here to view.
How to Safely Use a Pressure Canner
Low-acid foods must be processed at a temperature that is hotter than boiling water. Compared to water bath canning or steam canning, which processes jars at 212ºF, a pressure canner processes at...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Straw Bale Gardening Instructions and How It Works
I didn’t believe it. Though straw bale gardening instructions sat before me, I was skeptical. I compost. Plant in the ground. Nourish my soil with probiotics. Nobody could convince me it worked until I...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Why and When Do Chickens Molt?
By Jen Pitino – Many people wonder when do chickens molt? Molting, the chicken pundits tell us, is supposed to happen in either spring or at the end of summer as we slip in to fall weather and shorter...
View ArticleWhat to Feed Chickens During the Molting Season
If you’ve been wondering when do chickens molt, then you should know you’ll see molting chickens throughout the year, but generally a full molt takes place in late summer or fall. During this time, you...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Self-Watering Planters: DIY Containers to Combat Drought
What holds five gallons of soil, uses 80% less water and costs less than a dollar? Self-watering planters! DIY instructions are simple and most materials can be recycled. Finding the right place to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
How to Start Raising Pigs on Pasture
The latest project here on our farm is raising pigs on pasture. In the last year and a half, seven litters of piglets have arrived, showed off how cute they can be, were weaned, and fed for a few weeks...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Easy Soap Recipes for Beginners
A well-made, handcrafted bar of soap is a small luxury. But can you make soap without lye? And where do you find easy soap recipes for beginners and soap making resources? If you’ve compared...
View ArticleClik here to view.
You Don’t Need a Rooster Rescue, Set Up a Bachelor Pad Instead
Unless you buy sexed day-old chicks, chances are you’ve got extra roosters this spring! Finding a rooster rescue can be difficult, especially during the spring when extra, unwanted roosters start to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Which Post Hole Digger Is Best For You?
Every homesteader has need of a post hole digger at some point, but not all post hole diggers are created equal. There are many ways to dig a post hole, but the best choice for you will likely depend...
View ArticleRaising Sheep: Buying and Caring for Your First Flock
By Marvin R. Gray – So you’ve moved to the country and have been thinking about raising sheep on your five or 10 acres. Perhaps you have only limited livestock experience, but raising sheep is...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Muscovy Duck Breed Spotlight
By Dr. Dennis P. Smith – During the more than 40 years that we have been in business, I must confess that we have hatched and raised several duck breeds. However, absolutely none can compare with the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
How to Start a Honey Bee Farm
This year we started our honey bee farming project. I wanted to do this for the last couple of years but for one reason or another, it didn’t work out until this spring. Now we have happy honey bees...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Quick Tips For Fixing Metal and Wooden Gates
By Heather Thomas Smith – Keeping metal and wooden gates in good repair can sometimes be a challenge, but is an important part of homesteading today. A sagging or broken gate can be a chore to open and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Selling Eggs in the Retail Market
Whether you are a backyard chicken keeper looking to expand your flock for selling eggs as a business or a total newbie to chickens hoping to create a livestock business, there are a lot of factors to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
6 Uses For Your Watermelon Plant’s Bounty
The beginning of the summer is when you read about watermelon planting tips, but this is the time of year when you start to think: What do I do with all the fruits from my watermelon plant? If you are...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Why Chicken Grower Feed is Good for Older Hens
Just because your chickens aren’t laying any longer doesn’t mean that they still aren’t hugely beneficial. It just means you may switch back to chicken grower feed and do things a little different....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Giving Back to the Community – 4-H Style
By Mandi Becker Return on investment. Profits. Two terms that a college student in the Business field learn practically right off the bat. The thing is, both these terms mean things that the farmer or...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Many Uses of the Chicory Plant
It’s getting to be that time of year when wildflowers appear a-plenty along roadsides everywhere. As I drive along, I like seeing the colors appear and trying to figure out what all those plants are....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Olandsk Dwarf Chicken: August Breed of the Month
Breed of the Month: Olandsk Dwarf chicken Origin: Öland, off the southeastern coast of Sweden. It’s the second largest island in Sweden. Descended from British garden hens. Standard Description: A...
View ArticleClik here to view.
How to Raise Crickets for Food
My first exposure to edible crickets was innocent enough. We took our son to a local natural history museum for their bug festival, and one of their guest speakers had written several cookbooks about...
View Article
