These days, we all rely on the internet for literally everything. I personally believe that YouTube instruction videos are one of the greatest inventions of all time (seriously!). It is such an incredible thing to be able to search for a video to help you out with a confusing or intimidating project, and homesteaders know
Woodworking projects and home repairs top the to-do lists of many homesteaders, but they generate a copious amount of a largely unwanted byproduct: sawdust. Before dumping your next shovelful of sawdust into the trash, take a look at this list of creative ways to make good use of it: Use for traction when
When first making the switch from toxic nonstick cookware to cast iron, you may have a few reservations about the care or cost, especially if you run your homestead on a tight budget. The good news is that cast iron cookware outlasts its nonstick and other counterparts by decades, even centuries; you won’t be replacing
Does your to-do list start off on the fridge on Monday and end up buried in mail and seed catalogs on the kitchen table by Friday? You have the best intentions to manage your work and goals, but at some point, they just snowball and when Sunday night comes to an end, you’ve met only
When you have a milk-producing goat or cow, their udders might get a lot of work. They can get sore or irritated, so it’s handy to be able to have a balm to soothe them on hand in case this happens. However, unfortunately, most storebought balms are petroleum-based and expensive, and, if you live in
Chickens are more than just egg producers, if you utilize them correctly, they can be a vital part of a smoothly running homestead! They are excellent additions to any gardening effort, and can even be useful with raising larger poultry as well! Here are some ideas for how to get the most out of your
Just when you think you’ve seen it all! I am slightly freaking out right now because this is just about the coolest thing I have seen in a VERY long time. You can, in fact, make a beehive using mason jars as the hives, and the bees will produce honey right in your jars! How
This is a super cool concept that I’ve often wanted to try myself. The folks at Deep South Homestead, one of my favorite YouTube channels, have tried the “Back to Eden” gardening method, without much success. Back to Eden is the gardening method that was shown in the film by the same name, that involves
When most people think of homesteading, they consider a farm on vast tracts of land in a very rural setting. Most people believe that homesteading will require a couple of acres, but that’s not the case. Many who live in rural areas and homestead, can do it on relatively little land, so long as they
A thriving garden is the beating heart of the homestead. For many people, though, keeping a garden can be a challenge. Traditional methods require heavy machinery for soil preparation, questionable chemical fertilizers, all adding up to a prohibitive upfront cost. A great and easy method of gardening that has a very low financial demand is
If you’re an avid homesteader, you already know the value of a self-sustaining lifestyle. However, you may be one of thousands of families who just isn’t sure if you’re up to the task of in-sourcing your children’s education in addition to everything else you do in your homestead. Let me challenge you on that. If
Stop digging up your garden after fall harvest and start planning your winter crop! If you’re blessed enough to live in a climate where the winter months don’t come with a thick blanket of snow and sub-zero temps, you can have a successful winter gardening season. Seasonal favorites include most root vegetables such as
For the average homesteader, one of the biggest and most undeniable benefits of the self-reliant lifestyle is the security of a constant, sustainable source of food and fuel, especially in our fluctuating economy. Security and preparedness around your home are incredibly important, but you could be one of many people who leave out a key
Have you ever gotten a confused stare in response to mentioning your homesteader lifestyle? Maybe even a disapproving scoff or an insult? You’re definitely not alone. While the revival of the homestead lifestyle is definitely gaining steam, the minds of many people in our modern world boggle at the thought of working toward self-reliance
Getting off-grid and energy independent is really appealing, but can also be pretty intimidating. It’s hard to know where to start when you’ve lived your whole life reliant upon a municipal grid, and as I wrote recently about homesteading in general, it’s OK to make mistakes. But, you can always learn from the mistakes of