Hearing God’s Voice

We've been getting to work getting our new garden area (formerly known as our chicken run) cleared out and ready for cultivation. That means we've done a lot of cutting back brambles, mowing down noxious weeds and honeysuckle vines, and cleaning up old chicken wire. Because lumber is so expensive right now, and so many … Continue reading Hearing God’s Voice

Homestead Update: Feet, Foraging, and Fiber

Today was our hoof trimming day. I tell ya what, it's my least favorite part of goat ownership. But we just don't have enough rock for them to file down on their own. The rock we do have doesn't seem to do the job, nor does cinder block, but I haven't given up on the … Continue reading Homestead Update: Feet, Foraging, and Fiber

Homestead Update

We've reached a standstill with preserving our harvest. As I'm sure many of you have as well, we've encountered a mason jar shortage. That means all those honey jars and pasta sauce jars I've saved over the years are being put into service. And praise God I bought brands that are compatible with regular mouth … Continue reading Homestead Update

Potager Planning

It seems like a lifetime has passed since I first dreamed the potager garden. In reality, it's been about a year and a half. But it is surreal that the time to plan and plant is quickly approaching! This has been my brain child for so long, it's actually hard to believe that I've gotten … Continue reading Potager Planning

Keyhole Herb Garden

This silly thing has been in the works for 3 years. I had initially planned this space to house the bulk of my medicinal herbs. For whatever reason, it never truly worked out. I ended up with a ton of weeds, or a series of higher priority projects. It seems that this may be the … Continue reading Keyhole Herb Garden

Gardening in December?!?

My most favorite thing is planting new plants and watching them grow. This usually makes for a bleak winter time because everything goes to sleep and doesn't wake from it's slumber until the spring. This is not true for my Back to Eden Garden. I have some sort of greens growing just about all year … Continue reading Gardening in December?!?

Calendula Oil

Calendula is a new herb to me, but it's definitely one now that I won't ever be without again. I put together a hugelkultur planter in the potager and planted my calendula in it. I've had a handful of blossoms so far with more on the way. To prepare calendula oil, I plucked a couple … Continue reading Calendula Oil

Bringing Chaos into Order

Part of my brand of creativity is organization. Many don't think of organizing as creativity, but it is. Think about it from God's perspective- the first three days of creation were spent organizing! Separating the earth from the sky, gathering the waters together, separating day from night. God brought chaos into order. (Genesis 1:1-16) That … Continue reading Bringing Chaos into Order

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

Herb Preserving

I have been hang drying sage in the kitchen and it was finally time to put it away today! For anyone interested in herbalism even if it's just growing kitchen herbs, I highly recommend the book, "The Herbal Medicine-Maker's Handbook: A Home Manual" by herbalist, James Green. It's a very pleasant, conversational, and enjoyable read, … Continue reading Herb Preserving