Farm | Spruce Hill Homestead

Learning Old Time Skills to Help Your Homestead

When many people think of homesteading, they picture a far off, rural, place where people live off-grid and only off the land. This is true for some people, but the vast majority of modern homesteaders are, in fact, living much like you. They may have an urban homestead, where they grow food in all their available spaces and source food locally. They may be suburban, with a little more space. They could be living off the grid, or they could have every modern amenity available to them. The truth is: Homesteading today looks very similar to everyone else’s life, but with an eye toward sustainability, self-sufficiency, and healthy living. Continue reading “Learning Old Time Skills to Help Your Homestead” »

Prepping the Barn for Winter

Here in Colorado, we have vast swings in temperature this time of year. It’s October and we have already had snow. We have had freezing nights. But, yesterday, it was over eighty degrees. Winter barn prep takes on a whole new meaning when you are sweating your boots off one day and freezing the next! The good news is that this also means we can have days when it is still nice enough to get out there and get the barn prepped.

For me, the very first priority is animal comfort and health. Here at Sawdust, we mostly have horses since we live in an area where other types of livestock are not permitted (yes, we can’t wait until the day when we are in a new place and can increase our little herd!). But, I still prep the barn like a farm girl-old habits die hard. Here are some steps to making your barn a comfy, safe, and reliable haven for the winter months. Continue reading “Prepping the Barn for Winter” »

Teaching Our Kids About Agriculture

Our world has changed. We now see children who have no idea where their food comes from, how it is grown, or how it gets cultivated. For me, as the daughter of a farmer, this is a truly sad fact. Our children, and their children, still need to feed themselves every day, but we have not armed them with the tools to understand agriculture and what it brings to our tables. When they are asked where food comes from, and the majority of them answer “The grocery store.”…we have a BIG problem. Continue reading “Teaching Our Kids About Agriculture” »