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.
Join free, and your Homestead Paradise app access is included — one account unlocks both.
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?
Read the discussion →Every raised bed I’ve built has rotted out or fallen apart after a couple of seasons. What’s a straightforward design and material choice that’ll hold up for years without costing a fortune?
Read the discussion →Lost a couple birds to something digging in, and I’m done. What’s the most cost-effective way to build a run that actually keeps predators out — including the ones that dig?
Read the discussion →I want power out to my coop for a light and to keep the water from freezing this winter. It’s a decent run from the house. How do people do this, and what do I need to know so I don’t do something dangerous?
Read the discussion →We’ve got a little cabin we use on weekends, no grid power. Just want lights, phone charging, and maybe a small fridge. How do I figure out what size battery bank makes sense without way overbuilding?
Read the discussion →Putting together a solar setup and going back and forth on whether to also get a generator for backup, or if that’s a waste of money. What do folks actually do for those long cloudy stretches?
Read the discussion →Looking at a piece of land with no municipal water. For those living off-grid, how are you handling water day to day — drilled well, rain catchment, hauling, some mix? Trying to understand the real tradeoffs.
Read the discussion →Trying to get my head around solar for our place. How do I even start figuring out how many panels we’d need to cover the basics? Is there a simple way to ballpark it before I talk to installers?
Read the discussion →Just got my first pressure canner and honestly it intimidates me a little. What are the common beginner mistakes I should know about before I start, so I do it safely?
Read the discussion →Got way more winter squash and onions than we can eat right now. What’s the best way to cure and store them so they last into winter instead of rotting on me?
Read the discussion →Made a batch of jam and it came out runny, more like syrup. What causes that, and is there any way to re-cook it to set it, or is it a lost cause?
Read the discussion →I’m building up a pantry of home-canned stuff and I’m not sure how long it’s really good for. How do I know when something’s been on the shelf too long?
Read the discussion →I’ve got a big flush of green beans coming in and want to put some up. I’ve heard conflicting things about whether a water-bath is safe for them or if I have to use a pressure canner. Which is it, and why does it matter? …
Read the discussion →I’ve got a small established flock and want to add a few more birds. Last time I just tossed them in together and it got ugly fast. What’s the right way to do this?
Read the discussion →Kind of a basic question but I want to be sure before I get birds — do hens need a rooster around to lay eggs, or is that only for fertilized eggs you’d hatch?
Read the discussion →Join the Homestead Paradise Community free — your app access comes with it. One account, one login, both.
Join the community — free →