Every time I write one of these monthly update posts, I think to myself: “a whole month has passed already?!” Every single time. I can’t even believe spring is here and half over already. It’s been a busy one! An Apple a Day We’re turning into pretty serious (crazy?) apple growers- we have 26 different […]
A New Way to Preserve Fresh Basil (freezing method, and NOT in an ice cube tray!)
Basil: the quintessential smell of summer around here! If only there was a way to preserve it… Oh, but there is! And I’m not talking about basil-scented soap and basil hand lotion. I can’t quite decide if these products are a good way to get a basil fix, or completely weird?! While I agree that there […]
Gardening with Chickens by Lisa Steele: Book Review
Gardening with Chickens by Lisa Steele should be your go-to reference for making your chickens work in your garden, and making your garden work for your chickens! When we got our first flock of egg-layers several years ago, I knew three things: I wanted to raise them as naturally as possible, I wanted them to […]
Homestead Monthly: December + January {natural beauty, fame, and fresh eggs}
Overall we had a lovely start to the winter season with unseasonably warm temperatures, which means the chickens got to free range for a while longer, and we were harvesting kale, chard, parsley and celery from the garden for a record amount of time! The holidays were filled with family and good food, and we […]
Milkweed Pod Santa Ornaments {Handmade Gift}
My parents planted a Christmas tree farm when I was just a young girl, so I grew up learning to make holiday decorations to sell for extra spending money at the tree farm. As a 16-year-old, I was a Christmas craft extraordinaire! And also a really big geek, but that’s a story for a different day. Evergreen Kissing Balls, […]
Homestead Monthly: November {barn demolition, butchering, and winter preparations}
Bye Bye Barn So, one really big thing happened this month that has taken a lot of our time, energy, and brain space. We essentially “sold” our old 100+ year old big beautiful barn to a reclaimed wood furniture company. The back of this barn started to cave in during the last month, so we […]
Homestead Monthly: October 2016 {shiitakes, rare apples, and an unfortunate honey harvest}
Welcome to the homestead monthly, a collection of all the major events that happen on our homestead every month! Unfortunate Surprise Honey Harvest You may remember that I reported (just last month!) our meager honey harvest, and that all three of our colonies were full of plenty of honey and looking great going into winter. Well boy was I […]
Homestead Monthly: September 2016 {purple veggies, mushroom hunting, and canning}
Hi friends! This is where we take a look back at all that we’ve accomplished during the month, and reflect on the real-life ups and downs that come with “living close to the land.” We’re on the downhill slide towards winter and are busy wrapping up summer projects on the homestead. Here’s what happened in September: […]
Homestead Monthly: August 2016 {heirloom veggies, abandoned chicks, and monarchs}
Tomato Dreamin’ You know what’s silly? Planting 60 tomato plants for 2 people. You may remember that last year we were completely blind-sided and devastated by tomato blight. Forty tomato plants and one pint of tomatoes harvested… it was a terrible sight. This year we were determined to beat the blight, so we tilled up […]
Homestead Monthly: July 2016 {weasel trouble, chicks, and the great harvest begins}
You Dirty Weasel We started out the month with sadness and heartbreak, unfortunately. If you’ve farmed for long enough, or experienced the loss of an animal to predators, then you know the feeling. The “something isn’t right here” feeling. For us, it was when Karl went out in the morning to let the chickens and […]