Casual Homesteader

My Hydroponic Systems: What’s Working (and What I’ve Learned So Far) If you’ve ever tried gardening in Florida and felt like everything either burns, gets eaten, or dies… the feeling is mutual.  I didn’t start out as a “hydroponics person.” Honestly, I just wanted a simple way to grow fresh food at home without fighting Florida soil and bugs.  I currently have two hydroponic systems running, and I’ve learned a lot (some the easy way… some not 😅). Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. What Hydroponic Systems I’m Using Right now, I’m using 2 different types of systems: A hydroponic tower that I bought on Amazon [Check here for pricing] VIVIOSUN hydroponic system [Found here on Amazon] I like both these setups; they both have their advantages and disadvantages.  The tower: While very easy to set up, I have gone through 2 pumps already.  VIVIOSUN hydroponic system  I have had more success with l...

How I Built a DIY Paver Walkway (On a Budget!) 👉This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. I only recommend products I personally use and trust. There’s something incredibly satisfying about transforming your own space with your hands. What started as a simple idea, to improve our backyard, turned into a full DIY paver project that completely changed the look and feel of our home. Not only did we save thousands doing it ourselves, but we also created a space our family actually uses. If you’ve been thinking about doing your own paver project, I’m sharing exactly how mine went, from planning to finished result, plus what I learned along the way. 📸 Before & After Before: After:  🛠️ Materials I Used Here’s what I used for this project: Paver molds- I used these for the entire walkway and they held up great. [View on Amazon] Concrete mix Polymeric sand- I used this brand from Lowe's  Shovel Hand Shovel Level Tamper Whe...

Backyard Eggs vs Store-Bought: The Real Truth If you’ve ever stood in the grocery store staring at egg prices and thought, “Should I just raise my own chickens?”,  you’re not alone. With rising food costs and a growing interest in homesteading, backyard chickens are more popular than ever. But are they actually cheaper… or is this more of a lifestyle choice? Let’s break it all down. The Cost Comparison: Chickens vs Store Eggs 🛒 Store-Bought Eggs Average price as of February 2026 was approximately $2.58 I just checked the prices at my local Walmart for an 18 count carton, it is currently $2.47. The price is always subject to fluctuate. During 2025, prices were ranging from $5-$8, in some states.  No labor, no maintenance Always accessible 🐓 Backyard Chickens (Real Costs) Startup Costs: So far, start up has been the most expensive part of it. I had to pay for a permit to legally have them in a residential area, which was $100 for 5 years. However, there is some talk about this...

Intro When we decided to start raising backyard chickens, one of the first things we needed was a safe and comfortable chicken coop. In this post I’ll share our backyard chicken coop setup and why we chose to let our chickens free range in our fenced yard. Our Backyard Chicken Coop Setup Raising backyard chickens has been one of the most rewarding parts of starting our little homestead. Not only do we get fresh eggs, but the chickens have also become a fun and entertaining part of our daily routine. One of the most important parts of keeping chickens is having a safe and comfortable coop for them to live in. Today I wanted to share our backyard chicken coop setup and how we care for our flock of Production Red chickens. Our coop isn't fancy, but it works well for our backyard and provides everything our chickens need to stay safe, comfortable, and productive. Watch the Coop Build When we first decided to start raising chickens, we needed a coop that would work well for our backyard...

We Have Eggs! After months of raising our backyard chickens, we finally had our first exciting surprise in the nesting box, eggs! We got our chickens back in October, and I had been wondering when they would finally start laying. I knew it should happen around this time of year, but there’s something really exciting about opening the nesting box and seeing those first eggs sitting there. One afternoon, I checked the coop and found not just one egg, but several sitting together in the same nesting box. It was one of those small backyard moments that makes raising chickens completely worth it. Why We Chose Production Red Chickens Before we brought our chickens home, I originally planned to get Golden Comets . They’re known for laying a lot of eggs and having a calm temperament, which made them appealing for a backyard flock. However, when we went to our local Rural King, they didn’t have Golden Comets available. One of the employees suggested we look at Production...