Our daily power consumption is way up as we use the AC in the lodge, the dehumidifiers in our closets, and even on occasion the electric clothes dryer. The grass loves this kind of weather, so mowing is a frequent chore. But then solarizing is fast

If you call yourself a reasonably proficient grower of your own food, you ought to be able to grow potatoes. On our fourth attempt at growing spuds, we finally enjoy modest success. What we did wrong before and what we did right this time

Each day we're getting smarter about chickens. This week we caught up with Dr Joseph B Hess and his colleague Dr Ken Macklin of the Auburn University Poultry Science Department and buttonholed Joe for a quick visit.

We stand on the shoulders of the giants who have preceded us. They help us see the truth. Today we merely scratch the surface of the ways our elders have supported us, strengthened us, inspired us, and taught us.

We should have planted the pecans back in January or February. All we can do at this point is to get them in the ground now. They will be vulnerable to drought, so we need to keep them well watered, especially during the late summer and fall

Questions and Amanda's answers from our talk at the Wetumpka Public Library. You’ll hear a couple of questions about composting; then we talk about upside down tomatoes, and then growing strawberries.

Podcast version of our Wetumpka presentation. We cover the essentials for growing food, the best vegetables to plant now, organic weed control, organic pest control, and the advantages and disadvantages of using raised beds

Our joy at bringing home chickens turned to fear when Oddie attacked them. Rather than simply get rid of the chickens or the dog, we tried an e-collar. Now Oddie is again off his leash and frolicking around the farm, and the chickens are safe

While we focus on food, we want a pleasant, welcoming environment. We need low maintenance and low cost, and each plant needs to perform several functions. We work from a plan, but that plan evolves as our goals change and new plants show up

After trying free range on Veg Hill, we knew they needed to scratch but stay confined. We built a run where they can scratch, peck, pee, and poop during the day before they retreat to the coop at night. The bad news is still with Oddie the dog