This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links, with NO additional cost to you.
In the serene chaos that is farm life, where the dawn greets you with its cool touch and the earth calls for your tender care, lies a dance of balancing acts that many don't see — the quiet hum of managing a farm as both a nurturing home and a demanding business. For young moms tasked with the love of her family and the stewardship of the land, this dance can sometimes feel more like a frantic juggle.
Crafting Dreams into Plans
The first steps on this path start with dreams; dreams that are as wide as the open fields and as detailed as the seeds we plant. These dreams then need to be carefully, lovingly crafted into clear goals. Sit at a kitchen table as dawn breaks and list not just the need for profit, but every hope and dream for your life, and the legacy you wish to leave. It's about knowing where you want to go, not just for the season, but for many seasons to come.
Navigating Through Lean Times
Money – the word alone can make one tighten up inside, especially when resources are more like trickles than streams. Yet, it's through wise budgeting, tracking every drop of income and spotting where each grain of expense falls, that we find ways to channel these trickles into nourishing rivers. Picture, if you will, a wall by the desk, with the budget clearly listed, reminding us of where to be cautious of overflowing expenses and where to be courageous in projects that are working well.
The Blend of Old and New
In this age, where technology is as common as the soil we till, we find solace and strength in digital tools designed to lighten our load. Farm management software becomes less of a foreign concept and more of a familiar friend, helping us track, plan, and maintain with efficiency. Yet, technology also means simple innovations at home — sticky notes for fleeting thoughts, and those hanging folders by the desk, a tangible symbol of our endeavor to blend tradition with progress.
The Art of Order
Amid the endless tasks, there lies an intricate art of staying organized, a skill that transforms overwhelming tides into manageable tasks. It involves keeping vital documents not just filed, but filed with intention. I learned this the hard way, mistaking an FSA document for an insurance paper, I'm not even sure how. It's about creating a system, like a map, that guides you back to any piece of information when you need it the most, thereby crafting a sanctuary of calm in the potential storm of paperwork.
Shared Loads; Shared Lives
This journey is far from solitary. It is shared with our husbands, children, parents, and every soul who touches our farm. Delegating doesn't just lighten the load; it weaves us closer together, building a tapestry of shared dreams and shared labor. Each person brings their unique strength, turning daunting tasks into opportunities for connection and growth.
The Ever-Learning Farmer
As the world around us ebbs and flows, so too must our knowledge. The land teaches us the value of continuous learning — from workshops, from neighbors, and from every success and setback. It's this humility and hunger for knowledge that keep the heart of the farm beating strong, ready to adapt and flourish.
In wrapping up this heart-to-heart, I hope you see that managing a farm's business side isn't just about balance sheets and productivity software. It's about crafting a life that's as rich and fulfilling as the soil we nurture. Together, with patience, perseverance, and a dash of creativity, we can transform our farms into homes of abundance and havens of peace. Here's to the dance of farm life — may we all find our rhythm.
Wanting a community to lean into? Join the FREE Thriving Through Farm Loss: Wife’s Support Network! In our community, we embrace the challenges of farm life and provide a supportive space for wives facing the complexities of managing a family farm. Whether you're navigating financial pressures, day-to-day operations, or seeking ways to create a thriving home, we're here for you. Explore gardening tips for cultivating your own oasis, share insights on animal care, and discover practical family budgeting strategies. Together, let's grow through challenges, flourish authentically, and sow the seeds for a resilient and thriving farm life. Join us on this journey of resilience and abundance!
As I've grown in my journey as an entrepreneur, mom, gardener, and livestock owner, I struggled to find a planner that met my needs and kept me organized. So, I MADE MY OWN. You can look at it on the link below and buy it on amazon below.
Don't want the whole calendar part? I got you! I pulled the gardening and animal care pages out and put them in a book all their own.
Starting to garden doesn't have to be hard! I gathered all the tips I've learned over my gardening learning curve and made them into a simple course to jump start your gardening your life.
Supporting Your Family Naturally from the Inside Out community!! This community is for Mommas, looking to Support Your Family from Nature for Wellness. Tips range from nutrition, herbals, detoxing, natural cleaning, and essential oils. Basically, all the things I’ve learned slowly over the past 5+ years of my journey. We have moved off Facebook, to better serve our community and be able to discuss openly options for providing for your family in the best way possible.
Join the FREE Community
Join the FREE Community
I've had 3 very different pregnancies. After the first traumatic birth, I learned better and how to care for my body naturally and prevent common pregnancy and birth problems before they arise. This quick course will get you the tools you need to have a naturally healthy pregnancy, labor, and delivery. My first pregnancy I had a normal western medicine all the things pregnancy. My second? I flipped to completely natural, no medicine. Bonus: Preventing Preeclampsia Without the Aspirin & Healing from Birth Trauma
Support animals are animals that don’t directly feed you or your family but help you to care for the animals that do or help you to care for those animals. The goal of any homestead or farmstead is to have all the animals integrated into a system that works together to support each other. For example, the horses don’t feed my family directly, but they produce the fertilizer for the garden and help move the cows around, which do feed my family. So how do you feed them all? Let's take a look!
Bees
These could be debated as a support animal because they do feed my family with the honey they produce. However, they mostly feed themselves and help with pollination in my garden and orchard. The biggest thing with bees is making sure they have water, ideally close, bees will fly 2 miles for resources. However, I want them drinking from my water, not the pivots around us. I usually just leave a board in the closest pool/water tank, and they quickly learn to get water from there. Really this water is then watering multiple livestock.
As far as feeding the bees, going into winter you want to make sure they have 2 deep boxes full of honey, in Nebraska. I then put an emergency feed of sugar, sprayed with water to crust it over, on top of the last box. This is because I may not be able to get into the hive and check the bees for 2 months because it is so cold.
Horses
Horses need forage, ideally 20 hours a day. Grass pasture is ideal, but not always accessible. Most horses will do fine with good grass hay, just be aware of mold in the bales. Older horses will need more special feed (you can read more on that in my blog Caring for Your Senior Horse). If more protein is needed, alfalfa can also be fed. Also have a salt block available (iodized if you are in an iodine deficient zone).
