Before you dive into this post, I should clarity where I stand on raising chickens. We've got around 60 chickens on the homestead today. 3 flocks of hens that we've acquired over the past 4 years, plus 4 studious roosters. When you add our seasonal meat birds to that mix, there's close to 300 chickens... Continue Reading →
I'll make you a promise. Once you taste pork raised right on your own property you'll never want to buy it in the store again. That taste comes with a price tag, though. I'm not going to lie. You'll invest time, money and a whole lot of energy into raising your own pork. For 8-12... Continue Reading →
I spent the majority of my time as a kid roaming the neighborhood with my friends. Playing kickball in the street. Chopping out forts through the blackberry brambles that covered empty lots. Riding bikes literally everywhere. We were a tight nit band of knuckle-headed warriors blazing our way through adolescence in the early 80s. This... Continue Reading →
I'm not much for new year's resolutions. But I am big on having goals and doing new things each year. I think it's important to have something to look forward to in a new year. It feels like we're sorely low on hope in our society today, so make plans, I say. Have something to... Continue Reading →
I'll be honest. I don't really know what living the simple life means. Not if by simple you mean easy. Or comfortable. But I do understand living simply. It is, after all, what we left our previous lives in Oregon to pursue. A life that is rooted in the fundamental things like good food, hard... Continue Reading →
Let's talk pigs for a little bit. We've put in a few permanent pig pens at the back of the property. They're close to the pasture so that when we are ready to put our pigs on grass they'll be right there. That day will come. Eventually. Until then, we've got feeder pigs in a... Continue Reading →
The answer is no. And yes. Confused yet? Let me explain. There are a lot of myths about raising chickens, shared by well meaning people. I've heard many of them, including the one about needing to have a rooster in order for your hens to lay eggs. This, of course, isn't true. Technically, the only... Continue Reading →
If there ever was a year to inspire a change to your way of life, 2020 probably wins the prize. Food shortages. Civil unrest. Political division. Lockdowns. Pandemic. These things have created fear, uncertainty and concern over what the near future might look like and whether or not we'll ever return to some sense of... Continue Reading →
It might be said that there are a few things that you will find common among most homesteaders. One of those things would certainly be chickens. The other thing would probably be apple cider vinegar. I'll admit that I didn't really start to understand the many benefits of ACV until just over the past couple... Continue Reading →
As summer winds down, my thoughts are constantly speeding ahead to fall. It's no secret that September and October are my favorite months. Cooler mornings, warm afternoons and a changing of the guard when it comes to evening meals. Soups. Stews. And roasts oh my! However, as the pumpkins begin to ripen in the field,... Continue Reading →