Pre-Freshening Goat Clip It's a good idea to give goats that will be freshening a "baby clip" before they give birth. It's not an all-over clipping, it's just a clipping to remove hair in areas that are likely to get messy during the birthing process, or that you and the goat kids will need clear access to.Instead of a pre-freshening goat clip, if you live in an area where it's warm enough, you could clip them all-over; however, we're still likely to get some cold weather, so we don't ... continue reading...
3 Reasons For Homestead Honey Bees
The 3 reasons for homestead honey bees that we feel are most important are described below. This is the time of year when we review what we've been growing, harvesting, and selling from Bramblestone Farm, and try to make plans for the coming year. As we were reviewing sales from the past year, it's clear that the honey bees continue to be a good addition. Here's why you might want to consider them too: Honey Bees Are Profitable You do have to invest in the hives, bees, and ... continue reading...
Why Heirloom Vegetables are Better for the Backyard Garden
These days, we’re all trying to cut costs without sacrificing quality and growing heirloom vegetables is a smart strategy for doing just that. Heirloom vegetables are the old-fashioned, open-pollinated varieties that breed true from year-to-year. This leads to some definite benefits for the backyard gardener: Heirloom Seeds Cost Less There are two ways that heirloom seeds save money; they cost less than their hybrid counterparts and you can save the seeds from year-to-year, thereby ... continue reading...
Eggcellent (Keto-friendly) Overnight Breakfast Bake
I particularly like this eggcellent (keto-friendly) overnight breakfast bake recipe because it doesn't contain bread like most egg-based breakfast casseroles. And that's also what makes it so keto-friendly. It can be prepared the night before, kept in the refrigerator, and then baked in the morning for breakfast – my favorite way of fixing eggs for a crowd of overnight guests. I also like this recipe because the ingredients are so keto-friendly, it can be ... continue reading...
Use Soil Blocks to Grow Super Healthy Seedlings
You can use soil blocks to grow super, healthy seedlings! We started using soil blocks to start garden seedlings several years ago and really think they help us grow strong, stocky transplants that get off to a super start in the garden. Soil blocks were first developed in Holland as a more efficient method for starting seedlings or transplants, and extensive research in European countries has shown transplants grown in them are superior to transplants grown in containers.Soil ... continue reading...
Easy & Delicious Key Lime Pie
Thanks to my sister-in-law, Laura, for teaching me this super easy and delicious key lime pie recipe. I'd always thought that making this kind of pie was going to be a major effort, but it's actually so quick and good it's ridiculous not to consider it for your next summertime party. It makes me think of the South and would probably go well with another super easy recipe like roasted shrimp. This recipe uses Nellie and Joe's famous key lime juice and the recipe is ... continue reading...
Basic Goat Pregnancy Care
Goat pregnancy care is on our minds these days because it’s obvious that several of our Dwarf Nigerian does are pregnant (see the Kidding Schedule for delivery dates this year). But, we carefully considered their maturity and needs during pregnancy before taking this step.Basically, there are three stages of goat pregnancy care to consider: 1) breeding, 2) early gestation, and 3) late gestation. At each of these stages, there is a preferred Body Condition Score ([BCS] see ... continue reading...
Making 2019’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 2019 seed starting and 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 ... continue reading...