Many people feed their horse grain. There are so many options there and will depend on the age and workload of your horse. My horses’ work is light and are easy keepers. They get prairie hay and some oats to deliver their vitamin/mineral supplement. Whole oats are usually an easy and safe option for most horses.
Dogs
Dogs need some kind of food, unless you want them feeding themselves with the chickens. A good farm dog may run free on the property and not need a lot of actual dog food, if they are catching rabbits. However, it is good to have it available for them. Growing up my dogs were free fed from a communal bow. The bowl of food was filled once a day and they at as they felt and shared. Now? I have 4 very different dogs, with very different needs (blue heeler to great Pyrenees). I cannot leave a bowl of food out all day, as the blue heeler would eat herself to death. I do still feed them all together, but in their separate bowls.
The easiest way to feed them is to get them some dog food from your local farm/feed store. You will need to pay attention to the protein amount, as many feeds do not have enough protein for working active dogs. You can feed dogs the scraps of food from the kitchen, and if you have a milk cow or make your own cheese, they love the whey. Our dogs also get other animal organs once a week to stretch the dog food.
I do strongly recommend communal feeding, especially if you have more than one working dog. Dogs that eat together as a pack, work together as a pack. You can retrain them even if they haven’t been eating together. Start with their own bowls and slowly move the bowls closer together. If anyone growls, they lose their food and are sent away from the food circle. There will be days a dog will go hungry, but they very quickly learn to eat together. My dogs now eat all with bowls touching, and the fighting has greatly decreased.
Cats
News flash, barn cats can survive on dog food. I know, send me the hate mail now, but here me out. The main difference between cat and dog food is most dog foods don’t have taurine, and definitely not enough to meet a cat’s needs. Dog food also tends to be lower in arachidonic acid, niacin, and vitamin A than cats need. Here’s the thing, if your barn cats are doing their job, hunting mice and small rodents), they are going to get those nutrients.
The key with barn cats is to feed them some, enough to keep them around, but not enough that they don’t want to go hunting for the mice around the barns. Also only feed them in the morning or early afternoon, so the food is cleaned up before evening when the opossums come out.
Feeding your support partners doesn't have to be complicated. There are a few things to keep in mind though to make sure everyone stays healthy.
As I've grown in my journey as an entrepreneur, mom, gardener, and livestock owner, I struggled to find a planner that met my needs and kept me organized. So, I MADE MY OWN. You can take a look at it on the link blow and buy it on amazon below:
Don't want the whole calendar part? I got you! I pulled the gardening and animal care pages out and put them in a book all their own.
Wanting a community to lean into? Join the FREE Helping Your Family Homestead for Food group! This community is for the Mommas, looking to stay home and raise their kids, but unsure how to keep everyone fed and make ends meet. I share tips from my journey from the office, to half the income and feeding my family from home, while maintaining good nourishing food. Tips include: gardening, bulk buying, caning,/preserving, livestock, homesteading, and home remedies. Your family is precious and this group is to help you gain the knowledge and tools to keep your family well and not reliant on outside professionals. Remedies and tips are easy and simple for the busy momma, time is precious after all, including pregnancy, birth, young kids, and illness. Trust your Momma gut again! This community offers the resources + community you need to help get started on your journey and prepare for whatever future you envision.
Starting to garden doesn't have to be hard! I gathered all the tips I've learned over my gardening learning curve and made them into a simple course to jump start your gardening your life.
Supporting Your Family Naturally From the Inside Out community!! This community is for the Mommas, looking to Support Your Family from Nature for Wellness. Tips range from nutrition, herbals, detoxing, natural cleaning, and essential oils. Basically all the things I’ve learned slowly over the past 5+ years if my journey. We have moved off Facebook, so to better serve our community and be able to discuss openly option for providing for your family in the best way possible.
Join the FREE Community
Join the FREE Community
I've had 3 very different pregnancies. After the first traumatic birth, I learned better and how to care for my body naturally and prevent common pregnancy and birth problems before they arise. This quick course will get you the tools you need to have a naturally healthy pregnancy, labor, and delivery. My first pregnancy I had a normal western medicine all the things pregnancy. My second? I flipped to completely natural, no medicine. Bonus: Preventing Preeclampsia Without the Aspirin & Healing from Birth Trauma
Click here to get the stories straight to your email:
For more on wellness tips click here:
For more on homesteading on your budget click here:
For more simple DIY updates click here:
This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links, with NO additional cost to you.
Animals can bring so much joy and entertainment to our lives. From chickens and guineas, all the way up to horses and bottle lambs, it’s hard not to love having animals around. Even though they bring us joy, there are bound to be some minor injuries along the way. That’s why I always keep a first aid kit handy, just in case! In this blog post, I’ll share with you some of my must-have animal first aid supplies for all species, as well as some specific supplies for birds that live on my homestead.
The Basics For Every Species
No matter what type of animal you have, there are certain items that should be kept in your first aid kit at all times.
• Vet Wrap - Not only is vet wrap incredibly versatile—it can be used for bandaging sprains or holding an ice pack in place—but it also stays put even when wet or dirty. This makes it perfect for animals who spend a lot of time outdoors or get muddy often. Or even the perfect band aid for yourself.
• Gauze Pads - These are essential for cleaning out any wounds that your animals may get. They’re also great for absorbing blood and other fluids from deeper cuts or scrapes so that you can properly assess the damage and treat accordingly.
• Diapers - Believe it or not, diapers are very useful in animal first aid kits! They make an excellent padding material when bandaging large areas (like a horse's leg) because they have soft material on both sides and are thick enough that they won't tear easily. Plus, they're absorbent so they'll help keep the wound area dry during treatment. They are perfect for keeping a foot clean in the case of a foot abscess too. For how to treat that, click here.
• Duck Tape – Honestly this is in the vet kit and tool box. In the first aid kit, duck tape is the top layer in an abscess boot, or the final rings on a leg wrap.
