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The 2026 FDA raw milk enforcement push targets interstate sales only. Here's what actually changed, what didn't, and the three verifications you need before you sell another jar from your homestead.
Read More →The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has published final regulations governing the annual Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp Contest–also known as the Federal Duck Stamp Contest–beginning with the 2022 contest. These revisions provide artists more flexibility when designing their art and broaden the appeal of the Duck Stamp to a more diverse audience….
Almost everyone loves chickens. From the eggs, to the meat, to the crowing of the cock, there’s just something about the non-airborne avian that brings to mind the peaceful tranquility of a self-sustaining existence. What happens though, when your fowl are feeling a little … well, foul? Read on for some common chicken illnesses, and…
Your eyes, unfortunately, do not deceive you. According to researchers, COVID-19 has hit even our secluded woodlands. A survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has detected antibodies for SARS-CoV-2 in deer populations across four states. While this is, of course, eye-catching news, there may not be reason to fret too much. Though…
NotMISpecies webinars offer help for backyard invasive species problems, and more! New sessions in the NotMISpecies webinar series will offer an abundance of information, resources and field experiences to help identify and manage invasive species in Michigan. Supported by Michigan’s Invasive Species Program, the regular, hourlong webinars are designed to keep participants informed of available…
The images from factory farms can be very disturbing. Thousands of layer hens crammed into tiny cages, de-beaked as chicks so they don’t peck each other to death, their feet cramped as they walk on feces-covered wire mesh, and a constant stream of “feed” in front of them, sometimes made from the by-products of their…
Howdy folks! Its been a little longer than anticipated since my first installment in the Euro-mount series. My apologies on that, been some busy times around the homestead this month. That said, the mercury is flirting with triple digits outside, and I think that is just the excuse I needed to move us along to…
Good Tuesday yall. I’m afraid today I must strike a slightly more serious tone than usual. The Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center of Roanoke has reported rising bird mortality rates in multiple states across the nation. Cases have been reported in Washington, DC, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Indiana, Ohio, Florida, Pennsylvania and New…
Its been a while since we’ve talked goats on here, so I figured I should break this long-running oversight with a profile of one of my favorite breeds: Nubians! A hardy dairy option, Nubians have more going on than meets the eye. Read on for more. Heritage To start, the name Nubian is actually a…
Death on the homestead is commonplace. Sometimes it’s planned but many times it is not. And that’s one reason why most kids who grow up on a farm accept death so easily. It’s a hard lesson, but sometimes a tasty one as well… Shortly after getting our first homestead in Omaha, we decided to get…
Unless you’ve found a deadhead that–miraculously–has some of the meat still attached, this probably seems odd timing for an article on the procedures for Euro-mounting a deer skull. There’s a reason for that. About halfway through the project this fall, I came down hard with the world’s favorite Coronavirus, and was forced to shelve it…
It’s not a good idea to find a babysitter on Craigslist. It’s not a good idea to buy full-grown animals on the Internet either. Almost no one sells you their good animals. You’re likely getting a scratch-and-dent model that could be sick, nervous, or destructive. It’s a lesson I learned when I bought a ewe…
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…
