morningstar
Morning Star

I plug the freezer into the controller and then plug the controller into a regular wall outlet. There is a temperature sensor which is connected to the controller that needs to go in the freezer. The controller allows the freezer to run until the sensor gets to the temperature that you set.

2025-05-15 23:54:02 UTC

These are the last of the Desiree and German Butterball potatoes that I harvested in fall 2024. I keep them in a chest freezer that is held around 36 F by an Inkbird temperature controller. They store in really good condition all winter long using this method.
I spent several years being disappointed to find my homegrown potatoes getting wrinkled and sprouting like crazy before I could eat them. This is the solution that works for me.
https://blossom.primal.net/d31d933f81b66b7658fc7a42046d554fc849d76f33dbac160acfa8de01237700.jpg https://blossom.primal.net/0cf4c5e9f794e5dd3239b7adfecb4daa2d0fafd6de06cae641a1df9b9607f0fb.jpg
#homesteading #storagecrops #gardening #grownostr

2025-04-29 14:46:43 UTC

Patterson and Blush onions that I started from seed are planted outside and growing well.
My first planting of golden beets is growing in a 20gal container. These containers are nice for small quantities of plants that I'm testing out.
https://blossom.primal.net/d87ca136d1d96550c7530e2744c0164cb8ff728b67e4a04c3c0c29f290a796a9.jpg https://blossom.primal.net/a31c659c4da19d041de3461352a21c7426cc637309a7ee3825b8007653e2f3a9.jpg
#gardening #homesteading #storagecrops

2025-04-22 22:33:56 UTC

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Datil peppers look beautiful! But they are too hot for me.

2025-04-22 21:39:16 UTC

Started several varieties of peppers and tomatoes at home for my summer garden. My top favorite tomatoes are Carbon, Apricot Zebra and the old faithful Brandywine.
Pepper varieties that I like include Sweet Bell and Banana peppers (for pickling). Mildly spicy peppers are Black Hungarian and Anaheim. I don't grow the super-hot peppers since I've been burned one too many times 😄
What are your favorite tomatoes and peppers?
https://m.primal.net/QZoL.jpg
#gardening #gardenstr #homesteading #seedstarting

2025-04-22 21:32:05 UTC

Happy to announce that Little Star is due in October! I have finally made it past the first trimester symptoms of extreme fatigue and mild nausea. Looking forward to this upcoming spring and summer of gardening before we meet our first baby in the fall.

2025-04-22 13:59:28 UTC

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I don't see the logic there. The Catholic Church is global. The Pope is the head of the Church. Why should he be an Italian?

2025-04-22 13:55:48 UTC

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I wish my chickens would eat comfrey, but they have consistently refused to do so. They greatly prefer Swiss chard so that's what I grow for them.

2025-03-08 22:50:50 UTC

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If you have a health food grocery store near you then I'd go there to look for sweet potatoes. I've found many different varieties that way. The only challenge is that you won't know the growing information (days to maturity).

2025-02-23 21:45:42 UTC

Turkey soup with onions, carrots, garlic, thyme and rosemary from my garden. I bought the celery.
The turkey was already in the freezer from Thanksgiving.
Gardening can be a lot of work but it's all worth it when you sit down to a delicious meal in the middle of wintertime made with homegrown vegetables.
https://m.primal.net/PIhy.jpg
#cookstr #homesteading #soup

2025-02-23 20:57:48 UTC

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This is the gum that I use. The company also makes mints but I haven't tried those.
https://m.primal.net/PIfO.jpg https://m.primal.net/PIfP.jpg

2025-02-19 23:12:10 UTC

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Alby Hub forced one of my channels to close. The photo below is how I found out about it. I did not initiate the action.
It appears that it can happen if the channel isn't used very often. That's the only explanation I can find.
https://m.primal.net/PDYu.jpg

2025-02-17 00:11:33 UTC

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We use a prong collar for walks with our dog too. She gets very excited for walks and runs right over to get her collar put on. It doesn't seem to hurt her at all, as you mentioned.

2025-02-15 23:50:27 UTC

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Average last frost date is May 15th.
Most of these seedlings will be planted inside of a hoop house (unheated). It really helps us to get a jump start on the growing season.
The onions will go in the ground outside, but I have frost covers if we are going to get a hard freeze. We have had success planting onions around mid-April here.

