I've never met a potato I didn't like. I'd eat them for every meal if I could, and I usually have to force myself to think of alternative side dishes, because in my world, potatoes go with everything. (This may have to do with the fact I grew up in Idaho? I can't help myself.) Therefore, it's only logical they'd be one of my most-favorite things to grow in the garden. I get all-sorts of giddy when I'm pulling pounds and pounds of ...Continue Reading
Raising Meat Chickens: Our First Year
Messy. And delicious. That's how I'd sum up raising meat chickens. I guess technically it's not our first year raising meat birds, as we did have a small test-run last year. But this is the first time we've had a larger bunch, so I'm calling it our first "official" year. I don't really feel qualified to write a definitive, all-encompassing "how to raise meat chickens" post since we're still new at this, but I did want ...Continue Reading
Building Our Raised Beds
Oh gardening... We've definitely had our ups and downs, haven't we? From basically planting a lawn in my garden plot by using poorly composted horse manure five years ago, to poisoning my garden last year with tainted hay mulch, I've had some absolutely spectacular garden fails. Animal husbandry definitely seems to be more of my thing, but I've never been know to quit after falling flat on my face, so onward I march. Now that ...Continue Reading
How I (Don’t) Do it All
"I have SO MUCH extra time right now... What will I ever do with it all?" How many of you have ever said that? Hmmm... no one? No one at all? I'm pretty sure that's a thought that's never crossed my mind. Time management is a HOT topic, isn't it? Especially with us homesteader-folk who attempt to balance an old-fashioned lifestyle with all the demands of a modern one. One of my favorite books is Essentialism by ...Continue Reading
What Homesteading Really Costs…
Homesteading can be deceiving. When you first get into it, it can seem so quaint, innocent, and simple. After all, what can be more romantic and simplistic than building a compost pile, canning your own food, and frolicking with your goat herd out in the pasture? When we bought our property in 2008, no sooner did we sink the first fence post in the pasture did we realize: homesteading is expensive, y'all. We ...Continue Reading