After reading this title, you are probably wondering what in the world is hoshigaki? Hoshigaki means dried persimmon in Japanese. In an earlier article where we advocated for planting persimmon trees in a no-spray orchard we mentioned that this was one of the uses for persimmons. Today we are going to show you how to…
Category: Homesteading
How To Turn Kitchen Waste Into Homemade Soap
Most people trying to homestead know how important it is to waste as little as possible. But one thing many people don’t know what to do with is waste fat from the kitchen or from processing animals. Did you know that instead of throwing away all that fat, you can easily turn it into a…
The 10 Best Winter Vegetables You Should Be Growing
Now that we gave you some tips to use to extend your season, we thought we would tell you about 10 of our favorite winter vegetables. Some of these have the potential to overwinter to produce a very early spring crop as far north as places like Vermont and New York if given protection. Of…
What We Know About No Waste Hay Feeders
If you have had sheep or goats for any length of time, then you know a good hay feeder is essential. If you are new to sheep, you’ll quickly see what we mean. These animals are extremely wasteful of their hay if it is placed on the ground where they will stand or poop on…
Choosing The Right Mineral Mix For Your Sheep
A big question that a lot of new sheep owners have is what mineral supplement should I feed my sheep? Most people know that they need to feed a mineral supplement, but have no clue what one to use or why. Even a lot of more experienced sheep owners are not very informed about animal…
How To Grow Veggies All Winter–Season Extension Tips
If you love gardening and growing fresh vegetables, you probably miss those vegetables in the winter. Did you know that if you plant the right crops, and care for them properly, you can harvest fresh vegetables long past your first fall frost? Keep reading for 7 of our season extension tips. With some practice and…
How To Select Good Hay For Your Sheep
When we talk about feeding our sheep, typically the most important component is quality hay. As you probably know, sheep are designed to eat a diet mainly consisting of grass, and need to do so to stay healthy. Unfortunately while hay is a critically important part of your animal’s diet, it is often the hardest…
How To Make Halloumi Cheese
If you have been milking your sheep, you may have reached a point where you have more milk than you could use. As it would happen, sheep milk is the ideal milk for making cheese. Plus, it freezes wonderfully, so you can freeze small amounts of excess milk until you have enough to make a…
How To Body Condition Score Your Sheep
Today we are going to discuss body condition scoring in sheep. As someone who is breeding sheep, it is important to be able to know what sort of condition your animals are in at various stages of production—and what condition they should be in. If your sheep is either too fat or too thin this…
How To Build A Portable Shade Structure For Your Sheep
If you read our articles on barber pole worms, then you know that proper rotational grazing can significantly reduce the worm burden your sheep are exposed to. Realistically, rotational grazing can be tricky to implement for a variety of reasons. One of the main reasons is shade and or shelter constraints. So today we are…