2025-02-15 23:34:10 UTC

Seedlings for zone 5b are growing indoors. I have started:
Onions
Kale
Lettuce
Parsley
Lavender
Beets
Swiss chard
Dahlia (flowers)
Snapdragon (flowers)
Stock (flowers)
Looking forward to spring!
https://m.primal.net/OyKz.jpg
#gardenstr #gardening #seedstarting #grownostr #homesteading

2025-02-13 00:15:46 UTC

Beets are a good cold weather crop for the spring, but I can't say that I've ever enjoyed their flavor. Pickled beets are okay because they mostly taste like vinegar.
This year, I'm growing golden beets for the first time. Maybe their flavor will be better than the average red beet.
https://m.primal.net/OdKN.jpg https://m.primal.net/OdKP.jpg
#grownostr #beets #gardening #homesteading #seedstarting #gardenstr

2025-02-12 18:33:18 UTC

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I bought this one in April 2024. It is easily worth 2x the price.
https://m.primal.net/OcpQ.jpg

2025-02-11 00:14:34 UTC

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I understand that would be best for preserving genetic diversity, but it probably doesn't matter in the short term.
I could save the seed from a few plants for a couple of generations and then get new seed from the professionals.

2025-02-11 00:03:56 UTC

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Thanks! I did try saving onion seeds one year, but I don't remember what variety they were. The resulting performance of the seeds was very underwhelming so I didn't continue in that direction. I'll look into growing some Newburg onions next year and perhaps try saving seeds again.

2025-02-10 23:52:08 UTC

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It looks like you're making compost inside of a hoop house. Does your weather get below freezing overnight right now? That could be slowing down the microbial activity.
Besides that possibility, the best way to heat up a compost pile in my experience is to turn it over and add some nitrogen to each layer as you turn it. Green plant waste, urine or animal manure is great.
If you don't have anything like that then you can use a bit of fertilizer or soaked alfalfa pellets (sold in feed stores for animals). This adds to the expense, but it does work really well.

2025-02-10 23:44:17 UTC

Starting onions from seed in Zone 5b:
My onions start out as tiny little seedlings that grow under lights for 10-12 weeks before planting outdoors. Since they spend so much time growing indoors, it helps to put a bit of organic fertilizer in the potting soil from the start. Worm castings are another good thing to add to the soil if you have them.
I make sure to use a deep container (4") so that they have lots of space for root development. I can crowd the seedlings in the container since they don't mind a bit of root disturbance when I'm transplanting them outside. I give them about 1/2" spacing in the container.
The best yellow onion variety for my area is 'Patterson'. This type has a long storage life and grows vigorously for me. I get my onion seed from Johnny's Seeds. I also grow some red onions every year, but I haven't settled on a favorite type yet.
https://m.primal.net/OaEo.jpg https://m.primal.net/OaEp.jpg
#grownostr #gardening #gardenstr #seedstarting #onions #zone5b

2025-02-04 23:58:56 UTC

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What is your end goal? Do you want a new avenue to increase your own freedom and self-reliance? Or are you trying to get other people interested in Bitcoin?

2025-02-03 12:11:55 UTC

Onions are the first seeds that I get started growing in the spring. February 15th is usually the right time to start them indoors but I'm going to start a few seeds early this year. We might get some nice weather early in the season or I can cover them with frost blankets on cold nights.
https://m.primal.net/OOMo.jpg
#grownostr #gardening #seedstarting

2025-01-25 21:59:13 UTC

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I strongly disagree. I loved being homeschooled and it worked out really well for my family that had several kids.
I was never bored in school until I started going to college. I am incredibly grateful that my parents spared me from 12 years of boredom by homeschooling their children.
I grew up with two sisters and all three girls graduated from university with engineering degrees. Name another school that has 100 percent of their graduating classes go on to be successful in STEM.

2025-01-25 19:40:14 UTC

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I've grafted apple trees before. I got about 50/50 success rate with ~10 grafts. I hope the pears do well for you!

