This library is the sole work of Jordan (Jordy) Buck, and no articles herein may appear anywhere else other than this website without my permission. These were written in response to questions I received. Many are very specific. For more generalized information or a more structured starting point, click on the topic icons on my homepage.
Look though the categories below, find a sub-category, and look at individual titles to locate what you’re searching for. All articles stem from either an issue we’ve dealt with or an issue I ran into during a consultation.
Homestead Livestock
- Pigs
- Breed Overviews
- General
- Breeding Pigs
- Feeding Pigs
- 9 Ways to Feed Pastured Pigs, and keep them healthy
- 13 Ingredients to Improve Pig Growth and Fattening
- 22 Recipes for pig feed (and tips for feeding)
- A Report on Dock as Hog Feed
- Best Grains to Feed Pigs
- Best Varieties of Corn for Pig Feed
- Best Grains to Feed Pigs
- Can Pigs Eat All-Stock Feed?
- Can Pigs Eat Hay? (about feeding forage)
- Can Pigs Eat Sweet Feed?
- Can Pigs Live on Just Corn?
- Cheapest ways to Feed a Pig
- Finishing Pigs on Corn, smart or not?
- Goats vs Pigs, Which is better?
- Growing Your Own Pig Feed
- How Much Corn to Feed Pigs?
- How Much Space for 1 Pig?
- How We Feed Pigs at Half-Cost
- Is Grass Good for Pigs?
- Making Fermented Pig Feed (recipes and Ratios)
- Of Pigs and Pasture, what do they need?
- Raising Pork Cheap (1/5 market price)
- Should Pigs Eat Cracked Corn?
- Tree Leaves for Pigs
- Will Corn Make Pigs Fat?
- What is the Best Feed for Pigs?
- Poultry
- 10 Feed Ingredients for High-Omega-3 Eggs
- 10 Soy Alternative Protein Supplements for Chickens
- 10 Tips for Cleaner Better Eggs
- Are Rhode Island Red Chickens Friendly?
- Best Corn for Chicken Feed
- Best Grain For Chicken Feed
- Biochar for Chickens (Benefits, uses, and methods)
- Can Chickens Eat All Stock Feed?
- Can Chickens Eat Sweet Feed?
- Common Mistakes in Feeding Chickens
- Coop Size for 4 Chickens
- DIY Chicken Feed Recipes, with minerals
- Do Chickens Need Scratch Grain?
- Do Chickens Need Their Beaks Clipped?
- Free-feeding vs Restricted Feeding for Chickens
- Guide to Fermenting Chicken Feed
- Healthy Treats for Chickens
- Is Chicken Manure Good for Gardens?
- Pros and Cons of Organic Chicken Feed
- Scratch Grain vs Cracked Corn for Chickens
- Scratch Grain vs Layer Feed
- When to Butcher Meat Chickens
- Winter Chicken Care
- Winter Chicken Feed Supplements
- Rabbits
- Sheep
- Goats
- General Livestock
Field and Garden
- Garden Crops
- 10 Reasons Why Potatoes are the Easiest Crop to Grow
- Can I Plant Potatoes in the Summer? (tips for a late harvest)
- Can Potatoes Survive a Frost? (advice from an expert)
- Do Potatoes Need Full Sun?
- Do Potatoes Need a lot of Water? (and tips for watering)
- Harvested Small Potatoes or None at All (reasons and what to do)
- How to Grow Good Potatoes
- Jerusalem Artichokes, recipes and how to use them
- Red Norland Potatoes (planting, growing, and harvesting)
- Seed Potatoes vs Regular Potatoes for Planting
- Soil pH for Tomatoes
- Growing in Michigan
- Best Tomatoes to Grow in Michigan
- Growing Beans In Michigan
- Growing Onions in Michigan (a simple guide)
- Growing Tomatoes in Michigan (planting, pests, and diseases)
- When to Harvest Potatoes in Michigan
- When to Plant Beans in Michigan ( complete growing guide)
- When to Plant Corn in Michigan ( complete growing guide)
- When to Plant Potatoes in Michigan (a local’s best advice)
- When to Plant Pumpkins in Michigan (a complete growing guide)
- When to Plant Tomatoes in Michigan?
- When to Plant Watermelons in Michigan? (advice from farmers)
- When to Plant your Garden in Michigan
- General
- Best Crops for a 1-Acre Farm (actual farmers interviewed)
- Best Crops for Brand New Farmers
- Best Crops for Small Farms
- Building Fertility Through Soil Ecosystems
- Evaluating Growing Methods Without Any Fertilizer
- How to Garden in Sandy Soil
- How to Get More Worms in Your Garden
- How to Make a Pasture
- How to Start a Garden to Grow Real Food
- How to Start a Small Farm in 10 Steps
- Most Productive Crops For Self Sufficiency ( for food and feed)
- Onions for Pest Control, an Effective Organic Option
- What Plants Grow the Most Food? (and tips for productivity)
- Fertilizers
- Best Fertilizer For Potatoes (best products and practices)
- Best Fertilizer for Raised Beds
- Best Fertilizer for Sweet Corn
- Best Fertilizers for Home Gardening (chosen by professional growers)
- Best Fertilizers for Pumpkins
- Compost Tea vs Compost (which is better?)
- Compost Tea vs Fertilizer (how they work and which to choose)
- Compost Tea vs Manure Tea (organic fertilizer tips)
- How Much Fertilizer for 1 Acre of Corn?
- How Much Fertilizer for 1-Acre of Pumpkins?
- How to Fertilize Blueberries
- When Should You Fertilize Your Garden?
- When to Fertilize Corn (best practices and methods)
- Biochar
- Bagged Soils
- Garden Tools
- Seeds and Seedlings
- Trees
- Manure
- Compost Tea vs Manure Tea (organic fertilizer tips)
- Does Manure Need Aging or Composting?
- How To Use Manure In Your Garden
- How to Use Rabbit Manure in a Garden
- Is Chicken Manure Good for Gardens?
- Is Horse Manure Good for Gardens? (is it smart?)
- Is Rabbit Manure Good Fertilizer?
- Will Manure Burn Plants? (expert advice and tips)
- Opinions and Experience of Using Manure for Gardens
Kitchen and Pantry
- Home Canning
- Food Storage
- 5 Ways to Store Fresh Cabbage for 6 Months
- 20 Best Foods for Long-Term Storage (and storage tips)
- Best Buckets to Store Food
- Best Way to Store Potatoes After Harvest
- Frugal Food-Storage Tips
- How to Get Started Preserving and Storing Food
- How to Salt-Cure a Ham (with video)
- How to Store 50 Pounds of Flour
- How to Store Beans Long-Term
- How to Store Rice Long-Term (and how much per person)
- How to Store Whole Pumpkins for Winter
- Storing Home-Grown Onions After Harvest
- Storing Sugar Long-Term, (and how to use it smartly)
- Storing Vinegar Long-Term (and keeping it decent)
- Baking
- Misc