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Countryside Contributor

Guest contributors stop by from time to time to share insight into their homesteading practices. Take a minute and learn something new from one of our Countryside guest contributors.
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Articles by Countryside Contributor

Growing Sweet, Seductive Mint
February 4, 2023 · · Growing

Consider growing mint in your garden this year. Just make sure to keep it controlled, or you may find it seducing its way across your garden.

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How Long Do Dry Beans Last?
December 27, 2022 · · Growing

How long do dry beans last? Apparently much longer than one would think. Patrice Lewis shares her story of her 24-year-old beans.

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Colony Raising Rabbits
December 27, 2022 · · Rabbits

For those looking for alternatives to cage raising their rabbits, colony raising is being recognized more frequently as an option.

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A Different Kind of Processing with Pigs
December 27, 2022 · · Pigs

Add to Favorites By Matt Roben; Photos by Laurie Hatch Photography  In January of 2022, my wife, Emily, and I adopted four potbellied pigs that were taken to the county animal …

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Soay Sheep Domestication
December 27, 2022 · · Sheep

The domestication of the Soay sheep is a rather odd one, having been domesticated centuries ago and semi-abandoned on a small island until the early 1900s.

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Finding a Farrier
December 27, 2022 · · Horses-Donkeys

Whether you want your equines shod or not, a good farrier is necessary because, by the nature of the work, it’s the farrier who finds hoof and even leg problems that you might not see or even realize.

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Venison Processing: Field to Table
December 27, 2022 · · Self-Reliance

There are considerations when processing and preparing your venison that shouldn’t be overlooked. Bonus: 3 venison recipes.

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How to Make Your Own Wooden Spoons
December 26, 2022 · · Self-Reliance

Learning how to make wooden spoons is much simpler than it may seem. Jenny Underwood explains the basics.

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Grannie’s Chocolate Cherry Candies

These chocolate cherry candies are a holiday tradition in my family but are delicious year-round. Try out this recipe for your family.

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Homeschool Contradictory Confidence
December 26, 2022 · · Self-Reliance

A homeschooling parent needs to be prepared before interacting with people who don’t support or understand their homeschool endeavors.

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Farm Equipment Winter Maintenance

Farm equipment winter maintenance is necessary for any equipment that you own that is critical for harvest and in the coming months, to help prevent costly breakdowns.

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Farm Pond Maintenance to Prevent Winterkill
December 8, 2022 · · Self-Reliance

Ponds and lakes in the northern United States have in the past experienced what I will term a “fish kill” related to lack of dissolved oxygen present in the water. Oxygen is essential to the metabolism of all aerobic (air breathing) organisms.

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Making a Wreath

An old-fashioned holiday tradition is to hang an evergreen wreath on your door to welcome family and friends.
Wreath making is quick and very inexpensive.

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Do You Need Some Dough?

Contrary to what most people think, homemade bread is both easy and fun, and allows us to control the price and quality of our bread.

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Diagnosing and Treating Hardware Disease in Cattle
November 22, 2022 · · Cattle

Cattle occasionally swallow foreign material such as pieces of wire chopped up by a baler. Hardware disease in cattle occurs when a sharp object penetrates the gut lining and damages some other organ or creates peritonitis (infection within the abdomen).

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