This video is a Sustainable Homesteading in WV Spring 2017 update. It goes over some of the projects that I have been doing around the homestead and backyard nursery. Please help support our efforts by shopping through our Amazon link https://amzn.to/29XrTEL It won’t cost you any additional money and it will help a small business out. Check out our blog at: https://greatescapefarms.com/ ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8OThJ3yxCw

This video gives an overview of How to Save Heirloom Tomato Seeds. It covers how to harvest, clean, and properly store your tomato seeds. I do not save all of my seeds, but when I find a really good variety of heirloom vegetable, I will save those seeds. I will especially save them from extra-large fruit or from plants that survive a drought better than others. These traits are usually carried over from and enhanced from one generation to the next. Tomato seeds cannot just be laid out on a paper towel, dried, and planted next year like a lot of seeds can. Tomato seeds need to have all of the pulp removed, which is difficult. But the process outlined below will help you be a pro at harvesting the best heirloom seeds you have. Check out the blog article at: https://greatescapefarms.com/how-to-save-heirloom-tomato-seeds/ Please help support our efforts by shopping through our Amazon link https://amzn.to/29XrTEL It won’t cost you any additional money and it will help a small business out. ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VRaAJUWF7s

Harvesting Goji Berry This week I was out harvesting goji berry. I’m a little late, but did have some berries left. Normally I’m harvesting from July until first frost, but this year I have been tied up with the business and they have not produced quite as well as usual due to a drought. The Basics Before I get into how to go about harvesting goji berry, let’s discuss some basics of goji berry. The goji berry has a scientific name of Lycium barbarum, and is also called the wolfberry. It is a shrub that has purple flowers in the spring and early summer followed by bright orange-red berries in the late summer into fall.   They are native to China and are part of the nightshade family, which also includes potato, peppers, tomato, and eggplant. Growth Habitat Goji is woody perennial in zones 5-9 that is deciduous and grows three to five feet in height, with long arching stems.  The flowers are a purple to lavender color with 5 to 6 lobes. After flowering, green berries grow that turn bright orange-red when ripe.  The fruit has 10 to 60 small yellow seeds and ripens from June to October. Vitamins and Minerals Goji berries are high in iron and fiber as well as vitamins A and C, low in calories and high in dietary protein. Studies have cited the high level of antioxidants in goji berries, especially zeaxanthin. Medicinal? According to Webmd.com, Many health claims have been made for goji berries, including maintaining a healthy heart and circulation, boosting the immune system, protecting against cancer and increasing longevity, yet the medical evidence to back up these claims is weak.” * These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Picking You want to pick berries that are a fire engine red color. To pick goji berries, just grab the berry between your index finger and thumb and pull down. They usually leave the stems behind. Process You can dehydrate the berries, eat them fresh, or make a number of recipes with them. I have washed my berries and will put them in sandwich baggies and eat them with lunch this week. They have a bit of a strange taste when eaten right out of hand. The taste is almost soap like to me. I do like the taste a little better when they are dried, but won’t go through the trouble of drying this few berries. Other Uses Dried goji berries are cooked and added to several dishes including; rice congee, almond jelly, and Chinese tonic soups and is said to go well with pork, chicken and vegetable stir fries.  Goji berries can also be used in herbal teas.  You can also eat the young shoots and leaves as well as using the berries for the production of wine. ?Want to Help our Small Business Out? If you shop ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXh4vWHfE1U

How to Make Kombucha Brewing the First Batch This post is about How to Make Kombucha Brewing the First Batch. The Ingredients The ingredients required include eight tea bags, 3 ½ quarts of water, ½ quart of starter tea (kombucha from last batch), 1 cup of sugar, and a SCOBY. SCOBY SCOBY stands for Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast. It is sometimes called the “Mother”. This is what helps us brew kmobucha quickly. You can make your own or risk letting nature make one for you, but if you can get one already going, it speeds things up greatly and ensures you get brew a good batch. I got my SCOBY from a person I met at a PDC class. I have also seen people trading them online on Facebook. There is a Facebook group called “Kombucha Brew Crew” and they offer up a good bit of advice as well as ways to get SCOBY. Starter Tea Starter Tea is kombucha from your last batch. I did not have a last batch as this was my first batch. What I did for starter tea is I went to Walmart and bought a can of Kombucha. It cost around $3.00. I added a cup of that in and it worked fine. Make sure you get a non-flavored type and a type that has live cultures in it. You do not want anything that has been pasteurized as that would kill the bacteria that you want. The Process The process is as simple as brew sweet tea, add the starter tea and SCOBY and brew for seven to fourteen days. You can then add on steps like a second brew and flavor if you like. We will walk you through each step of the process below, but it really isn’t that complicated. Heat Water In a pan heat two quarts of water. Then add the sugar and tea bags and let them steep. After they have steeped and made a good strong batch of tea, remove the tea bags and add the additional quart and a half of water. Cool Cool your tea to room temperature. If you added cold water when you added the last quart and a half above, that will speed the cooling a little. Add Remaining Ingredients Now add the starter tea and SCOBY. Make absolutely sure the brew is room temperature as hot tea could kill the SCOBY and starter tea. Brew Now brew your kombucha. Just put it in a jar at room temperature, out of direct sunlight, and give it time. You will want to cover the jar with a cloth. I used mason jars and an old (clean) tee shirt for the lid. I held the tee shirt down with a ring for the mason jar. The cloth lid will allow the kombucha to breath, which it needs to do at this stage and it keeps fruit flies out. Label It Don’t forget to label you jar or write down on a piece of paper pertinent information. You will want to write down at the very least the following: the tea used and the date the brew started. In a week to ten day it could be difficult to remember exactly when it started brewing and ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBR0akXG7wg