Fall has finally come to the homestead and buck fever hits hard this time of year. Philip is an avid hunter and while he certainly scopes out the best bucks each year. Hunting on the homestead is not about trophies, it’s about filling our freezers with wild game. While using a local meat processor is…
As the air turns crisp and the seasons change from summer to fall, it’s that time of year when new seasonal foods take the spotlight. Homemade pumpkin puree is a staple ingredient for some of our favorite fall treats! For years I used canned stuff not knowing how easy it is to make my own…
Preserving the harvest can seem intimidating as you look at the different canning methods. However, home canning is a safe and effective means of home food preservation. There are two methods of canning: water bath canning vs pressure canning. Let’s look at the two canning methods to determine what method you should choose. The appropriate…
Home canning is an integral part of a self-sufficient lifestyle. Possibly you plant a large garden and preserve the harvest, or maybe you purchase produce in bulk from local farmers to ensure you are serving the most wholesome produce you can for your family. Having the right canning supplies on hand is a necessity for…
In April, we moved four of our strongest colonies of honey bees from Florida to our homestead in Kentucky. Even then the fields were full of flowers and the trees were in bloom. We felt good that when we returned to Kentucky in the late summer that the hives would be full of honey ready…
When Philip began searching for the homestead that we now call Kowalski Mountain, the ability to hunt the land was one of the most important features he was looking for in a property. While many aspects of hunting have remained unchanged for generations, many aspects of hunting have evolved with the advancements in technology. HuntStand…
Our trips to the homestead can be brutal in the late summer months. It never fails that I get eaten up by what I have called chiggers for many years. However the locals, all say the same thing, likely I was bitten by turkey mites. In all the places I have lived, I had never…
Once the most important aspects of the driveway were complete, the other major project that we needed our bulldozer contractor to focus on was building the farm pond. Clinton and Ed Cockriel from Ed Cockriel & Son Dozer and Backhoe Services have years of experience in pond building in the Western Kentucky area. We appreciate…
Several months ago, Philip met with Clifton Cockriel of Ed Cockriel & Son Dozer and Backhoe Services to get an estimate to tackle a few of the larger tasks on the homestead. One of the biggest jobs we needed to complete was building a new driveway all the way to the building site of our…
In April of 2022, Philip and I moved the very first livestock to Kowalski Mountain. Four colonies of honeybees were relocated from Florida to the homestead. We selected our strongest colonies and provided them with extra space and resources they needed to survive on their own. Admittedly we would have liked to have returned sooner….
