Looking for something good to read this year, or maybe just through those cold winter months? How about a reading challenge? The theme of this year's reading challenge at Homestead on the Range is nature. One of the key tenets of sustainable …
Top 10 Reader-Favorite Dog Breeds
Dogs can play all sorts of roles on a small homestead, from herding sheep to guarding goats to controlling vermin to hunting game for the table. You may be curious to know what dog breeds our readers have gravitated to during their research. Here's …
Foxtail Barley
Foxtail barley (Hordeum jubatum) receives its common name from its unique bushy inflorescence, or flower, which is similar in shape to the tail of a fox. This flower averages about two to five inches long and is soft and greenish or purplish. Its …
Redbone Coonhound
Foxhounds had a long tradition in Virginia, earning a place on large plantations well before the American Revolution. However, after the war, Americans began moving westward, taking their dogs with them. In the backwoods of the South, they started to …
Pointer
Sometime after 1650, a new kind of dog came into being all across Europe. This dog was the result of mixing various breeds of foxhound, bloodhound, greyhound, and setting spaniel types. Its original purpose was to partner with greyhounds in chasing …
Labrador Retriever
Water dogs have been important to Canadian fishermen since the 1600s. Dogs were used for everything from retrieving nets to towing boats. Short-haired dogs were preferred, as their coats did not collect ice, but few other specifications were viewed …