2025-01-25 18:59:49 UTC

In addition to growing staple food crops, I always make space for some flowers as well. This will be my first year growing dahlias from seed and I'm looking forward to seeing what colors they produce!
What flowers do you enjoy growing? Do you use them for any special purpose?
https://m.primal.net/Nzwx.jpg
#grownostr #gardening #homesteading #flowers

2025-01-24 14:57:43 UTC

Doing some garden planning for the 2025 growing season today.
I live on a half-acre property in Michigan; growing zone 5b. The staple crops that do well here include onions, garlic, potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, cabbage and butternut squash.
Technically not storage crops, but we grow tomatoes (canned for sauce) and peppers (frozen bell peppers for cooking and homemade hot sauce) for the winter as well.
If everything goes well, I will be able to grow enough of these staple crops to supply our two-person household all year. The crops that I don't have space to grow at home can be supplemented by helping out at my mom's small vegetable farm.
What zone do you grow in and what are your staple crops?
https://m.primal.net/NJqG.jpg https://m.primal.net/NxzJ.jpg https://m.primal.net/Nxzw.jpg https://m.primal.net/NyAA.jpg
#grownostr #gardening #storagecrops #homesteading

2025-01-24 01:37:11 UTC

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Awesome! I grew lovage in the past. One plant turned into a gigantic clump (2 ft wide) that grew back every year. If I knew how to eat it, then I would keep growing it but I never found a good use for it.

2025-01-24 01:29:36 UTC

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Jack Spirko has the Bitcoin Breakout podcast here:
https://thebitcoinbreakout.com/
I definitely recommend focusing on Bitcoin education before even looking at other crypto.

2025-01-22 21:08:08 UTC

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My favorite job has to be harvesting potatoes. It's heavy work but it's so much fun to see what has been growing underground all season.

2025-01-22 20:24:59 UTC

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“A thorough knowledge of the Bible is worth more than a college education”.
-Teddy Roosevelt

2025-01-22 20:19:58 UTC

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I typically make more than two seed orders per year. It's probably more than necessary...but who wants to be caught without seeds when they are ready to plant? So far, I have one order from Johnny's and one from Baker Creek.

2025-01-22 19:58:45 UTC

Gene Logsdon has been one of the most influential authors in my life so far and I highly recommend his books. He passed in 2016, but his blog is still kept online by a friend. I like to re-read some of his posts on occasion. Today, I was reading this one:
https://thecontraryfarmer.wordpress.com/2016/04/20/your-favorite-farm-or-garden-job/
What is your favorite farm or garden job?
#grownostr #genelogsdon #authors #gardening #thecontraryfarmer

2025-01-22 19:28:21 UTC

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Can you tolerate coconut? I know that it's not carnivore but it's very fatty and delicious. I like fresh coconut and coconut butter.
If the only thing that you can truly eat is beef, then there's not much besides the tallow and marrow to get fat into your diet.

2025-01-22 00:04:12 UTC

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Wood stoves are so nice to have! We typically use only use ours on the weekend, but these past few days have been exceptionally cold so we kept it running.

2025-01-21 23:20:44 UTC

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People do make soap using milk, so ice cream is a possibility. I've never seen a recipe for it though.

2025-01-21 23:10:52 UTC

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I hope not! After this, I need to stop making soap for a while. Each batch makes 10 bars and all that adds up quickly 😄

2025-01-21 23:01:58 UTC

Playing around with more colors in my soap. I was inspired by this website to make a 4th batch of coffee colored (and scented) soap: https://www.ellyseveryday.com/ellys-everyday-blog/cold-process-coffee-soap-recipe
The 5th batch was colored with paprika and scented with cedarwood essential oil.
I've worked through a whole pound of lye and all of the lard and tallow that was in the freezer. This was a fun project!
https://m.primal.net/Ntff.jpg https://m.primal.net/Ntfh.jpg
#grownostr #soap #soapmaking #homesteading

2025-01-21 18:27:10 UTC

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Turkey, or other poultry?

2025-01-20 21:22:03 UTC

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Never heard that name before. 🤷‍♀️

2025-01-20 19:15:18 UTC

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Hi Katie, I don't have any kids yet, but I post about lots of different gardening and homesteading interests. Would love to see some of the animals on your farm!

