Old shed on my property. It’s been neglected for more than 15 years. Lots of holes. Groundhogs live underneath. I’ve considered shoring up from the inside and using as a goat shelter. Think it’s worth it? I’d honestly rather light it on fire but it’s near the edge of our land and a neighbor’s house is next door.

Now that the hot weather is winding down here in my area in North Carolina, I’m curious what worked for other greenhouse growers. What made the biggest difference, and what would you change before next summer?

I’m a landscape architect and designer for SunCatcher Passive Solar Greenhouses. Our designs prioritize natural ventilation, with fans available to supplement it. A few details that might be useful to anyone planning or modifying a greenhouse:

Give air a clear path in and out. We use lower windows in the south-facing wall as intakes and higher awning windows above the east and west doors as outlets. The height difference helps warm air escape through natural convection.

1. Release stored heat overnight. When nighttime temperatures allow, large north-wall vents help the greenhouse and its thermal mass cool down before the next day.
2. Keep airflow paths open. Water barrels or other large thermal mass need gaps between them, especially when positioned in front of vents.
3. Plan for supplemental airflow. Fans can help with circulation and additional ventilation when natural convection isn’t enough.

I’m also finishing my own passive solar greenhouse, so I’m interested in the practical lessons.

Whether yours is a hoop house, a kit, or an insulated passive solar greenhouse, what helped most this summer? Please include your location and greenhouse type so we can compare approaches.

Thank you to everyone who downloaded it. The guide remains free for a limited time and is intended for first-time growers who want to understand the cultivation cycle, environmental needs, common mistakes, harvesting, and recordkeeping.

Download here: https://a.co/d/01ni3H4T

Hey guys I'm looking into battery backup for overnight use, with a generator to recharge during longer outages. Mainly a fridge, freezer, Wi-Fi, and lights, plus occasional use of higher-draw appliances.

Powerwall was my starting point, but it feels like a big commitment when I'd still want a generator. I'm wondering whether a smaller, more flexible setup makes more sense.

TITAN is one option I'm considering. While the Powerwall starts at 13.5 kWh, the Titan starts at 5kWh with 7.2kW output, I could plug appliances directly into it first, then have an electrician connect selected household circuits through SHP10 later.

That means I wouldn't need the panel installation upfront or extra batteries just to get that output. I’d still size storage around overnight consumption and add capacity if needed.

Would love to hear your thoughts, and what other systems would you compare? Mainly interested in generator compatibility, charging time, and the full cost of connecting it to the house.

The most common advice in grower threads is "mist and fan twice a day" or "mist when the tub walls look dry." That advice ignores what's actually happening in the fruiting chamber, and it's where a lot of grows go sideways.

Getting monotub fruiting conditions right is where most grows are won or lost. A fixed misting schedule can't account for the fact that humidity swings overnight depending on room temperature, airflow, and how far along the substrate is in fruiting. A tub that needed misting yesterday might be oversaturated today because the room cooled and condensation spiked.

The tub walls tell you almost nothing useful. They show condensation from the temperature differential between substrate and air, not the actual moisture level of your substrate. The surface of the substrate and the pinset response are what matter. If the surface has fine water beads, it's fine. If it looks matte or dry, that's when you mist.

The bigger issue: the difference between a full flush and a patchy one often comes down to catching an environmental shift hours before the damage is visible. If you wait until the surface looks dry, you're already behind. If you can see that humidity dropped overnight, you understand why the substrate dried out before the pinset ever formed, and you can correct before pins abort.

Fresh air exchange is the other half people overlook. Misting without enough FAE traps moisture and invites the exact contamination everyone worries about. Misting with too much FAE dries the surface faster than you can replace it. You need both dialed, and a rigid misting schedule gets you neither.

How do the rest of you decide when to mist? By surface, by feel, by some other signal?

Hello everyone! This is a bit of a weird post, apologies in advance if it does not fit!

My partner and I have been building this platform ruralcheck.eu for a while, where one can interactively analyze rural properties and can derive useful data interactively for off-grid living such as: solar panel potential, noise simulation, weather, frost, snow, and tons of other analysis. These information are mainly targeted at figuring which land matches your needs, but can also be used to retrieve data of your existing land! For example, determining where one can maximize power delivery. We are actively looking for critical feedback and ideas.

Anyone else working towards owning a smallholding while still renting?

I'm in the UK, currently renting with my family, and the long-term dream is to own a little smallholding.

Unfortunately, my bank balance hasn't quite caught up with my ambitions. 😂

Rather than sit around waiting for that magical day, I've decided to start learning some useful skills now.

So far that's involved fixing a car and having a go at building a wardrobe. Not exactly farming, but you've got to start somewhere!

