Our giant pumpkin seedlings are already giant! They were started just over a week ago, and have already outgrown their soil block. Yesterday, they were transplanted into a larger container. Once a week, they will be getting an infusion of fish emulsion - stinky stuff, but great for plants! This gives them the nitrogen boost they need for a great head start. They are also growing underneath full spectrum LED grow lights - thus the spooky pink glow. Cucurbits (the plant family

If you (like the rest of us) are concerned about rising prices, a CSA might be a good way to keep your finances in check. Since the price is the same every month (or week, depending on your program), it is easier to tracking your spending. Plus, with a meat CSA, a little can go a long way! Our Single Meat CSA Share can stretch to cover many family meals for a month - see below for details. A Double Share or Family Share goes even further! Plus, get even more savings when you

This book really struck my beekeeper heart. As someone who deeply relates to the author, I felt it was a great and honest description of someone in their first year of natural beekeeping and going through life's trials. I have read so many books about beekeeping and how to do it. This one was a refreshing change and was nice to see the joys and struggles of something that is not just a hobby but a way of life. Beekeeping teaches you many things about life and this book captur

Mushrooms are amazing - they can clean up pollution, help trees talk to each other, plus they have such a subtle, unique, delicious flavors. It is so easy (and cost-effective!) to grow you own! I use plug spawn to grow my mushrooms. Plugs (small wooden dowels, essentially) are inoculated with mushroom spawn, then inserted into holes drilled into a log. Then, the holes are sealed with beeswax, the logs sit in a shady, moist place for a while, and - boom! Mushrooms! That's it.

The beginning of a great pumpkin adventure! We recently were gifted seeds from a giant, prize winning pumpkin (named Reed 218), and we are trying to grow our own. Tips, tricks, and advice welcomed! First, we started the seeds in soil blocks. They will germinate and grow for the next three weeks under grow lights. Then, we will harden them off by slowly introducing them to outdoor weather, and then plant them in the beginning of June. Stop by the farm after they are planted to

Farm life is about as experiential as it comes. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't find myself, feeding an animal, wrestling with broken equipment, or chasing an escapee back in. It's as real as it gets.... Always an adventure and never a dull moment. With all these experiences come an education. I am learning everyday what to do, or more importantly what not to do sometimes. Just the other day I learned the hard way just how overprotective #115 Highland Cow as she l

We got our 4 Nigerian goat doelings this weekend and we could not be more excited to have them join our homestead. We got them because they are small, have great personalities and will supply us with delicious raw milk! We don't have the space for our own milk cow so goats were a perfect option. We plan to make cheese, soap and so much more! Have you considered raw goat's milk as an option? There are so many great health benefits to raw goat's milk. Here are my top 3 reasons

Feast on native Concord grapes, fill your vases with blooms, and boost your backyard biodiversity! You can use permaculture techniques to increase your garden's yield, create wildlife habitats, and lower your workload. In this "guild," as they are called, plants work together naturally to create a beneficial micro-environment. For example, the perennial lupines, which are native to the Northeast, fix nitrogen in the soil - in other words, they create their own fertilizer. The