It’s easy to use ducks to directly apply manure in land-based systems. Basically, all you need to do is confine ducks where you want them to fertilize and let them eat, drink, be merry, and poop (a ...
9 Options to Keep Ducks Around the Homestead
If you want to raise amazing avians that are perfect for improving soil, nourishing perennial plants, and helping with insect control, ducks absolutely fit the bill. Deciding how to house them is ...
14 Tips for Managing a Large Garden with Minimal Work
If you are an urban or suburban homesteader, you have to squeeze everything you can into a small garden space. It’s an exciting challenge to use every nook and cranny, to think vertically, and to ...
Complete Guide to Incubating Duck Eggs for Optimal Hatch Rates
The first time I hatched chicken eggs, I thought, “Wow, this is easy!” It only took 21 days. It did require a few special pieces of equipment. Plus, I had to follow a few basic instructions. But, for ...
Garden Planting Calendar – Find the Right Time to Plant Vegetables
Planning a vegetable garden can feel like a monumental task. You have to know your USDA planting zone. You have to research to know which plants can reasonably grow in your climate. You need to know ...
How to Choose the Right Duck Breeds for You
I am obsessed with ducks. They were the first livestock animal I raised when I started homesteading. I’ve kept them for meat, for eggs, for their utility in improving soil, and for the sheer joy ...
How to Plan an All-Purpose Herb Garden
Growing culinary herbs is a great way to get started with gardening. Most of the commonly used kitchen herbs are easy to grow. Plus, you can find plant starts and seeds at any home improvement or ...
How to Use Intercropping Wisely to Increase Your Harvest
The concept of intercropping seemed completely revolutionary. Not only did you get to grow more food in a small garden, but you could reduce weeds, minimize pest pressure, water less, better control ...
How to Grow Gochu (Korean Chili Peppers) for Gochujang
I lived on Maui for a year in my early twenties. It was a paradise on earth in many ways. One of my favorite things though was a little neighborhood grocery store across from my apartment. It was ...