Summer is the time when you need to pick and plan your cool-weather vegetables for your fall garden. A fall garden really starts in the summer. You have to decide which cool-weather vegetables you want to grow, and many need to be started inside and transferred outside later. Fall is my favorite time of theRead more
Keeping your chickens cool in the summer is more important than winter care. Everyone is always so worried about their chickens handling the cold temperatures of winter, but the real concern is keeping chickens cool in the summer. Even though they’re farm animals, chickens are still vulnerable to heat stroke and other problems brought onRead more
Planting flowers in your vegetable garden is a great way to reduce pests and increase biodiversity. Everyone loves pretty flowers throughout their garden beds, but you might not knowing that there are some good reasons for planting flowers with vegetables. Sure, it looks awesome. My garden beds full of marigolds and tomatoes looks visually beautiful,Read more
Tomatoes are one of the trickiest vegetables to grow, in my opinion. To preserve enough tomato products to last my family a year, I need – AT LEAST – 52 quarts but more is ideal. I struggled for years to figure out how to grow more tomatoes for my family. Tomatoes are finicky plants, andRead more
When you learn how to preserve, you’re bound to have some jam and jelly problems. The first time that I made jam, it was so runny that it was more like a syrup than jam. I had no idea what I did wrong, but I knew I messed something up along the way. Learning toRead more
Turn those ground cherries growing in your garden into some delicious ground cherry jam! Ground cherries aren’t normally included in gardens, but they’re a delicious addition. With these little garden fruits, you can make ground cherry jam which is a hit for the entire family. Never heard of ground cherries? You aren’t alone! They’re oftenRead more
Are you wondering if there are other things that you can feed your chickens? Perhaps you want to decrease your feed bill, which can be high depending on how many chickens you have. You might want to free range but are unable, so you want to give your chickens a diverse diet. I fit intoRead more
Our grandparents knew how to be frugal and build a Great Depression pantry. My great-grandma grew up during the Great Depression. After her mother died, she ended up in an orphanage, so she didn’t discuss it often, but she did share plenty of stories with me. One story I remember in particular was how sugarRead more
Now is a great time to pick staple crops to grow in your garden. Learning how to be more self-sufficient and provide for your family has never been more important than this time. Gardening is one of the best ways to provide your family with fresh food, but not all vegetables are staple crops. WhatRead more
A hoop house is an easy way to extend your gardening season. Instead of buying a premade hoop house or low tunnel, you can make one for yourself for $20. Actually, I made a total of 3 hoop houses that I combined into one long low tunnel. Making a DIY hoop house lets you startRead more