Foraging
A Winter Herbal Tea Blend From Appalachian Mountain Plants
How I blend a winter herbal tea from Appalachian mountain plants: white pine, spicebush, wintergreen and sweet birch, dried in the shed and jarred before frost.
Foraging
How to Make an Herbal Glycerite (An Alcohol-Free Tincture)
A herbal glycerite is the sweet, alcohol-free cousin of a tincture. Here's how I make one with dried herbs and glycerin, step by step, jar to…
Backyard Chickens
How to Keep Chicken Eggs From Freezing in the Coop
Frozen eggs crack, and a cracked egg is a mess. Here's how I keep chicken eggs from freezing in the coop: collection timing, nest-box bedding, and…
Gardening
How to Start Pepper Seeds Indoors for Container Growing
Peppers are slow starters, so you sow them early. Here's how to start pepper seeds indoors on a windowsill with a clip light, then pot them…
Fishing
How to Freeze Fresh-Caught Fish So It Keeps Its Flavor
Learn how to freeze freshwater fish like bluegill, crappie, and catfish so it tastes fresh months later: clean it, pack it right, and keep the air…
Foraging
How to Forage and Use Yellow Dock Root in the Mountains
Yellow dock grows in every mountain pasture edge. Here's how to identify it, dig the root in the cool months, dry it, and prepare it the…
Foraging
How to Make an Herbal Foot Balm for Winter, Step by Step
An herbal foot balm for winter takes one pot, three ingredients and an afternoon. Here's my folk method, the ratio I use, and the honest pros…
Backyard Chickens
Best Winter Supplies for Backyard Chickens: My Short List
The best winter supplies for backyard chickens, from a Tennessee keeper who learned it the cold way: thawed water, dry bedding, and the few extras worth…
Gardening
The Best Supplies for Starting Seeds Indoors (Small Space)
The best supplies for starting seeds indoors on a balcony budget: the light, mix, meter, and watering can I trust, plus honest notes on what each…
Fishing
How to Keep a Fishing Journal With a Child, One Catch at a Time
How to keep a fishing journal with a child: what to write, how to draw the catch, and a simple first-catch journal to give for the…