Backyard Farming on an Acre (More or Less) Book Review and Giveaway

 Book Reviews  172 Responses »
Jan 072013
 

Backyard Farming on an Acre (More or Less) Book Review and Giveaway

Backyard Farming on an Acre (More or Less) by Angela England is a homesteading guide written with the enthusiasm of a beginner and the experience of several years of homesteading with limited space.  It’s a great pep talk for those new to the idea of self-sufficiency who are wondering if they can raise more of their own food without moving to the country.

How Backyard Farming on an Acre (More or Less) is Organized

Backyard Farming on an Acre is divided into five parts:

  1. Living Large on a Small Scale
  2. Gardening on a Backyard Farm
  3. Animals for a Backyard Farm
  4. Enjoying the Bounty
  5. Crafting from the Backyard Farm Continue reading »

The Weekend Homesteader Review

 Book Reviews, Homesteading  162 Responses »
Dec 042012
 

The Weekend Homesteader Review @ Common Sense Homesteading

The Weekend Homesteader: A Twelve-Month Guide to Self-Sufficiency by Anna Hess is an inexpensive guide to get you started with homesteading.  Loaded with color photos, this book would make a good “coffee table” book, conversation starter or idea brewer.

How the Weekend Homesteader is Organized

The Weekend Homesteader is organized by month, starting with April and wrapping back around to March.  (Alternate months are suggested for those living in Australia.)  Each month includes four “projects’ – one for each weekend – presenting you with activities that would be appropriate for that time of year.  For instance, April projects include: Continue reading »

How to Make a Burn Barrel – Burn Trash Safely

 Homesteading, How To  16 Responses »
Nov 122012
 
How to Make a Burn Barrel @ Common Sense Homesteading

How to Make a Burn Barrel @ Common Sense Homesteading

Love them or hate them, burn barrels are a part of Country Living. With the cost of dropping off trash at local dumps going up, more and more people are returning to using burn barrels. People sometimes complain about the smoke and the smell of a burning barrel of trash. This post how to make a burn barrel for your country property, or for emergency trash disposal anywhere, that burns cleanly and efficiently. Continue reading »

Getting Started Beekeeping – Iron Oak Farm’s First Hive

 Homesteading  1 Response »
Sep 142012
 

Getting Started Beekeeping @ Common Sense Homesteading

This is a guest post by Jennifer Sartell of Iron Oak Farm sharing their experience with getting started beekeeping.

It’s amazing to see our little farm growing, taking shape in the nooks and crannies of our property. So steady, so quiet, it moves along. I look out over our pumpkin patch and see the giant gourds, orange and globular, almost alien-like against the green grass. I think back to the spring, where the little sleeping seeds awoke in the ground. With time, rain and sunshine we now have enormous trailing vines, wrinkled star- like blooms and huge voluptuous fruit. Continue reading »

Sole Proprietorship vs LLC – What’s the Best Choice for Your Business?

 Homesteading  4 Responses »
Sep 072012
 

Eggs-in-BasketIf you sell anything to anyone, you are running a business.To protect your farm or small business, as well as your private assets, you should consider whether a sole proprietorship or an LLC is your best option.

The vast majority of farms are sole proprietorships because this is the default organization if you do not do anything. And, to busy farmers, it can seem easier and less time consuming to just let the farm be a sole proprietorship than to do something  formal to organize it.   One problem – If your farm is a sole proprietorship, there is no distinction between you and your farm – all your eggs are in one basket. Continue reading »

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