Kowalski Mountain

02/08/2024

NEW video on YouTube! The Soap of the Month was made by a guest soapmaker.... my 8-year-old granddaughter Addison! In this video I explore what soap is made of, we talk about what is Saponification and then together we make Coffee Soap! Check it out!

Inspired by my daughter, I created a Soap of the Month Club as a family Christmas gift. I've thoughtfully created each soap to reflect the aromas of the seas...

28/07/2024

Here’s a great FREE homesteading event. Philip and I will be speaking! Be sure to put it on your calendar to meet with other like minded folks!

27/07/2024

NEW video on YouTube! An exciting new attachment for my Bosch Universal Plus Mixer… the Nutrimill Ice Cream Maker! Join me for the unboxing surprise and make some ice cream from our raw milk!
Link in the bio.

27/07/2024

NEW video on YouTube! An exciting new attachment for my Bosch Universal Plus Mixer… the Nutrimill Ice Cream Maker! Join me for the unboxing surprise and make some ice cream from our raw milk!

Get ready for the ultimate ice cream experience! In this video, I unbox the highly anticipated Nutramill Ice Cream Maker and reveal a surprising bonus access...

25/07/2024

NEW post on the blog! I'm starting a new series of posts about the wildflowers that grow on our farm. This month I am featuring Fleabane! This dainty flower grows all over the farm. While you might consider it a w**d, it's actually a medicinal herb! We recently used it to stop the bleeding of a head wound when Philip knocked himself with a chain! Check out this wildflower that likely grows near your home too!

Fleabane is a common wildflower around the farm. This native plant grows across much of the United States So what exactly is fleabane?

23/07/2024

NEW video on YouTube! While Philip was away I had to hold down the fort all by myself. Can I do it?? Join me for morning chores as I care for the animals of Kowalski Mountain.

Today I'm flying solo, tackling the entire morning farm routine by myself! Can I handle the milking, feeding the piggies, and shuffling the coop crew all on ...

20/07/2024

NEW post on the blog! Thinking about raising your own meat chickens? Before processing day use these tips to choose the best home butchery knives to make processing humane and efficient.

Butchering chickens is easy! The right tools make the job easier. Consider these features in choosing the best knife for butchering chickens

15/07/2024

Introducing the Kowalski Mountain Amazon Shop! We were finally accepted into the Amazon Influencers program, allowing us to create our Amazon storefront. This little shop includes links to all our favorite products that we use in all aspects of homestead life. We hope you will stop in and look around as you do some PRIME shopping tomorrow (July 16th and 17th). ANY purchase you make on Amazon, if you enter through our shop (or links) benefits the work at the homestead. As a small business, this makes a big difference to us! We appreciate you checking it out! I hope you find some amazing deals on PRIME day, I know I have my eyes on a few things I am watching.

Shop recommended products from Kowalski Mountain on www.amazon.com. Learn more about Kowalski Mountain's favorite products.

06/07/2024

NEW video on YouTube! Finally, I have finished the Grand Adventure video! Time with our family is precious! We want to create intentional moments that create memories and learning opportunities on the homestead. While the grands didn't visit at the same time, they all participated in the Grand Adventure. See how we create the Grand Adventure and then be sure to watch to the end to see how the kids navigate the farm with the skills they learned over their visits. It ends with the kids crossing the creek on a rope bridge!

We created an epic survivalist challenge to celebrate our summer visit with our grandkids! In the busyness of life, it's easy to have good intentions to crea...

01/07/2024

NEW video on YouTube! The June Soap of the Month is made with wild yarrow foraged right here on the farm. This simple soap has no colorants, no essential oils, and no exfoliants, Just a simple soap made with herb tea and witch hazel.

Inspired by my daughter, I created a Soap of the Month Club as a family Christmas gift. I've thoughtfully created each soap to reflect the aromas of the seas...

01/07/2024

Our farm was featured on my daughter’s channel, Florida Grown Adventure. She took a whirlwind visit with just about 24 hours on the farm. I loved having her and her girls… loved seeing the farm through her eyes and her flare! Check it out!

