Earlier this year we discussed how to prune Hydrangea paniculata, the woody, sun-loving white hydrangea. Today we are going to discuss how to prune its semi-woody cousin the mophead hydrangea, Hydrangea macrophylla. These are the hydrangeas with glossy green leaves and blooms that are blue or pink and can change color depending on the soil…
Category: How To Articles
How To Make Hoshigaki—Preserving Food Like Our Ancestors
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…
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…
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 Get Started Winter Gardening
Have you ever wanted to grow a winter vegetable garden, but haven’t been quite sure where to start? Or do you think that it’s too cold where you live to plant fall crops? Did you know that people as far north as Vermont can harvest winter vegetables deep into the winter under an unheated high…
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…
Electric Fence: What You Need To Know
Some people love electric fence, other people think they are dangerous or cruel. Still others don’t think that they work. The reality is that the truth probably lies somewhere in between. We built a high tensile fence on our farm and chose to electrify it. We have found it very effective and are sharing what…
How To Build A T-Trellis
If you are interested in growing kiwi, grapes, or another large vine, you will need a sturdy trellis. When growing a fruiting crop you need a trellis strong enough to hold not only the weight of the vine, but also the weight of the fruit. Having a properly constructed, sturdy trellis is the key harvesting…
