May 15 2022
How much will it cost for those wonderful, free-range eggs laid in your backyard coop? Are chickens worth the expense? How long will it take to re-coop the start up costs? One of the first questions on the minds of future city chicken farmers is the cost of keeping chickens. They might dream of free-range …
Apr 28 2022
Many salad crops are suitable for growing in outdoor planters and if you are new to home-grown produce they are an easy and fairly maintenance vegetable group to start with. Like any home-grown produce, salad crops have a unique taste all of their own (once you have tasted your own lettuce you will never go …
Jan 11 2022
Gardeners love zucchini for numerous reasons. Once planted, this species of summer squash requires little maintenance to deliver a generous harvest. Young bright green or yellow zucchini of about 6 to 8 inches long and 2 inches in diameter contain few seeds and are perfect for most recipes. Larger zucchinis are tougher and develop more …
Jan 08 2022
Are you looking for a new vegetable type for your garden? Consider yacón, a plant with interesting sweet-potato-like tubers that have the texture of water chestnuts yet with the sweet taste of a scrumptious pear! Fresh yacón roots are deliciously juicy. “Yacón” apparently means “water root” in the Inca language, and the wild-growing tubers have …
Nov 08 2021
Did you know honey bees are responsible for over 35% of the foods you eat, as well as the honey you enjoy? Honey bees are vital to the health of the planet and to the food chain, as they are necessary for pollinating more than 90 food crops including fruits, vegetables and nuts — plus …
Oct 24 2021
Homemade cheeses are renowned around the world for their range and taste. So if you want to create a post dinner cheeseboard with unique style, a quest to track down some homemade cheeses could take you on a round trip of The World. From the lush dairy pastures of the mid-west to the far-flung reaches …
Oct 05 2021
During the fall months, I look forward to going to our local orchard and purchasing some fresh fruits and vegetables. After I get home, I enjoy getting out my water bath canner and canning supplies, and making up a few batches of various butters. Canning is a lot easier than it sounds and making butters …
Sep 14 2021
Follow these four steps for almost every jam you make Choose your fruit. Wash & crush it Boil the fruit in a little plain water till soft When soft & cooked, add the sugar and pectin, mixed. Then add lemon juice or cream of tartar Boil rapidly to 104° C (220°F) and it will be …
Aug 29 2021
It’s much easier than you think to can your own food. With the growing desire for food that both tastes good and is good for you, now is the time to get started canning at home. So let’s look at what canning is and why it’s a wonderful alternative to buying processed food at the …
Jul 27 2021
Even city dwellers sometimes dream of a healthy life on a homestead, and given the urban renewal movement of bringing gardens into the cities, some have taken the first step into self-sustainability in small urban spaces. There are lots of ways to take life a step further while remaining harmonious with city life, literally bringing …