Date: Friday, 06.07.24 & Saturday, 06.08.24Location: Kentucky, Zone 7AI am the last of my mom's children to visit her homestead in Kentucky. Even my husband ...

29/06/2024

NEW post on the blog! In celebration of National Dairy Month, this post is all about MILK! Once you begin milking a dairy animal you may soon find yourself overwhelmed with milk. Properly storing raw milk is essential to maintain the sweet taste and quality of fresh milk for as long as possible. Safe handling and properly stored milk begins in the barn! Check it out!

Safe food handling is essential to maintain the milk's fresh taste and quality of raw milk. Follow these guidelines of how to store raw milk.

29/06/2024

Happiness is growing everything on the plate! 🍗🫛🥔 Somedays the early mornings and long hot days in the sun seem endless. The work is hard and the to do list never seems to get shorter… but this… serving a meal where we raised and grew everything on the plate is extremely rewarding and so satisfying. Makes it taste even better!! Harvest season is just beginning… the dream is really coming true… I think I’ll finish up with a bowl of homemade chocolate pudding!

24/06/2024

NEW video on YouTube! After a few weeks off, I'm Back! Our garden is really starting to produce, but it's not without its challenges. Check out our wild June garden!

Welcome to the jungle! This June garden tour in Zone 7A isn't your average perfectly manicured paradise. We're diving headfirst into the lush, untamed beaut...

05/06/2024

NEW video on YouTube! The seed snail growing method is a viral seed-starting method that took social media by storm! BUT does it work? See what I thought about using the seed snail growing method and find out if I would use it again.

Ever heard of seed snails? This innovative seed starting method promises less waste, less space, and stronger seedlings. But does it actually work? In this v...

04/06/2024

NEW video on YouTube! I wanted to give my daughter flowers for her graduation. While I considered buying flowers in a big box store, I made her a wildflower bouquet with flowers I picked myself. Come along while I forage for the perfect flowers and make a gorgeous bouquet, especially for her!

As my daughter's graduation approached I planned to bring her flowers for her big day. Inspired by a gorgeous patch of daisies that grows on the farm, I made...

03/06/2024

NEW post on the blog! Canning whole foods is a great way to build the pantry with quality ingredients! Canning dried beans create shelf-stable beans that make for quick meals on a busy night. Plus it's easier than you think! Let me show you.

Canning kidney beans is one of the pantry staples that I like to preserve to make meal time quick and easy on the homestead.

29/05/2024

NEW video on YouTube! It's that time again for the Soap of the Month! This month's soap is made to pamper the gardeners in my life! The herbal blend has a touch of pumice to pamper and exfoliate dirty hands after gardening.

Inspired by my daughter, I created a Soap of the Month Club as a family Christmas gift. I've thoughtfully created each soap to reflect the aromas of the seas...

25/05/2024

NEW video on YouTube! Working on the homestead can be hard! Thankfully, the homesteading community is a resourceful bunch that has come up with creative solutions to make the job just a bit easier. This week I collaborated with a group of homesteaders sharing some of our favorite homesteading hacks that we use on our farms. Check it out to find something new you can try at your house! I want to give a shout-out to Kelsey from Rough and Tumble Farmhouse for organizing this collaboration!

Calling all homesteaders! Want to take your homesteading game to the next level? We've teamed up with fellow homesteaders like YOU to bring you a collection ...

21/05/2024

NEW video on YouTube! Happy World Bee Day! Here at Kowalski Mountain bees are an important part of our farm.... even though I have a hate/love relationship with bees. When Philip extracted the feral colony from the hollow tree, he decided to do something special with the bees. Find out what he did and how the bees are doing!

Remember those honeybees we saved from their hollow tree home? It's time for an update! In this video, we'll be taking a peek inside their new hive to see ho...

