This weeks chores got waylaid somewhat by a trip out of town. We took the opportunity to bulk up on some shopping though. We also did some additional work in the garden and took a birds eye view at our homestead. Come take a look at our latest garden planting. Bulk Shopping Trip Since we…
How to make Delicious White Sandwich Bread
Here on the homestead we love to make as much food as we can from scratch. Sadly, the children do not always enjoy eating our whole wheat sourdough bread. So we have had to revive an old family recipe for delicious white sandwich bread! Why Make This White Sandwich Bread Making food that the whole…
A more Sustainable Homestead; Introducing our new Boar Pig
We love pigs. Why do you ask? Bacon, need I say more… Well, actually that is vastly under selling pigs. On our homestead they help compost kitchen waste, clear land for future projects, seal ponds, and yes they are very yummy. So, in order to keep our little herd of swine going, we invested in…
More Spring Preparations and Making progress on the Bee Traps
Spring is here and sadly we are not quite ready for it. The garden still needs work, raised beds are still under construction, bare root plants still have bare roots. However, we persevere and continue to do what we can to keep up. This weeks spring preparations include pig relocation, garden preparations, and swarm traps!…
How to Implement Beautiful Mini-Swales and Save Vulnerable Soil
A common question in landscaping is how to handle water runoff. Here in the midwest heavy rain is very common and can cause lots of soil erosion on unprotected slopes. In large, open fields, swales are a common permaculture solution to this problem. On our land, where we have small gaps in an otherwise closed…
Spring Cleaning Surge and Planting a Beautiful Food Plot
Spring is officially here! Spring brings a certain energy with it. Everything starts growing and looking fresh and new! So, naturally, we end up cleaning too! On the homestead spring brings exciting developments as well. This week we started planting a beautiful food plot right outside our front door! Cleaning up the Lime Explosion A…
Important Homesteading No No: Frightening Adventures with Hydrated Lime
Hydrated Lime can be very useful around the homestead. Food preparation and preservation has involved lime for centuries. However, as with all things, too much of it can be a bad thing. It can be quite the health hazard when used for other purposes. What is Hydrated Lime? Hydrated Lime, aka Calcium Hydroxide, is an…
Digging Swales to make a Beautiful Vibrant Yard
Last week we tried to dig swales using a friends tractor. That did not work out in the end… This week we rented some equipment from a local store and went to work digging swales. It took most of the weekend but we got it done in the end! The Plan For the Yard When…
Tried to Dig Simple Swales; Ended up Cleaning Shop
We have been working all winter toward a goal, converting the area in front of our house into a food producing monstrosity! To do that, we thinned out the trees creating a glade or meadow, we have mulched up all the branches. Finally area was ready to go! Sadly, our friends tractor, that would dig…
Yard Cleanup Almost Complete and More Bees!
Spring is approaching rapidly, and with it a whole host of projects! We engaged in some yard cleanup to get ready. There are so many projects do around our homestead this spring. Most of them involve sections of yard that were trashed this winter by me cutting firewood, the power company trimming trees, and loggers.…