I’ve always been a mushroom-lover… blame it on my upbringing. I grew up in the woods, with two generations of wild mushroom foragers before me. I’ve eaten a lot of really amazing fresh mushrooms in my life- and while I love foraging for them, it’s even better to be able to grow Shiitake mushrooms in […]
Organic Potato Bug Control: How to Get Rid of Potato Beetles Naturally
Potato beetles showed up in my garden this year, and I was ready- here’s what I did to get rid of them organically and naturally without harmful pesticides… and it actually worked! Did you know that potatoes are on the Environmental Working Group’s “Dirty Dozen?” This is the top twelve produce items with the most […]
How to Use and Preserve Green Garlic
You might take one look at our garden and wonder if we’re preparing to be invaded by werewolves, vampires, and other evil spirits. Currently, a good 1/6 of our garden space is planted in garlic! My next post should really be on how to combat garlic-breath! Have you seen “garlic soap” before? If you’ve tried it, I’d […]
Spring has Sprung on the Homestead!
Spring is the best, isn’t it? At least in the cold north it is! The world goes from brown, cold, and dead to full of life, freshness, and movement! It almost seems like magic is happening before my eyes, and I cherish every second of it. Our first spring on the homestead was unique because we […]
Guest Post: Everything You Need to Know About Orchard Mason Bees
When Liz Greene contacted me about writing a guest post, I was 1. So excited- my first guest post! And 2. So thankful- because it turns out I knew absolutely NOTHING about Mason Bees, and after learning about them, I can’t believe I haven’t been welcoming them to the homestead with open arms! Adding to […]
Aronia & Strawberry Gelatin Squares + How to Grow an Aronia Bush
I get excited about a lot of things in life- like my first batch of homemade lard soap turning out awesome, finding a new product to keep deer away from our apple trees, or discovering Aronia berries… and even better, discovering that I can grow them myself. I love when I can grow things myself! These berries are […]
How to Get Started Collecting & Growing Rare Seeds
If you’ve only ever grown varieties like Big Boy tomatoes and Butternut squash… you’re in for a surprise, and a treat! As folks who take pleasure from sticking their hands in the dirt, who can’t wait to eat the first fresh green bean from the garden every summer, and who appreciate things like old mason […]
Seed Catalogs! Get Your Seed Catalogs! A List of Places to Request Free Seed Catalogs
These seed companies, they’ve got us gardeners figured out. They prey on all the poor, snow-bound people during the dark, depths of winter. I swear they each have a team of meteorologists in the catalog department, just waiting for the coldest days and worst winter weather to hit. That’s when they pull the trigger. Catalogs […]
What Do I Do with All These Cherry Tomatoes?!
I do it every year. I have all these varieties of cherry tomatoes that I love, just love and have to plant. “Well, I only really need one of each plant, but I’d better make it two so that I can give some away to friends and family. If I want two plants, I’d better […]
How to Build a Rustic Garden Gate
When we moved to our homestead a couple years ago, one of the first things we noticed was that over the years the resident squirrels had most graciously planted a black walnut grove in the yard. The entire yard. The trees would have to come down because they were taking up our outdoor living space. We […]