Are you wondering which meat chicken breeds you should raise, Cornish Cross or Freedom Ranger? There is an increasing selection of meat chicken breeds available to the consumer these days, not to mention the option of raising larger, traditional, dual-purpose, laying hens. The two most popular choices right now are the white Cornish Cross and […]
Quinn Veon
Quinn and her family have been homesteading in Ohio for over 15 years, many of which she spent sharing their experiences and encouraging other homesteaders at Reformation Acres until 2018. She is the co-founder of the SmartSteader homestead management app and Executive Assistant for Homesteaders of America.
Besides raising their main crop of 8 children, Quill Haven Farm revolves around the Queen of the Homestead, the family milk cow. In addition to cheesemaking and other home dairy, the cow also provides skim milk to fatten a few hogs every year, raise up a beef calf, supplement the feed for their flock of laying hens & broilers, and beautiful compost for their 14,000 square feet of organic gardens.
Dairy Supplies for the Family Cow
So you’re thinking about bringing home a family milk cow? It’s time to hit the books and dive into Family Milk Cow 101! There is a lot you need to know before you fill that first pail with milk including what dairy supplies you need to get started so you have the milking equipment on hand from […]
Make Soap at Home: A Simple Recipe for Beginners
Learning how to make soap is a valuable homesteading skill that everyone striving for greater self-sufficiency can acquire. It doesn’t matter where you live or how many acres you are on, we can all make soap at home! Start with a simple recipe like this lard soap. It’s perfect for beginners! How to Make Soap at […]
Family Milk Cow 101
When we brought home our first milk cow, it was a comedy of errors. Everything that could have gone wrong did. We thought we had done our research and knew what we were doing (well enough). We had settled on the Dexter breed and thought a cow would be a good fit for our 2 […]
Reasons to Use Rotational Grazing on a Homestead
I never really gave pasture management any thought when we first started raising livestock. I hadn’t heard of rotational grazing before. You just throw them in a pasture and they’ll eat and grass will grow back and repeat, right? Same as a lawn mower. (Except your new mower doubles as fertilizer.) I’ve spent most of […]