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A clean, organized tack room doesn’t just look better—it helps your daily routines run smoother. Summer is the perfect time to give your tack room a refresh and ensure all your gear is in top shape. Why It Matters: Heat and humidity can accelerate wear on leather goods, cause mold or mildew, and lead to disorganized chaos if your space isn’t maintained. Plus, proper storage can extend the life of your tack and tools. Tips for a Tack Room Refresh: Purge Old or Broken Items: If it’s damaged beyond repair or hasn’t been used in years, it’s time to let...

There’s nothing more rewarding (or adorable) than raising chicks in the springtime. Whether you’re expanding your flock or starting fresh, May is the perfect time to raise healthy, happy backyard chickens. Here’s your chick-raising checklist to make sure you have everything you need: Brooder Setup Brooder box – A plastic tote, livestock trough, or chick brooder works great Heat source – Use a brooder heat plate or heat lamp (with safety precautions) Thermometer – Keep temps around 95°F the first week, lowering weekly by 5°F Feed & Water Starter feed – Choose a chick-specific crumble with high protein (18–20%) Waterers...

Spring is the perfect time to prepare your garden and pasture for a season of strong growth and abundant harvests. Proper soil care, the right fertilizer, and selecting quality seeds can make all the difference in your pasture’s yield and your garden’s success. Whether you're growing crops, raising livestock, or simply maintaining a backyard garden, here are the essential steps to get your land ready for spring. 1. Start with a Soil Test Healthy soil is the foundation of a productive garden or pasture. Testing your soil before planting helps you understand its pH levels, nutrient content, and any deficiencies...

To most individuals passing through rural areas, hay seems simple. Its dry, tough, and it feeds livestock. However there’s more to hay than meets the eye. Hay is one of those grasses where it is particularly hard to see the quality and composition. The best way to truly know the quality of hay you are using is to test it. Essentially, hay quality is affected by five major factors; stages of maturity, leafiness, color, foreign matter, and odor and condition. Out of all of these factors, the stages of maturity are the most important. The growth stage of the hay...

The process of canning and preserving foods takes place for many reasons. For the gardener in all of us, home canning is a way to take all of the hard work that was done outside, and bring it inside. Canning allows us to extend the life of farm to table by ensuring you get the most out of your garden. Not only is canning and preserving economical, it’s also experimental because it makes us use foods and ingredients that might not be in the market or no longer in season.  While canning may seem like a new challenging task that...