There are three main ways you can improve the soil in a garden bed, You can use organic mulches to cover the bed, work in soil amendments or you can grow cover crops. All of these methods work well and each has its advantages but cover cropping garden beds seems to be the one people…
Property from a few years ago before we started homesteading. The Changes Earlier this year we purchased the lot next door and to the south of ours, this property only has a barn on it and although it's not a large piece of land it did double what we had giving us nearly a quarter…
Listen To The Podcast The Modern Homesteading Podcast, Episode 142 – May 31, 2020 – Just Shootin' The Breeze About Food Forests. I Discuss: How the garden overall is coming along.The trees I chose and planted in the future food forest.Thoughts on building guilds around the trees.Creating a beautiful and happy place as well as…
What is commonly referred to as the 10th Permaculture design principle is the “Edge Effect” which is the use of edge and natural patterns for the best and most abundant effect. The use of this principle can increase productivity, efficiency, and diversity within a system. Listen To The Podcast The edge effect works in one…
When it comes to designing your property using permaculture principles one of the many areas of consideration is stacking functions by integration rather than segregation. When I started implementing this design element into my homestead it increased productivity and efficiency and even added an element of beauty to my property. Listen To The Podcast What…
In this episode, I discuss a few ways to help soil fertility in ways normally exercised in permaculture practices. These are ways that are simulated in nature to create balanced, rich, and living soil. Listen To The Podcast The Modern Homesteading Podcast, Episode 125 – September 3, 2019 - Increasing Soil Fertility Through Permaculture Practices.…
It is great to grow your own food, harvest that food, and then in some form or another preserve that food to make it available year-round. What is even better though is having something fresh from the garden you can eat year-round. Listen To The Podcast While it’s possible to grow most things indoors and…
In this podcast episode, I answer a question from a listener about what I would suggest they do first at their soon-to-be new home to turn it into a functioning homestead. Listen To The Podcast The Modern Homesteading Podcast, Episode 99 – July 19, 2018 – What To Do First To Turn A New Home Into…
The Modern Homesteading Podcast, Episode 92 – June 18, 2018 – Small Backyard Ponds: Advantages and Dealing With Potential Problems. Question For Today’s Podcast Episode: Tony asks: You have talked about your pond, and I definitely see the value it adds, however, I am concerned about the mosquito breeding ground it would…
The Modern Homesteading Podcast, Episode 88 – June 4, 2018 – When Are You Too Young or Old To Start Homesteading? Question For Today’s Podcast Episode: Tanya asks: I would love to hear your thoughts on starting a homestead in mid-life. We are looking to homestead in the near future and we are a married…
The Modern Homesteading Podcast, Episode 85 – May 25, 2018 – Protecting Plants In The Heat of Summer. Question For Today’s Podcast Episode: Randy Asks – What are some strategies for protecting veggie plants in heat of summer? We have a lot of 95+ degree days here and it would be nice to hear some…
The Modern Homesteading Podcast, Episode 84 – May 23, 2018 – Outdoor and Summer Kitchens. Question For Today’s Podcast Episode: Sarah Asks – What are your thoughts on the usefulness of a summer kitchen? This is our first summer gardening and with all the stuff I want to can from the garden I can…
Homesteading is all about making the best use of your space, time, and resources. One of the best ways to do that is through function stacking—a key concept in permaculture that ensures everything on your homestead serves multiple purposes. Today, we’re going to dive into what function stacking is, why it’s important, and how you…
Gardening is a joy, but nothing can ruin the excitement of watching your plants grow like destructive insects munching away at your hard work. In an organic garden, pest control requires a hands-on approach and smart planning. The good news is that with the right techniques, you can keep these pests under control and enjoy…
On today’s podcast episode I discuss how to locate or create microclimates for your garden and how best to use those microclimates. Getting the most from your garden depends on a lot of things including the right climate conditions for each specific plant. Listen To Podcast What exactly is a microclimate, and why does it…
On today’s podcast episode I discuss the many uses of having comfrey on the homestead and why EVERY homesteader should be growing it, what variety to grow and where to get it. Listen To The Podcast Today, I’m diving into one of my all-time favorite plants for the homestead—comfrey. Whether you’ve never heard of comfrey…
One of the biggest hurdles some people face when it comes to homesteading is time. They don’t have enough of it to spare, they don’t know how much it will take and they are unsure how to manage it in a way that will allow them to engage in a homesteading lifestyle. On today’s podcast,…
