A Farmish Kind of Life

In the spirit of both honesty and self-improvement, I’ve got a little something today not only for homesteaders, but for those of you who lean more towards prepping as well. (Don’t want to read all the words? This blog post is also a podcast—just press […]

Old fashioned weather prediction tips have always interested me. As a little kid, I realized I could predict a soon-to-come severe thunderstorm by watching for a certain flip of the leaves on our oak trees. Now I’m all grown up and live on a farm. […]

One of the great things about raising your own pigs is having a full freezer after hog butchering is done. And while we all love homemade bacon, ham is a favorite as well. So let me share with you how we brine a ham (and […]

It’s one of those controversial chicken raising topics: should you help a chick hatch? Some say yes, it’s your duty, while others say you should let nature take its course. It’s hard to know what to do. If you’re looking at a chick who has […]

Whether you’re looking to brush up on old homesteading skills or delve into a completely new adventure on your homestead, modern technology gives us so many options for how to increase our homesteading knowledge. In fact, I sometimes think we have so much homesteading information […]

Chickens are often called the gateway animal. And while many of us won’t (and maybe shouldn’t) admit to how many chickens we have, there’s one thing for certain: we always think we need more. There is always the option of buying chicks, but today we […]

When stepping on to the pathway of frugality, there are a lot of tips tossed around that deal specifically with saving money and being more thrifty. But I think there are a few big things we often forget about regarding the topic of frugal living. […]

Pigs are just some of the animals we proudly raise here at Clucky Dickens Farm. When people find out we butcher our hogs at home, many of them ask, “So are you gonna render lard?” But, of course! There are many ways to render lard […]

As soon as the temps start to dip, the most common question I am asked is this: Amy, how do you keep chickens water from freezing in the winter? How do you keep their water open so they can drink it when the daytime high […]

What makes something a go-to homemade bread recipe in my house? It has to taste good, it has to be easy, and it shouldn’t take all day. A simple recipe that doesn’t take a ton of ingredients is helpful, too! (Trust me, I’ve got complicated […]

I wouldn’t give up my life as a homesteader for anything. It’s an amazing way to live a life, but it hasn’t been easy. The struggle with homesteading can be very real. In fact, looking back on our journey, I would say there are certain […]

Back when I was brand new to chicken keeping, my flock was the most entertaining and inspiring thing I’d ever invested in. I devoted way more time than I should probably admit to watching them, discussing them, researching them, sitting with them, talking to them, […]

If you’re a homesteader with a coop, barn, or room to roam in the country, you’ve probably been asked to raise animals for a friend at one time or another. The question usually sounds something like this: “You’ve got some space. Can I just put […]

Because I’m a gal who writes and talks about butchering, I’m often asked, “Doesn’t butchering animals bother you?” The conversation usually goes something like this. Someone: You seem to really love and care for your animals. Me: I do. Someone: And you can still…butcher them? […]

Raising chickens. Growing vegetables. Baking bread. Becoming a homesteader is a huge step into a great adventure, but before you get started, let’s look at five common homesteading mistakes that folks make when they first start out on the journey. Hopefully this information can help […]