Starting with low maintenance farm animals is a great introduction to animals husbandry. These 4 animals are all good choices.

I'll share the secret to making a living in the country. It's not very complicated but It's probably not what you think. Here it is...

We get asked this occasionally.. what's the difference in farmsteading and homesteading? In a lot of ways each of these is married to the other, but they are also different from each other. We'll make a fancy schmancy Venn diagram to show you the difference (and cause it's cool). Let's start with some definitions.... What

On an 18th-century farmstead in rural Sweden, two Copenhagen designers handcraft a summerhouse that seamlessly melds the modern and the traditional. Photo 3 of 12 in Modern Meets Traditional in a Swedish Summer House. Browse inspirational photos of modern homes.

c.1860 New York Farmstead for sale with quaint farmhouse in need of some updating, has barns, 3 ponds and the loveliest 112 rolling open and wooded acres you ar

A small experimental farm shows what’s possible when sustainability pioneers work together to turn dormant soil into a source of food and community.

I created our garden from a completely empty yard. My enfaces was on edible plants grown sustainabiliy. I want everyone to have a garden that they enjoy as

We've compiled a list of 9 our favorite crops that can be harvested in 30 days or less. Let's create a 30 day garden together! The best part of these crops is that they DO NOT have to be planted in the ground. Each of these will do excellent in a container garden! We've linked

I'm happy to introduce you to George, Winston, and Teddy, our new Babydoll Southdown Sheep! (If you follow along with me on Instagram or Facebook you have already been lamb-spammed by me. Sorry, but they're just sooo cute!) This is our fifth spring living here at our little farmstead, and I have been dreaming of having Babydoll sheep pretty much since we moved in. I went back and checked my emails, and I've been inquiring about Babydoll sheep from breeders since our first spring here. I don't remember where I first saw Babydoll sheep, but I think it was online. They have these sweet teddy bear faces, and often appear as if they're smiling! Babydoll sheep only grow to 18-24" (at the shoulder), so they're easy to keep even on small acreage. You may have seen my post on our road trip down to Northern California over spring break. We visited the most beautiful ranch, Moon Hollow Ranch. We got to spend some time with Babydoll sheep, and our kids fell in love with them too. My husband was impartial, but since having our own, they've grown on him. (The fact that they're natural weeders helps!) We ended up purchasing our sheep from Moon Hollow Ranch a few weeks later, after we returned home. The livestock manager was able to help coordinate transportation, which was really helpful. Teddy (below, on the right) is especially friendly and will baaaaa when we come near, running to see us. So yes, to answer your question, we got the sheep primarily for pets. We also like that they can help keep weeds down in the areas that they're kept. In addition, I plan on getting their wool spun when we have them sheared each year. I'm not sure how expensive it is to do this, but I can't help but dream of a wool blanket for each of our boys made from our own sheep. Ah, how my dreams have changed over the years... ;) I love the feeling of having life in our barn... and such friendly life at that! It makes me smile to see our boys interact with our animals. To me, animals add to the comforting feeling of home. They do require some work, but they're worth it! Have you seen Babydoll sheep? Do you have any animals you dream of having someday? I'd love to hear! Thank you so much for stopping by today, Xo

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This past week we had the opportunity to tour Tomales Farmstead Creamery as a part of the California Artisan Cheese Festival. We got to cuddle with baby goats, watch a milking, and taste plenty of cheese. We also had the opportunity to peek inside their gorgeous modern farmhouse, which is available to rent on Airbnb

Learn what the best mulch to use for blueberries to get the healthiest blueberry bushes with the tastiest fruit.

In our community of homesteaders, some people raise milking animals for their personal use, and others make an income by starting a micro-creamery out of their homestead.

We can write an entire book when it comes to practical tips and advice for beginner homesteaders. There are simply too many topics to cover in one blog post.

Learn what the best mulch to use for blueberries to get the healthiest blueberry bushes with the tastiest fruit.

Would you like to have your own smallholding? Do you long to live a more independent and fulfilling life? Would you like to raise 90% of your food?

We get asked this occasionally.. what's the difference in farmsteading and homesteading? In a lot of ways each of these is married to the other, but they are also different from each other. We'll make a fancy schmancy Venn diagram to show you the difference (and cause it's cool). Let's start with some definitions.... What

It's an ideal place to spend a relaxing day outdoors with the family.

