BlueMax - Mini Blocks

There are several types of miniature goats that are ideal for hobby farms and homesteads. One such type is the miniature Alpine goat (often just called a mini Alpine), which is a cross between an Alpine goat female (doe) and a Nigerian dwarf goat male (buck). Like the Nigerian dwarf goat, this is a dairy breed, i.e., made for producing milk, but its size is roughly halfway between the Nigerian dwarf goat and a standard goat in size. Despite this smaller size, it produces nearly as much milk a

Soil blocking method for starting seeds What if you could start seeds without messing around with a thousand tiny little pots that clutter up your garden shed? Or maybe you want to garden using less plastic. Either way, try growing in soil blocks. In this technique, a special tool called a soil blocker is used to form potting mix into blocks. Growing without containers like this increases air circulation, which promotes healthy root systems, because it “air prunes” the roots: They stop

As people learn more about the benefits of fresh gourmet mushrooms, they want to include them in their daily meals. But, many varieties are not available fresh in grocery stores or supermarkets. And, unless you have a local mushroom farmer nearby, the best way to ensure a constant supply of fresh mushrooms is to grow your own. Fortunately, you don’t need lots of space or expensive equipment to start growing mushrooms at home. For complete beginners, mushroom growing kits are a g

For years, I’ve relied on my PVC mini hoop tunnels to shelter the crops in my winter garden. Typically, my beds are filled with hardy veggies like kale, tatsoi, spinach, mizuna, and leeks. The PVC hoops have worked well, but after last winter’s snowmageddon, when my garden had more than 8-feet of snow, I worried that the plastic hoops would flatten like pancakes. Amazingly, most came through unscathed, but it reminded me that I should continue to test and trial other types of structu