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 →
Are You Considering Homesteading After 2020?
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 →
How to Can Pumpkin
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 →
Celebrate Your First Fruits
Gardening is hard stuff. It's not just the weeding. Or the ground prep. Or the manual labor. It's also getting your seed placement and timing right. It's understanding how soil temps will affect germination, and knowing just how long to harden off those beautiful transplants you've been worrying over for the past week. It's all... Continue Reading →
How to Make Fermented Spicy Mustard
If you've ever bitten into a freshly grilled brat and thought...man there's something missing. Or assembled a masterpiece of a deli sandwich and were left wanting still a little more taste. Yup. I know exactly how you feel. Enter the perfect mustard. Robust flavor. Tongue tingling spice. Beneficial bacteria that help repair the gut and... Continue Reading →
The Best Tomato Varieties for Fermenting & Saucing
I think the best part of gardening is knowing that at the end the season we will (usually) end up with an abundance of food that can be preserved and put on the shelves or in the freezer for later use. The work is rewarding in and of itself. The mystery of placing seed in... Continue Reading →
How to Make Smoked Tomato Sauce
Our kitchen is seriously a maze of black crates. Each black crate is full almost to the top with peppers and tomatoes. It always amazes me how much we are usually able to pull out of our garden this time of year. It's like the tomatoes, peppers, potatoes and carrots have rallied for one last,... Continue Reading →