This old farmstead has pretty much tumbled down, even the front yard tree has gone down in a windstorm. But as you can see from the bright red leaves, a new branch has sprouted from the shattered trunk - there's always hope. Explore #107 - May 29, 2010

Drawn to visit the Kyneton Annual Daffodil Festival, we found the Fox Family's 'Bringalbit' in nearby Sidonia has everything a holidaymaker seeking accommodation on a farm could envisage, and then some! Lovely walks to view gardens, a lake, cattle, sheep, poultry—even art and cookery classes!

Are a homestead and a farmstead the same thing? Isn't a farmstead just the farmSTAND where the produce gets sold? Distinguishing from a business standpoint is critical.

Here's how to avoid these mistakes even the most advanced homesteaders make with their livestock during the cold season. Read more here:

Are you in search of a natural shampoo that actually leaves your hair feeling clean, shiny, and smooth? After years of dealing with that exact scenario, I began making this tallow shampoo bar and it has been the perfect solution. With just a handful of ingredients, I’ll walk you through how you can make them yourself!

Wanting to farm your backyard? This 0.1 acre homestead layout can help you design a small homestead that's functional, productive, and self-sufficient.

Raising Goats Naturally lays an enjoyable and empowering foundation for goat-rearing success on the self-reliant farmstead. — Joel Salatin, Polyface Farms

