Author

Julia Bayly

Julia Bayly, staff writer for Hello Homestead, has worked in print journalism for more than three decades covering the unique characters and life of northern Maine. When not wrangling critters on her Rusty Metal Farm, Julia travels the world seeking adventure and great food wherever she can find it. She loves dogs and chickens, tolerates cats, is unsure of ducks and does not trust goats.

Rusty Metal Farm

On the farm or in the fields, accidents and first aid come with the territory

Julia Bayly Nov 12, 2019 0

First aid kits are a must on any farm or homestead. Just be sure to check the expiration dates of any and all contents, lest they be expired or, worse yet, rendered to dust.|Photo by Julia Bayly There’s an inescapable reality when you…
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Homesteading Skills

A farm by any other name is still a lot of hard work

Julia Bayly Nov 4, 2019 0

Ask any four or five people to define “farming” and you will, in all likelihood, get four or five different answers. Farming is one of those things that while people know it when they see it or smell it, they have a hard time putting it…
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Homesteading State Guides

How to start homesteading in New Hampshire

Julia Bayly Oct 29, 2019 0

For anyone looking to farm or homestead, New Hampshire's climate and soils support a variety of crops. | Photo by New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food In 1900, poet Robert Frost moved to a small farm in…
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Rusty Metal Farm

My cats are adventure cats

Julia Bayly Oct 28, 2019 0

Rusty Metal Farm's Miss Kitty Carlisle and Chiclet tag along on a woodland hike. | Photo by Julia Bayly Thanks to Instagram and a really great outdoors feature written by my colleague Aislinn Sarnaki about people who hike with their…
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Animals & livestock

Feral livestock like hogs can cause environmental, crop damage

Julia Bayly Oct 24, 2019 0

Escaped and loose livestock are common on working farms and ranches. Sometimes, a critter can remain on the run for days, weeks and even months evading capture before it’s finally cornered and returned to its barn. At what point do these…
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Rusty Metal Farm

Forget eggs, the real bonus of chickens is the entertainment they provide

Julia Bayly Oct 21, 2019 1

Chickens of all shapes, sizes and colors congregate happily on Rusty Metal Farm. | Photo by Julia Bayly I admit it, when I first decided to raise egg-laying chickens on Rusty Metal Farm, I honestly thought they were good for one thing…
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Rusty Metal Farm

Confessions of a dedicated tree hugger

Julia Bayly Oct 14, 2019 0

Whenever trees are harvested on Rusty Metal Farm, great care is taken to flag those that are to be spared. Tiny farm dog Chiclet enjoys supervising this process. | Photo by Julia Bayly Here’s a question -- If a tree falls in the forest…
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Animals & livestock

How to safely introduce new chickens into a flock

Julia Bayly Oct 11, 2019 0

Photo by Julia Bayly For those of us with backyard chicken flocks, introducing new chickens into the mix can be tricky. There’s a lot more to it than simply opening the coop door, dropping the new hens in among the established flock and…
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News

Buyers of Maine firewood do have options when they feel cheated

Julia Bayly Oct 10, 2019 0

Whether delivered loose or stacked, there are strict Maine laws defining the size of a cord of firewood. In this 2018 photo at Rusty Metal Farm, the wood had to be stacked after delivery.| Photo by Julia Bayly Sarah and Seth Cottrell…
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News

There’s a new threat to cruciferous crops in Maine

Julia Bayly Oct 9, 2019 0

The tiny lava of the Swede midge can destroy cruciferous crops. For the first time the insect has been confirmed in Maine. | Photo by David Fuller State and University of Maine officials are warning farmers and gardeners to be on the…
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Rusty Metal Farm

Willingness to open land to hunters connects four new friends and some moose steaks

Julia Bayly Oct 7, 2019 0

Seeing moose like this is one of the many reasons to manage land for wildlife. | Photo by Julia Bayly I’ve lived in northern Maine for close to 40 years and I am still amazed by the land use laws that stipulate property is open to the…
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Animals & livestock

This chicken flies the coop daily to lay an egg on her owner’s bed

Julia Bayly Oct 1, 2019 0

Most chickens in small, backyard flocks live out their lives quite comfortably in and around their coops in the company of their feathered friends. But every so often you run across a bird that marches to the tune of her own, special drum.…
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