• Calendula Salve - This salve is amazing for treating minor cuts and scrapes on any species of animal. It has anti-inflammatory properties which will help reduce swelling and discomfort while promoting healing and tissue regeneration at the same time. I have used this on scrapes and gashes from untrimmed rooster spurs. Read how to make it here.
• Epson Salt - Epson salt is essential if your animals ever has an abscess. Typically, you dissolve the salt in warm water to make a soak solution.
• Clean Bucket – Having a clean bucket nearby helps you transport water or cleaning solutions easily while keeping your hands free during treatment of your animal’s injury. It also comes in handy if you need to soak any gauze pads before using them on a wound—just fill up the bucket with water, add whatever disinfectant you prefer, then drop the gauze pads into the solution until ready to use!
• Cotton Batting – Cotton batting is great for wrapping around sprains since it provides cushioning without being too tight against the skin which could cause further discomfort for your pet (or livestock). Also works well as stuffing inside bandages if needed!
• Clean Rags – These come in handy when wiping away dirt from wounds before applying topical treatments like calendula salve or iodine solution (which we'll talk about later). They can also be used to clean off tools/supplies between uses so that everything stays sanitary throughout treatment processes.
• Syringes – Can be used to deliver needed antibiotics, but most often I’m using them for drenching, or washing out wound areas to small for a hose.
• Iodine – This is specifically for disinfecting tools or cleaning out abscesses.
• Lavender and Copieba Essential Oil – I use these two with calendula salve, to speed healing and decrease the pain on open wounds.
For The Birds
If you have chickens, geese, turkeys or guineas in your flock then there are two additional products that I would highly recommend having on hand: Nutri-Drink and Hydro-Boost. Nutri-Drink is an electrolyte supplement that helps poultry stay hydrated in hot weather while Hydro-Boost provides essential vitamins and minerals necessary for proper nutrition. Both products can be added to water and they taste great so birds will drink them willingly! Any time a bird is injured or stressed (like newly shipped chicks), I add some to the water for the first day and help out.
Having the right supplies on hand when caring for injured animals can make all the difference between a successful recovery and an unsuccessful one. With this list of must-haves in mind, you will be well prepared if an injury occurs with any of your animals—especially birds! Gather up these items now so that they’re ready when needed; doing so will give you peace of mind knowing that if the worst happens you’ll have everything necessary to provide the best possible care to your beloved pets. Good luck!
As I've grown in my journey as an entrepreneur, mom, gardener, and livestock owner, I struggled to find a planner that met my needs and kept me organized. So I MADE MY OWN. You can take a look at it on the link blow and buy it on amazon below
Look inside the 2023 Planner
Buy the 2023 Planner
Don't want the whole calendar part? I got you! I pulled the gardening and animal care pages out and put them in a book all their own.
Look inside the Organizer
Buy the Organizer
Wanting a community to lean into? Join the FREE Helping Your Family Homestead for Food group! This community is for the Mommas, looking to stay home and raise their kids, but unsure how to keep everyone fed and make ends meet. I share tips from my journey from the office, to half the income and feeding my family from home, while maintaining good nourishing food. Tips include: gardening, bulk buying, caning,/preserving, livestock, homesteading, and home remedies. Your family is precious and this group is to help you gain the knowledge and tools to keep your family well and not reliant on outside professionals. Remedies and tips are easy and simple for the busy momma, time is precious after all, including pregnancy, birth, young kids, and illness. Trust your Momma gut again! This community offers the resources + community you need to help get started on your journey and prepare for whatever future you envision.
Join the Free Community
Starting to garden doesn't have to be hard! I gathered all the tips I've learned over my gardening learning curve and made them into a simple course to jump start your gardening your life.
Grab the Gardening Basics Course
Supporting Your Family Naturally From the Inside Out community!! This community is for the Mommas, looking to Support Your Family from Nature for Wellness. Tips range from nutrition, herbals, detoxing, natural cleaning, and essential oils. Basically all the things I’ve learned slowly over the past 5+ years if my journey. We have moved off Facebook, so to better serve our community and be able to discuss openly option for providing for your family in the best way possible.
Join the FREE Community
I've had 3 very different pregnancies. After the first traumatic birth, I learned better and how to care for my body naturally and prevent common pregnancy and birth problems before they arise. This quick course will get you the tools you need to have a naturally healthy pregnancy, labor, and delivery. My first pregnancy I had a normal western medicine all the things pregnancy. My second? I flipped to completely natural, no medicine. Bonus: Preventing Preeclampsia Without the Aspirin & Healing from Birth Trauma
Get the Healthy Pregnancy Course
Click here to get the stories straight to your email:
Sign up for the Blog
For more on wellness tips click here:
Sign up for Wellness tips
For more on homesteading on your budget click here:
Sign up for Homesteading Tips
Animals can bring so much joy and entertainment to our lives. From chickens and guineas, all the way up to horses and bottle lambs, it’s hard not to love having animals around. Even though they bring us joy, there are bound to be some minor injuries along the way. That’s why I always keep a first aid kit handy, just in case! In this blog post, I’ll share with you some of my must-have animal first aid supplies for all species, as well as some specific supplies for birds that live on my homestead.
The Basics For Every Species
No matter what type of animal you have, there are certain items that should be kept in your first aid kit at all times.
• Vet Wrap - Not only is vet wrap incredibly versatile—it can be used for bandaging sprains or holding an ice pack in place—but it also stays put even when wet or dirty. This makes it perfect for animals who spend a lot of time outdoors or get muddy often. Or even the perfect band aid for yourself.
• Gauze Pads - These are essential for cleaning out any wounds that your animals may get. They’re also great for absorbing blood and other fluids from deeper cuts or scrapes so that you can properly assess the damage and treat accordingly.
• Diapers - Believe it or not, diapers are very useful in animal first aid kits! They make an excellent padding material when bandaging large areas (like a horse's leg) because they have soft material on both sides and are thick enough that they won't tear easily. Plus, they're absorbent so they'll help keep the wound area dry during treatment. They are perfect for keeping a foot clean in the case of a foot abscess too. For how to treat that, click here.
