Small farmers in the US state of Vermont are concerned traditional business won't sustain their farms, but see potential in an unlikely and very expensive spice.

Creating inexpensive fodder systems are simply easy, nutritious for your animals and very satisfying for homesteaders. We show you the ropes in 6 easy steps

Let’s talk eggs. You know how eggs are the most powerful source of lots of vitamins and protein. Healthy people can’t imagine their life without eggs. They eat eggs every morning. It’s the best energetic start for the day. Now. It’s really important for you to know this. I bet you buy your eggs from

How Write a Homestead Blog Wandering Hoof Ranch may […]

Information on different chicken breeds that can be crossed to make traditional table poultry / meat birds at home.

You’ve seen these bee houses everywhere — from big box stores, department stores, garden centers, and even membership stores. They’re cute, with their little house frames and the hollow reeds or bamboo in them. You can just picture bees happily living in there, and you feeling good that you’re doing your part to save the bees. Right? Well, as it turns out, maybe not. First, we want to commend you for wanting to get involved and making your garden hospitable to pollinators. It’s truly an important step when you realize that you can make a difference in your landscape. Second, let’s focus that enthusiasm on activities and products that are, in fact, beneficial — and because it’s sometimes difficult to know what’s beneficial and what’s not, we’re here to help. Should You Buy a Mason Bee House? Bee houses, in theory, are valuable resources for mason bees — if you buy the right ones. The problem is that many (if not most) of the inexpensive, mass-produced houses are manufactured for their cuteness quotient rather than their functionality. The best case scenario, then, is that the house you want to buy will simply not do the job, but the worst case scenario is that it could actually harm the bees that you so want to protect. So, what do you look for? Here’s a quick rundown of mason bee house elements: What do I Need in my Mason Bee House? Removable parts. Mason bee houses need to be thoroughly cleaned every year — a task that is impossible with parts that are glued in place. Deep blocks, tubes, and reeds. For bees that nest in holes that are a ¼” or wider, the tube or reed needs to be about 6” long. Most commercial bee houses are quite shallow, making it impossible for bees to have enough room to lay their fertilized eggs. An overhanging roof that is well-made. This might sound obvious, but a functional bee house needs a roof overhang to keep water from entering the nest opening. Breathable materials. Moisture is a part of life, but moisture that is stuck inside a bee house could mean death for the bees. Look for houses with tubes and reeds that are paper or cardboard, or which have holes drilled into the wooden tubes. Plastic, metal, or bamboo will not work. Houses that attach with screws. Turn the house over and inspect how it’s intended to attach to your tree or structure. Is there a little picture hanger, a string, or place for a nail? Skip it. That house will blow around in the wind and possibly fall off. Good bee houses attach securely with screws. Nesting tubes or reeds that are closed on the back. Cute houses with open backs? Don’t buy them. Those open backs give parasites and other pests an open invitation to crash the party. You want a bee house with a backing on it. Houses that come with detailed instructions. If a manufacturer is legitimately concerned with the bees rather than simply making adorable garden art, then it will provide detailed instructions on how to use the bee house, how to clean it, and where to place it. No directions? No purchase. Where Can I Buy a Good Mason Bee House? Look for bee houses from places like seed companies, wildlife sites, dedicated bee companies/businesses, reputable garden centers, and gift shops at botanical gardens/arboretums. These are all sources that are educated about what bees actually need to live and thrive. Avoid mass-produced products with shoddy craftsmanship and subpar materials — the low price will be one of your first indicators that it’s not a functional and high-quality house. Bee houses are cute — but there is absolutely no need to sacrifice appearance for functionality, or vice versa. Do your homework to make sure you are giving the bees a safe and healthy environment to live and raise their offspring. Tip: When in doubt, build. If you can't be sure what you are buying has all the necessary features to give your local mason bees a good home, you can build it. Use the list we created of what to look for to build your own mason bee home. Kellogg Garden Organics All Natural Garden Soil Learn More Product Locator by Locally **Product not available in AZ, CA, HI, NV, UT. For a comparable product in these states click here. Share The Garden Love

I can't say enough about how much record-keeping can be helpful (and fun). We're kind of obsessed with record keeping around here, actuall...

Even in the winter beehives will require maintenance after snow. This ensures cleansing flights and is essential to their over wintering survival.

In this video, 2 beekeepers demonstrate how to collect a wild honeybee swarm comprising about 7000 honeybees. A swarm is the natural mechanism for bees to divide the colony in order to find a new home.

These spicy Korean Gochujang noodles are so easy to make, saucy, spicy yet sweet and perfect for a simple 30 minute dinner! Served with ground meat of choice such as beef, turkey or chicken for a simple and protein packed recipe.

