I started making my own soap out of necessity, but eventually it became one of our farm products. Around 2000, I started having severe rashes. I had combination allergies, which made me allergic to soaps, shampoos, laundry detergent and even toothpaste! I started out making my soaps with melt-and-pour glycerin, but that proved to be […]
To Catch A Honeybee Swarm
What is swarming? It’s when one colony of bees breaks off and forms a new colony. If the colony stored enough over the winter and early spring, a new brood will hatch, and the old hive becomes too small for all the bees. When the bees are calmost ready to leave the old hive, they
Beets: From Growing And Preparing To Canning and Cooking
When I was very young, my mom taught me how to can and pickle beets, and I have continued to do so since my husband loves pickled beets. I have always wanted to eat beets, but I’ve never been a fan of the earthy flavor. Beets are such a healthy vegetable supplying large amounts of
Growing Shiitake Mushrooms
We got involved with Shiitake Mushrooms through our Agricultural Cooperative Extension Agency. (This is a great resource for any farmer. Make it a point at least to visit your local office and see the different programs they have going on for the farmer.) Back in 2003, our local office started helping traditional tobacco farmers transition into
How To Rent Out Your Goats
Thinking about renting out your goats? You should understand both the good and the baaaahd of this possible revenue source. My husband and I ran a goat rental business from our farm, The Mushroom Hut @ Fox Farms. Our goat herd was the only part of the farm that wasn’t in the black. Our goat herd was
How To Breed Berkshire Pigs
Berkshire pigs are a heritage breed valued for the flavor of their meat. We raise Berkies to sell as breeding pigs. We had thrown the idea around for years of raising pigs. We first talked about raising them for meat production but didn’t know if we would be able to complete the process start to finish.
How To Make Goat Cheese
At our goat dairy, we run summer workshops on making cheese. We like these cheeses because they don’t require rennet or even aging. In this article we’ll go through everything from getting the milk to setting up your operation so you can sell the cheese you make. We have pure Saanen goats, Nubian goats and
How To Grow Hops In Your Backyard
We live in the rugged mountains of Western North Carolina. Some question the suitability of growing hops here, or think that growing hops is a new idea. To some it may be new, but those of us who are native to this area know differently. You only have to look back into the Agricultural Census