• Duck Tape – Honestly this is in the vet kit and tool box. In the first aid kit, duck tape is the top layer in an abscess boot, or the final rings on a leg wrap.
• Calendula Salve - This salve is amazing for treating minor cuts and scrapes on any species of animal. It has anti-inflammatory properties which will help reduce swelling and discomfort while promoting healing and tissue regeneration at the same time. I have used this on scrapes and gashes from untrimmed rooster spurs. Read how to make it here.
• Epson Salt - Epson salt is essential if your animals ever has an abscess. Typically, you dissolve the salt in warm water to make a soak solution.
• Clean Bucket – Having a clean bucket nearby helps you transport water or cleaning solutions easily while keeping your hands free during treatment of your animal’s injury. It also comes in handy if you need to soak any gauze pads before using them on a wound—just fill up the bucket with water, add whatever disinfectant you prefer, then drop the gauze pads into the solution until ready to use!
• Cotton Batting – Cotton batting is great for wrapping around sprains since it provides cushioning without being too tight against the skin which could cause further discomfort for your pet (or livestock). Also works well as stuffing inside bandages if needed!
• Clean Rags – These come in handy when wiping away dirt from wounds before applying topical treatments like calendula salve or iodine solution (which we'll talk about later). They can also be used to clean off tools/supplies between uses so that everything stays sanitary throughout treatment processes.
• Syringes – Can be used to deliver needed antibiotics, but most often I’m using them for drenching, or washing out wound areas to small for a hose.
• Iodine – This is specifically for disinfecting tools or cleaning out abscesses.
• Lavender and Copieba Essential Oil – I use these two with calendula salve, to speed healing and decrease the pain on open wounds.
For The Birds
If you have chickens, geese, turkeys or guineas in your flock then there are two additional products that I would highly recommend having on hand: Nutri-Drink and Hydro-Boost. Nutri-Drink is an electrolyte supplement that helps poultry stay hydrated in hot weather while Hydro-Boost provides essential vitamins and minerals necessary for proper nutrition. Both products can be added to water and they taste great so birds will drink them willingly! Any time a bird is injured or stressed (like newly shipped chicks), I add some to the water for the first day and help out.
Having the right supplies on hand when caring for injured animals can make all the difference between a successful recovery and an unsuccessful one. With this list of must-haves in mind, you will be well prepared if an injury occurs with any of your animals—especially birds! Gather up these items now so that they’re ready when needed; doing so will give you peace of mind knowing that if the worst happens you’ll have everything necessary to provide the best possible care to your beloved pets. Good luck!
As I've grown in my journey as an entrepreneur, mom, gardener, and livestock owner, I struggled to find a planner that met my needs and kept me organized. So I MADE MY OWN. You can take a look at it on the link blow and buy it on amazon below
Look inside the 2023 Planner
Buy the 2023 Planner
Don't want the whole calendar part? I got you! I pulled the gardening and animal care pages out and put them in a book all their own.
Look inside the Organizer
Buy the Organizer
Wanting a community to lean into? Join the FREE Helping Your Family Homestead for Food group! This community is for the Mommas, looking to stay home and raise their kids, but unsure how to keep everyone fed and make ends meet. I share tips from my journey from the office, to half the income and feeding my family from home, while maintaining good nourishing food. Tips include: gardening, bulk buying, caning,/preserving, livestock, homesteading, and home remedies. Your family is precious and this group is to help you gain the knowledge and tools to keep your family well and not reliant on outside professionals. Remedies and tips are easy and simple for the busy momma, time is precious after all, including pregnancy, birth, young kids, and illness. Trust your Momma gut again! This community offers the resources + community you need to help get started on your journey and prepare for whatever future you envision.
Join the Free Community
Starting to garden doesn't have to be hard! I gathered all the tips I've learned over my gardening learning curve and made them into a simple course to jump start your gardening your life.
Grab the Gardening Basics Course
Supporting Your Family Naturally From the Inside Out community!! This community is for the Mommas, looking to Support Your Family from Nature for Wellness. Tips range from nutrition, herbals, detoxing, natural cleaning, and essential oils. Basically all the things I’ve learned slowly over the past 5+ years if my journey. We have moved off Facebook, so to better serve our community and be able to discuss openly option for providing for your family in the best way possible.
Join the FREE Community
I've had 3 very different pregnancies. After the first traumatic birth, I learned better and how to care for my body naturally and prevent common pregnancy and birth problems before they arise. This quick course will get you the tools you need to have a naturally healthy pregnancy, labor, and delivery. My first pregnancy I had a normal western medicine all the things pregnancy. My second? I flipped to completely natural, no medicine. Bonus: Preventing Preeclampsia Without the Aspirin & Healing from Birth Trauma
Get the Healthy Pregnancy Course
Click here to get the stories straight to your email:
Sign up for the Blog
For more on wellness tips click here:
Sign up for Wellness tips
For more on homesteading on your budget click here:
Sign up for Homesteading Tips
This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links, with NO additional cost to you.
Contrary to popular belief, you can have chickens in most places. Even if you live in the city and don’t think you can accommodate them. Chickens are one of the few types of livestock that take up very little space and still give you so many benefits. Laying hens will provide eggs for your family, plus make great disposals for kitchen and garden scraps. If you want to raise meat birds, it’s possible in most places too! Some cities may have limits as to how many and what kinds (no roosters) but they usually allow some type of chicken keeping. Check with your local ordinance for specifics. Let’s explore more about urban chicken keeping!
Knowing Your City Ordinances
Before you even think about getting chickens, check with your city ordinances. Some cities/towns may have limits or restrictions as to how many chickens you can have or whether or not you can have roosters on the property. This is especially important if there are neighborhood associations that could potentially cite you if they find out about your chickens before you get it approved by the local government. Make sure to check those first!
Space Considerations
Chickens don’t need much space; however, there are some things that should be taken into consideration such as the size of their coop and run area, plus having enough space for a place where they can scratch and dust bathe. Having at least 4 square feet per bird inside their coop is recommended, plus 10-15 square feet per bird in their run area outside. To little space and they become stressed which means less eggs for you.
