Christian Living The Healing Land — Apples Guest Post, November 27, 2023November 28, 2023 Share this:by Shawn and Beth Dougherty, Plain Values A PLENTIFUL HARVEST The new apple trees in the orchard are bearing well this year, with russet and yellow-green fruit studding the young branches. In the convent orchard, some of the older trees are taking a sabbatical year. They will only produce a… Continue Reading
Christian Living Roots + Wings — Mountain Time Guest Post, November 10, 2023 Share this:By Rory Feek, Plain Values Most of the time when I’m writing this column, I’m in pretty much the same place. Sitting at the kitchen table in our farmhouse or at my desk in the milkhouse, with a view outside of the backfield and within earshot of Indy and the… Continue Reading
Homesteading Confessions of a Steward — Chicken Familiarity Guest Post, November 3, 2023 Share this:By Joel Salatin, Plain Values Thinking like an animal is not always easy, especially if you’re trying to think like a chicken. In this article, I want to dive into one of the single biggest tensions in raising farmstead egg-laying chickens, and it all stems from chicken psychology. Like all… Continue Reading
Christian Living The Roundtable — Amish Insights on Forgiveness Guest Post, October 18, 2023November 1, 2023 Share this:from Plain Values THIS MONTH’S QUESTION: How do you practice forgiveness in your community? Jerry: In any close-knit community, forgiveness is the elixir that cures disease. It cleans the cancer from the joints and makes things pliable again. The spiritual WD-40 that lessens the creaking and groaning. Forgiveness is counter-cultural. It… Continue Reading
Christian Living The Healing Land — Community Inter-Dependence Day Guest Post, October 11, 2023October 23, 2023 Share this:by Shawn and Beth Dougherty, Plain Values July Fourth is an important day in our village. We always say Hinton has the best fireworks display in the valley, and people come from all over to watch. The park is full of strangers as well as neighbors, and the lines in front… Continue Reading
Homesteading Confessions of a Steward — Water Part 2 Guest Post, October 5, 2023October 23, 2023 Share this:by Joel Salatin, Plain Values Last month I introduced two unorthodox concepts regarding water. The first is the difference between surface runoff and the inventory of the commons (like streams, springs, and aquifers). The second is the notion that we as caretakers can greatly enhance the commons by storing surface runoff rather… Continue Reading
Christian Living Porch Time | One Minute with Marlin Guest Post, September 25, 2023October 23, 2023 Share this:By Marlin Miller, Publisher of Plain Values On a recent trip, we spent a few evenings with a wonderful family who lost a young child only a few years ago. We quickly became fast friends as we connected on a deep level, sharing the good and the hard as our kids… Continue Reading
Christian Living Sowing Seeds Guest Post, September 18, 2023October 23, 2023 Share this:by Rory Feek, Plain Values Last night, Indiana and I spent the evening in the garden weeding, watering the many rows of vegetables, and checking on how the seeds we’ve sowed this spring are doing. The broccoli and cabbage that were abundant a month ago are almost gone, and Brussels sprouts will… Continue Reading
Christian Living The Healing Land — Time for What’s Important Families Guest Post, September 14, 2023October 23, 2023 Share this:by Shawn and Beth Dougherty, Plain Values A child comes in the back door with a full milk can; the screen door slaps shut behind him. There is the sound of a bucket being set on the bench, the clang of a bail handle against the side of the milk can. In… Continue Reading
Homesteading Water: Part 1 — Confessions of a Steward Guest Post, September 5, 2023October 23, 2023 Share this:By Joel Salatin, Plain Values Water is the prerequisite to life. Some living things don’t need sunlight, some don’t even need soil, but all living things need water. Certainly, when we think about water, the first source that comes to mind is rain. But rain is not consistent, and most… Continue Reading
Christian Living The Healing Land — God’s Will Guest Post, August 28, 2023October 23, 2023 Share this:By Shawn & Beth Dougherty, Plain Values Sometimes keeping milk cows isn’t about the cows; sometimes, it’s about weddings, cancer, and love. For example: One morning almost exactly four years ago, a girl arrived on our farm. She came with her brother, who wanted some farming experience and had been… Continue Reading
Christian Living Lost and Found — Roots + Wings Guest Post, August 22, 2023October 23, 2023 Share this:By Rory Feek, Plain Values Each spring for the last couple of years, I’ve hosted a father/child campout for the dads and kiddos from the schoolhouse to spend an evening together, getting to know each other better, and making memories that will hopefully last a lifetime. But this year’s campout,… Continue Reading