As the temperatures fall, I start to crave warm beverages and soups, stews, chilis ... you get the idea. So I thought it would be fun to pull together some of my favorite soup recipes. I quit buying canned soups many years ago because they have virtually no nutrition (check the nutrition facts on the label) and are filled with too much sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats. They are … [Read more...]
Castrating Goats and Sheep with a Burdizzo
The first year we had goat kids I took them to the vet to be castrated surgically because I read that it was the most humane method. It was the first and last time I ever did that. The vet gave each one a shot of something that made them limp, but they were still capable of screaming weakly as he sliced open each side of the scrotum, pulled out each testicle and tossed it on … [Read more...]
Finding your homesteading peeps (and a giveaway)
When's the last time you sat down next to total stranger at a restaurant or at a festival and both of you started talking about your garden and chickens? Never? I've never had that happen ... except at the Mother Earth News Fairs. It's as if I've been transported into a world where everyone is a homesteader or at least thinking about the possibilities. In my day-to-day … [Read more...]
Relationship Marketing for Homestead Businesses
When people first start a homestead business, they often ask if they should take out ads in a local newspaper or on a radio station. They think of traditional marketing, which is how things were done a decade ago. Lucky for us, today's marketing is far less expensive and can be more effective in the long run. Most homesteaders and farmers excel at relationship marketing, which … [Read more...]
3 Surprising Facts About Soap
Because I make my own soap and teach soapmaking classes, I clear up a lot of misconceptions about soap. Through the years, there are three ideas that keep coming back again and again. Can you teach me to make soap without lye? In a word -- no! No one can. You cannot make soap without lye. Soap is by definition saponified oils, and the way to saponify oils is by using lye in … [Read more...]
Want to go pro as a sustainable farmer? Meet Joel Salatin
When people think about sustainable or organic agriculture, many simply think that we are trying to replicate what our grandparents or great grandparents did. In fact, I remember visiting an organic farm years ago whose motto was "Grandpa knew best," and at the time I heartily agreed. I also hear conventional farmers say things like, "Why would we want to go backwards when we … [Read more...]
How many acres does a homesteader need — or not?
“I’d love to do what you do, except I live in town.” “I wish we could grow our own food, but we only have half an acre.” These are a couple of comments that I hear frequently. But they are not really valid reasons to avoid homesteading or growing your own food. Virtually everyone can grow at least some of their own food, even if they live in a condo or have a small … [Read more...]
Natural Spa Recipes for Herb Lovers
Even though homesteaders tend to be really good at working hard, most of us need to get better at relaxing and pampering ourselves sometimes. That's exactly what The Herb Lover's Spa Book provides -- information and recipes for naturally pampering ourselves. Author Sue Goetz has put together a beautiful and informative book filled with stunning photographs and simple recipes. … [Read more...]
When Children Leave the Homestead
When The Great American Farm Tour stopped by our farm a couple of months ago, I mentioned in the video how we are forming partnerships with other individuals now that our children have grown up and left the homestead. In the comment section, a couple of people opined about why our children left. I find it interesting that many people think that children should stay … [Read more...]
Feeding alfalfa pellets to goats and pigs
We started using alfalfa pellets years ago when we had goats that could finish all their grain faster than we could milk them. If goats get too much grain, they'll get diarrhea and a host of other health problems. And some goats are grain hogs. They don't chew. Not kidding here. They just slurp up the grain like a five-year-old eating ice cream. Of course, goats are going to … [Read more...]
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