Jennifer Sartell

We live in Michigan where the lake effect snow can bring in several feet of the white stuff and temperatures often dip below zero. But you won’t hear me complaining.   Don’t get me wrong, I love our life on the farm. Even that hardest days like bringing in the hay crop in 95 degree […]

In today’s fast-paced, impatient society your farm product has to compete with a lot of visual noise out there. It’s easy to be seen on social media, but it’s harder to get noticed. The images on your website, Facebook page, or wherever you choose to advertise need to work for you.   Here are a […]

Laws are made to protect people. I feel strongly that abiding by laws is important for the peace of society and overall well-being of the community. However, as a homesteader it’s easy to find yourself bogged down by bureaucracy.   As farmers, homesteaders and do-it-yourselfers, we are faced with unique challenges in the nature of […]

The Importance of Signage   We just closed down our U-Pick sunflower field for the year. The petals have fallen and the beautiful flowers have gone to seed. I was blown away by the turn out and interest we experienced this first year. With little advertising investment and a low traffic location I expected maybe […]

Proper Storage of Hay and Pricing   Once you’ve collected a quality hay crop the hay must be stored properly. This is the final step in ensuring a good return at auction. Even the best hay, if improperly stored can ruin your efforts.   Storage     Proper storage of hay is extremely important. Wet, […]

Types of Hay and Determining Quality   I wish there was better language to describe the type of hay that can be sold. “Hay” is often  a very loose term for any vegetation that can be put through a baler. As anyone who’s ever been to a hay auction can attest, hay comes in many […]

Making Hay and Buying Equipment   The first post in this 3 – Part Haying Series I will cover the basics of making hay as a product to buy or sell and our equipment (as an example of one method). If you can collect the equipment, have an open field, and can master some fundamental […]

Welcome to the Homestead Hustle 101 Page! This page is designed to help you find exactly what you’re looking for to further your homesteading efforts. It’s organized by category so you can easily find articles, hints and tips that pertain to your specific endeavor. New posts are being added everyday so be sure to check […]

What are Cottage Food Laws?   The Cottage Food Laws are a set of more lenient regulations that allow small entrepreneurs to sell homemade foods to the public without having to follow and apply for more restrictive and expensive licensing that larger facilities have to abide by.   The main focus of these laws come […]

How to Use Skill-Teaching as an Income on the Homestead Teaching classes on your homestead can be a lot of fun and quite rewarding. Over the years, my husband and I have taught many classes at our farm; everything from how to milk a goat, blacksmithing, basket weaving and yarn spinning. Classes can serve: – […]