It’s housed in an old building with large sunny windows.  The young woman that greets us is always there, I believe her to be the owner.  She is always smiling, never overwhelmed. You may have a store like this one near you.  I could order everything online but if there is a store somewhere within an hour’s drive, I would rather support a family, an entrepreneurial adventure, a fellow shop owner.  Buckley’s Homestead Supply is also cheaper than what you can buy online.  That really seals the deal, and Doug and I have a half day field trip of homestead supply shopping and lunch at the Tapateria in Old Colorado City!  Tough day in the life of a homesteader, I tell you.

I needed a bee keeping suit.  And a smoker.  And a hive tool.  And I did not want to wait until the bees came to get them!  Remember what happened last year?  Fiasco.  I didn’t have anything ready.  I chickened out and sold the bees right before they came to my young mentor.  This year I want new farm animals.  10,000 of them.  Buzzing around.  I ordered them a few weeks ago and they will be arriving to Pumpkin Hollow Farm in April.  Doug and I tried on bee keeping jackets with the head piece and veil attached and each bought one.  Along with a smoker we don’t know how to use and a hive tool.  Doug decided he is going to be a Scottish bee keeper this year for Halloween.  He will wear the jacket and veil with a kilt.  He spent the next half hour speaking in a brogue accent making jokes about bees and nethers that had me in fits of laughter.

We picked up soap making supplies for a class that I was teaching.  A lid for our canning jar that makes it a water bottle also went on our growing pile.  A small book on making cheese, yogurt, and other dairy products since I will soon be in milk.  And one on how to make wine.  And a strainer for our herbal medicines that is finer than the present one.

We priced out the cheese press, and drooled over all the other items there while putting several on our wish list.  We finished the trip by signing up for a beekeeping class at the beginning of April.

We walked out $270 lighter including paying for the class.  A steal, I tell you!  If you live in Colorado, head down to Colorado Springs and see the nice, young woman that owns Buckley’s.  It is worth the trip.  She can help you accomplish all your homesteading goals this year.

One stop shop.

Buckley’s Homestead Supply

http://buckleyshomesteadsupply.com

1501 W Colorado Ave, Colorado Springs, CO 80904
(719) 358-8510