Homestead Voices

I struggle to get into the holiday spirit. Christmas music gives me a migraine, picking out presents makes me anxious and -- let’s be honest -- gingerbread houses are a waste of (frankly, mediocre) cookies. Since I’ve moved to…
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Photo by Sarah Walker Caron My last column (“Our country is out of touch with our food system. Can we shift the tide here in Maine?”) focused on local food systems, the dangers we willingly undertake when we allow corporate farming to…
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The Christmas season begins on Rusty Metal Farm with the traditional selecting, cutting and bringing home of the tree.|Photo by Julia Bayly I am one of those people who refuses to acknowledge Christmas until the last of the Thanksgiving…
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In the suburbs of Washington, D.C., where I grew up, the entire metropolitan area will shut down for a light dusting of snow. Still, my family had no snow day traditions to speak of. My city-born parents were skeptical of the stuff, and…
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Do you ever have the feeling you are being watched? When you share your home with a variety of critters, you are always under observation. | Photo by Julia Bayly You know that old saying, “Just because you’re paranoid doesn't mean they…
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To be honest, I didn’t want to learn more about the recent recall on romaine lettuce because I knew once I did, I’d have to toss the five beautiful romaine hearts dwelling in my fridge. But it was the responsible thing to do. So on…
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Like many wayward millennials, I have spent the lion's share of my early 20s living in apartments without a dishwasher. Dishwashers may be more energy-, water- and soap-efficient than hand washing dishes, but in big cities, they’re as much…
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There's an art to connecting hydraulic lines from farm implements to a farm tractor. | Photo by Julia Bayly I am perfectly aware that there are a great many people who live full, productive and happy lives without a tractor. I’m just…
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Several years ago, during a particularly busy time, we subscribed to a meal service that would send meals to the house (in a thickly insulated package) with detailed recipe cards. It purportedly would make getting dinner on the table…
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Winter is here, and ‘tis the season -- for lip balm, anyway. The cold, dry air chaps my lips faster than autumn in Maine gives way to the first frost. No matter what the weather, though, I feel like I’m missing a limb if I don’t have a…
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Looking for a good workout? Try chasing down two running dogs. | Photo by Julia Bayly It’s no secret living on a farm or homestead can be physically demanding. That’s why those who choose that rural lifestyle don’t have the desire, need…
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Thanksgiving can be pricey, can’t it? But it doesn’t have to be. Here’s how to enjoy a budget-friendly Thanksgiving this year. BDN file photo When my parents and siblings gather with me around the table this Thanksgiving, there will…
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