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Beth Dougherty

Shawn and Beth Dougherty have been farming together since the 1980s, for the last twenty years in eastern Ohio, where they manage 27 acres designated by the state as ‘not suitable for agriculture’, as well as a monastery farm of 100 acres. They write and travel on farming, dairying, farm-raised animal foods, and off-grid captured water systems. Shawn & Beth are the authors of The Independent Farmstead, published by Chelsea Green Publishing.

The Cost of Raising Meat Chickens

Is raising meat chickens a money-saver?  There are so many opinions out there!  The truth is, like nearly everything to do with farming, it depends. There are lots of ways and reasons for raising chickens for meat, and the economics of doing so vary just as widely.  Let’s take a look at the cost of […]

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How to Control the Cost of Raising Chickens

Whether the goal is eggs or meat, folks starting out their country journey seem to go straight for chickens.  Managed well, chickens can fit right into the farm ecosystem, providing nutrient cleanup, pest control, and light tillage almost anywhere those services are needed – along with some eggs and drumsticks. But when these benefits are […]

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How to Raise a Dairy Cow on Pasture

Raising a dairy cow on pasture is one of the best decisions you could make for your homestead… So, you’re beginning to get this homesteading thing down. You grew bushels of tomatoes this year, you’ve got chickens in a tractor, and, filled with inspiration, you’ve almost decided to take the plunge and buy a family […]

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