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Continue reading →: Cleavers Season: Harvesting, History, and Our Daily Spring TonicIt’s that time of year again-cleavers are popping up everywhere! What started as a small patch at the back of our property last year has now exploded into a lush green carpet, stretching far beyond what we could ever use. We’re even finding cleavers sneaking into flower beds around the…
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Continue reading →: Homemade Dishwashing Detergent TabletsSo we’ve got the laundry detergent figured out, we have the homemade pine and orange cleaner so what’s next? Homemade Dishwashing Detergent! Once again, I started by taking a peak at the ingredients in a popular brand of dishwashing detergent pods. And once again, I could not pronounce the majority…
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Continue reading →: Propagating Blackberries and Raspberries: Tip Layering for Easy SuccessOne of the joys of growing blackberries and raspberries is how easily they can be propagated to expand your berry patch. Last summer, we did the tip layering method, and it turned out to be an incredibly effective way to create new plants. With nearly a 100% success rate, we now…
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Continue reading →: DIY Lip Balm: A Simple, Self-Sufficient Step Toward Natural LivingIn our ongoing journey to become more self-sufficient and replace commercial products with homemade alternatives, we took on a fun and rewarding project: making our own lip balm. What made this experience even more special was having Eva help with the process. She loves learning new skills, especially when it…
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Continue reading →: Sourdough Discard Graham Crackers!I don’t know about the rest of you, but February was a LONG, hard month! Between the flu, a case of strep throat, food poisoning, constipation (sorry for the TMI), and just random days of not feeling well and bad weather, our family was happy to see February go! I’m…
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Continue reading →: New Books – Mullein and Purple Dead NettleJust in time as Purple Dead Nettle is starting to pop up around the yard, the next two books in the Grow, Gather, Heal series have been released. I’m very excited about these books. Packed full of lots of information covering the history, traditional and modern day uses, scientific studies,…
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Continue reading →: Propagating Elderberries: Turning Pruned Canes into Future BushesAs we expand our homestead’s medicinal garden, elderberries are next on our propagation list. With two 2-year-old plants—one still recovering from deer damage and another thriving at over 6 feet tall—we’re turning an ordinary pruning task into an opportunity to grow 20 new plants. Today, we’re sharing our hands-on process…
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Continue reading →: Propagating Blueberries: Our First Attempt with Hardwood CuttingsAs winter settles in and our blueberry bushes enter dormancy, now is the perfect time to propagate new plants. With 15 established blueberry bushes (ages 3–4 years) in our garden, we’re aiming to double our stock this year. Our mission? To ensure a steady supply of fresh berries for our…
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Continue reading →: Spent Grain CrackersWhen I have free time, which let’s be honest isn’t all that often, I like to try new recipes. Not just for dinner but especially for healthy snacks. We are desperately and continually trying to veer away from processed foods and lean into a simpler, easier lifestyle. Now I know…
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Continue reading →: Homemade Laundry DetergentAs the new year begins, many of us are reexamining our budgets and where we can save money. But not only are we interested in saving money, we are looking for healthier alternatives to the things we currently use. We are 6ish years in on our canning, preserving, and dehydrating…
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RJ Homestead
We are Rebecca, and John, and this is our little spot on the internet. Our goal is to post about what we have going on around our little homestead and share the things we’ve learned over the years. We’re glad you are here!
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