by Margaret E. Kellogg Photos by author They say you learn something new every day, and I find this to be so true. I didn’t know that it takes about five months for a mallard drake to look like a drake. Did you? My son, Stephen, is infatuated with mallard ducks. I just couldn’t understand […]

by Rebecca Nickols Photos by author I love this time of the year. Until recently I was picking berries daily from our property; now, I’m enjoying fresh herbs and vegetables from my garden. I’ve discovered a perfect cookbook that’s filled with wonderful recipes focusing on the bounty of the season. In addition, many of the […]

by Jennifer Sartell Photos by author Zach and I were married a couple years ago and we honeymooned along the East Coast. One of the most delicious places we visited was Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Lancaster is one of the largest Amish settlements in the country. And my-oh-my is the food amazing! Everywhere you go there is […]

by Meredith Chilson Photos by author A reader has asked for advice on what to do about his 1-year-old flock of two Rhode Island Reds and three Wyandottes. They have begun eating eggs as fast as they are laid, and he wonders if he will have to butcher his entire flock. I’ve done a bit […]

By Cortney Cogswell Photos by author Summers in Texas can be brutal for everyone, including chickens. Last week was no exception, so we gave the kids a summertime treat. Now, normally when we are done with a watermelon, I scoop out any red flesh that’s left and use the rind to make pickled watermelon. But […]

by Jennifer Sartell Photos by author Eggs Benedict is my favorite breakfast. It’s a delicious savory egg dish that stacks crunchy English muffins, Canadian bacon, poached eggs and Hollandaise sauce. I give this version a sophisticated twist by swapping out the traditional Canadian bacon for delicate, flaky, home-smoked salmon. The dish’s history can be credited […]

by Meredith Chilson Photos by author My mailbox is filling up with invitations to reunions and weddings and picnics. Retirement parties! Graduation celebrations! Memory making days, every one … and I think, “deviled eggs!!” You see, out here where I live, most of these occasions are “bring a dish to pass” affairs. I have lots […]

by Jennifer Sartell Photos by author Asparagus is one of my favorite vegetables. It’s always exciting to see the tender purple shoots start to poke through the newly warmed spring soil. One of my favorite ways to cook is by using as many ingredients as I can, that we’ve raised ourselves. So this frittata is […]

by Karla T. Q.  We have 4 Rhode Island Reds in their 3rd laying year. Last year and this the shells are getting progressively thinner, such that sometimes they break in the nest. We have 2 Buff hens in their second year with no problems. We feed Layena crumbles, scratch feed, calcium (oyster shell) supplement with […]

by Rachel Hurd Anger Photos by author Poor Mabel. Suddenly, our Red Star stopped laying for nearly 2 weeks. Since she started back up, ovulation has been a little out of the ordinary. The first egg was a (beloved) double yolker. The second egg was the monster pictured. It’s nearly 3 1/4 inches long, and […]