When people use the term “homestead” animals are usually a part of that image. Here at Kowalski Mountain, it’s important that our animals on the homestead have a purpose that brings enrichment to the farm. Some animals on the homestead are working members of the team, others provide nourishment while others provide companionship. We currently…
Currently, Philip and I live in Central Florida which is garden zone 9A which experiences mild winters. In the past several years we have found that if we plant our garden early when there is still a chance of frost, we are much more successful with the garden. We do have to be very mindful…
Several years ago, Philip and I decided to raise turkey as a replacement for chicken, with the idea we would get more bang for our buck raising larger birds. We purchased our very first trio of Narragansett heritage turkeys locally. We discovered first and foremost that we don’t care for turkey as a replacement for…
It’s an exciting time of year around Kowalski Apiary, it’s honey time! While Philip’s main goal in beekeeping is to grow honey bees, honey is still a “sweet” perk as a beekeeper. If you have ever looked at regular honey in the store, it can be confusing to figure out what all the terms mean….
Recently my father, Tom Seager, asked a question about honey in the honey frames. I gave him a silly answer and we tossed around a few ideas of what the real answer might be. Ultimately, we settled on my silly answer as the final thought. However, it got me thinking, what are my followers’ questions…
No matter how many years you have worked in the sun and the heat of the day, eventually you are likely to experience heat exhaustion. We all know the steps of hydration, but sometimes situations prevent us from taking care of ourselves well. We ignore the subtle symptoms that warn us to take a break…
Why Are Pollinators Important for our Survival? The number one reason that pollinators are important to the world’s survival is that pollination is vital to plant reproduction. This includes not only pollination services for agriculture which provides the world’s food supply but also the world’s ecosystems. The US Forest Service says it best. It is…
Philip and I traveled to Kowalski Mountain for the Spring Workcation just in time for Easter. While it would only be the two of us for dinner, I still wanted to make something special. We raise or hunt almost all our meat, so I rarely purchase meat at the grocery store. However, a few times…
Philip and I spent a little over a week in mid-April on the homestead for the Spring 2022 Workcation. The Spring Workcation started out with some pretty emergent items that needed attention ASAP. We received some security camera photos before we left that revealed that our canopy that covers the RV was damaged. It was…
Butchering day on the homestead brings about a range of emotions regardless of how long you may have been raising your own meat animals. It can be quite intimidating for the first-time home meat processor. I reassure you, that processing your own poultry at home, really is something that you can do! It requires minimal…
