Hi Everyone! Believe it or not... I hate politics... poly means many and ticks are blood suckers. Anywho..... As Homesteaders we are up against so many forces that want to stop us. I am in that fight right now and want to share with you what is happening where I live in Washington County, Indiana. Almost certainly this has already happened in your area or it is being planned. Zoning and Planning Commissions are putting rules and structure in place right now that, at least in our case, has been cobbled together to take almost complete control of just about anything you want to do in our county. Some areas see restrictions so heinous that you could only have 15 chickens IF you have 1-5 acres. Other restrictions literally say "Houses of Worship" under home based businesses AND that you need a special variance - permission from the government, to have a House of Worship. The document then fails to define the term "House of Worship" leaving it open to capricious and malicious interpretation. You are all welcome to come join the FB group https://www.facebook.com/share/g/15gJmUwDhG/ Salem Ordinance 2025 so that you can see what we are doing in Salem, Indiana to fight this. For those interested, I will share more about the fight as we go so that you can stop this before it starts. I will be posting a Zoom link in that FB group. I have 100 spots on Zoom and expect them to fill up. I will make recording available and intend to create a library of resources for those fighting this back door attempt to take over. Thanks for liking and commenting on this post so I know you saw it! Have a great day!

We're creating a small backyard garden about 1,400 sq ft. Approx 540 sq ft will be dedicated to the greenhouse and chicken coop. The frontyard will have a shaded herb garden. What are some essential crops you think I should start with? I'm looking at crops that are beginner friendly, good yield, versatile foods for cooking for a family with kids.