Whether your garden is in full swing, your CSA is keeping you busy, or you are frequenting your favorite farms, it is time to start thinking about canning & preserving this season's harvest for the future. For an overview of what we can in an entire year, check out our Annual Canning Plan. Dehydrating We have a dehydrator and it is currently sitting on the counter working on our recent harvests. Over the course of the year, we use our dehydrator to preserve herbs and dark leafy ...
Homesteading
Victory Gardens for Today
Victory Gardens have a place today just as they did 80 years ago during WWI and WWII. Everyone can grow their own food - in full or in part - no matter where you live. Whether your garden consists of a series of planters on your patio, raised beds in the backyard, or a tilled plot of earth, take the time to plan your garden, grow what your family eats, and then share with your neighbors. What is a Victory Garden? During World War I and World War II the government rationed foods like ...
Self-Reliance Challenge Round-Up
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. ...
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 ...