2025-01-20 15:12:52 UTC

It's a bone-chilling 2 degrees F outside. But the wood stove is keeping things toasty inside. Happy MLK day!
https://m.primal.net/NqoZ.jpg
#grownostr #woodstove #encore #fire

2025-01-18 12:39:23 UTC

Batch 3 of the soap is colored with matcha tea and scented with peppermint and eucalyptus essential oils.
https://m.primal.net/NmQx.jpg
#grownostr #soap #soapmaking #homesteading

2025-01-17 23:17:10 UTC

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I start the majority of my garden plants at home. I might browse through a greenhouse or two in the spring to see if there's anything unique or interesting that I don't have.
It's really expensive to fill up a large garden when you buy all of your plants. Also, some varieties that I like are not available in local nurseries for any amount of money.
I will be starting onion seeds here in February. Can't wait!

2025-01-15 22:56:43 UTC

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@nprofile…4apx I make this recipe for sourdough tortillas which has butter in it. They are so good!!!
https://alexandracooks.com/2020/10/03/sourdough-flour-tortillas-made-with-discard-or-not/#tasty-recipes-71809

2025-01-15 16:59:46 UTC

This is one of my favorite quotes that is included in Herrick Kimball's "Idea Book for Gardeners". If you like gardening and like to read, then you will find something in this book to enjoy.
https://m.primal.net/Nhyc.jpg https://m.primal.net/Nhyf.jpg
#grownostr #gardening #reading #homesteading

2025-01-13 12:32:37 UTC

Batch #2 is looking much better than the first one. This time, I used a purpose-built mold that we cobbled together from some scrap wood. And I lined it with freezer paper (not wax paper!). Now I just have to wait 4-6 weeks for the soap to cure.
https://m.primal.net/NehW.jpg https://m.primal.net/NehX.jpg
#grownostr #soap #soapmaking #homestead #homesteading

2025-01-13 11:30:09 UTC

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Those are dried lavender blossoms on top. The scent did not last though.
The soap just smells like soap.

2025-01-13 01:02:47 UTC

I ventured into soapmaking for the first time this weekend. I had a large amount of lard that I didn't want to waste. A couple of YT videos later and I was outside mixing lye, water and fat in the calculated ratios (http://soapcalc.net/calc/SoapCalcWP.asp).
It was quite the learning experience. I definitely cut the soap loaf too soon as you can see from the mild slump in the bars on the curing rack. Also, wax paper does not peel off fresh soap; I had to cut it off.
This concoction does make suds though so it's not all bad news!
https://m.primal.net/NeDE.jpg
#grownostr #soap #soapmaking #homestead #homesteading

2025-01-11 12:29:56 UTC

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Wow, that looks spicy!

2025-01-11 12:11:49 UTC

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I made some kimchi for the first time too! Did you taste some as soon as you made it? I couldn't resist trying it right away. It's actually pretty tasty when fresh. Now it's in the back of the fridge waiting for the right meal to come along.

2025-01-11 11:54:43 UTC

This little milk frother turns butter and coffee into a delightful morning beverage. It's great!
https://m.primal.net/Nbmh.jpg https://m.primal.net/Nbmj.jpg
#coffeechain #grownostr #GM

2025-01-10 00:01:04 UTC

This Austrawhite hen will be 4 years old in June and she's still laying eggs in the wintertime. I'm impressed with this breed!
https://m.primal.net/NXsF.jpg
#grownostr #backyardchickens #chickens #homesteading

2025-01-08 23:55:19 UTC

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Love that you have a good source of olives where you're at! They are pretty scarce in Midwest USA.
I feel good about keeping meat in the deep freezer though. Power backups include a gasoline generator and solar panels that can recharge a battery bank. We'd run out of meat before we run out of power.

2025-01-08 19:55:42 UTC

Beef jerky is done. I'm not the only one who thinks it's delicious!
https://m.primal.net/NYEj.jpg https://m.primal.net/NYEm.jpg
#grownostr #jerky #beefjerky #dogstr #homemade #homesteading

2025-01-04 13:25:08 UTC

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I've tried to mute this disrespectful Digit character repeatedly. Does anyone know why I'm still seeing their posts? #asknostr

2025-01-04 13:22:20 UTC

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Hey, the Addy account can be helpful sometimes, but they are pretty automated. I've never received a non-scripted reply from them.
You don't have to speak in the third person!
Addy is referring to your NIP-05 verification. I'm still learning how it works myself and I only use Primal right now. It might not work for you on Amethyst. What worked for me was to copy my lightning address into my Primal profile where it says "NIP-05 verification".

