Winters in New England can be brutal. Temperatures at night are usually in the teens to below zero. There are even days when the high temperatures do not get above freezing. What happens to water when it is that cold out? It freezes, of course. While I’d like to say that we had our whole
Fall’s here! I have a love-hate relationship with this time of year. I love the colors, the cooler weather, the slower pace… but, I won’t lie… I’m not looking forward to what comes after. There is just something about this time of year that calls for warm beverages and sitting by a fire with a
I’ve always been money conscientious. I’m told that is because I’m a Capricorn. Whether you believe in astrology or not, if you want to be self-sufficient then money is an important concern. There are a lot of important things Covid-19 has taught us and among them is that everyone has a price. Mine is two
For as long as I can remember I have always wanted to be a farmer. My parents, however, convinced me that there was no money in farming, and I should look elsewhere for a career if I ever wanted a decent income. And I did… But the little niggle in the back of my brain
People always think that in the “old days” things were simpler. If they mean that food was simpler and life had purpose, then I suppose they are right. Here at Purely Wholesome Farm, we combine the old with the new to raise our herd of Nubian dairy goats as naturally as possible while still maintaining
Have you ever wanted to make your own bread from scratch but were afraid you would mess it up? This quick and easy recipe is a great way to dip your toe in the water. In fact, this recipe is SO easy, you’ll be asking yourself why you didn’t try it sooner. This recipe
I feel like I came into this homesteading thing really late in the game. I am the epitome of the phrase, “If I only knew then what I know now.” (Or, “better late than never” works, too.) Still, here we are and I couldn’t be happier. Homesteading has really required me to step out of
March is maple month and where we live is ground zero for pure maple syrup. We have no less than 6 maple producers all within a three minute drive from our farm. That means we are NEVER without syrup, people! And we certainly never resort to the fake stuff. (Bleh!) Pure maple syrup isn’t cheap,
Is Drinking Raw Milk Safe? started drinking raw milk when I was in my early teens. It was one of the few times I actually liked drinking milk. I didn’t really understand the difference between raw milk and pasteurized milk at the time. As I grew up, moved away and started my own family, I
Sourdough Crackers I started to teach myself to bake when I finally decided that yeast was not going to get the better of me. Many years ago I was given a bread making machine and I used that baby more often than a toaster. But using a bread making machine felt a little like