They also need a secure place where they can get away from predators like raccoons, possums, hawks, and cats. A small backyard is usually sufficient to accommodate three or four hens; however, if you're raising meat birds that require more space than laying hens then your backyard needs will increase accordingly. If possible, try to keep this area away from any windy areas which could make them cold and uncomfortable during winter months.
Feed & Water Considerations
Chickens need a specific type of food that's formulated specifically for their nutritional needs — while they might enjoy eating leftovers from the table every once in a while, those foods should not make up the majority of their diet. Additionally, depending on where you live, there may be some restrictions for storing large amounts of feed due to vermin control laws or zoning regulations; again, this is something you should check into before committing to owning chickens. Even if you don’t have a large space to buy bulk ingredients, you can find preformulated bagged food at local farm stores.
A feeder and water station should also be taken into consideration when planning out your urban chicken keeping set up. You would need one feeder per 6-10 birds plus a water station big enough for all of them to drink from without overcrowding each other while they do so. The type of water or feeder is not important, you can find or reuse old stuff too, just make sure that these containers have lids so that food doesn’t get wet due to rain or rodents trying to get into it during nighttime hours when the chickens aren’t around (they usually go back inside at dusk).
Urban chicken keeping is becoming more popular due to its low-cost investment yet high return benefits of fresh eggs daily along with having an easy disposal system for kitchen scraps & garden waste. However, knowing local ordinances is always important before investing too much into any type of livestock keeping project; after all nobody wants fines added onto already expensive projects! But once everything gets approved by the local government then it's time to start thinking about ways we can make our future chicken flock comfortable while still having plenty of room left over in our yards for other activities like gardening or playing sports with friends & family members alike! All in all, urban chicken keeping is definitely something worth exploring further - go ahead & see what options might be available near where YOU live today!
As I've grown in my journey as an entrepreneur, mom, gardener, and livestock owner, I struggled to find a planner that met my needs and kept me organized. So I MADE MY OWN. You can take a look at it on the link blow and buy it on amazon below
Don't want the whole calendar part? I got you! I pulled the gardening and animal care pages out and put them in a book all their own.
Wanting a community to lean into? Join the FREE Helping Your Family Homestead for Food group! This community is for the Mommas, looking to stay home and raise their kids, but unsure how to keep everyone fed and make ends meet. I share tips from my journey from the office, to half the income and feeding my family from home, while maintaining good nourishing food. Tips include: gardening, bulk buying, caning,/preserving, livestock, homesteading, and home remedies. Your family is precious and this group is to help you gain the knowledge and tools to keep your family well and not reliant on outside professionals. Remedies and tips are easy and simple for the busy momma, time is precious after all, including pregnancy, birth, young kids, and illness. Trust your Momma gut again! This community offers the resources + community you need to help get started on your journey and prepare for whatever future you envision.
Starting to garden doesn't have to be hard! I gathered all the tips I've learned over my gardening learning curve and made them into a simple course to jump start your gardening your life.
I've had 3 very different pregnancies. After the first traumatic birth, I learned better and how to care for my body naturally and prevent common pregnancy and birth problems before they arise. This quick course will get you the tools you need to have a naturally healthy pregnancy, labor, and delivery. My first pregnancy I had a normal western medicine all the things pregnancy. My second? I flipped to completely natural, no medicine. Bonus: Preventing Preeclampsia Without the Aspirin & Healing from Birth Trauma
Supporting Your Family Naturally From the Inside Out community!! This community is for the Mommas, looking to Support Your Family from Nature for Wellness. Tips range from nutrition, herbals, detoxing, natural cleaning, and essential oils. Basically all the things I’ve learned slowly over the past 5+ years if my journey. We have moved off Facebook, so to better serve our community and be able to discuss openly option for providing for your family in the best way possible.
Join the Community
Join the Community
Click here to get the stories straight to your email:
For more on wellness tips click here:
For more on homesteading on your budget click here:
For more simple DIY updates click here:
This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links, with NO additional cost to you.
Caring for animals is a rewarding experience. They bring joy, companionship, and even produce food or fiber. But taking care of animals is also a big responsibility! Whether you’re caring for chickens, goats, cows, pigs or any other homestead animal, there are certain basic needs all animals require in order to stay healthy and happy. In this article I will discuss the basics of animal care - shelter, water, food and safety - so that you can make sure your furry (or feathered) friends are getting everything they need.
Shelter & Safety
All animals need some kind of shelter to protect them from weather, predators, and other dangers. Even if you don’t have a large barn or coop, something as simple as a shaded area can provide protection from the elements. Make sure your animal has enough space to move around comfortably in their shelter. Even if that means a shade tree in the pasture for cattle.
Create boundaries around your property so that your animals don’t wander off; also make sure there aren't any hazardous materials nearby that could harm them (like toxic chemicals). Keep an eye out for predators like coyotes or foxes that could be lurking near your homestead—if necessary, install fencing or other deterrents, like livestock guardians, for added protection. Keeping animals safe also means ensuring access to clean living spaces free from sharp objects or other hazards that could cause injury or death to an unsuspecting animal. Finally, it’s important not to overcrowd the living area and shelter; too many animals can lead to fights which could result in serious injury or death.
Water
Animals require clean drinking water every day in order to stay hydrated and healthy. Make sure your animal’s water source is always full and that it’s changed regularly (at least once a week). During the winter months be sure to provide warm water as well; cold water can freeze quickly in the winter so having a heated water bowl is essential for keeping your animals hydrated when temperatures drop below freezing.
Food
Different types of animals have different dietary needs, in order to grow and stay healthy, so it’s important to research what type of food is best for your specific animal (more to come on specific animals). In general though, all animals need a balanced diet which includes carbohydrates (grains typically), proteins (for the amino acids), vitamins/minerals (supplements) and fiber (grass/hay). It’s also important to monitor how much they eat—too much food can lead to obesity or other health issues. Additionally, some types of animals may require special diets depending on their age or health status so make sure you check with your veterinarian if you have any questions about what type of food your animal needs.
