[/URL] Raising sheep brings more than wooly warmth. When we began raising sheep, I looked forward to the warmth they would provide. I did not consider the other ways that sheep would warm us. With quite a few years as a shepherd now behind me, I can see that the wool that sheep provide is but...

Are there homemade chicken feed options available for the homesteader? I scoured the internet looking for the best simple, possibly inexpensive, layer chicken feed. Many options for organic, corn-free and soy-free recipes and formulas were found in the process and I’m happy to share them with...

When I saw the huge amount of Purple Dead Nettle covering our property last spring, I wondered if I could create a purple dead nettle dye for our wool. Purple Dead Nettle ( Lamium purpureum ) is an invasive plant, commonly called a weed. We had a huge crop of this plant. Would this plant yield a...

When raising grass-fed beef there are many things to be aware of ahead of time. In this post (and podcasts) I'm sharing my decades of experience. Raising grass-fed beef on your pasture land is the best way to know that the meat you are eating is truly organic, non-GMO, and hormone-free. Once...

Tomatoes are one of the stand-out vegetables growing in my garden. Knowing how to prune them properly for the greatest yield is important. My supply of homemade salsa, sauces and diced tomatoes will depend on it. You can learn how to prune tomato plants that are determinate and indeterminate...

Multiple years ago I did a test in my garden where I covered half the garden in woodchips and used the Back to Eden no-till gardening method (aka wood chip gardening). Two years later, I did a soil test and was shocked by the results (they weren't what I expected). Now, a few years later, after...

Whether you have young or old apple trees, knowing when and how to prune apple trees correctly is critical to your trees' health and the harvest you’ll receive. Use this guide to learn if summer or winter is the best time of year to prune your trees. It includes step-by-step pruning instructions...

When is the best time to harvest potatoes? And what's the best way for storing potatoes? Keep reading and watch the video below to learn when to harvest, and how to store potatoes both in the ground or indoors. If you've never grown potatoes before, check out this post to learn how to plant...

Growing perennial herbs means you plant them once and they come back year after year. However, they're only going to come back each year if you know how to properly care for them. Learn how to prune herbs and tend to the soil for maximum growth each year, then learn how to harvest herbs, dry...

If you're like me, tomatoes are one of your most prized crops in the garden. Trellising tomatoes can help increase your yield and help ward off common tomato diseases such as early blight and blossom end rot. Learn how to trellis your tomatoes the right way here. I love growing tomatoes...

What does my garden look like in late August? It's absolutely wild and gorgeous! If you like nice and tidy rows in the garden, my gardening methods may not be for you. However, if you love to watch what a garden that's loved and well-tended to will do, then scroll down and come tour my garden...

Raspberries are delicious and easy to plant and grow. Whether you grow summer bearing or fall bearing, red, yellow or black, knowing how to prune raspberries effectively is easy! The best time of year to prune can make all the difference to get the best harvest of sweet fruit the following year...

What does my garden look like in October? Well, it depends on the year! So far, we haven't had a killing frost, but we know it's coming soon. Come hang out with me in the garden and see all that I'm doing in the garden in the fall. In this video, I'm sharing what's still growing strong in my...

Properly treating foot injuries in chickens is very important. Cleaning wounds and a bumble foot treatment plan should be started promptly. The chicken may not eat or drink enough if it has a foot injury. This will weaken the bird and could lead to infection and death A good habit to get into...

What are these three things chickens don’t need? When raising chickens naturally, in winter, there are things chickens don’t need. I know its hard to believe that chickens can and do make it through the winter months, even in very cold climates, without our interfering. How can a chicken...

By Michael Lanza Warm, summer-like temperatures and mostly sunny skies greet us as we start hiking up the Williams Creek Trail in southwestern Colorado’s San Juan Mountains. Even in mid-September, the southern Rocky Mountains sun remains intense here, at over 9,000 feet. Its surprising warmth...

By Michael Lanza Hiking in the Kolob Canyons area of Zion National Park, you get down to business with five-star scenery with your first step from your car. At the Lee Pass Trailhead, Taylor Creek Trailhead, or the Kolob Canyons Viewpoint, you’re immediately greeted with views of crimson cliffs...

By Michael Lanza Picture a chain of peaks rising to over 11,000 feet, some composed of chalk-like rock that looks, from a distance, like snow. Scores of crystal-clear lakes above 9,000 feet ripple in the breeze and creeks run with trout and salmon. Mountain goats, elk, bighorn sheep, black...

By Michael Lanza On our first night in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park on one of my earliest backpacking trips, two friends and I—all complete novices—hung our food from a tree branch near our camp. Unfortunately, the conifer trees around us all had short branches: Our food stuff...

By Michael Lanza You’re planning food for a backpacking trip—maybe for yourself or perhaps for your family or a small group of friends—and you have questions about how to do it. How much food do you need? What food should you bring? How complicated or simple do you want to make it? How do your...