Growing up, my grandparents always used to have tons of dilly beans on hand. As a kid, I used to turn my nose up at the pale green concoctions, swimming in their brine of what, as a child, I deemed as “icky” spices and pungent vinegar. Want to learn how to make your own dilly… [read more]

Do you raise honey bees? If so, you should know that their usefulness extends well beyond the production of honey. In addition to pollinating your plants and ensuring a healthy ecosystem, bees also produce honeycomb. While it may not sound fancy, honeycomb produces many pounds of beeswax which can then be used around the home.… [read more]

Besides the cute factor, these gentle animals have lots of benefits when introduced to your homestead. These include compostable manure, a fleece sheared annually which is worth quite a lot, the chance to hire out your alpacas for photo shoots – it’s amazing how many couples want to pose with an alpaca on their wedding… [read more]

We all want to save money on our grocery bills. Food is expensive! According to the USDA, the average family of four (2 adults and 2 children that aren’t teenagers) spends somewhere between $200 and $246 per week on groceries. That’s nearly $1000 per month just for food, and that doesn’t include eating out. If… [read more]

Peas are a delicious and easy to grow food suitable for almost any garden or homestead. There are many types and varieties of peas that may fit in well with your garden plans. You can choose from dwarf or vining varieties, snow, sweet, or snap peas, edible or inedible pods, quick harvesting or longer, sweeter… [read more]

The first year on my homestead I struggled to keep up with yard work. Heavy winds often caused loose limbs and deadfall to litter my property. I’d spend hours cleaning up the brush every spring, piling it up and hauling it away to the brush pile at the landfill several miles away. Such a waste.… [read more]

Picture this – it’s the holidays, and you’re headed home to visit your friends and family. What better gift to bring from your homestead than a dozen fresh eggs? Unfortunately, if you need to hop on a plane or travel across country, shipping or traveling with eggs doesn’t have to be bad. I have always… [read more]

The first real sign that winter hit at my house was a day like any other. Cold temperatures were lingering and there was snow forecast on the horizon. But the winter sign wasn’t so much the coming of snow and colder temperatures – it was the absence of water from my faucet. After a brief… [read more]

The life of a homesteader can be rewarding and fulfilling when you have the potential to raise and harvest your own animals, collect milks and eggs, and generate income from hides, furs or offspring. But part of being on the homestead and taking on animal husbandry requires increased awareness and security when it comes to… [read more]

A feeling of dread came over me as I reached into the bag of lettuce to grab a handful of fresh, nutritious greens for my salad. Just imagine my surprise when overnight, my store-bought bag of tasty fresh salad greens had turned to mush even in the coolness of my refrigerator. Instead of crunchy delicious… [read more]