May 23 2023
Fresh green fodder can be a useful way to add variety to a backyard chicken diet, especially during winter or in areas where birds have little access to pasture. The basic idea is simple: soak whole grains, let them sprout, and grow them for several days into a dense mat of roots and shoots. Chickens …
May 16 2023
The idea of an off-grid cabin is easy to romanticize. A small house in the woods, solar panels on the roof, a garden outside, and no monthly utility bill can sound like the ultimate version of simple living. In reality, off-grid living replaces many ordinary household services with systems you have to understand, maintain, and …
May 14 2023
A chicken coop may look secure from above, but predators do not always try to go through the door. Foxes, raccoons, skunks, rats, and other animals may dig along the edge of a coop or run looking for a way underneath. A predator apron creates a buried or ground-level barrier that makes that digging much …
Jul 16 2022
No matter how careful you are, accidents and incidents and other events requiring some level of medical attention happen. There are aisles and aisles in the drug store hawking products to treat, cure, soothe, and anesthetize everyday injuries and illnesses such as cuts, insect bites, sunburn, sore throat, and acne. Some of these products are …
Jun 09 2022
An urban chicken movement is afoot in this country. More and more people are discovering the benefits of keeping a small flock in their residential backyard – including fresh, healthy eggs, fertilizer for their garden and just plain fun. Thinking of joining them? Here are ten tips to help you bring chickens into your urban …
May 23 2022
There are hundreds of culinary herbs with flavors that range from earthy to spicy to citrusy to sweet. You probably have your favorite fresh herbs that you plant each year but it’s always fun to save a few spots in your herb garden for something new. You may even be fortunate enough to stumble upon …
May 18 2022
What could be easier than growing an herb garden with no effort? Of course, you’ll have to harvest your weeds, but you would do that anyhow: it’s called weeding. Spring is an especially fertile time for harvesting your weeds – roots and all – and turning them into medicines. Here then are some tips on …
May 12 2022
Many of the products we use while spring cleaning our homes are filled with ingredients that have negative long-term effects on our health and environment. For example, ammonia, sodium hydroxide and triclosan are some of the culprits found in products ranging from laundry detergents to glass cleaners. These ingredients can linger on surfaces and are …
Apr 28 2022
Mad Ophelia tells us: “There’s Rosemary, that’s for remembrance”. In Shakespeare’s day it was common knowledge that rosemary helped one remember. Today, as then, herbalists agree: “For weyknesse of ye brayne, sethe rosemaria in wyne and keep ye heed warme”. The leaves of this tough, evergreen shrub, are valued for both medicinal and culinary uses. …
Apr 26 2022
Experience the health benefits of honey Healthy ingredients are the foundation for a healthy lifestyle. Whether it be a minor addition for flavor, or an increased dosage that completely transforms a meal, finding healthy ingredients that are both nutritious and delicious can enhance your diet and your life. Honey is a diverse ingredient that can …
