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How to prevent mold on your plant starts!
Share on facebook Facebook Share on pinterest Pinterest Share on email Email Share on print Print This post contains affiliate links. What could it really hurt to not sanitize something that has been sitting dry for last year? Surprisingly, a lot! Mold spores can dry to the inside of pots, trays, and tools. Then when seedlings are started and everything is wet, warm, and a wonderful food supply is added, it’s a perfect environment for mold, mildew, and fungus. What to do about this? First step is mold prevention Well, it helps to rinse your trays or pots after transplanting but let’s be serious. When you’re done planting your garden…
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The reason we chose to only raise livestock we could eat
We chose to only raise livestock on our homestead that produced tangible yeilds.
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How to keep your sow healthy during farrowing
Making sure you keep your sow heathy during farrowing is key to strong litters.
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Our Daily Rhythm – Not Beautifully Described
Not everyone's routine is beautiful
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How do I keep my homestead equipment in working order?
Learn to maintain your homestead equipment.
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When should you be breeding livestock on your homestead?
Breeding Timing If you are breeding livestock, there are several reasons that you may want to choose to breed in the fall. Breeding time falls under many categories, so breeding in the fall may or may not be right for you. But if you’re just getting started or feel overwhelmed with litters of piglets or calves being born in the middle of a snowstorm this should have you lined out in no time. I grew up ranching in a fairly mild climate where we would calve in early spring and late fall and never had to worry about weather affecting the calves. Now as a homesteader, I live in a…
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Why is culling livestock the best choice for your homestead?
Facebook Pinterest Email Print Why cull? Talking about culling is not always the most fun topics. However, it is a necessary topic to keep your homestead manageable, feed bills down, your livestock healthy, and your genetics strong. Culling is the act of reducing or controlling the size of something, such as a heard. However, many people view this as strictly euthanizing the animal and that is not always case, nor the purpose. When to cull? Culling is usually done in the fall to keep the herd manageable through the winter. When animals are unhealthy going into the harsh winter month they may require more barn space, additional higher quality feeds,…
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Homemade Udder Balm Made with Beeswax and Essential Oils
Facebook Pinterest Email Print This post may contain affiliate links. Udder Balm with Beeswax and Essential Oils Homemade udder balm is great for your cow’s teats when they dry out or crack. I started using it for my hands almost immediately because I knew the benefits of all the ingredients. Additional Uses for Udder Balm Then during fire season, my husband and the guys on his crew all started using it for chaffing from their gear. They all swear by it now and love it each year when I bring them each their own little jars of udder balm. Then, one week at our homeschool co-op, the parent who taught…
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Homemade Yogurt
Share on facebook Facebook Share on pinterest Pinterest Share on email Email Share on print Print Cool, creamy, refreshing yogurt! I think when someone commits to a family cow, one of the first images that they conjure up is homemade yogurt. At least I know this was true to me. It’s a great way to use up large amounts of milk and have a healthy snack for your family. I blend mine with honey power and vanilla, then add fresh fruit. Then if its not all getting eaten, the yogurt can be used for baking, pancakes, or even beauty products! Do I have to have a cow? So, a big…
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The Making of our Homestead
Welcome to Cedar Ridge Ranch (Our Homestead) When my husband and I bought our ranch, we weren’t completely sure what our homestead goals were exactly. Our overall plan was to start growing our own food, reduce our food budget and to find a niche market for ourselves in this new region to supplement farm costs. I feel as though we have successfully met those goal and are constantly looking for ways to exceed them. Growing our own food Meat Our homestead now provides us with probably 95% of our meat and proteins. This includes chickens, quail, eggs from both, raw milk, pork, beef, and even wild game. We get our…
