You dig, you till, you fertilize, you plant, you water... And then you wait. And wait. And you scratch your head when nothing pops out of the ground... Was it lack of water? A hungry animal? Poor soil? Bad seeds? Whatever the cause, it's always frustrating when you have to replant. Last year my bean rows had a germination rate of around 20%. It was dismal, especially considering all the big plans I had for those heirloom ...Continue Reading
Archives for March 2015
How to Separate Cream from Milk
Some of you probably read the title of this post... ...and furrowed your eyebrows, wondering "Why on earth does is she even writing about that? It's so simple!" But it's funny how quickly something can become a lost art...." Take rendering lard and clabbering milk, for example. Not so long ago, lard and clabber were staples of every kitchen. And now, I'm betting if you were to take a random poll of people walking down the ...Continue Reading
Planning an Orchard for Your Homestead
I must confess... Just saying the word "orchard" makes me green with envy... fruit trees do NOT thrive here in Wyoming. My dreams of a homestead orchard probably aren't going to happen as long as we live here. So, I've invited Angi Schneider, author of The Gardening Notebook, to share her best tips for planning an orchard on the homestead. Fruit trees and bushes are important on the homestead, with minimal effort they can ...Continue Reading