By Holly Giles | Simple Living , southern homestead
What is a victory garden? The victory garden of the 1940s has made a comeback with full force. Families are looking for food sources they had not thought of before, which is exciting news for gardening. What was the victory garden during WWII? During world war II, the government was reverting large manufacturing to war […]
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By Holly Giles | Simple Living , southern homestead
5 Tips to Recession-Proof Your Kitchen Stretching your grocery dollar is getting harder to do these days. Especially when you have children to feed. I have teenage boys, and they can really eat. Years ago, I learned to do a few things to help in times of need. My grocery budget can fluctuate, but I […]
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By Holly Giles | Simple Living , southern homestead
Heirloom seeds vs. Hybrids: What’s the Difference? When shopping for plants at your local garden center, some are marked ‘heirloom seeds,” while others are labeled “hybrid.” Have you ever wondered what these terms mean – or which is better for you? These terms seem to create a lot of confusion among novice and experienced gardeners […]
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By Holly Giles | Simple Living , southern homestead
What are the basic needs of a chicken? Chickens have been part of the backyard landscape for generations. Most lived in little shanties constructed from whatever was left in the yard. Most chickens did well in their neighborhoods as long as they had access to an enclosure. Chickens’ 4 basic needs to survive well are […]
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By Holly Giles | Simple Living , southern homestead
Can I really raise chickens? Yes, you can really raise chickens at home. For twelve years our family has had a blast with a small backyard flock in our suburban neighborhood. Knowing a few things in advance will help you be successful from the start. Let’s start with the coop. Is a homemade chicken coop […]
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By Holly Giles | Simple Living , southern homestead
How to start seeds indoors in 7 easy steps Starting vegetable seeds indoors is a great way to extend your gardening budget and growing season. However, starting vegetables from seed can be tricky for many novice gardeners. Fortunately, the seven simple steps outlined below simplify this process and make it much more fun and easy. […]
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By Holly Giles | Recipes , Simple Living , southern homestead
Dry Canning Flour Dry canning flour has been around since my grandmother’s time. I read up on canning flour when I got a 50-pound bag. At the time, flour was hard to come by due to a shortage, and I needed to bake bread for our family because it was not available in our grocery […]
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By Holly Giles | Family , Florida , Simple Living , southern homestead
Florida Milk Farm I met Shanna Rae Horstmeyer and her two young boys during a homeschool field trip last year. I heard she had her own Florida milk farm. She recognized my feed-sack purse and introduced herself. She said she had been saving feedbags to work with but had been too busy moving onto their […]
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By Holly Giles | Simple Living , southern homestead
Broody and molting hens Henrietta is in broody chicken jail. However, I assure you it is for everyone’s benefit! Broodiness happens to hens when they decide to sit on their eggs and hatch young. If you would like more information on the subject check out My Pet Chicken. In our hen house, there is no […]
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By Holly Giles | Field Trips , homeschooling , Simple Living , southern homestead
4H Fowl Fun The Volusia County Fair is in 2 months and we are gearing up for our entries! The fair association and 4H were offering a “Fowl Fun Day” to teach you about entering chickens. The flyer I received sounded too good to pass up. They would teach anatomy, breeds, disease, and pest control. In […]
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