How to Compost

Composting 101
A Little Art and a Little Science

Composting, in a nutshell, is turning your waste into nutrient-rich soil for use in your garden.

You can read about the subject in such depth as to make your head swim and find it to be quite overwhelming. But whether you start with a compost bin or a designated 3 foot by 3-foot area, knowing a few basic principles will help you achieve that rich, earthy-smelling soil amendment that we all want.

Give Your Onion Seedlings a Haircut!

If there's one crop that I love to grow indoors from seed, it's onions. Of course you can buy sets from your local hardware store or nursery, but there are usually only a few varieties available.

So not only do I have a larger selection of onion types to choose from if I buy the seeds online and grow them myself, but I can start them earlier indoors and give them plenty of time to grow before they get planted out.

Why You Need a Rain Barrel Now!

One only needs to read about Flint Michigan's ongoing problems related to their water system to realize that clean water may not always be available to us.

Growing the Right Potato
the Right Way!

Digging up a bed full of plump, healthy spuds is one of the many joys of growing your own food. It's always exciting to see what has grown under the earth when the wait is finally over and it's harvest time.

But if your potato harvest has been rather disappointing, the reason may be as simple as not using the correct method of growing the potato for the type of potato you're trying to growing.

Tomatoes - Determinate or Indeterminate?

What are the basic differences between a determinate tomato plant and an indeterminate tomato plant and which one is right for your garden?

Finding the Perfect Home for Your Homesteading Dreams

By Lance Cody-Valdez

Your retirement years provide a perfect opportunity to slow down, find joy, and reconnect with nature. If you have ever dreamed of starting a homesteading hobby, you can get started by searching for the right house where you can live out your goals.

Whether you want to live off the land, practice a new craft, or just create an atmosphere for your family to visit, the ideal home is out there waiting for you. With a few tips in mind, including those shared below by The Homestead Village Blog, you will be ready to start this next step.

Know What to Look For

Real estate publications propose the idea that most buyers are more interested in the location rather than the features of the house itself. This will likely ring true for you as well since you probably need a spacious property away from urban areas to practice your homesteading hobbies comfortably.

There are, however, certain key features to prioritize depending on your personal goals. If you want to live a minimalist lifestyle, you need a fireplace for heat and a woodlot for chopping your own firewood. You also need plenty of acreage if you would like to try your hand at growing your own food or ranching, as well as a workshop for any crafts you intend to practice.

Be Prepared When Buying

Unless this is your first outing as a homebuyer, you likely know what to expect from the transaction process. Work closely with your real estate agent to ensure that you have a resource for answering any questions that may arise.

When you find the home of your dreams, one issue to remember is that you may need to act quickly to seal the deal before another interested party comes along. This might even entail buying the new house before selling your old one. If you believe that you're close to finalizing the sale on your old home, you can request an extended closing on the new transaction to give yourself a little extra breathing room.

Plan Out How to Use Your Space

Once you have moved into your ideal homestead, you will have the freedom to use the space for all manner of new hobbies. As one idea, you might try horseback riding. Raising horses is a fulfilling pastime, and riding can grant a sense of exhilaration and help you form a meaningful connection with nature.

A few other homesteading hobbies you might try can include:

• Baking

• Beekeeping

• Gardening

• Farming

• Soapmaking

Consider Turning Your Homestead Hobby Into a Business

Creating beautiful crafts, preserving food, and raising animals are all hobbies that can be turned into successful businesses. You will need a functional business plan if you decide to make some extra money in your retirement by selling your products. Make sure to outline the goal of your new venture, your methods for selling products and services, and the funding you will need to advertise and distribute.

When registering, you will also need to settle on a business structure and maintain legal compliance with your state government.

Whatever vision you have for life after retirement, there is no denying that your home is an important part of it. You deserve to spend your golden years pursuing new experiences that make you feel fulfilled and independent. This does not mean that you have to shut yourself away from friends and family, though. You can enjoy a life that includes all of your loved ones by finding the perfect homestead to suit your dreams.

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Use Epsom Salt in the Veggie Fruit Garden

It's Organic and Economical!

Growing healthy, juicy vegetables is as much an art as it is a science. One of the most effective yet economical ways to ensure that you grow great vegetables, whether potted or in the vegetable garden, is to use Epsom Salt.

Rows of Healthy Vegetables Growing near Flowers

So what is Epsom Salt and why is it so popular among vegetable gardeners?

The main ingredient in Epsom Salt is magnesium sulfate which is an important soil additive for healthy plant life. It allows plants to take in nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen and enhances the capability of the soil. It assists in the creation of chlorophyll which is used by the plant to convert sunlight into food.

Generally, the benefits of Epsom Salt on plants are many including that it’s organic, it’s gentle on plants and it’s inexpensive!

Here are some specific ways it helps with your vegetable plants:

Improves flower blooming.
It enhances a plant’s green color.
It helps plants grow bushier.
Greatly improves a plant’s ability to produce fruit and flowers.
Assists in seed germination and gives a stronger start to seedlings.
It’s safe, and there is little danger of problems from overuse.
It doesn’t build up in the soil and it won't have buildup that will clog the root cells of your plants. In fact, Epsom salt can be used for potted plants that have developed a salt accumulation.
It's organic!

