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Countryside Contributor
Articles by Countryside Contributor
Dexter Cattle – The Ideal Family Cow
Homesteading is about simplicity, self reliance, and doing as much as you can with as little as possible, always with an eye on the bottom line.
So when it comes to considering large livestock, selecting an animal species or specific breed that provides multiple benefits should be the goal.
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Sea Buckthorn: It Started With a Prayer
Studies have shown sea buckthorn is able to actually remove cholesterol from arteries. The seed and berry oil are used topically after radiation exposure due to medical treatments, accidental exposure or severe frostbite/sunburn.
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DIY Rotel-Style Tomatoes and Fish House Relish
Do you ever end up with so many tomatoes that you start running out of ideas of what to use them for? Worry no more!
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Anatolian Shepherd Dog: Guardian of the Livestock
Need a good guardian for livestock? You might consider the Anatolian Shepherd dog. The breed originated in the Anatolia area of the nation of Turkey, hence the name, and is still used in Turkey’s and western Asia’s rural areas as a defender of livestock.
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An Easy Peasy Start to Seed Saving
Add to Favorites By TJ King – When I started gardening years ago, I did a terrible job harvesting shelling peas (Pisum sativum). Each season, I missed peas on every …
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Adding New Dogs Into an Existing Livestock Guardian Dog Pack
Many operators incorrectly start their LGD experience by purchasing, training, and using just one dog at a time. They usually find out sooner than later, they should have bought two dogs or more to start. To be used successfully as guardians of livestock, LGDs should be run in pairs or more.
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Salvage Your Drought-Affected Corn
For five long summer days, the relentless sun blazed, penetrating and drying out corn tassels. An unceasing wind drove away what moisture was available in the air.
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How to Build Durable Pipe Corrals
It’s important to know how to build pipe corrals because of the availability of material and, if done correctly, it will only need to be done once in a lifetime.
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Cedar Apple Rust: A Disturbing Discovery
My family and I returned home from church on a rainy Sunday in May. It had been pouring for hours, but just as I pulled into the driveway, the rain stopped, and the sun shone brightly through a break in the clouds.
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DIY Yellow Jacket Trap
Imagine it’s noontime on the farm and your family is ready to enjoy a great lunch outside. The plates are full and the view is postcard gorgeous. But, oh no! They are back!
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Accidental Shetland Sheep Farmers
I became what I term as an accidental Shetland sheep farmer. Why do I say that? Well, sheep were not something we had considered for our small homestead.
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Making Money with Goat Milk Soap
Add to Favorites By Heather Hicks — We didn’t plan to have a soap business, in fact, I didn’t plan for dairy goats! Some of life’s best adventures are from following your children’s lead …
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Mullein, Not Just a Common Weed
You will find mullein, a woolly-leafed, tall-stemmed biannual, along roadsides, in meadows, and riparian corridors throughout the United States and Canada.
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How to Make Lip Balm at Home
One of the neatest things about having a desire to be as independent as possible is the many things you learn to do on your own. And come those cold winter days, you’ll be happy to know how to make lip balm at home.
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How to Grow Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are about as versatile of a vegetable as one can get, making this tasty root the perfect garden staple in nearly any USDA planting zone. Sweet potato pie, marshmallow-covered casseroles, and sweet potato bread are but a few of the mouthwatering dishes made possible by this humble root.
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