Fall Inspiration and Shifting Farmstead Routine
My list has grown shorter. I turn to activities indoors. A fitness maintained by the work of this land now shifts to a rhythmic running program that stimulates the mind and enriches creative thought and the exploration of new ideas.
Farmstead Life in Autumn
Autumn highlights a changing rhythm. Visitors become less of a fixture in downtown, school buses resume their morning and afternoon routes, and islanders begin to mingle about the cafés and parks again.
Save Water with the Best Drip System Design for Market Gardens and Row Crops
Find out the most effective way to grow food in your garden with uniform rows and inexpensive drip irrigation.
Mastitis Treatment without Antibiotics
In this video, I share an update on our progress with treating for mastitis for one of our Jersey Dairy Cows. We are doing everything possible to avoid using antibiotics and so far the signs are positive.
How To Slaughter Geese Using Two Methods: Kill Cone vs Hatchet
In this video, I demonstrate how to slaughter American Buff Geese using both the Kill Cone Method and the Hatchet (chopping block) Method. I include measured results of bleed out.
How to Thresh Grain In San Juan County, WA
Rye was carried to the Americas by British and Dutch settlers. Today, rye is now harder and harder to find as American’s have generally lost the taste for this hardy cereal, today preferring a lot more ready-made whole wheat grains in abundance on market cabinets. This post describes rye’s history and the practice of grain threshing.
Preparing for Typhoon Songda and Muscovy Duck Housing
The hatching of new ducklings and the onslaught of fox, raccoon and mink predation has inspired me to finally prepare their palace.
Muscovy Ducklings; New life on the Homestead
Muscovy ducks require an incubation time of about thirty-five days. It’s a taxing and restless time for the duck as she must protect the eggs, whilst keeping them at 100º for the entire cycle. Our little momma has done a fabulous job keeping these eggs protected.
Raising Muscovy Ducks and Their Behaviors
If you ask me, ducks are incredibly social animals. The Muscovy is not an exception to this rule. Within this particular video, Ilford, one of our own male Muscovy, and I exchange greetings. Here he shows how sociable cultural|public|communal} this breed {can in fact} be.|Here he {shows} how {interpersonal|sociable|cultural|public|communal} this breed can be actually.}
Free Drip Irrigation System for Distant Unestablished Chestnut Trees
Many nut trees and shrubs are incredibly drought tolerant after they mature. However, the first four to five years they might need a good amount of hydration to get proven with vast root systems. Utilize this technique to gradually deep water your brand-new trees with no need for costly and labor-intensive drip irrigation systems.
Shocking Reality About Training Wheels
If you have children and are even considering teaching them how to ride a bike, I urge you to consider a balance bike first and foremost. These bikes will save your children the trouble of unlearning all the bad habits they develop with training-wheel equipped bicycles.
Visiting Staircase Campground in the Olympic National Forest
As one of our last stops before returning home, we visited Staircase Campground located at the north end of Lake Cushman, a 4,010-acre lake and reservoir on the north fork of the Skokomish River in Mason County, Washington.