Had I encountered the wisdom you share on homesteading when I was young (and ever dreaming we would one day move from the Pittsburgh suburbs to a working farm), I might well have done it. Alas, my 70's - 80's (turning 82 in July) have been both times of deep reflection and letting go of earlier dreams about future choices. Bittersweet, in other words, like some of the crops you so lovingly describe. Thank you for all you share; in one sense, your offerings tether us to reality and act as antidote to the aggressive lunacy and multifaceted denials of basic reality and human ontology.
CW, right there with ya - my youthful dreams, when I learned I don’t like people (plural) much 🤣 was a large house in the middle of 640 acres. I still long for more acreage, 5-20 acres, but with the piling on of body abuse and the wreckage that’s resulted, my large garden is the better part of wisdom - unless I can buy the land with some youngster who wants to work it 😉. Came close to buying 11 acres in Maggie Valley, NC about the beginning of the China plague and before the "hell hath no fury like" storms rolled through a few years later.
But, I’m content, mostly, and believe I’m where I’m supposed to be, for now.
Dear Doctors Malone! My husband and I have been and continue to be grateful for and amazed by your commitment, dedication and long suffering efforts and sacrifices to fight the good fight on so many fronts. It is wearying, expensive, thankless, soul-crushing work that most cannot or will not do. God bless you both as you further the causes of common sense, insight, education and knowledge with your vast stores of experience, skills and abilities. God bless you both mightily. Sending you heartfelt ((hugs)).
Thanks for this; very helpful! I've been no-pesticides for a long time, and I'm no fan of fertilizer either. But manure of various flavors, that's another story!
Like I mentioned to Robert: Virginia Tech.. has an amazing Agriculture school.. I took some in person seminars exactly on that.. using plants which act symbiotically to keep pests away.. and I bet there are free courses on line at Virginia Tech.. on that as well.. I loved it..
Dear Dr. Jill - what wisdom you share. I couldn't help but see the parallels from your post on earth soil and the eternal soil we all carry- our own soul n' Spirit. As you said, regenerative farming takes time. It takes time, I'm sure much patience and consistency to real a viable, healthy harvest.
As we look at the craziness & decay of morality, common sense & human decency in the world today - I see that without good nutrients. such as (mercy, justice) applied to society - no life giving soil is produced. As weeds grow wild unless seed beds are maintained- its no small wonder that the rampant greed, avarice, maelstrom of wickedness foisted upon the young to the old - has bankrupted the fields of humanity - the result is dead governance, decaying systems and no-life giving, thriving societies.
I believe the same ingredients that produce the healthiest crops sunshine, clean H20, good nutrients- also fertilize our societies and ourselves.
As for me - my daily nutrition is living words 📖, my daily dose of Son-shine nourishes me, and His water of life washes away whatever dark weeds want to grow. What was first born from above - the Spirit (Ruach) reality is true in the soil. From dust to dust...we came from a garden.....we end up in His garden. We are God's regenerative life-cycle plants. And you are one of His favorite 🪴 plants. - Blessings to you - Elizabeth
I like your "Homesteading" farming ... "advice.".. WOW.. you are really learning from scratch that is for sure. I have never looked up your biology.. but I am going to guess you did not grow up in Virginia. :) I finally looked up your Bio.. OOPS you did work on nanoparticles. but then again who didn't.. So it sounds like you are from California.. which is Ok, my sons father was born in Ft Ord and his father.. the Navy Admiral from Oklahoma. I LOVE THE WAY SCIENTIFICALLY ANALYZE FARMING.. "AGRICULTURE" re: to VA TECH. really. I did grow up in Virginia,, and the first thing I noticed was that damn "red clay".. we used pick blackberry bushes in the CITY OF ALEXANDRIA.. yeah.. on a place called CLAY HILL. I have written several short stories about my childhood in Virginia and a lot of it because I spent most of my time outside.. talks about the soil, the plants.. tbe insects.. the local wild animals.. because BEFORE Joni Mitchell wrote The Big Yellow TAXI aka "they paved paradise and put