Taking care of animals doesn’t have to be complex or intimidating—the basics remain relatively universal across different species! The key components are shelter, safety, water, and food; if you keep those four things in mind then you should be able to give your animals everything they need for happy lives on your homestead!
As I've grown in my journey as an entrepreneur, mom, gardener, and livestock owner, I struggled to find a planner that met my needs and kept me organized. So I MADE MY OWN. You can take a look at it on the link blow and buy it on amazon below
Don't want the whole calendar part? I got you! I pulled the gardening and animal care pages out and put them in a book all their own.
Wanting a community to lean into? Join the FREE Helping Your Family Homestead for Food group! This community is for the Mommas, looking to stay home and raise their kids, but unsure how to keep everyone fed and make ends meet. I share tips from my journey from the office, to half the income and feeding my family from home, while maintaining good nourishing food. Tips include: gardening, bulk buying, caning,/preserving, livestock, homesteading, and home remedies. Your family is precious and this group is to help you gain the knowledge and tools to keep your family well and not reliant on outside professionals. Remedies and tips are easy and simple for the busy momma, time is precious after all, including pregnancy, birth, young kids, and illness. Trust your Momma gut again! This community offers the resources + community you need to help get started on your journey and prepare for whatever future you envision.
Starting to garden doesn't have to be hard! I gathered all the tips I've learned over my gardening learning curve and made them into a simple course to jump start your gardening your life.
Supporting Your Family Naturally From the Inside Out community!! This community is for the Mommas, looking to Support Your Family from Nature for Wellness. Tips range from nutrition, herbals, detoxing, natural cleaning, and essential oils. Basically all the things I’ve learned slowly over the past 5+ years if my journey. We have moved off Facebook, so to better serve our community and be able to discuss openly option for providing for your family in the best way possible.
Join the FREE Community
Join the FREE Community
I've had 3 very different pregnancies. After the first traumatic birth, I learned better and how to care for my body naturally and prevent common pregnancy and birth problems before they arise. This quick course will get you the tools you need to have a naturally healthy pregnancy, labor, and delivery. My first pregnancy I had a normal western medicine all the things pregnancy. My second? I flipped to completely natural, no medicine. Bonus: Preventing Preeclampsia Without the Aspirin & Healing from Birth Trauma
Click here to get the stories straight to your email:
For more on wellness tips click here:
For more on homesteading on your budget click here:
For more simple DIY updates click here:
This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links, with NO additional cost to you.
“I’m gonna sell the cows.”
I couldn’t believe my ears he loved the cows. We bought the cows, to help us build income. They made a way for us to come home to the farm. But at the same time, I had some relief and then guilt because of all the times in the past three years I’ve wished, for the cows to be gone. Usually on the nights I was alone again, or times plans changed because of the cows, and I was on my own again. Or I was staring at a stack of cow bills wondering how they were going to be paid.
I really did love the cows and knew he did too. So why sell now?
“We’ll keep 40-50 of the Corrientes’s but let everybody else go. That will give us enough to keep the beef business and they’ll be able to run on the small pasture. Maybe after harvest we’ll get some stockers. This will fix several of our problems.”
I couldn’t argue. I knew what the books look like, and I knew what feed costs were. As much as neither one of us wanted this. It was the best option to get in a better spot financially.
We have been handed a shaky foundation and were trying to fix it by building bigger and more diverse, covering our needs, and bringing in more income. But only to find ourselves spinning our wheels, out of time and money, and burnt out.
So here we are. Most of the cows will be gone by the end of the month. We’re restructuring, eliminating, and rebuilding a sturdy foundation. We’re simplifying our operation to better accommodate the labor we have.
When a foundation is crumbling, eventually you must stop building above, and fix the foundation, or the entire building will crumble. That is exactly what we are doing. We’re fixing our foundation, making it square and sturdy again.
One day we may grow again, but only time will tell.
As I've grown in my journey as an entrepreneur, mom, gardener, and livestock owner, I struggled to find a planner that met my needs and kept me organized. So I MADE MY OWN. You can take a look at it on the link blow and buy it on amazon below
Don't want the whole calendar part? I got you! I pulled the gardening and animal care pages out and put them in a book all their own.
Wanting a community to lean into? Join the FREE Helping Your Family Homestead for Food group! This community is for the Mommas, looking to stay home and raise their kids, but unsure how to keep everyone fed and make ends meet. I share tips from my journey from the office, to half the income and feeding my family from home, while maintaining good nourishing food. Tips include: gardening, bulk buying, caning,/preserving, livestock, homesteading, and home remedies. Your family is precious and this group is to help you gain the knowledge and tools to keep your family well and not reliant on outside professionals. Remedies and tips are easy and simple for the busy momma, time is precious after all, including pregnancy, birth, young kids, and illness. Trust your Momma gut again! This community offers the resources + community you need to help get started on your journey and prepare for whatever future you envision.
Starting to garden doesn't have to be hard! I gathered all the tips I've learned over my gardening learning curve and made them into a simple course to jump start your gardening your life.
Supporting Your Family Naturally From the Inside Out community!! This community is for the Mommas, looking to Support Your Family from Nature for Wellness. Tips range from nutrition, herbals, detoxing, natural cleaning, and essential oils. Basically all the things I’ve learned slowly over the past 5+ years if my journey. We have moved off Facebook, so to better serve our community and be able to discuss openly option for providing for your family in the best way possible.
Join the FREE Community
Join the FREE Community
I've had 3 very different pregnancies. After the first traumatic birth, I learned better and how to care for my body naturally and prevent common pregnancy and birth problems before they arise. This quick course will get you the tools you need to have a naturally healthy pregnancy, labor, and delivery. My first pregnancy I had a normal western medicine all the things pregnancy. My second? I flipped to completely natural, no medicine. Bonus: Preventing Preeclampsia Without the Aspirin & Healing from Birth Trauma
Click here to get the stories straight to your email:
For more on wellness tips click here:
For more on homesteading on your budget click here:
For more simple DIY updates click here:
This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links, with NO additional cost to you.
