How to Start a CO Farm Stand: Grow, Sell, & Thrive on Less Than an Acre
A Simple Guide for Turning Your Homestead Skills Into Extra Income If you’ve been dreaming about earning a little extra income from your kitchen, your garden, or your creativity, Colorado just happens to be one of the best states to do it. Two powerful opportunities...
Minnesota Wild Rice Holiday Dressing
Minnesota Wild Rice Bake with Ground Beef A hearty, rustic casserole inspired by traditional wild rice dressing — made with ground beef, mushrooms, and cranberries for a cozy, comforting dish that’s perfect for cold-weather dinners or holiday tables. Large skillet...
🌾 In Hard Times, Grow Something: The Quiet Patriotism of Feeding Ourselves
When times get hard, it’s easy to feel powerless. Prices rise, supply chains break, and even the most basic things — like putting food on the table — can feel uncertain. But there’s one thing that always brings me back to center: growing food. Food grounds us. It...
Welcome to mybackyard homestead
myBackyardHomestead is tucked away in the high-altitude pines of Colorado, our little slice of heaven that we lovingly call Cheesecake Bear Ranch is more than a home — it’s a living story. A place where creativity, resilience, and nature intertwine. Over the years,...
The Artist’s Garden: Nature as Muse and Medicine
More than a decade ago, our high-altitude garden in the mountains of Colorado began as a small experiment in growing food and flowers. Over time it evolved into Cheesecake Bear Ranch, a living classroom where art, creativity, and nature meet. Here in the quiet of the...
🍂 Rethinking Fall Cleanup at Cheesecake Bear Ranch
As the days grow shorter and the crispness of fall settles in, gardeners everywhere feel that old familiar pull: the great fall cleanup. Out come the rakes, the pruners, and the endless urge to “tidy up.” We trim, we cut, we sweep away every last leaf, convinced that...
No-Till, No-Weed, and No-Fuss Gardening
If you're looking for a gardening method that requires less work, fewer weeds, and no tilling, the Ruth Stout Method might be your new best friend. Often called the “No-Work Garden”, this technique was pioneered by Ruth Stout, an American gardener and author, in the...
Cold-Weather Crops to Plant in March (Direct Sowing or Transplants)
I'm in USDA Hardiness Zone 4b-5a, meaning I have a short growing season with late frosts in spring and early frosts in fall. However, many cold-hardy crops can be planted right now (March 21), especially if you use row covers, cold frames, or raised beds to extend the...
Winter Sowing with Milk Jugs: A Beginner’s Guide
Winter Sowing with Milk Jugs: A Beginner’s Guide Winter sowing is an easy and fun way to start your garden before spring even arrives. By using recycled milk jugs or other similar containers, you can create a mini greenhouse that helps seeds germinate naturally....
Gardening the Ruth Stout Way: Embracing No-Till, No-Fuss Organic Gardening
Gardening the Ruth Stout Way: Embracing No-Till, No-Fuss Organic Gardening Gardening offers both a fulfilling hobby and a sustainable way to produce healthy food. Among the many organic gardening techniques available, the Ruth Stout method stands out for its...
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Welcome to MyBackyardHomestead.com — a lifestyle channel rooted in simple living, mindful creativity, and the rhythms of mountain life at Cheesecake Bear Ranch in Colorado.
What began more than ten years ago as a high-altitude gardening experiment has grown into a life philosophy: live intentionally, nurture what you love, and protect what matters.
Over the years, our homestead has evolved into a permaculture-inspired food forest, where every plant has a purpose and every season brings new lessons.
🌸 Fruit Trees: 5 plum trees and 2 espaliered apple trees (each with 3 grafts)
🍇 Berries & Vines: mulberry, elderberry, currants, gooseberries, jostaberries, strawberries, and grapes
🌿 Perennials & Edibles: asparagus, rhubarb, herbs, and pollinator-friendly plants
In 2022, I changed up my routine and began direct-sowing most vegetables for the first time. It was both exciting and a little nerve-wracking, but as always, the soil rewarded patience.
This homestead — and this website — has grown into something bigger: a place to share stories, tools, and resources that help others live more intentionally, both online and off.
🌿 Explore the Lifestyle Channel
Subscribe to Notes from the Garden, a weekly letter from the mountains filled with inspiration for simple, creative living.
When you join, you’ll get instant access to a growing collection of free tools designed to nurture your home, your habits, and your digital peace of mind:
🔐 Digital Self-Defense 101
Ten simple, practical steps to protect your digital life.
🌸 Journey to Joy and Happiness Journal Pages
A 7-day guided journaling practice to reconnect with gratitude, focus, and peace.
🌱 Food Forest Plant List (2022)
A peek inside the permaculture-inspired forest garden that started it all.
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