Pigs really will eat almost anything. Except crab apples. Don’t give them too many crab apples.

One of the best snacks is fresh fruit straight off the tree, especially figs. Can’t go wrong with fresh figs.

It really is better sometimes to suck it up and wake up nice and early with the dawn so you can avoid working in the heat.

Italy has scorpions.

Compost needs daily care—it must be churned and added to and mixed every morning. You can tell if it’s starting to work if the compost is warmer than regular dirt.

Tomatoes are one of the easiest plants to grow and maintain.

If you add cilantro to anything, you’re going to get approximately a zillion health benefits.

It’s wise to think about where your food is really coming from. For example, I never realized that almonds grew on trees, mostly because I never, ever thought about it.

Chickens have personalities. They also poo a whole lot.

When you have a pig and a dog, any leftovers you don’t want to save will never go to waste.

Owning animals is a big commitment; remember that it’s a lot harder to find a house sitter when someone has to tend to fowl.