Ohana Farm and Market

I used to depend too much on coffee.  Up until a few years ago, I would consume 3-4 cups a day.   Over-dependence on coffee (caffeine) is similar to any other kind of substance abuse, in that it's not really sustainable and and it comes with significant side effects: stress on the heart, messed up adrenal glands, headaches, anxiety, brain fog, energy crashes after the "high" wears off, irregular sleep and a wrecked gut. But to get past my dependence on coffee, I had to answer the question:  How can I function at a high level mentally or physically without coffee? The answer is to live with a holistic mindset, and have enough faith in God's design to transition out of my current diet.  Fire Cider just happened to be a major piece of the process to get me to a better place holistically. A Healthier Kind of Energy I was surprised to discover how much my energy levels benefitted from taking a shot (two-ish tablespoons) of fire cider every day.  Of course, holis...

Who would have thought that you can eat mango skin?  Well, actually you can eat a mango just like a kiwi, skin and all.   But why? you might ask ... The answer is: to feed your gut. Mango skin is a very effective prebiotic . In our house, we freeze dry the skin, then powder it, then blend a teaspoon of this concentrated fiber in our smoothies.  This powder is a prebiotic , which means that it feeds the good flora in your gut.  This contrasts most food in the mainstream American diet, which either kills beneficial gut bacteria, or encourages the growth of detrimental micro-organisms.  Freeze dried mango skin: That same freeze dried mango skin blended into a powder:  We just add a teaspoon to our smoothies (it's very concentrated!) for a powerful prebiotic boost.   We already sell freeze dried mango on our website, but we don't sell the prebiotic mango powder (yet).   So what do you think? Would you add this to your smoothie? Should ...

Disclaimer : this article is not professional medical advise.  It is my experience.  Not everyone will respond the same to certain stimuli. That being said, I hope my experience can be helpful to you. *** As I ventured into my late 30's I noticed that eczema was becoming a real problem.  At first, it started creeping in on my ankles and wrists.  From that point, month after month, it just kept itching and spreading.   So I consulted with a dermatologist, and she prescribed (you'll never guess) ... topical steroids.  This seemed to work great.  It was a silver bullet! Until the prescription ran out and it came back worse than before.   Then I married a lovely, holistically minded woman named Lizzy.  She helped me realize that eczema is usually a symptom of something wrong internally .  It turns out that I needed to rethink everything I was putting in or on my physical body. Here is a partial list of what I cut out of my die...

Cost Savings (Averaged Over Time) Earlier today I was thinking about the cost of our goat milk soap (which is $8-12 per bar, depending on the size/type) and I was tempted to think: "Hmmm ... That's kind of expensive."  But then I caught myself and realized that, compared to a few short years ago, I'm actually spending a lot less on personal cleansers (taking into account the full retail price for our goat soap).   A few years back this is how much I spent on skin health products (don't judge, y'all): Facial cleanser : $35.  Lasts 3 months.   Toner : $30. Lasts 3 months. Anti-aging eye gel : $30 😰. Lasted 3 months.   Liquid exfoliant : $35. Lasted 3 months. Natural, chemical free body soap : $10 per bar.  At least two bars per month.   Non-sulfate shampoo : $20 per bottle. At least two bottles per month. Natural conditioner : $30 per bottle.  At least two bottles per month at least.   That's $91.67 per month, average...

  Potato sprouting out of wood chips Our little homestead is located in central Texas, right outside of Waco, and the ground is 90% limestone and 10% clay. If any edible plants or trees are going to grow, least of all thrive, over the long term, the soil needs a total overhaul. Wood Chips Turn Dead Soil into a Thriving Underground Ecosystem Adding wood chips to the landscape is already showing signs of working after a year or two, but be aware that it's not a quick fix. It will continue to take years for the hard bio-matter to break down and form nutrient-rich soil.  But the fruit (figuratively and literally) waiting for us after these years of waiting, will be a transformation of our rocky, clay dirt into cushy, living, thriving soil. One encouraging thing about this waiting period is that countless hordes of organisms, from bacteria to fungi to insects, do most of the hard work for us. The Creator has already designed an automatic system of decomposition and rebirth, so that...

We have been raising free range chickens for a few years now, and here are some casual observations that you might find either interesting or useful (if you plan on keeping chickens for yourself). Feel Free to add your own thoughts or observations in the comments! 🙂 1. Chickens Love to Eat Weeds This might sound mundane, but it is a major life-hack, especially for a homesteader.  If you have any kind of yard, weeds are simply a fact of life.  No matter how hard we work to eliminate them, they will always find a way.   Enter chickens.  They will eat pretty much any kind of weed.  If there is something that they aren't sure about (maybe it will make them sick, etc.) they generally know not to eat it.   Thanks to chickens we can look at weeds, unwanted grass, etc. no longer as a resource and time sucking nuisance, but rather a free, clean, egg creation fuel. 2. Chickens Have a Pecking Order You may have heard of this, but it really is a thing. As so...