Harvest Luffa Sponges:  How to and When to Harvest

How and when to harvest home luffa (loofah) sponges

Harvesting my luffa sponges was a bit of a confusing endeavor. I read so many “How-To” articles and felt they were pretty misleading in ways. The truth is these little cucurbits and their gourd family is bewildering! I’m going to explain to you what I’ve learned about harvesting luffa sponges. I’ll also let you know how I did…

Living from Scratch: How to Start a Modern Homestead

Living from Scratch: How to Start a Modern Homestead

I started homesteading in 2016 when my then-husband found a small farm on Craigslist (not a joke). We had been traveling musicians for a while and were ready for something different. We were after a living from scratch lifestyle: slow and simple. Something that allowed us to reduce our carbon footprint by getting ‘back to the earth’….

fast growing vegetables (1)

Fastest growing vegetables and fruits for your garden

All these fast growing vegetables and fruits are ready to harvest in around 75 days or less. Some of them will be better suited for the early spring, and others for the late summer. Many of them are great choices for early fall when the cooler weather starts arriving, such as leafy greens. And all of them are great to add to a cold frame,…

Growing Luffa Sponges: What To Do and What Not To Do

Growing luffa sponges

So, you want to start growing luffa sponges? You’re in the right place! This is a step-by-step guide on how to grow these natural luffa sponges. ​ Luffa sponge (also spelled luffah or loofah) is a cucurbit vegetable in the gourd family. They actually can grow right in your backyard! I always thought they were…

17 Tips for how to keep chickens warm in the winter

17 Tips for how to keep chickens warm in the winter

Chicken keepers wonder every year how to keep chickens warm in winter weather. Cold climates aren’t something I’ve been familiar with growing up in Florida, so moving to Kentucky brought a new experience when the sunny days turned to cold temperatures. Although I wasn’t a new chicken owner, I was worried about the chickens the first winter I was here.  Always keep an eye…

PreservingLettuce

Tips on how to store and preserve homegrown lettuce longer

I’ve been learning how to preserve homegrown lettuce from the garden and have found the best way to make it stay crisp and fresh longer. Outside of utilizing the crisper drawer to store lettuce, I’ve learned a few tips and tricks over the years. Learn how to keep your lettuce crisp and fresh longer so you can grow your garden and eat…

dixie rainbow chickens

Dixie Rainbow Chickens: Dual-purpose, backyard breed

I raised Dixie Rainbow Chickens for almost 5 years and my experience was great! Here’s the rundown on everything you need to know about this hybrid, rainbow breed chicken, including Dixie Rainbow Chicken pictures. Pin it for later or to show you chicken lovin’ friends! The beginner’s guide to dixie rainbow chickens. I originally learned…

Stick-tight Fleas: What Are They and How to Get Rid of Them

Sticktight fleas

I was outside one day and noticed sticktight fleas on my chickens. Growing up with cats and dogs, a flea, in general, was nothing new. I had see a dog flea and a cat flea, but these were different.  Sticktight fleas, or Echidnophaga gallinacea, are a species of fleas that burrow underneath the chickens’ skin and…

Composting Made Easy

Composting made easy

Composting is one of the most beneficial activities for the homestead. Plants grow better and provide a more substantial harvest with home compost. It also cuts down on food scraps waste and yard waste, etc. I’m going to make it easy for you to understand hot to compost. How to make compost easy while understanding…

Fermented Feed: More For Your Money and Happier Hens

How to make fermented feed

What is fermented chicken feed? According to Linda of Garden Betty, “In a nutshell, fermented chicken feed is probiotics for your chicken. It’s a wet mash (the chicken keeper’s term for moistened food) created by lactic acid fermentation (the same type of fermentation that occurs naturally in sauerkraut). Just like kraut, it contains all the…

heat tolerant vegetables

Heat tolerant vegetables

I live in Florida so growing heat tolerant vegetables is really the only option when planning for crops. We have a long growing season, with just a small amount of cool weather. As a generally hot climate state, Florida brings hot weather even in the Fall and Spring season some years. I’ve set out to…

Best flea and tick yard spray review

Vet’s Best flea and tick yard and kennel spray: an honest review

The unfortunate part of looking for a flea and tick spray for your yard is they’re often loaded with chemicals. I’m going to tell you about a plant-based, chemical-free flea and tick yard spray that is safe for you, your children and your pets (and smells wonderful!). *Disclaimer: I am not nor have I have…

What are loquats_

What are loquats?