up a parking lot".. (and many others besides her sang that song: VIRGINIA was an absolutely gorgeous state; up until a couple years ago (won't check) Virginia grew the best tobacco in the WORLD..exporting it to the Arabs (ha ha).. and Europe.. I know, because I smoked when I went to to Germany and Heathrow..and bought Davidoff cigarettes.. back to your farming:.. I am thinking.. I forgot to mention along my life journey's.. my husband and I owned a Landscaping Company.. when we lived in Fauquier but we did our work in Northern VA (where the money was) but we for eight years; we both took courses at Virginia Tech.. which has an amazing agriculture school.. learned a lot about "agriculture" and farming.. FOR NOW.. You should check to see the general PH.. add LIME most of the time.. and frankly.. all just a bit of advice from a former farmer gal..:) most fields which have OLD CROPS like from the year before should be TILLED... as in the plants and all TILLED.. You are right to keep areas separated.. I grew a variety of crops out there... had to learn on cucumbers and tomatoes :)
and we had a little apple orchard.. which was fun also.. I LOVE YOUR HOMESTEADING POSTS.. can't wait to see the new spring babies. :) Check out Virginia TECH.. for free amazing advice for growing plants which work symbiotically w/ regard to insect pests.. :) HAVE FUN
My husband and I have been influenced in gardening by temporary fencing. We live in the ridges of Sale Creek, TN, and garden on a small ridge. On the one side of the hwy there are the mountains, and on the other side are the "ridges". One can have a better soil quality in the ridges. We use metal fence posts (that can bee pulled up and moved) and chicken wire. It ain't "pretty", but very creative and it keeps the small animals out and the deer can bee discouraged by putting bamboo and ribbon woven thru the fence to create confusion, color and movement; they go elsewhere. I was never interested in gardening (I grew up in Oak Ridge, TN and we mostly ate out of cans). It was easier to store in the bomb shelters. If one DID eat out of the garden, those individuals are likely dead already. I'm 78 this year and still kicking, and help tend the garden with my farmer husband now. One can grow food in many ways. Not just in rows, or a laid out plan. Just do it! Thanks so much for the sharings....
Can you write about natural pesticides? I have a terrible bug problem, I can't use bug repellent and working completely covered up is a hugh drawback. I love learning from you guys thanks again!
Our chickens are helping immensely with this. They are little
raptors! And for mosquitoes, we’ve found that chugging a pinch of baking soda and a little water prior to going outside truly helps repel mosquitoes. You can also rub straight baking soda on your arms and legs and they stay away that way as well.
Some use citronella— which is great, but gives me a crosseyed headache if I’m around it burning in a candle for long times.
I want to add in a word about minerals. Years ago we were curious as to why Hawaiian lettuce is so good! Then I discovered glacial rock dust and when I added it to our soil what a difference Recently I’ve been reading about essential minerals- lithium and Pierre Kory’s work. Thank you for your writings as I still have so much to learn. Generally make my own compost but add the compost from our local horse outfit. But I am wondering about all the medications horses get these days and whether I’m adding unknowns to my soil??
We too have horses. Ask them what all they put in and on them. At retirement barns, they don’t usually get a lot of Big pHARM-us junk shot into them. At show barns, there tends to be more meds given to keep them performing better for longer.
If the horse people tell you they get adequan or prescend, just google those drugs— or whatever drugs they mention, and see what you think.
Most horses do (sadly) get vaccines, but you can always ask.
I have a horse and a small farm. It is necessary to deworm horses periodically. The active ingredients used are usually Ivermectin or fenbendazole. We compost our manure and I too have wondered if these products have a long half life. As for vaccines, they are pretty much required if you show or have to board your horse. There was a deadly outbreak of EHV1 at a show last fall. Several horses died and many were quarantined. There is a vax for it which is recommended to be given annually. Horses also need tetanus and rabies vaccines. Mine lives outside not in a box stall.
