Thrift Schooling

Many thanks to Joel Salatin of Polyface Farms for sharing his 5 Tips for the Beginning Homesteader as part of the Thrift Steading launch. Our family has gained a tremendous amount of knowledge from his workshops at homeschooling events, tours of his farm, and the Homesteaders of America annual event. If you are considering homesteading, Mr. Salatin is your go-to for a wealth of information! Read his post below, take notes, and put his suggestions into action. Additionally, I have decided to send one winner a copy of his book, Polyface Micro , as part of the Thrift Steading launch! Details are at the end of this post. 5 Tips for the Beginning Homesteader By Joel Salatin Start Something Now Many wanna-be homesteaders become fixated on location and plans, often depleting their nest egg in a property and then realizing they don't have enough experience to actually pull it off. You can't Google experience, so the most valuable equity you can bring to a project is some sort of mas...

  Now why in the world would you grind your own wheat when there is a perfectly good grocery store down the road with bread in stock? I know that I can pick up a loaf of bread for around a dollar and with a family of seven, I need several loaves for the week. Yet, when we make our own bread, from the wheat that we grind into flour ourselves, we need significantly less bread than normal. Why? Because the bread we make is dense, rich in nutrients, and fills us up way more than traditional sandwich bread. I still remember the first time I tasted Ezekiel bread from the local health food store in college. My friend had made sandwiches for us while we were on a picnic, and after I took my first bite, I remember saying, “What IS this stuff?” I had never tasted anything like it in my entire life. I was so used to traditional sandwich bread that the first time I had “real” bread my senses were thanking me. I was much fuller after the sandwich and didn’t feel heavy or tired afterward. This b...

  Do you remember finding your first house? The excitement, nervousness, and hours spent searching online and in-person may have felt overwhelming. Many of us go into the house-hunting process with certain criteria in mind, from property size to the number of bathrooms. Some amenities we are willing to compromise on; others are deal-breakers. Yet once the deal goes through and the moving trucks pull into the driveway, you realize that the house is yours, and you can enjoy all that it has to offer. Read more in The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine . Stop by again next Monday for another  Thrift Schooling Monday Memory,  where I share my published content on other websites created to encourage, equip, and edify homeschooling families.  

  Whatever your reason might be for learning homesteading skills, whether it is for educational purposes or because you desire a lifestyle change, know that you are not alone in this desire. Read more in The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine . Stop by again next Monday for another  Thrift Schooling Monday Memory  where I share my published content on other websites created to encourage, equip, and edify homeschooling families.

  Over the years we have tried to create our own plant labels but when starting seeds on a seed table, a significant amount of watering is involved. Nothing seemed to last the constant blasts of water. In some cases, it is necessary to water several times a day since the soil in the small soil blocks can dry out pretty quickly.  Of course, this would cause the names of the plants to wash away, which is frustrating. It is not always that big of a deal. Some plants are obvious, and we know what they are as soon as they begin to emerge, but when you begin working with different varieties of the same type of plant, proper labeling is essential.  Sure, you can head to your local dollar store and pick up a pack of garden tags to label your seed starts this season, but that can add up—fast.  Read more in the OUR HOMESTEAD tab.

 Happy First Day of Spring! To celebrate our 100th Day of School the other week, we planted 100 plants! (Well, actually we got a little carried away and did a tad more than 100). We simply put soil in newspaper and once they grow to be small plants we will plant them outdoors. If they grow too fast, before the frost danger then they will have to hangout in the greenhouse for a bit. Needless to say, the signs of spring are here!  We also bought some chicks from Southern States! The kids are loving them! And the biggest news of all, our nanny goat just had twins! Lots to do here on our little homestead!