It's Easy Being Green

Looking back to last Friday here at the Half-Acre Homestead, it’s nice to actually let last week go. If you didn’t catch the news, it was a hellish week for most Midwesterners as we were ravaged by scores of deadly tornadoes during two ferocious storms. This was the first rotating funnel cloud I saw as it moved over Huntingburg and Jasper. This funnel would go on to touch down in Henryville, Indiana causing devastation and death. March 2, 2012 We were jolted out of bed at 5:30am last... (more...)

The daffodils around the Half-Acre homestead decided last Friday, the day of our tornado havoc here in the Midwest, was the best day to start blooming. It’s a bit early for both daffodils and tornadoes but both seem to indicate we really won’t be experiencing a winter this year. As if last Friday wasn’t odd enough, Bertha (our one chicken who lays a brown egg) decided it was a good day to start dropping eggs after a 6-week long egg laying hiatus. Maybe it was the insane pressure... (more...)

You are what you eat. We’ve all heard the phrase before but have you ever wondered if there is actually any truth to it? Believe it or not, your diet is the key to your overall health and well-being. Good, healthy foods can promote the growth of healthy cells throughout your body, repairing damage. Bad foods, mainly those that are processed and far from what you’d pluck out of your garden, can actually injure your body’s cells, causing damage and disease. As you pull out of that... (more...)

I ran across this cool video thanks to the folks over at Brain Pickings. The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts is known for their pretty remarkable sketchnote animations drawn to illustrate points being made by well-known writers and researchers. To further encourage budding filmmakers, the RSA is currently sponsoring a contest to bring some of their talks new life with new animations. I of course have to share the film based on Michael Pollan’sFood Rules. Make sure to check out the... (more...)

If you are considering adding a flock of “spring chickens” to your backyard this year but are fearful of them destroying your garden, there is a new book out that might alleviate your fears. Free Range Chicken Gardens: How to Create a Beautiful Chicken Friendly Yard by Jessi Bloom is just out in print and tackles the very fear that keeps so many from the enjoyment of raising their own backyard flock. Along with providing you with fresh eggs, chickens can provide your garden with some... (more...)

I’m really excited about two new books to land in the Green Preferred book nook this week and you have the opportunity to win some great reads for yourself. First up is The Meat Goat Handbook – Raising Goats for Food, Profit, and Fun by Yvonne Zweede-Tucker. While popular in many other countries around the globe, goat meat hasn’t really caught on with American consumers until just recently. Often called Chevron or Mutton, goat meat can sometimes be found roasted or barbecued. This... (more...)

Its hard to believe we have wiped out the first month of the new year already. I’m still thinking about goals for 2012 so that should give you some idea of how much I truly care about the whole new year, new you crap. That’s why this year, I’m celebrating Losar, the Tibetan New Year’s celebration beginning on February 22nd and lasting a paltry 15 days. It seems the Tibetans really know how to get their new year started right! Stateside, I’m convinced the New Years’... (more...)