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Notice a large section of your plant-life getting torn apart by sticky sacks of worms, year after year? You likely have a bagworm infestation, but this is the year to put an end to the tree-borne plant-bandits. Read on for some tips on how to remove these pests from sight and mind. Seasonal Skirmish The…
Howdy ya’ll! With a couple weeks left in April, I think it’s time for our second installment of proper plantings for the month. So if you’ve already got your beets buried, your carrots coming in, and your cucumbers cared for, here are a couple more to keep you going till month’s end. Tomatoes Planting tomatoes…
Good Tuesday ya’ll, and happy Spring! April is one of my favorite times to be a homesteader. The days get longer, nights get warmer, birds start singing and the cicadas begin to hum from the depths of the woods. It’s a great time to be outside, and what better excuse to get on out there…
As springtime approaches, that tends to mean one thing around my homestead. The chickens, long self-confined to a smaller grazing ground have begun to range again, scratching their way through underbrush and tree, grass and, yes, even garden. As I’m watching them, I’ve begun to realize it’s been a little while since I last profiled…
There are few things nicer to enjoy on a crisp, early-spring morning than a steaming-warm cup of tea. Curling your hands around the mug and taking in the aroma, you can almost feel the promise of the coming turn in weather. Tea has a bit of an exotic reputation of course, due to its near-4000-year…
Here in Virginia, it’s been a cold winter, and a snowier one than most of the last odd decade. Come to think of it, that theme seems to be the trend nationwide this year, with even parts of Texas seeing absolutely unheard of weather. As such, this article may be a few days late, but…
When the storm hits and the power goes dark, you doubtless have prepared your homestead with a vast array of generators, battery-powered flashlights, and maybe even crank-powered variants. But what if the darkness lasts even longer? Read on for an easy way to may your own candles, to store away in case of emergency. Materials…
To those looking for this article and not finding it a week ago, my sincere apologies. A few things came up on the homestead requiring my immediate attention, and I am running a week behind schedule. That said, I’ve always heard a week late is better than never, so let’s jump right in on baking…
Sourdough bread–one of the oldest forms of our favorite, gluten-based snacks–has become something of a resurgent celebrity. Amidst the global pandemic, people of various interests and backgrounds suddenly found themselves with more time on their hands, and this tricky-but-delectable sandwich-component became a favorite new skill to develop. Of course, out on the homestead, the pandemic…
It’s no secret–the great outdoors get a lot less welcoming in the wintertime. When the seasons cold chases you indoors however, that doesn’t mean you must give up on fun projects and activities until spring! To the contrary, it’s a great time to work on stuff indoors, and the kitchen is always a cozy place…
As the temperatures drop nationwide, snow blankets the ground and Christmas approaches, folks all over are beginning to indulge in their favorite holiday traditions. For some, this is cheery fires and yule logs. Others cut evergreens to adorn with festive ornamentation. Still others decorate their whole houses in lights. But for many, it’s the simplest…
Have a few seeds left over from the growing season you’d like to preserve for next year? Turns out, you can actually save your seeds until conditions are again ripe for planting. Read on to find out how. Before we get started on particulars, its important to know some basics about the seeds you are…
