Organic Gardening, Hobby Farming, and Livestock Care for the Homestead

Grow organic fruits and vegetables on your homestead garden and raise your own poultry and livestock to save money and ensure the quality of the food you provide to your family. Raising chickens for meat and eggs is often a fun task that everyone on the homestead can participate in. Pigs can help take care of kitchen scraps, fertilize your gardens and pastures, and contribute cruelty free port for your table. Plant fruit trees, wild flowers, and vegetables to provide pollen for our struggling bee populations. Besides, what tastes better than freshly picked organic fruits and vegetables? Who knows what crops are genetically modified or what hormones are injected livestock and poultry these days. The only way to know that you are eating safe organic foods these days is to grow or raise it yourself. If you are an organic farmer or raise livestock on your modern homestead, please share your story with us!

	Getting Started with Beekeeping - Getting started with beekeeping is a great way to explore alternative livestock if you are starting on the road to self-sufficiency. Bees are easy to get started and the results of your efforts can be very rewarding.
	Making Hard Apple Cider - Making hard apple cider at home is a fun and easy way to tap into a lost piece of Americana. Before wine and beer became the drinks of choice, most Americans drank hard apple cider due to its ease of production and the ready availability of apples.
	Gathering Wild Nuts - Wild nuts are most abundant in the eastern and central portions of the United States, but almost every region has one variety or another.
	Learn How to Brew Beer - Before mega-breweries began plastering their logos at every sporting event, beer was handcrafted in small batches. Forget the commercial, watered-down beer you're accustomed to and discover what has been lost by brewing your own beer at home.
	Save Energy and Eat Fresh: Unplug Your Refrigerator - According to the U.S. Department of Energy, refrigerators use more power than any other commonly owned appliance -- about twice as much as a dishwasher. Believe it or not, going fridge-free isn't as hard as it sounds and some of the benefits may surprise you.
	Gathering Wild Fruits and Vegetables - Hundreds of varieties of wild fruits and vegetables can be found in the United States, many of which undoubtedly grow overlooked in your own yard. In fact, most wild plants are edible and many are both delicious and packed with nutrients.
	How to Harvest, Hull, and Store Black Walnuts - Black walnut trees are commonly found in mixed forests in the central and eastern parts of the United States, especially in the Midwestern states of Missouri, Illinois, and Kentucky. Unlike the common English walnuts sold in grocery stores, black walnuts have an intense earthy flavor.
	Hybrid vs Heirloom Garden Seeds - Planting a garden from seeds is the most economical way to start growing vegetables and herbs, and it has the added advantage of providing you with many more options than if you use nursery plants. For homesteaders, the question is usually not whether to plant from seed, but which kind of garden seeds to use.
	Morel Mushroom Hunting - Dozens of varieties of edible mushrooms appear in the spring, but there's no doubt that the wild morel mushroom is the star of the season. Best of all, these gourmet fungi can be found in most wooded areas of the United States; they're also remarkably easy to identify, which makes morels a perfect choice for the beginning mushroom hunter.
	Keeping Goats for Milk - If you want to keep animals for milk, you should buy cows, right? Think again. Goats are easier to care for, easier to milk, and goat milk has unique properties that make it better suited for human consumption.
	Best Animals for the Small Homestead - If one of your goals is self-sufficiency (or close to it) and you're not a vegan, you'll need a source of milk, eggs, and possibly meat. Even if you are a vegan, keeping animals on your homestead can provide you with natural fiber or wool to sell. Raising your own animals also gives you peace of mind -- you know that your animals were raised humanely and treated with care.
	Gathering Wild Mushrooms - Mushroom hunting is a time-honored tradition in many rural areas, and it's not just about getting a little free food. Many wild mushrooms are considered delicacies, and difficult or impossible to find in stores. If you've only tried the bland white mushrooms sold in grocery stores, you're missing out!
	The Practical Vegetable Garden - Gardening can be an expensive proposition, and a surprising number of people spend more money than they save by growing their own food. But if your goal is saving money, or if you don't have the time to devote to growing all of your family's produce, it makes sense to garden with practicality in mind.
	Gathering Wild Edibles - Fruits - Vegetables - Nuts - Mushrooms - If you know what to look for, the forest -- or even your backyard -- can be a smorgasbord of gourmet delights. Plants are easy to dry and store without modern conveniences, and provide the carbohydrates and micronutrients necessary for good health.
	Learn How to Brew Mead from Honey - Mead's history dates back thousands of years; it is one of the oldest known alcoholic beverages. The ease of production and the availability of ingredients made it a popular choice among nobles and peasants alike. If you are looking to start a new hobby, consider brewing mead -- your friends and family will be glad you did!
	Make Natural Homemade Sausage - Sausage has been around for thousands of years because it allows for efficient use of meats and scraps, especially parts that otherwise may not be as appetizing. Chopped or ground meat is mixed with herbs, spices, and other curatives, and then stuffed into casings. Learn how easy and rewarding it can be to make your own sausage.
	Make Maple Syrup from Trees on Your Homestead - If you have access to maple trees with a diameter of at least 10 inches, make your own delicious maple syrup. Once the trees have been selected and the sap starts to run, you are ready to tap your trees and begin collection. Do you have what it takes to collect and boil 10 gallons of sap into 1 quart of heavenly maple syrup?
	Raise Chickens for Farm Fresh Meat and Eggs - Adding poultry to your homestead offers not only the benefit of farm fresh chicken and eggs, but also the peace of mind that you know where the food came from. The addition of poultry to your homestead also brings you one step closer to a self-sufficient lifestyle.