Garden Sprayer used to Water Seedlings in Pot

Versatility in its Use!

Another big advantage of Epsom Salt is its versatility in the way it can be used. You can sprinkle Epsom Salt over a large garden area, you can use it to circle around plants or you can add a solution of Epsom Salt to a garden sprayer.

Here are some specifics.

On a New Vegetable Garden Area

If you're just breaking ground on a new plot for a vegetable garden, just sprinkle up to one cup per 100 square feet and work it into the soil.

Person planting Seedling with Epsom Salt

To Help with Transplant Shock

Did you know that using Epsom Salt can reduce transplant shock? Plants can become weak and wither right after transplanting, and Epsom Salt can help reduce that transplant shock to the plant roots. The solution to use for this is one cup of Epsom Salt per 100 square feet.

Potted healthy pepper plant sprawling over sides

On Potted Vegetables

Epsom Salt can be safely used with all fruits, vegetables, and herbs.
Water an area with a solution of 2 tablespoons of Epsom Salt per gallon of water and apply at least one time a month for more robust fruiting.

Tidy Rows of Vegetables growing in garden

For a Large Vegetable Garden

Fill your tank sprayer with one tablespoon of Epsom Salt per gallon of water. Use this mixture to spray your garden after the initial planting, when the plants start growing and when the vegetables begin to mature.

Tomatoes

Since tomatoes are prone to magnesium deficiency, Epsom Salt is a great way to keep the plants healthy later into the season when the leaves of the plant can turn yellow. You may also have noticed a decreased production as the season wanes on.

For tomatoes, it is important to use Epsom Salt at the beginning of the season and all through the season. Add one to two tablespoons of Epsom Salt before sowing seeds or planting a transplant. As the tomato plant matures, work in one tablespoon of Epsom Salt per foot of plant height around the base of the plant. An alternative is to create a spray of one tablespoon of Epsom Salt to a gallon of water and spray the plant every two weeks.

Peppers

Peppers, too, can benefit from using Epsom Salt the same way as tomatoes.

In Closing

With this many uses for Epsom Salt in the vegetable garden, you're sure to find several uses for it in yours.

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Have You Tried Winter Sowing??

If you haven't tried winter sowing, you're in for a treat. This method is especially good for sowing herbs. Winter sowing is basically sowing seeds in the bottom of milk jugs in the winter, setting the milk jugs outside for the winter and leaving them there until the seeds germinate in the Spring.

For our article containing detailed information about Winter Sowing, click here.

To watch our 30 minute video on how to winter sow, click here.

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Already Growing your Veggies! Pressure Can Them!

If you're already growing your own food and haven't yet delved into the preserving world of pressure canning and water bath canning, you're really missing out on a great opportunity.

In addition to saving money by preserving your hard-earned harvest, a pantry full of jars of food will give you confidence that your family will stay safely fed through these current uncertain times.

Here is a great list of items you'll need to get you started.

First, to learn the basics of pressure canning, a good book like this one is very important.

There are some essential kitchen appliances that you will need to get started. The cost of some of these items may seem a bit daunting at first, but the investment will be well worth it.

First, you will need a pressure canner. NOT a pressure cooker, but a pressure canner. A pressure canner is used to cook, sterilize, and preserve low-acid foods that are to be canned for future use.

Pressure Canner

Another way to can food is by using a water bath canner. This is a large pot with a jar rack. It is used with all high-acid foods. High-acid foods include all fruits, jams, jellies, pie fillings, pickles or condiments, and tomatoes with added lemon juice.

Water Bath Canner

You will need a good supply of canning jars, lids, and rings. These three items come together in a case of canning jars.

You cannot use just any jar in canning food. Canning jars are specially designed to withstand the high temperature of steam pressure processing and the low temperature of freezing. These jars will be labeled as canning and/or freezing jars.

Canning Jars

These jars come in a variety of sizes, most commonly found are:

Pints.

Pint jars are great for just about anything you want to add to them for smaller portions.

Quarts.

Quarts are a great family-size jar. They are ideal for canning whole fruits and vegetables like peaches and green beans, or for just for canning larger portions.

Half Pint or Jelly Jars

Half Pints. This small size is great for creating gifts or small batches of jams, jellies, or preserves. Some smaller or cut vegetables may fit in these jars if using a wide-mouth canning jar.

Canning jars also come in what’s known as “regular mouth” and “wide mouth” jar openings. The only difference is the size of the jar opening.

You can sometimes find some canning jars at thrift stores, or maybe you have a relative that no longer does canning and has a stash of jars. If you find some of these older canning jars, you may need to buy lids and rings to go with those jars.

Canning Jar Lids and Rings

There are reusable lids available now that are called “Tattler” lids that are made in the USA. They also come in sizes suitable for both wide mouth and regular mouth jar sizes. You can use these with pressure canners, water bath canners, and vacuum sealers.

