Fall Seed Dispersal in the Missouri Ozarks
Fall seed dispersal keeps the Ozarks moving—waxwings strip the dogwoods, squirrels forget their acorns, and that’s how forests plant themselves.
-
-
Franz Sigel Rolla and the Day the War Came by Train
Franz Sigel Rolla history changed everything when 600 Union soldiers stepped off the train into a town of 1,500 — and I walk that same ground today.
-
The Little Bird With the Hidden Ruby Crown Is Passing Through Missouri Right Now
Ruby-crowned Kinglets are passing through the Ozarks right now, and I want to tell you about the hidden red crown I’ve only seen three times.
-
How to Raise Chickens for Eggs or Meat
How to Raise Chickens for Eggs or Meat is not as different as you might think. When folks think of homesteading, meat chickens and egg laying chickens are where a lot of people start, and for good reason. They earn their keep quickly, they don’t need much room, and they teach you the daily rhythm…
-
How to Make an Old Fashioned Pie Crust: Grandma Style
How to make an old fashioned pie crust scares more people – but not my Mom! The butter has to stay cold, the dough doesn’t want to be fussed with, and the whole thing can feel like it’s working against you. Once you understand the most important moment in the whole pie crust recipe, it…
-
The Frog Chorus Is Back: And Your Great-Grandmother Knew What It Meant
The spring peeper frog chorus is back, and I want to tell you what Missouri settlers knew: those tiny frozen-and-thawed frogs are your planting calendar.
-
Composting Animal Manure: Complete Guide to Using Chicken, Cow, and Horse Manure in Your Garden
Common sense guide to composting farm animal manure I’ve been gardening since I was a little girl begging my mom to plant tomatoes in our backyard, founded a community garden in college, worked on a farm that canned everything they grew, and now steward our 500 acre working historic farm in the Missouri Ozarks. But…
-
The Flower That Bleeds: What Bloodroot Taught Me About Showing Up Before You’re Ready
A White Square on the Forest Floor I found my first bloodroot of the season yesterday morning, tucked against the base of an oak where the leaf litter had pulled back just enough. Eight white petals, arranged in that odd square shape that makes you do a double-take. By the time I walked back that…
-
How to Compost Manure: A Beginner’s Guide
Here’s how we compost manure at Green Acres using passive composting (also called cold composting). This is the easiest method and requires minimal effort – perfect if you’re just getting started with composting manure or if you have a busy life and can’t tend to a compost pile regularly. If you’re trying to decide which…
