Having your own supply of water is one of the important steps of self sufficiency. Water to drink. Water for animals. Water for plants. Water for washing etc etc. Some people live in areas with abundant water – a running stream, a pristine lake or a great well. For others, they are collecting […]
Getting children involved in your homesteading activities can be a wonderful learning activity for them as well as you. However there are so many distractions that take children away from wanting to be involved in growing, raising and nurturing the land. Computers, TV, games, smart phones, music…all of which I love and enjoy as well…should […]
The Web Soil Survey is a fantastic tool to get information on the types of soil you have on your farm…and is especially helpful if you are looking to purchase a property to see what you might expect to find in the ‘soil department’. The Web Soil Survey is a tool developed by the National Cooperative Soil Survey. It is […]
A chart that shows the relationships between the standard volume measurements used in cooking and canning. Gallons (US), pints, quarts, cups, tea spoons, table spoons, fluid ounces etc. Metric conversions are also included. It fits on a standard US Letter sheet of paper. ← Circular Homestead Calendar Blank (Southern Hemisphere) Budgeting for Homesteaders →
We have been using permaculture zones to plan our farm. Even if you are not a permaculture fanatic, the concept of planning your homestead or farm using a series of zones is a very solid idea. In the permaculture world, each zone has a ‘use’ based on how often you visit that part of […]
Making your own rock garden bed labels is a fun activity for wet and cold days when you are stuck indoors. If you make them to last the elements they will keep working for you for years. How to make rock garden bed labels For many of us our farms tend to grow rocks better than anything […]
A Circular Homestead Calendar is an amazing tool to plan out your homestead activities. I use it for two main purposes – to work out my planting dates and to record rainfall. But you could use it for building projects, planning holidays and so much more. The calendar just has all the months shown in a […]
When we started our farm in Colorado we needed help! What I wish I had was someone to just tell me how to start a homestead! This article will share the four tips for starting a homestead. I wanted to learn as much as I could and try to not make a pile of ‘newbie’ mistakes […]
A pick your own fruit business is a great way to bring direct income to your farm or homestead. Within 30 minute drive of our place we have seen strawberry fields, blueberry fields and apples orchards all using this as a way to sell their produce. If you are looking at a way to develop a […]
This year we grew Lady Finger potatoes on our homestead. Not because we sought that variety out…but because our local farm store had an amazing sale of seed potatoes at the end of spring, and lady finger variety was all that was left. So , like the almost-a-farmer I am, I thought ‘why not”! Up […]