A sad day at the homestead. Our rooster was taken by the bobcat, and in mid-afternoon too! I was in the house when he struck. I had been out in the front of the house, cutting up fallen branches with…
Bobcat Strikes: Rooster Lost
Category: Homestead
Lime-water Stored Eggs at 10 months: A Taste Test
The second dozen eggs I had stored in lime-water last May was now 10 months old. Time for the second taste test. How did they do? Read on. I tested the first of the two half-gallon jars of stored eggs…
Bringing Home The Bacon: Literally. Processing half a pig
This year, we bought a half a pig as an alternate food sourcing and storage exercise. These would be raised and butchered by ourselves. DIY meat. Here’s the story, from piglet to pork chop. Promoting The Idea Our pastor had…
Preserving Eggs in Lime water, 5 month test
Every spring, the hens lay more eggs than we can comfortably eat. This spring we tried something new (to us), preserving whole eggs in lime water. Today was the first taste test at 5 months. We regularly leave unwashed eggs…
Well Hand-Pump Maintenance
A hand pump on your well is an excellent off-grid alternative. Mine is about as simple as they come, but still requires periodic maintenance. This month, I had to replace the bottom seal. I coaxed a few more months of…
New Chicks: The sustainable flock
My brooding hen’s eggs hatched this past Friday. At first, four of her seven eggs hatched within hours of each other. A fifth egg showed “pipping” but little progress. The other two eggs showed no sign of pipping. They may…
Death of a Porcupine, to Save a Tree
Our mystery animal turned out to be a big porcupine. For several months, I was content to leave him be. When he started eating on my best apple tree, he crossed the line. I set my defenses and caught him…
Maple Syrup Season Begins
New Hampshire had been in a sub-zero deep freeze for the past few weeks. Knowing that the start was near for the maple sap flow, we watched the weather carefully. A string of warmer days coming was our clue to…
Delighted at five below zero
This morning, the outdoor temperature at the homestead was five degrees below zero. We a few more days of such cold in the forecast. Most people complain about cold snaps like this, but I couldn’t be happier. Why? It’s good…
Too Much of a Good Thing: Breaking a Broody Hen
Having a hen go broody is a sustainability blessing, but it is possible to have too much of a good thing. I was trying to induce my hen that usually goes broody to get into the mothering mood but I…