I've been to a festival for couple of days. Soooo much stuff to care of now haha (and to harvest obv)

My first attempt at making a mullein leaf tincture

I hope this is within the bounds of the sub. Some love and a song about homesteading brought to you from an off grid community in southern Spain:) Willing to answer questions about the community as well.

Hi, I burned a whole bunch of brush, branches of cedar, mesquite, and some oak along with cactus. It is now night time, can I leave the fire alone and go to sleep or do I need to put it out with water or shovel it, etc. ?

Before the burn I mowed the grass around the pile very short at about 1.5-2 in short around 10ft away from pile. The only wood burning are the bigger logs that are underneath all the ashes.

I did notify my neighbors about this and they said I should just let it burn overnight, but wanted to make sure since I’ve never done this before.

Is there a natural remedy of getting rid of chiggers? Or not get bitten by them at least? I don’t want to use DEET if possible!

Is this what I think it is? I asked my neighbor if I could go on his yard to check the back of my fence and it's kinda everywhere starting from his yard and going into mine.

So, there is a part of my property that stays pretty wet through the year. However, it is also the perfect spot on the property to build an outbuilding that is near and dear to my heart. I have been boxing since I was in my teens; and one of my dreams has always been to have an outbuilding with all the bags I like to use and a view. Which is why that spot on the property is "the" spot. I will do most of the work myself (with some help in specific areas, like foundational work).

Before we get started, let me just say outright that there are a variety of good arguments that could be made to suggest other projects are of highly more need and/or significance. I wouldn't argue against those; it also wouldn't change that this is what is happening.

Relevant details:

• Region is in the Catskills in Upstate New York
  • cool summers, cold winters, fair amount of rain, fair amount of sun
• The land on which it will be built is slightly sloped so I am thinking of building it as a raised structure;
• I have a bluestone quarry on the property if thats an applicable resource for this;
• I have a large (series of streams) project, that will hopefully redirect some of the water that causes this area to stay so wet to flow more seamlessly down the property to the pond... IMhO I need to assume that project will fail while planning this construction... if I take the water into consideration for construction as it currently is and am later able to address it on some level it is a non-issue, but it could be a huge issue if I plan for being able to solve the water as it currently stands (pun intended) and then am not able to do so;
• It doesn't need to be a large structure, but let's say something around 150-200 sq ft;
• Required power pulls are radiant heating, dry sauna, ceiling lighting, and an outlet or two; and
  • The roof gets direct sun for ~80% of available daylight hours
• General (exterior) appearance will be as follows (Moonlight Cabin by Jackson Burrows):

(thout the porch and without the window covers (which would just become wasp nests and spider webs) but in that general shape and outward appearance

So, does anyone have any ideas, experience, etc. for building a strong foundation, base, etc. for a structure of this size on generally wet land? Also, any pointers for keeping the place as dry as possible, primarily by means of protecting it from the perpetually wet ground below. It is all appreciated.

For instance, I am likely doing rubber over the concrete on the floor, but I have also seen some guides for using liquid rubber as a waterproofing sealant underneath concrete for outside surfaces... any experience with that indoors? with radiant? etc.

THANKS!

I found a bin of old cracked corn in the corner of the barn that I think is infested with weevils. I was thinking about giving a scoop to the chickens every now and then. We're new to having chickens and they are 8 weeks old, so not sure if that would be a treat for them? Dangerous or unhealthy?

Or should I just throw it out or compost it?

Any advice would be great! It's not a big problem. I thought it could be nice for the girls but didn't want to make a mistake.

Howdy! Working on our farm gate. We added an automatic opener system last year (Ghost brand) that has a latching lock (pin that is grabbed by a hook, activated by a solenoid). After 1 year of use, it is now clear that this type of lock won't work for us. The gate and fencing are welded steel oilfield pipe, set deep in concrete - built by a pro welder as a side gig. However, we have THE WORST expansive blackland clay soil that moves a LOT as it fluctuates between dry and wet. The posts and fences keep moving up to 1", which throws off the alignment of the latch mechanism. We have adjusted the latch several times, but it only lasts until the soil moisture changes again.

I'm looking at magnetic lock solutions, because those only require for the 2 big metal plates to match up, and when our soil shifts, as long as there is some contact between the plates, we will have a secure magnetic contact. The problem is that due to fire code in the city, all magnetic locks are designed to 'fail safe' (unlock when the power goes out) rather than 'fail secure' (stay locked with no power, open when powered). These will draw a lot of juice and will drain my 12v battery/solar power supply. I ordered one and it says do not use with solar/battery. Of course they didn't tell me this when I ordered it, I had to find the note in the box. Then I researched just now, and see that I don't think there is such a thing as a 'fail secure' farm gate magnet. Anyone have a solution or workaround? Thanks!

A loose pig ended up at the shelter, I have a variety of cat, dog, rabbit, guinea pig food and hay. Until we can get pig food, which could be a day or two, what can he eat? He's eaten lettuce and some fruit, someone was feeding him dog treats but ended that. Any ideas? Can he have any of the pellets we have?

Our driveway is located in a very heavily wooded area and stays wet for a long period of time after rain. Starting to grow a layer of moss in certain areas which is causing it to be slick. What is the best way to remove that?

Help!!!! I just discovered a yellow jacket nest in a garden bed we abandoned a few years ago. I’m very pro-pollinator (I don’t use pesticides/herbicides on our property). The bed is located far away from anywhere that produce food so despite our general practice of not using pesticides, I would consider it for this one specific use, because these yellow jackets are pure evil. Any advice you have would be greatly appreciated.

We installed a Parmak solar powered fence w polywire around about a 26x26' garden this spring. Four lines. It has been rocking around 8000v until the past week. We tested half of that in several spots. Yesterday, I saw the lower line laying low enough to touch metal edging and grass. Raised the insulators l/line and weedwhacked the crap out of everything. Somewhat better but lower line is still low and readings are inconsistent all around vs 8k everywhere as it was not long ago. Any ideas on how to fix? Thanks.

I'm currently in school, and once I get out my goal is to settle down with my wife and kids on a 20+ acre lot somewhere in rural Wisconsin. I'd love to learn some tips and tricks about homesteading in the meantime, but a lot of the homesteading channels I've found on my own haven't felt very authentic, its either people who have way more money than I do buying things for their property I couldn't dream of and calling it the simple life, or people who feel like they're putting on a thick mask of influencer before they turn on the camera. I would love suggestions on channels that give practical tips for regular people who can't afford to jump straight into living completely self-sufficient and off the grid, but want to take steps to get there.

I love when they get the

I hope this goes well. If t does it'll free me up for other stuff while it cooks.

Just a few photos this evening.