What Is Yerba Mate

Dig A Deeper Gene Pool The most genetically diverse flock is either mixed with different breeds (although each breed's parents could have been related), or the flock consists of chickens so mixed between breeds that it has no recognizable breeds at all.

She exuded a love for her calling to farm—it's a part of who she is—and she was putting it into action in the very best way she saw possible. If you don't consider yourself a success, maybe it's time to start reexamining these three things: Do you...

Their enthusiasm is definitely contagious, and just being in the presence of these wonderful people inspires me to pull myself up by my bootstraps and keep chugging along, not to mention all the people they've inspired to do the same.

Rotting wood is excellent for use in a huegel—in fact, the rotting of the wood is the magic behind this technique—but fresh-cut wood is fine, too. Build healthy soil your garden can rock out in with this German compost technique.

Eventually, the ice, snow and chill will all recede, and the mild temperatures and widespread green of spring will approach and take its place. (As did the giant pot of chili I made Monday night; my mother always said there was no better food in winter...

Ask Martok! Do you have a livestock or wildlife question you want me to answer? Suggested uses and dosages are printed on remedy labels, but those are only guidelines. In the case of an animal emergency, it's important to reach out to your veterinarian...

Winterberry (Ilex verticillata), also known as winterholly, brightens winter landscape with brilliant berries. Children are particularly susceptible to adverse effects. When used in indoor arrangements, keep winterberries out of the reach of curious pets.Proper...

I think this sentiment is especially applicable to farmers, homesteaders and rural dreamers alike. Keep your eyes on hatchery catalogs, and before you know it, you'll be raising those Lakenvelders you always dreamed of.

Right now there is a lot of buzz about a plant called ashitaba. Here in Ohio, I harvest Angelica archangelica in the fall to make use of the root, though some folks still candy the leaf stems.

Leaf-footed bugs are a confirmed garden nuisance in many regions of North America, including portions of California and many states in the Eastern Seaboard, spanning from as far north as New York down to Florida.

Frozen soil feels very solid and does not give way under foot. Soil that is ready for planting is easy to dig and yields to your shovel. If you begin to dig and your shovel seems to be hitting a brick wall, it is evidence that the soil is frozen.

Generally, infected seeds become soft or mushy, turning brown to black in color. Infected plants often have sunken lesions on the stem at or below the soil line.Various practices may be helpful in reducing the amount of damping off infection.

Prolonged moisture and the abrasive effects of soil can create openings in the skin that allow the infection to occur, producing pain and throbbing.What can the average gardener do to ensure that the compost they place on their own gardens is safe?Make...

That is because they are slower to develop, which gives them stronger bones and organs before developing muscle, just as our turkeys did 50+ years ago. Chefs say that they have much better taste than other turkeys.

The store was on a low populated street, inhabited mostly by elderly people and each day, the only "big" sale was at noon, when the children from the school nearby were coming or leaving.

Lucky bamboo is not, in fact, related to true bamboo plants. It is not native to Asia, and is closely related to the lily. The leaves often have silver or white strips through the center.

Don't plant the same veggies year after year. This is also true in the home garden, as demonstrated by the demise of photinia (Photinia x fraseri, USDA zones 8 through 9) and Leyland cypress (x Cupressocyparis leylandii, USDA zones 6 through 10).Gardeners...

Alternating different plants helps keep that balance intact. It was commonly done in Medieval times, long before technologies existed to permit persistent, large-scale plantings. Production won out over soil health.

Okoume is the wood of the Okoume tree (Aucoumea klaineana), a species native to west-central Africa, in particular Gabon, Equatorial Guinea and the Republic of Congo. It is considered very soft, rendering it unsuitable for use in situations requiring...

I covered our small pond and waterfall with a sheet of netting to keep the leaves out, and we're planning to pack away the patio furniture sometime this weekend. The tomatoes have been ripped out (they did eventually succumb to the late blight that plagued...

Novelty is the great parent of pleasure. The sky's the limit—but let's leave the coconuts behind. I also wasn't crazy about my foods touching on the plate—my mom used to make a baked meatloaf with mashed potatoes and cheese on top, and I would famously...

Spray the plant with an insecticidal oil to get rid of insect pests. Some are even bi-colored and have variegated foliage. Locate it in full sun and in neutral, well-draining soil.

A substance is acidic if it contains more H+ than OH- ions, and it is alkaline if the OH- concentration is greater. The concentration of hydronium ions at pH 4 is ten times greater than it is at pH 5.

Before you plant your spring crops, prepare your garden soil with a healthy dose of mulch. Keep this in mind as you work your garden. If the latter describes your garden conditions, use a light mulch that will allow the soil to breathe while still preventing...

The higher the value, the better the thermal performance. Instead of choosing the cheapest company, we chose one priced middle of the road because it was both informative and flexible with our budget.

As time passed, it was clear she didn't have sex links because three of them were roosters. One of my friends picked up five female Red Stars (a sex link) at a feed store—or so she was told.

The stalk contains the juice used to make sugar and is broken up in segments called joints. The length and diameter of the joints and stalk vary by sugar cane species. These raw crystals are then dispatched to a refinery before being sold commercially.