Wanting to dip your toe in the country living lifestyle but don’t know where to get started? I’ve joined a fantastic group of expert bloggers to bring you a GREAT giveaway, and everyone will win! This isn’t the sort of giveaway where you earn entries and then just one lucky person wins. Nope, EVERYONE wins at this giveaway. As a small farmer or homesteader, you know that finding the answers to all your questions can be tough. You don’t know what you don’t know. And finding all the ... continue reading...
Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread
Here's a whole-wheat Irish soda bread recipe that's quick, easy, and delicious. Soda bread is great for getting warm bread on the table quickly (no kneading and rising like traditional bread!). Do you know why soda bread is "Irish"? Yeast was not readily available in Ireland during times of famine, so the Irish combined baking soda with sour milk to leaven their everyday bread. Ireland was so well known for making soda bread that it became known as "Irish" soda bread. For more history on ... continue reading...
Creating Bluebird Habitat (& Free Bluebird House Plans)
I think that bluebirds are my favorite wild bird, so I try to do a post each year on creating habitats for them. They live on our farm throughout the year; however, during the warmer months we generally see them around the edges of the farm fields – seldom do they make their way up to the house. The trees surrounding the farm fields seem to give them an ideal habitat – old natural cavities for nesting and perches perfect for preying on insects in the field. We often see numerous bluebirds of ... continue reading...
Keeping Roosters – Should You?
The decision on keeping roosters is an individual one that chicken keepers need to decide based on their priorities and flock accommodations. Each situation is unique and will dictate whether it's a good idea to keep roosters or not. Reasons For NOT Keeping Roosters 1) They Aren't Allowed In Your Location Today, there are many cities and towns that allow chicken hens, but draw the line at roosters. Roosters crow very early in the morning, randomly (as far as we can tell) throughout the ... continue reading...
Choosing Your First Nigerian Dwarf Goats
Choosing Nigerian Dwarf (or any breed) goats can be intimidating, even if you’ve carefully researched them. That’s because it usually takes time to develop an eye for what makes a “good” goat. It’s smart to learn about goat anatomy (see this LINK), but even knowing that, it’s hard to recognize how all those parts should best be put together and what types of defects to avoid. However, there are ways to develop your ability to spot a good goat, identify quality sources for them, and bring ... continue reading...
Garden Planting Log (w/free downloadable template)
A garden planting log is a valuable tool for evaluating which plant varieties are producing quickly and efficiently versus those that aren't. It’s important to keep records to evaluate what varieties and techniques work the best. We want to focus on using varieties and processes that produce the best taste and yield, in the fastest - most efficient manner possible. So, here's my Excel garden planting log, where I record all the pertinent information on what gets planted, where it’s ... continue reading...
Making 2023’s Seed Starting & Planting Schedule (w/downloadable template)
It's time to start thinking about the garden and starting seedlings (or at least getting seeds ordered); so I’ve created our annual 2023's seed starting & planting schedule again (see below) to keep us on track. It helps me keep focused on buying seeds, starting transplants, getting supplies, and making sure the garden beds are prepared on time. I start with my schedule from the previous year, copy it to a new spreadsheet tab, consult my notes from last year’s garden, and then work up ... continue reading...
Goats – How Much Cold Can They Take?
How much cold goats can take is a question we get asked each winter fairly often. Perhaps because ours are the smaller, cute, and fuzzy Nigerian Dwarf goats, folks seem to question whether they can take the cold. We live in Northeastern Ohio, so temperatures of -15°F are pretty common. Adult Goats Handle Cold – If Not Wet or Windy If goats are housed so that they can get out of the wind and stay dry (and they're receiving adequate nutrition and health care), then they generally tolerate ... continue reading...
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