Saving seeds from green beans is a perfect introduction to seed saving. Did you know that pinto beans, kidney beans, black-eyed peas, and other dried beans are simply seeds? If you grew beans last year and dried some for eating … Read More
Episode 21Sustainability Book Chat As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you want to grow a garden that is in sync with nature, then you need to check out Chris McLaughlin’s ninth and newest book, The Good … Read More
Seeds from last year should definitely still be viable. I regularly use seeds that are at least 2 to 3 years old. But what if you have seeds that are 4 or 5 years old or even older? There is … Read More
Episode 17Sustainability Book Chat As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. You might think that someone who write a book about bugs would have been a bona fide bug lover forever. But author Jessica Walliser admits up front … Read More
Episode 13Sustainability Book Chat As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. All gardens and farms were organic prior to World War II, and gardeners realized centuries ago that healthy soil was the key to healthy plants. Building healthy … Read More
Episode 10Sustainability Book Chat As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you thought that it was beyond the reach of mere mortals to grow spices like ginger, turmeric, vanilla, cinnamon, and cardamon, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by … Read More
Episode 7Sustainability Book Chat As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you are looking for ideas on getting started with organic vegetable gardening, we are talking about everything you need to know! Which vegetables are the best … Read More
Episode 5Sustainability Book Chat As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Bugs are an inevitable part of gardening, but we have lots of options for dealing with them. In this episode gardener Susan Mulvihill, author of The Vegetable … Read More
Episode 1Sustainability Book Chat As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you are intimidated by gardening because it seems like too much work or you don’t want to invest in a tiller, then you should check out … Read More
I first wrote this post in 2012 when more than half of the United States was in a drought, including our farm in Illinois. I recalled hearing about people in Texas who were selling off their herds at rock bottom … Read More
Thrifty Homesteader was created in 2012 after the publication of my second book, Ecothrifty. The name was coined by one of my followers because I said that I didn’t want anyone to think that they had to be rich to homestead or live a greener life....