We hope that the composting process produces food safe fertilizer.
This reminded me of so much of what England was like in the 40s and 50s, when there was a plentiful supply of bird song to cheer you on as you laboured in the veg garden.
Thank you for that, thank you for reminding me of clover and how good the flowers were to such on, which I did as a child. I could almost smell the countryside which now has all been built upon. I tend to think that my generation really were the last to see how beautiful our country was. I am actually shocked at how quickly it has all changed.
By the way we used to make rhubarb wine and we would be given the rhubarb by a friend of ours who had a horse, so guess where the horse's leavings would go? I have never seen such large rhubarb since - and the wine wasn't so bad either!
Dr. Malone, we (my wife, son and I) love these emails. They so full of amazing, easy to understand and put into practice information. I just wanted to say thank you yet again. 👏🫡
Very good post. I did my university training (a degree doesn't me you learned anything...) at Michigan State - Dairy Science and Agronomy. Also Soil Science. I don't think anything you mentioned was NOT mentioned in my studies. Rotation; cover crops; organic matter; nitrogen fixing plants; etc. All your explanations were on the money- IMO. The challenge for production agriculture is that these are all long-term- and what I would call structural practices, which don't align too well with expense, labor, etc. Excellent piece.
(And sorry to hear about the ACIP, but I understand.)
Had I encountered the wisdom you share on homesteading when I was young (and ever dreaming we would one day move from the Pittsburgh suburbs to a working farm), I might well have done it. Alas, my 70's - 80's (turning 82 in July) have been both times of deep reflection and letting go of earlier dreams about future choices. Bittersweet, in other words, like some of the crops you so lovingly describe. Thank you for all you share; in one sense, your offerings tether us to reality and act as antidote to the aggressive lunacy and multifaceted denials of basic reality and human ontology.
CW, right there with ya - my youthful dreams, when I learned I don’t like people (plural) much 🤣 was a large house in the middle of 640 acres. I still long for more acreage, 5-20 acres, but with the piling on of body abuse and the wreckage that’s resulted, my large garden is the better part of wisdom - unless I can buy the land with some youngster who wants to work it 😉. Came close to buying 11 acres in Maggie Valley, NC about the beginning of the China plague and before the "hell hath no fury like" storms rolled through a few years later.
But, I’m content, mostly, and believe I’m where I’m supposed to be, for now.
I just read that Robert quit ACIP. I can understand the frustration and I hope there's a plan for his continued input. We need him in the fight.
He did?! If so, I can understand why, too. But what a pity!
You can find his letter online.
Link?
https://arstechnica.com/health/2026/03/rfk-jr-anti-vaccine-ally-dramatically-quits-cdc-panel-complaining-of-drama/
That was a hit piece
They all are. I'm waiting for Robert to tell us his side.
Wow! Was it ever! They don't even try to hide their bias.
Thank you, John.
Dear Doctors Malone! My husband and I have been and continue to be grateful for and amazed by your commitment, dedication and long suffering efforts and sacrifices to fight the good fight on so many fronts. It is wearying, expensive, thankless, soul-crushing work that most cannot or will not do. God bless you both as you further the causes of common sense, insight, education and knowledge with your vast stores of experience, skills and abilities. God bless you both mightily. Sending you heartfelt ((hugs)).
And mustard , turnip and collards with a little salt pork are good to eat.
Thanks for this; very helpful! I've been no-pesticides for a long time, and I'm no fan of fertilizer either. But manure of various flavors, that's another story!
Like I mentioned to Robert: Virginia Tech.. has an amazing Agriculture school.. I took some in person seminars exactly on that.. using plants which act symbiotically to keep pests away.. and I bet there are free courses on line at Virginia Tech.. on that as well.. I loved it..
We have a wonderful community college here; maybe they have something similar. Thanks for the tip!
