In 2021, we published 52 blog posts covering everything from chickens to gardening to canning to cold frames. And tens of thousands of you from all across the U.S. and the world have referred to these posts for sustainable living guidance.
We’ve rounded up a list of our top 10 most read blog posts from 2021. It’s no surprise that gardening guides and tips make up the majority of the list!
But we were a little bit surprised to see chickens taking the lead as the #1 most popular blog post from this year. What do you think — should we write more chicken-related blog posts in the new year?
If you have suggestions for sustainable living topics you’d like us to cover in our weekly blog posts, feel free to let us know at stoneycreekfarmtennessee@gmail.com.
1) The Garden Boosting Benefits of a Chicken Tunnel
In this blog post, we cover the garden-boosting benefits of a chicken tunnel. Chicken tunnels are narrow, enclosed wire runs built around the perimeter of your garden to allow your chickens space to explore while keeping them safe from birds of prey and other predators.
Not only does a chicken run allow your chickens space to spread out — while staying safe from predators — it also benefits your garden, since chickens are opportunistic feeders and will help keep pests like caterpillars and ticks in check.
2) 3 Summer Vegetables Perfect for Beginners
Some veggies are easier to grow than others. In this blog post, we share 3 summer vegetables that are great to grow for those starting their first garden.
3) 4 Vegetables to Plant for Mid-To-Late Summer Vegetable Gardening
The secret to successful gardening: always plan ahead. That means that even as you enjoy your harvest from early spring planting, if you want a veggie harvest well into fall, you’ll need to start sowing.
For this post, the title says it all: we give you 4 vegetables to plant for mid-to-late summer vegetable gardening.
4) 5 Common Vegetable Gardening Mistakes to Avoid
Mistakes: we all make ‘em, whether a beginner or seasoned green thumb. This blog post shares 5 common vegetable gardening mistakes, like overfertilizing your soil (yes, that’s a thing!).
5) Pressure Canning, Water Bath Canning, or Blanching: Which is the Right Canning Method for Preserving Each Food?
Canning is not a one-size-fits-all process. Different types of foods require different methods of canning to remain fresh and safe to eat. In this post, we break down the right canning method for each type of food.
6) 5 Greens to Grow in Your Fall & Winter Garden that Are Not Kale (+ 3 Healthy & Delicious Recipes)
Kale is always the star of the fall and winter garden, but we wanted to go beyond kale. In this post, we shared with you garden greens for the fall and winter that go beyond kale. We also couldn’t help but throw in a few healthy — and dare we say it, delicious — recipes!
7) Prepping Your Fall Vegetable Garden: When to Plant Your Fall Vegetables
As we said above: with gardening, planning is everything. And that includes scheduling out when to plant your fall vegetables, based on your specific zone’s frost times and the needs of the particular plant. In this post, we guide you on how to plan accordingly.
8) No Soil Needed: How to Grow Plants with Small-Scale Hydroponics
Did you know that you can grow plants without soil? It’s called hydroponics.
Hydroponics allows you to grow your plants faster, with higher harvest rates. You also use less water than regular soil-based growing, making it a sustainable growing system for water conservation. And it saves you some bucks and time—no need to purchase soil or till your land plots.
9) 6 Herbs You Can Grow in a Cold Frame This Winter
Keep enjoying fresh herbs all throughout the colder seasons by growing them in a cold frame! In this post, we share with you 6 herbs that are perfect for cold-frame growing.
10) How To Grow Brussels Sprouts in the Fall
These cool-weather greens are tasty no matter whether you broil, sautee, roast, steam, or air fry them. And we encourage you to grow them yourselves! In this post, we offer you a basic guide to growing brussels sprouts, while also including 2 incredible brussels sprouts recipes.
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Happy new year from all of us at Stoney Creek Farm! We look forward to continuing to share sustainable living resources in 2022.
