So, I wanted a chicken. Just a chicken, you know, for eating and laying eggs and stuff. Well boy-o-boy, I never knew there could be so many from which to choose. Chickens are kind of like dogs. There’s a million kinds and you get different behaviors from all of them. Then again, you eat chicken. You do not eat Bobo, your oaf of a Great Dane. DO NOT EAT BOBO. If all of this seems overwhelming, the amazing people at Oh Lardy have a great guide to keeping chickens. Our favorite part of the post was the detailed image that serves as a cheat-sheet for what kind of eggs to expect from different breeds of chickens. Check out their...
DIY Soil Test in a M...
posted by JDFair
Growing your own food and gardening the day away can be fun and relaxing. It can also be frustrating and downright disappointing. One way to mitigate the possible frustration is to do your homework before you ever start planting. Trust me. I wish I had taken my own advice. A great (and pretty...
Food Every Year: Perennial Fruits and Vegetables
posted by JDFair
Planting a new crop every year takes quite a bit of work and dedication. Thankfully, the world has given us fruits and vegetables that you can plant one year and enjoy for the next several. Perennial fruits and vegetables are a great way to build a sustainable garden without spending dozens of hours each planting season. You might instantly think “apple tree,” but there are many, many more options out there that produce food year in and year out. The site Village Green Network offers some pretty great articles on all things sustainable, and this is one of their gems. When you think perennial, start thinking guacamole made from...
Morel Mushrooms Grown at Home
posted by JDFair
Sounds impossible. Sounds improbable. It can be done. Morel mushrooms might just be some of the tastiest mushrooms to grow in North America. In my neck of the woods, the things can be found by taking a walk in the park, having a mushroom identification book on hand, and slicing them down the middle to be sure of no false-positives. One thing is for sure, morels are not easy to find (and can be dangerous if you don’t know what you are looking for). So why not take the guess work out of it entirely? Mushroom Appreciation.Com is a great resource for the mushroom lovers out there. In one of their more useful posts, the site discusses...
Beginning the Road t...
posted by JDFair
You don’t have to wait until you get your dream property to begin cultivating life. Starting on the road to self sufficiency can be as easy as changing a few buying and spending habits. “How Anyone Can Be More Self Sufficient” is a great article detailing ways that anyone,...