How to convert a hay field into a garden. This spring our Community Garden offered us to do a no-till garden trial. We were immediately on board. We have been using a no-dig or till method in our home garden quite successfully. To convert a hay field is a bit of a different story, but eh, we are up ...
Update: GeoDome Greenhouse Water Tank
To have a greenhouse in colder climates is very valuable. It helps to extend the growing season and gives the plants a lot more heat. Although on some days there is more heat than the plants can use, the greenhouse gets way too hot. A good way to regulate the temperature in a greenhouse is by ...
Why we are Giving up on Backyard Chickens
Some time ago we were visiting some friends at their farm. After a good meal, we enjoyed the evening together. The big window at the table overlooked the farmyard, and at dusk we watched the proud rooster leading his hens from the big shelterbelt to the barn for the night. Our friend, the farmer, ...
How to Grow Early Peas in an Unheated Greenhouse
The question often comes up if we can grow anything in the greenhouse during the winter, or at least start very early in spring. In zone 3 we do not grow anything in the unheated greenhouse during the winter, instead, we grow an indoor garden. In early spring, however, it is possible to grow even if ...
How People Lived Simple Yesterday
Simple living, self-sufficiency, off-grid living, and back to the basics are having a huge comeback these days. Homesteading and backyard farming has become popular again. In this article, I (Anna) share childhood memories of how my parents lived a simple, mostly self-sufficient, urban homesteading ...
An Alternative to a Passive Solar Greenhouse – Indoor Window Garden
Welcome to another update of our indoor window garden. Today we talk about the advantage of a window garden as an alternative to a passive solar greenhouse in a cold northern climate. In our experience, the window garden has performed very well growing year round in Zone 3 (temperature here can ...
Controlling aphids with No-Pest strips
For years I thought that cold and frost are our biggest foe, but not any longer. With the indoor garden we can grow food even in -40 degrees. However, what turns out to be a real challenge is pests. Aphids, spider mites and scales can easily ruin an indoor or greenhouse garden. We mostly have to ...
Simple Whole Grain, No Knead Bread
Wholesome bread is mostly made out of whole grains and sourdough. But not everyone favors sourdough for its taste and the amount of work it does to keep it going. Here is a good alternative to sourdough bread. It has the benefit of a long-rising period and uses very little yeast. I especially like ...
Growing Sprouts at Home
Growing sprouts at home is the easiest way to grow nutritious food right in your kitchen. No green thumb is needed, as well as no soil, no grow lights and no extra space. You can start today and become a gourmet sprout grower in less than a week. Why grow sprouts at home Sprouts' nutrition value ...
Homestead Kitchen – Before and After Reveal
It is very exciting to reveal our homestead kitchen before and after. It was a great project and we are very pleased with the outcome. As you know, we went with an IKEA kitchen, and you can read here our 7 reasons why to choose an Ikea kitchen. It was a DIY project, from planning the kitchen to ...
