If you give a homesteader a cold morning, they’ll check the wood rack on the porch. Seeing it half-empty will send them to the main pile to refill it. While hauling wood, they’ll uncover a cluster of grubs nestled in the bark. Finding grubs will remind them the chickens would love a snack. Feeding theContinue reading “If You Give a Homesteader a Cold Morning”
Author Archives: Traci Houston
Farm Table Talk: People Deserve to Eat
I’ve seen the comments. You probably have too. “They should just get a job.”“SNAP was supposed to be temporary.”“Why are we paying for people to eat junk food?”“They drive nicer cars than I do.”“Take away the handouts and they’ll get motivated.” Let me be clear: I am sick to death of this cruelty masquerading asContinue reading “Farm Table Talk: People Deserve to Eat”
Farm Table Talk: The Fox Isn’t the Problem—We Are
The fox that visits my farm doesn’t pretend to be anything other than what it is. It’s hungry. It’s wild. It takes what it needs and leaves the rest. I can respect that. What I can’t respect is the mess our government has become. We’re over a month into a shutdown, and it’s not justContinue reading “Farm Table Talk: The Fox Isn’t the Problem—We Are”
Creating a Winter Wildlife Sanctuary: Support Nature During the Cold Months
As winter approaches, we bundle up and prepare for the chilly months ahead, but the local wildlife also needs help to thrive during the cold season. Birds, insects, and small mammals struggle to find food, water, and shelter in freezing temperatures. By creating a winter wildlife sanctuary in your yard or homestead, you can supportContinue reading “Creating a Winter Wildlife Sanctuary: Support Nature During the Cold Months”
If You Give a Homesteader a Frost Warning
If you give a homesteader a frost warning, they’re going to harvest the last of the basil. Harvesting the basil will remind them to feed it to the rabbits. Feeding the rabbits will lead them to check the rabbitry for winterization. While checking the rabbitry, they’ll notice a torn cover on one of the cages.Continue reading “If You Give a Homesteader a Frost Warning”
Ranchers and Environmental Conservation: A Symbiotic Relationship
The image of a rancher riding across vast open lands, tending cattle, evokes a deep connection with nature. While ranching has long been associated with rugged individualism and wide-open spaces, it is also at the heart of a lesser-known but crucial narrative: environmental conservation. Today, responsible ranching practices are playing a pivotal role in conservingContinue reading “Ranchers and Environmental Conservation: A Symbiotic Relationship”
Farm Table Talk: Wild Comes With Tooth and Bloom
There’s a fox visiting our farm. At first, it felt like a breach—an uninvited guest slipping through the grass, helping itself to a chicken or two. Not ideal, but not exactly scandalous either. If you welcome wildness, you have to accept that it doesn’t just arrive with birdsong and butterflies. Sometimes, it shows up hungry.Continue reading “Farm Table Talk: Wild Comes With Tooth and Bloom”
The Hidden World Beneath Our Feet—How Soil Life Shapes Our Planet
Beneath our feet, an invisible world is at work—one that sustains every living thing on Earth. It’s easy to overlook soil, treating it as mere dirt, but in reality, it’s a complex, living ecosystem teeming with microbes, fungi, and decomposers that cycle nutrients, build fertility, and support biodiversity. At the heart of this system isContinue reading “The Hidden World Beneath Our Feet—How Soil Life Shapes Our Planet”
If You Give a Homesteader a Fruit Tree
If you give a homesteader a fruit tree, they’re going to want to plant it right away. Once they plant it, they’ll imagine bushels of fresh fruit for pies and preserves. Dreaming of preserves will remind them they need to get their canning jars ready. While gathering jars, they’ll realize they’re running low on lids.Continue reading “If You Give a Homesteader a Fruit Tree”
Horses and Cowboys: A Timeless Partnership
The image of a cowboy riding across the open plains, silhouetted by the setting sun with his horse underneath him, is one that has come to symbolize the essence of the American West. This partnership between cowboy and horse is more than just one of utility—it’s a relationship built on trust, respect, and a deepContinue reading “Horses and Cowboys: A Timeless Partnership”