Sometimes in life we must do hard things. Sometimes the journey is harder than we expect. The climb is longer and the mountain higher than you thought when you started. It’s in the middle of these times you begin to wonder if the dream you had is worth it.
It is good to dream big. But what happens when that dream seems unreachable, and harder than you expected?
I really don’t have any advice for you, but I am here to tell you, that you are not alone. We are each in the middle of our own storm, but I’m right there with you.
The goals my husband and I have for the family farm is huge. The mountain we are climbing is higher than either of us imagined. The stress of it all has taken its toll on us both. My body has physically broken down and it has been a slow process repairing it.
During this storm however, God has been working in my heart. He’s been leading me back to Him and reminding me that he has it all under control. He knows the end, and as much as it frustrates me not knowing, I must trust Him in the journey. Letting Him shape my heart.
I’ve learned to care for my health, not just everyone else. I’ve learned to seek out help when needed. And stand up for me, changing providers when needed.
One key is to stick to your morals to guide you. Admitting when you're wrong. Asking God for direction, and always doing what is right.
I know this month has been different kind of blogs, but it’s what has been on my mind lately. Here’s to you. Going through the hard stuff too ❤️
As I've grown in my journey as an entrepreneur, mom, gardener, and livestock owner, I struggled to find a planner that met my needs and kept me organized. So I MADE MY OWN. You can take a look at it on the link blow and buy it on amazon below
Don't want the whole calendar part? I got you! I pulled the gardening and animal care pages out and put them in a book all their own.
Wanting a community to lean into? Join the FREE Helping Your Family Homestead for Food group! This community is for the Mommas, looking to stay home and raise their kids, but unsure how to keep everyone fed and make ends meet. I share tips from my journey from the office, to half the income and feeding my family from home, while maintaining good nourishing food. Tips include: gardening, bulk buying, caning,/preserving, livestock, homesteading, and home remedies. Your family is precious and this group is to help you gain the knowledge and tools to keep your family well and not reliant on outside professionals. Remedies and tips are easy and simple for the busy momma, time is precious after all, including pregnancy, birth, young kids, and illness. Trust your Momma gut again! This community offers the resources + community you need to help get started on your journey and prepare for whatever future you envision.
Starting to garden doesn't have to be hard! I gathered all the tips I've learned over my gardening learning curve and made them into a simple course to jump start your gardening your life.
Supporting Your Family Naturally From the Inside Out community!! This community is for the Mommas, looking to Support Your Family from Nature for Wellness. Tips range from nutrition, herbals, detoxing, natural cleaning, and essential oils. Basically all the things I’ve learned slowly over the past 5+ years if my journey. We have moved off Facebook, so to better serve our community and be able to discuss openly option for providing for your family in the best way possible.
Join the FREE Community
Join the FREE Community
I've had 3 very different pregnancies. After the first traumatic birth, I learned better and how to care for my body naturally and prevent common pregnancy and birth problems before they arise. This quick course will get you the tools you need to have a naturally healthy pregnancy, labor, and delivery. My first pregnancy I had a normal western medicine all the things pregnancy. My second? I flipped to completely natural, no medicine. Bonus: Preventing Preeclampsia Without the Aspirin & Healing from Birth Trauma
Click here to get the stories straight to your email:
For more on wellness tips click here:
For more on homesteading on your budget click here:
For more simple DIY updates click here:
A Summer Afternoon on our Farmstead
This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links, with NO additional cost to you.
If you’ve ever been on a farm, you know there is no siesta time in the summer. There should be though. After lunch play time happens for the kids. Usually back outside, we basically live out there in the summer. I work a bit more in the gardens, usually harvesting, or on a project as able in the heat.
Mid afternoon is nap time! The most glorious time of the day for momma. The baby for sure goes down for a nap. The middle child sometimes. It is heavenly if they all take a nap at the same time. I can power out computer work, or the jobs I cannot safely do with them, while they nap.
On the supper hot days, I will often load the kids up and run errands. Paying bills, going to the feed store, getting groceries, parts run, anything to stay where it’s cool for a while.
After naps, play in the yard continues. Usually, water is involved somehow. I water the flowers around the house, clean out the dogs’ pool and the water table, then refill them. If the big kids want in the pool, I find something I can do pool side. Snaping beans, washing veggies, braiding garlic, etc. Occasionally I’ll even grab a book and read it.
During the high heat days 95+ feel days, I walk down to the barns and check the animals, making sure no one is overheating, everyone still has cold water. Sometimes I’ll mist the pens or add ice to waters or hose the horses off. Most of the chickens are under the trees where there is shade and a bit of breeze. The water birds are having the time of their life in the water then to the shade and back again.
Afternoon chores involve picking up all the eggs, maybe going on an egg hunt. Refilling waters and double-checking feeders. I set alarms on my phone to remind me when it is chore time and when it is time to go start supper. Otherwise, I get busy working on something and soon its dark and everyone is hangry.
Afternoons tend to be much more laid back and variable than our mornings. Mostly because I have designed it that way. I stack our daily activities in the morning, giving us the freedom to do whatever is needed in the afternoon.
As I've grown in my journey as an entrepreneur, mom, gardener, and livestock owner, I struggled to find a planner that met my needs and kept me organized. So I MADE MY OWN. You can take a look at it on the link blow and buy it on amazon below
Don't want the whole calendar part? I got you! I pulled the gardening and animal care pages out and put them in a book all their own.
Wanting a community to lean into? Join the FREE Helping Your Family Homestead for Food group! This community is for the Mommas, looking to stay home and raise their kids, but unsure how to keep everyone fed and make ends meet. I share tips from my journey from the office, to half the income and feeding my family from home, while maintaining good nourishing food. Tips include: gardening, bulk buying, caning,/preserving, livestock, homesteading, and home remedies. Your family is precious and this group is to help you gain the knowledge and tools to keep your family well and not reliant on outside professionals. Remedies and tips are easy and simple for the busy momma, time is precious after all, including pregnancy, birth, young kids, and illness. Trust your Momma gut again! This community offers the resources + community you need to help get started on your journey and prepare for whatever future you envision.
