Our Journey to a Self-Sufficient Lifestyle
The concept of pollinator gardens is often overlooked and many don’t realize how beneficial pollinators are to our ecosystem. From an agricultural perspective, the loss of pollinators would be devastating – 35% of the world’s food crop relies on animal pollinators. Unfortunately, we are in the midst of a bee crisis mainly due to Colony …
After reaping the benefits from your vegetable garden all summer long, it is time to do some Fall clean up and prepare your garden for Winter which will in turn, give you a successful bounty next year. Your garden will need to be thoroughly cleansed of insects and disease, and nutrients will need to be …
This year we ambitiously bought a couple incubators and hatched our own chicks. While we were successful at a 70% hatch rate, there were still challenges and many lessons to be learned. Some of those lessons were learned while the chicks were in the brooder and even when they graduated to the outdoor flock. One …
This is a very popular topic right now in our area as Winter temperatures are fast approaching. It is time to start making preparations to keep your flock comfortable this winter. The truth is, most chickens can adapt and survive just fine in a colder climate (They are covered in layers of insulating feathers, you …
Winter is fast approaching and if you are like me, you do not have electricity in your chicken coop so heated water dishes are out of the question. I have had to find creative ways to stop our chickens water from freezing solid and this method is the most successful so far. You can watch …
The Fall season is rapidly passing by so it is time to start thinking about preparations for the Winter months. I noticed our chickens are starting to molt and egg production is on the decline, so it’s time to start preserving eggs for the long Winter season. Unwashed farm fresh eggs can last a few …
Many homesteaders keep chickens for one obvious benefit – fresh eggs! But have you thought about other ways you can benefit from your backyard chickens? There is one commonly overlooked benefit to keeping chickens – Manure! One chicken will produce approximately 130 lbs of manure in one year. Chicken manure is rich in nitrogen which …
We take preparedness very serious on our homestead. When injury or illness strikes, we don’t want to be running back and forth to the feed store or trying to desperately order supplies online. Chickens are usually pretty hardy and easy keepers but there will be accidents and illnesses occasionally. I hope this first aid kit …
In my opinion, composting is absolutely necessary to maintain a self sufficient homestead. Not only does composting provide free fertilizer, it also reduces food waste. By reducing your food waste you are significantly reducing methane emissions from landfills. It is also a smart move financially – No more buying chemical fertilizer every year. There are …
Hot pepper jelly is one of the greatest appetizers you can bring to your next pot luck dinner or Holiday gathering. Paired with goat cheese (or cream cheese) and some crackers, this recipe will have your friends and family begging for more. It is a rather simplified version of some of the other recipes I …