Plenty of folks have asked me what are loquats, and it’s a fair question really. We have two loquat trees in our yard and I didn’t know what they were. Just as there are easy vegetables to plant in a garden, there are easy fruit trees to grow in the backyard. Loquat trees are one…

Gifts for the Gardener: Happy Homesteading Holidays

Gifts for the gardener

Are you shopping for gifts for the gardener in your life? Well I’m glad you’re here because I have the perfect gifts for you! All of these gifts are sure to grow your special someone’s affection for you in no time, or just simply put a smile on their face. Gift ideas for the gardeners…

The Beginner’s Guide to Backyard Homesteading (Book Review)

The Beginner’s Guide to Backyard Homesteading (Book Review)

Disclosure: I received a copy of The Beginner’s Guide to Backyard Homesteading for free in exchange for my honest review of its contents. Receiving this book free of charge has not influenced my ability to provide my honest opinion on the contents of this book. Additionally, this post contains affiliate links. By utilizing these links,…

COVID-19 Victory Gardens: What to plant and why

Victory gardens

Victory Gardens (war gardens) are gardens promoted in 1941 shortly after the US entered WWII due to a food shortage. Food was prioritized to be sent to the military and allies so civilians were encouraged to grow-their-own. Folks grew everything from vegetables to fruit and herbs! Victory gardens and why you need them. I’ve always…

Self-sufficiency during the COVID-19 quarantine

Practicing self-sufficiency during COVID-19 quarantine

Here are 20 self-sufficient things you can learn to do while socially distancing yourself under the COVID-19 quarantine! BONUS: These are all accessible whether you have land or not! 20 ways to get closer to self-sufficiency while quarantined in your home. What better time is there to practice self-sufficiency than when you’re under a COVID-19…

Decluttering Your Homestead with these 5 Tips.feature photo

Decluttering your homestead

Decluttering my yard/outside the house is not something I ever realized was important until I got bored one day and tackled my shed. After that, I spiraled from there, really. What better time to have a completely decluttered shed, yard, etc. than before spring season hits? 5 quick tips on how to declutter your homestead…

homestead

Practicing gratitude on the homestead

Another year has come and gone, another Thanksgiving blogging and another Thanksgiving on my homestead. This lifestyle has provided me with so many opportunities to grow, learn and understand. I started thinking that surely I couldn’t be the only one. As a “thank you” to this homesteading community, I’ve asked all the homesteaders I’ve come…

Homesteader's _How-To_ Guide on Vacationing

Homesteader’s “How-To” guide on vacationing

When we closed on our homestead in January 2016 we thought our traveling and vacationing days were simply over; a life of the past. We were wrong! Consider this your own personal guide to vacationing. If you’re wondering how to vacation on the homestead, this is your Homesteader’s “How-To” Guide on Vacationing. You see, before…

40 Ways to Get Closer to Self-Sustainability Through Homesteading (1)

Over 15 ways to get closer to self-sustainability

I’m constantly trying to think of ways to get closer to self-sustainability through our homesteading lifestyle. The next step is to actually do those things! If you’re homesteading and need guidance towards self-sustainability, here are 19 ways to achieve your goal. I’ve done a lot of the things on the list below. Some others are…

HOW TO HOMESTEAD_ YEAR 3 AT THE GREEN ACRE HOMESTEAD

How to homestead: Year 3

I’m so excited to keep moving forward with this lifestyle. I’ve linked other articles to some of my accomplishments and failures if you’d like to read more about them! Let’s get started. How my third year on the homestead went! How to homestead: my yearly list A closer look Now, this is obviously not all…

Luffa Sponge Uses after Growing and Harvesting Your Gourds (1)

Luffa sponge uses

Do you know how many uses there are for a luffa sponge? When I started harvesting my sponges, I had no idea what to use them for. Here are a few uses for luffa sponges. How to use your luffa sponges after growing harvesting them. Luffas are versatile vegetables to grow with many uses. You…

Livestock Animals: When's the right time for a new addition?

When to get more livestock

I’ve decided there’s really no absolutely perfect time to add more livestock to your homestead. There are a few things you can do to become more comfortable with the choice you make. These are in no particular order! When’s the right time for new livestock on your farm? Space for your livestock One of the…

What Does a Henhouse Need and What's Just Nice to Have! (1)

What a henhouse needs

You’ll always have to find what works best for your land, but some things are great to know starting out. Here are the things you have to have in a henhouse, and then some that are just nice to have. 6 things a henhouse needs along with some extra “nice to haves”. I didn’t have…

What You Should Know About Homesteading Before Homesteading

What you should know about homesteading before starting

There are some things that all beginners should know about homesteading before starting. Knowing these things will help you succeed and THRIVE on your land. Be sure to know these things about homesteading before you start homesteading. As I was sending my bi-monthly newsletter out and telling the folks who subscribe about the down and…

The First Year on a Homestead_ What We Accomplished and Future Goals

The first year on a homestead

Tropical Storms and First Years on a Homestead The first year on a homestead has been kind of wild. We’re officially experiencing our first storm, Tropical Storm Colin, as homeowners and homestead owners!  What we accomplished the first year on our homestead and our future goals. Although we’re calmly watching countless episodes of Netflix we’re…