Author: Gretchen Hayes

We put a significant amount of time, effort, and money into our gardens and when it doesn’t produce the results we want, it can be very frustrating. I don’t know about you but I don’t have a lot of resources that I want to waste. I want to invest my resources in something that will give me the results I am looking for. There are three key areas that will either make or break your gardening success.  Making sure that … Continue reading “3 Keys to a Healthy Garden”

Each spring I get so excited to get back into the garden. Sorting my seeds is kind of the first real step towards spring. Once they are sorted, I am anxious to get my hands in the dirt again and begin starting seeds. This week, it is finally time to start my first seeds of the season.  In the post about Seed Sorting, I talked about how to determine your last frost date and sort the seeds. Check that post … Continue reading “Starting Seeds”

It is that time of year again! I am working on homestead planning. Both for the short and long term. Every year it is a good idea to revisit the plan. I want to make sure that nothing major has changed in my over all plan and figure out what steps I will take this year to move closer to my goal. I made a lot of big improvements last year. We had the garden expansion, which more than doubled … Continue reading “Homestead Planning 2022”

I have several steps I take when getting ready for the garden season, one of my favorites is seed sorting. One of the first things I do is figure out what and how many of each variety I want to plant. I go though my notes from last year and start getting my lists together in late December or early January so I can order my seeds. Then I go through and order what I need and usually more than … Continue reading “Seed Sorting”

Having a community to support you in whatever it is you are doing is so important. Seeing what other members are doing is inspiring. You can learn so much from watching how other people are doing something. Not only that but when a question comes up or you have something new there is a good chance that someone has gone through that before and can offer support and guidance. I have had some amazing communities in my life! Study groups … Continue reading “The Importance of Having a Community”

The winter is the slowest time around here and while it may not seem like there is a lot going on, there is always something happening on the homestead. It may not all seem exciting but organizing and planning are a couple of the most important jobs around here. Making progress in these areas is exciting for me as it is moving me closer to my goals.  Organizing I am really happy to be getting my homestead, office and brain … Continue reading “4 Exciting Things Happening on the Homestead this Week”

Hard Work Sometimes the things we really want to achieve take a lot of work. This is true in all areas of our life, not just on our homestead. Growing a Homestead Growing 80% of our food is not going to be easy. Having a productive garden doesn’t come without work. Sometimes things take hard work and then you don’t see the progress you want and it is discouraging. So then what? Do you quit trying just because you are … Continue reading “Achieving Goals with Hard Work and Determination”

This may sound sappy, but I love all the seasons. Each for different reasons as what they offer is so incredibly different. As we head into fall, I find I can really embrace my gratitude. I am so grateful for so many things and in the fall, as we start seeing the Thankful and Grateful décor leading up to Thanksgiving, I truly feel my heart expand. About this time last year, I saw an event pop up on Facebook from … Continue reading “Gratitude”