January has been an incredible month of learning and practicing self-reliance. We have learned new skills and discussed ideas for projects we want to try in the future. We continue to do more on our own, and reach out to our community when there is something we can't do on by ourselves. Even though January is just about over, make a resolution to be more self-reliant in 2019! Being more self-reliant helps save money and increase your confidence and skills. ...
Homesteading
5 Tips for Selecting Fruit Trees
I have a quarter-acre property, and by the time we implement our garden plan, we will have 21 fruit trees! Can you imagine being able to grow your own fruits at home? I have quite a few friends who are also growing fruit trees now and more that are looking into it for their properties. Whether you want to grow apples, peaches, pawpaws, or oranges, there are a few things you need to consider when selecting fruit trees to your garden. ...
9 Benefits of Square Foot Gardening
Throughout the spring, I will be doing a series of in-person workshops talking about plants, and how to grow them when you have less than ideal conditions. The two main topics to overcome poor conditions are Square Foot Gardening (SFG) and container gardening. Over the next few days, I will be sharing a series of posts with you about these topics, covering much of the information that will be discussed in the workshops. SFG and container gardening are a little pricier in the beginning set ...
Are you having plastic with your cup of tea?
Would you like plastic with your tea? That sounds like a pretty straight forward question, but it's also a bit of a trick question. Not all tea bags are created equal and for those people who are trying to go plastic-free, it may be time to re-evaluate what's in your cup of tea. For years, I drank Lipton tea. Plain black tea in the little bags. When my son started our compost pile he looked up if you could compost Lipton tea bags specifically and found out that you can. Lipton tea ...
Canning Plan: What to Can Each Season
First published December 30, 2015 Since the goal of canning is to preserve foods at the height of freshness, when they are in season, I would like to share my canning plan with all of you, so that you if there is something you want to can for your family, you know when the best time would be to do it. The quantities that I am listing are my ideal to give us enough for 1 year, plus a few jars for competing in the local fair and for gifting at the holidays. ...