countryside
Beef Composites and Breed Definition
We frequently hear the terms crossbred, hybrid, composite, or synthetic when referring to breed definition, and we often wonder exactly what these terms mean.
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Agritourism: A Money-Making Agriculture Business
Can inviting farm visitors fuel a successful money-making agriculture business? It’s called agritourism and yes, it can!
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Starting a Petting Zoo Business
Why not make use of the resources you already have on hand — farm animals, land, and a love of sharing them with others — and try starting a petting zoo business?
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How to Store Firewood: Try Low-Cost, High-Efficiency Racks
One thing we have in abundance here in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina is firewood. Last winter, we noticed that the number of wood piles on our neighbors’ properties increased dramatically.
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What You Can, and Can’t, Can
Just about anything you would grow in your garden may be preserved by canning. Only a few foods cannot be safely canned at all, some may be canned in one form but not another, and still others don’t hold up well under the prolonged heat of processing.
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Fire Preparedness On The Farm
Fire preparedness is an often-overlooked issue on the farm and homestead. Have you looked at your homestead or farm through the eyes of a firefighter?
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Off-Grid Battery Banks: The Heart of the System
Add to Favorites By Dan Fink – Anyone who owns a vehicle likely already has a love-hate relationship with the starting battery inside. It’s heavy, dirty, expensive, dangerous, and always seems …
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7 Tips for How to Start Living Off The Grid
Add to Favorites By Dave Stebbins – Living off-grid is living the dream. Enjoying all the amenities while not being dependent on the power company fires the imagination. Sunlight sparkles …
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How to Build a Cattle Panel Hoop House
Add to Favorites By Julie Harrell, New York, Zone 5B My cattle panel hoop house is a community gathering place. Recently, my sweet neighbor of almost 20 years and soul …
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What is the Best Mulch to Prevent Weeds?
Add to Favorites All Photos By Shelley Dedauw The best mulch to prevent weeds depends on where the mulch lies, what else you need it to do…and, of course, cost. …
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Growing Shiitake Mushrooms on a Log
Add to Favorites By Anita B. Stone, North Carolina – If you ever wanted to grow mushrooms on the homestead and make a decent wage, growing shiitake mushrooms is the way …
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How to Grow Rhubarb: Diseases, Harvesting and Recipes
Add to Favorites By Teresa Flora – In much of North America, spring is welcomed with the tart and tangy taste of fresh rhubarb. Rhubarb is one of the easiest and …
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Cherishing the Natural Beauty of Icelandic Sheep
Add to Favorites By Marguerite Chisick – We discovered that Icelandic sheep were our ticket to a more sustainable way of life! It is not uncommon for people who are living …
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Wild Plant Identification: Foraging for Edible Weeds
Add to Favorites On a sleepy Sunday afternoon, on the grounds of an ex-horse stable, Nate Chetelat presents a wild plant identification tour for a local gardening group. The focus …
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Drop Spindle Spinning: Making and Using Your First Spindle
Add to Favorites By Angela Hammer – I’ve always liked making things with my hands. I learned how to crochet years ago, so spinning became the next logical step for me …
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