Plowing WIth Pigs and Other Creative, Low Budget Homesteading Solutions- A Book Review

Book: Plowing with Pigs by Hank Will

When I first received the book, Plowing with Pigs and Other Creative, Low-Budget Homesteading Solutions, by, Hank and Karen Will ,I felt a bit silly, considering we do live on a quarter-acre lot, we don't have pigs, and we certainly don't plow with pigs. But truth-be-told, I was captivated by the beautiful cover and was eager to see what creative and low-budget homesteading solutions the book had to offer. I must say that I was PLEASANTLY surprised! So don't let the title fool you my friends, there is something in this book for everyone! The information that the authors provide in this book is intelligent, to the point, and covers every homesteading topic you can think of, ranging from how to have your animals work for you to setting up your very own food business.

Do you recall the time when you decided you were going to become more self-sufficient? That chilly spring day when you purchased your first chicks, built a raised garden bed, began introducing more natural and organic foods into your kitchen? For us, this decision started not too long ago with a trip to the library and a quick Google search for local farmers selling chickens. Looking back, I can remember the feelings that came to me when we began our trip down the rewarding road to self-sufficiency. Our journey has taken a lot of hard work, and looking around us, I have noticed that it is not something that everybody is doing. There have been many unanswered questions that have sometimes been a bit overwhelming. With so much information out there on the internet but very little hands-on learning, it is easy to get wrapped up in the details and confusion of the many contradicting opinions out that are out there.

Just eighteen pages into this book, however, the authors state, "We encourage you to try the methods that make sense in your particular setting rather than blindly following some lists of rules from some expert."

Of course because I am bit biased, I was most impressed by the amount of fantastic information that was presented regarding chicken and poultry keeping. Starting our backyard chicken adventure was by far the scariest thing we have done so far in terms of homesteading, and man...I wish I had this book when we were starting out because I probably would have been a lot calmer about things! Everything you REALLY need to know about keeping poultry in your backyard is in this book and I would recommend it to anyone who is just starting out.

Besides chicken-keeping, the book contains helpful information about keeping sheep, goats, and cattle -- which is unfortunately not something that applied to us, but was an interesting read nonetheless! Kevin loved the chapters that explored harvesting nearby trees and using them for woodworking and building, as well as the chapter explaining DIY projects constructing everything from rakes to fences!
The authors also discuss row crops that can be grown by hand, how to cook from scratch and keep a well-stocked pantry (love it!) and RECIPES!... an abundance of amazing recipes, using wholesome ingredients that I am dying to try: maple icing, homemade mozzarella, and brown bread ice cream just to name a few! Yum!

This really is a great book that covers all of the bases and did I mention that it doesn't leave you feeling overwhelmed!? I think this is what homesteading is all about: It's about reconnecting with the earth, relaxing at the end of a hard day’s work and marveling at what amazing things you can accomplish with what is around you.

With spring lurking right around the corner, reading this book kicked up my motivation and drive reminding me why we are doing what we are doing and to keep doing what we are doing here at Our Little Coop.

Whether you are beginning or furthering your homesteading journey, I encourage you to grab your copy of Plowing with Pigs, and Other Creative, Low-Budget Homesteading Solutions and be inspired. "You can't buy this life. You can only live it!"

Pick up your copy HERE!  

Free Sticker From Mother Earth News!

Here is an email I received today from Mother Earth News that I wanted to share!  Enjoy

Cheers ~ KEvin

Put your free No Farms No Food bumper sticker on your car, tractor, truck or your bulletin board at work. You can even distribute them at your local farmers market or county fair! When you display your No Farms No Food bumper sticker, you're helping raise awareness about the importance of saving America's farmland and keeping family farmers on the land. Get Your Free No Farms No Food Bumper Sticker today! Susan Sink VP of Development & External Affairs Why Save Farmland? 1 We have been losing more than 1 precious acre every minute. 2 Along with water and air, our fertile farmland is critical to sustaining life. 3 Farming employs nearly 16 million people, more than 9% of the labor force. 4 Well managed farmland provides clean water, air and wildlife habitat.

Homestead Hockey

Turn off the television and grab a chair, because this game is addicting!  Homestead Hockey doesn't require any batteries or power cords, can be played anywhere, and costs only a "penny" to play. Best part is when you are all done….you get to keep your penny.