Tattler Lids

There are also plastic lids for canning jars for use in storing the jars in the fridge after they've been unsealed.

Plastic lids that fit canning jars

You will need various kitchen utensils to make your canning projects easier. You can buy a kit of items like the one below that has most if not all of the items you will need.

Utensil Kit

Or you can purchase items separately. You will need:

Funnel that fits jar openings

Ladels

Jar Lifter

Other supplies you may need, depending on the types of food that you intend to can, are:

Pickle Crisp (for pickling veggies and pickles)

Citric Acid, commonly used for home canning tomatoes

Canning Salt (Not regular salt)

Real Fruit Pectin for homemade Jam and Jelly recipes.

5% Vinegar You will probably use large amounts of this. Vinegar is used in the pressure canner to prevent minerals from hard water from building up on the jars or on the inside of your canner. Vinegar is also used along with water to fill jars of some foods to be processed.

5% Vinegar

There are also seasoning packets available for use in canning like salsa tomato mixes, pickle mixes, potato seasonings, etc. Mrs. Wagers' brand is very popular with canners.

Mrs. Wagers' Packets

So what are you waiting for? Learn to pressure can and water bath can and start saving money on food and getting some much-needed food security!

Try Amazon Home Services

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Ten Steps For Vegetable Garden Success

Ten Steps to Veggie Garden Success

Successful gardening doesn't come by accident, and in my opinion, there is NO SUCH THING as a green thumb. Success comes from good pre-planning and thoughtful follow-through. It's knowing what each vegetable plant needs to grow to a successful harvest and giving each plant what it needs.

Monetizing Your Homestead to Market Success

by Lance Cody-Valdez

You’ve got a homestead you can be proud of and have plenty of homemade products that you know people would be willing to buy, ranging from soap to cheese to woodcrafts and more. The only problem is getting your products out on the open market!

If you’re looking to monetize your hobby farm, look no further—this guide from The Homestead Village Blog will break down everything you need to know about monetizing your farm’s products from start to finish.

Establish Your Business

Planning to sell goods means planning to operate a business. It’s important to consider forming your business as an LLC—it reduces your personal liability and provides tax advantages. While this can be costly using the services of an attorney, you can save on cost, time, and paperwork by using a formation service online. Each state has different requirements, so be sure to check them before going forward.

Create a Brand

Firstly, you need a brand that your future customers can associate with your hobby farm. If you don’t have one already, make sure your farm has a unique name. Add some signs to the farm and any place where you think you might invite customers to do business in person.

Additionally, it’s a good idea to start an online website for your hobby farm. Make sure to register a domain name and website title that is similar to the physical name of your hobby farm.

By building a brand, you’ll ensure that no one forgets where they bought that excellent homemade chair or delicious goat cheese from, setting yourself up for future profits and success later down the road.

Marketing Your Goods

After creating an iconic brand, you'll need to market your goods so people know that they can buy from you! Marketing in this day and age is best undertaken as a mix of in-person and digital marketing.

In-person marketing can include:

Putting up posters in your local community
Putting ads in your local newspaper
Setting up signs on the road around your hobby farm

Digital marketing means:

Using digital ads, like Google Ads, to advertise to locals in your area
Creating a top-tier website to make it easy to order your products online

As you market your goods, be sure to emphasize:

What you sell and your products' prices . What makes your hobby farm unique? Is it the atmosphere, the types of products you offer, or specific aspects of your products, such as a unique flavor of food?

Collaborate with Graphic and Web Designers

As you draw up a marketing campaign for your homesteading business, it might be wise to branch into online marketing. If you make a website to sell your goods or want to come up with creative, attractive online ads, odds are you'll need to speak to a graphic designer or web designer.

Hire a graphic or web designer with a strong portfolio and examples of their prior work. That will give you an idea of whether they’ll be good for your entrepreneurial endeavor or if you should find someone else.

Once you find someone, be sure to communicate with them regularly. As you swap ideas, compress any JPG files to email important information or design ideas back and forth.

Selling Products for a Profit

As your marketing train leaves the station, you'll need to ship your products efficiently. That may mean enlisting the assistance of a shipping company to get your products to online buyers.

Alternatively, you can sell your hobby farm products in town by having a “shipping day” once per week. You can take orders all week, then load up your truck or car with all the products you sold to ship them to customers or to meet buyers in person if the customers are from your local community.

As you sell your products, be sure to keep a detailed record of each profit or loss. Good accounting is the hallmark of a steady business no matter the industry!

Be the Homesteading Hero You’ve Always Wanted

At the end of the day, selling your hobby farm products is more than possible: it’s profitable! As you reach greater success, you can take those profits and put the money back into your farm to expand their operations. Who knows? In no time at all, you might be running a bustling entrepreneurial enterprise from your backyard!

This article is brought to you by The Homestead Village Blog. Homesteading is a journey, an adventure, and an ever-evolving quest to make our homesteads more beautiful, run more efficiently, and be the haven that we've dreamed of creating for ourselves and our families. For more information, please visit my website today!

Composting 101A Little Art and a Little Science