In June, I had the pleasure of leading a week long day camp around gardening and homesteading with elementary aged kids. It was a delight to see their minds connecting the dots with where their food came from, how it was raised and the care and attention it needed. We started with a rhythm of…
Here’s a detailed monthly to-do list for maintaining a vegetable garden (in a sunny position) in USDA Hardiness Zones 6 and 7: January February March April May June July August September October November December While this list is not extensive, it will help keep important line-items at the forefront of your mind and you establish…
When the words “victory garden” are spoken, it’s almost unavoidable to think of beautiful WWII propaganda signs, Rosy the Riveter and other nostalgic and iconic imagery. The Victory gardens that most are familiar with tend to be from the WWII era here in America but the first Victory Garden actually made it’s debut world wide…
Autumn Olive (Elaeagnus umbellata Thunb) is an invasive deciduous shrub here in my neck of the woods. It originates from Asia. It was brought back and cultivated as early as the 1800s to provide habitat and food source for wildlife but made it’s way to roadsides and erosion-prone soil in the 1950s. It has become…
(affiliate disclosure) Cantharellus is a genus of popular edible mushrooms, commonly known as chanterelles. They are mycorrhizal fungi, meaning they form symbiotic associations with plants, which makes it a challenge to cultivate domestically. There are many common name Chanterelles (over 40+ in North America alone) the common name for the chanterelle below is known as…
(affiliate disclosure) Many years ago, as I was enjoying The Victorian Farm, a documentary you must watch if you enjoy historical homemaking or farming, Ruth Goodman shared a fascinating tidbit about laundry bluing. She was demonstrating “wash day” from a “wash room”. She had a large vessel of water steaming in the background and was…
(Affiliate disclosure) My progression as a Home Canner I am a relatively new canner. I have canned goods for 7 or so years now and have grown in proficiency over time. There is always room to grow in this important preservation skill. When I first began canning, I “dipped my toe” into water processing or…
Today, April 1st – I took a step in faith and pressed pause to evaluate and pray. I’ve been hemming and hawing for months on how to change the way I run social media for The Hopewell Homestead. The very platform that has opened many doors for me has begun to feel uncomfortable. As a…
