For years, Americans have been told that buying a home is part of achieving the American Dream. You work hard, save for a down payment, sign a 30-year mortgage, and finally have a place to call your own. But in many cities across the country, there's an unpleasant surprise waiting after closing: you're paying far more in property taxes than the neighbor across the street living in an almost identical house. According to a recent property tax study from the Lincoln Institute o

For years I've watched a steady stream of folks move to the country with stars in their eyes and a pickup bed full of feed store supplies. Somewhere along the way they were told the same thing: "Start with chickens. They're easy." Well, maybe. After more than fifty years of watching farms succeed and fail, I've learned that there are no shortcuts in agriculture. Livestock is livestock, whether it weighs five pounds or five hundred. Chickens deserve the same planning, respect,

A man learns a few things when he spends enough years working the land. You learn that fences need mending, tools need maintaining, gardens need tending, and every creature that walks, crawls, or flies across your property has a purpose. You also learn that sometimes a little prevention saves a whole lot of trouble. Skunks are one of those country neighbors that most folks would rather admire from a distance. They’re not looking for trouble, and they actually do some good by