Learn how to make the best tomato cages! #tomatoes #gardening #homesteading #growingtomatoes #beginnergardener

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In: DIY, gardening, homesteading

Hey guys! So, a couple weeks ago, a reader asked me about my tomato cages after seeing this picture Because of that, I decided to do a tutorial on how to make them and where to get all of your supplies! Before we get started, let me give you a little tomato tip- tomato plants produce more when they are staked in some sort of fashion!  I have read this numerous places, plus I have experienced this in my own garden.  Last year, I didn’t quite have enough cages, so I let a couple plantsREAD MORE

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In: farming

Hey everybody! Since I’ve been posting a lot of gardening posts lately, I thought I’d give everyone an update on what’s going on elsewhere on the farm!  I don’t know about you, but I like getting a glimpse into people’s everyday lives. This is Hooey, the newest addition to the Donley family!  Remember our black lab Joey that was hit and killed a few weeks ago?  Well, we were all devastated, but Elisa was the most because Joey was her dog.  She recently got this cute little guy to train to work with our cows! READ MORE

down on the farm

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In: farming

Hey Everybody! Well, it was a busy weekend here at the Donley farm! On Friday I took advantage of the beautiful, if not WINDY, weather (It gusted up to 57 mph!!!) and planted my strawberries.  It felt so GOOD to get some dirt under my fingernails!  (And all my fellow gardeners said, “Amen!”).  I plan on posting about that soon (I used a different method of planting them than I have in the past) if all goes well.  #gardeningisagamble On Saturday, I baked lots of bread and rolls (using this recipe) so that we couldREAD MORE

down on the farm

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In: farming, homemaking

Hey! I thought I’d do a little update about what’s been going on down here on the farm!  It’s been busy, busy and spring is maybe finally in the air?? Our Charolais heifer herd starting calving a couple weeks ago!  Woo-hoo!  We were nervous about this, but so far, so good.  All calves look good and healthy and the mamas seem to be taking to their job.  Watching new calves is one of the best things ever 🙂 Also on the Charolais front, Jeff has been working his tail off installing water lines in thatREAD MORE

pros and cons of free range chickens

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In: chickens, homesteading

Pros and Cons of Free Range Chickens Raising your own chickens for eggs and meat is one of the first steps for your new homestead, right?  I call chickens the gateway drug!  Trust me, you start with chickens, then you move on to goats, then pigs, then cows, then who knows what else…. and your husband and kids are like “Please stop!  We don’t want anymore chores!”  Seriously, this has NOT happened in my life- ha! I’m here to give you the lowdown on all things chicken, but since I could probably right an entireREAD MORE

small dog

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In: 4-H

Today, I’m going to a just give you a random post about a little bit of “everything else” that’s been going on around here!  July, August and September threw for a bit of a loop and I’ve had a hard time sitting in front of the computer to blog about it.  It was a good loop, mind you 😉 1  Tent camping over Labor Day Jeff’s family has camped in Noel, Missouri over Labor Day for decades, literally.  It’s a large family affair involving distant cousins, great aunts, etc.  Anyway, we have a great time,READ MORE