Reviews, guides, and insights for small farms and homesteads
Spring planting windows are short and the window for cool-season crops is shorter still. Get the right crops in the ground at the right time and you can be harvesting before summer heat sets in. These crops are chosen for cold tolerance, fast maturity, and broad adaptability. They work in raised beds, in-ground rows, and … Read more
Cold-weather water is one of the most labor-intensive daily chores on a farm or homestead. Breaking ice on a stock tank at 6am in February is nobody’s idea of a good morning. A stock tank heater, more precisely called a de-icer, keeps that chore off your list from first freeze to spring thaw. Choosing the … Read more
Before the House passed the 2026 Farm Bill on Thursday, it removed three provisions that would have shielded pesticide manufacturers from liability. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), joined by Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ), led an amendment to remove three provisions from the bill that would have shielded pesticide manufacturers from accountability. The amendment passed 280-142 … Read more
An electric fence is only as good as the charger powering it. An undersized or failing energizer produces a weak pulse, and animals learn that fast. Once they figure out the fence is not delivering, you have lost the deterrent that makes electric fencing work in the first place. This guide covers what matters when … Read more
The House of Representatives is voting today on the Farm, Food and National Security Act of 2026 (H.R. 7567), the first full farm bill reauthorization since 2018. If it passes the House, it still faces the Senate before becoming law. But what is in this bill, and why should anyone running a small farm or … Read more