2025-01-04 13:16:34 UTC

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There are AI bots on nostr too? How does that work? #asknostr
I guess I just have to mute each one as it pops up.

2025-01-04 13:11:01 UTC

https://m.primal.net/NRfW.jpg
I've been a gardener ever since I was a kid tagging along with my parents. It's never felt more important than it does today. Looking forward to growing more of my own food this year!
#grownostr #gardening #freedom #homesteading #2025

2025-01-03 13:17:45 UTC

https://m.primal.net/NQNi.jpg https://m.primal.net/NQNl.jpg
Bok choy growing in my mom's hoophouse. This is the 'Bopak' variety from Johnny's Seeds. It's a hardy green veggie that can withstand freezing temperatures without too much damage.
If we plant bok choy in the fall (September in zone 5b) it will stay good for many weeks in the hoophouse during the winter. If we plant bok choy in the spring, it will grow very fast and then bolt as soon as warm weather comes.
#grownostr #gardening #homestead #homesteading

2025-01-01 11:26:33 UTC

https://m.primal.net/NNfW.jpg
#grownostr #coffeechain #sunrise
Good morning and happy New Year!
I'm off to visit family today.

2024-12-31 19:42:33 UTC

I grew two types of sweet potatoes this year.
'Beauregard' is an orange sweet potato that has been the standard in my garden. It only needs 90 days to produce a good crop and grows very well in zone 5b. The tubers are set in a clump right under the main stem which makes it easy to dig.
'Murasaki' was the new one that I tested out in 2024. I really like the flavor of this creamy sweet potato. However, it was somewhat of a challenge to grow. I had it spaced at 12" and it should have been closer to 24". The tubers were set very deep in the ground and they spread out from the plant. Hard to dig them without slicing a tuber.
#grownostr #gardening #homesteading
https://m.primal.net/NMup.jpg

2024-12-31 15:42:24 UTC

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I have two Govee temperature sensors in my chest freezer and upright freezer. They seem to be accurate enough.

2024-12-30 16:09:20 UTC

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I'm using Primal. I didn't really know what I was getting into, so I picked something that seemed easy to use.

2024-12-30 13:08:55 UTC

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I appreciate the work that you do! Send me a lightning invoice for 10,000 sats and I will contribute to the effort.

2024-12-30 12:52:27 UTC

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You're the best! Thanks for your help.

2024-12-30 12:47:42 UTC

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Sorry, I don't know what a nostr.json is.
I'm using Alby. after some internet research, I updated my profile with my lighting address from Alby. Fingers crossed that this was the right approach! #checkmyaddy

2024-12-30 12:06:33 UTC

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Hi Addy, can you respond to this reply if you see it? #checkmyaddy

2024-12-29 18:44:30 UTC

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lnbc100n1pnhrxrudqvydhx2amzd9jsnp4qwxm7se20g0sx20wc6akj7ly285vrv37mh88vlrs5pl2wssmzlmpupp5eaw6zvlputy028dl8ya6snf5ux9sdtff0exnglcz7s0kgkcmysessp5cqh0lmuh0dp8gwwmfy8pe3he6ndz5xtkf6h0yg99s7javlg3mmws9qyysgqcqpcxqyz5vqrzjq25ceph0xekwyf426mnhq62eg4hpwqg93y2u8jl4y7ehmg2rhv2yzr2luqqq0mgqqqqqqqlgqqqp8zqqjqrzjqvdnqyc82a9maxu6c7mee0shqr33u4z9z04wpdwhf96gxzpln8jcrapyqqqqqqp39gqqqqqqqqqqqqqq2qfkaulyuzn8m775lfm92pctflh39m7j9u3lnhdhjx6ff9yqh577lzpu6qe2349vu26tys0s9v284kxhgruns7qz84yu846ehp76w92hcq982rtv

2024-12-29 18:36:45 UTC

https://m.primal.net/NKjU.jpg
Making biochar today in the FabStove from Blue Sky Biochar.
#grownostr #biochar #gardener