HOMESTEADING and GARDENING
There’s something deeply grounding about growing your own food, gathering eggs from the backyard, and getting your hands in the soil. This corner of Our Manor On Main is all about homesteading and gardening—from tending a small backyard plot to preserving the harvest and caring for chickens. Find simple tips and timeless inspiration to help you build a cozy, homegrown life—no matter where you’re starting.
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10 Best Flowers for Pollinators in Vegetable Gardens (Zones 6b–7a)
A practical guide to 10 of the best flowers to attract pollinators to your vegetable garden in zones 6b to 7a, including planting tips, spacing, and growing conditions.
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Must Have Items for Your Chicken First Aid Kit
Every backyard chicken owner needs a reliable first aid kit. This guide covers essential supplies, tools, and tips to handle injuries and keep your flock healthy and happy.
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Spring Composting 101: Easy Tips for Your Garden
Spring composting is easier than you think. From veggie scraps to coffee grounds, this beginner-friendly guide helps you build a healthy garden compost pile.
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15 Seeds to Start Indoors in Late February for a Thriving Spring Garden
Wondering what to plant right now? This Midwest gardening guide walks you through the best seeds to start indoors in late February for Zone 6b and 7a, plus frost timing tips, a mini zone guide, and simple seed starting advice for beginners.
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How to Dry Eggshells for Chickens: Natural Calcium Supplement for Healthy Hens
Turning leftover eggshells into a nutrient-rich calcium supplement for your flock is one of the simplest, most sustainable homestead hacks. Discover the why, how, and extra uses for eggshells, from boosting egg production to enriching your garden.
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Spring Chicken Care Basics: How to Transition Your Flock from Winter to Spring
Spring is the perfect time to reset your flock. Learn simple spring chicken care basics including coop cleaning, health checks, feeding tips, and how to transition chickens from winter to spring.
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Probiotic Ranch Dressing with Milk Kefir
This creamy probiotic ranch dressing is made with milk kefir, Greek yogurt, and homemade ranch seasoning for a gut healthy, homemade alternative that tastes like classic Hidden Valley style ranch. Perfect for salads, dipping, and sneaking probiotics into everyday meals.
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How to Start Homesteading in the Space You Have (Even If It Is Small)
You do not need acres of land to live a homesteading life. Learn how to start homesteading in a small space with container gardening, sourdough, pantry staples, and simple skills you can begin today, no matter where you live.
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How to Care for Baby Chicks: A Simple Guide for Raising Healthy, Happy Chicks at Home
Bringing home baby chicks is exciting and a little nerve wracking. This simple guide walks you through how to care for baby chicks, from brooder setup to daily care, so you can raise healthy, happy chicks with confidence.
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Getting Started with Sourdough: How to Feed and Activate Your Starter
Starting sourdough can feel intimidating, but it is simple and rewarding. Learn how to feed and care for your starter and try easy recipes for beginners.
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Easy Pantry Staples You Can Make at Home
If you love simple real food cooking, these easy homemade pantry staples will fill your kitchen with flavor and help you save money. From sauces and spice blends to dairy staples and sourdough favorites, here are the everyday essentials I always keep on hand.
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Homemade Ranch Seasoning Mix (Tastes Like Hidden Valley)
This homemade ranch seasoning mix tastes like classic Hidden Valley ranch but is made with real herbs and no fillers. Use it for dips, dressings, roasted veggies, and kefir ranch dressing. Simple, cozy, and pantry friendly.
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Ultimate Fall Garden Cleanup Checklist for Small-Space Homesteaders
Get your small-space homestead garden ready for winter with this fall cleanup checklist. Learn how to prune, harvest, compost, and prep your beds for spring.
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Homemade Sourdough Croutons Recipe: Crunchy, Flavorful, and Perfect for Fall
Make the most of your sourdough with this easy homemade croutons recipe. Golden, crunchy, and full of flavor, these croutons are perfect on soups, salads, casseroles, or packaged as a cozy fall gift.
