As long as gardeners have existed, they’ve sought to extend their growing seasons beyond the limits of winter’s shutdown. Gardening history is dotted with an arsenal of methods created to rebuff frost and snow, such as cold frames, greenhouses, row covers, carefully-placed compost piles, and cloches. A relatively recent entry in the fight to defy
Search Results for: clothing/eco-clothing-brands/prairie-underground
Children’s Clothing Exchange
Did your children outgrow their clothes overnight? With growing kids, it is a fact that you will end up with clothes that still have some wear-ability after your kids not longer fit in them. You can give them to relatives if they live close by, but inevitably your kids will be the last girl or new baby and
Earth-Sheltered Home: An Eco-Friendly, Passive Housing Alternative
Folks on the street may call them “hobbit houses” in reference to J.R.R. Tolkien’s work, but earth-sheltered homes have been around for far longer than 1937 when the novel was published. Though the practice of using a protective layer of earth to embrace your home exploded in popularity in the 1970s, it’s truly been around
Modern Underground Homes
Modern Underground Homes
Another Green Living Option: Hand Wash Your Clothes
… and easily trade cost and environmental impact, for time! “Do laundry”… what does that mean to most of us? It means carting a large pile of clothes in a bin or basket to one’s home washer and dryer, or if you’re one of the many unfortunate bunch like me, you cart it to a
Homestead Stories: Rare Orchids
I love orchids. I have dozens lining my plant stands in the sunroom, and I nurture the wild orchids that pop up, unexpectedly, on my property, but they are just a few of the varieties that exist in the world. There are orchids of all shapes, sizes, and colors, and some that look like animals
8 Beautiful, Drought Tolerant Plants For Dry Landscapes
You’ve heard the rain. All that free water falling from the sky, keeping the hills and valleys green. But if you live in a drought-prone area that cooling summer rain may seem more like a fever dream than reality, and all the lush, beautiful vegetation associated with rain — as far away as the clouds that
3 Ways To Share or Trade Your Used Clothing
Here are three ways that you can use that unwanted clothing to save money, meet a need, or make a difference in your community!
Blast From the Past? Las Vegas Home Features Epic Bomb Shelter! (w/ video)
Remember “Blast from the Past“, that late-90s cold-war parody/rom-com that starred Brendan Fraser and Alicia Silverstone and told the story of a family that built a lavish underground bomb shelter beneath their LA home to ride out the apocalypse in? It was pretty terrible, but the weird thing about that movie is that it could
10 Ways to Upcycle Old Clothes
We can upcycle just about any type of clothing as long as we’ve got a vision, a bit of imagination, and some crafting skills. Clothing is one of the simplest things to upcycle. Old jeans can be transformed into shorts, household items, and tote bags. T-shirts can be made into reusable produce bags, hanging planters,
Organic Mattress Guide
Many mattresses contain harsh fire-retardant chemicals and inexpensive synthetic fabrics. Are these mattresses safe for you to lie on for 8 hours every night? Only a few mattress companies sell 100% organic mattresses. Most mattress companies use a mix of natural and synthetic materials. An organic mattress doesn’t contain harsh chemicals—it meets fire safety standards
Eco-Friendly Kitchen Sinks
Seekers of eco-friendly sinks, I have some bad news and some good news. The bad news first: Affordable, new kitchen sinks aren’t 100% eco-friendly. When choosing a sink you’ll be balancing different aspects of sustainability. We’ve tried to give you a starting point for all the buying choices you’ll have to make. Kitchen Sink Materials/Colors
Plastic Bottle Homes and Greenhouses
Plastic bottle houses, PET houses, recycled plastic home, plastic bottle building
Eco-Friendly Playgrounds
Parents know the benefits of installing playgrounds and playsets. Beyond being a fun activity that gets children outdoors, playground equipment is important for a child’s cognitive, emotional, physical, and interpersonal development. A day in the backyard or at the park does wonders for kids’ physical health, as well as improving their self-confidence and social skills,
How To Get Rid Of Yellow Jackets
When you’re working your own land, there’s an inevitable moment when you find yourself butting heads with nature. You may discover a nasty poison ivy rash, a particularly troublesome patch of morning glory that you just can’t seem to eradicate, or a copperhead den smack dab in the middle of your field. But of all
