September 2025

Do you want to raise chickens for their eggs? We can help you choose the right breed. All hens lay edible eggs, but some simply excel at egg production. While there is some individual variation from hen to hen, there are specific chicken breeds that are the masters of egg laying. When choosing a laying […]

What is it about the contrast of creamy, smooth goat cheese with a spicy tomato sauce? Is it that little bite of sour at the very end of the cheese that accents the sweetness of the tomatoes? It may be honey goat cheese pizza or apple goat cheese pizza – whatever it is, pizza with […]

It is important to deworm your chickens. There are many internal parasites that affect chickens, causing weight loss, poor growth, pale egg yolks, anemia, droopy combs, diarrhea and even death in severe cases. There are several options when it comes to choosing a chicken wormer. The easiest way is to make a natural chicken wormer […]

Hailed as the most complete nutritious food available, goats milk, particularly in its raw state, is packed with vitamins, minerals, proteins, and phyto-nutrients that are incredibly good for humans and other animals. Even in its pasteurized state, it has plenty of wonderful properties – and it tastes pretty good, too. So read on to learn […]

Organic gardening is the best way to produce healthy food for your family. All you need is a bit of knowledge. We’ve compiled this simple guide to organic gardening to give you all the resources you need to get started. The Scoop on Organic Back in the 70’s and 80’s organic gardening was something hippies […]

Proper pruning will help you get the most out of your heirloom tomato plants. Pruning encourages heirloom tomato plants to grow larger, more flavorful tomatoes, produce more tomatoes throughout the season, escape disease and stay a more manageable size. Left unchecked many heirloom tomato plants can reach eight to ten feet in height with sprawling […]

The Livestock Conservancy lays out strict requirements for heritage chicken breeds. To be called “heritage” a chicken must be have parents and grandparents of a breed recognized by the American Poultry Association prior to the mid-20th century, they must reproduce through natural mating, live a long productive life (5-7 years for breeding hens) and have […]

Are you wondering the gender of your baby chicks, or maybe even of your older birds? Sexing chicks is a tricky business. Even the professionals at the best chicken hatcheries sometimes make mistakes. But it can be important to know how to sex chicks, especially if you live in a neighborhood where roosters are not […]

In 1980’s the USDA changed their recommendations for home canning. The new guidelines stated that whole or crushed canned tomatoes, as well as canned tomato juice, sauces and salsas must be canned using a pressure cooker due to the risks of botulism associated with water bath canning. This doesn’t mean you cannot safely process canned […]

Canning spaghetti sauce with meat can be done safely at home. After all, in my opinion the best homemade spaghetti sauce is the classic, simple and satisfying bolognese. There are a few special considerations when canning spaghetti sauce with meat in it. Follow these instructions to stock your pantry with fresh, homemade spaghetti sauce. Safely […]

The best tomato canning recipes are simple, fast and delicious. You can process whole tomatoes, tomato juice or tomato sauce to have on hand for any of your favorites stews, soups or sauces. Or you can prepare these items ahead of time to have fast and wholesome meals at a moment’s notice. For basic, easy […]

Keeping backyard chickens is an easy first step to living a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle. Compared to keeping other livestock, raising chickens is easy. They come home every night, lay eggs faithfully, can eat a diverse range of foods and are highly adaptable. And don’t forget the best part: they produce delicious eggs. Once you’ve […]

While heirloom tomatoes have amazing flavor that makes the perfectly red and smooth hybrid varieties in the grocery store taste like plastic, they lack the disease resistance that has been bred into modern tomatoes. Even the best heirloom tomatoes rarely produce as long or as well as a hybrid strain because they succumb to disease […]

A broody hen is compelled by changes in daylight, hormones and natural instincts to sit on a clutch of eggs until they hatch. Broody hen behavior is very distinctive. She stays on her nest day and night, shrieks and pecks when disturbed and puffs her feathers up to look tough. While a broody hen is […]