So, you are a crafter? You were able to create something homemade and wonderful, congrats! Now what? How and where do you sell your craft items? There are a few different options such as: online whether through Facebook, Shopify, Etsy, Amazon, eBay, or an online store they are all great option. However, how do you begin […]

I hear a lot of discussion about how farms/homesteads are represented, especially on the internet. I love photography and photographing our farm is one of my favorite things to do. By sharing photos and stories of our farm I have made some of the best online friendships, learned lessons about homesteading and would not have […]

Learning to say No While seemingly simple in theory it may become one of the hardest things you should learn to do, just say NO. When you first begin a business, it appears you want to please everyone no matter what it takes. Even when it cost either more time or money than it should. […]

I truly commend all of those who are successful in the farmers market circuit. This is in no way a post discouraging people from participating in your community market. In fact, I love to visit our markets throughout the week.   But for us, participating in the weekly market became too much work and time. […]

My husband Zach and I recently made a tough decision. As you may have read in some of my other posts, we are opening a U-Pick Lavender farm. It was our hope that U-Pick would start this summer with a soft opening as the plants are still small. It takes 4 years for lavender to […]

It’s hard for me to quit things. I always feel like I’ve failed somehow. But I’ve learned that commitment isn’t true commitment if you can commit fully. Eventually, if you spread yourself too thin, all your endeavors will suffer.   I’ve read somewhere that successful people “do one thing at a time and they do […]

Just when you think you have your marketing strategy figured out, think again.  The same methods will not work for everyone and doing so can leave your sales stagnant.  When it comes to making money, you need to stand out and give people what they want….even if they don’t know it yet. Let’s face it, […]

Tools for Success Become a successful homesteader, farmer, and sustainable leader by managing time, money, and your business more efficiently by the following ways. Every second counts when you exclaim, “there isn’t enough time in the day!” Some of the biggest challenges that many people strive to improve on include time management, scheduling life around […]

Rising Fuel Prices: The Struggle to Stay In Business Written By: Lori Dunn, Grit Blogger As the price of fuel at the pumps started to go up, our family, like many other families, had to make some adjustments. Initially, we cut down on eating out and thought twice about splurging on anything. As the price of […]

Run a Small-Scale Sawmill – Part 3 – Cons of Becoming a Lumbering Pro Shared From MOTHER EARTH NEWS  Written By: James Fairfield and the MOTHER EARTH NEWS Editors An old sawmill—nestled back in a mountain cove and covered with kudzu and cobwebs from months of disuse—is just about as depressing a sight as a weathered […]