Dear Dr. Jill - what wisdom you share. I couldn't help but see the parallels from your post on earth soil and the eternal soil we all carry- our own soul n' Spirit. As you said, regenerative farming takes time. It takes time, I'm sure much patience and consistency to real a viable, healthy harvest.
As we look at the craziness & decay of morality, common sense & human decency in the world today - I see that without good nutrients. such as (mercy, justice) applied to society - no life giving soil is produced. As weeds grow wild unless seed beds are maintained- its no small wonder that the rampant greed, avarice, maelstrom of wickedness foisted upon the young to the old - has bankrupted the fields of humanity - the result is dead governance, decaying systems and no-life giving, thriving societies.
I believe the same ingredients that produce the healthiest crops sunshine, clean H20, good nutrients- also fertilize our societies and ourselves.
As for me - my daily nutrition is living words 📖, my daily dose of Son-shine nourishes me, and His water of life washes away whatever dark weeds want to grow. What was first born from above - the Spirit (Ruach) reality is true in the soil. From dust to dust...we came from a garden.....we end up in His garden. We are God's regenerative life-cycle plants. And you are one of His favorite 🪴 plants. - Blessings to you - Elizabeth
I like your "Homesteading" farming ... "advice.".. WOW.. you are really learning from scratch that is for sure. I have never looked up your biology.. but I am going to guess you did not grow up in Virginia. :) I finally looked up your Bio.. OOPS you did work on nanoparticles. but then again who didn't.. So it sounds like you are from California.. which is Ok, my sons father was born in Ft Ord and his father.. the Navy Admiral from Oklahoma. I LOVE THE WAY SCIENTIFICALLY ANALYZE FARMING.. "AGRICULTURE" re: to VA TECH. really. I did grow up in Virginia,, and the first thing I noticed was that damn "red clay".. we used pick blackberry bushes in the CITY OF ALEXANDRIA.. yeah.. on a place called CLAY HILL. I have written several short stories about my childhood in Virginia and a lot of it because I spent most of my time outside.. talks about the soil, the plants.. tbe insects.. the local wild animals.. because BEFORE Joni Mitchell wrote The Big Yellow TAXI aka "they paved paradise and put up a parking lot".. (and many others besides her sang that song: VIRGINIA was an absolutely gorgeous state; up until a couple years ago (won't check) Virginia grew the best tobacco in the WORLD..exporting it to the Arabs (ha ha).. and Europe.. I know, because I smoked when I went to to Germany and Heathrow..and bought Davidoff cigarettes.. back to your farming:.. I am thinking.. I forgot to mention along my life journey's.. my husband and I owned a Landscaping Company.. when we lived in Fauquier but we did our work in Northern VA (where the money was) but we for eight years; we both took courses at Virginia Tech.. which has an amazing agriculture school.. learned a lot about "agriculture" and farming.. FOR NOW.. You should check to see the general PH.. add LIME most of the time.. and frankly.. all just a bit of advice from a former farmer gal..:) most fields which have OLD CROPS like from the year before should be TILLED... as in the plants and all TILLED.. You are right to keep areas separated.. I grew a variety of crops out there... had to learn on cucumbers and tomatoes :)
and we had a little apple orchard.. which was fun also.. I LOVE YOUR HOMESTEADING POSTS.. can't wait to see the new spring babies. :) Check out Virginia TECH.. for free amazing advice for growing plants which work symbiotically w/ regard to insect pests.. :) HAVE FUN
My husband and I have been influenced in gardening by temporary fencing. We live in the ridges of Sale Creek, TN, and garden on a small ridge. On the one side of the hwy there are the mountains, and on the other side are the "ridges". One can have a better soil quality in the ridges. We use metal fence posts (that can bee pulled up and moved) and chicken wire. It ain't "pretty", but very creative and it keeps the small animals out and the deer can bee discouraged by putting bamboo and ribbon woven thru the fence to create confusion, color and movement; they go elsewhere. I was never interested in gardening (I grew up in Oak Ridge, TN and we mostly ate out of cans). It was easier to store in the bomb shelters. If one DID eat out of the garden, those individuals are likely dead already. I'm 78 this year and still kicking, and help tend the garden with my farmer husband now. One can grow food in many ways. Not just in rows, or a laid out plan. Just do it! Thanks so much for the sharings....