20/05/2024

NEW video on YouTube! It's officially spring garden season in Kentucky! Philip and I have been working hard the past month prepping and planting over 8000 square feet of garden space! While it's not completely planted... we're off to the races! PLUS see our Amish neighbor helping us plant the corn field we're growing for our animals.

It's official! The 2024 Spring Garden season is off! Join us as we prep, fence, and plant multiple gardens on the homestead! See the production crops we plan...

07/05/2024

NEW video on YouTube! A feral bee colony moved into a hollow tree on the farm. We tried to lure them into a swarm trap with no luck. Philip decided to do a cutout to retrieve the bees. Join us as we dig into this tree and search for the queen!
PS You'll be so proud of me, I was so brave!

It's Swarm season in Kentucky! We discovered a feral bee colony that had taken up residence in a hollow tree on our farm. Come along while Philip exposes the...

04/05/2024

NEW video on YouTube! The Bacon Brigade has arrived at Kowalski Mountain! Join us as we visit Honey Vale Farm to choose our piglets. Get tips about fencing and feed from a seasoned hog farmer. PLUS come along while we settle them in at the homestead. It's getting real ya'll!

Introducing the Bacon Brigade! Three adorable piglets move to the homestead! Join us as we visit Honey Vale Farms to meet these brand-new baby pigs to choos...

01/05/2024

NEW video on YouTube! The next Soap of the Month is Sunshine Poppy Seed Scrub. This two-tone soap is colored with annatto seed-infused oil to create a sunshine-colored soap. Then swirled with poppy seeds for exfoliation. The light essential oil blend of lavender, vanilla, and lemongrass, While it didn't come out exactly as I hoped, I'm learning!

Inspired by my daughter, I created a Soap of the Month Club as a family Christmas gift. I've thoughtfully created each soap to reflect the aromas of the seas...

29/04/2024

NEW post on the blog! We've had the incubators running back to back! It only takes 21 days for chicks to hatch, so you need a plan for what to do with them. This post covers the basics of building a DIY brooder and basic chick care to get you started.

Preparing for what to do after chickens hatch in an incubator is an important step to ensure your success!

28/04/2024

NEW video on YouTube! With the birth of our first calf, we're excited to have fresh raw milk on the farm! Join me while I put together my milking toolkit to make morning milking a breeze!

We're gearing up for fresh raw milk! In this video, I'm creating a milking toolkit specifically designed for use on our off-grid farm. I'm covering everythin...

23/04/2024

NEW video on YouTube! Philip built an elevated milking stanchion to allow me to milk our Dexter cows comfortably! See his DIY design, how he works with raw wood from the lumber mill, and get a stanchion tour close-up to see exactly how it works!

Hey everyone, welcome back to the homestead! Today we're tackling a project that's been on our to-do list for a while - building an elevated milking stanchio...

20/04/2024

NEW video on YouTube! We caught a honeybee swarm..... or it actually kind of caught us! Join Philip and I as we inspect a swarm of honeybees to find not one but TWO queens! PLUS tour the farm with me to see the swarm traps we've set in hopes of boosting the numbers in the Kowalski Apiary,

While we hoped to catch a few swarms of honeybees, we didn't expect them to move right in! This swarm is full of surprises, as we discover not one, but TWO q...

16/04/2024

NEW video on YouTube! Finally, I am revealing the name of our little bull calf! Join me for a muddy day of chores as Philip and I catch up after days of rain on the homestead! Plus, you don't want to miss Philip's run-in with Meg that we caught on film.

Hey homesteaders! The rain may be pouring and the mud knee-deep, but the hustle never stops on an off-grid property! In this video, we're tackling a whole li...

13/04/2024

NEW post AND video on the blog! Have you heard of the viral seed-starting method called seed snails? This seed-starting method is genius, especially for those of us with small spaces! This blog post has all the details you need to know to create and plant your own seed snails. Prefer to watch on YouTube? I've got you covered, video link available on the blog!

The seed snail growing method is a great alternative to traditional seedling trays, especially for those with limited space.