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A Simple Guide to Foraging and Using Fall Herbs in Your Kitchen
Discover how to forage and use fresh fall herbs like rosemary, thyme, and sage to add cozy, seasonal flavors to your kitchen. A simple, heartfelt guide for embracing autumn’s gifts.
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Sourdough Tools for Beginners: Essential Items You’ll Love
Baking sourdough at home is easier than you think. Learn the essential tools that will help your starter thrive, make shaping dough a breeze, and give you beautiful, bakery-style loaves you’ll love.
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Homemade Bone Broth for Soup and Gut Health
Cozy up with a warm cup of homemade bone broth. Made from leftover chicken bones or other animal bones, this nourishing broth is rich in collagen, gut-friendly, and perfect for soups, stews, or sipping on its own.
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Fall Harvest Recipe Guide: Cozy Recipes for Seasonal Produce
Discover cozy fall harvest recipes using seasonal produce. From pumpkins and squash to apples and root vegetables, find easy ideas for soups, salads, baked goods, and more.
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Chickens Molting in Late Summer: What’s Happening with My Feathered Girls?
Learn all about chickens molting in late summer—why your hens lose feathers, what to expect, and how to care for your flock during this natural transition.
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Why Your Chickens Stopped Laying Eggs — 7 Things to Check This Summer
Wondering why your chickens stopped laying eggs in late summer? Learn the 7 most common reasons for an egg production drop and how to fix it.
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How to Keep Chickens Cool in the Sweltering Summer Heat
Learn practical and natural ways to keep your backyard chickens cool during extreme summer heat. These tips are perfect for Midwest heatwaves and August temperatures.
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Easy Homemade Water Kefir: Delicious Fermented Probiotic Soda in 2 Days
Learn how to make easy homemade water kefir—a fizzy, probiotic-rich drink that’s dairy-free, vegan, and great for gut health. Perfect for beginners!
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Building A New Chicken Coop From Salvaged Materials
Spring is here and it is time for my girls to make the big move to Our Manor. This means that we needed to build another chicken coop for them to live in. This would be a temporary structure because we plan on building another coop later in our renovation project. Coops can be expensive and we are on a strict budget. In this post, I’ll show you how we built the new coop using salvaged materials.
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How To Save Money With Raw Dairy
In this post, I will show you how to save money simply by trading in store bought dairy and opting for made from scratch raw dairy products. In doing so, you will help heal your gut and save money in the process.
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How To Make Butter with Raw Milk
This easy step by step guide will show you how to take fresh raw milk and turn it in to deliciously golden creamy butter plus a lot of things in the process. Making butter from scratch is both an economical and healthy choice for you and your family!
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How To Winterize Your Chicken Coop
Winterizing your coop and preparing your chickens for the colder weather is an important part of backyard husbandry. Utilizing these simple tips and tricks will ensure that your flock stays warm, healthy, and comfortable during the Winter months.
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Chickens and Bumblefoot: How to Treat and Heal This Common Infection
I have learned through years of chicken ownership that there are not many veterinarians that treat poultry. Because of this, you will be the one caring for them when things go wrong. This post will help guide you through the process of treating Bumblefoot in your flock.
New to Backyard Chickens? Here are a few of my favorite Amazon Finds that we use for our girls to help keep them happy and healthy!
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Small-Space Homesteading & Gardening
You don’t need acres to live a homesteading life—just a little space and a lot of intention. From patio gardens to backyard hens, this space helps you make the most of small spaces and simple living. Small-space homesteading is rooted in creativity, simplicity, and slow living—and it starts right where you are.
Not sure where to start? Grab my FREE guide, Tips & Tricks for Homesteading In A Small Space and learn what steps you can take to start homesteading in whatever season of life you are currently in no matter where you are! Find it in the Community Resource Library!