Mealworms are a great way to add protein to your chickens' diet and can be easily grown right at home. But there are limits to how many you should feed them.

How to build a goat house using pallets. An easy and cost effective way to use easy to find material to make great winter shelters for your goats.

At the beginning of this Fall, I had a problem. Chicken math had set in, and I had gone from my beginning flock of birds that fit snugly in an 8x4 coop to a flock that numbered near thirty (not to mention the ducks, goose, and guineas!)...

This simple and effective system for organizing farm receipts makes things so much simpler, come tax season. Free Printables make it easy to get started.

Inside: How to design a homestead layout that works with

Beyond the Meadows, by Krautkopf, is a must-read. It's for anyone curious about how to be a better gardener or to adopt more planet-friendly practices.

Attract bees to your garden with this easy-to-make container

As wonderful as the homesteading journey is, take the time before you move and read "How Much Money Does It Cost to Start a Homestead?"!

Many months ago, we learned about growing fodder for livestock (Growing Sprouted Fodder for Livestock) and how large-scale systems are being developed to reduce animal feed costs, provide better nutrition for animals, and reduce the amount of water needed to produce said feed. The small-scale commercial systems looked great, but the upfront costs and production level were simply too high to justify such a system for a small homestead like ours. We started to look for other options and ways of producing our own fodder at a lower initial cost. This article details our current process and success at creating a system that can meet the needs of small backyard farmers and homesteaders. For less than $70 in initial setup costs, we have developed our own little home system that is surprisingly time-efficient and effective.

This sweet-and-spicy sheet pan chicken thigh recipe is the stuff healthy weeknight supper dreams are made of.

Along with being annoying and gross, fly infestations can help spread disease and dirt in your home. Luckily, there are many ways to make a homemade fly trap with affordable ingredients for bait that you likely already have around, such as sugar, apple cider vinegar and ripening fruit.

This super easy tofu pad thai recipe takes 30 minutes, is healthy, gluten-free and vegetarian. It tastes like takeout, but without any junk! Made with egg, peanut butter and coconut sugar!

Every fall, we propagate thousands of organic lavender plants from cuttings. Learning how to propagate is a fun and important skill for a lavender grower to learn, so we wanted to share our process with you. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to propagate lavender from cuttings. Step One: Begin with a healthy plant […]

This post has 21 Timeless Wedding Nail Ideas For Brides. From walking down the aisle and saying "I do" to partying it up at your reception, these nail ideas are classy and timeless and will look great for your big day! Timeless Wedding Nail Ideas For Brides Nude Subtle Chrome These simple wedding nails are

This week Mr. Produce guy sent us home with tons of lettuce and fennel. I haven’t really cooked with fennel before, so if you have any suggestions you’d totally be helping me out. Although a lot of the pears and lettuce were edible, The Girl and I decided to give it to the chickens. Lately we’ve Read More >>

Bereichern Sie Ihre Garderobe mit Übergroßes Kleid, einem wunderschönen Kleid, das zeitlose Raffinesse ausstrahlt. Das florale Muster verleiht ihm einen charmanten Touch, der es sowohl für legere Ausflüge als auch für besondere Anlässe geeignet macht. Ob Sie sich für einen legeren Tag in der Stadt oder einen eleganten Abend mit Freunden entscheiden, Übergroßes Kleid bringt Stil und Eleganz zu jedem Anlass. Das zarte Design und die hochwertige Verarbeitung machen es zu einem unverzichtbaren Teil Ihrer Garderobe. Zeitlose Eleganz mit floralem Muster Hochwertige Verarbeitung und feine Details Bequemer und taillierter Schnitt Exquisite Handwerkskunst Statement-Stil Material: Polyester/Baumwollmischung

Chipotle Roasted Butternut Squash and Black Beans… the easiest dump-and-bake fall dinner with smoky chipotles, canned black beans and Mexican-inspired spices. Healthy, comforting and optionally vegan/vegetarian.

My wife had a opportunity to rescue 7 hens and a guinea, the only problem was we didn't have a place to house them and there was a dead line when they had to be moved. Well I had some time off and I hadn't built anything in a long time so I...

Easily turn this delicious Thai Gazpacho into a vegan/vegetarian version by swapping out the fish sauce for vegan fish sauce or soy sauce and omitting the shrimp garnish!

Photos and breed information for Faverolles Chickens, a breed that is growing in popularity and take their name from a village found to the west of Paris.

Egg cartons are almost never OK to reuse, but that doesn't mean they're garbage. Here are things you can do with them and things you should avoid.