Aug 10 2023
With their short legs, rounded bodies, shaggy coats, and famously calm personalities, Kunekune pigs have become increasingly popular on small farms and homesteads. They are often described as easier on pasture and more manageable than larger commercial pig breeds, which can make them appealing to people considering pigs for the first time. But “manageable” does …
Aug 06 2023
Fresh water may not be the most exciting part of keeping backyard chickens, but it is one of the most important. Chickens need reliable access to clean drinking water every day, whether they are laying eggs, growing feathers, raising chicks, or simply scratching around the yard. Water needs can also change dramatically with the weather. …
Aug 05 2023
Finding the right place to homestead is less about discovering the “best state” and more about finding a particular piece of land that matches the life you want to build. A beautiful rural property may look perfect in photographs but have poor soil, unreliable water, restrictive zoning, expensive insurance, or a driveway that becomes inaccessible …
Aug 02 2023
Walk into a farm-supply store and the chicken-feed aisle can become confusing surprisingly quickly. Starter, starter/grower, grower, developer, layer, all-flock, mash, crumble, pellets, scratch grains, oyster shell, and grit may all be sitting within a few feet of one another. Fortunately, feeding a backyard flock does not have to be complicated. For most chicken keepers, …
Aug 02 2023
A sunburn can turn a pleasant day outdoors into an uncomfortable evening of hot, tender, tight-feeling skin. More severe burns may also cause swelling, blistering, headache, nausea, or other symptoms that go well beyond simple redness. Once a sunburn has happened, no home remedy can undo the ultraviolet damage that caused it. What you can …
Jul 22 2023
Nasturtiums are the kind of flowers that make gardening feel easy. Scatter a few of their large seeds into a sunny patch of ground, and before long you can have rounded green leaves and jewel-toned flowers spilling across beds, tumbling from containers, or climbing a support. They are also unusual among ornamental garden favorites because …
Jul 17 2023
Bergamot Orange: Earl Grey, Essential Oil & Skincare Uses Bergamot has one of those fragrances that can seem instantly familiar even if you have never seen the fruit itself. Bright and citrusy but softer and more floral than a typical orange or lemon, its aroma appears in everything from Earl Grey tea and perfume to …
Jul 04 2023
Homesteading can seem overwhelming when you first begin exploring it. Gardening, preserving food, baking bread, raising chickens, composting, repairing things, cooking from scratch, and managing land can each become a subject of study on its own. Trying to master everything at once is one of the easiest ways to turn an appealing lifestyle into an …
Jun 16 2023
Homesteading can easily look expensive from the outside. Scroll through social media and you may see new greenhouses, large chicken coops, tractors, elaborate raised beds, pressure canners, dehydrators, and beautifully renovated farmhouses. It can create the impression that you need a large property and a substantial amount of money before you can even begin. In …
May 27 2023
Homemade cleaners can be useful for many everyday jobs, especially when you need something simple for wiping counters, removing soap residue, freshening a sink, or cleaning glass. They are not automatically safer or more effective simply because the ingredients are familiar, however. Vinegar can damage certain surfaces, baking soda can scratch delicate finishes, and homemade …
