A friendly place for homesteaders to swap ideas, show off their place, and get answers from folks who get it — livestock, gardening, preservation, off-grid, and builds. Anyone can browse free.
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Nights are starting to cool off, and some of you up north have probably already seen frost. Before the first real cold snap, I’d like to hear what’s actually working at your place. Three things everybody fights with: W…
Read the discussion →Canning, fermenting, smoking, dehydrating, freezing. Whatever your first real batch was this year, tell us about it. Wins and “what did I do wrong?” are both welcome. If something didn’t seal, didn’t set, or came out mu…
Read the discussion →Garlic, cover crops, the cleanup you keep putting off. What’s going in the ground this month that you’ll thank yourself for in March? One line is fine. Add your state or zone so folks nearby can copy you.
Read the discussion →Wood stove, solar on short days, insulation, that one water line you’re worried about. What’s your setup, and what’s the one thing you still need to get done before it turns cold? A one-line answer is plenty.
Read the discussion →Cold frame, coop insulation, a goat shelter, a root cellar. What are you building, or trying to get finished, before the weather turns? Half-done counts. Photos are welcome, and so are questions if you’re stuck on somet…
Read the discussion →If you keep goats, what’s your setup for the cold months? Hay and feed: what changes when the pasture quits? Shelter and bedding: what keeps them dry and out of the wind? Water: how do you keep it open when it freezes? …
Read the discussion →Wet bedding around the waterer seems to be a common brooder problem. I’m interested in the practical fixes people use, especially when chicks are still very small. Do you raise the waterer as they grow, change the beddi…
Read the discussion →First year heating mostly with wood. I’ve got a small stove and no idea if I’m looking at two cords or six, or whether wood I cut now will even be dry enough by January.
Read the discussion →There are gaps everywhere and I was about to plastic the whole thing, but I keep reading that’s how you end up with frostbite and ammonia. What’s the right balance?
Read the discussion →Down from a dozen a day to maybe four. I’ve heard people put a light on a timer to keep them laying through winter, and I’ve heard that’s hard on the birds. What do you all do?
Read the discussion →Jalapeños, bells, and a pile of cayennes all came in at once. I don’t want to lose them but I’ve never put peppers up before. Which method keeps them worth eating six months from now?
Read the discussion →I want to try garlic for the first time this fall. Not sure when to get it in the ground, and whether store-bought cloves will actually grow or if I need to order seed garlic. Anyone done this?
Read the discussion →One photo of something you’re proud of this week — a harvest basket, a healthy flock, a full pantry shelf, or a project halfway built. No perfection required. I’ll go first in the replies.
Read the discussion →We had a short outage last week and it got me thinking about what happens if it’s not short next time. Right now we’d just be relying on ice and hoping for the best. For those of you who are off-grid or have dealt with l…
Read the discussion →Our chicken run gets full sun most of the afternoon and the girls have been panting a lot lately. I’d rather not tear into a full redesign right now — just looking for something quick and inexpensive I can add this weeke…
Read the discussion →I’ve got way more ripe tomatoes right now than I can eat fresh, and it feels like they all decided to turn red at the same time. I don’t have a lot of canning experience yet. What’s the easiest way to preserve a big batc…
Read the discussion →Over the last week or so a few of my hens have gotten pretty ragged looking — feathers everywhere in the run — and egg production has dropped off almost completely. Is this just a normal molt for this time of year, or sh…
Read the discussion →My tomatoes were doing great, then we got a big rain after a dry stretch and now half of them have splits across the top. Some are still ripening fine but a few are starting to rot where they cracked. Is there anything I…
Read the discussion →We’re hitting the upper-90s this week and my girls are panting with their wings held out, and a couple have really slowed down on eggs. What actually helps birds beat the heat — cold water, frozen treats, shade, electrol…
Read the discussion →This community is brought to you by 2B Creations. We design and 3D-print practical, made-in-USA gear for quail and small-poultry keepers — feed saver ports, no-waste feeders, waterers, egg holders, and more — plus custom…
Read the discussion →Every week we love seeing what you’re all up to. Drop a photo (or a few) of what’s happening on your homestead right now — your garden, your critters, a project in progress, a jar of something you just put up, a sunrise …
Read the discussion →Building a small barn/shelter for a few animals and going back and forth on the floor. Concrete, gravel, or just dirt — what are the tradeoffs for cost, cleaning, and the animals’ comfort?
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