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Embark on the 10 day homestead challenge if you’re affected by the government shutdown — or simply realize how fragile our systems can be — now’s the time to take charge of your own stability. Building a homesteading foundation doesn’t have to take months or thousands of dollars. In just 10 days, you can start...
Read More →Everything that walks, flies or grazes on the place. Poultry, livestock and game — housing, feed, health, predators and the seasonal jobs that keep a flock or a herd productive.
The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF) continued its long-time support of restoring elk to their historic eastern range by helping the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KDFWR) expand the state’s active elk range. RMEF provided volunteer assistance as well as $130,000 for the helicopter contract and GPS collars to move 50 elk to…
It’s that time of year: Black bears soon will leave their dens and become active. Though they’ll primarily forage on green vegetation, bears will eat from bird feeders, outdoor pet foods and garbage cans, if available. Taking simple steps now can keep bears safely at a distance and prevent conflicts this spring and summer: Remove…
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has been notified by the National Veterinary Services Laboratory of confirmed cases of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) strain: H5 2.3.4.4 in a lesser scaup, black vultures and other avian species. There is a low risk of HPAI transmission to humans and, to date, there have been…
The National Wild Turkey Federation’s Making Tracks with the USDA Forest Service awards recognize people and projects that best incorporate conservation education, partnerships and wild turkey management. The NWTF presented the awards during its 46th annual Convention and Sport Show, sponsored by Mossy Oak, to projects and programs that bolstered NWTF’s Save the Habitat. Save…
So, you found a frozen chicken on your homestead. What do you do? Set the microwave to defrost? Fire up the fryer? Just kidding. If the chicken is still alive, there are ways to help save her. This happened to us recently. One of our Americuanas didn’t come into the coop at night and was…
The US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) offers several programs for landowners to enroll environmentally sensitive farmland into the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). The continuous and general CRP signups provide annual rental payments to producers and landowners for establishing long-term, resource-conserving plant species on cropland, to control soil erosion, improve water quality and enhance wildlife habitat…
The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation committed more than $1 million to landscape-scale efforts to help restore thousands of acres of public and private forestland, meadows and other landscapes charred by recent wildfires. “This commitment only solidifies RMEF’s ongoing strategic efforts dating back decades to enhance habitat for elk and a myriad of other wildlife species…
Chances are, if your homestead sits anywhere north of Texas this year, you have seen a fresh blanket of snow or two coat your land. If you live near where I do, that blanket didn’t just fall, but has lasted for several weeks now (and counting). We all love the fluffy white stuff for our…
Two mule deer bucks taken in the Slate Creek drainage near Lucile in October tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD), according to Idaho Fish and Game. Under Fish and Game’s CWD strategic plan, both hunters have been notified that their bucks tested positive. Although CWD has been known to exist in the Western United States for over 40…
Its the time of year when many ranchers are weaning calves away from their mothers. While this can result in quite a bit of bawling and, depending on where you calf pen is located, some sleepless nights, it also signals the beginning of a great time to start getting some pure, unpasteurized, unhomogenized cow milk…
I know, I know, your feed plot should already be well underway. But if you’re like me, summer chores got the best of you, and you’re a little late putting it in the ground. The good news is, you’re not too late, particularly if you’re south of the Mason-Dixon like myself. Brassicas and tender cereal grains…
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) yesterday announced 41 grant awards totaling nearly $11.5 million to clean up and restore polluted waters, enhance fish and wildlife habitat, and increase access to nature throughout the Delaware River watershed. Grantee organizations have committed more than $13.5 million in match, for a total conservation impact of about…
