Biochar is charcoal intended for use as a soil conditioner. There are evidences of biochar in soils around the world including the midwest US and (famously) the Terra Preta soils of the Amazon. Easily dismissed as legends and fables, the reality is there are some really special qualities biochar has as a soil conditioner. Beyond […]
I’m starting a new project with the goal of getting my flock of 100-150 layers off commercial bagged chicken feed. I want to work towards a more natural alternative chicken feed. Although I need to keep my costs down, the real goal is better eggs and meat, not saving money, but I want to be […]
Vertical gardening is one of the most space-efficient ways to grow. It can also be a work-around poor soil, landlord and property restrictions, and a number of other issues. But more than just a way to solve garden problems, it offers a number of unique advantages including easier access for disabled and elderly persons, less […]
The benefits of biochar are many and last for millennia. The pit method for making biochar is one of the simplest, easiest, low tech ways of making biochar for soil applications. It can be made on a small farm, or backyard in many areas and requires no barrel, no welding, no stovepipe, and no cob. […]
Compost is one of the best ways to supercharge your growing efforts, and a tumbler is one of the easiest ways to make good compost allowing you to quickly process kitchen waste or small amounts of yard waste to make compost for your garden, seedlings, or potted plants. Today’s project is a recycled barrel compost […]
Today’s project is a large plywood chicken feeder capable of holding around 80 lbs of chicken feed and designed to feed about 50 laying hens. It is a freestanding unit designed to sit in the middle of the coop allowing chickens to eat from both sides. The base is about 16″x30″ and the project is […]
When I grew up, I remember lots of people having houseplants. Lots of them. A myriad of different species and a lot of the same too. Some of them stayed inside all the time. Some came out in the spring to enjoy the sunshine. Others were moved in and out at various times and for […]
How can I get my chickens off expensive bagged feed? Lots of people are asking the question. Some have had success free ranging, others feeding scraps from the table and garden. Others buy even more expensive feed of various sorts including stuff from health food stores. Some go to bagged organic feed. Unfortunately for me, […]
I’ve been interested in homesteading and natural gardening for pretty much as long as I can remember being interested in gardening, which is pretty much my whole life. Perhaps it was encoded somewhere in my DNA, or perhaps it was the books and magazines I read as a kid. Perhaps it was because our library […]
To Just Get it Growing, you can make a raised bed garden with just a shovel or digging fork and a few hours of work. Actually, they don’t have to be raised. They can be lowered in dry regions to catch more water or can just be level with the paths between beds. Also, they […]
