Oven rendering honey beeswax is a technique that you can use in the wintertime when beekeeping, gardening, and other outside activities have slowed down to turn your leftover beeswax cappings into useful beeswax for projects. See 3 Reasons for Homestead Honey Bees for why you might want to consider keeping honey bees on your homestead.Smart beekeepers save the beeswax that accumulates as the cappings are cut off the comb to extract honey - it can be rendered into purified ... continue reading...
Easy Sew Green Gift Bags or Reusable Cloth Gift Bags
These reusable cloth gift bags (or easy sew green gift bags) are a great idea my friend Doris uses for wrapping gifts at Christmas time. The bags are not difficult to make, don’t take much fabric, and are reusable year after year. I thought the idea was terrific, and have been using it for gift giving any time of year. If all the friends and relatives were to use them, soon we wouldn’t be buying and throwing out wrapping paper and bags each year – we’d just be ... continue reading...
World’s Easiest Microwave Fudge (Goat or Cow Milk)
World's easiest fudge recipe is just that and is another easy Do It Yourself (DIY) gift idea. Although I use goat milk (learn what goat milk tastes like here: What Does Goat Milk Taste Like Anyway), whole cow milk can be used instead.I swear this is the easiest fudge recipe I’ve ever made (it’s cooked in the microwave), and it turns out perfect every time. I found the recipe because I was looking for goat milk recipes, and found it on a goat keeping forum.We particularly like making ... continue reading...
5 Reasons You Should Choose Nigerian Dwarf Goats for Milk
Worldwide, goat milk is the most highly consumed form of milk and, amidst the varying dairy goat types; Nigerian Dwarf goat milk is increasingly popular. But why is goat milk and Nigerian Dwarf goat milk in particular so popular? Goat Milk Is Better For You Goat milk is easier for humans to digest than cow’s milk. It’s naturally homogenized, with smaller fat particles evenly suspended throughout the milk.It contains vitamins, minerals, trace elements, electrolytes, enzymes, and proteins ... continue reading...
Fresh Eggs – Washed or Unwashed?
Should Fresh Eggs Be Washed?Different cultures treat egg washing in different ways - many cultures (such as all the EU countries) prohibit washing fresh eggs that are to be sold whereas most places in the US require them to be washed. So the question arises - is it best to wash the eggs after collecting them or leave them unwashed?Despite what regulations in much of the US say, the answer is, it's generally better to leave the egg unwashed. The great thing with having your own ... 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...
Choosing Goat Herdsires
I'm reposting this guide to choosing goat herdsires because it’s that time of year when many goat owners are choosing which bucks to use for breeding, and I see many bucks for sale or for rent. But, it’s very important not to use just any buck; and to select bucks that will improve your herd and the breed in general.By choosing a buck that will improve your own herd, you can increase the milk production and dairy conformation qualities of the kids, thereby increasing their value. This way ... continue reading...
How To Store Vegetables For Winter (Long Term Winter Vegetable Storage)
It’s that time of year when the excess vegetables from the garden need to be stored before frost destroys them. The good news is, many of these vegetables can successfully be stored for months if they're given the right storage conditions.Even without a garden, buying quantities of these vegetables while they’re fresh and “in season” and storing them for later winter use can make sense.Both of these approaches provide fresh vegetables more economically than buying from the supermarket ... continue reading...