At the front end of gardening in Georgia, newly graduated from SMU into Jimmy Carter's 21% interest rates and few jobs, I lived above a 3 car carriage house. Built in the late teens of the last century, red brick, wood floors, high ceilings, 3 dormer windows, 2 bedrooms/1 bath, living room, kitchen/dining, and a huge deck in back, high on posts, overlooking 50 rolling, open/wooded acres, behind dense woods an east/west train track, unseen but not unheard, bordered the back property line, with 3 horses, my favorite, Dan, a dignified Tennessee Walker who reminded me of Cary Grant, if he were a horse in late life. . After a year in the carriage house, Miss Louise died, and we moved into the Big House, a red brick/white trim Williamsburg, 5/4 and a door, circular drives at the front and back. Elegant proportions & details, though not large, oak floors aged the color of north Georgia sourwood honey, and a garden evolved over decades into blooms everyday of the year spread amongst, azaleas, hydrangeas, camellias, roses, mahonia, gardenia, iris, lilac, lily of the valley, forsythia, daffodils, cherry trees, magnolias, viburnums, sweet shrub, red bud, and more. . Almost 2 years later I built my starter home, tiny lot, less than a quarter acre, in a new cluster home subdivision. . There I learned to garden. Added another degree, Horticulture, & more importantly, 2+ decades of travel across Europe studying historic landscapes. . A few weeks ago, I moved from my starter home to the country, time lapse 33 years. . Now, with Beloved, I'm in a white clapboard American Farmhouse, ca. 1900, wide chipping gray painted concrete steps, framed on one side with a plumbing pipe handrail, step on to a wide/deep front porch, and finally you're at the front door, original to the house, its brass bell, with a turn of the latch, still rings loud at 115 years old, 11' high beadboard ceilings, a central hall 9' x 50', heart of pine wood floors, 4.5 rolling acres, open/wooded, pond, historically sited with house close to the road and property line, century old pecan trees lining the street/sidewalk, leaving space for orchard, potager, pleasure garden, livestock, barn, sheds, drives, and views of the trailing Piedmont before it turns to Coastal plane, dotted with neighbor's dairy cattle. Many views pure Thomas Cole, 1801-1848, founder of the Hudson River School painting style. . A homestead garden. Horticulture joined with agriculture. A garden never meant for amusement, instead, stewardship. . It's not uncommon to reach 100f in summer, nor a cow to jump a fence into the garden, deer/fox/coyote ubiquitous, myriad ant species continually on the march, flying insects further evolved than their city counterparts, timber rattlers and happily king snakes too. But I have gotten ahead of my story. There are no pleasure gardens, potager, paths, barn, orchard, chicken coop, focal points on axis, potting shed. Yet. And the pond, rimmed with trees & an earthen damn threatening breach has not been touched in decades. Exciting times. . Cannot imagine a more perfect proscenium. The play, ours to write, build, and live. . Time, land, house, weather, the project list, day job, and division of labor between the sexes are dominate. No pretending I have control over time, weather, or the rest of the list. Lifestyle choices honed in the city aren't useful here. This house, and property, have it right about life, I've moved into my beliefs. Wendell Berry made this choice years ago. Without awareness, choosing to live in this house and on this property was the action step of Joseph Campbell's, Follow your bliss, and Jung's, Our lives are about getting the outside to match the inside. . By now, gravel drives, paths, parking courts, barn, wrap around porch at the back of the house, sheds moved, chicken coup built, interior painted, front porch stained, were all to have been completed and plantings ready to be resourced from growers. Instead, it's a list, and the house/property are in charge. During this, I'm realizing, is a rich life. No more fighting city instincts, the choice is made, stay in the new chapters, let them grow. Zero regrets moving here but surprised at the depths of change. . An acre of land, above. Glad I know how to steward ornamental horticulture with agriculture, this homestead, above, does not and it's an expensive mistake. Do you see the mistake/s? There are no plantings maximizing pollinators through out the year. Why does it matter? Maximum pollinator habitat increases agricultural yields up to 80%. In addition, no fencing to keep predators out, nor crops eaten by deer/rabbits, and where are the car & small tractor parked? Finding the source for this pic, Mother Earth News, I discovered a better assessment of this garden, here. . Pic, above, via Tim Cuppett Architects, here. . Knew from first visit to our property, gravel, lots of gravel. Drives, lanes, paths, parking courts. Gravel is easy to work, affordable, historically accurate. Ironically, it's also the best choice for living with timber rattlers. . Pic of Vita Sackville-West by Cecil Beaton at Sissinghurst. Clothes to garden are an issue. Choices are year round regardless of 101f, snakes win. Boots. Cowboy boots, pants, pockets, long sleeves all against snakes/insects, and the phone in case something does happen. Taking a direct hit from a century old pecan tree branch falling has been a thought. Muck shoes for the chicken coop, rubber boots for wet days, 2 pairs of everything, front/back doors are so far apart, there is no trudging between. . Pic from, I Love Your Style. Shirt by Isabel Marant, trousers by TopShop, boots by Grenson. A client lent me Amanda Brooks, I Love Your Style, well before moving to the homestead. Already enjoyed, now, much resonates differently. My homestead chores differ from Beloved's, often leading to the obvious, I cook dinner, yet this took weeks to realize. Cooking, grocery shopping, pantry resources are a foreign language. Have hired an expert to teach me how to menu plan, pantry plan, grocery shop, and wildly unexpected, teaching me how to use the freezer as a tool. Asked a friend for input too, so far, my cooking = shopping/pantry/freezer/refrigerator lessons are in the kindergarten class, which is grand improvement. Pic from Veranda magazine. Furlow Gatewood stole my heart, at first sighting of his potted hydrangeas, above, lining a drive. I will use Limelight hydrangea, they are tough for heat/sun, similar large pots (already resourced the vendor), and drip irrigation. First in inspiration, alas, they will be one of the last items placed in the garden. Do not want to adjust them once sited. Hearing Beloved's, "You're damn right I won't move them...." . Pic, above, via here. When I'm ready to put a new roof on our shed, I'll show the architect this shed, above. The garden shed, ca. 1900, we're moving has a functional shape, not aesthetic, and was covered in aluminum at some point. Once moved, the shed will anchor the new orchard at the front, and woodland and rolling Piedmont hills & lake view at the back, with chicken coop incorporated. Getting the aesthetics correct, the shed will get a new roof line, matching one on the house, with awnings encircling the whole. . Pic, above, via here. Our front porch had been stained, long faded away. Concrete steps are chipping grey paint. When I saw this porch, above, I knew I had to go with the green. Then, I discovered a similar shade of green was used by George Washington & Thomas Jefferson at their homes. Remembering then, Monet chose an incredible green for his front porch. I've been to all 3 homes, loved each. Beloved is stuck on gray. . Pic, above, from My Design Chic, you'll like the link, it's all about kitchen gardens. My orchard/potager, will be gravel not lawn, and more orchard than potager. Keeping maintenance low, yet fruit/vegetables/flowers, abundant. Truly, I thought I would be planting it this month? Instead, the only thing done has been burying one of my favorite chickens killed in a night time attack. She was dug up, (armadillo?) 2 nites in a row, I buried her 2 more times. Finally, Beloved, without being asked, took her in his Caterpillar to the back woodland and buried her deep. . Pic, above, from my previous garden, espalier apples at the front curb. Looking out my front door, from the central hall, is a perfect view into my neighbor's front door. I don't 'do' that type of view. Not in my realm. Not a large garden space, Espalier pear trees will be planted for my view. Obviously a better view for Linda, my neighbor, too. . . Beloved has requested an outdoor shower. This one, above, is in a client's garden. . Pic, above, from a client's garden. . Have decided to scare myself with daffodil bulbs. When the garden is ready for siting daffodils, I'm placing a huge order with Brent & Becky's Bulbs. Enough to feel it in the checkbook, and in the back while planting for days/days in late fall. Why is this so extremely appealing? . I know how to create a homestead garden but in this new layer, I must know, more finely, what to do. Agriculture is weighted more greatly than ornamental horticulture here. Jefferson in reverse, an old gardener but new farmer. . Where to get the fine details? It's humorous, needing to learn what is beyond books, knowledge residing, now, in people, kindred spirits. . Maine is well ahead of me, their Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, even in their name, is creating a culture of knowledge to be passed forward. At the top of their website is this, "The history of every Nation is eventually written in the way in which it cares for its soil." - Franklin D. Roosevelt. Signing the Soil Conservation and Soil Conservation Allotment Act. . "MOFGA is the oldest organic agriculture organization in the country and is committed to developing a strong network of organic farmers. This network has helped them to attract and train the next generation of Maine farmers. Their Journeyperson program has 52-participants this year. Their apprenticeship program has roughly 175 beginner participants, each of whom is paired with a more seasoned farmer who can share their knowledge, experiences and best practices." from, Martha Stewart's blog, her entire post about MOFGA, here. . Eliot Coleman, Four Season Farm, has decades of organic experience with agriculture, livestock, & horticulture, " "I know of no other person who can produce better results on the land with an economy of effort and means than Eliot. He has transformed gardening from a task, to a craft, and finally to what Stewart Brand would call 'local science'." — Paul Hawken, best-selling author and entrepreneur " . Martha Stewart has a lovely slide show about Four Season Farm, here. . Keynote lecturing last weekend I learned about a program in sustainable agriculture in Wisconsin. More resources to glean and adapt. . Years before knowing I would move into our homestead, I've been reading Thistle Cove Farm. Now, I look forward to scrolling backwards and take a lot of notes, to apply at our small farm. . Garden & Be Well, XO T