The Homestead Hockey game boards are made exclusively by Our Little Coop.

My brothers and I have been playing this game for nearly 20 years.  In my spare time, I build these game boards and sell them at craft fairs.  For the first time ever, I will be adding a link on our site so anyone can purchase one of these game boards online.  They will also be on display in our Etsy store and available for purchase

No two game boards are alike!  

Like most of the other projects I build, these are handmade using only recycled wood.  The playing surfaces are all measured at 16" long by 8" wide making them great for kids to keep in their backpacks.  These boards make great stocking stuffers or a unique gift for any occasion.

Made entirely from recycled wood, no two games boards "look" the same.

The rules are simple.

This game requires two players, the game itself and a penny.  One opponent flips a coin while the other calls "head" or "tail".  If guessed correctly, that player takes control of the penny (puck).  

The game begins with the "puck" flicked from between the goal posts.

The game then begins with the player placing the penny slightly hanging over the goal on his side.  At this point the first move is made with the flicking of the penny.  Each opponent takes a turn while trying to score a goal.  The only defensive "players" in this game are the (9) pegs evenly spaced across the board.  If a player flicks the penny off of the playing field, the opposing player takes control of the puck  beginning the round again.  We usually play until the first player makes it to 21 points and in doing so has won the game.  

$10.00 plus S&H.

<<<<<Buy it here! >>>>>

Quail for the urban farm

Quail for the urban farm

There are hundreds of different types of quail throughout the world.   Out of all these types, there are two which are commonly kept on the urban farm.  These two popular types are the Japanese Coturnix (Coturnix  Japonica) and the Bobwhite Quail (Colinus virginianus). 

The Japanese Coturnix (Coturnix Japonica) also known as Pharoah, Jumbo, or Coturnix is an old breed of quail from Eastern Asia. They have been domesticated in Japan and the Orient since the beginning of the twelfth century and were initially bred for song.  There are some records dating back to early Egyptian times with hyroglyphics showing the trapping of these birds as they had migrated back onto the mainlands.  Today they are kept as and considered to be what is called a dual purpose bird.  This means they can be raised for both egg production as well as for their meat. 

Male Coturnix quail (Left) and Female (Right)

These birds prefer grasslands and cultivated fields as their preferred environment.  Both sexes of this bird have yellow- brown speckled plumage with the Males having  a reddish colored breast and the Females more molted with dark spots.  They will begin laying at only 6 weeks of age and will reach maturity at 10 weeks.  The females are slightly larger than their male counterparts and will grow between 7- 8  inches long and weigh between 6- to 7 ounces.  The chicks are easily recognized with their yellowish coloring and brown stripes beginning at the forehead stretching all the way back to the tail.  Since the Bobwhite quail only lay eggs from about March to October the Coturnix quail are the best choice of quail for the urban farm and homestead.

Just hatched Coturnix quail chicks

Care is very easy.  Just provide with fresh water and a quality high protein gamebird feed. Coturnix quail do just fine living in a medium sized cage with a wire floor sheltered from extreme heat and cold winds.


Cheers ~ Kevin

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Urban Farm Magazine GIVEAWAY!

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It doesn’t take a farm to have the heart of a farmer. Now, due to a burgeoning sustainable-living movement, you don’t have to own acreage to fulfill your dream of raising your own food. The new Urban Farm^® magazine, from the editors of Hobby Farms, will walk you down the path to self sustainability.
Urban Farm^® magazine’s mission is to promote the benefits of self sustainability and to provide the tools with which to do it on any size property. Urban Farm^® reaches out to those in the city and suburbs, those who are inspired by the local food movement and who want to start raising chickens and growing food for themselves, supporting local agriculture and living more sustainably.Urban farms are popping up all over America. However, things are different on an urban farm, versus a rural hobby farm. With less space to work with, projects must be scaled down, efficiency becomes crucial, and one must be resourceful to use every inch of space and recycle every unused object into something useful.
Urban Farm^® is informational and inspirational, filled with how-to projects, profiles of urban farmers across America, “green” and innovative products, and of course, recipes for preparing your homegrown vegetables, eggs and other farm bounty.
Look for the Fall 2010 issue of Urban Farm on your local newsstand August 2. Urban Farm magazine will be published four times in 2010. Beginning in 2011, it will be published bimonthly and available for subscription. You can also shop online for digital copies of the current or back issues.



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