My Redneck Brooder Box It feels a lot like spring on my homestead today. The sun is shining, temps in the 50s, and a whole bunch of chicks are peeping in the incubator in my dining room. Two incubators are humming away on my Grandma’s buffet. One has ducklings due…
-
-
‘Rosette: A Novel of Pioneer Michigan’ ~ Interview with the Author
Rosette: A Novel of Pioneer Michigan Interview with Author Cindy Rinaman Marsch I’ve always loved historical fiction, especially from the pioneer days. So, to say that this new book by Cindy Rinaman Marsch piqued my interest is an understatement. Cindy was gracious enough to grant an interview to The SS HomeAcre. Her…
-
Getting Your Homestead Ready for Spring
Preparing for Spring on Your Homestead Depending on where you live, you might already be enjoying spring-like weather, or maybe you have several months of winter left to deal with. Here in northern Illinois, we have a couple months of cold weather left, but I’m still getting started on spring homesteading…
-
Harvesting from My December Garden
Harvesting Roots & Greens in December If you live further south than I do, this might not seem like such a big deal…you probably harvest from your garden well into the winter! In Northern Illinois, harvesting roots and greens in the middle of December isn’t typical. However, our weather has…
-
Apparently, I’m a big fat turkey…
If Turkeys Could Talk… I’m guessing it wouldn’t very a very exciting conversation. Perhaps you’ve had enough turkey talk to last you until next Thanksgiving. To be honest, I fully expected that I would have all of my turkeys in the freezer or my tummy by now. But my plans have…
-
Planning For a Self-Sufficient Thanksgiving
Prepare a Self-Sufficient Thanksgiving Dinner It might be difficult to raise everything you need to serve a completely self-sufficient Thanksgiving dinner. However, what you can’t raise on your own, you may be able to purchase from a local farm or cook most of your holiday meal from scratch. Some of these suggestions need…
-
How to Make and Preserve Applesauce
Make your own homemade applesauce easily with these instructions! Freeze your applesauce if you're short on time or use these canning instructions!
-
How to Farm Sit for Fun and Profit
How to Farm Sit & Make Some Cash If you’ve never lived on a farm, this term may sound weird. But for those of us with livestock, having a reliable farm sitter can help preserve our sanity. Homesteaders wouldn’t be able to vacation and keep animals if no one can…
-
Top 5 Reasons for a Poor Hatch Rate
For more information about hatching eggs at home read my articles How to Hatch Chicken Eggs in an Incubator and 15 Helpful Hints for a Successful Hatch. Reasons for a Poor Hatch Rate Although hatching baby poultry in an incubator can be a fun and educational experience, sometimes we have a…
-
Foraging for Daylilies
Eating Tiger Lilies or Daylilies Tiger lilies are a wild variety of daylily (Hemerocallis) that often grows in naturalized clumps along ditches and roadsides. They are easy to spot and identify and may even grow in your own yard. I like to make salads with young day lily shoots in…
-
How to Make Goat Milk Yogurt
How to Make Goat or Cow’s Milk Yogurt I’m so excited to have enough extra goat milk to make a batch of yogurt. I’m getting about two quarts of milk a day from one of the does and it is so delicious! My goal was to have enough milk for…
-
How to Build an Easy Straw Bale Cold Frame
A Modified Straw Bale Cold Frame Do you want to get an early start on your garden but the cost of cold frames is too high? If you’re anything like me, you want something inexpensive, eco-friendly, and super easy to make! The following instructions for creating a straw bale cold…
-
How to Hatch Chicks in an Incubator
How to Hatch Chicks With An Incubator If you would like to hatch chicks in an incubator at home, you’re not alone! Many backyard chicken keepers are interested in hatching fertile eggs from their own flock or from a friend’s hens. There are plenty of reasons to hatch your own…
-
How to Save Money with a Buying Club
You can save money by ordering food and goods through buying clubs! Here is what you need to know before you get started on your savings.
-
How to Get Eggs All Winter from Laying Hens
How to Get Eggs from Your Laying Hens All Winter With proper conditions, your hens are capable of laying eggs in the winter. There are a few things to take into consideration if you would like fresh eggs year-round. Chickens, like most birds, normally would not lay eggs all…
-
Cranberry Jam Recipe with Free Recipe Card!
How to make cranberry jam from fresh cranberries! Use the discounted cranberries after Thanksgiving to make a delicious batch of jam!