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.

Garden & farm

Wild hazelnuts are a sweet, prickly end to New England’s foraging season

Julia Bayly Sep 13, 2019 0

As New England’s summer winds down, this season’s crop of beaked hazelnuts is ripening. Now the race is on to see who is going to be the first to harvest that wild edible -- humans or wildlife. Beaked hazelnuts are found in open…
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Garden & farm

Q&A: Are land management plans required in Maine?

Julia Bayly Sep 12, 2019 0

Photo by Julia Bayly Hello. My husband and I have been looking for land in Maine to retire and live off the land on. I wanted to ask you about the land management plan. Is that something everyone has to do or only certain areas/type of…
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Rusty Metal Farm

What Rusty Metal Farm means to me

Julia Bayly Sep 9, 2019 1

There is not much that brings me peace of mind more than being here on Rusty Metal Farm. | Photo by Julia Bayly Hard as it is for me to believe, at some point in my life there may come a time when Rusty Metal Farm is not my home.…
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Garden & farm

When it comes to kids and tractors, it’s safety first

Julia Bayly Sep 5, 2019 0

There are few things young children like better than the sights and sounds of motorized machinery in action like the tractors, combines, mowers or trucks found on family farms and homesteads. But kids and these powerful rigs can be a…
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Rusty Metal Farm

Why do I choose to live in rural northern Maine?

Julia Bayly Sep 2, 2019 0

Hiking and cycling opportunities with views like this in rural Maine is one of the reasons living in rural Maine is a choice for some people. | Photo by Julia Bayly Even after living close to four decades on Rusty Metal Farm, my high…
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Garden & farm

If you enjoy food and clothing, you know why farmers are important

Julia Bayly Aug 29, 2019 0

When you consider everything you eat comes at least in part from a farm, it’s easy to see why farmers are important in society. Farmers grow crops and raise livestock or poultry we eventually eat -- whether that food is purchased by the…
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Rusty Metal Farm

A glimpse into life in northern Maine

Julia Bayly Aug 26, 2019 1

One of the first things people from out of state say to me when I tell them about my life in northern Maine is, “You are so lucky to have all that fresh lobster.” This inevitably leads to a bit of a geography lesson which often begins…
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Rusty Metal Farm

The characters of Rusty Metal Farm

Julia Bayly Aug 19, 2019 0

You know how some people can talk for hours about their kids or grandkids? All the while showing photos or videos of them taken with their smartphones? That’s not me. I don’t have children or grandchildren. What I do have, however,…
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Homestead Voices

Welcome to Rusty Metal Farm

Julia Bayly Aug 12, 2019 6

If I had to sum up Rusty Metal Farm in one succinct sentence, it would be this: It’s never dull. I kind of wish it was dull some days. Rusty Metal Farm has been my home along the northern Maine-Canadian border for close to four…
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Garden & farm

There are specific definitions of what qualifies as a farm

Julia Bayly Aug 1, 2019 1

Photo by Julia Bayly A working farm has a lot going on. It can be a place that harvests produce, raises animals, grows landscaping plants or trees. But when it comes to what qualifies as a farm, there are very specific criteria. The…
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Garden & farm

Essential techniques of permaculture

Julia Bayly Jul 26, 2019 0

You’ve read the books, done the research, observed your proposed growing area and selected what you hope is the perfect location. Now that you are ready to put the philosophies of permaculture into the practice of growing food, what are…
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Animals & livestock

How to care for a draft horse

Julia Bayly Jul 19, 2019 0

On horse-powered farms and homesteads, draft horses are used for heavy work. But like any animal, these horses need to be treated well. Here's how to care for a draft horse. The large and sturdy draft horse can do much of the work on…
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