BPA Free Cans
List of cans with and without BPA
A Guide for Discernment With AI-Generated Homesteading Content
Winter is nearly over, and I’ve been flexing my irrepressible hope and getting seeds started indoors. While watching my little starting pots with great anticipation, I did a quick internet search to find out the average time it takes for onions seeds to germinate. The first website that showed up featured an article with repetitive
DECT Phone Safety
DECT Phone Safety, Dangers of DECT, low radiation dect phones
Wofati
There’s a charm to underground homes and so-called ‘hobbit homes’, but many former owners of such buildings have moved out due to problems with moisture and related conditions. But, earth might be the best insulator available, and it’s definitely the cheapest. Permaculturalist Paul Wheaton, owner of the forums at permies.com as well as richsoil.com, set
Rodent Control Without Poison
As the weather starts to cool, rodents such as mice, rats, chipmunks, and squirrels attempt to find a warm place to stay well fed during the cold winter months. While these rodent pests are small, they can cause huge problems for homesteaders. Rodents contaminate food and indoor surfaces with salmonella and a diverse array of
Eco Friendly Toys Ages 3-7
Eco Toys Ages 3-7
tentree Holiday Gift Guide
When you’re on the search for the perfect gift this holiday season, you may feel yourself completely overwhelmed and inundated by the number of newspaper advertisements and holiday sales there are to choose from. If you’re anything like us here at Insteading, you’re keeping your eye out for a high-quality gift that your family and friends
Try An Eco Friendly Christmas Tree
Upcycled, recycled, reused eco-friendly Christmas trees are a sustainable alternative to chopping down a living tree or buying a tree that’s been chopped down and shipped to you. Christmas tree farms are a classic example of monoculture, where a single crop is cultivated in a wide area. Row after row of similar trees does not make for a
Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products
Too many cleaning products contain chemicals that are extremely harmful to the environment and its inhabitants, including humans. Eco-friendly cleaning products are an easy alternative and solution! The ozone, water, air, land, and the entire ecosystem are all affected by the choices we make as humans, including what products we use. Today I am going
Vegan Gift Guide: 25+ Items For Every Vegan On Your List
More and more people are turning to veganism as a compassionate and health-conscious lifestyle, so that means you probably have at least a few veg-heads in your life. And at some point, you’re going to have an occasion to give a gift to those vegan friends, family, or office mates. And to remove any anxiety
Bel Brands USA Responds To Red Wax Wrapper Question
A few weeks ago I posted about Mini Baby Bel’s red wax wrapper and how the company could not confirm that the red dye doesn’t leach into the cheese it contains. Here is the response I received. Dear Miss Kaplan, Thank you for contacting us. Our wax is composed of fully refined paraffin wax, micro-crystalline
Quilting With Old Clothes
Ideas for your Old Clothes
Could You Make All Your Clothes For An Entire Year?
An artist from Vancouver challenged herself to just such a task, and discovered that sustainable clothing about more than just what you wear.
40 Smart Uses For Dryer Sheets In Your Home And Garden
When you put laundry in a dryer, static builds up on the clothes, sheets, and towels that bounce and tumble in the heat. Throwing in a dryer sheet can reduce static cling and leave your clothes smelling fresh. That said, dryer sheets have gained a bad reputation because they contain quaternary ammonium compounds that can
How to Buy an Eco-Friendly Dishwasher (In 2014)
While an eco-friendly dishwasher is already a bit of a redundancy, the model you choose & the way you run it can save even more energy & water.
Eco-Friendly Homemade Ice Melt Solutions
If you reside in a region where the temperature drops below freezing, you know firsthand the dangers of ice accumulation. When the winter winds blow, temperatures drop, and the rain turns to sleet or snow; driveways, sidewalks, and steps become hazardous. Homemade ice melt solutions and anti-icing products help prevent snow and ice from bonding
10 Probiotic-Rich Foods That Are Even Better Than Yogurt
Move over, yogurt! These probiotic rich foods are even better.
