HoundDogHomesteading

Just another cow video, nothing fancy. The old cows at the other farm had some calves recently. #homesteading #cows #offgrid

I found some footage of the bell tent from early 2020 that I'd never made into a video. It's a short video but it definitely made me miss staying there on weekends. #offgrid #canvastent #homesteading

Here's another cow video, nothing fancy, just checking up on the old cows and their calves over at the other farm. #homesteading #cows #offgrid

I've been using this setup for several years and only modified it slightly after moving from the canvas tent to the shanty. It's a simple, cost-effective method to provide cold/heated water in an off-grid indoor space that you can improvise to best suit your off-grid location.

Small inconveniences can sometimes lead to major time-consuming problems if you do not have the proper tools and supplies on hand. Here are a few tips I've learned to be more efficient on the farm and homestead.

My experience using locust posts for pole buildings and fence.

It's a bit of hard work at times but overall, quite easy to prepare locust posts for fence and pole buildings plus it saves you a ton of money.

This is how we install fence posts by hand using just a few tools. It is a relatively simple process and is the same whether you purchase pressure treated posts or cut your own. In this video, I'm using a locust post that I cut myself.

This is my rendition of the traditional American country song.

We recently started transitioning our pastures into the intensive grazing/rotational grazing system modeled after the way Joel Salatin and Greg Judy teach. Our setup is modified a bit from theirs due to the terrain and location of the water source. It is still early on and experimental for us and so we are adjusting accordingly to some of the changes we need to make. In years past, we've had to graze our cows almost continuously on the same pasture with a few sections being fenced off occasionally due to infrastructure limitations. Now that we are able to start implementing the rotational grazing system, we're looking forward to building up the soil and vegetation along with not being dependent on buying manure from turkey farms.

You may not have an auger to drill fence post holes with. If you do have an auger, sometimes the soil may be too rocky or contain too many roots to dig a deep enough hole for the fence post. In both cases, you'll need to do it the old school way by hand.

Every farmer/homesteader should have some sort of record/log book. You can make yours very detailed or keep it simple. I like to model mine after a sort of lessons learned/journal-type of logbook

I've been using old bed springs for years to cover clover mix and other seeds that require a very light covering of topsoil. I decided to try it out as a landscaping rake as well and am rather pleased with the results.

This is how hay making in 2023 turned out for us. It's been a dry spring but none too bad overall. Baling hay is always a good time.

Edible plants can be found in both suburban and rural areas.

A bird was pecking fur from my sleeping 14 year old bloodhound, Frank, in order to build a nest.

This video is on how we keep our small herd of Dexter cows tame and also some of the personality traits of cows, particularly Dexters.

With the recent popularity of homesteading, there's been a push in marketing for expensive trucks, side-by-sides, and other gadgets that can be a bit overwhelming, especially if you are just starting out and/or are strapped for cash. Used 4 wheelers and old vehicles can be a cheaper and highly useful alternative to expensive machinery. This is an example of some do-it-yourself modifications you can make that are quite useful on the homestead/farm.

There is an abundance of plants growing outside your front door that can be eaten instead of buying salad at the grocery store. This option saves you money and is also healthier than most produce in stores and farmer's markets.