Ever wondered about raising some of your own meat? We find the chickens we raise taste so much better than the watery chicken we have bought at the grocery store. Once we started raising a few birds every year, we were convinced raising our own chicks for meat was the way to go. Filling the freezer is pretty easy and it only takes 8 weeks from start to finish. Now, almost … [Read more...]
Prepper’s Dehydrator Handbook – Book Review
I've just finished reading the Prepper's Dehydrator Handbook, written by Shelle Wells. I was hoping to pick up some tips AND find some great recipes and mixes. And I DID. If you need a book geared towards dehydrating for beginners, this book works! And if you have experience drying foods but want some great recipes, this book works for that too. Dehydrating for … [Read more...]
Prepper’s Total Grid Failure Handbook – Book Review
Wondering what it's like to live totally off grid? What if there was ever a total grid failure? I just finished reading the Prepper's Total Grid Failure Handbook . It offers information on several different energy options, rather than being tied to the grid. If you are interested in possibly living off-grid, you may want to pick up this book. Ironic that as I … [Read more...]
How to Sell Your Produce at the Farmers Markets
If you love gardening and want to make some money on your homestead, think about selling produce and products at your local Farmers Market. It can be a great way to supplement your income - in fact, some people attend several weekly markets and make enough from markets to pay their monthly bills. I enjoyed doing it so much, I wrote a book about it. Here's how to sell your produce at the … [Read more...]
The Best Homesteading Resource Book I Have Read
One of the things I love most about this time of year is the extra time I have. No more gardening. Not many daily chores to do. What a wonderful time of year to rest, relax, sleep in and read. I read a lot during the winter and there's nothing I like more than cozying up in front of the woodstove with a good book and a cup of tea. When we first moved here, I bought quite a few books to learn … [Read more...]
A Great Book about Butchering around the Homestead
If you're going to be slaughtering and butchering livestock this fall, you need to know the basics. Here is a great book that we used when we first moved out to the Valley to raise some animals. Basic Butchering of Livestock and Game has proven to be a great reference tool for us every year. We bought it when we first moved here and still use it for information. Some pages are kinda dog-eared, … [Read more...]
The First Snow
It's here. Not a lot of snow has fallen yet, but there is definitely a dusting all over the yard. 15 Centimeters are expected by the end of today so Graham is busy getting the tarp over the Greenhouse. I spent a couple of hours late yesterday afternoon, getting the main gardens finished and running around picking up garden tools and cleaning up around the barn area. … [Read more...]
How to Make a Hanging Chicken Feeder – eBook
When we were getting ready to bring home our first laying hens, we were looking at chicken feeders and waterers at our local feed store. The feeder they had there had a price tag of $50, which seemed awfully high to us. Graham took a good look at them and thought he could easily build one for our hens. So we went home and started looking around for materials we could use. … [Read more...]
15 Things to Know About Living in the Country
Thinking of making a move to your dream piece of property? Here are 15 things to know about living in the country! Want a half acre just outside of town where you can have more space to raise your kids and grow some of your own food? Or like us, maybe you have an itch to get way out into the country where you can do your own thing and not have to concern yourself with bylaws and … [Read more...]