Country Bro

Trucks, land, trades and the work that starts before the sun does.

GuideWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

Pick the Dog for the Job, Then Teach It to Stop

A pup out of working parents is two years from useful, so choose the right kind of dog, start on broke stock, and put the brakes on before anything else.

Your Pond Problem Probably Isn't the Fish

Weeds, muddy water and stunted bluegill all trace back to the same few things, and most of them you can fix in a weekend.

GuideWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

Keeping a Quarter Mile of Driveway Open All Winter

Where you shove the snow in December decides whether you can still turn around in February. The gear, the timing, and the plan for the morning it won't start.

Ask BRO

Build me a 30-day training plan around two sessions a week

Ask it

GuideRay Okonkwo23 Sept 20266 min

Farm Tax Status, Before You Waste an Hour at the Accountant

Three different programs get called the same thing, and only one of them is federal. Know which one you actually want before the meter starts running.

Delicious.com — Nine thousand recipes and a plan for tonight

PartnerDelicious.com

6 min read

Start With Sheep, Not Goats, and Nobody Wants to Hear It

Everything nobody tells you about running a small flock, from the fence that actually holds to the worm that kills more animals than coyotes do.

Poll

How often do you see your closest friends?

GuideWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

Coyotes, deer and bears don't care that you bought the place

Most wildlife trouble on an acreage is a food problem wearing a fur coat. Fix the attractants first, then fence, then reach for the rifle.

GuideWes Dunbar23 Sept 20265 min

What joining the volunteer fire department actually takes

Your county is covered by a handful of people with pagers, and the bench is thin. Plain talk on the hours, the training, and what it costs you.

Dude.com — 16 advisers who listen, talk and pray with you

PartnerDude.com

GuideWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

Twenty-Five Meat Birds and One Long Saturday

What it actually takes to raise Cornish Cross from chick to freezer, including the part nobody puts in the hatchery catalog.

Quiz

Is your money actually in order?

Six questions. No email required, no sales pitch at the end.

GuideWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

Your Stove Won't Burn the House Down, Your Chimney Will

Sizing, clearances, creosote and the ash bucket most people set down in exactly the wrong place.

GuideWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

Your first hive won't make honey, and that's fine

Order the bees in January, buy two hives instead of one, and learn to count mites before you ever dream about a honey harvest.

Ask BRO

Build me a revision plan that I will actually stick to

Ask it

GuideWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

Keeping a few head of cattle on ten acres

Stocking rate, hay math, water in January, and the handling setup you'll wish you built before the vet showed up.

CancerDefying.com — The research, protocols and reading in one place

PartnerCancerDefying.com

GuideWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

The cheap acreage is usually cheap for a reason

Access, water, septic and the county map. Check them in that order, before the earnest money goes hard and the deal becomes your problem.

Poll

Where does your best time with your kids happen?

GuideWes Dunbar23 Sept 20265 min

Buying Land Without Inheriting a Lawsuit

Access, water, septic, mineral rights and the survey line that isn't where the fence is. What to verify before your money is gone.

GuideWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

The first year with chickens, without losing half the flock

Hardware cloth, six birds, and the January morning that tells you whether you're actually a chicken person.

PartnerDude.com

GuideWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

The tractor most small acreages actually need

Loader capacity, PTO horsepower and ballast matter more than the number on the hood. What to buy for five to twenty acres, and what to skip.

Quiz

Does your wardrobe actually fit you?

Five questions, honestly answered, and a plan for the next fortnight.

5 min

How to Find the Small-Town Places Worth the Drive

5 min

The small-town stops that earn the drive

Ask BRO

What should I wear to this?

Ask it

GuideDean Shaw22 Sept 20265 min

The small-town places still worth an hour of your Saturday

Custom processors, parts counters, salvage yards and farm auctions — how to tell which drive pays and which one just burns half a day.

PartnerCancerDefying.com

6 min read

Spec a truck for the acreage, not the driveway

Payload, bed length and tires decide whether a truck works on your place. Tow rating is mostly a billboard number.

Poll

Where does your best time with your kids happen?

Older articles

Country Bro

Pick the Dog for the Job, Then Teach It to Stop

Getting Internet That Works Ten Miles From the Cable Line

Buy hay by the ton, and open a bale before you pay

Plant fruit trees now and you'll eat from them by year five

A Garden Big Enough to Show Up on the Grocery Receipt

Rain Off the Shop Roof Will Water More Than You Think

Your Pond Problem Probably Isn't the Fish

Keeping a Quarter Mile of Driveway Open All Winter

Farm Tax Status, Before You Waste an Hour at the Accountant

Start With Sheep, Not Goats, and Nobody Wants to Hear It

Coyotes, deer and bears don't care that you bought the place

What joining the volunteer fire department actually takes

Twenty-Five Meat Birds and One Long Saturday

Your Stove Won't Burn the House Down, Your Chimney Will

Your first hive won't make honey, and that's fine

Keeping a few head of cattle on ten acres

The cheap acreage is usually cheap for a reason

Buying Land Without Inheriting a Lawsuit

The first year with chickens, without losing half the flock

The tractor most small acreages actually need

How to Find the Small-Town Places Worth the Drive

The small-town stops that earn the drive

The small-town places still worth an hour of your Saturday

Spec a truck for the acreage, not the driveway