Starting to garden doesn't have to be hard! I gathered all the tips I've learned over my gardening learning curve and made them into a simple course to jump start your gardening your life.
Supporting Your Family Naturally From the Inside Out community!! This community is for the Mommas, looking to Support Your Family from Nature for Wellness. Tips range from nutrition, herbals, detoxing, natural cleaning, and essential oils. Basically all the things I’ve learned slowly over the past 5+ years if my journey. We have moved off Facebook, so to better serve our community and be able to discuss openly option for providing for your family in the best way possible.
Join the FREE Community
Join the FREE Community
I've had 3 very different pregnancies. After the first traumatic birth, I learned better and how to care for my body naturally and prevent common pregnancy and birth problems before they arise. This quick course will get you the tools you need to have a naturally healthy pregnancy, labor, and delivery. My first pregnancy I had a normal western medicine all the things pregnancy. My second? I flipped to completely natural, no medicine. Bonus: Preventing Preeclampsia Without the Aspirin & Healing from Birth Trauma
Click here to get the stories straight to your email:
For more on wellness tips click here:
For more on homesteading on your budget click here:
For more simple DIY updates click here:
This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links, with NO additional cost to you.
Mornings on our farmstead can be peaceful, but are often crazy, especially in the summertime. I’d like to say I, momma, rise with the sun ready to take on the day. I slip out to enjoy a walk around the gardens, picking a few things for breakfast and watch the sun rise with a lovely cup of coffee, before returning to accomplish a few work things before the kids rise. Then calmly care for the critters after breakfast.
Truth is that hasn’t happened in well over a year now. The baby from last year is almost 1 now. That pregnancy forced me to slow down and change things, sleeping in was one way I handled things. The longer the kids slept the shorter the time I had to remind, argue, and console without picking the older two up. I couldn’t physically do a lot and the longer I slept the less time I had to fill in the day and find ways to distract myself from what I wanted to do.
Postpartum happened, then I got really sick. Like spend 9 days in the hospital sick. My body wasn’t in great shape anyway it that wrecked what was left of it. Winter, I limped along trying to get back into me and heal my body. Still allowing sleeping in and ignoring my own alarm. Can you see the pattern yet? Overwhelm, anxiety, depression?
I’m slowly getting better now, but mornings are still a struggle for us. Hopefully soon I’ll be able to rise with the sun again like I used to. But for now, I’m learning grace in the journey.
Here’s what our morning’s really look like. I snooze the alarm several times, if I hear it at all, finally crawling out of bed when the baby insists I get up, because she is ready to play and have a clean diaper. The big kids are up shortly after, while I finish waking up in the bathroom, checking emails and notifications. I quickly make breakfast while trying to usher kids through the bathroom and convince the middle child clothes are required. Usually also sending messages.
Breakfast we also listen to a devotional, well half listen anyway, while reminding the kids to eat or they will be hangry later and pulling the baby off the table and pinning her plate to the table. Hurriedly I rush kids to finish eating so we can go outside and feed animals before it gets too hot. Goal is 8:30 its usually closer to 9:30 or 10.
Now rushing to feed and water all the animals. Checking to make sure everyone is ok. It’s already hot and I haven’t even checked any of the gardens yet. Check my planner, what area was I supposed to work in today? Ok head to the garden and quickly weed, check moisture, harvest what needs picked. The kids are running around playing with the dogs or baking in their mud kitchen.
Pretty soon my phone is going off reminding me to go make lunch. I snooze or dismiss and do just one more quick thing before heading into make lunch and eat. Its now 1pm.
Seriously, mornings go so much better when I just get up and have the time to start my day right with a little God time, work before breakfast, instead of while making it. Prep food for the day before kids, then we can enjoy the slower pace doing chores and the kids help more because I’m running at their pace not the rushed pace.
As I've grown in my journey as an entrepreneur, mom, gardener, and livestock owner, I struggled to find a planner that met my needs and kept me organized. So I MADE MY OWN. You can take a look at it on the link blow and buy it on amazon below
Don't want the whole calendar part? I got you! I pulled the gardening and animal care pages out and put them in a book all their own.
Wanting a community to lean into? Join the FREE Helping Your Family Homestead for Food group! This community is for the Mommas, looking to stay home and raise their kids, but unsure how to keep everyone fed and make ends meet. I share tips from my journey from the office, to half the income and feeding my family from home, while maintaining good nourishing food. Tips include: gardening, bulk buying, caning,/preserving, livestock, homesteading, and home remedies. Your family is precious and this group is to help you gain the knowledge and tools to keep your family well and not reliant on outside professionals. Remedies and tips are easy and simple for the busy momma, time is precious after all, including pregnancy, birth, young kids, and illness. Trust your Momma gut again! This community offers the resources + community you need to help get started on your journey and prepare for whatever future you envision.
Starting to garden doesn't have to be hard! I gathered all the tips I've learned over my gardening learning curve and made them into a simple course to jump start your gardening your life.
Supporting Your Family Naturally From the Inside Out community!! This community is for the Mommas, looking to Support Your Family from Nature for Wellness. Tips range from nutrition, herbals, detoxing, natural cleaning, and essential oils. Basically all the things I’ve learned slowly over the past 5+ years if my journey. We have moved off Facebook, so to better serve our community and be able to discuss openly option for providing for your family in the best way possible.
Join the FREE Community
Join the FREE Community
I've had 3 very different pregnancies. After the first traumatic birth, I learned better and how to care for my body naturally and prevent common pregnancy and birth problems before they arise. This quick course will get you the tools you need to have a naturally healthy pregnancy, labor, and delivery. My first pregnancy I had a normal western medicine all the things pregnancy. My second? I flipped to completely natural, no medicine. Bonus: Preventing Preeclampsia Without the Aspirin & Healing from Birth Trauma
Click here to get the stories straight to your email:
For more on wellness tips click here:
For more on homesteading on your budget click here:
For more simple DIY updates click here:
