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Natures Bounty-Foraging for Morels in Virginia
As the spring sun starts to warm the soil of the Virginia Mountains, you can begin to find a trove of treasures in the woods and on the mountain sides. From ramps to wild asparagus and the morel, Mother Nature supplies a cornucopia of fresh forages after the long winter. Out of all of these, foraging for morels is my favorites. Spring in general is my favorite time of year. Everything gets a fresh start. Trees get new leaves, flowers new blooms, and baby animals are all around. It is a busy time for nature and farmer alike. It is a wonderful time of year to step back and appreciate…
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23 Plants to Grow in Your Vegetable Garden This Year and How to Use Them
One of my favorite days of the year is groundbreaking day in the garden. There is something so exciting about breaking ground in anticipation of what is to come for our garden. Today we are going to talk about the 23 plants to grow in your vegetable garden this year and how to use them in preparation for this growing season. Tomatoes First up on our list, tomatoes. What garden is complete without tomatoes? These versatile fruits are a must have for us in the garden not just for summer fresh eating, but for canning as well so we have access to tomatoes all year long without the grocery store.…
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How to Plant Potatoes for an Awesome Harvest
March is quickly approaching and with it comes the opportunity to start getting in the garden for Virginians. St. Patrick’s day is the marker for the best time for planting potatoes in the garden. Today we are going to be sharing our tips for how to plant potatoes for an awesome harvest! Potatoes are one of my very favorite things to grow in the garden. They are the first thing I plant in the new year and are so much fun for the kids and I to dig up together in the fall. You can also get an enormous return on your investment. For example, last year we planted 30…
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Epic Garden Planning for 2023, A Look Back
It is that time of year again! Garden planning season! This is perhaps one of my favorite times of year. As the winter slows us all down a bit, it is a time for me to reflect on the things that worked and the things that didn’t. I have learned in gardening, some years there are more things that didn’t work than did. Learn from them and do better next time! Gardening Season 2022 was definitely one of those seasons to learn from. As I reflect on this past season and look towards the next, I hope sharing some of my wins and learnings from this year may help you…
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How to Clean and Store Sour Cherries
Sour Cherries are an early summertime treat at the farm. Not only do the birds love them, but so do the kids. Tangy, tart, and a little sweet, these little red jewels are a favorite that can be a little trick to process. Learn our tricks on how to clean and store your sour cherries. On the Farm One of the deciding factors for me when we purchased the farm was the 200 plus year old cherry tree that graces the hill. This monstrosity of a beauty is the quintessential tree that all farms should have. It is big and casts wonderful shade making it a perfect reading spot. Its…
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Spring’s Best Pollinators And How To Support Them
Spring brings a lot of my favorite things. My favorite things of all are the pollinators that begin to visit our homestead! Pollinators are the heartbeat of any homestead. They keep the garden growing, the flowers blooming, and the homesteader happy. Today we are going to talk about Spring’s best pollinators and how to support them! What is a pollinator? First let’s clarify what a pollinator is. A pollinator is any animal or insect that aids in the movement of pollen from the male part of the flower to female part of the flower. That is they aid in the reproduction cycle of the plant. Movement of pollen must occur…
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Save Money with This Seed Starting Hack- Seedling Containers
Seed starting season is here and if you aren’t careful you could find your wallet a lot slimmer come planting season. Today we are going to show you how to help the environment and save money with our favorite seed starting hack. Have you ever started a new hobby and fell victim to all the gadgets and gizmos that come with it? I have! Boy oh boy have I ever. I get lured in by all the pretty things, and sometimes I end up just finding them in my Amazon cart without even realizing it. But over the years I have learned that your hobbies don’t have to break the…
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How To Plan Your Homestead Garden
It is that time of year again! January marks the start of planning your homestead garden for the coming spring. At least that is what we are doing here at Hackett Hill Farm!! Come along with us as we plan for our homestead garden and get some great inspiration for yours! Gardening is one of my favorite parts about homesteading. There is something so satisfying about knowing that I grew something from seed to feed my family. I also love the process of choosing plants to grow, planning a layout, and starting seeds. Each step along the way brings you closer to the earth your home is built on. Let’s…
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15 Awesome Gifts Your Gardener Will Love (2021)
We all have a gardener in our life. Whether they grow a potted plant in their apartment, a box garden on their porch, or a full fledge garden in their homestead’s back yard, we have the gifts your gardener will love! The holidays are fast approaching and we know how stressful it can be to buy the perfect gift for everyone on your Christmas list. Never fear! Today we will be breaking down our favorite gardening items that are great for gifting to the gardener in your life. Gardening Books Your Gardener Will Love Books are a great way to amp up the confidence of new gardeners or used as…
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Preparing Your Vegetable Garden For Winter – A Homesteader Interview
The garden is the heartbeat of the homestead. It is the place you spend your entire summer tilling, planting, and weeding. Then fall hits and it is harvest time and you spend the next month picking, canning, and preserving. But what do you do after harvest? How do you begin preparing your vegetable garden for winter? Whether your plan is to have a fall/winter garden or close it down until spring, we are going to discuss it all with our homesteader Charis Scofield. Before we dig into the interview, let’s talk about some of the decisions you will need to make before you start preparing the vegetable garden for…