Shipping Container Homes
Shipping container homes seem like a no-brainer. Approximately 30 million steel shipping containers are in existence, filled and floating, or standing empty in a port. 8 feet wide by 8.5 feet high, and either 20 or 40 feet long, the steel shipping container has been the globally standardized transportation module since 1956. Sending empty containers
10 Ground Cover Plants to Replace Your Grass Lawn
Though it’s outside, there’s really nothing all that natural about the picture-perfect lawn. Artificially grown, watered, fertilized, and maintained, it’s a strange picture of modernity. We’ve made our case against the “normal” patch of featureless fescue, and if you agree with us, perhaps you’re ready to change up the backyard for something new and less
Food Companies Fighting GMO Labeling
Washington State’s GMO Labeling Ballot Initiative (I-522) I-522 would have mandated clear labeling of genetically engineered (GE) ingredients on food packages. The initiative was voted on in 2013. It lost, 51% to 49%. Among the companies who fought the labeling requirements, and money they spent on the ‘No on 522’ campaign were: Monsanto: $5,374,411 DuPont: $3,880,159
Growing Rhubarb
Rhubarb pie does eternal battle with apple in my heart — each of them vying to reign as favorite. But I have to admit, there’s something about the tart-sweet of rhubarb that demands attention, and piques longing when it’s not there. I can’t be alone in this appreciation for rhubarb dessert. It wasn’t called “pie
Perfluorinated Compounds
Perfluorinated Compounds
Koch Brothers’ Products
Koch Brothers Products and Pollution
20 Energy Saving, Eco-Friendly DIY Clothesline Ideas
In today’s world, people are becoming ever more conscious of the ways their behavior impacts the planet. Everything we consider a modern convenience, from electricity right down to how we do our laundry, can hurt the environment. One way to reduce your carbon footprint is to build your own DIY clothesline. Of course, you can
Organic Shampoo
In the spirit of real talk, I will admit that I had never been an organic shampoo user until I tested products and conducted research for this article. In hindsight, I feel ashamed of myself for the years I spent buying into experiential “oh-oh-ohhhh” shampoo marketing tactics the big brands use to lure us in.
Flooring Ideas: 18 Eco-Friendly Options For Your Next Home Renovation
If you’re doing a home renovation or are in the market for some new flooring, you’re in luck. Right now, it appears that just about every type of flooring company has some exciting option you’re bound to love. Before choosing your flooring there are a few things to keep in mind. First, be sure that
Root Cellars: The Original Refrigerator
Root cellars are the original refrigerator. Back in the days before refrigerators were invented, homesteaders stored their produce, among other things, in the root cellar. They have been around for a very long time. Many homesteaders still prefer letting the Earth’s natural coolness keep our vegetables fresh, rather than refrigerating. Root Cellars: The Basics Root cellars
Growing Peanuts
Peanuts are one of the most familiar staples of American childhood culture, from peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to roasted peanuts at a ballgame. They are also notorious for causing deadly allergic reactions in some people. But surprisingly enough, most people don’t know anything about how they are grown or even that they are not
Foraging for Pokeweed
Elvis sang about it. Gardeners loathe it. Old-timers grew up on it. Suburban moms are afraid of it and pull it out with gloves … and foragers? They’re inconsistent about it. It’s a miracle cure, a deadly poison, a nutritious food, a pest, a gift. It’s pokeweed! Watch the Video: This hotly contested, rich-historied, delicious
Top 10 Alternative Building Books
For those of us who use alternative building methods in construction, it can be difficult to find a mentor. Trade schools generally teach stick framing, so you will be hard-pressed to find an official school in which to learn. And if you can’t find an architect who is a natural builder to apprentice under, your
Garden Planners
A vegetable garden can give you organic, fresh produce year-round. But, as vegetables vary greatly in size, spacing, harvest time and growing conditions, planning tools are an essential part of any garden strategy. Jump to a section: Paper Garden Planners | Garden Planning Software | Garden Planning Mobile Apps | Regional Garden Planning Resources Paper
Shade Plants: 15 Garden Greats To Grow In Full Or Partial Shade
You are a garden warrior. You have taken the ground allotted to you in your acreage, however big or small, and have tilled the rough sod into soft, pillowy submission. Your compost has been aged to perfection and spread with care. The pH of your garden beds is impeccable. Leaf miners, cabbage borers, and slugs
Foraging for Dock
There are several plants that have become all but invisible due to their sheer ubiquity and the fact they can grow in less-than-desirable places. Watch the video: Dock is one of those plants – a colonizer of empty lots, a squatter in industrial gravel piles, roadside inhabitant, and pasture weed. For years, its subliminal association
Best Dehydrator Recipes
If you’re lucky enough to have an overabundance of fruit, veggies, or meat, you also have a problem. How to preserve this bounty? Refrigeration may only keep the stuff fresh for a few days. Freezing? Maybe a few months—less if your power happens to go out. Dehydration is the best way to store food for
Free Land: Where and How to Find It
Land, free for the taking, just waiting for someone to work hard enough to claim it as their own. Does a sentence like that send shivers of longing and hope down your spine? “But those days are gone” you may concede with a sigh. Gone along with the covered wagon, the real cowboy, and herds