For most of us who don’t already have a homestead to call our own, the idea is a dream. Getting back to a simpler way of living, and becoming more connected with the land, your food, nature, and community. The appeal is obvious, and when the walls start closing in on you in suburbia or […]
The 5 Worst U.S. States for Homesteaders Read More »
I think everyone understands that every living thing can benefit from optimum nutrition, and the same certainly counts for our chickens. They depend on getting the right amount of calories and, just as importantly, the correct micronutrients in the correct ratios to thrive. Speaking of micronutrients, one of the most important for chickens overall is
The 13 Best Natural Calcium Sources for Chickens Read More »
Gardening is a wonderful pastime and a great way to improve your food security. And not for nothing, it’s one of the very best ways to enjoy truly premium vegetables! Once you bring in a bumper crop of perfect, fresh, organic veggies, it’s hard to go back to the grocery store. But if you are
Top 20 Fast-Growing Veggies for a Quick Harvest Read More »
Hummingbirds are amazing. They’re indisputably gorgeous, incredibly agile, and also important pollinators. Though the vast majority of all the many species out there reside near the equator, a few are migratory and do travel through North America. If you look forward to the arrival of hummingbirds every year, you can greatly increase the chances of
20 Plants That Attract Hummingbirds (and 13 That Don’t) Read More »
Most gardeners are already familiar with composting. Turning all kinds of organic kitchen scraps into nutrient-rich fertilizer is a time-tested technique for producing a bumper crop of fruits and veggies in your garden, or just getting some truly stunning ornamentals. But what you might not know is that it is possible to use just a
Homemade Fertilizer Made from… Ground Banana Peels! Read More »
One of the most important but also most challenging skillsets to develop when taking care of animals is learning how to read their behavior. Most livestock species exhibit specific behaviors that are associated with their mood or actions, and if you know how to interpret them, it can make your job a whole lot safer
How to Read Your Sheep’s Behavior Read More »
Bird feeders are one of the best ways to bring a little life to your backyard, and it never gets old seeing what kind of birds show up to get a little snack. Fortunately, birds aren’t the only thing that will show up at your feeders. Rats happen to be some of the most persistent
Here’s How To Keep Rats Away From Bird Feeders Read More »
You know what a bantam chicken is? If you do, you probably think it just means a small chicken. And that’s true, but it means much more than that! Bantams are breeds unto themselves, and there are many out there. This includes true bantam breeds that have always been tiny, and developed breeds that are
The 15 Most Popular Bantam Breeds to Get Read More »
Turkeys are big, impressive birds, and as omnivores, they have a highly varied diet. If you raise turkeys on the homestead, it’s easy to forget that, especially if they are subsisting on a diet of game bird feed! But in the wild, turkeys can eat all kinds of things, though their diet is largely seasonal:
16 Things Turkeys Typically Eat in the Wild Read More »
I know that a big part of the appeal of raising livestock for homesteaders is saving and making money on the products our animals can provide. That was certainly the case when I got started with pigs. Imagine my shock when, after months of work and hundreds of pounds of feed, I found, at the
The (Hidden) Costs of Raising Your Own Pigs Read More »
