It’s terrible to admit to being a gardening failure when you’re a farmer! But for several years it was the same story. But I’ve hit on a few things that really helped us get it back under control the last couple years, and most of them are pretty frugal. One of them is to use […]
Why We Take Pasture Walks…Even in the Rain!
Regular pasture walks are an important part of maintaining your property. What do you need to be looking at, and looking for, while walking through your pastures and along your property lines? Here’s the why, and the how, and a reminder to enjoy it!
How to Build a Water and Mineral Stand for Your Homestead
There’s always big projects and small projects on the homestead. It often bothers me that we have a 1,000 things going on and nothing is ever started and finished in one big swing. But I’ve learned that the farm is ALWAYS bigger than the man and it’s best to be flexible if you want to […]
Pros and Cons of Mobile Livestock Shelters on the Small Farm
Rotational systems are great for your pasture and livestock. But providing shelter for shade and bad weather can be a challenge as the animals move from field to field. Here’s a list of pros and cons, as well as pictures of our own mobile shelters in use on the farm.
Pros and Cons of a Hoop House Chicken Coop
Our latest chicken coop is a hoop house style made from an old greenhouse frame, with hog panel sides and salvaged tin for the front and back wall. We wrap it in 9 mil plastic for weather proofing. There are pros and cons to this type of chicken house, including maintenance, predator management, and the […]
Managing Winter Bedding Waste By Composting
We use a deep bedding system (also called “deep litter” for poultry) for all our different livestock around here in the winter. That means that instead of a regular schedule of removing waste from barns, sheds, and loafing areas, we continually add clean bedding material on top of the old bedding. It becomes a deep […]
