Archives for Homesteading - Page 2
Raising Chickens 101
RASING CHICKENS 101 So you want to raise chickens. Here are a few tips to get you started. Then go over to my post about the 5 Things I learned AFTER Getting Chickens. You're welcome, in advance, for saving you a ton of trouble. #1 Is it Legal If you are in the country, like we are, then you are probably fine. If you are in the suburbs, and you want to raise…
5 Things I didn’t Know Until I got Dairy Goats
We learned a lot from having dairy goats. We learned they weren't for us after about 18 months. They are Stubborn Goats are incredibly stubborn. This last fall, Jazz, our Nubian, had in her head she wasn't going to go back to her pen after being milked. She dug in her hooves and ! I listed them both on Craigslist soon after that. Well. Apparently we are supposed to have goats because they didn't sell…
City Girl to Country Girl
A week doesn't go by that I don't say to myself "Twelve years ago I never would " Usually it is something along the lines of "Twelve years ago I never would have thought to get chickens" or "I would never go on a quad ride up a mountainside." This could be titled never say never, I suppose. "Twelve years ago I wouldn't NOT help with a goat in labor." Today was "Do I write…
5 Ways to Re-use Eggshells
Five ways to re-use eggshells If you have chickens then you likely have an abundance of egg shells. Today I am sharing 5 ways to reuse eggshells. In Your Coffee Eggs shells reduce the bitterness. Add shells to the grounds in your coffee pot pre-brew. In Your Compost To add calcium to your dirt. Eggshells include lots of nutrients that are great for plants. Just crush or grind them up in your coffee grinder…
Art of Gardening {e-book review}
I have tried, unsuccessfully, to have a veggie garden. I have tried in the ground and also Square Foot Gardening. I tried getting new seeds. Then organic, non GMO seeds. I decided it was my dirt. Then along comes The Art of Gardening:Building your Soil. First piece of advice? Compost. Between our chickens and goats you would think I had amazing probably would if I took care of it. In this book I learned about…
When Homesteading isn’t Glamorous
This homesteading thing. The glory of being self sufficient. It is not for the faint of heart. My friend put it like this: "Everyone loves spring and the new life it brings to the farm. Things are turning green, babies are being born, chicks chirping and everyone is feeling good that we made it through another winter. What we don't talk about much though is when things go wrong. Behind all the fun stories of…
Building a Greenhouse
The Principal and the kids built me a Greenhouse. This is homeschooling at it's finest. Math. PE Quality time. (Ok this isn't a class, but still good for the soul) They remembered what the plumb line was from seeing it at Mount Rushmore. This was great in helping to keep everything square. Even Samantha the Wonder Dog helped. Here is the inside after it was finished. I can't wait to get planting this year! The…
5 Things I Learned AFTER Getting Chickens
My list of things I didn't know until I got chickens. Compost Material They poop. A lot. Which really probably isn't an issue, except in winter, when they do it at your front door. Because we have a sidewalk to the garage that is where they like to hang out most of the winter. I suppose we could quit shoveling the snow, but then we'd have to deal with snow. (This is where I was…
How We Moved from a Seattle Suburb to Small Town Idaho
We sit in a comfortable silence as we drive east. I've lost track of how many times we have driven this route. Over to Seattle and back again. Our first journey east was 11 years ago this last December. My father in law had surgery and wasn't recovering. We drove over to Spokane 4 or 5 times that month. My father in law passed away a few days after Christmas. One of the trips over…
10 Preppers & Homesteaders to Follow on Pinterest
In no particular order: Visit MomwithaPrep's profile on Pinterest. Visit Kathy, The Chicken Chick®'s profile on Pinterest. Visit Food Storage Moms's profile on Pinterest. Visit EQUIP2SURVIVE's profile on Pinterest. Visit Preparedness Mama's profile on Pinterest. Visit Survival Life's profile on Pinterest. Visit PREPARED HOUSEWIVES's profile on Pinterest. Visit Backdoor Survival's profile on Pinterest. Visit PREP - Personal Readiness Education Programs, LLC's profile on Pinterest. Visit PreppersPost's profile on Pinterest. A Bonus: Me, of course: Visit…