May is one of my favorite months of the year. The grass greens, flowers begin to bloom, the days warm, and signs of life pop up all around! Winter comes to and end and spring is upon us. I am sharing monthly garden to-do lists here on the blog for two reasons: for my future... Continue Reading →
“She considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.” — Proverbs 31:16 Winter is on her last leg here in the Midwest and I'm eagerly anticipating the arrival of spring. The boys and I spend as much time outside as we can on warmish days, so I... Continue Reading →
March is one of my least favorite months of the year. Not much is growing at this time of year except for my indoor seed starts. The smell of fresh soil and tiny green shoots give me hope that spring is on the way! Caring for indoor seedlings is the main task on my March... Continue Reading →
February is a bleak and frigid month here in the midwest. Not much is growing at this time of year, but it’s about time to start seeds indoors. The smell of fresh soil and tiny green shoots give me hope that spring is on the way! Caring for indoor seedlings is the main task on... Continue Reading →
Last month one of our hens went broody. She began by never leaving the nest and soon became aggressive towards us and her fellow hens. After a few days of this we realized that something wasn't quite right. And thus began our first journey in caring for a broody hen. First, we did some digging... Continue Reading →
Spring is in the air here on the Hilltop! I can feel it in my lungs. The sun shines more frequently, flowers emerge from their winter hiding places, calves fill the pastures, and a newness spreads all around us. Oh, how refreshing springtime is for the soul! One of my goals for this year is... Continue Reading →
Most homes do not have or receive adequate light for growing seedlings indoors. Even the most sunny windowsill is usually not enough to produce strong and healthy starts. Lighting is a vital part in The Basics to Starting Seeds Indoors, so we must then look to artificial lighting for options. I briefly discuss grow lights... Continue Reading →
Frozen chicken eggs...it's that time of year. We've learned a lot thus far about just how much egg production decreases in the winter and just how easy it is for those few, valuable eggs to freeze solid before we can get to them! There are so many new things to learn when one becomes a... Continue Reading →
We added Chickens to our Homestead this past spring, so this is our very first winter with them around. We Built an A Frame Chicken Tractor for them to stay cozy in throughout the year, and learned a lot about The Basics Needs for Bringing Chicks Home, as well as experimenting with letting them Naturally... Continue Reading →
One major reason lead us to choose against letting our chickens free-range: stories about how they destroy flower beds and gardens. Instead we went with a 'middle of the road' option: An A Frame Chicken Tractor (read all about how we built it ourselves right over here!). This coop is mobile, thus allowing the birds... Continue Reading →