You’ve got your buckets of maple sap now you just need to turn it into tasty syrup! Don’t have your sap yet? You must have missed part one of this series! Click here to read all about how to harvest maple sap. Ok? Ready to go? Let’s make some maple syrup! Turning maple sap into…
When we were looking at our house for the first time, one of the things that I loved was all the mature maples in the yard. Not only were they pretty but my first thought was “we can make our own maple syrup!” As a lifelong New Englander, I have always wanted to try my…
We host several events for families on our farm each year, plus I have a toddler grandson that visits weekly and loves to play outside. I wanted to add a little playset to the yard for kids, but I wanted it to be farm themed. Kids love farms, so I was surprised when I looked…
It’s 2020 and everyone’s world seems to be getting a lot smaller, with schools, restaurants, stores, and many of the activities & events we love to frequent closing down. Many people are out of work, working part-time, or telecommuting. We are told to stay in our homes as much as possible. This slowdown in daily…
Despite my best efforts with sunblock, it seems like every summer we usually end up with at least a minor sunburn or two. We used to slather on the green jelly-like aloe gel to help relieve the dry, tight, itchy, and painful aftermath of too much sun. I always assumed that was a nice, natural…
More and more people are enjoying the fun of having a hobby farm right in their backyard! The good news is that when you are ready to add some critters to your backyard farm there are several that can live happily in smaller spaces. Chickens Chickens are often called “the gateway livestock”. You think you…
The start of a new year is always a popular time for setting goals and intentions, but really there never is a bad time for divining purpose and plotting your course! Having a concrete plan is the best way to accomplish large tasks – and not many tasks are larger than “homesteading”. One overarching lifestyle…
The summer days are starting to grow shorter and fall is peeking around the corner. The garden is starting to look a little tired. But August on the farm always means cucumbers everywhere! I have a whole crisper drawer full of them right now. I was munching on a snack of cucumber wedges with salt…
Want to get started with soap making but don’t know where to start? Glycerin “melt & pour” soap is a great way for beginners to wade into the wonderful world of soap making. Because the soap base is pre-made for you, melt & pour soap has several advantages over traditional cold process soaping for beginners….
Using Glycerin “Melt & Pour” soap base is a super easy way to make your own custom soaps. It allows you to spend less time worrying about dangerous chemicals & measuring oils and more time having fun creating custom soaps! Following are 5 easy design ideas for beginners to help you try out some different…