Happy New Year! We are looking forward to 2024 being our best year ever on the homestead. We now have places for guests to stay with us and people who are looking forward to visiting. That's really exciting! Now, for a look back at 2023 and the end of 2022. Just before Christmas 2022 we … Continue reading Happy New Year! plus a look back at 2023
Category: Livestock
Our livestock will make major contributions to our homestead. We will have ducks and chickens for eggs, meat and feathers. Bees will pollinate our vegetables and fruit trees. Goats will clear our property and provide milk, meat and leather. Manure will be used to fertilize the soil and grow better plants for food. Additionally, we will use it to make methane for cooking. We couldn’t do these things without livestock.
Book Review – Permaculture in a Nutshell
Book Review by Alex Todd - NetZero Homestead Permaculture in a Nutshell by Patrick Whitefield (copyright 1993) If I had to express my feelings about this book in as few words as possible, I’d have to say: Fantastically eye opening. From the get go you’ll see that the author has his own viewpoint on things. … Continue reading Book Review – Permaculture in a Nutshell
2021 Update – our final animal addition – Chickens!
When we got our ducklings, we had the mistaken idea that as soon as they were fully grown, we would start getting eggs. Not true! Even after they were fully grown, we had to wait another two months before they started laying. Our second poultry addition came to us by chance. We were visiting with … Continue reading 2021 Update – our final animal addition – Chickens!
2021 Update – Part 3 – Lots of Ducks!
Next, fowl adventures or possibly, the tale of our first of two poultry additions to our homestead. That’s right, we were after some laying and meat birds at this point so again I did some research. After a lot of reading about different kinds of ducks, I decided on the Silver Appleyard as our breed … Continue reading 2021 Update – Part 3 – Lots of Ducks!
2021 Update – Part 2 – Goats!
Next, we added goats. The breeder who sold us the pigs said he’d have Kiko does for sale in January, but these are meat goats. We really wanted dairy breeds. I had met a local farmer some years earlier who had dairy goats, so I reached out to her again to see if she had … Continue reading 2021 Update – Part 2 – Goats!
2021 Update on our Homestead – Part 1: Pigs!
Over 2021, which was our first full year on our property, our activities grew more than we could have ever expected! We went from just "living in the country" to "having a farm." Now when I think of a farm, the picture definitely includes animals. As part of our efforts to grow our own food … Continue reading 2021 Update on our Homestead – Part 1: Pigs!
Adding Goats to a Homestead
Before anyone thinks about adding goats to a homestead or property in the city or suburbs, check if local laws will allow them. Many areas are changing regulations, but getting livestock is a major investment and violating government rules is never a good way to start. Property Zoning A big consideration we had before we … Continue reading Adding Goats to a Homestead
Raising GOATS Naturally – Book Review
Raising Goats Naturally does a great job of covering all the bases for goat owners and people interested in becoming one.
Mother Earth Fair Experiences
Shortly after we decided to create our own homestead, we also subscribed to the Mother Earth News magazine. They publish six times a year and we often read the entire magazine to see what other people are doing. Another activity that the magazine sponsors is the Mother Earth Fair all over the U.S., where you … Continue reading Mother Earth Fair Experiences
Book Review: Joel Salatin – Folks, This Ain’t Normal
After attending one of his seminars at a Mother Earth New Fair, I purchased a book by Joel Salatin, Folks, This Ain't Normal. Joel is a great speaker and an exceptional author on the small-scale food production situation. More on the Author Joel Salatin and his family have a farm on a hundred acres in … Continue reading Book Review: Joel Salatin – Folks, This Ain’t Normal