We decided to propagate our strawberries for a greater harvest next year. But, we aren't really sure if we like them where they currently are. While they successfully bloomed and fruited in their current locale, we know a place in full sun would be more beneficial to them. So that means we have 2 options. … Continue reading Catching Strawberry Runners
Planning for Spring 2018
Here are the things I need to address this winter: Bees- order 3lb package locally Chickens- decide on breed for flock expansion and set up brooders Garden- what to plant and where; seed start area Goats- build shelter; fencing; milking stand; water and feed; medical preparations; get goats Fermentation- start brewing ACV; kombucha; kefir These … Continue reading Planning for Spring 2018
Homestead Name and Logo Reveal
My husband and I have been praying on starting a business to help sustain our animal feed costs. The answer I got came from Proverbs 31:18: She sees that her trading is profitable and her lamp does not go out at night. That among other passages of scripture and much time in prayer led us … Continue reading Homestead Name and Logo Reveal
Back to Eden: Soil pH
This is the end of our first year doing the Back to Eden garden and I wanted a tangible way to guage the results of the soil condition. I decided to test the soil pH with a very rudimentary and simple experiment: vinegar and baking soda. The concept is simple; alkaline soil will react in … Continue reading Back to Eden: Soil pH
Year 1 Evaluation of Back to Eden Experience
I wanted to evaluate my first year experience with the Back to Eden garden. I decided to break the experience into sections: preparation, planting, productivity, weeding and watering, overall experience. My rating scale is from 1-10 with 1 being unsuccessful and 10 being absolute success. The effort to reward ratio will be covered in the … Continue reading Year 1 Evaluation of Back to Eden Experience
More Fall Preparation
My son and I have been working to establish the Back to Eden beds along the back of the house and prepare them for spring herb planting. We finally figured out that a greater number of spadefulls of mulch goes faster than trying to rake mulch loose and shovel fewer larger loads with a snow … Continue reading More Fall Preparation
The Not-so-perfect Storm
We're in the Smokey Mountain region of this great nation and we were promised some brutal storms. Well, we ended up just getting a ton of rain. Which on one hand is great, because of the drought conditions this past summer/fall. On the other hand, we had quite a bit of water damage to our … Continue reading The Not-so-perfect Storm
Finding the Slope
So we're going to have to terrace our hillside in order to be able to garden in it. A useable slope is about 2%, or 1 foot of rise for every 50 feet of run. Our slope is about 8%. To find that, I used a simple equation from Algebra 1 I never thought I'd … Continue reading Finding the Slope
Homestead Update: Chicks, Beds, and Veggies
Lots going on here lately! 7 of our 9 baby chicks come tomorrow, the other two will be here Friday. The brooder is set up, but we're debating using a bigger box. We'll see once they get here. Finally got the temp to settle at about 95°F under the heat lamp, until about 3:00pm when … Continue reading Homestead Update: Chicks, Beds, and Veggies
Swale Progress
It hit 73°F today... Weird winter we're having... In any case, we've been able to get a good bit of work done. Here's how the swale is coming along: My husband dug a lot of holes in his devil dog days. The skill and experience is paying off. And he thought he'd never use his … Continue reading Swale Progress
Wholly Holy Living 
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