8 Items to NOT Include in Your Compost

8 Items to NOT Include in Your Compost

Creating a compost pile is always a good idea. You’ll get to reuse food scraps that would otherwise end up in the trash, and then eventually in a landfill. On top of this, compost piles create new, fresh soil that contains plenty of nutrients. Your plants will love it. However, before it gets to that point, you need to understand the basics of composting, which involve knowing what you shouldn’t put into a compost bin. Many of these items are downright harmful to your compost and will cause a number of problems. Avoid adding them to the pile at all […]

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Urban Homesteading Alternatives

Urban Homesteading Alternatives

You don’t need to live on a farm or even in the country in order to be a homesteader. In fact, even people who reside in the suburbs or even the city can homestead in their own ways. Homesteading generally means using the land to provide for yourself and your family in one way or another. You can get a little creative with this and find ways to make it work no matter where you live, even if all that you have is a small apartment. Here are some great suggestions that you can utilize. Build off of them and […]

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Composting: Good Materials, Bad Materials, and Special Materials (Infographic)

Composting: Good Materials, Bad Materials, and Special Materials (Infographic)

Composting. So simple, at yet so complicated. On the one hand, I feel like it’s really easy to just throw together some biodegradable, nutrient-rich material, wet it, and let nature do it’s thing. On the other hand, there are a lot of important considerations to keep in mind when adding to compost piles, and there are items that are not great to have in your compost pile, for many reasons. While for the most part, it’s not too complicated to start your own compost pile, there are are few “what not to do” considerations to keep in mind, and I thought this […]

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5 Ways for Your Chickens to Earn Their Keep

5 Ways for Your Chickens to Earn Their Keep

Chickens are more than just egg producers, if you utilize them correctly, they can be a vital part of a smoothly running homestead! They are excellent additions to any gardening effort, and can even be useful with raising larger poultry as well! Here are some ideas for how to get the most out of your chickens, and as all these ideas utilize what chickens are born to do, your hens are guaranteed to be more happy as well! And happy hens means more eggs. It’s a win-win for everyone! 1. Prep garden beds You will probably want to keep your chickens […]

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Winter Composting Tips

Winter Composting Tips

A compost pile that has done fine all year long can freeze solid on you in the winter.  This could leave you having to buy soil or compost in the spring when you are planting again.  To avoid this, keep these tips in mind this winter for your compost pile.   Build it Big A large compost pile will remain hotter than a small pile.  There will be more food in it for composting organisms and the outer portion will insulate the center.  When temperatures drop, worms and other organisms will simply migrate to the center of the pile until […]

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What Is Hugelkultur?

What Is Hugelkultur?

The name is funny, but for those seeking to have a garden that requires less water and fertilizing, hugelkultur is something to take seriously.  The basic idea is to create raised beds on top of buried wood.  It may take a little more effort to get in place, but in the years to come, it will require less attention and resources than conventional beds.   Why Use Hugelkultur As with any other aspect of homesteading, resource conservation is critical in gardening.  Hugelkultur allows you to make use of wood that is not suitable for fuel or building since you can […]

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