Preserving
Dehydrating, freezing, powders, and practical ways to save the harvest.
Garden · flock · apiary · pantry · prepared home
Figuring out a more self-reliant life—one project at a time.
Real notes from a Northern California backyard: the things that worked, the things that absolutely did not, and the deals worth waiting for.
Read the first stories
Around the farm
Useful, honest, and tested in real life.
Garden
What grew, what failed, and what I’ll do differently next season.
Read the article →Chickens
A real backyard flock—with opinions, politics, and a complaints department.
Read the article →Bees
Beginner beekeeping notes from two hives and a surprisingly dark first harvest.
Read the article →Prepared Home
Backup power, water, heat, and purchases that have to earn their space.
Farm Stand
Eggs, honey, garden goodies, and the slow build behind Porch Swing Farm.
Fresh from the farm
Three true stories to start.
Actual projects, mistakes, lessons, and strong opinions—because learning is considerably more fun when somebody admits what really happened.
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Garden
The Great Backyard Swap
The chickens had too much sun. The vegetables did not have enough. Clearly, somebody had been assigned the wrong office.
Chickens
Eight Hens, One Tiny Coop, and a 500-Piece Shed
A pallet fence, a traveling chicken cage, and the moment IKEA confidence met 25 pages of instructions.
Bees
Two Hives and the Honey That Refused to Hurry
The Flow Hive, zero honey supers, and a first harvest that moved at the speed of cold ketchup.
Why Porch Swing Farm?
Because “doing it yourself” still counts when you’re learning as you go.
This is not a perfect homestead photographed at golden hour. It’s a regular home becoming more productive, resilient, and joyful—with chickens underfoot and at least one project getting out of hand.