Permaculture Velocity | Homesteading Skills You Can Use

It's easy to get sucked into the fancy packaging, promises of cleanliness not possible any other way, and germs killed on contact. But, how much do we really know and understand about the products that we are bringing into our homes? How can we make changes to kick toxic products to the curb? Plus, how to stick to your guns with homemade cleaners. Show notes: PermacultureVelocity.com

Prevention, prevention, prevention. Let's get into some details to avoid problems with illness and disorder down the road. Show Notes: PermacultureVelocity.com

Botulism is not something to take lightly and if you are new to home canning it can be a scary thing.  Learn about what went wrong in home canning that made people sick. Show Notes: PermacultureVelocity.com

Of all the cool season vegetables, which are the best to get started in the garden for the cool season? Selected for ease and productivity plus some surprises. Show Notes: PermacultureVelocity.com

How can you manage a chicken run without nuisance smells, flies, and tons of work? This simple and easy approach to managing the litter in a chicken run is healthier for the flock while being less work for the chicken keeper. Show Notes: PermacultureVelocity.com

Many people who live in the city are not prepared for brief interruptions in services such as water, gas, and electricity. Living the in the city with stores packed with goods for sale gives rise to a false feeling of security that everything will always be available. Learn about basic preparedness. Show Notes: PermacultureVelocity.com

There are plenty of lists of money saving tips. But, how do we reshape our thinking about buying, harvesting, preparing, eating, and storing food? Learn a few ways to rethink buying, harvesting, preparing, and storing food. Plus, why we all should be sauce bosses! Show Notes: PermacultureVelocity.com

Whether boiling water bath canning or pressure canning let's be safe. Learn how to avoid common home canning mistakes. And news flash! The USDA recently (June 2015) approved steam canning! Steam canning is a fast, effective, and safe way to home preserve high acid foods! Yay! Plus, don't forget to check out the show notes for even more information regarding several types of canning jars and lids. Links to pressure canner manuals, USDA and university extension guidance, and learn more about a recent outbreak of botulism that resulted from improperly home canned food.  Show Notes: PermacultureVelocity.com

So many projects and tasks on the homestead and limited resources. Where to start? How to decide to pay for someone else to install a laundry-to-landscape system or DIY? Starting small, simple, and specialized can help. Then considering time, money, and reward can help us select the right project, at the right time, and keep it on budget. Even tiny gardens can seem overwhelming to a new gardener--learn a few tips that can help you get started. Show Notes: PermacultureVelocity.com 

Kombucha can be expensive at the grocery store, coop, or farmer's market. Save a ton of money and make great kombucha at home. It's super easy and it is best wild! Learn about the "transformational action of the microorganisms" and getting started with your very own batches of this wonderful naturally effervescent drink.  Show Notes: PermacultureVelocity.com 

Corn, beans, okra, meats, fish, poultry, soups, broths, and other low acid foods must be pressure canned. Sadly, pressure canning has a bad rap and many folks shy away from it. Pressure canning low acid foods means that we have even more foods that we can grab off our pantry shelves. Imagine being sick and reaching for a jar of chicken soup made just the way you like it. Think about that long day and all you want is a quick meal--you are able to reach for a terrific vegetable soup. Canned foods don't require refrigeration so you don't have to worry about a power outage. Canned foods like beans (black beans, kidney beans, and so forth) are cooked and ready to add to your favorite recipes--saving time, money, and energy. Show Notes: PermacultureVelocity.com 

There are two solidly divided camps regarding light to the hen house as the days shorten. One: Adding light is inhumane, kinda seems like an industrial operation, so let's leave the natural rhythms alone. Two: Adding light means that there will be eggs on all of the days including days before the holidays. Yes, it's true I have friends in the city who do not add light in the winter and after all the love, care, and feed--buy eggs in December.  Adding a moderate amount to light to maintain a 14-hour day means that our healthy hens get adequate rest and we get eggs on all of the days. Gosh, how would I figure out which eggs are the least evil at the market anyway. We have chickens so that I don't have to figure that out! Show Notes: PermacultureVelocity.com 

Is homesteading just a glorified hobby or can it make an impact on your household and the community? Show Notes: PermacultureVelocity.com 

School is starting soon, the days are getting shorter and cooler, and it's time to start getting ready for the fall garden. Show Notes: PermacultureVelocity.com

Panty pests can ruin hundreds and hundreds of dollars worth of food. Hours will be spent cleaning out containers and jars. Food will need to be replaced. It is just not fantastic to have a problem with pantry pests. It is less expensive in the long run to prevent pantry pests! Show Notes: PermacultureVelocity.com 

So many skills to learn and so little time. Here are a few skills that can make a difference on the homestead. Show Notes: PermacultureVelocity.com 

Edible perennials can be key to balancing things on the homestead. While they can take a bit more time, patience, and care to establish they pay off by needing less care when things get busy or you get sidetracked. Show Notes: PermacultureVelocity.com 

Bagged feeds are seemingly inexpensive but what are you really paying for?  Homemade chicken feeds allow the flockster to control ingredients, protein content, and have the freshest food for the flock. Learn about how and why we formulate feeds for our chicks, pullets, and laying hens. Show Notes: PermacultureVelocity.com 

Keeping things orderly and tidy on the homestead can just make life easier. No lost tools or equipment. No closets overflowing with things you don't and wont ever use. Eliminate the stacks and piles! Have a place for all of your items that bring joy to your life! Learn about how to be tidy forever. Show Notes: PermacultureVelocity.com 

Learn what all the fuss is about mason bees and alfalfa bees. Listen in for a coupon code to grab a discount on gear to get all set up for hosting native bees. Questions--there are always so many questions. Here are a few answers. Show Notes: PermacultureVelocity.com