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Small Farm Makeover: Free and Natural Insect Control

Natural Insect Control
Image Courtesy Alayne Blickle.

Free and Natural Insect Control One of my favorite times of year is the March/April time frame when swallows begin returning to the Pacific Northwest. These vivacious little birds overwinter in Central America and return to North America in time for the spring nesting season.  These pretty little birds provide … Read More

Small Farm Makeover: Winter Preparedness on Horse Properties – Part 2 of 2

Winter Preparedness
Photo Courtesy Alayne Blickle

Take Winter by Storm! The dead of winter and early spring are times for damaging, dangerous storms in North America. Making chore efficiency updates on your horse property and having backup supplies on hand is helpful for getting through the most challenging time of the year for horse owners–and it … Read More

Small Farm Makeover: 3 Steps to Prepare for Disasters

Make sure your horses are practiced and comfortable loading and hauling before an emergency arrives.

Be Organized for Action in Case of an Emergency Disasters can happen anytime, anywhere, and it’s in your best interest to be prepared in advance. There are three primary focus areas that can assist you in preparing: build a kit, make a plan, and stay informed. These three practices can … Read More

Small Farm Makeover – Horizon Structures Presents Series: Fire Safety in the Barn

Photo courtesy of Horizon Structures.

Overlooked Farm Practices Can Be Dangerous Fire safety in the barn often involves common concerns such as moisture content of hay and its storage, providing evacuation plans and emergency services contact numbers, 24/7 illuminated exit signs, smoke alarms, fire extinguishers, removal of cobwebs from light fixtures, no smoking signs, keeping … Read More

Hog Fuel, Gravel, or Sand? Winter Footing Options for Equine Confinement Areas

One advantage of sand is that horses love to lie down and roll on it. Photo by Alayne Blickle.

The dead of winter usually comes with footing challenges for horse owners. It’s unhealthy for horses to stand in disease-causing muck and it’s difficult to get chores done when pushing a manure cart through ankle-deep mud. Plus, there are detrimental implications for the natural world around us since dirty water … Read More

Pre-freeze Planting on Horse Properties – Native Plants Benefit Everyone on the Farm

Red flowering currant works well in hedgerows

Fall in the Pacific Northwest (before the ground freezes) is an ideal time to plant all kinds of things— cool-season veggies, pasture grasses, perennials and both evergreen and deciduous trees and shrubs. Of all these, native plants can be of particular importance on a horse property. Humans, horses, wildlife, and … Read More

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