The Practical Prepper

Growing up in the Midwest, tornadoes have been a risk every year of my life. They are violent, destructive forces, as many people discover every year. I'm very grateful that I've never had to deal with the devastation that even a medium-strength tornado can cause. Nevertheless, I learned while very young how to prepare for, and react during, a…

This is a guest post and entry in Round 1 of the Farm Dreams writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A $300 gift certificate toward any purch

This is a guest post and entry in Round 1 of the Farm Dreams writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A $300 gift certificate toward any purchase of…

The Happy Homesteader Blog

Well, it's time again for me to reconsider growing tomatoes.  If you live in the deep south then you may have already put your tomatoes in the ground and up north your tomato days are still months away.  For us however, it's time to start the seeds.  Once again, we will try something different this year!  Every year that we grow tomatoes we learn a new lesson and we have yet to get it exactly right.  Growing tomatoes is one of those things that…

The Food Lawyer

If you are going to treat your farm like a business, you will need to think about seeking protection for the trademark rights to your logo and marketing materials. 

A typical farmer, say one who produces commodity crops like soybeans or milk, has absolutely no need of trademark protection because they take no part in the marketing of the stuff they make. The job of the commodity producer is to…

Wild Wanderings Blog – March 8, 2012

This week I want to continue with a bit more detailed info on finding clean drinking water in the wilds and also start the discussion on fire-making. I mentioned getting water from grape vines and various trees last week, but I didn’t provide any detailed info. Grape vines, in the early spring, pull lots of water out of the ground to feed the growth of their newly forming leaves. They are relatively common and easy to…

This is a guest post and entry in Round 1 of the Farm Dreams writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A $300 gift certificate toward any purch

This is a guest post and entry in Round 1 of the Farm Dreams writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A $300 gift certificate toward any purchase of…

The Practical Prepper

Being self-reliant means being prepared for a reasonable range of disasters or emergency situations. But, that preparedness involves more than just taking care of yourself — it also means looking out for your family too. Of course, it's important to remember the furry members of your family in your planning. Below are some things that we've done for prepping for…

This is a guest post and entry in Round 1 of the Farm Dreams writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A $300 gift certificate toward any purch

This is a guest post and entry in Round 1 of the Farm Dreams writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A $300 gift certificate toward any purchase of…

The Happy Homesteader Blog

If you live in the south then Spring has Sprung!  If you live in the north, then hang in there because spring is right around the corner.  Around me the flowers are in full bloom and I see the bees foraging during the warmth of the day.  It's a feeling that things are about to explode with activity any day and so I'm beginning to get prepared.  I…

This is a guest post and entry in Round 1 of the Farm Dreams writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A $300 gift certificate toward any purch

This is a guest post and entry in Round 1 of the Farm Dreams writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A $300 gift certificate toward any purchase of…

Back to the Basics

I grow my own veggies so that I'm not poisoning myself or my family with gmo, chemical and pesticide laden produce. 



I admit, growing an organic garden is not easy!  I have battled flea beetles, tomato hornworms, aphid infestations, powdery mildew and cut worms.  I've used organic pest control solutions that work and several that absolutely did not.  Below are a few recipes that have…

This is a guest post and entry in Round 1 of the Farm Dreams writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A $300 gift certificate toward any purch

This is a guest post and entry in Round 1 of the Farm Dreams writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A $300 gift certificate toward any purchase of…

It was a cold snowy morning in central Iowa, big white flakes in random snow showers, sometimes heavy and sometimes light drizzle. The chickens didn't beg to be let out like they do on a nice day and I could see the goats lying down close together in their shed.  I was glad I could be inside this morning and curled up with the dogs by my side, sipping a warm cup of vanilla coffee.

Late afternoon the clouds moved on and a warm wind started to dry the pavement. It is forecasted to be in…

I should have a bee post right now. The weather is incredible here in Memphis (mid-70′s today) and I should have gone out to the bees this week, but time just wouldn’t allow. So in lieu of a spring Memphis beekeeping update, I’ll give you a quick update on the kits (rabbits).

They’re two weeks old as…

The Food Lawyer

It has been a pretty tough week to be a fan of raw milk.

This past week a federal court permanently enjoined a Pennsylvania dairy from using a herd-share arrangement to distribute raw milk between state lines. The judge in the case called herd-sharing a “subterfuge” for a sale, and…

Wild Wanderings Blog – March 1, 2012

Last week I discussed some Wilderness Survival Basics. Shelter, as I stated, is always a major priority. Whether you build a shelter or seek natural protection from the elements depends largely on your situation at hand. Hunkering down in a dry place is obviously a wise choice. Rock-overhangs, large conifers and other natural refuges are a welcome option, though not always available. Lean-to’s as the “survival books” teach are…

This is a guest post and entry in Round 1 of the Farm Dreams writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A $300 gift certificate toward any purch

This is a guest post and entry in Round 1 of the Farm Dreams writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A $300 gift certificate toward any purchase of…

The Practical Prepper

A few weeks back, we talked about some basics of water storage. The response to that post was quite good, and many people had questions about collecting and purifying water.

So, let's cover some…