Homestead Living and Livestock

Tough Choices When Raising Goats: Disbudding, Tattooing and Meat Animals

By Alexia Allen, Hawthorn Farm

Being a goatherd is not for the faint of heart. There are tough choices. Here's my honest take on disbudding, tattooing and determining when to process goats for meat.

Experimenting with Forage Options for Pastured Pigs

By John Arbuckle, Singing Pastures

We set out this summer (2017) to document the nuts and bolts of feeding forages to pigs. Thanks to a grant from Sustainable Agriculuture and Reaseach Education (SARE) and our friends at Practical Farmers of Iowa, we are going to be able to offer the results of our research by the end of the year. We are recording data on three separate groups this summer.

Spring Lambing Season with Finnsheep

By Cindy Dayton

Spring lambing season is always a time of anticipation with a bit of angst. Let me tell you how we lamb with as little intervention as possible.

Clearing Land with Pig-Headed Determination

By Jo deVries

Homestead pigs provide challenges for fending and transport. But raising meat animals with love and gratitude offers many rewards.

When Homesteading Hurts

By Carrie Williams Howe

Homesteading can be challenging when our bodies don't work as well, but sometimes we homestead BECAUSE we need a different lifestyle for our health.

3 Supplemental Income Streams for a Homestead

By Amy Vaughan-Roland, Daily Crisis Farm

Disruption to my homestead’s income has sent me seeking alternatives: selling home-canned goods and unique plants as well as bartering.

Purchasing Land for Self-Sufficiency? Here are a Few Considerations

By Monica White

If you're considering purchasing land to support a self-sufficient lifestyle, slow down and do the necessary homework outlined here — you’ll actually be closer to homestead happiness.

Living Well & Wise, Episode 2 – Live Deliberately with Rob Greenfield

We revisit a past episode, where Charlotte French and Russell Mullin discuss Rob Greenfield’s journey from an average, materialistic guy to a well-known eco-activist and adventurer.