Chicken meat is a healthy and classic family (and farm) staple! But rooster meat has a reputation for being inedible, chewy, bland, and not worth eating. Is that true? Can you eat a rooster? Or not? The confusion between chicken…
Winter can be a tricky time for gardening – especially when the frosty weather takes you unawares! Many plants will not survive exposure to cold weather, so what is the best way to keep our treasured plants warm and safe?…
Chokecherry vs chokeberry! What’s the difference? By some cruel (and confusing) twist of fate, we have two similar plants – with nearly identical names! One of these bears edible fruits, while the other can cause toxicity or even death in…
If you have a sloped garden, retaining walls can help level your ground and prevent soil erosion, but they often look bland. Turn them into stunning garden features with cascading plants! These plants are also perfect for hanging baskets on…
If you are landscaping your garden, you may be considering using wood chips as a base layer. Before you do this, let’s find out the pros and cons of this garden landscaping material, and discover the best ways to use…
Even if you don’t have green fingers, most people find that a herb garden is one of the easiest things to grow. There is nothing quite like cooking with fresh herbs straight from the garden! And if you are short…
It’s safe to say that chicken lovers can get a bit obsessive about their hens! There isn’t a day that goes by where I don’t spend a few moments watching our hens scratch about, going all misty-eyed at their adorable…
There’s nothing more appreciative than a chicken at dinner time! One of our favorite games is calling the hens over for treats – the way they sprint to us across the meadow like wild beasts of the Serengeti is adorable!…
If you’re new to growing cucumbers, it can be a big worry when they don’t turn out as expected! You may be wondering: Why are my cucumbers white and are they still OK to eat? As with all homegrown vegetables,…
If you live in a tiny house, you’ll likely have to forgo a lot of modern-day conveniences. But what if you’re not quite ready to live without a dishwasher? How does a dishwasher work inside of a tiny house? Can…
Diving into the world of poultry is often the first step into keeping livestock for many homesteaders, with chickens coming top of the list every time. But what about other types of birds? Many of us have considered keeping ducks or turkeys, but farming…
Does the lack of a proper bathroom put you off the idea of off-grid life? Many aspects of off-grid living sound romantic and glamorous – sitting out on the deck/lakeshore/hilltop watching the sunset, waking to the sound of birdsong, and…
When people visit our off-grid homestead, one of the questions we often get asked (after they’ve finished admiring the chickens!) is what we do about a toilet! Having the right off-grid toilet system is essential to the harmonious functioning of…
Best careers for living off the grid! If you are anything like me, the word “career” will make you shudder! The main allure of creating an off-grid life was ditching the “9 til 5” office job, but that does not…