Honeybees are managed livestock, just like other animals on your homestead or farm; they need to be inspected for health and wellness and managed to prevent swarming. Witness a great way to check the health of the colony by doing a basic hive inspection. It's important to monitor for the Varroa mite; learn how to do a Varroa mite check by doing an alcohol wash. Monitoring and treating for mites is important to managing healthy productive colonies. If a colony is successfully managed, it may need to split to prevent swarming. There are many ways to accomplish this. See how to do a split in a very basic way.This workshop is sponsored by Mann Lake.Here is a list of what you will find in the workshop below: A 23-minute video by Frank Licata. 

Discover a variety of ways you can turn your homesteading passion into a business. In addition to talking about choosing a business, marketing, and where to sell your products, we will also talk about what you need to consider in terms of liability and government regulations when you start selling products.Here is a list of what you will find in the workshop below: A 31-minute video by Deborah Niemann. A PDF download of the original slide presentation to get you started. Download a PDF from this workshop video!

This first part of a three-part series will introduce you to the basics of foraging. Learn about plant identification; gathering plants; edible and medicinal weeds; ethical considerations; sustainability; and how to harvest, dry, and prepare plants for food and first aid. Your guide is Nicole Telkes, who has gathered from the wild since she was a child, and has taught extensively across North America on the subject. One of the first things to consider when gathering from the wild is whether or not you can confidently identify a plant before gathering it. Nicole is formally trained in botany and ecology and guides you through the basics of getting started with botanical IDs, and gives you practical tips for future study.Download PDFs from this workshop video!

This second part of a three-part series will introduce you to the basics of foraging. Learn about plant identification; gathering plants; edible and medicinal weeds; ethical considerations; sustainability; and how to harvest, dry, and prepare plants for food and first aid. Your guide is Nicole Telkes, who has gathered from the wild since she was a child, and has taught extensively across North America on the subject. In this part, Nicole will bring you on a virtual guided plant walk to look at wild edibles and medicinals. She concentrates on some important medicinal and edible weeds to get started with as a forager, and then discusses sustainability guidelines when it comes to gathering from wild spaces.Here is a list of what you will find in the workshop below: A 42-minute video by Nicole Telkes. A PDF download from Nicole to get you started. Download a PDF from this workshop video!

This third part of a three-part series will introduce you to the basics of foraging. Learn about plant identification; gathering plants; edible and medicinal weeds; ethical considerations; sustainability; and how to harvest, dry, and prepare plants for food and first aid. Your guide is Nicole Telkes, who has gathered from the wild since she was a child, and has taught extensively across North America on the subject. Nicole demonstrates and discusses harvesting considerations when gathering from the wild, and brings you through her harvest of some wild edibles and medicinals so you can see different ways to enjoy your harvests as both food and first aid. She also leaves you with some takeaways to keep moving you forward on your path as a forager, especially when it comes to giving back to the wild.Here is a list of what you will find in the workshop below: A 35-minute video by Nicole Telkes. A PDF download of the original slide presentation to get you started.Download a PDF from this workshop video!

Interested in growing your own herbal medicine garden and stocking your own homegrown apothecary? Learn how to grow more than 36 herbs and plants that can be harvested and prepared into tinctures, herbal tea blends, infusions, and salves.Here is a list of what you will find in the workshop below: A 33-minute video by Crystal Stevens. A PDF "handout" of the materials you will need to get started. Download a PDF from this workshop video!

Join this family- and community-focused introduction to disaster preparedness. Learn about realistic and prudent disaster awareness, plans, and preparedness. Disasters are real, not so uncommon, and very survivable; it's not the end of the world.Here is a list of what you will find in the workshop below: A 32-minute video by Kyle Ferlemann. A PDF download of the original slide presentation to get you started. Download a PDF from this workshop video!