Welcome to The Homesteading RD's Blog!

Here you'll find my most most recent blog posts. Explore everything from companion planting and vertical gardening to raising meat birds and water glassing eggs. Don't miss my farm-to-table recipes!
10 dark red bean seeds placed evenly on a paper towel that is draped over a wooden cutting board
Grow Your Own Food

How to Test Seed Viability at Home

Have some old seeds lying around? You’re probably wondering if they are still good for planting or not. We’ve all been there! No one wants to wait around for dud seeds to fail when you’re following a seed-starting timeline. Not only is it disappointing, but as a zone 4A Minnesota gardener, our season is way

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Katie and Ryan holding up hardware mesh to install as a barrier in the chicken coop run
Raise Chickens

How to Predator Proof Your Chicken Coop

I’ve lost A LOT of chickens to predators over the past 10 years, so I’m going to sound like an awful chicken owner in this article. However, that’s why this article is going to be SO incredibly helpful for you. I’ve dealt with intense predator pressure over the past 10 years and have overcome each

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Chickens surrounding a mat of chicken fodder than is propped up in a rainbow shape
Raise Chickens

How to Grow Chicken Fodder in ONLY 7 Days!

Did you know that you can easily grow chicken fodder in just 7 days? Heck yes! Chicken fodder is an amazing way to multiply your feed inexpensively, while also providing fresh greens for your chickens in the winter. You don’t even need soil or fertilizer to grow it! I’ve been growing chicken fodder for many

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4 tins of chickweed salve on a wooden table with fresh chickweed nearby
DIY

Soothing Chickweed Salve Recipe

This soothing chickweed salve recipe is an absolute staple on our homestead. Insect bites, rashes, cuts, and burns are common occurrences around here and my chickweed salve always saves the day! It’s a great addition to any herbal first aid kit. The best thing about using chickweed is that it’s a common “weed” that grows

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A chicken coop with a large covered run with woods behind it
Raise Chickens

How Much Space Do Chickens REALLY Need?

Providing the right amount of coop space is absolutely essential to the health and well-being of your flock. Adequate space helps prevent issues like bullying, stress, and disease, but it’s also important to avoid too much space, as this can also lead to problems in the coop.  We’ll cover all of the factors that go

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6 jars of finished bone broth that has been pressure canned sitting on a kitchen island with a dishtowel and plant nearby.
Preserve Your Harvest

How to Pressure Can Bone Broth (Chicken, Beef, Venison)

Canning bone broth is such a great way to preserve it so that you have a shelf-stable product to grab anytime you want! This quick and simple pressure canning method only takes 20 minutes for pint jars and 25 minutes for quarts. You’ll be done in no time! By saving those leftover bones from dinner,

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