Thank you for this information!
I find it extremely valuable!
Can you write about natural pesticides? I have a terrible bug problem, I can't use bug repellent and working completely covered up is a hugh drawback. I love learning from you guys thanks again!
Our chickens are helping immensely with this. They are little
raptors! And for mosquitoes, we’ve found that chugging a pinch of baking soda and a little water prior to going outside truly helps repel mosquitoes. You can also rub straight baking soda on your arms and legs and they stay away that way as well.
Some use citronella— which is great, but gives me a crosseyed headache if I’m around it burning in a candle for long times.
Planting marigolds near crops is helpful as well.
Thank you
"There is no cure-all. This is a long game. A commitment for life." And a commitment to life.
I want to add in a word about minerals. Years ago we were curious as to why Hawaiian lettuce is so good! Then I discovered glacial rock dust and when I added it to our soil what a difference Recently I’ve been reading about essential minerals- lithium and Pierre Kory’s work. Thank you for your writings as I still have so much to learn. Generally make my own compost but add the compost from our local horse outfit. But I am wondering about all the medications horses get these days and whether I’m adding unknowns to my soil??
We too have horses. Ask them what all they put in and on them. At retirement barns, they don’t usually get a lot of Big pHARM-us junk shot into them. At show barns, there tends to be more meds given to keep them performing better for longer.
If the horse people tell you they get adequan or prescend, just google those drugs— or whatever drugs they mention, and see what you think.
Most horses do (sadly) get vaccines, but you can always ask.
Bogey down. Love me my KC. Good info.
I have a horse and a small farm. It is necessary to deworm horses periodically. The active ingredients used are usually Ivermectin or fenbendazole. We compost our manure and I too have wondered if these products have a long half life. As for vaccines, they are pretty much required if you show or have to board your horse. There was a deadly outbreak of EHV1 at a show last fall. Several horses died and many were quarantined. There is a vax for it which is recommended to be given annually. Horses also need tetanus and rabies vaccines. Mine lives outside not in a box stall.
We hope that the composting process produces food safe fertilizer.
It’s both a working farm and ranch with lessons, boarding and pasture board so it could be any none or many :-/
This reminded me of so much of what England was like in the 40s and 50s, when there was a plentiful supply of bird song to cheer you on as you laboured in the veg garden.
Thank you for that, thank you for reminding me of clover and how good the flowers were to such on, which I did as a child. I could almost smell the countryside which now has all been built upon. I tend to think that my generation really were the last to see how beautiful our country was. I am actually shocked at how quickly it has all changed.
By the way we used to make rhubarb wine and we would be given the rhubarb by a friend of ours who had a horse, so guess where the horse's leavings would go? I have never seen such large rhubarb since - and the wine wasn't so bad either!
Dr. Malone, we (my wife, son and I) love these emails. They so full of amazing, easy to understand and put into practice information. I just wanted to say thank you yet again. 👏🫡
I love gardening/homesteading. It puts us back at the speed of life, instead of the speed of the AI world.
Hey, JGM, this is another excellent and important article that I'd have snapped up for The Mother Earth News. It's a keeper, and one to share widely.
Very good post. I did my university training (a degree doesn't me you learned anything...) at Michigan State - Dairy Science and Agronomy. Also Soil Science. I don't think anything you mentioned was NOT mentioned in my studies. Rotation; cover crops; organic matter; nitrogen fixing plants; etc. All your explanations were on the money- IMO. The challenge for production agriculture is that these are all long-term- and what I would call structural practices, which don't align too well with expense, labor, etc. Excellent piece.
(And sorry to hear about the ACIP, but I understand.)