The National Christmas Tree Association recommends a stand with a one-gallon capacity. A few dry needles are no reason for concern, but look for a fresher tree if a large number of needles are loose or brittle.If you aren't ready to bring the Christmas...
New blood in the line will strengthen the flock. In livestock husbandry, what we'd usually call inbreeding is termed linebreeding. These are breeds that have since fallen from popularity.
(And now having written this, I realize I'm focusing on glyphosate, too. With antibiotic-resistant bacteria a topic that's all the rage in the medical and agricultural fields, plus large-volume food buyers insisting on meat from chickens raised without...
Yerba mate is a type of holly (Ilex paraguariensis) that grows in the subtropical regions of South America. The cup is passed around, with hot water added each time, and each person drinks through a metal straw with a filter on the end.
Today, I want to encourage you with Dr. Angelou's words because your love of the land is special and I want it to bring you joy and happiness in return. Maybe you love farming but you want to take your crops in a new direction or you want to adopt a new...
You're enthusiasm might just be inspiring someone else to follow their own passions. For the past couple years, I've been fortunate to stand alongside a dedicated group of people who are feeding the hungry with the season's excess harvest.
Rotting wood is excellent for use in a huegel—in fact, the rotting of the wood is the magic behind this technique—but fresh-cut wood is fine, too. Unless you live in a very sunny climate and want to deliberately create a shaded, cooler microclimate,...
Here in Lexington, Ky., where the HF editorial office is located, we didn't get the worst of the vortex's chilly wrath, but my phone did clock the temperature at -3 degrees F with a wind chill of -26 degrees F Tuesday morning?definitely not what we're...
Now that you know what homeopathy is all about, come back next week so I can show you how we use homeopathic remedies on our farm. Complementary therapies are things like herbs, Reiki, massage, chiropractic adjustments and homeopathic remedies.
Despite the beauty of its tempting fruit, eating winterberries should be avoided -- especially by children. Tolerance to caffeine is different for everyone, so amounts necessary to produce adverse symptoms vary from person to person.
I'll be the first to admit it: I'm definitely a dreamer. Ever since I started working for Hobby Farms , my daydream tangents have frequently started turning to what chicken breeds I'd like to keep or which veggie varieties I'd like to start growing.
Of course, none of the folks who are writing about it are sharing what plant this really is, so I went digging. I nodded my head as he spoke because I have routinely thumbed through his catalog looking at the many varieties and yearned to grow more of...
This afternoon, while inspecting my late-summer garden, I came across several small, vividly colored insects on a winter squash blossom. Leaf-footed bugs are a confirmed garden nuisance in many regions of North America, including portions of California...
Add 4 cups sugar per gallon, plus some wine yeast. Take advantage of any kudzu growing nearby to harvest the beautiful purple flowers that bloom in early fall. Grinding chunks of pears—both European and Asian varieties work well—and then pressing...
Black Currants Infuse pure alcohol with black currants, beet sugar, and water to make creme de cassis. Fig Fig trees are a locavore's best friend. “Green hops” (those freshly plucked in the fall) can make eclectic seasonal beers.
Once the regulations are introduced, there will be a 45-day public-comment period for you to let the IDPH know your thoughts. The Raw-Milk Argument It's milk, people! And if someone wants to drink it straight from the cow, I don't see how it's the government's...
No matter how anxious you are to plant your garden, it's essential that you wait to dig until your soil is ready. Keep reading to find out how to tell if ground is frozen or not.Although it may seem as if spring has arrived, it's important tofor readiness...
Rhizoctonia root rot occurs with moderate moisture levels in warm to hot temperatures. Other preventative measures include using well-drained soil and avoiding overcrowding of plants.
How are we to know whether or not the bacterial or virus could be absorbed by plant material in our vegetable gardens? Do they send their grass clipping to municipal compost sites?
They can lay fertile eggs, and set a clutch of eggs to hatch. Another is to add some butter between the skin over the breast and the breast itself. One of those practices is seen in the increasing number of backyard chicken pens, giving gardeners not...
Be as it may, important is that nothing bad happened. I just emptied the bags into a large box and stored all the laurel dry leaves in my pantry. But they only bought candies, crackers, snacks, chocolate, wafers or other sweets.
The leaves often have silver or white strips through the center. The common names of plants can be a tricky area. Lucky bamboo is not, in fact, related to true bamboo plants. Better known as Dracaena sanderiana, this plant is a fixture in many households.Connoisseurs...
You can preserve biodiversity by abandoning the idea that your garden should resemble your neighbor's. The richer the soil food web, the more fertile the soil. "The world is so full of a number of things, I'm sure we should all be as happy as kings,"...
Letting a field lie fallow, free from any cultivated crop, is often part of a good crop rotation program. In the second field, he planted an annual legume such as lentils (Lens culinaris) or peas (Pisum sativum).
Within its native range, Okoume is considered widespread and relatively common. The cut wood is not resinous, and lacks any pronounced odor.Okoume has a low density, with a mean weight of 25 pounds per cubic foot.
When we informed our neighbors about our new family members, we kindly mentioned that they shouldn't worry about noise because “there will be no roosters.” So now we are trying desperately to find another venue for our gent.
(By this point, it's doubtful that I'll ever come around to beets, fennel or especially coconuts.) I've come around to most of my disliked foods, and I've even developed a taste for olives and raw tomatoes, both of which were expressly banned from the...
