Homeschooling is one of the most rewarding experiences parents can have with their children. It is not an exact science, there is no one size fits all cloak that every homeschooling can slip on and do everything perfectly right from the start. No matter how well you have prepared to homeschool your child, placing too … Read more
Bees are the best pollinators on the planet. Without bees, roughly 70 percent of the crops grown around the world would not flourish. But, there are both good and bad bees when it comes to cohabitating with them and depending upon them for pollinating. In fact, there are even some bee varieties that pollinate well … Read more
Magpie ducks are among the most beautiful and docile of all domesticated breeds. Even though Magpies are not as highly kept as some other well-known breeds, the duck keepers who breed them and collect their eggs are highly devoted to preserving these enigmatic poultry birds. Ducks of this breed are multi-purpose birds. They are equally … Read more
Damping off is a plant disease that develops from fungi or bacteria in the soil. Also commonly referred to as “dampening off” this crop disease almost exclusively afflicts only seeds and the newly sprouting plants they yield. Damping off disease typically targets vegetable plants and flowers, not fruit crop seeds. Damping off disease causes the … Read more
Beekeeping is a lot of work with wonderful rewards for your labor. There are two types of people who purchase bees: beekeepers and bee “havers.” If you don’t care for the honey bees and beehive properly, you probably won’t have bees for very long. This begs the question: how often should you inspect a beehive? … Read more
Spinning wool or mohair does not require a huge investment of money. Spinning wheels are beautiful – but very pricey. A handheld drop spindle typically costs less than $25, and can spin beautiful wool or mohair that you have raised on your homestead into a skein just as well as a large spinning wheel that … Read more
Cayuga ducks are a beautiful and wonderfully docile breed. They were once the most popular meat duck in both the United States and England. Sadly, these docile and lovely poultry birds were classified as “threatened”, but have improved their population numbers to the point where they now have just a “watch” designation. Finding Cayuga ducks … Read more
Ducks need water – ducks love water … it is just that simple. Whether or not they need a pond is the one question most asked by potential newbie duck keepers. These cute egg birds are a great addition to virtually any homestead. This begs the question: do ducks really need a pond? No, ducks … Read more
Buff Orpington ducks have an extensive history of being both high quality meat, and egg birds. These hardy beauties cannot fly away and can thrive both on large homesteads and in small town backyards. Ducks of this breed are affable, docile, and bond well with their keepers. In addition to being used just for their … Read more
Oregano is a superb culinary herb. The delicious herb is not only often used in my homesteading kitchen, but also in herb balls that I made for all of our livestock to boost their immune systems and help keep them healthy. This herb plant is a part of the Origanum genus. Origanum vulgare, the scientific … Read more
What kid doesn’t like play dough? I used to love playing with play dough and molding clay as a child, and I continue to enjoy working with it as an adult. Salt dough is a form of play dough that you can easily make out of flour, salt, and water. You can use it to … Read more
Thanksgiving and Christmas bring joyous gatherings with family and friends. We gather together to celebrate, eat, and share gifts with the folks we love. Gift giving can become quite expensive – and finding ways to entertain children before a big meal is served can also become frustrating. Making holiday Play Doh can become not only … Read more
This brown sugar and cinnamon soap makes both a great part of your natural everyday beauty routine as well as a beautifully scented homemade gift. Using a goat’s milk melt and pour base takes the guesswork and lye concerns out of the soapmaking process. It takes just roughly 10 minutes to make multiple bars of … Read more
Finding a wild beehive in a backyard tree or hundreds of bees living inside of a wall of your home can be quite an unwelcome discovery. Beekeepers, both of the amateur backyard variety as well as professionals, often accept requests to remove bees from a home or yard – making bee removal necessary. So why … Read more
Caring for ducklings in the winter is not necessarily a difficult task, but does require the following of some specific husbandry techniques. Ducklings are, of course, baby ducks. And like all babies, they are fragile, vulnerable, and depend entirely on the help of grown ups (either feathered or human) for their survival. Both ducks and … Read more
Making soap is not a complicated process, but it is a process that involves some very specific steps … unless you want to wind up with a useless pile of goop. Soap is basically a mixture of combined oils, fats, and a caustic solution. So, can you make soap without any lye? No, you can’t … Read more