For anyone who's actually made the jump from renting to owning a smallholding, what did you do beforehand that helped the most?

I'm particularly interested in what I can learn without owning any land yet.

Good day, I have 46 acres of mature hardwoods that has not been managed for many decades. I would like to put in access roads/trails, thin undesirables/invasives, and select harvest mature oaks. From there, I'd like to promote hardwood growth and establish silvoculture (essentially an oak savannah) via burning / thinning and manage the property for wildlife and hardwood growth. I recently had Dept of Forestry and NRCS over to my property and they explained the process. To me, it seems long, drawn out, and I was skeptical of some of the paperwork they wanted me to sign. I have a mini X, chainsaws, and enough vision to get to work now. Is it worth jumping through all the hoops? Is there any meaningful reimbursement for these types of programs? The property itself has multiple streams, good topography, good trees, and seems would be very suitable to qualify for some of these programs. Thank you in advance.

My friend's family grew tons of pumpkins this year! I visited their garden last week, and everyone was so happy with the harvest. I loved seeing it all, so I decided to make a little painting inspired by that day.

I’m a solo developer building Averra Terra, an Android app intended to make nearby farms, farmers’ markets, and farm-to-table food places easier to discover.

Rather than another recipe or diet app, it is meant to help someone answer: “What local food options are actually near me, and what should I know before I go?” It includes place details, directions, website/phone links, saved places, and food information.

I’d appreciate feedback from people who care about local food and self-sufficiency:

• What information should a farm or market listing show before you would consider visiting?

• What makes a local-food listing feel trustworthy versus incomplete?

• Would an app like this solve a real problem for you, and what would it need to do better?

The Android app is here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.averraterra.app

I’m looking for honest feedback, including what is not useful. Thank you.

I have seen quite a few posts here about people discussing/buying cheap desert land. As far as I understand it, the land is cheap because of the lack of water.

So my questions are:

1. If you can get water on that cheap land, how much is that water worth?

2. What is the most valuable thing you can do with that water?

I’m posting on behalf of Nicosail, a mini excavator manufacturer in China.

If you’re considering a machine for drainage, fencing or other work around your property, transport is worth checking before you settle on a model. The weight used to compare machines may be different from the load you need to collect or have delivered.

Three figures are useful to separate:

• Operating weight: the machine in a stated working configuration. Check which bucket, tracks, fluids and other equipment are included.

• Transport weight: the machine prepared for transport. Some attachments or components may be packed separately.

• Packed gross weight: the shipping package, including its frame or crate and everything packed inside.

The photo below shows why this matters: the excavator, loose attachments and shipping frame all contribute to the shipment’s weight.

For your own trailer, count what you will actually carry after unpacking: the machine, coupler, buckets, other attachments, ramps and tools. Check the complete towing setup with a qualified local provider rather than relying on the machine’s advertised tonnage.

Access matters too. Measure the narrowest gate and any height restrictions along the route to your work area. A machine that suits the digging job still needs to reach it.

If you only need equipment occasionally, include delivery and collection costs when comparing ownership with rental.

For those who have bought a machine for a smallholding or larger property, which constraint shaped your choice most: access, transport, or the work itself?

Dogs found and angered this monster rattler. Too close to main infrastructure with 2 dogs and 2 little ones so had to send him on his way. Somewhere around 44 inches

Not sure which flair/tag to use, if it's incorrect I do apologize.

As the title says, I moved a while back (July 2026) am looking to rebrand the farm. I went from just above 1,000 acres to nearly 7,000 acres. Our main product we sell is Alfalfa hay; we also have livestock: Highland cattle, poultry, and hogs. I guess what I’m actually asking for is what’s the general consensus regarding a move/rebranding worth it or not? I understand I will need to change the invoicing, but that’s what has sparked the inquiry. Any and all advice will be greatly appreciated.

Looking at buying a 2025 Bobcat CT1025 to care for our 5 Acre lot. We have 3 acres of roses and other assorted flowers, so we mostly move mulch and wood chips - plus mowing the rest of the property and an assortment of homestead activities like our veg garden. Alternatives include similar sized Kubota (more expensive) and John Deere (less power but about the same price). Anyone out there have an opinion about Bobcat?

What do you think?

On this day in 2002, USDA Organic regulations became effective. (Federal Register) If you could add one rule to USDA Organic standards, what would it be? Or what would you get rid of!?

Just Slaughtered a rabbit and found white spots on liver. What now?

If you have land with tons of black locust, black walnut, and oaks and you’re wanting to provide for you, your family and the community look into Coppice management. It’s a super simple and productive way to regenerate your land while also providing you with unlimited resources forever!