Self-taught farmers confidently raising chickens, ducks, geese, and pigs. Our focus is on practices that are environmentally harmonious and respectful to our livestock. We appreciate the beauty around us, clean eating, fermenting, and responsibly utilizing the bounty of the land. If you like thinking for yourself, continuous learning, and connecting with the homesteader lifestyle, check us out.
My hands need help: they’re dry, red, and crying out for help. I recently figured out that the “natural” dishwashing soap I was using in the kitchen contained SLS, which was breaking down the skin on my hands; once I stopped using that soap, my hands began to heal. Unfortunately, the cold weather and low humidity has exacerbated the dry skin situation, as has frequent hand-washing (dirty hands are a fact of life on the farm). So what to do? Make an ultra-rich healing salve, of course!
One of my favorite lacto-fermented beverages is the delightful Sweet Potato Fly. It’s simple to make, delicious, and full of probiotic goodness. I’ve made it several times now, and it’s become a staple in our household. Interested in trying it? Read on! Continue reading “Farm Ferments: Sweet Potato Fly”
I have a jar that’s devoted to making kombucha vinegar. It began that way, not as a jar of kombucha tea that fermented for too long. Why do I make vinegar? Let me count the reasons…
Continue reading “Farm Ferments: Why You Should Start Making Vinegar”
You probably know that I’m constantly making water kefir. We love it! Aside from its probiotic payload, it just tastes great. I try to keep coming up with new flavors to keep it fresh and fun…today’s flavors are pine-lime-ginger and pineapple-coconut. You can make these yourself by using the recipes below! Continue reading “Kefir Madness: Something Green and Something Tropical”
Have you already figured out that lard is a nearly magical substance that adds wonderful flavor to food as well as being an outstanding cooking fat? You haven’t lived until you’ve cooked home fries in lard. Before you rush out and buy your lard at the grocery store, though, you should consider rendering your own…for at least a couple of compelling reasons.
Continue reading “Clean Eating: Render Your Own Lard”
Our farming journey began with the realization that we couldn’t get the food we wanted to eat, raised in the way we wanted, without doing it ourselves. Previously, we did much of our food shopping at farmer’s markets, food co-ops, and natural food stores, which were easily accessed when we lived on the west coast and, briefly, the upper midwest. We find these sources less common where we live now, but that may ultimately prove to be a positive because it’s pushed us to grow our own. Continue reading “Transformed By Homesteading”