My Raised Beds Are Ready! It seems too early for planting in my area. Normally I wouldn’t be able to work the soil until later in March, but we’re having some unusually warm weather this week. Most of my garden beds are still too cold and damp to work. However, I…
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My Redneck Brooder Box
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…
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‘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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Thanksgiving Hacks for The Homesteader
Thanksgiving Hacks for Homesteaders Just in case you need a little help getting ready for the big day, here are some Thanksgiving hacks for the homesteader… or for anyone really! I’m sharing tips for making prep work go more smoothly and some links to recipes and helpful instructions. I hope…
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Pumpkin-Pecan ‘Pie’ Pancakes
Pumpkin Pecan ‘Pie’ Pancakes These delicious pancakes come with their own ‘crust’ and make a wonderful holiday breakfast! They are delicious with maple syrup, butter, and a sprinkle of pecans on top. Ingredients• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or unbleached flour)• 1/2 cup cornmeal• 3 Tablespoons sugar• 4 teaspoons baking powder• 1 teaspoon…
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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…
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Meet Pa Mac From The Farm Hand’s Companion Show!
The Farm Hand’s Companion Show & Pa Mac Every now then someone comes along and makes education fun and entertaining. That’s exactly what you get from Gary “Pa Mac” McWilliams and The Farm Hand’s Companion Show! Pa Mac created this series of short videos to show all manner of folks…
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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!
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Roasting Green Peppers On The Woodstove
Roasting Green Peppers This summer we tried roasting green peppers from our garden over a fire in the backyard. They were delicious! When the first frost threatened, I picked every last pepper in the garden and brought in a half bushel of them. A couple weeks ago we fired up the…
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The Best Way to Cook Stewing Hens
What’s The Best Way To Prepare Stewing Hens? Old stewing hens are pretty tough birds. I have found that the following methods are the best ways to prepare them: pressure cooking pressure canning in broth boning and grinding the meat (raw or cooked) These methods work very well for making old chickens…
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Why Do Chickens Molt?
Why Do Chickens Molt & What Can I Do About It? Chickens molt to replace their worn out feathers with new ones. Old feathers don’t insulate and protect a bird from cold, wet weather as well as a set of glossy new ones. All birds go through this process, just as other…
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Harvesting & Using Green Tomatoes
Harvesting & Using Green Tomatoes Just before our first frost I harvested all of the green tomatoes from my garden and brought them in the house. If they have a slight blush of orange, they will often ripen in a sunny windowsill for fresh use or cooking. They may not…
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First Frost
First Frost of the Season We normally have a frost in late September or early October in Northern Illinois. This year we were treated to a much later freeze overnight Friday, October 16th. The killing frost wiped out all of my heat loving veggies and the flowers in my pots. I can’t…