If you don't know this about us already. We raise our own chickens for meat and have been doing so for 4 years now. It is something we jumped into with ZERO experience and we are so glad we did. One of the least expensive ways to start raising your own homegrown quality protein. With the least amount of barriers to entry, I believe everyone with even a little bit of land should be raising themselves a handful of broilers (aka meat chickens). It takes just 8 weeks to raise them up from these little baby chicks you see here, to being 6-8 lbs butcher ready birds. I'll keep you guys posted on how this year goes! We are raising 90 broilers and 3 turkeys this year. My first time ever trying turkeys! Have questions about raising chickens for meat? Pop them in the chat below.

Every spring I walk around many greenhouses and I always see things for sale that make me go... why is this here. People leave with a cart full of things that were never going to make it, or could have cost them $2 in seeds instead of $40 in starts. Here's what you need to know before going shopping this year... Lots of things can be very easily started from seed. Save yourself a ton of money and don't buy the starts. The following plants are either too easy not to start yourself or too fussy about transplanting to be worth buying as starts... GROW FROM SEED, DON'T BUY AT THE GREENHOUSE: Carrots, beets, radishes, parsnips -- direct sow, can't be transplanted, they grow a taproot the second they germinate and moving them kills them. Peas and beans -- fast from seed, go in cold ground, hate having roots disturbed. Cucumbers -- I've tried starting these and they die every time. Direct sow and they catch up fast. Squash and zucchini -- usually root bound by the time you buy them and seeds catch right up. Spinach, lettuce, arugula -- cold tolerant, germinates fast, pennies from seed. Do not buy!!! Nasturtiums, zinnias, cosmos, sunflowers -- please do not spend $4 per plant on any of these. Scratch them in the dirt and walk away. Dill and cilantro -- these bolt almost immediately after transplanting. Scatter seeds where you want them, they'll self seed forever once established. WORTH BUYING AT THE GREENHOUSE: Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant -- long indoor start time, buy these unless you have a good setup. Onion sets and leek starts -- long season crop, totally reasonable to buy. Pumpkins -- I personally have a hard time starting these from seed so I buy starts every year. No shame in it. True perennials rated for your zone -- rhubarb, chives, coneflowers, yarrow. These pay for themselves over time. THE PERENNIAL TRAP This is the one that costs people the most money. A plant is only a perennial if it survives YOUR winter. Not in general. It has to survive in your zone.

Hey friend! I'm so glad you're here. I'm Carolynne—the one behind every plan, testing every build with my husband Eric in our Alberta backyard, and running Hillside Market from our little homestead in Zone 3 Canada 🇨🇦. I created the Yardstead Society to support you in two ways: 1️⃣ Build Support (Free) Get help with your DIY projects from start to finish. Whether you're building a greenhouse, chicken coop, or backyard retreat, ask questions, share progress, and get guidance from the community. Eric and I are both here to help with build questions. 2️⃣ Yardstead Support (Paid Membership) Weekly calls with me, expert interview sessions, and access to resources for actually living the lifestyle—growing food, raising chickens, preserving your harvest, and working toward real self-sufficiency. 👋 Start by introducing yourself! Tell us where you're from, what you're building, or what you're hoping to grow or raise. Already finished a project? Post it under Progress Pics so we can celebrate with you. 📚 Explore the Classroom: - Build Spotlights – See what others have created - Project Planning Tools – Checklists and resources to help you succeed - Yardstead Resources – Growing, raising, and preserving (paid members) - Plus all Yardstead Society members get monthly discounts on guides and gear Tag me (@Carolynne Hill) or Eric (@Eric Hill) anytime with questions or to share what you're working on. Let's get building! ✨ — Carolynne PS: Say hi below! 👇

It’s that time of year that the projects start up! Which means I’ve had photos from customers rolling in and I love it! These customers are currently building the Iris. Our 12’ x 16’ timber frame style greenhouse. This build is very popular because it is such a showstopper! This project takes 2 people about 5 days to build and cost around $4500 CAD to complete. You can grab the building plans for the Iris here: https://thehillsidemarket.com/collections/garden-projects/products/the-iris Plus, on now, grab any 2 or more project plans and automatically magically save 15% ✨ If you have questions about this project comment here or tag me in your post! Don’t forget to send me your project photos ✌️

Iris here we come. Any and all “pro” tips are welcome. Just laid the water and electricity lines to the build site.