Raising chickens is a wonderful thing to do. Chickens make wonderful pets for the kids, they lay lovely fresh eggs every day (or most days, anyway), they’re gentle creatures, and they’re natural predators for the garden pests you don’t want. Raising chickens isn’t hard, nor is it expensive. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. You …
Raising Chickens 101 – Building the Best Chicken Coop Read More »
Tallow vs lard vs suet… All fats, but which fat comes from which animal, and what do we use it for? This is a complete overview of the differences between tallow and lard and why they’re useful. I’ve included a table of contents below so you can skip straight to a section of interest if …
Tallow vs Lard (and a Bit of Schmaltz and Suet) What Are They and How to Use Them Read More »
Thinking of raising chickens or ducks on your homestead? Whenever the need or want arises for fresh eggs and meat, chickens are always the front-runner. They’re common, easy to find, inexpensive, and they do their job extremely well. What if I told you that ducks also fill that niche extremely well, though? I’ve put together …
Chickens vs Ducks – Raising Chickens or Ducks on the Homestead? Read More »
Here’s one of the best giveaways for container vegetable growers! Garden Tower Project is giving away 12 of their Garden Tower 2 vertical container gardening systems. The Garden Tower 2 is valued at $359 (on special at the time of writing, RRP $489). A pretty awesome price to win! Let me introduce you to the …
Win a Garden Tower 2! Garden Tower Project’s Grow Your Own Spring Giveaway Read More »
This article is part of a series about attracting wildlife. I did an interview with Women’s Health Magazine on tips to attract wildlife to your backyard, rabbits, squirrels, frogs, and bees in particular. The article will be published in the magazine in the future, but I wanted to share my tips with you here. This …
How to Attract Bees to Your Backyard – Attracting Wildlife Read More »
Here’s an interview I did recently with Women’s Health Magazine about how to attract wildlife to your backyard, rabbits, squirrels, frogs, and bees in particular. Some of my quotes will be in the magazine itself, but I wanted to publish the full article for you to read here. This was the first question: How to …
How to Attract Squirrels to Your Backyard – Attracting Wildlife Read More »
This article is part of a series about attracting wildlife. I did an interview with Women’s Health Magazine on tips to attract wildlife to your backyard, rabbits, squirrels, frogs, and bees in particular. The article will be published in the magazine in the future, but I wanted to share my tips with you here. This …
How to Attract Frogs to Your Backyard – Attracting Wildlife Read More »
This article is part of a series about attracting wildlife. I did an interview with Women’s Health Magazine on tips to attract wildlife to your backyard, rabbits, squirrels, frogs, and bees in particular. The article will be published in the magazine in the future, but I wanted to share my tips with you here. This …
I have 10 gorgeous chickens, no roosters. I’ve been searching for the perfect name for the chicken coop for months so I’ve compiled this ultimate list of 105 names for chicken coops! Paint these on your chicken coop sign or straight on the coop. These names are mainly for rooster-less coops, I might compile another …
105 Chicken Coop Names for Hen-Only-Coops – Chicken Coop Sign Ideas! Read More »
Let’s dive into the pros and cons of raising ducks in your backyard! Are backyard ducks right for you? Raising Ducks in Your Backyard Those of us living on homesteads, whether they’re in the country or urban areas, have many things to consider when starting out. From fruits to vegetables to farm animals, there are …
Bootstrap Farmer is well-known across the US for its propagation supplies, seed trays, and hoop house/greenhouse kits. The greenhouse kits can be put up in one weekend and are well-priced, allowing you to build a professional-grade vegetable house or greenhouse yourself. Up to now, you would bend your own poles with a pole bender, using …
Bootstrap Farmer’s New DIY Pre-Bent Steel Hoop House Kit (All Metal Greenhouse) Read More »
We’ll look into plants that repel fleas AND are safe for pets! Plus, they’ll smell great in your garden. We’ll also include a couple of ways to repel fleas that are not plants – diatomaceous earth and electronic flea combs. For those of us who enjoy bringing our pets with us when we go outside, …
14 Plants That Repel Fleas and How to Use Them (Safe for Pets) Read More »
Although they used to grow grapes without a trellis in the old days (and probably still do in many vineyards and gardens), I really prefer my grapes on a grape vine trellis (also know as a grape arbor), especially when they’re getting started. Grape vines can ramble a bit, so without a trellis to train …
15 Sturdy Grape Vine Trellis Design Ideas for Your Backyard Arbor Read More »
