THANK YOU TIPPY!!!

I make my salves and soap with beeswax which contains propolis.

Thank you, Tippy, for the very generous amount!
I can't stop sniffing it! It smells so good!
This will make good medicine!

Whoever loves a pure heart and gracious speech 
will have the king as a friend. 
Proverbs 22:11

Gardening, Poultry, Rabbits

With the uncertain times, many people are asking us how to do things we've been doing for quite a while... like planting fruit trees, raising rabbits, raising poultry, gardening, pressure canning, homeschooling, hydroponics, dehydrating food, wild edibles, etc. 

All of a sudden, our lifestyle is very, very popular! We feel like God has had us live this way for such a time as now..to educate and assist others. We are certainly getting many requests for information.

There is a lot on those kinds of activities in the blog already. Please use the search bar in the top left of your screen. If you can't find it, lmk. There are also tags at the bottom of the post you can click. I'm not the best at tagging the posts, but again, there is the search bar.

I will try to answer specific questions. For example, it would take a long while to answer "How do I raise chickens?" but a question like "Can chickens be kept with ducks?"* can be answered in a few sentences.

Spring is always a very busy time for us, and we have two big projects going. Clint is also working OT due to a higher demand because of coronavirus. Please don't be offended or think I am shortchanging you. The list you see pictured is my list from yesterday. That is the "extra" in my day right now. Homeschool, laundry, housework, meals, farm chores, and much aren't listed. I work as hard as I can to knock the list down, but I still have many miles to go before I sleep. 

*Opinions vary. Some people do with no issues. Others have, and it was not a good experience. Clint and I do not keep them together in the same pen. Ducks foul the water, and keep everything wet which breeds bacteria not good for chickens. Then, young chickens are often on medicated feed to prevent coccidiosis. That medicated feed can kill a duckling/duck because they eat so much they overdose. If you can manage the different needs, it can be done. We have plenty of space and resources, so we choose not.

My Grandbeebees

Brandon's Italian honey bees are eating spilled honey.
These little bees are pretty chill.
I did get a good "cussin" from the bottom right bee for getting my camera lens too close for its comfort.

I am looking forward to adding bees to our farm next year.

Cooling the Hive

See how the bee has its wings straight out? They buzz their wings in that position to cool the hive. Brandon took and sent me these pictures of his bees to show me. I am eagerly looking forward to acquiring my own hives next spring!

In cold climates like Poland, bee hives are painted dark colors to help keep the hive warmer. Here in the southern US, we paint our hives a light color to reflect summer's heat.