It’s almost spring, and you know what that means – baby chickens! This year for the first time ever I’m incubating eggs and will watch my own chickens hatch. Today I’ll share segments from my personal blog, The Village Homestead, about how I set up the incubator and sourced my eggs, as well as how…
Tag: homesteading
{photo diary} A Temporary Fireplace for Making Maple Syrup
My last post about syruping included a few photos of the cinder block fireplace we built in 2011 for boiling down the sap that we collect from maple trees in our neighborhood. When we built our current fireplace a week later, I took more extensive photos. We changed our fireplace a little this year; we…
{backyard-to-kitchen poultry} Rooster Nuggets
*Reader alert: The following story involves some general information on poultry processing (no gory details or photos, though). If you’d rather not hear more about how the meat my family eats came from real live animals, some of whom grew up in our backyard, stop here. If you do eat meat, however, I would encourage…
{drink it up} The Art of the Hot Toddy
It’s officially flu season. According to the CDC, the onset of flu season has been delay recently. If (like me) you thought that you were in the clear, think again. The nasty virus might still be lurking, waiting to take you as its next prey. And then there is all the other yuckiness that’s been…
{how to} A Temporary Fireplace for Making Maple Syrup
Editor’s Note: Its that time of year again- Maple Sap running! You can do it- go outside & tap your neighborhood maple trees (with permission from your neighbors of course!) Dianna is back with another (helpful) installment in her How To Maple Syrup Series. If you weren’t with us last year this time, Dianna cranked…
{gardening} Making the Most of One Acre
How Does Your Garden Grow? Sizing up our land and making the most of 1 acre. My husband is a cultivator; it’s in his veins. By the time most people begin their Spring cleaning he is out tilling the ground and planning the upcoming year’s garden. When were looking to build a home all he…
{be mine} DIY Conversation Hearts
Valentine’s Day is a holiday of love, but also of CANDY! While you might immediately imagine a red, heart-shaped box of chocolates when thinking of Valentine’s Day, there is another candy that has also been capturing hearts. A favorite amongst school-aged children, the Conversation Heart has had a steady fan base over the years. I…
{4 saturdays, 4 giveaways} The Feedback Giveaway
UPDATE SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2012: THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED. The winner of their choice of Keeping Bees or Keeping Chickens or Home Dairy or Canning & {reserving by Ashley English is: LUCKY #3: KIMMER: “Took the poll, recipes, local food and vendor information, all make me read the blog, the local look at food, gardens,…
{planning your garden} Guide to Starting Seeds
There are many ways to garden. Some people buy plants from a nursery, your local farmer or garden center, which is a great option for many. I have done this in the past, primarily with annuals flowers (like pansies and petunias), tomatoes and peppers.* Last year, I decided to try my hand at starting…
{planning your garden} Crop Rotation
Even though the ground is covered with snow and ice and the sun barely shines, January is the time to plan your garden. There are four essential tenets of good organic gardening; have a readily available water source, keep on top of the weeds, feed the soil and rotate your crops. Crop rotation is probably…
Hello to my New Digs {and saying goodbye to the old ones}
:: My girls on a fall day, loving our backyard :: It’s here. Moving Day. As you read this, I’m watching four super-strong men load all of my worldly possessions into a moving truck. I’m selling my house today, and tomorrow I’m buying a different one. My new house isn’t too far away – two towns…
{the new year} Taking Care of Myself & a Long List of DIY Projects
Hello 2012! I am so happy to see you. 2011 wasn’t exactly the best year of my life (to put it nicely), and I’m looking forward to a fresh start. I’ve got enough energy and enthusiasm to put my wish list in action. Good thing too, because it’s long! Number One on my list is…
{the new year} New Beginnings are Lovely
I’ve moved a lot in my life and although it can be scary and stressful it also means a fresh start. That’s how I feel at the beginning of each new year. There are always a lot of unknowns but the simple fact of it being fresh and new makes it seem like there’s a…
{the new year} condiments & small dinner parties
Editor’s Introductory Note: With this post we are officially back from our blogcation. Its good to be back. For the next two weeks, each one of us will share some food, garden or homesteading projects we want to undertake in 2012; whether it be growing a brand new crop, reading a few food policy related…
{winter projects 2012} A Compost Pile
Editor’s Note: Our last installment of “new to us” posts from the personal blogs of FSC Contributors is a lovely piece from Jillian. She writes an extremely reflective blog about family life on Everyday Life for Four Seasons. This post was originally published on January 16, 2010. On a related note, if anyone is moving…
