Page 53 – Countryside

Building Your Garden with Upcycled Garden Ideas

May 10, 2020 · Angi Schneider · Growing

A casual stroll through your local home and garden center will lead you to believe that gardening is an expensive endeavor, but it doesn’t have to be wallet-consuming.

In Old Small Farm Tractors, Lubrication is Key

May 9, 2020 · Countryside Magazine Contributor · Tractors & Farm Equipment

Call me sentimental, but I have a soft spot for old small farm tractors and here’s why. Just a couple of weeks ago, my wife, Becky, surveyed my latest acquisition, a nearly four-foot diameter by 10-foot oak log that I had salvaged from a residence in town after it had died and a tree service company cut it down.

Vertical Farming Grows Skyward

May 9, 2020 · Countryside Magazine Contributor · Growing

Vertical farming has surged in urban areas for one big reason: you can grow a lot of food on just a little dirt. It is estimated that by 2050 about 80 percent of the world’s population will live in urban dwellings; that’s about three billion people to feed.

Soap Making Techniques: Which is Right for You?

May 7, 2020 · Marissa Ames · Soapmaking

Soap making is an old art with changing history. And it’s not all made the same way. Different ingredients, temperatures, and curing times come into play. If you want to learn how to make soap, first decide which soap making techniques you’re most comfortable with using.

12 Tips for Starting a Nursery Business from Home

April 27, 2020 · Kenny Coogan · Growing

Starting a nursery business from home, whether small or large, means knowing the best ways to propagate and sell plants. I purchased my one-acre homestead for its location, mature trees, and potential to grow rows and rows of vegetables.

How to Tell If You Have a Healthy SCOBY

April 25, 2020 · Jennifer Vanbenschoten · Canning & Kitchen

Of all the things that couples argue about, I’ll bet the last one you’d ever think of is whether or not you have a healthy SCOBY in your kombucha jug. Yet that’s exactly what my husband and I were debating not too long ago after my first attempt at learning how to make kombucha from a healthy SCOBY given to me by a dear friend.

Try Perennial Peanut Grass Hay as a Healthy Alternative Forage

April 18, 2020 · Maat Van Uitert · Growing

You might never have heard of perennial peanut grass hay, but it’s one of the best-kept forage secrets of the southeastern United States. It’s also an excellent forage for livestock, including pigs, horses, dairy goats, sheep and rabbits.

The 17 Best Oils for Face and Skin

April 15, 2020 · Rebecca Sanderson · Soapmaking

Is coconut oil good for your face? And what other oils do faces love? Here is a list of 17 of the best oils for face and skin tone.

Manna Pro® Celebrates 4-H Partnership with Photo Sweepstakes and Fundraiser

April 13, 2020 · Marissa Ames · Homesteading

The mosaic photo sweepstakes runs through April 30th. First place receives $6,000 and limited-edition Manna Pro champion pins, second place receives $3,000, and third place receives $1,000.

Improving Soil with Cattle and The Best Green Manure Crops

April 12, 2020 · Countryside Magazine Contributor · Growing

Holistic grazing and the best green manure crops naturally improve soil. Add legumes or rotational cattle grazing to revitalize land.

Soil-Borne Pathogens Can Cause Plant Blight and Disease

April 11, 2020 · Countryside Magazine Contributor · Growing

The crops we grow, especially vegetables, are subject to a number of different diseases and plant blight caused by soil-borne pathogens. Soil is full of organisms — both good and bad. The good organisms include worms, slugs, snails, beetles, ants, and spiders as well as gophers and moles and even snakes.

5 Homestead Animals for Self-Sufficiency

April 6, 2020 · Rhonda Crank · Homesteading

If your aim is self-sufficiency and you’re not a vegan, you will need a supply of milk, eggs and meat for self-sufficiency. From cow farming to chicken keeping, the peace of mind and satisfaction you gain from raising your own animals can’t be matched.

Knitted Dishcloth Patterns: Handmade for Your Kitchen!

March 31, 2020 · Kathleen Cubley · Homesteading

A few things were certain on every visit to my gramma’s lake cabin each summer. There would be knitted dishcloth patterns in the kitchen, fluffy beach towels stacked in the bathroom, casseroles for dinner, bologna sandwiches for lunch, sunburned shoulders, and crickets chirping in the evening.