I realised today that I really need a gardening apron. I never wanted an apron for gardening, thinking it was just a little too “grandma” or I didn’t want to seem like I couldn’t handle getting dirty or something like that. But you know what, it’s actually not great getting mud on your clothes when …
Best Gardening Apron With Pockets for Harvesting & Tools 2020 Read More »
You may be wondering why I’ve dedicated an entire guide to something as simple as a bee and how to become a beekeeper in your backyard. I’ve talked about my love of multitasking animals here before, and honey bees are some of the best around. Obviously, they’ll provide you with the liquid gold we know …
How To Become a Beekeeper in Your Backyard Total Guide Read More »
Should you use slow feeders for horses? Finding the best way to feed a horse is, and always will be, a heated topic in the industry. There are countless philosophies, and products to go with them, that claim to be the healthiest way to feed your horse. The most common ideology tends to be offering …
There are some Dandelion look alikes to look out for when you’re foraging for Dandelion. For example, there’s Wild Lettuce, Hawkbit, and several Cat’s Ears species. It’s really important to know you’re foraging for the right plants, and to know what’s the difference between Dandelion and Wild Lettuce. Let’s compare Wild Lettuce vs Dandelion! Dandelion …
Wild Lettuce vs Dandelion – What’s the Difference between Dandelions and Wild Lettuce? Read More »
I sometimes buy books just because they look nice. I might flick through them every once in a while, but they mainly just sit there and look pretty. The following beekeeping books aren’t the ‘sit and look pretty’ type, although some, The Beekeeper’s Bible in particular, looks stunning. The Beekeeper’s Bible – Richard Jones Beekeeping …
The most helpful beekeeping books for beginner backyard beekeepers Read More »
KA-BAR is well known for making some of the very best fixed blade knives on the market. Their , for instance, has seen extensive service throughout global military conflicts and is held in exceptionally high regard. But today, we’re going to talk about a lesser-known type of KA-BAR knife, known as the Becker knife, or …
Best KA-BAR Becker Knives Review – BK2, BK9, BK10, BK22, BK16 – Updated March 2020 Read More »
Are you looking at buying a quality and relatively inexpensive knife that would be suitable for everything from camping to wilderness survival to general-purpose use at your home? If so, you might want to take a close look at Condor Tool & Knife. In this Condor knives review, we’ll take a closer look at what …
Best Condor Knives Review – Tool and Knife For Bushcraft, Survival, and Home Read More »
“I have a dream that, one day, this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.” I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged …
I was born in Waimate, South Canterbury, in the late 1920s and brought up on my father’s farm in a rural community of about thirty farms in the district of Waihaorunga, which is twenty-five kilometres west of Waimate. This area is very close to the geographical centre of the South Island, a fact I was …
If you could only have one kind of knife for survival, bushcraft, and general purposes, which kind would you choose? Might I suggest considering the Mora knife? We’ll take a look at the best Mora knife for 2020 here. The Scandinavian Mora knife has been around for over a thousand years, and in that time …
Best Mora Knife For Bushcraft, Kitchen & Survival 2020 Review Read More »
I have an aversion to winter. I hate winter, I hate the cold, the frost and the snow, the ice, and the cold winds that blow straight from the pole. It probably started when I was a boy, many years ago on the farm. My sister and I rode ponies to school and it was …
One of the greatest appeals of farming is the prospect of raising animals. Pouring hard work into a creature who then provides tenfold for you and your family is an amazing and primal feeling. The ethical aspect of being able to raise your own animals for consumption or work was a huge reason why I …
I was reading the paper after tea one night during February in the early seventies when the phone went. It was my friend Taffy, who said he was passing through Waimate and wanted to see me. I invited him to come out and half an hour later he was knocking on the door. Wild Cattle …
The Cattle Muster – New Zealand Mustering in the 70s – Bob’s Farm Stories Read More »
Bushcraft is all about knowing how to live in the wilderness long-term. This means that the best bushcraft knife you choose for bushcraft purposes is not exactly going to be the same knife that you keep in your bug-out bag or survival kit. That’s because your bushcraft knife has to be used for hunting, tactical …
Best Bushcraft Knife Under 200 for Home & Survival – We Review Quality Knives Read More »
A roundup of awesome signs for your chicken coop! Your girls (and boys, possibly?) will live a life in style with one of these signs, no doubt about that. Rise & Shine Mother Cluckers I love this chicken coop sign by CCR Custom Metals. Made from metal, it’ll last forever outside. These signs are all …
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