A Cotswold farmhouse in poppy season. I took this due to the combination of poppies, farmhouse and tractor lines in the field. The image seems to have 4 parts and appeared to go against the grain of thirds. The HDR gave the image that look of a painting. Canon 50D 60mm@F16 1/80 ISO100

Go back to the land on these five rural properties, from Devon to North Yorkshire

If you’re serious about farming a large homestead year-round, this 15-acre homestead layout will help you plan and design for the best results from your land.

I created our garden from a completely empty yard. My enfaces was on edible plants grown sustainabiliy. I want everyone to have a garden that they enjoy as

An 18th-century farmstead in the mountains is up for sale

I had no idea this was here and can't wait to go check it out!

This hub will take account of: circulation of vehicles, men and livestock; accessibility of buildings housing related operations; relationship to existing buildings and services; and general plan for the future of the farmstead.

Wow. Check out this unbelievable Viking farmstead house in Ale, Sweden. Stunning! The construction is a long-term project that can be followed day by day. The first stage of...

These great tips will help you keep your goats entertained and healthy. Healthy goats are happy goats and happy goats are productive goats.

It’s 2024 and everyone loves the idea of homesteading. And what’s more natural than a beautiful homesteading design that incorporates houseplants that can benefit your home year-round! Houseplants offer much more than aesthetically pleasing greenery. They are essential elements in homesteading designs, providing a host of benefits that enhance your off-grid lifestyle. From improving indoor … Create a Off-Grid Oasis in 2024: Houseplants as Essential Elements in Homesteading Designs Read More »

If you are just starting out on your homestead journey, you're going to love this collection of tips and ideas from some amazing frugal homesteading blogs. Be sure to save for later!

We've all seen them. Those huge listicles with ideas for making money on your homestead. A laundry list of things that could potentially bring in income, but mostly just a few dollars here or there.

We get asked this occasionally.. what's the difference in farmsteading and homesteading? In a lot of ways each of these is married to the other, but they are also different from each other. We'll make a fancy schmancy Venn diagram to show you the difference (and cause it's cool). Let's start with some definitions.... What

Would you like to have your own smallholding? Do you long to live a more independent and fulfilling life? Would you like to raise 90% of your food?

This post contains affiliate links. Full disclosure can be found here. A homestead pantry is one filled with homemade and homegrown ingredients,…