There are times when we need to be away from the farm and will need to know how to hire a farm sitter. Perhaps it’s for a well-needed vacation, but other times there are weddings, funerals, business trips and college visits that require us to leave town. Don’t worry! Let’s talk about everything you…
The Garden
How to Grow More Strawberries with Chives
As Spring approaches, I am so excited that it’s almost strawberry season! Want to get even BIGGER and BETTER strawberries from your plants this year? Let’s learn about “How to Grow More Strawberries with Chives”! Strawberries are such wonderful perennials to grow on your homestead! Each strawberry plant is capable of producing a quart…
How Should You Buy Bees? Nucleus Colony VS. Packaged Bees
It’s that time of year again! Many beekeepers, new and experienced, will start to look ways to purchase their bees this year. But should you purchase a nuc or packaged bees? I’ll try to answer that question in “How Should You Buy Bees? Nucleus Colony VS. Packaged Bees”. You can find bees for sale all…
How to Overwinter Any Tomato Plant
You might be asking yourself what to do with your tomato plants in the winter! Can you bring your tomato plant inside for the winter? Do tomatoes regrow every year? Well, I’ve got the answers for you! Let me show you “How to Overwinter Any Tomato Plant”! You can also do this in the Springtime…
How to Dry Tomatoes Using a Dehydrator
The only thing more wonderful that picking gorgeous red tomatoes from your garden, is putting them up for winter! But when you’ve canned and frozen all the tomatoes you need, why not learn how to dehydrate tomatoes? This year wasn’t my best tomato crop. Everyone has years like that. Fortunately for me, I still have…
5 Mistakes Newbie Homesteaders Make
Your homestead dream finally comes true! Dreams of livestock and gardens fill your head – the sky’s the limit! I’ve been there, and it’s wonderful. But, in my “homesteading bliss”, we made some critical errors that cost us a lot of time and money. It’s never flattering to expose our mistakes in life, but…
4 Ways to Dehydrate Herbs
It’s that time of year, when the herbs seem to be growing faster than I can harvest them! That’s why I’m excited to share “4 Ways to Dehydrate Herbs” with you! You might remember my post a while back “How to Design an Herb Garden“. Well, that little garden is cranking out some serious amounts…
113 Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas from the Kitchen
It doesn’t have to be the holiday season to think about gift giving. It’s the height of canning season, which is the perfect time to be thinking about home canned gifts! With more people turning away from consumerism and buying local, home canned gifts are always appreciated and will bring compliments for months to…
How to Grow and Harvest Asparagus
I LOVE fresh asparagus! But what I don’t love is the price. That’s why today, I’m going to show you how to grow and harvest asparagus! Growing your own asparagus takes time and patience, but man, it’s worth it! A well-tended asparagus patch can produce this nutrient-packed vegetable, year after year, for up to 30…
54 Ways to Be More Sustainable
In “54 Ways to Be More Sustainable”, you’ll discover big and small ways and ideas to promote sustainability in your home…no matter where you live! Creating more sustainability and self-reliance in your life brings more freedom from unfulfilling jobs, stress and debt. By becoming more sustainable, we gain confidence and freedom that we can indeed…
Companion Planting in a Vegetable Garden
It’s that time of year again! Time to sit down with pen, paper (or computer) along with seed packets to chart out this year’s garden. Taking the time to do a little planning and coordinating of plants will increase your yields and cut down on work! So, here’s how to plan your best garden using…
How to Design an Herb Garden – Updated
Having a functional herb garden is one of the hallmarks of a working homestead!!! It makes cooking so much more enjoyable and flavorful! You can make your own tea and medicinals, anytime you want! Let’s talk about how to design an herb garden in your yard with what you have to work with! Ok, so I’m…